I'm unconvinced that attention is the problem. Americans didn't need to be paying close attention fo be aware of Trump's insurrection in 2021. A majority of them (Trump voters and non-voters) watched it and chose to ignore it. That isn't just a crisis of democracy, it's a rejection of democracy, and we are now seeing the consequences.
Hi Tim Re: If you want a compelling discussion of trust and the media and a more nuanced analysis of the democratic “crisis”, scroll to the 1:01:50 mark in this video and listen to analyst Alex Fein.
is that the correct video - it went to the Sunday Shot March 2?
Terrific Tim. Another great thought provoker of an article. Questions I've had for a while are what attracts would be politicians to a duopoly party in the first place & does it boil down to protecting a career after substantial investment in time & effort. What makes them tick? Is it about the game? And the faithful supporters - the rustadons on both sides of the duopoly - what's going on there? Cheers
"what attracts would be politicians to a duopoly party in the first place & does it boil down to protecting a career after substantial investment in time & effort."
I've had the belief for a long time now, that politicians are like engineers coming out of uni: do I go for BHP or RIO? Where will I get the fastest promotion and who's likely to the resource most in need?
absolutely & whose views and philosophy doesn't evolve over time as we mature & age. Didn't Brendan Nelson flip-flop from Labor to Liberal during uni politics to LNP minister? Malcolm Turnbull seemed to be capable of existing as a Labor/Liberal doppelganger as certainly is post-PM. Albanese said he loves fighting Tories but seems to be pretty comfortable channeling their policies when it's about duopoly survival. This absurdity of a duopoly has to be a result of career politicians who accumulate a lot of excess baggage laden with favours, skeletons in closets, scores to settle, ambition etc. I'd be keen to know what makes a career politician tick and why they could possibly think that to cater for their self-interest gives us the best governance in the nation's best interests.
They both start with an L, so I guess they just get confused.
What drives a politician? The need for power and I don’t believe I’ve seen a senior politician from L or the LNP who isn’t driven by it. Ambition is the go-to word, but it’s really power & prestige.
You're too kind to Pats Karvelas. She is the epitome of what's wrong with the media now - she's got the right pronouns, is in the US phraseology a 'liberal elite', is probably horrified by what News Corp produces, yet leads us to exactly the same place as those cretins.
Would the attention economy work to Trump's and his wannabes' advantage if more people's bullshit meters hadn't been affected by years of whiteanting by Murdoch and marshmallow media luminaries like Patricia Karvelas? Add to that the lack lustre impact of blancmange politicians like Anthony Albanese and the venal cruel and corrupt sanctimonious Scott Morrison plus Labor's own whiteanting from the Rudd Gillard Rudd fiasco followed by Abbott with his determination to whiteant the ABC and we have an ABC that wouldn't say boo to a goose and a mainstream media that it is pathetic in its clickbait mentality. It is no wonder that those paying attention to politics and the misnamed crisis of democracy, is a small percentage of the Australian voting population.
Last time there was real enthusiasm was Kevin 07. Not sure there was a Bob Hawke type tee shirt though.
As our US Ambassador he is effectively muzzled about making the comments he used to make about Murdoch and Trump. Maybe Albanese should have chosen Malcolm Turnbull instead.
The Greens have lost out on much of a share of the attention economy except as the whipping boy for the duopoly and Murdoch. They have felt and acted stale for some time except for Max Chandler Mather who really walks his talk. What he pays for out of his own pocket to support his electorate is phenomenal.
Actually, Trump has done us all a massive favour. The Neoliberal experiment is finally shown up for the crock of shit that it truly is. That democracy only works if you elect ethical people. Morrison ought to have been enough to open up everyone's eyes on that one.
Sort of on topic but sort of not, Musk is going to be Trump's undoing is my prediction. Using the White House to sell Swasticars! I imagine David Rowe, Cathy Wilcox et all, will have a field day with that one.
I never trusted Joel Fitzgibbon because he was a mining mate dressed up in lambs wool .
As a Green I knew that he was always going to be undermining (🤪) any action on renewables and climate .
Hard to believe that with evidence before us today that we continue paying polluters while insurance companies are well aware of dangers clear and present and protect themselves as always .
I always told our kids if looking for a house…Look at insurance costs first and you will know where is a safer bet to bring up family
I'm unconvinced that attention is the problem. Americans didn't need to be paying close attention fo be aware of Trump's insurrection in 2021. A majority of them (Trump voters and non-voters) watched it and chose to ignore it. That isn't just a crisis of democracy, it's a rejection of democracy, and we are now seeing the consequences.
Hi Tim Re: If you want a compelling discussion of trust and the media and a more nuanced analysis of the democratic “crisis”, scroll to the 1:01:50 mark in this video and listen to analyst Alex Fein.
is that the correct video - it went to the Sunday Shot March 2?
Hi Tim, thanks for reminding me of John Ralston Saul. Have 4 of his non-fiction books (somewhere here!)... will forage for them and re-read :-)
Terrific Tim. Another great thought provoker of an article. Questions I've had for a while are what attracts would be politicians to a duopoly party in the first place & does it boil down to protecting a career after substantial investment in time & effort. What makes them tick? Is it about the game? And the faithful supporters - the rustadons on both sides of the duopoly - what's going on there? Cheers
"what attracts would be politicians to a duopoly party in the first place & does it boil down to protecting a career after substantial investment in time & effort."
I've had the belief for a long time now, that politicians are like engineers coming out of uni: do I go for BHP or RIO? Where will I get the fastest promotion and who's likely to the resource most in need?
absolutely & whose views and philosophy doesn't evolve over time as we mature & age. Didn't Brendan Nelson flip-flop from Labor to Liberal during uni politics to LNP minister? Malcolm Turnbull seemed to be capable of existing as a Labor/Liberal doppelganger as certainly is post-PM. Albanese said he loves fighting Tories but seems to be pretty comfortable channeling their policies when it's about duopoly survival. This absurdity of a duopoly has to be a result of career politicians who accumulate a lot of excess baggage laden with favours, skeletons in closets, scores to settle, ambition etc. I'd be keen to know what makes a career politician tick and why they could possibly think that to cater for their self-interest gives us the best governance in the nation's best interests.
They both start with an L, so I guess they just get confused.
What drives a politician? The need for power and I don’t believe I’ve seen a senior politician from L or the LNP who isn’t driven by it. Ambition is the go-to word, but it’s really power & prestige.
You're too kind to Pats Karvelas. She is the epitome of what's wrong with the media now - she's got the right pronouns, is in the US phraseology a 'liberal elite', is probably horrified by what News Corp produces, yet leads us to exactly the same place as those cretins.
Would the attention economy work to Trump's and his wannabes' advantage if more people's bullshit meters hadn't been affected by years of whiteanting by Murdoch and marshmallow media luminaries like Patricia Karvelas? Add to that the lack lustre impact of blancmange politicians like Anthony Albanese and the venal cruel and corrupt sanctimonious Scott Morrison plus Labor's own whiteanting from the Rudd Gillard Rudd fiasco followed by Abbott with his determination to whiteant the ABC and we have an ABC that wouldn't say boo to a goose and a mainstream media that it is pathetic in its clickbait mentality. It is no wonder that those paying attention to politics and the misnamed crisis of democracy, is a small percentage of the Australian voting population.
Last time there was real enthusiasm was Kevin 07. Not sure there was a Bob Hawke type tee shirt though.
As our US Ambassador he is effectively muzzled about making the comments he used to make about Murdoch and Trump. Maybe Albanese should have chosen Malcolm Turnbull instead.
The Greens have lost out on much of a share of the attention economy except as the whipping boy for the duopoly and Murdoch. They have felt and acted stale for some time except for Max Chandler Mather who really walks his talk. What he pays for out of his own pocket to support his electorate is phenomenal.
Actually, Trump has done us all a massive favour. The Neoliberal experiment is finally shown up for the crock of shit that it truly is. That democracy only works if you elect ethical people. Morrison ought to have been enough to open up everyone's eyes on that one.
Sort of on topic but sort of not, Musk is going to be Trump's undoing is my prediction. Using the White House to sell Swasticars! I imagine David Rowe, Cathy Wilcox et all, will have a field day with that one.
lol I like the "never retired from being a socialist".
I never trusted Joel Fitzgibbon because he was a mining mate dressed up in lambs wool .
As a Green I knew that he was always going to be undermining (🤪) any action on renewables and climate .
Hard to believe that with evidence before us today that we continue paying polluters while insurance companies are well aware of dangers clear and present and protect themselves as always .
I always told our kids if looking for a house…Look at insurance costs first and you will know where is a safer bet to bring up family