THE ILLUSION OF DEMOCRACY

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All Western-style governments are gradually turning themselves into autocracies. Some were prompted into that state by external factors such as imported ISIS terrorism. Governments enacted laws to give police and security services extra powers to monitor what people are doing. All in the name of ‘protecting’ us from the bad guys. Once the threat disappears, those laws remain to limit and erode individual rights and freedoms.

Other countries feed the population extremist views to divide the people, allowing authoritarian grab for more power and control. Look at divisions in the United States, created by polarization of political and far-right religious views, exercised in the extreme by Trump and his supporters. In many respects, Australia is in a similar position, not because we became polarized, but because we live in a fictional democracy that allowed our government to grab more and more restrictive powers.

The system supposedly allows anyone to stand for election as a representative of a constituency. In reality, unless you’re part of a major party machine that’s able to back a candidate, an independent has little chance getting elected, limited mainly by lack of campaign funds. All party machines know this and take full advantage. We don’t choose our candidates. We’re given a list prepared by the parties, which creates an illusion of democratic choice. This entrenches party philosophy that gradually evolves into entrenched dogma influenced by commercial and religious interests who don’t care who sits in parliament or Congress, as long as laws aren’t passed to limit their influence and freedom to do what they want. This, in turn, further erodes the democratic processes. Add public disillusionment with all politicians and apathy the encourages people not to vote, ruthless politicians are in a position to thrive and gradually remove rights and freedoms.

 

 

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