31 August, 2004 1:35 PM
Well it is Election time here in Australia. The PM - the spammer that he is - called an election for 9 October on the weekend. The media frenzy has begun - although I have to say in comparison to what is going on in the US (which I cannot get my head around at all) it is barely a blip on the radar thank goodness.
Our election campaigns only go for a matter of weeks (this one only 6 or so plus some preliminary campaigning in the lead up to the announcement). To me this makes a lot more sense than the months (years?) of what goes on in the US. I don't want to judge a system that I don't know but every time I see vision on the TV of what is going on at the conventions in the US I can't help but wonder what could be achieved if that kind of energy, time and money were to be poured into some issues like poverty, AIDs, peace etc.
I read one estimate that the 2000 presidential election cost $3.9billion (source) and that that figure has gone up from $540million in 1976 - its anyone's guess as to what this next one is costing!
Maybe I'm being a little naive but it all makes me a little sick in the stomach to think about.
Comments
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I read about 1 billion which is less than US citizens spend on toothpaste a year.
Well...if you put it that way!
I'm really glad Canada has a limit too.
We vote party like you do.
I don't know the official campaign time either, certainly since the first of the year, but it seems forever as usual. Blog on!
Bene Diction » 31 August, 2004 1:39 PM