Here it comes – the every three year event in Australia that fills our newsfeeds with slogans, snippets and uninformed opinions! It’s Election time! I hate it. Yep. I vote at everything I have to and I detest that this time of year brings out the most stupid in people. Opinions that are half baked, with no factual basis, shitty analysis of policy and the very worst in racism, phobias and other great human traits come to the forefront.
The blocking on Facebook has begun. The appalling behaviour of the media and politicians in this time is intrusive and I’m taking a measured, minimalist approach to avoid getting too enraged. The funny thing is – I’m not enraged by this party or that party but by our blanket willingness as a species to accept blindly the opinions and positions of others without any effort at examining it for truth or factuality. It’s like those Flat Earthers. There are parts of Australia where the plains are so vast you can see the earth curve away from you. It’s not rocket science and neither should elections be. A bit of common sense, a tiny bit of curiosity followed through with another tiny bit of research and we’d all be better off.
I’m blocking the people I know who don’t do this. Outright racism, religious hatred or bigotry and you’re gone. Bye now. Maybe never to return. I won’t tolerate it. I may not like the behaviour of some groups of people and I may not agree with their ideas but the straw man attacks and vitriol are black flags for me. By all means tell me your ideas and when I discuss them I will go after the logic behind them. I won’t attack you though. This is not a sentiment shared out there in the world. “Oh I can’t defend my idea? Well you’re a jerk!” I don’t agree with this and I think it limits our ability to discourse intelligently on concepts, policies and ideas that we really do need to discuss in depth.
I have no desire to tell you who to vote for or what party – I’ll decide for myself as time goes on who gets my vote. And I’ll decide based on what I think is best for the majority. We pander as a society to the tiny fragments of minority demands too often – and if it’s to the detriment of the larger group of people I am against it. Yep there you go. That’s a position of mine. Another is that the good of the people is the highest law. Not the richest people, not the most influential – but the majority of people. I’m pretty wild right? Far out in the wilderness. Join me in demanding a logical, well thought approach to voting and exercising our political power! Or not. That’s your choice 🙂
Angus' Blog 