Animal Farm

By: Call_me_Ishmael (Registered ) on 22-10-2007 22:41

George Orwell got it right in that closing scene: where the old horse looks in through the window and can't tell the difference between pigs and men. For whatever reason, the two parties (that could form a government) drift towards the lowest common denominator over time. 
The two are separated by a tiny difference, and global (Western) policy swings right and left have the real influence.  
 
What's more, the person you actually cast a vote for has become almost irrelevant. The leader sets the tone, and tends to collect around them ministers/shadow ministers with similar mindsets. Hence Kevin Rudd's recent gambit on having more say in his front bench. 
 
The way ministers are selected is one difference between Coalition and ALP. Despite Kevin Rudd's wishful thought, the ALP decision is made by consensus. This allows some variety of opinion and values to be heard in Cabinet. Some people see the ALP factional differences as a weakness, but there is strength in a wide range of perspectives.  
 
The Coalition front bench is chosen by the leader. No pretence of democracy there. 
 
A second difference is that John Howard has proved many times that he is dishonest, deceitful and dishonourable and that his highest aspiration is to stay in power - for himself and his party, not for you or me or all Australians. 
 
On the other hand, there is at least a chance that Kevin Rudd is not so untrusworthy, not so contemptuous of ordinary people, not so uncaring about the people in our society who need help. 
 
Another difference is that if the incumbent government is re-elected, we will get more of the same: expediency and ideology. In 1995, if you went o/s and said you were Australian, you were welcomed almost everywhere. In 2005, we no longer have a good name internationally. External perceptions are the only objective feedback we have.  
 
In 1995, the social outcomes still carried some weight. In 2005 (and now), the most important thing to the government is the economy - money and the making of it. Tokenism in relation to social justice and compassion. Nineteenth century England re-visited: poverty is a crime. 
Any change in social ideology must be better than the rapid creation of an underclass and the increasing gap between rich and poor. Studies of national statistics all over the world have shown that bad health, education etc statistics are worse when the gap betw

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