19 April 2016

Why I Joined The Australian Sex Party

| Steven Bailey
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To understand modern politics through the Left/Right divide is to misunderstand the great challenges of our generation.

The battlelines of modern Australian politics are certainly not as clear as those of my parent’s generation. They knew it was finally time to force white man to withdraw his gun from the throats of black citizens throughout the world. They knew that it was finally time for their daughters to be afforded the same justices as their sons, and that their sons should no longer serve as the cannon fodder of international relations. They knew what time they were in because they knew… ‘It was time’.

They won many battles, but certainly not the war. Thatcher and Reagan won the war.

The political battlelines of my generation are deliberately displaced, and distorted by a political establishment that requires an ignorant electorate for its survival. We need new politicians who reject this establishment. It was my aim to oppose the establishment last year within Katter’s Australian Party, and it is my aim to do the same now with The Australian Sex Party – Canberra.

I am proud of the fact that my political debut was one where I had to fight at every turn. It was a lonely journey but one I felt I had to take – perhaps as a personal rite of passage. I took a small political party to its most unlikely place in Australia, and every wink or nod of approval was one that I earned, and every vote, no matter how few, was a great honour.

There are too many young politicians whose conception of politics as an end stage with a script to read and a score playing in the background, but it’s really more like a delicate canvass whereon people’s hopes for a better future need to be painted with as much wisdom, strength and imagination that one can muster.

I don’t have that wisdom yet as I am only thirty years of age, but I will, because I have the conviction to take the road less travelled and in doing so an unyielding hope to make a difference.

When I made national headlines last year by supporting marriage equality, it may surprise many of you that Katter supported me. There were members of the party that tried to remove me, but in the end, I removed them. I remember Katter’s advice verbatim, ‘Steve, just stand up for what you believe in and tell everyone else to go root their boots’.

It may not have been politically expedient to split the party, but politics at its best is not for the politically expedient or the naive and selfish with small attention spans. It is not for those who seek preselection by surrendering to the conformities of the Liberal/Labor/Green machines, for even a dead fish can go with the flow. It is for those who can ‘fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run’; it is for those who can stand with a hard yet humble head when all around them, friend and foe, pull to sit you down; it is for those who understand the real battlelines of modern Australian politics.

The real battle is not between the Right and Left; it is between a corporate agenda and the public realm – and the public realm is failing. As a libertarian I reject media empires, corporate monopolies, corrupt financial systems, and social values imposed by government. As JFK said, ‘conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth’, and that is why I joined The Australian Sex Party.

Steven Bailey is the First Officer and Team Leader of The Australian Sex Party – Canberra. Through theatre, music, education, and politics, Steven believes we can make stronger communities and a better world.

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VYBerlinaV8_is_back10:15 am 30 Jul 14

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

Steven Bailey said :

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

milkman said :

How do you plan to pay for all of these promises?

A good question. Steven?

I can’t give you costings over RiotACT but I can outline my principles and beliefs. Australians pay a lot of tax; our governments aren’t poor.

We also can’t reduce every new idea in political thought to – ‘how are you going to pay for it?’ If you believe in something enough, and you fight for it – you find a way.

Admirable thoughts, but you need to make sure that if you make promises you can deliver on them. There’s no point in pushing some pie-in-the-sky ideals if you have no means to work towards them. I know you’re young, though, so I suspect you will work this out as time goes on.

Steven, any further response to this? I’m quite keen to hear how you would implement your ideas if you get elected.

Steven Bailey10:49 am 29 Jul 14

Diggety said :

Steven, I don’t mean to be mean or condescending, but being libertarian on a few issues you’ve happened to collide with in the wild orbitals of contemporary politics doesn’t make you a libertarian.

Libertarians tend to respect other peoples freedom even when they disapprove, they also tend to not spend other peoples’ money on things they don’t need or want.

This is is stark contrast to ASP and KAP. Both of which you’ve been a member of in the past year(?)

But whichever your judgement takes you, good luck and thank you for sticking up for at least some liberty.

Thanks, point taken. One of my greatest heroes linguist (and political activist) Noam Chomsky calls himself, I think, a libertarian socialist. I agree a lot with Chomsky. I’m not a socialist though. I call my self a democratic libertarian. I should explain what that means in more detail soon. Thanks, and much respect for you thoughtful contribution. Look forward to more of it. 🙂

VYBerlinaV8_is_back10:36 am 29 Jul 14

Steven Bailey said :

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

milkman said :

How do you plan to pay for all of these promises?

A good question. Steven?

I can’t give you costings over RiotACT but I can outline my principles and beliefs. Australians pay a lot of tax; our governments aren’t poor.

We also can’t reduce every new idea in political thought to – ‘how are you going to pay for it?’ If you believe in something enough, and you fight for it – you find a way.

Admirable thoughts, but you need to make sure that if you make promises you can deliver on them. There’s no point in pushing some pie-in-the-sky ideals if you have no means to work towards them. I know you’re young, though, so I suspect you will work this out as time goes on.

Steven, I don’t mean to be mean or condescending, but being libertarian on a few issues you’ve happened to collide with in the wild orbitals of contemporary politics doesn’t make you a libertarian.

Libertarians tend to respect other peoples freedom even when they disapprove, they also tend to not spend other peoples’ money on things they don’t need or want.

This is is stark contrast to ASP and KAP. Both of which you’ve been a member of in the past year(?)

But whichever your judgement takes you, good luck and thank you for sticking up for at least some liberty.

Steven Bailey11:07 pm 28 Jul 14

HiddenDragon said :

Steven Bailey said :

HiddenDragon said :

OK Steven, let’s assume that the stars and the planets align, and you hold the balance of power in the Assembly after the 2016 election. Based on the current policies and personalities, who would get your vote for Chief Minister?

To put it in a slightly less crass fashion, would your libertarian instincts (again, based on current policies of the other parties) favour the comparative small “l” liberalism of Labor/Green on social issues, or the comparative small “l” liberalism of the Liberals on economic and other issues?

The formation and structure of Government would be determined by the negotiations. I do believe that Katy is one of the most stoic leaders in Australia at the moment. Of course that doesn’t mean that I agree with everything that she does (medical marijuana would be one).

We are in negotiations with Labor regarding medical marijuana in the ACT, and today on radio and in a nationally disseminated press release, I called on Labor to be on the right side of history.

Sorry, I digress.

I would not join the Government as Raddenbury has because more can be achieved by holding the Government to account and challenging their authority.

I’ll eat my bloody hat before I ever give the Tories the gong for Government in the ACT.

You get points for directness – a refreshing change to the all-too-common temporizing and tap-dancing.

Thanks mate.

Steven Bailey said :

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

milkman said :

How do you plan to pay for all of these promises?

A good question. Steven?

I can’t give you costings over RiotACT but I can outline my principles and beliefs. Australians pay a lot of tax; our governments aren’t poor.

We also can’t reduce every new idea in political thought to – ‘how are you going to pay for it?’ If you believe in something enough, and you fight for it – you find a way.

Fair enough. So what would you cut back on to make these promises reality?

HiddenDragon5:56 pm 28 Jul 14

Steven Bailey said :

HiddenDragon said :

OK Steven, let’s assume that the stars and the planets align, and you hold the balance of power in the Assembly after the 2016 election. Based on the current policies and personalities, who would get your vote for Chief Minister?

To put it in a slightly less crass fashion, would your libertarian instincts (again, based on current policies of the other parties) favour the comparative small “l” liberalism of Labor/Green on social issues, or the comparative small “l” liberalism of the Liberals on economic and other issues?

The formation and structure of Government would be determined by the negotiations. I do believe that Katy is one of the most stoic leaders in Australia at the moment. Of course that doesn’t mean that I agree with everything that she does (medical marijuana would be one).

We are in negotiations with Labor regarding medical marijuana in the ACT, and today on radio and in a nationally disseminated press release, I called on Labor to be on the right side of history.

Sorry, I digress.

I would not join the Government as Raddenbury has because more can be achieved by holding the Government to account and challenging their authority.

I’ll eat my bloody hat before I ever give the Tories the gong for Government in the ACT.

You get points for directness – a refreshing change to the all-too-common temporizing and tap-dancing.

Steven Bailey3:16 pm 28 Jul 14

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

milkman said :

How do you plan to pay for all of these promises?

A good question. Steven?

I can’t give you costings over RiotACT but I can outline my principles and beliefs. Australians pay a lot of tax; our governments aren’t poor.

We also can’t reduce every new idea in political thought to – ‘how are you going to pay for it?’ If you believe in something enough, and you fight for it – you find a way.

VYBerlinaV8_is_back8:19 am 28 Jul 14

milkman said :

How do you plan to pay for all of these promises?

A good question. Steven?

rosscoact said :

ScienceRules said :

astrojax said :

Masquara said :

Steven Bailey said :

I naturally meet levels of pretentiousness greater than my own with
some disapprobation.

Is there an online translator I can use for this? ; )

No use of ‘Inter Alia ‘. Has it gone forever ?. It shined for a while then phtt.. you’d think that someone who uses disapprobation could throw one in somewhere.

Steven Bailey said :

shauno said :

He joined for the attention basically. No other reason to join you will never get people to take you seriously in that party. You will get noticed though like now which is the plan I guess.

I’m not quite sure how to respond to you. Firstly, although I’m sure
your understanding of libertarianism is well-developed, the word
libertarianism can denote a plethora of political philosophies. Just
to be clear, I don’t ascribe to an American style of pro-capitalist
economic libertarianism where corporations are given free rein to
erode the values and institutions of a public realm. That’s exactly
what I oppose with all my being. I am a democratic libertarian, which
means that society should accommodate no greater power than that of
the will of the people, and not vested interests.

You don’t regard the gazillionaires who ran the former Eros Foundation (and whatever it’s called now) as running a heavily corporate-interest agenda? It’s easy to for such to cloak their deregulation agenda as “in the community interest” with the unwitting assistance of nice people.

Steven Bailey12:49 pm 27 Jul 14

jasmine said :

I am glad you explained your views on libertarianism. Most reasonable. Many people conflate civil and economic libertarianism and you can be one or the other, or both.

Unfortunately as soon as I hear the term I do jump immediately to the US popularised version that seems to be taking hold especially among young men. It is purely an economic philosophy that allows corporations open slather in an unfettered economy. And where the most vulnerable would have to live in ‘hope’ for individual philanthropy to provide some sort of safety net.

Thanks Jasmine, and I think you’re exactly right. It’s a tragic irony that political movements often hijack the language of those who they wish to subvert. For instance, the corporate world uses the word ‘freedom’ in order to reduce the freedoms of the public realm. The greatest example of this would the ‘liberal’ (in Australia) really meaning ‘neoconservatism’.

Steven Bailey said :

ScienceRules said :

Steven Bailey said :

ScienceRules said :

The fact that Steven identifies as a libertarian tells you all you really need to know. I actually thought it was an appealing philosophy once until I heard a professional apologist speak on the subject. Turns out it’s nothing more than high school level fantasy thinking wrapped up in the mantle of “I’m allright Jack, screw you”.

The Sex Party is probably the best place for such folk, where they can be marginalised and ignored.

There is a family in Melbourne who needs medicinal marijuana (in the
form of an oil – with the THC removed) to keep their child alive. When
the authorities raided their home and pulled them in for questioning,
they called The Australian Sex Party. You may not take us seriously,
but many people who believe in liberties of the public do. About a
100,000 people voted for the ASP last year. We will be working
extremely hard over the next two years, and marginalisation will not
be the outcome.

Steven, your anecdote is meaningless and contributes nothing to understanding who you are and what you represent.

I’ve just had a quick peek at the ASP’s policies on their website (take that, search history!) and they seem reasonable and progressive. Not that dissimilar to the Greens really.

Your rejection of US libertarianism is most encouraging and I withdraw my previous criticism. Perhaps you could help us understand the place of the ASP in local ACT politics as you see it. Your policies on health, transport and housing might be a good start. If you were able to take the balance of power after the next local election, how would you apply it?

Thanks.

I’m sorry, it’s not an anecdote; it’s what happened. The party stands up for what it believes, and gives people a voice wherever possible. I’m proud to part of a movement that advocates for people rather than
just does anything to get elected; that does say something about me, and what I represent.

In the ACT the ASP will be fighting for voluntary euthanasia, drug law reform, sexual equality, red tape reduction for Small Business (not big business), animal welfare, and the protection of our civil liberties for all Australians.

Personally, I will be fighting to develop policies and positions in education. I believe that a creative liberal arts education driven by a humanistic imagination is the hallmark of a compassionate society. We are heading in the wrong direction with a cultureless and standardised education system (at the
secondary level), and I reject it.

I will be advocating, within and outside of the party, for the following:

·

Free public transport

·

Public housing as human right in the ACT

·

A properly funded symphony orchestra

·

The capping and reduction of Coles and Woolworths, and all of their subsidiaries.

·

A massively increased arts budget called the Creative Capital Project where artists actually get paid through a partnership scheme between business and the ACT government to attract artists from all around the country to live and make a living in the ACT

·

A deregulated child care system

·

A permanent place in the Legislative Assembly for an indigenous custodian of the land which we call the ACT.

Through the contribution of its ACT members, new and old, we will develop socially responsible policies specifically for the people of the ACT.

The Australian Sex Party is opening its arms to all Canberrans, appealing to people of all creeds to join the newly formed movement. We are looking for people, of varying life experience, to help us change the political landscape for the better
in the 2016 ACT election.

It is our mission to form a new and innovative progressive force in the ACT; one that stands to protect the liberties of Canberrans that are so under threat by an ever-increasing and dangerous conservatism
growing in the ranks of Australian (and Canberran) politics.

How do you plan to pay for all of these promises?

Steven Bailey12:38 pm 27 Jul 14

I would like to make something very clear regarding the discussion.

The Sex Party’s policies have not changed since last year. I am but one person within a party that is growing extremely quickly – in terms of members and votes.

Many of the positions that I have put forward are my own positions, and not the party’s.

There is no new policy framework, only a party that is growing and bubbling with excitement and new ideas.

Steven Bailey12:27 pm 27 Jul 14

bigfeet said :

Steven Bailey said :

The formation and structure of Government would be determined by the negotiations……

That is not true at all.

A vote for you is a vote for a Labor government. You quite openly admit it.

Steven Bailey said :

I’ll eat my bloody hat before I ever give the Tories the gong for Government in the ACT.

Incorrect. This is the type of simplistic criticism that stifles new political thought. If a party does not win outright, the formation and structure of Government in Australia is always determined by negotiations after an election. For instance; South Australia, The Gillard Government, and of course the current ACT Government.

A vote for the Sex Party will be a vote for the Sex Party. If you think that democracy is best represented by a two party parliamentary system, then you’re welcome to remain in that box. The Sex Party is for people who can think outside of the square.

I think in Dickens’ Oliver Twist, Mr Grimwig did end up having to eat his hat, or was it his head?

A lot will change in ACT politics over the next two years, and when circumstances change, we will adapt to them. What you can be sure of is that we will stand by our policies, principles and positions.

It is important to remember that I am only one person within the party. I will not be determining everything. The ASP-Canberra will be a democratic party open to everyone. One person: one vote.

Steven Bailey12:18 pm 27 Jul 14

rosscoact said :

ScienceRules said :

astrojax said :

Masquara said :

Steven Bailey said :

I naturally meet levels of pretentiousness greater than my own with
some disapprobation.

Is there an online translator I can use for this? ; )

i think it’s called a ‘dictionary’, and there are many on-line; or you could go to your bookshelf and look things up in the hardcopy you have (or am i the sole owner of a real book these days?)

I think the criticism is that you shouldn’t have to use a dictionary to understand the statements of a public figure who wants to represent us all. I didn’t understand it either.

But isn’t that why the Telegraph exists? To translate the words that people with an > Grade 8 education can understand?

Let’s be nice – I was being a bit pretentious. 🙂

ScienceRules4:04 pm 26 Jul 14

rosscoact said :

ScienceRules said :

astrojax said :

Masquara said :

Steven Bailey said :

I naturally meet levels of pretentiousness greater than my own with
some disapprobation.

Is there an online translator I can use for this? ; )

i think it’s called a ‘dictionary’, and there are many on-line; or you could go to your bookshelf and look things up in the hardcopy you have (or am i the sole owner of a real book these days?)

I think the criticism is that you shouldn’t have to use a dictionary to understand the statements of a public figure who wants to represent us all. I didn’t understand it either.

But isn’t that why the Telegraph exists? To translate the words that people with an > Grade 8 education can understand?

Perhaps you should look up “non-sequitur”…

I am glad you explained your views on libertarianism. Most reasonable. Many people conflate civil and economic libertarianism and you can be one or the other, or both.

Unfortunately as soon as I hear the term I do jump immediately to the US popularised version that seems to be taking hold especially among young men. It is purely an economic philosophy that allows corporations open slather in an unfettered economy. And where the most vulnerable would have to live in ‘hope’ for individual philanthropy to provide some sort of safety net.

Steven Bailey said :

I will be advocating, within and outside of the party, for the following:

Free public transport

Public housing as human right in the ACT

A properly funded symphony orchestra

The capping and reduction of Coles and Woolworths, and all of their subsidiaries.

A massively increased arts budget called the Creative Capital Project where artists actually get paid through a partnership scheme between business and the ACT government to attract artists from all around the country to live and make a living in the ACT

A deregulated child care system

A permanent place in the Legislative Assembly for an indigenous custodian of the land which we call the ACT.

.

Really glad you’ve been so open about these so early in the piece! How will a population of 300,000 support a full symphony orchestra? What were CSO’s audience sizes ten years ago?

What are the paramaters of “human right” for public housing? Is it a “human right” for a single person on welfare for 30 years to occupy a $900,000 solid brick inner south freestanding public housing dwelling on a corner block, solo, for life? Perhaps you might work on that one in detail?

Why would the “creative arts partnerships” between artists and business require government involvement, particularly in the era of online crowdsourcing?

Deregulated childcare system? Argue the merits to the Perth family whose child was shredded to death on falling through a lounge-room window, because the (registered) child care provider had not installed the regulated toughened glass.

Indigenous custodian? You mean, someone paid fulltime to do welcome to country? At the moment those welcome to countries are shared around various families – as it should be and as it has needed to be. You would be re-opening a can of worms there, Stephen.

<i. A permanent place in the Legislative Assembly for an indigenous custodian of the land which we call the ACT

this is a fascinating objective – i can see the intent, of course, but have you, or asp, put any thought into how to negotiate the cultural divide between western politics and indigenous politics to actually achieve what this position would be established to accomplish?

ScienceRules said :

astrojax said :

Masquara said :

Steven Bailey said :

I naturally meet levels of pretentiousness greater than my own with
some disapprobation.

Is there an online translator I can use for this? ; )

i think it’s called a ‘dictionary’, and there are many on-line; or you could go to your bookshelf and look things up in the hardcopy you have (or am i the sole owner of a real book these days?)

I think the criticism is that you shouldn’t have to use a dictionary to understand the statements of a public figure who wants to represent us all. I didn’t understand it either.

But isn’t that why the Telegraph exists? To translate the words that people with an > Grade 8 education can understand?

I would love to vote for a libertarian in our parliament but it looks like the sex party (or maybe just Steven) has too many side interests that I don’t agree with or think are necessary.

I probably feel like the environmentalists who would love to vote for the Greens until they read their policies.

Steven Bailey said :

The formation and structure of Government would be determined by the negotiations……

That is not true at all. A vote for you is a vote for a Labor government. You quite openly admit it.

Steven Bailey said :

I’ll eat my bloody hat before I ever give the Tories the gong for Government in the ACT.

Steven Bailey9:30 pm 25 Jul 14

I hope I’ve answered everyones questions respectfully and haven’t been too combative. Obviously I can’t go into extreme detail, but I’ve done my best, and there will be more to come. Thanks for your interest. I need to go to beddy-byes now. Cheers. 🙂

Steven Bailey9:26 pm 25 Jul 14

HiddenDragon said :

OK Steven, let’s assume that the stars and the planets align, and you hold the balance of power in the Assembly after the 2016 election. Based on the current policies and personalities, who would get your vote for Chief Minister?

To put it in a slightly less crass fashion, would your libertarian instincts (again, based on current policies of the other parties) favour the comparative small “l” liberalism of Labor/Green on social issues, or the comparative small “l” liberalism of the Liberals on economic and other issues?

The formation and structure of Government would be determined by the negotiations. I do believe that Katy is one of the most stoic leaders in Australia at the moment. Of course that doesn’t mean that I agree with everything that she does (medical marijuana would be one).

We are in negotiations with Labor regarding medical marijuana in the ACT, and today on radio and in a nationally disseminated press release, I called on Labor to be on the right side of history.

Sorry, I digress.

I would not join the Government as Raddenbury has because more can be achieved by holding the Government to account and challenging their authority.

I’ll eat my bloody hat before I ever give the Tories the gong for Government in the ACT.

Steven Bailey9:09 pm 25 Jul 14

ScienceRules said :

Steven Bailey said :

ScienceRules said :

The fact that Steven identifies as a libertarian tells you all you really need to know. I actually thought it was an appealing philosophy once until I heard a professional apologist speak on the subject. Turns out it’s nothing more than high school level fantasy thinking wrapped up in the mantle of “I’m allright Jack, screw you”.

The Sex Party is probably the best place for such folk, where they can be marginalised and ignored.

There is a family in Melbourne who needs medicinal marijuana (in the
form of an oil – with the THC removed) to keep their child alive. When
the authorities raided their home and pulled them in for questioning,
they called The Australian Sex Party. You may not take us seriously,
but many people who believe in liberties of the public do. About a
100,000 people voted for the ASP last year. We will be working
extremely hard over the next two years, and marginalisation will not
be the outcome.

Steven, your anecdote is meaningless and contributes nothing to understanding who you are and what you represent.

I’ve just had a quick peek at the ASP’s policies on their website (take that, search history!) and they seem reasonable and progressive. Not that dissimilar to the Greens really.

Your rejection of US libertarianism is most encouraging and I withdraw my previous criticism. Perhaps you could help us understand the place of the ASP in local ACT politics as you see it. Your policies on health, transport and housing might be a good start. If you were able to take the balance of power after the next local election, how would you apply it?

Thanks.

I’m sorry, it’s not an anecdote; it’s what happened. The party stands up for what it believes, and gives people a voice wherever possible. I’m proud to part of a movement that advocates for people rather than
just does anything to get elected; that does say something about me, and what I represent.

In the ACT the ASP will be fighting for voluntary euthanasia, drug law reform, sexual equality, red tape reduction for Small Business (not big business), animal welfare, and the protection of our civil liberties for all Australians.

Personally, I will be fighting to develop policies and positions in education. I believe that a creative liberal arts education driven by a humanistic imagination is the hallmark of a compassionate society. We are heading in the wrong direction with a cultureless and standardised education system (at the
secondary level), and I reject it.

I will be advocating, within and outside of the party, for the following:

· Free public transport

· Public housing as human right in the ACT

· A properly funded symphony orchestra

· The capping and reduction of Coles and Woolworths, and all of their subsidiaries.

· A massively increased arts budget called the Creative Capital Project where artists actually get paid through a partnership scheme between business and the ACT government to attract artists from all around the country to live and make a living in the ACT

· A deregulated child care system

· A permanent place in the Legislative Assembly for an indigenous custodian of the land which we call the ACT.

Through the contribution of its ACT members, new and old, we will develop socially responsible policies specifically for the people of the ACT.

The Australian Sex Party is opening its arms to all Canberrans, appealing to people of all creeds to join the newly formed movement. We are looking for people, of varying life experience, to help us change the political landscape for the better
in the 2016 ACT election.

It is our mission to form a new and innovative progressive force in the ACT; one that stands to protect the liberties of Canberrans that are so under threat by an ever-increasing and dangerous conservatism
growing in the ranks of Australian (and Canberran) politics.

HiddenDragon5:51 pm 25 Jul 14

OK Steven, let’s assume that the stars and the planets align, and you hold the balance of power in the Assembly after the 2016 election. Based on the current policies and personalities, who would get your vote for Chief Minister?

To put it in a slightly less crass fashion, would your libertarian instincts (again, based on current policies of the other parties) favour the comparative small “l” liberalism of Labor/Green on social issues, or the comparative small “l” liberalism of the Liberals on economic and other issues?

ScienceRules5:26 pm 25 Jul 14

astrojax said :

Masquara said :

Steven Bailey said :

I naturally meet levels of pretentiousness greater than my own with
some disapprobation.

Is there an online translator I can use for this? ; )

i think it’s called a ‘dictionary’, and there are many on-line; or you could go to your bookshelf and look things up in the hardcopy you have (or am i the sole owner of a real book these days?)

I think the criticism is that you shouldn’t have to use a dictionary to understand the statements of a public figure who wants to represent us all. I didn’t understand it either.

ScienceRules5:24 pm 25 Jul 14

Steven Bailey said :

ScienceRules said :

The fact that Steven identifies as a libertarian tells you all you really need to know. I actually thought it was an appealing philosophy once until I heard a professional apologist speak on the subject. Turns out it’s nothing more than high school level fantasy thinking wrapped up in the mantle of “I’m allright Jack, screw you”.

The Sex Party is probably the best place for such folk, where they can be marginalised and ignored.

There is a family in Melbourne who needs medicinal marijuana (in the
form of an oil – with the THC removed) to keep their child alive. When
the authorities raided their home and pulled them in for questioning,
they called The Australian Sex Party. You may not take us seriously,
but many people who believe in liberties of the public do. About a
100,000 people voted for the ASP last year. We will be working
extremely hard over the next two years, and marginalisation will not
be the outcome.

Steven, your anecdote is meaningless and contributes nothing to understanding who you are and what you represent.

I’ve just had a quick peek at the ASP’s policies on their website (take that, search history!) and they seem reasonable and progressive. Not that dissimilar to the Greens really.

Your rejection of US libertarianism is most encouraging and I withdraw my previous criticism. Perhaps you could help us understand the place of the ASP in local ACT politics as you see it. Your policies on health, transport and housing might be a good start. If you were able to take the balance of power after the next local election, how would you apply it?

Thanks.

Steven Bailey said :

. I am a democratic libertarian, which
means that society should accommodate no greater power than that of
the will of the people, and not vested interests.

I’m with you. Less laws to control the behaviour of individuals and more laws to protect them from nefarious capitalists.

Masquara said :

Steven Bailey said :

I naturally meet levels of pretentiousness greater than my own with
some disapprobation.

Is there an online translator I can use for this? ; )

No. Try something called “going to school and paying attention”.

It must get boring having to constantly tell people “It’s an organization not an event”

Masquara said :

Steven Bailey said :

I naturally meet levels of pretentiousness greater than my own with
some disapprobation.

Is there an online translator I can use for this? ; )

i think it’s called a ‘dictionary’, and there are many on-line; or you could go to your bookshelf and look things up in the hardcopy you have (or am i the sole owner of a real book these days?)

Steven Bailey said :

I naturally meet levels of pretentiousness greater than my own with
some disapprobation.

Is there an online translator I can use for this? ; )

Steven Bailey1:41 pm 25 Jul 14

ScienceRules said :

The fact that Steven identifies as a libertarian tells you all you really need to know. I actually thought it was an appealing philosophy once until I heard a professional apologist speak on the subject. Turns out it’s nothing more than high school level fantasy thinking wrapped up in the mantle of “I’m allright Jack, screw you”.

The Sex Party is probably the best place for such folk, where they can be marginalised and ignored.

There is a family in Melbourne who needs medicinal marijuana (in the
form of an oil – with the THC removed) to keep their child alive. When
the authorities raided their home and pulled them in for questioning,
they called The Australian Sex Party. You may not take us seriously,
but many people who believe in liberties of the public do. About a
100,000 people voted for the ASP last year. We will be working
extremely hard over the next two years, and marginalisation will not
be the outcome.

Steven Bailey1:40 pm 25 Jul 14

shauno said :

He joined for the attention basically. No other reason to join you will never get people to take you seriously in that party. You will get noticed though like now which is the plan I guess.

I’m not quite sure how to respond to you. Firstly, although I’m sure
your understanding of libertarianism is well-developed, the word
libertarianism can denote a plethora of political philosophies. Just
to be clear, I don’t ascribe to an American style of pro-capitalist
economic libertarianism where corporations are given free rein to
erode the values and institutions of a public realm. That’s exactly
what I oppose with all my being. I am a democratic libertarian, which
means that society should accommodate no greater power than that of
the will of the people, and not vested interests.

Steven Bailey1:38 pm 25 Jul 14

Grail said :

What I’m getting from this missive is that you joined the Sex Party because you didn’t have to contend with established representatives to get your name on the ticket.

There’s nothing in this screed that indicates what you stand for, what you believe in, and what your priorities are. What is it about the Liberal, Labor or Greens that you didn’t agree with? Why was joining a minor party the best option for you, rather than registering a Bob Katter party here in Canberra? What about running as an independent?

I naturally meet levels of pretentiousness greater than my own with
some disapprobation, but for you I’ll make an exception. Your
questions are legitimate. My question is, are they fair questions of
this article?

If you want me to explain why I didn’t make every choice other than
the one I did, then I’d be writing for all eternity, and something
tells me that you would receive my manifesto with the same tone as my
‘screeds’.

The article comments on the nature of modern Australian politics, and
more specifically the lack of autonomous thought in politicians who
are locked by the hip to the masters of their parties.

My article attacks the repressive or even suppressive nature of modern
politics in Australia. If you don’t think that is something worth
fighting for then so be it, but I do.

A good piece. Hopefully we will hear more in future about what you stand for and how you aim to combat some of the big(ger) issues in ACT.

I was one who voted for you last election. Keep fighting and make your beliefs/policies heard and (eventually) people will listen

ScienceRules9:21 am 25 Jul 14

The fact that Steven identifies as a libertarian tells you all you really need to know. I actually thought it was an appealing philosophy once until I heard a professional apologist speak on the subject. Turns out it’s nothing more than high school level fantasy thinking wrapped up in the mantle of “I’m allright Jack, screw you”.

The Sex Party is probably the best place for such folk, where they can be marginalised and ignored.

He joined for the attention basically. No other reason to join you will never get people to take you seriously in that party. You will get noticed though like now which is the plan I guess.

What I’m getting from this missive is that you joined the Sex Party because you didn’t have to contend with established representatives to get your name on the ticket.

There’s nothing in this screed that indicates what you stand for, what you believe in, and what your priorities are. What is it about the Liberal, Labor or Greens that you didn’t agree with? Why was joining a minor party the best option for you, rather than registering a Bob Katter party here in Canberra? What about running as an independent?

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