A night to remember.....

This is what I wrote 3 years ago after the election:

"If our media and our democratic institutions cannot (or will not) hold our politicians to account then we need to be more vocal. As depressed as we all are, we cannot afford to be emotionally despondent for too long. I'm lifting myself out of this veil of despair (even if I cannot understand all those people who handed the Senate to the govt on a silver platter, you bastards!).

The election result is a setback, but apathetic, doubtlessly self-interested constituents are perennial. But then so is our power to continue to believe that we can cause a change to occur and win this bestial war against ignorance based on small individual effects for the greater good. Being mindful to ensure that those effects are not diluted by mendacious confusion induced loss of focus aimed at personal vulnerabilities (such as interest rates…argh!).

Political activism should not end for an individual because the party they favour is not in power. Electoral promises are just mutable deliberately partial and interpretive working documents attempting to generate credibility in the fragile and volatile environment of opinion. This is the art of spin, jingle-writing and propaganda. Therefore, we have a necessity to be more vocal and politically active. The population needs to become more resistant to easy election talk.

So in a long-winded way, join a party (Greens maybe)! Or if that is not your cup of tea, pick a cause and become active. Talk to as many people as possible but don’t harangue. Give people an alternative, to be better informed, to hear out your perspective. Whether it's about not having two-tiered education and health systems, not detaining innocent refugees, advocating reconciliation, equality in marriage, not engaging in illegal wars, respect for international laws, fair demarcation of boundary lines with East Timor, signing the Kyoto protocol, protecting workers and so on.

Besides, there are a lot of people who don't support Howard (damnit, he was taken to preferences in his own electorate, tradtionally, a safe Liberal seat)! And moreso in 3 years time. It's time to capitalise on that. . "

All I can say 3 years down the track is HELL YEAH!!!! :-) I am ready for a more decent, compassionate, caring and egalitarian Australia. And kudos to Maxine McKew and the voters of Bennelong. My faith is restored.