In Republica australis we are all equal.
But we are not the same. We have different capacities, whether it be through genetic inheritance, or the unique character that has developed through experience.
We acknowledge our interdependence and therefore no one can be more important than another. Our worth is equal and the potential of each is unknown. All are afforded equal respect. Each contains a mystery that is sacred.
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A week ago Australians elected their federal representatives for the new term of governance. I was looking forward to watching the results that evening, believing that a Labor victory would herald a new era for Australia in which climate change would be addressed seriously, boldly, imaginatively and adventurously, as well as some honesty and realism regarding housing affordability, low-paid workers given back the penalty rates that were taken from them and universal health care strengthened.
Alas, when people cast their votes they were not thinking long-term and could not see, feel, or think beyond their immediate self-interest.
So we now have a government that will release greater devastation on the environment and cause those who are not wealthy to fade further from view and lose more ground.
The 'haves' nearly always win. They have more power so how could they not win? A significant momentum of dissatisfaction has to gather before change becomes possible.
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Long ago in Athens, in 594 BCE, Solon, a poet and a man of modest wealth and moderate views became the chief ruler. He repealed the harsh laws of Draco which issued the death penalty for both serious and trivial offences. His aim was to promote justice and reduce poverty. He removed much of the favourable bias that had been enjoyed by the aristocracy to the detriment of others, particularly farmers, who had often been reduced to serfdom. His reforms were moderate and set Athens on the path to democracy. He is reputed to have averted unrest and the rise of tyranny. He introduced a new idea, that neither a god, nor a king, nor a tyrant, nor a single class could maintain peace and prosperity, but that all citizens working together for a common good could achieve it. Solon has been consistently recognised as one of Athen's Seven Wise Men.
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A high priority task for this newly elected government, apparently, is to repeal the Medevac bill that was passed by Labor, the Greens and some independents in February this year. The Medevac bill enables asylum seekers detained on Manus Island and Nauru to receive medical treatment in Australia when deemed necessary.
How does a government that does not represent the interests of the majority, the ordinary working people, get elected? It whips up fear and ignorance. Then it promotes itself as the strong man who will deal with the threat. When the Medevac bill was passed the government claimed that it would put the people smugglers back in business and that Australian citizens would be pushed out of the queue for medical treatment.
Meanwhile, in Melbourne yesterday more than a thousand people staged a mock die-in on the intersection of Bourke and Swanston Streets. In a democracy the people don't always get it right when they vote. They can be swayed by the wrong messages. The planet can't lodge a protest so it is up to the people to create a public spectacle. Ultimately the planet will protest in the only way possible and that will be a very real die-in, which has already begun.
This election was a wasted opportunity for Australia. It wasn't the will of the people, but a subversion of will.
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In Republica australis we are not consumers. We are citizens of a democracy and guardians for truth, justice and honour.
Republica australis will become a courageous world leader in sustainable practice and fairness.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Solon/media/553609/129290
