Originally Posted by Del Boy

You miss the direction of my question Seno. In your paricular case it means 'Do you want to change Australia' fundamentally?

If it were facing the problems you describe YES! It is obviously in need of change.

And regarding 'apathy '- always be very careful indeed with your one vote. Any successful candidate can change 'direction'.

So you feel that it is better to accept the status quo, rather than face the risk of possible disappointment?

Now that's what I would call, "Apathy at it's very worst".

Of course one can never expect things to always turn out exactly the way we want,.... after all, we are only dealing with politicians here.

OK. But my experience of big change, for example from little government to big government, is one of disaster; we should have stuck to the checks and balances of our evolved system. I'm not suggesting failure to adjust course, but I think there is a great case for being careful regarding what you ask for; did you ever see the film Bedazzled? Terrible film - good message. Question that ol' wish -list.

Bedazzled was as you say a dead loss as a movie, and the storyline was supposed to be humourous. Hardly the thing to base one's choices on.

Some say there is an object lesson in everything that happens, but if we let that stop us from trying again, we're sunk, eventually ending up as a whimpering mass of humanity not even willing to get out of bed.

Not all change is irreversible, should things not turn out the way we hoped, we can always vote the offenders out of power*.

*If we can get people to vote for what is right for the majority, rather than along party lines.

It is my personal opinion that persons who vote along party lines are the biggest stumbling block to a truly successful society.

The point being that much as you wish it, the promises that suck you in, the changes you dream of, in reality can be disastrous. I suppose I refer to the selling of the siren promise of 'CHANGE '. Often you lose more than you gain, if you don't actually understand just what exactly is on offer before you buy. That's all. I am not attempting to take sides.

Originally Posted by senojekips

Bedazzled was as you say a dead loss as a movie, and the storyline was supposed to be humourous. Hardly the thing to base one's choices on.

Some say there is an object lesson in everything that happens, but if we let that stop us from trying again, we're sunk, eventually ending up as a whimpering mass of humanity not even willing to get out of bed.

Not all change is irreversible, should things not turn out the way we hoped, we can always vote the offenders out of power*.

*If we can get people to vote for what is right for the majority, rather than along party lines.

It is my personal opinion that persons who vote along party lines are the biggest stumbling block to a truly successful society.

I agree completely with the "party lines" sentiments, how can a politician be working for the people who elected him when their first point of loyalty is to a political party who's loyalty is to those who pay them.

I recall reading several studies back in the 80s which concluded that something like 79% of respondents voted the way they did because that was how their parents had voted which kind of makes the whole process a complete waste of time if true.

However as far as Bedazzled went, the chick in the devil suit looked good which made up in part for crap script.

Originally Posted by MontyB

I recall reading several studies back in the 80s which concluded that something like 79% of respondents voted the way they did because that was how their parents had voted which kind of makes the whole process a complete waste of time if true.

Don't know if I agree with the studies. I never voted like my parents or voted because they swayed me. But given my parents politics they consider me to right of Attilla the Hun.

They like to teach that in political science in the liberal schools here in the states. I don't agree with it either, might be true in their liberal families but I would say thats irrelevant for most non liberal/democrat families.

My folks and my siblings can be the poster children for liberal do good/causism, when they put their minds to it. Me I consider myself moderate-conservative. My sister has actually called me a Storm Trooper before

I think that would be accurate for me as well. I tend to look at thing initially at least, very conservative, but at times, I might appear pretty daggone liberal or moderate might be a better word. One of the few accurate examples where I mgiht be accused of being a liberal and may be true is when a woman kills a husband, boyfriend or whatever that was beating the crap out of her for awhile and she eventually got fed up with it and killed him. I think those woman ought to be treated with counseling and released. No jail time. As long as it can be proven of course.

Hehe. Similar for myself... Though sometimes I've been called the Taliban by my parents. Haha. Came from my stint in JROTC. LOL Instructors loved me, cadets hated me.