I've had enough already.
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| Stop the ride, I want to get off. |
I started tuning out around day four. This was when in response to Duncan Storer, a man with a history of mental health problems and associated struggles, asking a reasonable question, Australia's highest circulating tabloid labelled him a villain on their front page.
The opposition in this country to the dominant conservative forces in the political and media classes largely ignored the question too.
That's both the pretend opposition, as Labor smartly avoided the question entirely on Q&A, and also the real opposition holding the government to account: people on social media.
Social media was too busy raising money for $6,000 toasters, because I guess memes are easier than meaningful debate that can lead to real change.
The reason it went down like this is because is politicians, the media, and social media warriors alike find Duncan completely not relatable, even when they are trying to be empathetic. Politicians spend their days talking patronisingly about "ordinary Australia", which we're told is comprised of the likes of teachers, nurses, and firefighters. The concerns for these ordinary Aussie's are then reported in print by the media, to be read by these ordinary Aussie's revelling in their own ordinariness.
And while these ordinary people have their struggles, they also are highly-skilled, usually tertiary educated members of society, comfortably middle class.
Very few people in this picture really want to know people like Duncan on a personal level, other than to demonise him, or to buy him a fucking toaster via crowdfunding.
* * *
By the morning of working day eight, I moved from tuning out from the election campaign to actually finding the whole even nauseating.
On that morning, it was reported that the immigration minister managed to suggest that refugees are all illiterate and innumerate, even in their native tongue, yet will still manage to take our jobs, unless they are bludging on the dole.
This was all in one response. It makes you long for the days when sensible immigration policy wonks like Pauline Hanson were driving the discourse in this area.
* * *
At this point, you have to wonder why the Liberals bothered switching to Malcolm Turnbull as leader.
Their entire campaign appears to be underpinned by three things.
Firstly, a three word slogan: "jobs and growth". This replaced another three-word slogan: "continuity and change", after it was discovered this was nearly identical to the presidential slogan on a fictional television comedy starring Elaine from Seinfeld.
Secondly, rampant xenophobia and cruelty in border protection and national security masquerading about concern about refugees drowning at sea. They have bipartisan support for that one.
Thirdly, carefully stage-managed shallow appearances at places like fruit markers and country pubs.
These are literally the only three things in politics where Tony Abbott is more effective than Malcolm Turnbull.
* * *
Also on day eight: an opposition MP forgot to declare for three years that he bought a $2.3m house in his electorate, to add to his portfolio of two other properties. It is negatively geared, of course.
* * *
From what I can tell, Kent Brockman was right. But I do have one suggestion to improve democracy.
A "none of the above" box should be added to every ballot in the country. Then the disenfranchised and the disillusioned can, instead of voting informally or reluctantly choosing the lesser of many evils, have their voices heard through a deliberate statement about modern Australian politics.
The worst case scenario here is an accurate count of how politicians don't represent a substantial minority of voters in the country.
The best case is that "none of the above" jags a couple of senate seats - because if Ricky Muir can do it, anything possible. Then if "none of the above" continues to be ignored, it starts becoming a viable contender in some local electorates.
Alternatively, drawing a penis on a ballot should count as a vote for the current sitting member.
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