it's up to us...
I'd like to propose a whole new way of dealing with this beast called democracy.
People not happy with their government or their party should keep in mind that these are just machines which are mirroring their voters. The problem is not the government or the party, the problem is the people who vote for these clowns.
Take, for instance, our treatment of assylum seekers: Forget Howard. Forget Latham. The problem is the average Australian rednecks. And boy are they average. Far too many of them are either full-on card-carrying racists/xenophobes or they're closet racists/xenophobes (you know the type, "I'm not a racist/xenophobe but..."). And now racism/xenophobia has been translated into Islam-hating and is shaping attitudes towards the Iraq war as well.
Change the people and they will choose different politicians. Bottom-up education.
Educate you next door neighbour, your work colleagues, your cousin, your sister, whoever. Educate. Educate. Educate. That should be our task. Engage and educate the rednecks. Because unless we change the demographic, the Howards and the Lathams will always bow to these ignorant souls.
Another reason we must educate the rednecks is to offset the government's lies and propaganda (the government's "education"). Remember, the government is actively pushing all the rednecks' buttons, and it's working. We can no longer rely on the opposition, it has sold out to populism, so it's up to us.
Given the present redneckness of the Australian psyche, we have exactly the politicians we deserve. Want to change that? Educate a redneck today.
People not happy with their government or their party should keep in mind that these are just machines which are mirroring their voters. The problem is not the government or the party, the problem is the people who vote for these clowns.
Take, for instance, our treatment of assylum seekers: Forget Howard. Forget Latham. The problem is the average Australian rednecks. And boy are they average. Far too many of them are either full-on card-carrying racists/xenophobes or they're closet racists/xenophobes (you know the type, "I'm not a racist/xenophobe but..."). And now racism/xenophobia has been translated into Islam-hating and is shaping attitudes towards the Iraq war as well.
Change the people and they will choose different politicians. Bottom-up education.
Educate you next door neighbour, your work colleagues, your cousin, your sister, whoever. Educate. Educate. Educate. That should be our task. Engage and educate the rednecks. Because unless we change the demographic, the Howards and the Lathams will always bow to these ignorant souls.
Another reason we must educate the rednecks is to offset the government's lies and propaganda (the government's "education"). Remember, the government is actively pushing all the rednecks' buttons, and it's working. We can no longer rely on the opposition, it has sold out to populism, so it's up to us.
Given the present redneckness of the Australian psyche, we have exactly the politicians we deserve. Want to change that? Educate a redneck today.
posted by The Editor at
5:22 PM
10 Comments:
Merry Christmas Gerry!
Bloody 'ell, Camel! You scared the life out of me!
Where did you come form?!?!
Anyway, Merry Christmas to you too!
Shit! You can't even fart around here without someone in Canada hearing it!!!! Bloody 'ell !!!!
Hey, Camel. I wanted to leave a comment on your blog, but your commenting set-up insists I provide a friend's email address. My only commnent to that type of deal is
YOU MUST NOT WANT COMMENTS !!!
I mean, you claim to be a psychology student and you can't see this coming? Get real, Camel !!!
I am pissed off !!!!
It's up there with spamming !!!
Trying to educate a redneck is like pissing into a gale - it's just going to blowback all over ya - I've been trying for 50+ years. The problem with rednecks is they love their ignorance, they relish it. That's why they love Bush so much - he's as dumb as they are. What their stupidity doesn't allow them to see is: Bush doesn't give a FUCK about them!!! Bush is every bit an elitest as John Kerry (or JFK for that matter). They ain't gonna invite you over for a barbie and beers.
Diogenes Surfer
If no one educates the rednecks it's Groundhog Day.
I've gotta disagree with you Gerry. Our politicians/governments don't represent the people. Here in the US only half of those elgible bother to vote. It's about like our so called revolution - 1/3 wanted to remain a British colony, 1/3 wanted to rebel (so they could get their hands on the loot), and the other 1/3 didn't give a shit one way or the other! We've had three rigged elections in a row (people have been executed on less evidence) and even though I'm here in the heart of redneck country (TexAss), the exit polls overwhelmingly said that Kerry was the winner (not that he would have made a dime's worth of difference). See, the people don't choose who the candidates are going to be, the party (along with corporate media) decides. And I don't believe Tony Blair represents the majority of Brits and John Howard represents the majority of Aussies - NO WAY! I lived in England for 9 years and Oz for 8 and people just don't change that quickly.
DS, two questions:
(1) So what's your scenario for what's going on?
(2) How can it be fixed/changed?
In reply to question 1 please check your email. I'm sending you an article as an attachment (hope you have Word) Otherwise go to http//bellaciao.org where I found the article today by Manuel Valenzuela titled "Worker Bees and Soldier Ants:....."
The answer to question 2 keeps taking me back to your very relevant post "Justified." But before I play the devil's advocate, what is it that makes the majority believe whatever the government and mass media tells them? At the same time, why is a tiny minority sceptical or downright enraged at the crap they pass off as truth. Perhaps it's true that the majority are just too dumb/lazy to deserve democracy. Ben Franklin tried to warn the people and has been proven right. (I still ain't buying the kite in the storm story though).
ds
DS, the bigotry that blinds worker bees and soldier ants can and must be broken down. If these people are not somehow educated, then there's no hope. The only hope lies in the education of these very people.
Valenzuela's article was too long. No soldier ant or worker bee would ever stay with that article long enough to grasp what' it's saying. The word "fascism" is only understood by the converted. The rest don't even know what it means. Simpler words are needed and ideas must be broken down into managable bite-size pieces. Three-minute pop songs, not three-hour operas. Horses for courses. Etc.
This perception that the redneck cannot or will not understand is just a cop out for the hard work of figuring out how to drip-feed the right ideas to them so that they start to question, start to look at things more sceptically, start to open their minds. Just writing the rednecks off is the road to Redneck Nation. In fact, a good start-point might be by doing away with putting them down, belittling them. We will never reach them that way. And, hey I'm as guilty as the next person.
I say again, it's a question of education, plain and simple. And in education, as in selling (they have a lot in common), you have to pitch to your audience. If you fail to do that, you lose.
This thread is now closed. No more commnets please. If you must say soemthing email me it might shape or become a future post. Thanks all.
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