Posted by Sigismund on December 19, 2008, at 13:32:22
In reply to Re: Wag the Dog redux....Bernard Madoff, posted by Jay_Bravest_Face on December 18, 2008, at 23:06:28
Yeah, I saw the movie. Your expectations are too high. Democracy is not that great. But think of it as like the captain of a ship, steering the course. If the last 10 years has taught us anything it should have been that who we elect matters.
It's not like the government causes it exactly. Australia became a less generous country and Howard was well able to reflect and amplify that trend. And it's no good having leaders who are too out of step either. That happened here with Paul Keating and as a result Pauline Hanson, (kinda like Sarah Palin with less charm), set up a party called One Nation, and got 16!!! members of state parliament elected and a Federal senator. In that case it was the combination of free market economics with a left of centre social policy that was the problem. John Howard learned from that, as has Kevin Rudd. The whole thing sucks of course.
poster:Sigismund
thread:869556
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20081212/msgs/869651.html