Sworn in one day, sworn at the next, this is politics Australian style.
The fate of modern Australian political parties and the politics they are engaged in is not one to be envied.
No sooner does a given party win office, and get sworn in
to power, than the very people who voted them in begin pulling them apart.
Not helped one should add, by a voracious and unforgiving media whose sole aim is to uncover the facts, and to ‘create awareness’ (for themselves).
No matter what the ruling party and their respective beaurocrats do, these insatiable elements within the media seek to tear them down. All in the interests of disclosure, and the right of the public to know, of course.
And to know now, if not yesterday.
The generation we live in are now so totally tuned to and accustomed to instant gratification that anything, absolutely anything they want… well, they want it now. Right now!
There is little to no concept of patience or tolerance. Or whether it can be aid for.
It matters little whether their government (and by extension taxpayers) can afford it, or if it’s prudent to do so, voters just want their own piece of the pie, their own cause supported and funded, and it better be right now!
Or we will vote you out. It’s the law of the jungle, or is that the law of politics.
No secret then why social media panders to this short-sightedness and lack of patience; why whole sections of social media now offer instant access to views, opinions and events. Enter Instagram, Vine, Twitter and a plethora or like media.
Anything, absolutely anything can happen around the world and people will know about it, be viewing it, and commenting on it instantly, before the event has even fully ended. Consider the landing of the jet on the Hudson River; people were placing images online before the plane had even sloshed to a halt.
Little wonder then that a Government has to perform miracles, pull rabbits out of the proverbial hat each and every day, or is that minute, just to keep an ever impatient and hungry electorate onside, applauding and supporting with their votes.
Today, the old cliché what’s in it for me has assumed a whole new measure of meaning as the very same voters who threw bouquets and kisses at their favourite politician one day, throw eggs and abuse the next day.
Little wonder that it’s almost impossible for a Government in power to be effective and make the tough decisions that need to be made in the long-term interests of the community.
We in Australia suffer from a severe dose of short-termism, and a lack of Statesmen.
Little wonder that politicians of all penchants and pursuasions suffer from the ‘sworn in one day and sworn at the next’ syndrome.
