I was only thinking last night that now with modern media, social media, political parties harvesting opinions and forming policy on the run etc etc -
it's crystal that about half the population aren't smart enough to be doing things like choosing leaders, switching on machinery, driving or god knows what else --
I think that what we are seeing now in the rapid decline in the quality of politicians and politics is due to the failure of democracy to realise that half the mob are thick
Now, I don't argue that democracy is a bad idea - only because I can't think of a better idea. But, it's pretty clear that we seriously need something either added into democracy or subtracted - it really does need a tinker with when we have such stupidity that is allowed to participate in the choosing of leadership.
From where I sit, as far as I can see - we can't fix stupid. Also, we can't fix human characteristics and natures that happily and unashamedly harness that stupidity and milk it for self gain - meaning that we get slippery business types who fund slippery people to be politicians - who then pay back for the greasing of the rails etc. --
so, again for me - I see the system is a failure and failing. ---------- I've not come up with a better idea than to just plain ditch the election system entirely. Keep democracy - give it another go, but with the major tweek of ditching elections.
It's current problems are very clear in nations or states where there's basically a two horse race - the failure lies in the gap - the gap where the loonies live. Yes, they may well be the disaffected, they may well be the mentally deficient, they may well be victims of not being able to keep up in society - but, one cannot escape from it - they sway elections - AND, they are loonies.
This read will be far too long for the attention deficit mob - BUT IT'S REALLY WORTH READING - it says so much about right wingers, old male thinking, the power of such in elections and politics -
and, my god - it's scary - some of the research findings post the referendum are nothing short of just plain horror movie stuff - and, this can be extrapolated over all of our elections - in Oz, in Federal and in States - it's about people - we see many of them here on HC - regardless of the issues
basically Oz - we have a problem - (search in content keywords eg. 'education' )
"is generally linked to the attractiveness of its right-wing populist appeal to those who have gained least from globalisation over recent decades in particular among: older people (especially males); those with few, if any, formal educational qualifications;"
" suggests that support for the death penalty is an example of how valuing 'order' over 'openness' could have affected voting behaviour in the referendum.[40] Those who valued 'order' were more likely to support the death penalty and vote 'leave' than those who were 'pro-remain' and against the death penalty, which are stances considered to value 'openness' more."
