Pauline, Many admire your personal leadership strength and very real concern for the prosperity of government, which currently has little relationship with the principles of democracy so ably stated by Abraham Lincoln long ago—as government of the people for the people by the people. Democracy has not fulfilled that dream. But it can and it will, when we wake up and identify the cause of the problem.
Briefly, a different political genre is required that could give intelligent strong leaders, such as yourself, full scope to lead, but without the power and responsibility of domination, which so often proves the undoing of the best. The aphorism: ‘Power corrupts’, is just so familiar, its outworking having been seen with monotonous regularity. Its corollary: ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’ is just so familiar in many lands.
So, what is the solution, this political genre which might benefit leaders and the people as well? Pauline, the scene in which you could prosper, to your own and everyone else’s benefit, is a scene of parliamentary democracy in which every member is given the freedom, and the responsibility, of a secret vote on every debated issue in the parliament,
Everyone then has the freedom to be a leader when it is ideas and concepts that are the stuff of leadership, and their success is completely in the hands of the whole parliament. In this case there is much room for power, and pride in contribution, but absolutely no room for arrogance, as the ballot exercises a logical restraint.
It is clear that, with the ballot ruling in parliament, all members are very vulnerable to their constituents, opening for them a direct connection of participation, contributory power, and the ongoing ability to introduce alternative candidate. All this will happen in public forums each member will have to institute. Thus the power of the people to originate and influence policy will be continually felt in parliament, all matters being there submitted to the ballot.
Now this is the political genre in which political leadership can flourish without the strain and stress that now distracts and inhibits party leaders from giving of their best. This is the genre for you Pauline, the one in which you will shine and realise your full potential, unmolested.
So, if you want to form a new party, have one policy only – a referendum to establish the (electronic) secret ballot as the permanent norm for voting on all debates in parliament. Go, go go – and good luck.
1 comment:
The problem with this idea is that nobody can be blamed for bad decisions or take credit for good ones.
Say you're the member for Cabramatta. You vote *secretly* for something which will harm that district. Nobody can "punish" at the next election by not voting for you.
If you vote for something that benefits the district, you can't take credit for it either. Nobody can "reward" you with their vote at the next election.
The answer to the party-dominated system is to put as much decision-making *directly* in the hands of the voting public.
With today's technology, having a public vote would not be that difficult.
You could have several ballots on several issues at one time to save money.
Polling places could have computer terminals, where each question shows on screen, with a Yes/No or multiple choice answer.
Forget reforming parliament.
Let the people represent themselves.
Post a Comment