shirro

joined 2 years ago
[–] shirro@aussie.zone 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The US is a narco-state. Always has been. Should tariff them until the Sackler family are serving life.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

That is how Tasmania has worked for over a century. They call it Hare-Clarke but it is a form of STV. They also use it in the Australian Capital Territory.

Mixed member might be more suitable nationally here. I have mixed feelings about the example in NZ. Anything is better than FPTP which should only be in history books. Even ranked choice/preferential with what you already have is an incremental improvement if that is all you can get.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

It is a great idea. Strike while the iron is hot.

I didn't realize Canada's electoral system was so outdated. I assumed you would have a popularly elected upper house and if not proportional at least instant runoff/rcv/preferential for your lower house.

We didn't want to give up local representation in Australia so we stuck with single member electorates but preferential voting. It is fairer to voters than FPTP but still results in a two party lower house that doesn't reflect the actual percentages of votes cast for parties so the senate is more powerful that UK or Canada to offset. We could do a lot better. NZ follows a more German model that compensates popular parties that didn't win seats. Not sure how I feel about that. The Greens would end up with 13% of lower house seats here instead of approximately 0 but chances are we could see parties like our own One Nation or the German AfD grow in influence as well. Tasmania has had proportional voting for their state lower house for over a century as does our capital territory.

Edit: the web site is very informative and and the fact checker addresses my extremist party fear well.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 13 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (5 children)

Good idea but also a gross oversimplification.

You can't compare a parliamentary democracy with a presidential republic whatever the voting system. The president is an elected tyrant. It's a miracle one hasn't gone rogue previously.

A prime minister is a chairperson who only serves with the confidence of their party. In the UK and Australia PMs are routinely knifed by their own parties. Additionally the government needs to win confidence votes to govern.

Australia has a proportional upper house with some real teeth. They can bring a government down. But New Zealand has a unicameral proportional lower house. Optimised for different things. Many people say NZ is better but they haven't had a big constitutional crisis so who knows. NZ only gets labour or national governments despite proportional representation.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Same around the world. When they say they want to deal more harshly with youth offenders in Queensland, Australia, they are overwhelmingly indigenous otherwise there would be more outrage. First we create the problems then we create the "solutions" which just create more problems. I hope it is getting better. A few years ago we had the PM giving an official apology. Now we have some politicians refusing to stand in front of the aboriginal flag. Its a huge WTF. I don't know what their brain damage is.

I should clarify that it could be Inuit lands that Trump may be seeking to control in case other indigenous people are wondering what the fuck I am talking about. Sorry.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (4 children)

Trump is erratic and undisciplined and the whole MAGA movement is regressive, radical and dangerous and I am sure Lebensraum has some resonance with them. But there is obviously shit going on with the rhetoric on Canada and Greenland that points to control of the Arctic as being the driving issue. It possibly goes beyond the current executive and is some insane branch of long term US strategic thought. That suggests they probably only want 2 or 3 mostly uninhabited northern provinces plus Greenland under US colonial rule. Sucks to be indigenous (again).

Not saying those provinces should be given up under intimidation. But I doubt if even someone as stupid as Trump wants to deal with repressing a resistance movement on the US border. It seems more likely this is one of his famous "deals" (perhaps more accurately shakedown).

[–] shirro@aussie.zone -1 points 1 week ago

Sorry, but I think you and those like you are deflecting. I still see posts from Americans saying this wasn't us. We are nice people. We have no power. It is crazy. Why are you even online telling us this? You think we blame you personally?

I live in the other side of the planet. If I am going to help anyone its going to be some poor unfortunate struggling with poverty, war and genocide imposed on them.

Not delusional people from the richest country on earth who had everything and lack the will to influence their own fate.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone -1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Thankfully I live in a rich liberal democracy where over 90% vote and we still have a fairly decent though far from perfect society.

I can be outraged by what Americans let happen to their country because I'm human and a parent but I can't help and shouldn't help. American society needs to find its own solutions, in its own time and on terms it can live with.

You can't pass this off onto me.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone -1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

Exactly. In Ukraine parents fight and die so their 4 year old will have a country to return to. In the US they let their souls die instead and leave their kids to fight their own battles.

You are a nation of Uvalde cops.

Downvote me. Argue. In your hearts you all know it is true. You are broken. You were clearly broken since at least the 90s when you met Columbine with platitudes instead of tens of millions of mothers on the streets screaming in pain.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 0 points 1 week ago (6 children)

They won't. They couldn't even get upset over kids being massacred every week in their schools. They are a broken people. Have been for decades. Their military.and economy didn't fail. Their moral fiber did. They substituted thoughts and prayers and other virtue signalling for community organisation and direct action.

If you think I am wrong then don't reply. Go outside and prove it. Nobody gives a shit what people write in social media. It means nothing.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Research your family history. Sometimes that can open doors but it might be expensive.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

No. Good people let this happen on their watch. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance and the people of the US were caught napping. You must take responsibility and act.

This is not the time to look for our forgiveness to make yourselves feel better. It is time to act. We will forgive later.

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