I didn’t walk out of school.
I didn’t carry a placard or march through the streets.
And, thankfully, nobody expected me to explain to a maths teacher why I was absent.
But I watched those young Australians take to the streets because they are worried about the country they are going to inherit.
And it got me thinking.
Those kids are doing what they can.
I can do something they can’t.
I can vote.
And when the next election comes around, I’ll be setting an example too.
Because democracy isn’t simply about complaining about politicians we don’t like. It isn’t about yelling at the television, abusing someone on Facebook or sharing another meme.
Ultimately, it’s about walking into a polling booth and deciding what sort of country we want to live in.
Those students don’t yet have that privilege.
We do.
So while they have made their voices heard in the streets, perhaps the rest of us should think about how we intend to make ours heard when it matters most.
The kids have had their say.
Next it’s our turn.
I know what I’m doing with my vote.
Hint: I stand with those kids.
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Je suis les étudiants.
When I look at our current crop of politicians I’m at a loss as to who to vote for. One has to ask, with the crowns ability to sack whoever the people elect, what’s the point of voting?
As I have posted elsewhere: I am surprised that there has been no Australia wide mass walk out by University students or the Union movement in protest at the proposed mandating of pro-Zionist education to oppose anti-semitism to be inserted into curricula in primary and secondary schools as well as tertiary colleges, universities, federal, state and municipal government agencies.
Have Australians lost the spirit of rational protest that was a feature of political and social discourse during the 1970’s?
Decisions decisions Who do I put last? One Nation Clive Palmer or the Nats?
I fully support the students – it is their right to protest, and because they cannot make a “protest vote”, this is one of the few avenues they have to let us know what they think and believe.
I did this in the 70’s to protest our involvement in Vietnam – leaving school with some of my mates to do so.
By the way I was fully supported by my greenie pinko leftie parents!
Mediocrates poses an important question. Student Unions should be mobilising across the country. It would be assumed that Ms Hanson would be in full support of the proposed Zionist influence on our education systems. So, full throated protests are in order to necessarily push back against the Israel lobby’s attempt to suffocate any criticism of Genocide and also to expose Hanson’s support of this.
A big demographic issue, ignored or avoided by media to target middle aged+ with politicians of dubious quality vs future generations, outnumbered demographically till mid century.
Gaining attention globally, especially the right are leveraging regional voters….see Brexit, Trump, Orbán, LePen, The Voice No campaign etc. to encourage ‘collective narcissism’ and ‘pensioner populism’…..
From IIASA Vienna:
‘When demographic decline becomes a democratic question. In a new Expert Voices article published in Science, IIASA Population and Just Societies Program Director, Anne Goujon examines the concept of “dejuvenation” – the declining demographic, economic, cultural, and political weight of younger generations – and asks how aging societies can ensure that young people and future generations have a meaningful voice in shaping the decisions that will affect them most.’
My comments above suggest that any protest re: mandating pro-Zionist interference in Australia’s education system should be initiated by a student’s walkout. To the contrary, if students announce their intention to protest I would like to see each student accompanied by their parents as they take to the streets. It is not up to students – it is up to everyone with a conscience. The students must be supported if they choose to protest.
Yeah, there’s the Pauline/PHON element of stench. It is said there’s a huge element of GenX & younger demographic flooded into polls indicating ‘support’ (oh yeah, really). No-one is gunna convince me that GenX & younger are not fully aware of the huge PHON ‘BOT Farms’ of mis/disinformation flooding social media and then being sensationalized by legacy MSM.
The pretend Medusa, Hanson and her PHON are a pretender wretched Chimera bent on their own destruction. It’ll be fun to see it unfold.
Meantime, there are things far more important being kept from the Oz public. The Albo govt refuses to release the ‘classified’ or any version of the Office of National Intelligence 2025 Report on Climate Change (envirnomental/economic/strategic). Only selected MPs/Officials have been allowed to see it. Said to be extremely urgent / alarming / catastrophic. The Planetary Emergency is Here.
Curious how a couple of Chinese warships sail down the eastern seaboard of this country, bung off a few crackers into international waters, and hey presto!, the whole of Australia’s political and intelligence apparatuses go all Henny Penny, the sky’s falling in, we’re about to be overrun by the Yellow Peril, prepare to meet thine end and so on, yet when it comes to real, actual, verifiable and burgeoning risks that actually do impact the whole of this country’s population along with its environment, its agrarian enterprises, its tourism sector, health & welfare and more, what do we hear from the so-called responsible people?
Crickets. A quiet buzz in the background. Occasionally, the sound of people snoring. A raucous clamour from the FRWNJ sector, assuring us it’s all ok, nothing to see hear.
Why, FFS, would the government refuse to release reports on climate change? Oooo… the people won’t be able to handle it, it’s too scary? Or, more succinctly, it actually says we’re rooted, and we can’t be telling the peeps that.
I like how the 1998 Canadian film, Last Night, dealt with this existential issue, but I don’t expect to see its theme & content replicated here, or anywhere else for that matter, anytime soon.
Strange days, indeed.
Just a reminder folks. Hanson was elected by the good folk of Queensland as a Senator for that state in 2022; her six year term expires in 2028.
So, she does have a day job which she has spectacularly failed to perform for the people of Qld who elected her. Pauline Hanson has missed multiple Senate sittings and has faced severe scrutiny for having one of the worst attendance records in our federal parliament. Official parliamentary analysis and records highlight extensive absences from both general Senate chamber sittings and parliamentary committee hearings.
When senator Hansen again presents herself for re-election she has suggested that she may seek a Lower House electorate which will put her under much greater day to day scrutiny. She may try to sneak back in as one of twelve Queensland senators but, as a Queenslander, I suggest that her record and underperformance may make this difficult even with Gina’s financial backing.
It is pleasing to see that the students and school kids can see through the media mayhem and show the rest of us what a charlatan she really is.
Discount the potential danger of a populist clown with red hair and bad makeup at your own peril. Trump didnt get into office twice because he had a competent professional history and clean record.
Charismatic wrecking balls can get elected on those credentials alone.
Some dont seem to remember the era of the hit parody song ‘I dont like it’ By ‘Pauline Pantsdown’. This isn’t her first time in the spotlight.
We need to start talking about real practical political policies on important issues – the thing these people suck at – or we risk catching our own populist self serving wrecking ball.