freediver wrote on Jun 26^th, 2010 at 11:48pm:


Too busy for it. Good idea for political entities with up to, say, 10,000 people. Beyond that, it is just way too much involvement. Who's going to clean and bake and work?

I think it needs to be tried somewhere first. I don't mean a country but a place where people can organise themselves along these lines. A success there could give it momentum.

Good morning.
I think that it is a very good System FreeDiver and a system that would work better here than anywhere else. It wouldn't be too hard for a population of a paltry 22 million to achieve.
With the use of the Internet, it might even work better and more efficiently?
The 'power' is then placed in the hands of the People and the Polititians are no longer making choices of their own FreeWill (like the USA Polititians do ...but hey, they go out and EARN their votes) , instead, we put them to work. Funny how things can turn, now they will be 'imprisoned' by the new System and put to hard labour! 
Before you know it, there will be more Citizen Arrests than what all the Police can do. 
I like it 
It would fit a Republican model very well. A Republic that is based upon Provincials like Eden-Monaro, Gippsland, Capricornia, St Vincent, Centralia, Stirling, Pilbara, Pitjantjatjara, Arnhem, Cape York, Avalon, Orara, Orana, Riverina, Wimmera, Ngarkat, Goulburn Valley ...and of course, our favourite: the former ACT come 'The Shire' with its former Capital Hill come 'Bag End' 
Install a 'Chairman' to head the Republic as an International Representative only, in other words - he holds no Domestic Power. (Rudd was a good example "Don't poo me China...I know exactly what you're saying! You buy our Resources - then its Top Dollar!") All Domestic Power is held by the people. We already 'mandatorily vote' so making a weekly effort to the computer and clicking in the yes/no or making a percentage vote wouldn't be too hard....no different than paying a Bill. Eventually, you would have a quite politically aware people using the fundamental KISS philosophy.
Culturally, Australian Politics should be simple, just as USA Politics is complicated ...as USA Art is simple, just as Australian Art is complicated (its one of our highest earning Industries and growing ...won't be long before the best Computers are made here to accompany the Computer Art which always does better than the USA efforts in quality).

Anyway, I'm refusing to vote any more and if they threaten me with a fine then I go to my solicitor and claim FINANCIAL ASSAULT  along with MENTAL ABUSE when they try to cancel my Licence. I don't care, I need to make some money some-how and for an un-educated/un-skilled, bad-back, 40'ish, Farm hand ...basically all things 'simple' kind of guy. Going to the High Court again for a School Excursion might just be the thing I need in life.

STORY: "...and so it was that Bilbo Baggins stepped out of his front door and along the Road to face the UK Dragon 'St Smaug', while in another story, Frodo Baggins took on the might of the USA with its 'Eye upon the Pyramid upon its $1 Bill' and threw back the Democracy Ring" 

Australian Republic ...proudly sponsored by www.COMmunist
for all Austr-Aliens (www.COMmunion) 

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Like QLD? Either a state upper house, or one of the regional councils.

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No-one seems to be getting it. Admittedly I have been meaning to re-write it for clarity. The idea is not to force people to vote on every issue. That would be asking for trouble. The idea is to give them the option of voting on every issue, or leaving their vote in the hands of a trusted proxy or representative.

freediver wrote on Jun 26^th, 2010 at 10:40pm:


Agreed - and, personally, I would not wish a 2-year (out of every 4 years) American-style Presidential campaign on Australians...

Sorry, folks, but I am sickened by the very thought, of wasting even more valuable democratic media bandwith dissecting the egos and antics of a select few divisive elitists...

I'd much prefer, that the media be more focused on broad and pressing socio-economic and environmental issues most of the time - and pollies with doG-complexes only when necessary...

That said, I would probably support the appointment of PM's by joint-sitting of BOTH houses of Federal Parliament - rather than just the lower house...

perceptions_now wrote on Jun 27^th, 2010 at 3:12pm:


So you want to remove the major motivation that makes politicians listen to the people they represent?

Sure they listen. Maybe not to you. You get the politicians you deserve.

I had a terrible nightmare last night. Julia Gillard was starring as that tall red-head woman in Home and Away, in fact...Australian Politics was falling into a sitcom like state of being much like Home & Away.
Take away
Rudd's "Australia is fairing better than the majority of nations during these tough economic times". Not having a population of 900 million like the USA helps.
and
Howard's "Australia's unemployment is the lowest ever". Having all women working for the high cost of living during 'chick-chick-boom' times and not having babies helps.
Take these away and you will find that Australia will be nothing more than a soap opera.