Greens are good for you.

Responses to my 'Katter for Speaker" post indicate a desire, particularly among my American friends, for a new deal. So why is this on my blog? It is a fact that unless America comes on board, the rest of might as well give up. So read on and please take the links. It could empower you and bring you joy, even in the sea of political anger currently surrounding us.

I could quote maybe fifty comments from Americans, but have chosen the three most recent.

"...lucky you to have a 3rd alternative...we just have dumb and dumber mixed with questionable finances, dubious behaviours and racial bigotry...what a mess"
"...they are so good at dodging and weaving, double talk and deceit."
"Here, the powers that be are under so much tax paid protection, they don't have to admit to ANYTHING. It's the rest of us that have to live with paranoia."

There is anger and frustration at disempowerment in these comments. That is good, but only if it can be channelled into a positive outcome and it can. This should help concentrate your anger (and Bob Casey is one of the 'good guys'!)

Greens here are funded by members and citizen donations so we are not under any obligation to deliver for an interest group. Policy is decided by grass roots people like you and me, not Wall St or Pat Robertson. We ran our whole campaign (in my electorate) on a $3,000 budget. Both major parties had budgets in the tens of millions nation wide, but we still managed to poll 18% here. Under our preferential system, the Green vote doubled our Federal representation from five to ten. Our 9 Senators now guarantee that no major party can pass legislation without Green support.

That does not mean Greens are running the country, it just means we can now negotiate amendments that push bills closer to what we want. To see what we want, click onto Green Party and to see what Greens are doing in the US, click on American Green Party.

You will be told "Green parties are bad for the economy", so you need to think about that. It helps to know who is saying it and why, then consider that the greenest country in Europe is Germany with over 40% of its energy from renewable sources and growing. It is also the strongest European economy and the only federal government in the world that includes Greens. If labor forms government here, Australia will be the second, albeit with only one Green in the Legislature.

So it's up to you guys. Contact your local Greens and have a look at them. If you like what you see (a bunch of gentle malcontents who laugh a lot while plotting peaceful revolution), join, have your say and slowly, slowly, change how politics is done where you live. "A thousand mile journey starts with one step." (I wish I first said that!) But this I did. What would a post from me be without a limerick!

Translation: Libs=Republicans, Labs=Democrats. Greens='what you see is what you get'.

The Libs care for little but wealth
And Labs seek the same, but by stealth.
So, if you care
For the trees, streams and air,
Vote Green. It’s good for your health!

I dare you. Make the call, check it out then use blogsville to create change!
Pics: Courtesy Bob Casey and American Greens web sites.