Australia's politicians are on a break; a break we need more than they

Whew! Australia’s federal politicians are on a break; a break the public probably needs more than they.

Winston Churchill.

The modern 24-hour news cycle might pile hitherto unseen pressures upon our Canberra conquistadors, but those demands pale compared to the confusion their verbal cut and thrust brings to the body politic.

Watching, and listening, is tougher than being actually in the game, particularly when the discussion and decisions are impacting on you, your life and that of your family, community and nation, and, in a practical sense about which you can do nought, you are forced to sit impotently by and simply wonder.

Looking on from any vantage point beyond the immediacy of Canberra’s Parliament House there is some doubt as to whether or not our elected federal representatives are conscious of how Australia, and the world, is evolving or they are they simply responding to populist ideologues and the values they tenaciously cling to?

Whatever, the image portrayed through our media is less than encouraging and leads inevitably to thoughts of “Nero fiddling while Rome burns”, but any view about that is suggestive and reflective of personal wants and needs.

Some would argue that Rome is not burning and so the behaviour seen in Canberra is as it should be, for they profit as our legislators “fiddle”.

Many others, seeing it through a different prism,  are simply distressed with those reputedly administering our country seemingly obsessed with finding a weakness in their political opponent’s veneer and appearing do little actual “governing”.

Our politicians appear to be sadly distracted by what is colloquially known as “muck-racking”, most of which is absolutely unrelated to national concerns.

Much to the delight, and profit, of a few, democracy in Australia is wobbling toward a distinct difficultly – the façade appears wonderful, but behind this comforting façade is a moneyed clique edging us toward inverted totalitarianism.

Writing in “Democracy Incorporated”, Sheldon S. Wolin explains how sweeping corporate power masquerading as democracy has convinced us that contentment is to be found in consumerism and entertainment and together they see many of us bow willingly before values that are alien to the democratic intent. Democracy is presently being sold to the highest bidder.

Democracy is noisy, meant to allow room for the contrarian thinker, those who challenge the status quo and those who want to disagree, but it is not about the pointless squabbles that until now have preoccupied our nation’s best.

“Democracy” according to the former British PM, the late Winston Churchill, “is the worst of all forms of government, except for all the others that have been tried”; an idea that Australia’s politicians appear intent on testing, until now at least, as they, and we, have a break.