Funk N. Furter wrote:Forge. wrote:
I know, but I think the importance of pushing back and getting the governments and corporations to act better is getting overshadowed by all this. The absolute biggest task we have is changing them. It's actually THE most important bit and it's also the hardest, so it's also the 'old people with computers' scenario on steroids — because it feels too difficult to get them to change everyone just says "government sucks" and gives up. In fact next to this challenge giving up a car is easy. It has nothign to do with "blame" or not taking responsibilty - in fact if anything it is a much bigger responsibility because it's much, much harder.
Forge, this is wishful thinking. There is
no chance of getting governments and corporations to act better.
Actually, while as you know I've always had plenty to say about how corrupt things are, I'm marginally more hopeful about the government in Australia than I was in the UK.. I think over there it's possibly too far gone, but I think smaller populations have a slightly better chance at making their governments more accountable. Australia's still far from great in that respect though, but last election when Rudd had just been kicked out a lot of the protest votes went to the greens instead of the Tories and they forced Labor to go back on their promise not to introduce a carbon tax... of course we've just had another coup in reverse and Rudd is now saying he'll get rid of it so that he'll get voted back in because the swinging voters are more of a problem for him than green voters as Labor will get Green preferences anyway, so it's almost academic, but that was some progress at least. 2 steps forward, 1 back...maybe...
Let's see what happens when Scotland leaves the union next year though.. they will probably go more the way of Scandanavian countries and probably put a lot more effort into things like clean energy, and Westminster might get a good solid kick up the arse from the shock of losing them a long with their north sea oil and having to find a home for all the nuclear weapons on the Clyde all of a sudden. That should stir up a few debates over who will be lumped with them at least.
Look, I'm really not saying government provides THE answer, I'm just saying this idea that they are irrelevant is not just wrong, it's actually dangerous. When people stop having any faith whatsoever that government can do anything at all in countries like the UK where voting is not compulsory then you get situations like now where Tories get in and do whatever evil shit they like without any accountability, like shaft disabled people then give themselves a pay rise. Yes, it's mostly an exercise in the lesser of two evils, but it's worth doing even just for the small benefits that amounts to.
But actually, as the last election showed here in Australia, it's actually possible for Greens to get elected, and we need to keep that momentum going. They might not work miracles, but they will definitely do more than Tories.
