As a Greens member I hope that we can all work together in order to avoid ever seeing this beautiful country taken over by the mafia who will always find weak spots and take over the joint .Dutton may be a boof head but there is a brain worm implanted and firing off amongst the compost 🤯🎩
Some form of cooperation and realignment around serving citizens has to happen. The two-party system is too captured by vested interests. I agree with you: working together, genuine solidarity, is really important.
'Even' (but acknowledging the hours spent campaigning by many volunteers) if a progressive independent doesn't win a seat, there is the chance to meet like-minded others to join together on important issues. You won't be on your own in continuing to campaign on those issues.
Tim I could not agree more with your comment about the need for "community level resilience" being "...the only thing that will keep us from sliding into the anti-democratic, authoritarian abyss...". Great interview and write up, thanks.
Thanks, Brendan. Local solidarity is not just a good in itself, it is educative. Much more so than formal lessons in, say, civics or media literacy. Let me roll out the quote from Christopher Lasch I often cite:
"What democracy requires is vigorous public debate, not information. Of course, it needs information too, but the kind of information it needs can be generated only by debate. We do not know what we need to know until we ask the right questions, and we can identify the right questions only by subjecting our own ideas about the world to the test of public controversy. Information, usually seen as the precondition of debate, is better understood as its byproduct. When we get into arguments that focus and fully engage our attention, we become avid seekers of relevant information. Otherwise we take in information passively—if we take it in at all."
Trumtton or Duttump - we will see that US-cloning LNP mob fail overwhelmingly at this forthcoming imminent election I am convinced. Independents - only linked by being community independents with a strong social justice and environmental focus - and yes - a familiar colour palette for printing leaflets apart from ALP Red and LNP Blue or Greens green. Community involvement!
The recent US threats to the PBS are really going to make any Trump association even more dire, I suspect. Trump is really going to be an election issue.
I recall 25 years ago visiting friends in Seattle. The radio was permanently on PBS - otherwise classical music - no television in the house. Writer wife (banned from libraries in current de Santis' Florida - some of her books) and Em. Mathematics Prof. husband. In 2012, 2014 in NYC - renting an apartment in Fort Greene (final battles of the War of Independence in 1782) - switching on the radio - PBS - almost continual appeals for funding. Previously slashed by Dubya and, I presume, not refunded by Obama. I can see that the current LNP leader might like to do likewise here by further neutering the ABC...
As a Greens member I hope that we can all work together in order to avoid ever seeing this beautiful country taken over by the mafia who will always find weak spots and take over the joint .Dutton may be a boof head but there is a brain worm implanted and firing off amongst the compost 🤯🎩
Some form of cooperation and realignment around serving citizens has to happen. The two-party system is too captured by vested interests. I agree with you: working together, genuine solidarity, is really important.
Very interesting. And heartening.
Yeah, it is.. Talking with these groups is always worthwhile, I find.
'Even' (but acknowledging the hours spent campaigning by many volunteers) if a progressive independent doesn't win a seat, there is the chance to meet like-minded others to join together on important issues. You won't be on your own in continuing to campaign on those issues.
I think that's right and what those involved increasingly realise. To me, it is all about expanding the model--or something like it--far and wide.
We need a minority government but not one lead by Donald Duttie. Please add to your Qld list Kirstie Smolenski in Groom.
Keep up the great analysis and probing.
Will do, I'll check if Denise has updated: she probably has!
Tim I could not agree more with your comment about the need for "community level resilience" being "...the only thing that will keep us from sliding into the anti-democratic, authoritarian abyss...". Great interview and write up, thanks.
Thanks, Brendan. Local solidarity is not just a good in itself, it is educative. Much more so than formal lessons in, say, civics or media literacy. Let me roll out the quote from Christopher Lasch I often cite:
"What democracy requires is vigorous public debate, not information. Of course, it needs information too, but the kind of information it needs can be generated only by debate. We do not know what we need to know until we ask the right questions, and we can identify the right questions only by subjecting our own ideas about the world to the test of public controversy. Information, usually seen as the precondition of debate, is better understood as its byproduct. When we get into arguments that focus and fully engage our attention, we become avid seekers of relevant information. Otherwise we take in information passively—if we take it in at all."
Trumtton or Duttump - we will see that US-cloning LNP mob fail overwhelmingly at this forthcoming imminent election I am convinced. Independents - only linked by being community independents with a strong social justice and environmental focus - and yes - a familiar colour palette for printing leaflets apart from ALP Red and LNP Blue or Greens green. Community involvement!
The recent US threats to the PBS are really going to make any Trump association even more dire, I suspect. Trump is really going to be an election issue.
I recall 25 years ago visiting friends in Seattle. The radio was permanently on PBS - otherwise classical music - no television in the house. Writer wife (banned from libraries in current de Santis' Florida - some of her books) and Em. Mathematics Prof. husband. In 2012, 2014 in NYC - renting an apartment in Fort Greene (final battles of the War of Independence in 1782) - switching on the radio - PBS - almost continual appeals for funding. Previously slashed by Dubya and, I presume, not refunded by Obama. I can see that the current LNP leader might like to do likewise here by further neutering the ABC...