The Way Forward

from Waynes Word on Web, 26.08.10

We are now witnessing a monumental display, of the primitive nature, of the old fashioned paper based voting system.

Imagine the stock market or the banking industry following the example set by our electoral commission. You would buy stocks or bank money and they would say to you, wait a couple of weeks and we will eventually get around to looking at the piece of paper you scribbled your request on and then get back to you.

It’s a joke that the authorities can’t get around to upgrading the most important aspect of our governmental system, to a modern system which can count votes as quickly as Australian Idol. Ask yourself why we have to waste paper, money and fuel to upgrade our details on the government database, get out of bed on Saturday to drive to a polling station and tick boxes with an un-environmentally sustainable scribbling device on pieces of paper after being molested by polar unbearables handing out insults to your intelligence. Get a grip here, we all have state of the art polling devices in our reach that could remedy this insanity, yet we put up with this shit.

Do yourself, and everyone else, a favor and don't complain about what an idiot Abbott is or what a backstabber is Julia but demand a remake of the system that is letting you down as we speak.
My personal opinion is that they have no intention of upgrading the way we voice our democratic rights because once the electronic system is in place to vote for a person to represent you, the next logical step is we can vote on issues and that is unacceptable to those who make their living propagating the existing farce.

The Green Lodge

from Waynes Word on Web, 23.08.10

There is one sure fact to emerge from the 2010 election in Australia and it is that the people of our nation are fed up with the way the two big parties go about their business.

There is one sure winner and it is those who have chosen not to support the rhetoric of hate; which has become the dialogue of Government and Opposition, and the hallmark of the House of Representatives.

If we are to glean lessons from this unusual situation and not just hope that there'll be a "better" result next time, then careful analysis of what brought us to this point must be a priority and how to move the country forward for the benifit of all, not just the smug satisfaction of the next majority, a goal.

The media interests have consistently paraded those with political aspirations as the Alpha dominant types to be looked up to and emulated. Growing up and becoming successful is personified by our heads of state, so it's safe to assume there are tribes of little John Howard's and Paul Keating's coveting The Lodge. Soon there will be little Tony's and Julia's moving forward and what can we expect of them but cynicism, one-upmanship and excellence in tearing down one's opposition in a ruthless desire to win at all costs. Is that what we want? Is that what we will continue to support after all this "nonsense" about a hung parliament is over?

My hope is that Julia, Tony and all those concerned are re-evaluating their negativity and looking forward to learning how to confide with the minority groups, sharing their responsibilities with those whom they may disagree and stop shouting down the ones who sit opposite. I hope they will put in place measures to care for the planet, as well as the attitudes of those who aspire to be like them and that soon we will see a Green Lodge with a more compassionate, caring and thoughtful occupant.

Turn your lights on

from Waynes Word on Web, 20.08.10

Can you clearly see were the nation of Australia, is heading? I see a very definite, fork in the road ahead.

The decision we will have to make is not so much whether we will be governed by a liberal or labour party but whether we will steer to the left or the right of the elephant in the middle of the road? On one side is the dusty old road of protectionism, racism and the elitism of belonging to an Empire that had the delusion of being the God given, rightful rulers of the world. The other side is the highway to responsible global citizenship, where we take on the mantle of a progressive nation intent on sustainable, global practises and embracing the high profile position of becoming the worlds newest Republic.

Yes, the elephant I speak of is the great age of our existing monarch. One way or another we are going to have to address the problem of a change of circumstance, whether it be having a new King as our head of state or becoming a Democracy of a more modern kind. Mr Abbott leaves no doubt about which way he would go, being the number one replacement candidate for our countries most senior positioned confirmed monarchist. Julia Gillard, on the other hand, see's the way forward as embracing the aforementioned moment to become something better than we have ever been before.

The monarchists would argue doing nothing and excepting Charles as our King, is the best path to take, because they like the benefits of being associated with that system; as well as all the nasty, unspeakable acts done in it's name. Moving forward to a new style of government is an apostasy to them just as if the monarch was the head of their religion, instead of just the Church of England. In a day and age where religion and affairs of state are becoming dangerously incompatible, the very reasons they give for carrying on with a stiff upper lip, may very well be the best argument for distancing the British Royals from our Multicultural Democracy.

Isn't it about time we switched on the headlights and begin to see things clearly? We didn't vote for a change from the present system last time we were given a chance because the time wasn't right and we weren't given enough information on the types of republic's we could choose from. But if Julia is re-elected on the twenty first of August, we should take her for her word, as well as her stance on taking things to the public and demand a Citizens Forum for preparing ourselves for the time when we, as a nation, have to take the next BIG step in the view we present to a Multi-cultural world.

Give a man a fish ...

from Waynes Word on Web, 14.08.10

With all the talk lately about Australia limiting it's population so we can continue to export food to a starving world, wouldn't it be better if we developed our ability to live sustainably and export that?

I can understand a man like Dick Smith wanting to sure up our nation into a profitable business, selling food to starving billions, after all he is in the business and is happy to declare his Capitalistic nature. But just because supply and demand works in the cut and thrust world of markets and pork-belly production, doesn't mean it is in our best interests, as a nation, to profiteer on the misfortunes of the rest of the people we have to share the planet with.

In line with the irrefutable wisdom, "give a man a fish and feed him for a day, but teach him to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime", we could do with converting all that land and water devoted to producing unsustainable monoculture, into biospheres of diversity capable of feeding the millions more who could find homes and jobs bringing new solutions to old problems.

Unfortunately, we are stuck with the closed mindset of a over indulged population, intent on only looking at the solutions which allow for the continuation of a privileged few in a lifestyle billions can only aspire to; at the risk of a final depletion of natural resources. Instead of that bleak scenario, wouldn't it be nice to be looked up to as the smart nation, who found the solution to the population problems in new technology, rather than the old greedy reductionism views of population control.

Caution liars ahead..!

from Waynes Word on Web, 11.08.10

If we are to believe fifty percent of our elected representatives, then the other fifty percent are a bunch of crazy liars and deluded fraudsters, who are intent on ruining this country and selling you a load of bad policies. But if we believe the other fifty percent of our elected representatives, then their counterparts are a bunch of crazy liars and deluded fraudsters, who are intent on ruining this country and selling you a load of bad policies.

What a great basis for a democracy! For your vote you can be sure you are going to get just under fifty percent of paid politicians working hard to undermine your elected government.

Who would want to change such a perfect system? If you are to believe all of the people benifiting from the current system, then only a bunch of crazies..!

A New View on Democracy

from Waynes Word on Web, 08.08.10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DemocracyDemocracy [The term is derived from the Greek: δημοκρατία - (dēmokratía) "the power to the people]

Democracy has been called the last form of government, a yet to be achieved “nirvana” that hinges on equitable education, freedom of speech and the means to manifest the will of the people. We the people have been sold a watered down version so manipulated by self interested power brokers that it’s almost impossible to distinguish it from liberal totalitarianism or conservative dictatorship. The bi-polar nature of our current liberal democracy denies middle ground sensibilities, as it rubber bands between two extreme views. It fosters an environment suitable for manipulation by those that would play one side off against the other to achieve an elite monopoly of unelected power brokers who preside regardless of ballots.

Now, while there is an argument for the continuation of the system we have done so well under, it behoves us to consider future generations and the concept of true democracy. Our children can be educated to a level were they can self govern and as the mechanisms come on line, all our future citizens can have their say on a secure, democratically governed, national internet. We have it within our grasp to put in the foundation stones for the first real democracy in the world.

Monarchists, republicans and democrats alike, should surly agree, technological advances have put us in the unique position of envisioning a better system, by anybodies standards. If we can seize this moment to rise above personal prejudices and begin a debate on what type of system we want to hand over to our offspring, it could be the “magnum opus” of a generation that took their planet to the edge of destruction.

Don’t let it be said, we fiddled while democracy burned.

From Socrates to the World Wide Web

 

from Waynes Word on Web ,31.07.10

Whatever you think of the classic philosophers and their views on politics or virtue, as far as shaping our world, the moderns eventually over shadowed them because of one over riding principle. The ancients had no way of accurately envisaging the modern world and the changes in thinking that would be required keep up to date with factors of necessity, as time progressed. The moderns therefore, "progressed" philosophy into a redefinition of virtue, that would allow modern politicians to "virtuously" proceed with shaping the world as we know it.

Similarly the modern philosophy of last centuries poster boys of thought, may not have factored in certain changes beyond their frames of reference. The big two developments missing from their plans for advancing the mindset of those yet to come, in their crucial philosophy, was the advent and deployment of the World Wide Web, and the possibility of Planetary Destruction in our life time.

Therefore if Planetary Destruction becomes a reality, the Late Great Moderns of Philosophy will have failed to prove their worth. If the redefinition of virtue is a precursor for necessary change, then surely the measure of ones ecological footprint will be the main doctrine of New Philosophical Thinkers, who will be noted as the ones who save the human race and ultimately prove the worth of philosophy.

Now to the Internet, if this amazing tool is employed by those New Philosophical Thinkers for superseding the Moderns, then it also has the potential to bring about the supposed goal of true democracy. Purposely used for Democracy, the Internet has the potential to educate everyone interested in becoming an active part in the day to day running of their planet, as well as being the virtual civic centre where true democracy can be played out.

Summarily political philosophy has driven us to the point of extinction by placing the virtue of personal success and minority rule, ahead of true democracy and overall well being. If we are to reverse that trend, then the World Wide Web must be factored in and used to it's full potential for achieving the best results for as many as possible. A new line of philosophical thought should be fought for, no matter how opposed by the ones who have benefited from the old ways of thinking and failure is NOT an option.