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this post was submitted on 01 May 2026
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Australian Politics
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Thanks mate, appreciate that. I'm not a malcontent, I can appreciate good things when I see them. I just haven't seen many good things come to fruition during the course of my millennial life observing politics. I feel there is something about the Australian mindset that makes apologies for those in power who don't improve things. We have this idea that change is hard. The government has limited power etc. I remind people that during the lockdowns we had a 9pm curfew. In the 2010s, most people would have said the government couldn't do that. They absolutely have power to make change. They choose not to, because the status quo benefits them. They could fix housing. They could fix wealth inequality. We've been conditioned to believe that change is impossible. I don't buy it.
You are right to not buy it. Keep not buying the numbing narrative. You younger people need to put a stop to the insanity leading the world into more and more poverty, war and climate destruction. With you all the way.
You make some interesting points. I'm a millennial too and I remember my introduction as a late teen to our politics was in that stage of all the backstabbing shit. Rudd getting ousted by Gillard then the same in reverse. It was all pretty ridiculous and as a first time voter (would've been 2010 election) it all just felt like so this how politics works huh, they all tell at each other instead of discussing shit and they all turn on their own parties? Sooo I didn't really just leave high school behind at all, the adult world is exactly the same 😅
It is interesting to see what different PMs are remembered for from different people though. Howard (I was so young) I just remember children overboard, "war on terror" and GST. Rudd - the sorry speech - I was in yr 11 and this was the first time we started to learn about indigenous history so I do give Rudd some credit for that, I think he also enacted NBN and withdrew troops from the middle east? Gillard - NDIS (obviously an emotive topic right now, disclosure I am on the NDIS myself), Royal commission into Institutional Child Abuse, Gonski and of course the misogyny speech, Abbott carbon tax, I thought it was him that screwed up the NBN but I see others saying that was Turnbull. Turnbull - plebescite - ultimate outcome great but what a bloody mess to get there. Not sure who did the royal commission into aged care and disability, I think I stopped following closely at some point because there was a lot of talk but very little action.
I think you're right that it's too easy for politicians (and even society) to claim that change is too hard or that change has to take an excessively long time. Change IS possible, not always easy but not as difficult as people believe.
Sorry chief. This might shock you but Australia has voted against fixing housing a bunch of times.
Sounds like Labor is going to announce some changes to capital gains in the budget in a few weeks. Watch the libs, nats, and phon scream blue bloody murder about it and promise to reverse the change next election.
That's where majoritarian politics fails. Sometimes unpopular decisions need to be made to help those who aren't in the majority. And leave off with the patronising language. I'm not shocked, I've lived through it and it's what I've come to expect.
By "majoritarian politics" you mean democracy right?
Arguing that this is democracy when most of the media is owned by Murdochs fash news, otherwise billionaire propaganda (vote coal!), and the majority simply believe whatever they're told to believe... is like arguing that my pets don't have stockholm syndrome, and legitimately chose to be with me.
Are you proposing an alternative to majoritarian politics?
No. I'm arguing that "democracy" is an illusion when your level of speech and representation is proportional to your wealth; when 99% of the political class, and journalistic establishment that controls and manufactures the information the working class are exposed to their entire lives, is owned and operated by billionaires/oligarchs.
But sure, continue believing our political system can be democracy while the entire economic system — every corporation — is structured as an oligarchy. Nothing fundamentally contradictory there. You can have any colour you want as long as it's black!
Very strong "im 14 and this is deep" energy.
Everyone is aware of these problems.
Everyone, huh? If you're so aware of our fake democracies how come you perpetuate the narrative that they are real? Is numbering some boxes every few years all that's required to pacify you into defending the oligarchy?
Don't play with it to much or you might go blind.