We want more say

Vanguard August 2013 p. 7
Jack D.

In remote towns around Australia and in the regional towns and big cities people want more say. We want more say over what happens in our lives at work, at play, in education, health, food supply both (quality and source), in health, from infancy right through to care of our aged and so on.

One morning at smoko some time ago in our small isolated remote town, we were talking about this. Talking about how little say we had in, and how little control we had over, our lives.

The mix of people at the kiosk was interesting; some workers from the council, from the electricity supply people, a few other workers sat there, owner operators from small private businesses, retirees from many walks of life, the kiosk owners and a few tourists.

There was remarkable consensus about issues like when big business and the ‘establishment’ institutions are talking this ‘democracy’ stuff. It is always seen by them as their ability to dominate society and manipulate things for their benefit.

We agreed the reality was different; reality is the dictatorship of big business, the very rich, the very powerful in society. It was seen that we live under the heel of big businesses jackboot, like it or not. We have little or no say as small business people, and even less as workers, retirees or whatever.

Democracy does not, cannot exist under capitalism. Put simply, democracy and democratic process is supposed to be rule by a significant majority in society. This does not exist in Australia today. It never has. One businessman said “If I tried to do the things some of these big businesses do, I’d be put in gaol” Another, a lady, said (quite bitterly), “When I sought some help I got nothing, but that f*@#ing mining company got and gets massive grants and tax breaks over the years.”

The different treatment of the various groups in society is the principal contradiction that clearly exposes the harsh reality of class dictatorship under the capitalist system. To add to it all as if to emphasise the point, we could see the small semi-derelict boats down along the river, old boat hulls that some of the town’s homeless live in.

Above all, the general consensus was we want more say; we want a real democratic process. We will have a long and difficult fight to get it.

Fundamental change in Australian society will only happen by people banding together and forcing the situation.