Isn’t it great when someone actually gets around to doing something that you’ve been nagging friends and family about? You know, when Great Idea No 726 actually comes to life?

Well, here is my example…

The New York Times has being doing its patriotic duty, and following the trials and tribulations of US politicians trying to push each other around to get their particular version of ideology implemented. The most obvious part of this is the argument around the large US deficit. The government is spending more than it is earning, and at such a rate that it seems to be digging a hole for itself even larger than the one that Greece is currently in.

The law limits the size of the borrowings the government is allowed to operate on, and that limit will be breached sometime in August, and therefore the powers-that-be need to approve an increase in that limit. Pretty basic stuff really, except there is the little issue of getting that increase approved. It seems that the politicians are quite prepared to use brinkmanship in support of their individual agendas. Democracy at its best. ?

So the New York Times has taken the wonderful step of setting up the key issues on a website, and allowing the average person to work out just what programmes they would approve or disapprove of, in an effort to balance the budget. There are always if’s and but’s surrounding any such episode but it is a great start towards educating people on the implications of decisions in favour of this or that policy initiative.

Here is a link to the New York Times website.

Have a try. It’s really quite good fun. And the point of this post? It’s that this is the kind of idea that Australia could easily implement. When there are issues to be worked through that impact on everyone then why not put the positives and negatives on a simple to use website – including notes of which politicians support which policy.

Just imagine the increase in understanding that would occur over time. It could actually make politics just a wee bit interesting. Or at the least, partially logical…