"This will soon be a typical Australian citizen!"The election in Australia is well underway and a dangerous, worrying dimension has entered the equation. Big Business, with its massive wealth, is actively entering politics (of course, business has always been involved in politics but usually in a more subtle way).
Using television and the print media, they have commenced a multi-million dollar fear campaign trying to convince voters that if the pro-business, pro-capitalism Government of John Howard is not re-elected then interest rates will rise significantly and there will be a large increase in unemployment. The Government itself is also spending millions of taxpayer dollars in the same pursuit. Resultantly our tellies and newspapers are alive with dire warning about the coming catastrophe should Labor (Democrats) be elected. People are becoming scared!
This mischievous use of fear to stampede voters is alive and well in Australia as it is elsewhere in the world. Terrorism is involved as well. People don't know whether to look for danger from above or in their wallets! Talk about stampeding the cattle. The words of wisdom about fear in my side bar suddenly seem very appropriate.
So not only do we now have religious groups trying to influence the election of a government that favours them in areas like the funding of religious schools and low taxation but now we have big business blatantly pushing for the return of a right-wing government that has strongly favoured them during the last decade by disadvantaging workers. Lowering wages and removing conditions for workers in recent years has been turned into an art form by the Howard Government much to the delight of corpulent boardroom directors.
Of course, another factor that adds to my concern is that the MSM is largely controlled by those who are driven, not by an ambition to present the truth about national or world affairs, but by the amoral profit motive. It is in their interest to have a pro-business party in office too, help keep their profits high and rising and allow them to have multi-media outlets.
Democratic Government for the people, by the people? You wish!
24 comments:
i hope this doesn't sound bad, but i'm soothed to hear that another country is also fighting for its soul. it has felt so lonely over here in the U.S. now that the entire world has turned against us.
I purchased a great book last week in the ABC Shop "The Crikey Guide to the 2007 Federal Election' for $20 and would recommend it to both the informed and uninformed.
weezlelou over in America makes me pleased to know how ungrateful we are to them for providing George W Bush as a mentor to our own John Howard....Hopefully we'll follow England's example and voters will get rid of both of Howard and Bush eventually....
I believe Daniel that the majority of voters are now too well informed to fall for the tricks of big business. I have yet to meet one person who feels better off for having Work Choices thrust upon them...100 years of unified representation of workers lost in the stroke of a pen...We wore the GST but I can't believe Australians would be fooled a second time....We couldn't live with the sound of the crowing should JH be re elected. But in truth I am inclined to think Kevin Rudd is a younger version of the same conservatism we've experienced for 10 years. The rich will continue to become richer! and the poor?? well they're work their butts off for the rich....the Status Quo remains.
Hey Weezielou, glad we can help. The world has turned against your government not the American people!
Mary, Howard will do anything to get elected so who knows what depths he'll go to. Your comment about Rudd ties in with the feeling in America that there is no real difference between the two sides since the God of Profit came to power.
Cheers!
It's truly frigtening because all people are worried about is their wallet, Dan.
Thats why I am such an advocate for simple living,non-consumerism and voting left wing(for ppls rights).
Exactly when do you think the desire for money and success will be bred out of us??? I won't hold my breath.
Little Johnnies of the world won't stand a chance against that thinking....I only hope it happens before we poison ourselves,all die of environmental related diseases or blow eachother up!
Zoe XXX
Don't forget the unions, Daniel. They, too, spend up big bikkies in fear campaigns at election time.
Ah, dear Zoe, if the capitalists have anything to do with it, it will never be bred out of us! XXXXXXXXXXX
Hey, Dude, I didn't forget the unions. They are largely a spent force in this country with low membership and much of the workforce forced onto individual contracts. What's the scene in France?
Cheers to both of you!
The unions are pretty powerful here in France.
Some new laws passed recently should help a little - they guarantee a 'minimum service' for essential services like electricity which means no snap strikes - but the influence remains huge.
And it's why we have to keep on plugging away at these bludgers, and VOTE them out. Also, small things count, don't put up with this voice recognition crap with big companies, hit OOOOO or what ever, demand a receipt, ask for the boss, ring you local Member and get him/her to work for you and demand an answer, email the buggers and demand a reply, it's your money that props them up, make 'em work for it as you have had to. That way it lets them know that we won't be trodden on.
(From a non pregnant male who dosen't drive an American(left hand drive :)motor vehicle, and I do 2,000 klm a week in the bush!) :)
Gawd, I wrote a long passion about this, so now I'll keep it short,
(The poor woman, the steering wheel has been shifted :).)
Oh! (Drags out book, 'What every over 60 yo should know about Blogs.)Yeah but, at our age, well we are a bloody pain! :).
Ah, Jackie/Dude/Dylan, finally you have outed yourself. I knew there was something fishy about your entrance to my blog and I've been watching you closely ever since (as you've been watching me). Anyway, welcome!
Australia, under Howard, as you would know, is an example of what happens when capitalism largely prevails. France (and perhaps some of the Scandinavian countries) demonstrate what can happen if the softening element of socialism prevails.
Langmack, I like a man who has passion about things he believes in. That you noted the steering wheel demonstrates your alertness. There's life in the grey hair brigade and wisdom!
Cheers!
Outed myself? Heck - I sent you an email! :) Did it arrive, BTW?
I find your style interesting, Daniel. It is certainly easier to read than some of your fellow travellers and seeks to make an argument. Granted, I don't hold the same views regarding Howard's (now increasingly likely) electoral demise but your posts are interesting to me, nonetheless.
Ah, Dylan, man of a thousand faces and many moods, that you enjoy aspects of my humble blog brings joy to my ailing heart.
Would you like me to link your blog to mine so that we may be locked together in a cerebral cyberspace union?
Cheers.
I feel your pain! ; (
Seems like we all need to wake up and stop accepting and voting for people like this.
The positive side is the older generations who believe the fear tactics are slowly going by the wayside, and since the younger generation hasn't been bogged down with that past, perhaps some kind of change is just beyond the horizon.
We hope.......
Daniel, I don't have a blog anymore. I have had two blogs in the past and both ended badly.
The site linked to in my login is just a collection of papers I have written. There might be something there that interests you or your readers but its mostly (though not completely) theoretical IR.
In any case, I don't link to blogs on the page so the "cyberspace union" would be a rather one sided one. :)
Don't drink the Kool-Aid.
Unfortunately it seems that Oz is being led --or drive--down the same garden path the USA has been treading for well over a quarter century now.
I trust that the Australian electorate is better informed than the American one. Vote for your best interests and ignore the fearmongers. (I would love to hear that they have been laughed out of your country as they should have been in ours).
Coffee, you're right - we can but hope. Unfortunately hope seems to be diminishing.
Dylan, that your two blogs finished badly is intriguing. Anyway, glad to have your input to this blog. We're a nice bunch, a sincere bunch.
Nancy, it would surely be better if voters put the country's needs before their own. I guess that's asking a lot.
Cheers.
Daniel, noticing,gray hair, suggestion of pat.....
The Unions are like the morning after pill, RU48, just there in case?, The mad Monk , now there is a case for Unions, ore the after mentioned.
Daniel, at this point I would suggest that "real" democracy is still alive and well in Australia. Never despair.
Your opinion counts .. sort of .. somewhere ..heh.
You may have Big Business, but do you have a theme park that has Jesus getting crucified 6 days a week? Hmmm? Now THAT's Big Business. I'm merely reporting.
There does seem to be a shift in worldwide Government promises these last few years to 'vote for us to keep you safe from terrorism'.
As JH was one of those who has done his upmost to make the world a more dangerous place, i guess he doesn't have much else to sell.
Langmack, unions like the morning after pill! That's an original and clever thought.
Davo, 'sort of' is exactly right.
Diva, thanks for that bizarre link. It's really made my day!
Cheers.
well maybe at least we can make a gesture?
I signed the partition, Naj. Cheers.
Worried American, thanks for dropping by and supporting this detestable blog! Wink, wink, nudge, nudge!
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