MARK M ALDRIDGE Independent - Community Advocate "Voice of the People"

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Occupy, what should the people DEMAND

OCCUPY or ACTION?   

 I have tried to get my head around the Occupy movement, something that should simply excite me, as I have always believed change, in our world, has now become reliant on mass people power standing firm for our future, yet this new movement as it rolls across the globe, does not feel like the answer.   

 I became part of the initial planning forum in SA, being run by a group of people I have yet to meet in the lobbying arena, all there posts and site link to a movement called Zeitgeist, from my brief investigation, the group is based on a movie ideal, something I suggest each person study for them selves.   

 My many years experience in the political arena and during my study of world politics, leads me to the rather firm belief, our problems at a grass roots level are based around the corruption of the democratic process, occupy screams the word Democracy, but demands no reforms to our electoral system.   

 The ideal of democracy works well at the grass roots level, the election of local candidates by an informed electorate, and those elected representatives standing up for the best interests of their constituency, is a well founded concept, and while those representatives fear the peoples ability to also remove them from that position, if they stop doing the peoples will, or what is best for their electorate, keeps them in line.   

 With the slow growth towards party politics, this connection with the people slowly eroded, the candidates for these party machines accepted their new role of doing the will of the party, to secure endorsement by their selected parties, and with the very same parties in control of electoral law, structural biases crept in and furthered the divide away from representative government to a more dictatorial system.   

 The mighty media machine saw the opening to secure increased power over the political system, as did the corporate world, combined the media and the corporate sector could now control the agenda, make or break political parties, with media control and funding, they could also ensure no new organizations could get strong hold, by controlling the source of information and their mighty wallets.   

 The story from here is well known, and the problem escalates each and every year, to combat any opposition to the system, the parties keep re-writing the electoral law to protect their strong hole on the political arena, ensuring the minor parties and Independents have no chance of a level playing field, the people no chance of a free or informed vote, the corporations that fund the major parties enjoy financial and economic privileges, and the media play piggy in the middle, destroying any group that dare challenge the system, at the same time wielding heavy control of the political agenda.   

 Yet when we look at the Occupy movement and their use of the word Democracy on a regular basis, there is not talk of electoral reform or political intervention other than control of the banking cartels, expecting brought politicians to bite the hand that feeds them, and even those goals are limited to the demands of the American movement, in Australia, it is more the case, if Occupy stands on the moral high ground, some one will listen, and the world will change.  

 I have to admit that I am some what proud that the younger generation are standing for something, but at the same time, they do not seem open to debate or ideals for change, as if they are led by a higher cause than educated debate.  

 Maybe it is more that case they blame the older generation, there fore are unwilling to listen, or is it more the fact, I have no bloody idea, and they have it all right, if that be the case, what exactly am I missing here?   

 It is more than fair to say the corporate sector need a swift kick in the ass, the banks need regulation and enforced accountability, the Media are already loosing control through the internet, so we must ensure the net is kept free and unregulated, but the power to perform such tasks is held by the government, have we forgotten they are our representatives?   

 The people may have had their rights diminished by the very people we employ to protect them, but united we can restore democracy, if we demand the right electoral changes and force new elections, such reforms will bring more changes than may appear on the surface.   Amongst our current representatives there are some well-educated and patriotic people, whose performance is only bound by the current corruption and power of the 2 party system, let alone the many good candidates that would stand up if the shackles of the corrupted electoral system were lifted.   

 The fact is, opening the doors to compassionate and educated people to stand up as candidates, and the extra choice it would bring with it, would be inspiring in itself, something any future demands could address.  

 It is our job as the citizens of this world to free up the system and educate aspiring representative as to the direction we wish them to take, rather than feeling shackled by the current biased two party crap we now endure, at the same time such change will go a long way in addressing the apathy resulting from the 99% of people feeling helpless to initiate change.   

 The ideal of such change and the Alliances “Three Twelve Eleven” protests is well founded, the simplicity of demanding the abolition of current parliaments, a genuine democratic re-election process which by passes the current structural biases and empowers the people to free and informed choice is sound and effective, the fact will remain that some of the media and financial biases will remain, but the accountability possible under an honest democratic system, wont take long for the people to overcome.  

 Maybe ‘”Three Twelve Eleven” should be re-named “Occupy Parliament” but other than the obvious marketing issues, the adoption of these ideals as the Australian direction of occupy, would also hold similar possibilities in other supposed democratic countries.  

 If my ideals are not the answer, don’t bag them, educate me as to how I am wrong, if you support the issue, spread the word, and attend Parliament on the 3/12/11 at lunch time, with supplies and a balanced sense of humor, and lets see if people power still has a place in our political arena, because change isn’t just necessary, it is bloody urgent.   

 It matters not what direction you wish to see, who the candidates end up being, we at least deserve to be empowered to cast a free and informed vote, the only winners of such denial of our most basic rights and liberties, are corruption and greed, and the detriment of our planets future in every respect.  

 Mark M Aldridge Proud supporter of the Alliance.     
                    “In the pursuit of Unity”   

1 Comment to Occupy, what should the people DEMAND:

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Wayne Place on Monday, 17 October 2011 12:55 AM
The Occupy movement has me scratching my head as well they seem to have the interest of the people at heart but how they have just seemed to of taken the world by storm because of the wall street protests has me baffled. Most Aussies are pissed off many will do something about it while others prefer to complain and let the world go by. The key point the Occupy movement is missing here in Australia for democratic change is the electoral system as you stated without change there no change will happen well that is my thoughts another great article Mark :)
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