Dui, in a democracy, you can't even do that. People have a right -in fact a responsibility to express themselves. It not only improves the discussion, the analysis on political matters, it is also the reliefe valve that allows for this to be a democracy and not a rebellious dictatorship. People have to express their views; and the views of the greens and, incidentally, mine, are that the "ordinary Australian" during these last three years has become greedy, and, more importantly apathetic. He has become self-centrered, ego centric, heartless, uncaring for anything that happens outside the small gap in his wallet. IT IS HE - THE ORDINARY AUSTRALIAN- WHO WHINGES if the fees for his private school are too high; if the common worker has any voice or representation at all; if the person who has his country bombed into a wasteland by us and wants a bit of refuge from it in our country. It is HE who screams about mosques and other religions without realising, without caring, without examining what the so called Christian religions are doing!
I was at the booth on Sat. and I overheard a group of five or six people around mid twenties. One of them said she had no idea who was Howard or Latham or that other Green man. She had rung her father the previous night to get the run down but she couldn't remember what he had said to her. The others too, had no idea and were asking each other. They came to the conclusion that "they wanted to see a change now so they'll vote Howard!"
Now I know this is only just one group of people and it does not necessarily reflect the rest of the country but that's what apathy means. They had no idea what's going on outside their little head!
Hugh MacKay points at that apathy. People sit around the TV watching Home Improvement programs instead of Current affairs... That's apathy! That's lack of wish to broaden one's perspective. That's an unwillingness to move one minimuscle of one's brain! That's inertia, apathy, sloth! That's what's great for the status quo! They love it!
