tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post6989173643403649572..comments2024-02-11T19:28:27.997+11:00Comments on Personal Reflections: Saturday Morning Musings - things European via Higgs Boson, Indonesia & other mattersJim Belshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-37601451653606631232012-07-09T18:05:18.750+10:002012-07-09T18:05:18.750+10:00Thanks, both. Winton, I will do a short companion ...Thanks, both. Winton, I will do a short companion post to your own blog musings. It actually bears upon some of the things that I have campaigned against.Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-66122951385651361402012-07-09T07:18:48.842+10:002012-07-09T07:18:48.842+10:00Thanks kvd. My views are much the same.
I see i...Thanks kvd. My views are much the same. <br /><br />I see it creating pressures for governments to take on more responsibilities while having uncertain effects on the effectiveness of government.Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-62227027023717095362012-07-08T21:20:33.440+10:002012-07-08T21:20:33.440+10:00Hi Winton - I would have to think long and hard ab...Hi Winton - I would have to think long and hard about that. <br /><br />I'm presently quite depressed by what I see being reported as to the crumbling of what I've always regarded as the bedrock of democracy: integrity, prudential management, a fine civil service, and an honourable judicial, press and banking system.<br /><br />Now I see parliament foregoing its legislative responsibility, a press (the traditional press) being dishonoured by its current practitioners, our High Court decisions analysed as to personalities rather than judicial reasoning, etc. etc.<br /><br />Possibly it was always a mixture of the good and not so good, but now our view is informed constantly by many new sources and opinion makers - some of them too loud, too partisan. The mechanics are more transparent but with that has gone a measure of our respect for the institutions and placeholders.<br /><br />I think open monitoring and questioning is ok - except it can lead to always performing, never planning - but I dread the thought of our current democracy going down the path towards participatory democracy, for instance such as Getup! claims to be. Sometimes you need a government prepared to make and hold to tough decisions, and I don't think the constant daily questioning and second-guessing assists in that.<br /><br />Jim's probably thought far more about this than I have, but I thank you for asking my opinion. I shall be interested to see what your own thoughts are, although I suspect you might be somewhat more of a fan than I presently am of the concept being extended to anything more than citizen-monitoring/review.<br /><br />kvdAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-86477931517822791862012-07-08T19:10:01.990+10:002012-07-08T19:10:01.990+10:00This might seem odd, Jim, but I can't think of...This might seem odd, Jim, but I can't think of a better way to ask kvd what he thinks of monitory democracy than to raise the question here.Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-63754725466384988752012-07-07T18:04:15.018+10:002012-07-07T18:04:15.018+10:00I have to tell you Jim that I didn't (and won&...I have to tell you Jim that I didn't (and won't bother to) watch the video. I was more referring to the idea that our military heads deem it useful to develop closer personal ties with our near neighbours via their opposite numbers.<br /><br />But if it's cute, I guess that's a bonus.<br /><br />kvdAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-50094437974996567412012-07-07T17:41:50.099+10:002012-07-07T17:41:50.099+10:00Thank you, kvd. I will bring this up on the main p...Thank you, kvd. I will bring this up on the main post.Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-65716877806152207702012-07-07T17:04:00.550+10:002012-07-07T17:04:00.550+10:00On Indonesia - Australia, I was greatly encouraged...On Indonesia - Australia, I was greatly encouraged by reading this piece today - something which on the surface seems quite trivial, but in fact is at the coalface of alleviating potential misunderstandings between our people, and our neighbours in times of 'stress':<br /><br />http://www.smh.com.au/national/defence-boss-uses-rare-tools-to-build-foreign-friendships-20120706-21mfw.html<br /><br />Most people would read that, I think, and say something like "silly old fart", but in fact there really is an international brotherhood in military circles, percolating just below the sometimes quite unreal performances of our politicians.<br /><br />Anything which assists in mutual understanding at that operational level has got to be very good news, I think.<br /><br />kvdAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com