Political memory
May. 15th, 2011 08:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emma_in_dreamI have to declare that I am a grudge-holding, schadenfreude-ing meanie. I dwell on hurts that politicians have done me; I rejoice when harm comes to them; and I am constantly surprised that others do not.
For instance, during the debacle of the American election in 2000 I thought - not to worry, people will remember this blatant theft of the election. Even those who voted to the Republicans in good faith will not. They have made themselves unelectable. And, OK, then there was September 11 but I was still genuinely surprised that he was re-elected.
For instance, when Howard introduced the GST after saying he 'never ever' would, I was surprised that he was re-elected. I don't know about the rest of Australia but I still resent this taxation as impacting disproportionately on the poor.
The Australian Democrats had the balance of power on the GST issue. They had campaigned wishy-washily on the issue but had made a stand where they said there would definitely be no GST on books. Meg Lees, that pathetic Liberal wannabe leader, caved and in return for no concessions at all allowed the passing of GST on books. Books in Australia are already madly expensive in comparison with the rest of the world and literally every time I have bought a book since then I have thought to myself how it is because of the Democrats that it cost 10% more. I will never stop hating them.
It was with enormous pleasure that I watched the Democrats implode after the GST. It was their last hurrah as the electorate turned against them and they fell apart. The week when they had successive turns at being the leaders was hysterical. They are gone baby gone as a force in Australian politics and I take vindictive pleasure in it.
I seem to be much nastier than other people. I seem to hold grudges against politicians much longer. I will never forgive Howard for the children overboard lie that he used to win the election - It was obviously a lie and it was obviously the most mean-spirited, racist thing he could think of. Even if he had been a saint in every other respect (which he was not), I could never think of him without wanting to spit again.
And yet people vote for these buffoons. (I cast no aspersions of my friends, but people do. They keep getting elected.)
Do people truly not remember events of only a few years passing? I mean, Ruby at six months forgets about things pretty instantly, but Pearl at three years can recall events from a few months ago. So are half the population closer in mental abilities to a six month old than to a toddler? Do they lack object permanence?
Or do they not care as long as their side wins? But then, who could not care about an election being stolen, for instance? It undermines the entire concept of being in a democracy. Likewise bald-faced electoral lies - one expects a certain degree of backflipping after a side win elections but inventing the concept of 'non core promises' makes it impossible for the electorate to make informed choices in the future.
Or, perhaps, are they kinder and more forgiving people than me?
For instance, during the debacle of the American election in 2000 I thought - not to worry, people will remember this blatant theft of the election. Even those who voted to the Republicans in good faith will not. They have made themselves unelectable. And, OK, then there was September 11 but I was still genuinely surprised that he was re-elected.
For instance, when Howard introduced the GST after saying he 'never ever' would, I was surprised that he was re-elected. I don't know about the rest of Australia but I still resent this taxation as impacting disproportionately on the poor.
The Australian Democrats had the balance of power on the GST issue. They had campaigned wishy-washily on the issue but had made a stand where they said there would definitely be no GST on books. Meg Lees, that pathetic Liberal wannabe leader, caved and in return for no concessions at all allowed the passing of GST on books. Books in Australia are already madly expensive in comparison with the rest of the world and literally every time I have bought a book since then I have thought to myself how it is because of the Democrats that it cost 10% more. I will never stop hating them.
It was with enormous pleasure that I watched the Democrats implode after the GST. It was their last hurrah as the electorate turned against them and they fell apart. The week when they had successive turns at being the leaders was hysterical. They are gone baby gone as a force in Australian politics and I take vindictive pleasure in it.
I seem to be much nastier than other people. I seem to hold grudges against politicians much longer. I will never forgive Howard for the children overboard lie that he used to win the election - It was obviously a lie and it was obviously the most mean-spirited, racist thing he could think of. Even if he had been a saint in every other respect (which he was not), I could never think of him without wanting to spit again.
And yet people vote for these buffoons. (I cast no aspersions of my friends, but people do. They keep getting elected.)
Do people truly not remember events of only a few years passing? I mean, Ruby at six months forgets about things pretty instantly, but Pearl at three years can recall events from a few months ago. So are half the population closer in mental abilities to a six month old than to a toddler? Do they lack object permanence?
Or do they not care as long as their side wins? But then, who could not care about an election being stolen, for instance? It undermines the entire concept of being in a democracy. Likewise bald-faced electoral lies - one expects a certain degree of backflipping after a side win elections but inventing the concept of 'non core promises' makes it impossible for the electorate to make informed choices in the future.
Or, perhaps, are they kinder and more forgiving people than me?
