By Sean Crawley
Occasionally I get the chance to talk politics with real life humans. Mostly this centres around apathy, disgust and frustration, and almost always a total lack of trust in our parliamentary process and our politicians. There is a sense of fatalism about the two party system that dominates. It is understandable. The individual feels powerless to make any change to the tyranny of the Liberal/Labor pendulum. And frankly the pathetic lack of vision or leadership in recent decades is atrocious. People generally are turning their backs on politics and trying to find a niche somewhere in the world where they can escape the bullshit.
The problem with this is that the system, the one currently not working, is slowly but surely getting away with allowing our society to slide into greater inequality which, as history has shown, will inevitably lead to an ugly revolution. The decline in social cohesion that is a direct consequence of the rise in inequality, accompanied by the current level of political apathy means we are directing our frustrations not at our government but at each other. The increasing tension between groups of people as typified in the realms of gender, race, class and religion is obvious – you can feel it in the air. We have been atomised and squabble among ourselves as the ruling classes continue to prey upon the masses to feed their unquenchable and pathological narcissism. They have us exactly where they want us. The government and the fourth estate have been hijacked by the wealthy pyschopaths and we are being played as fools.
Perhaps the most blatant example of the way we have been manipulated is by the frighteningly pervasive belief that we cannot change the system which has been so successfully screwed up by the recent succession of Liberal and Labor governments. This is a delusion, in the 2013 federal election not one electorate in the nation offered up only a LNP or Labor candidate. Every single seat had a Green candidate and others. What about voting for a Greens or an Independent? What are you scared of? At the next federal election it is absolutely possible that not one Liberal or Labor politician could win a seat. It is absolutely possible that the Greens could win the election and form Government. It is absolutely possible that a minority Government could be formed, a coalition of diverse parties and representatives forced to work together to govern. No more petty adversarial bullshit and hideously narrow debate. Are we so fearful that we must vote for one of the major parties? What do we fear? Why do we fear?
The Greens are consistently painted in a bad light by the media and by both Labor and the LNP. But what legs do the major parties have to stand on to merely dismiss any and every alternative to their cosy duopoly? Have a look at the Greens policy platform, it’s well thought out and comprehensive – hardly the hippy craziness the establishment would have you believe. In Australia we rightly value our unique landscape and our sense of fairness, the Greens stand firm upon both of these ideals in their policies. Do you believe the politicians and the press that brand them as lunatics and radicals? And what about the Independents, sure some of them are looney tunes, but at least they aren’t arrogantly and unconditionally backed by a party machine that supports everything they say and do. Besides, I have to admit that even Jackie Lambie has a good point occasionally.
Don’t be frightened sheep. The next federal election is looming and I wager that not one seat will offer up only Labor and LNP candidates. Give someone else a shot, the current duopoly has proven beyond doubt that it cannot be trusted to act in our best interests. And tell someone else as well. We all have influence on others. Let’s use the system sitting right under our noses to make the radical change that is needed. All you have to do is vote for anyone but the LNP or Labor. Simple eh?
