I’m hoping this doesn’t start a fight, I’m just curious what the political orientation is of this community. I grew up in a liberal (in the American sense) family, and I identify now as a socialist, though a lot of the liberalism I grew up in has stuck with me, like interest in LGBTQ and women’s rights, environmentalism, etc. Wondering where people here land?
I vote Green. Howard destroyed the utopia future we all hoped for, but there is still opportunity for Australia to be a society of equals.
The two right wing and far right wing parties of the US still mostly confuse me. Their lack of compulsory voting scares me. I also have been shocked on my visits to the US as to how their country is full of inequalities and people desperately poor. Weird place, glad I don’t live there.
One of our right-wing parties has figured out that most people are not as right-wing as it is, but it can still win if only the most extreme people vote. So they try to make voting more difficult even. The opposite of compulsory
Australia has compulsory voting?
Yeah If you forget to vote in a election you’re fined around $20. So I guess it counts as compulsory voting.
Sounds horrible
I don’t know about Australia, but in the countries i have heard about with compulsory voting, it’s totally legal to vote blank, i.e. not actually vote for anyone. You just have to go to the polling station and put your blank ballot in the box.
So you’re (if i’m not mistaken) not forced to vote for a party you don’t agree with.
Fair enough but we get to accomplish that here by just staying home.
Yeah if you don’t participate in our democracy you might not be able to afford half a pack of ciggies
Its not really a democracy if you have to vote
How do you define democracy then
In a representative democracy, what’s the point in making everyone vote in it?
This statement confuses me
Why?