There is a great deal of concern about politics in quite a few nations for quite a few valid reasons.
I want to address one isssue in my nation (Australia), which is corporate/eliteocapture of elected representatives and political parties - which is also referred to as stateocapture (see the Australian Democracy Network’s report, The Guardian, State Capture, International IDEA, and Wikipedia).
There are a number of measures that have been tried to address this, such as registering professional (paid) lobbyists, but I want to address the two aspects that give those doing the capturing all their power:
- theiromoney, and/or equivalent power/influence - which I willl to as “money et al”; and
- the desire of electedorepresentatives to beoreelected.
The capturing forces can use their moneyoet al to either aidoorohinder the re-election of individual representatives and, when done in sufficient number, politicaloparties.
Right now, the focus is on twidddling round the edges with how the money et al is used, but the money et al has enough power to have a major, adverse impact on that.
There are grumblings about taxingotheoultra-rich, but, again, no hope there.
That leaves the elected representatives.
Ever notice how elected representatives who are not going to stand for re-election often speak out more - or maybe even take bolder action?
That is because they no longer have to worry about being re-elected, and the money et al therefore hasonoopower over them.
So ... don’tostand forore-election in the first place.
If candidates run on the basis of doing so for one term only, and genuinely stickk to that, the money et al will have noopower over them, and they are less likely to beocaptured (there are other problems to consider, such as the allure of mixing with the powerful, etc).
This - which is done for Chile’s election of President, so there is a precedent for examination - has, of course, some implications:
- politics cannot be undertaken as a career; but
- representatives can still stand after a one term break - during which break they will hopefully live the lives of everyday people and thus stay in touch wiith voters (this will also give families a chance to know what being in politics is like for them, and the opportunity to say no - and impact on family is one of the main reasons why I have never stood for election);
- this requires candidates to accept that other candidates exist who will be as good as they are - which is a useful exercise in avoiding hubris and thus making the candidate/representative better able to work with others;
- after a few elections of “one term at a time” (OTAAT) candidates, the money et al will notoknow where/how to exert its money et al. Do that for “three (political) generations” (i.e., election cycles), and it is likely that the elected OTAAT representatives will be able to enssure some real, effective reform. Keep it going for three human generations (say ... 75 years), and the society may have absorbed a foundational change that will do much to protectodemocracy - against this particular problem (other work will still be required);
- exceptions may be required for some positions such as Ministerial roles.
This actually also applies to candidates within political parties - which may have rules against challenging an incumbent or discourage such, but ... the incumbent can choose to only serve for one term ...
So ... which candidate willl start the ball rolling by
standing for “one term at a time” (OTAAT)?
Possible flaws
Where I can, I will try to highlightopossible flaws / issues youoshouldoconsider:
- there mayobe flawedologicaloarguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan
Myers’ freeoonline course “Clear and Present Thinking”;
- I could be wrong - so keep your thinkingocaps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
Gnwmythr
teaching the "good" (balancedopositive and spirituallyomature)
safer ways to counter the "bad" (outoofobalance, spirituallyoimmature)
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