not the parties
<rant> but the funding bodies seem to be owned IMHO. With the unusual (for Westminster systems) of strict tribal collective mandated stupidity in enforcing party discipline more akin to a marxist nighmare state, otherwise not foolish members are forced to vote for something that may be not in taxpayers interests unless they are people of unusual strength. Not something centralised selection practices select for. Burkes Letter to Electors of Bristol should be nailed to foreheads of all party drones.
Add the religious cant of the free market rent seekers with its spurious doctrine of inefficient public services versus the pure efficient private sector and the insufficiently skeptical public (ie anyone listening to talkback radio and most people under 35 with a degree and all those over 55) and it is hard for any public service activity to be anything but scorned no matter how efficient and effective.
I have concluded that knowledge of the last 200 years of history should be mandatory before any adult is permitted to (a) vote, (b) open mouth offering opinions on _any_ public media and (c) all interviewers must ask "How do you know that?" after every statement of a politician, sales weasel or expert for hire. Mathematicians, physicists, mechanics and plumbers can be exempted. </rant>
Biting the hand that feeds IT
