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Abusing a misinformed public

In a previous blog-post I highlighted the emptiness of Labour's promise for the local council elections, that of issuing public calls to select people to attend for local council meetings considering tender adjudications.


Tomorrow, Thursday 22nd March 2012, the Gudja Local Council I form part of is meeting at 5.30pm. One of the topics on the agenda (which may be accessed online): five tender adjudications related to road works, footpaths and gardens. As it has been required by law since the local council's inception in 1993, all the public is invited to attend. No public calls were issued, no personal inviations, no selection process to choose who can or cannot attend.

I am mentioning this fact again because it irks me when politicians, aware of the fact that many people are ignorant of certain facts, instead of informing them of their rights abuse of this lack of awareness to make empty and inane promises. I am using the above case as an example, but this happens frequently and from exponents on both sides of the political divide.

How well democracy functions, and how much politicians need to speak the truth, depends on only one thing: how informed and educated the people are. Because though democracy is not perfect, it gives the people the leadership they deserve.

The people need to inform themselves, think, and form their own opinions. Do not just take someone's opinion and make it your own. Do not form your opinions just on media and newspaper headlines, which report everything at face-value without proper analysis.

The sustainability of democracy depends on how smart its people are. The only way the people can force parties to offer political solutions to political problems, instead of the usual promises of heaven on earth, is by rising above their marketing and media-stunts and analyze the policies and their effects.

Your country's future depends on it.

Comments

  1. Tajba Mark. And the example extends to so many other issues... I am particularly concerned about the "reformists" of our body of laws.

    ReplyDelete

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