Congress for Dummies
I remember seeing this book in my local library, and thinking that the title was quite apt, borrowed it and read it. At this time in my life I was pretty cynical about government but in that generally uneducated type of way where we look at the politicians, think 'they really don't care about us' and label them all as jerks. I also remember that at time as I was living in a swing seat and there was an election coming up and I kept on receiving letters from both parties telling me that my vote did count, and that my vote could determine whether we retained, or got rid of, the current government. Woah, could little old me decide whether Paul Keating stayed on as Prime Minister, or get tossed out in the trash heap (he stayed on)?
The question is does our vote really count? The Economists say no, and suggest that voting is a complete waste of time as we get nothing out of it. I believe that the economists are full of rubbish simply because if we all stopped voting (which we can't do in Australia since it is compulsory) then we would be stuck with whatever government was in power, and if it turned out to be some brutal dictator (say, like Hitler, or Mugabe) then we would really be in trouble. What the economists don't understand (but Isaac Asimov did) is that it is a part of the mass psychology. That is, while individually my vote may not count, as a collective it does. That is where we, as individuals, go out to discuss our views with others.
Many say that the three taboo subjects in Western Society are sex, religion, and politics. The theory behind that is that all three subjects lead to arguments (with the exception of sex, as I shall explain). To me, sex is really the only taboo subject because the other person involved probably would not be all that thrilled if you went out and told all your mates (though I know it does happen, with regards to both sexes). However discussions regarding religion and politics I believe are important because it helps us understand each other world views. It just happens that most people are pretty stubborn and it is impossible to have a discussion with them because if you disagree they will berate you and if you agree they will treat it as a victory.
Now, I am a socialist. I believe that government is necessary (and indeed a necessary evil) but it's major flaw is not so much the tools that sit in parliament but those of us who do not hold them too account. Unfortunately government is changed through mass movements and not necessarily through individual actions (though such things can happen). I have seen incredibly popular leaders suddenly fall out of the public's interest within minutes. However, I believe that it is the government's role to support and protect the citizens of the country, but I also believe that it is the citizens role to support the country.
The final note on politicians, one that I really can't stand, and that is their double-speak. This is something that Orwell warned us about in 1984. With the advent of mass media politicians (on behalf of their political parties) are able to get their message out much faster to a much wider range of people. However it will always be a standard speech based upon a set of principles. While a government that stands firm (such as Howard's government) can be seen as strong, it can also be seen that those who don't agree are sidelined or even ridiculed. While both sides tend to be the same (and generally are only out to pamper themselves) I tend to find that the conservatives are much more inflexible, and in that way, unless you agree with then, then you are misguided at best, or an enemy of the state at worst. The important thing about a democracy is the ability to speak freely and feel free (within reason) to hold our own opinions without fear of persecution.
