"Canadians are withdrawing from the democratic system, because they see politics as irrelevant."

[ltmurnau]

I hate reading stuff like this.
It's so discouraging.

*****

CBC Asks: Many Canadians distrustful of federal politics, poll indicates
4 in 10 Canadians never talk politics, Samara Canada survey suggests
CBC News Posted: Mar 25, 2015 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Mar 25, 2015 4:02 PM ET
A strong majority of Canadians don't take part in politics beyond

Comments

[sabotabby]

I almost cried when I listened to this on CBC this morning.

And like, I get it. I've never trusted politicians either, and the system is rotten to the core, but that's exactly why we should be involved in politics. It's partially apathy that let it get to this point.

Although I wonder how much is how they define politics; if people are disengaging from electoral politics to fuck shit up, that's okay. But I don't think they are; I think people are consciously adhering to a political position dubbed apolitical, and that's terrifying.

I was also going to ask you a question about that metal thing you do but that's not germane to this conversation. :)

[ltmurnau]

Precisely.
And like Mencken said, we are all going to get it good and hard.

Please ask me about that metal thing I do!

[sabotabby]

How do you do the metal thing that you do? If I wanted to make a similar metal thing, now that I have access to a tool library, how would I do that?

[ltmurnau]

http://ltmurnau.livejournal.com/tag/metal for tales, advice and pictures

[dyvan]

I suspect the rights are not being fought for, we are not being lead, and the bad leadership results in a disconnect between results and the actions taken.

We need passion in politics, but the craven manner in which political parties, and political leaders, rule by public polls or general opinion, too afraid to do what is right, rather than what is popular, and couching their speeches in misleading sound grabs, mean the electorate has become steadily more dis-illusioned.

To get the right leaders, the right politicians, we must invest the time to choose, to consider, beyond our own narrow needs, to a wider societal need. If apathy rules, we get what we deserve, and the cycle of apathy continues to circle inward, and downward, towards total negation of any action to reverse the cycle.

[ltmurnau]

It's kind of funny, you have mandatory voting in your country, yet your politics aren't much better.
A lot of people suggest a mandatory vote here in Canada would change things: I don't think so, any more than a military draft instils civic responsibility or citizenship desires in anyone.

We ask for so little, and boy do we get it....

[dfordoom]

A lot of people suggest a mandatory vote here in Canada would change things:

It changes nothing.

[dfordoom]

I imagine the situation in Canada is pretty much the same as the situation in Australia. It's not that people don't care about politics. They have very strong views on a variety of political issues. But they don't believe in parliamentary democracy because they know it's a sham. They know that when it comes to an election they have no genuine choice. They can choose between two parties, neither of which has the slightest intention of ever doing what the people want.

We're having a state election in NSW this week. When you listen to the two party leaders it's impossible to tell which one represents one party and which represents the other. They both say exactly the same things. We had a change of government in 2011. Nobody noticed. If we have another change of government on Saturday no-one will notice.

When people are asked if they believe in democracy they say yes, for the very simple reason that they can't think of an alternative. If you asked them whether they thought the present system was truly democratic they'd laugh at you.

[ltmurnau]

So why can't they think of an alternative?
One of the simpler changes we could make here is to go from the first-past-the-post, winner-take-all system we have here now (guess you have the same in Australia) and go to some form of proportional representation, which most developed parliamentary democracies have.
This would drastically alter the party balances and how our governments are formed and operate, but it seems to frighten the horses rather.
And of course to adopt it, would require the complicity of a government that got into and stayed in power under the present system... it would probably happen if our Prime Minister's Office, which effectively IS the government now, made it so but they depend on the present system as much as anyone.

[dfordoom]

One of the simpler changes we could make here is to go from the first-past-the-post, winner-take-all system we have here nowWe have a preferential voting system. That does give minor parties more influence but unfortunately they have proven to be just as corrupt and as remote from ordinary people as the major parties. They advance their own narrow sectarian interests. And they paralyse government almost completely. The minor parties have turned out to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution

[dfordoom]

One of the things that disillusions me is bipartisanship. It's inherently anti-democratic. The Australian foreign policy. The foreign policy of the current Liberal-National Party Government is that we do whatever Washington tells us to do. On the other hand the foreign policy of the Opposition Labor Party is that we do whatever Washington tells us to do. There is zero difference between the parties. On-one cares whether the Australian people agree with this policy or not. That's the foreign policy we're going to get either way.

It's the same on most important issues. Both sides are committed to free trade and globalisation. The people were never asked if they wanted it but that's what they get.