Monthly Archives: May 2012

Zealots welcome too…

Yesterday’s Australian carried this: Boyer’s address to the Radio in Education Conference, January 1946: THERE seem to me to be two types of mind in any community. The first and the most numerous are those who are frankly indifferent to … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on May 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Democracy is strongest when…

Posted on May 16, 2012 by

From an editorial in today’s Age: “However strongly people in power might resent the right, citizens should not be denied free expression. Democracy is healthiest when contending views are exposed to debate and rebuttal. A politically constrained and uninformed ”debate” … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

How we can save democracy – a response to letters to The Age, 12-13 May 2012

Posted on May 13, 2012 by

On 11 May, I had an opinion piece published in The Age under the title ‘How we can save democracy’. On 12 May, in the Saturday paper, there were four letters in response. They took issue with different things the … Continue reading →

Posted in Deliberative democracy, Democracy, Media, Polling, YourView | Leave a comment

Looking for YourView

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

A recent comment on a column by Michelle Grattan in The Age: You have to love these pontificating journalists standing atop the mountain espousing their views in their papal robes as if what they say is coming straight out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Media | Leave a comment

Antidote to Tribalism

Posted on May 1, 2012 by

“The great thing about YV is that I could see what informed the opposing votes, and therefore what values I shared with the people who made them. It made it easier not to lapse into tribalism, defending my in-group and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment