People seem confused about "politics"

For the purposes of Journalism Production Workshop:

I think 'political' and 'politics' in their broadest sense refer to any issue that provokes disagreement between two or more people.

Our lecturer gave a good example. To paraphrase: You may not care for much except surfing, so you might wonder what politics has to do with you...but if someone is pumping sewerage into a good break somewhere, you're probably going to have an opinion about it. You, and a number of others want a clean beach, someone else (in fact everyone) needs to put the shit somewhere. Thats politics"

ITS NOT JUST ABOUT CANBERRA AND STEVE BRACKS... Yes, those things are Politics, but there's so much more to politics than that

POLICY: a product of politics. Simply means an approach that people take regarding a certain need or issue. Council policy in your area might be to collect bins on Monday. Or a share house policy might be to do your dishes straight away. And care which bin things go into. University policy might be to not give extensions unless your leg is broken or someone dies. Or it might be slacker than that. Your own personal policy might be to never give money to beggars, to give money to some, or to all that come your way. Thats your decision, but its important to understand what arguments or assumptions your policy is based on, and how you would justify it to others.

The relative freedom that our country has actually comes with the obligation to engage with those who might disagree with the way you use your freedoms. In other words, this is a society where people argue for what they see as better or worse policy. To benefit from all that, you have to participate. Thats politics.

So we go all the way up from there to government policy, which might be to have bulk-billing doctors so that everyone can see a doctor. Some private health customers will ask why should they have to subsidise others through taxation. Left-wingers will reply that its fair to poorer people, it makes a healthy society, and thats a good reason in itself. A moderate opinion might be that we need to keep everyone reasonably healthy so that the economy will run at its best, helping the wealthy stay that way, and helping the less wealthy have a fighting chance of getting more. Thats politics.

In other words, every issue actually effects everyone in some way, however minor. The only wrong approach to any issue is to dismiss it without understanding it, or to assert simplistic 'because I say so' opinion when we know nothing about the real debate. The only wrong opinion is not to have opinions at all, or to have half-baked ones that you can't be bothered defending.

So, as our lecturer pointed out, everyone is interested in something. Or a number of things even. Chances are, whatever the thing that interests you, whether its entertainment, sport, business, crafts, home improvement, or any number of hobbies or personal pursuits, there's bound to be a political dimension somewhere. You just have to spot it by thinking about competing interests centering around a certain activity, place, or resource. An activity like driving – whether its commuting or illegal drag racing – is overflowing with politics. A place – like the northern territory or melbourne's outer suburbs – are the location of many political dimensions.

Resources – water, trees, petrol, energy, uranium, cheap migrant labour or fresh produce just to name a few basic resources – are all incredibly political. And they're probably going to remain political for the foreseeable future. They affect our lives, and we depend on them. Sometimes we compete for those limited resources (economics in short). So its bound to be political. And we're bound to be asked, sooner or later, for an opinion. Or even a decision about what policies we should apply to them. Be prepared.

And don't believe people that say "its all good just relax let us take care of it - don't worry you won't be one of the losers if you stick with us".

Jesus wouldn't have an iPod, he'd have a no-name Korean player

I'm sick of people heaping praise on Apple and shit on P.Cs. Or IBM compatibles as we called them in a distant age, a time before mp3 players, internet, a time when cable TV had not yet arrived on our shores, and Monkey Magic was still on the ABC. And kids still read newspapers. Well i did anyway.

I digress. The latest Apple TV campaign against P.Cs is nothing short of slander. It grates on me so much. It has this subtle sneer to it, an almost-hidden snobbishness towards us lowly non Apple users. Its just the same as iPod v any other mp3 player. There are other players just as good, that represent much better value for money, but don't look as good.

We've become a race of technology fetishists, where superficial appearances and prestigious design features have become more important than function and the substance of one's ideas. To me, the snobbery and 'envy me' culture surrounding apples and ipods represents everything that's wrong with the world.

Besides, real gaming doesn't happen on apples, it happens on P.Cs, X-box, Playstation and Nintendo. If you want real entertainment the last thing you buy is an apple.

They are the Volvo of computers, it has been said many times. Drivers averse to every risk presented by roads buy Volvos. Electronics consumers worried about being thought less than 100% stylish and cool buy iPods and Apples. In other words, iPod is for people who have no backbone or self-assurance, and have more money than sense, i should add.

And in case anyone thinks i say these things out of envy, FORGET IT. I can afford one, but I DO NOT WANT TO OWN ONE. I don't feel sorry for myself, i feel sorry for all the people left behind by this snobbishness, this cesspool of material standards that are expressly about exclusivity, in other words, the Haves and the Havenots.

Better to be daggy but aware, than a vacuous fashion victim anyday.

I mean really, are you Li-Lo for life, or are you something more?

You don't have to be a dickhead all your life.

Decorum, manners, etiquette, deportment and so on

May i begin by saying how appalling the chatter was in our first class?

I know it was the first day of classes and everyone's excited, but still. As they say in sporting circles - "Bit of respect!"

Okay, I'm better now. So thats what in academic circles is referred to as a solecism, an affront to good conduct. And my rebuke is also, so now we're all even... Anyway thats an issue for last week.

Making headlines this week was the cancellation of our lecture this morning, monday 30 july. Tomorrow however is my birthday, and so nothing can ruffle these old feathers too easily.

Nonetheless, having dragged myself from delicious slumber at the ungodly hour of ten am to get here, its a let down i must say. Ungodly, because like many students these days, i work nights.

Moreover, i cannot for the life of me find the subject page. i know we were given the URL in class 1, but i thought in my great arrogance, that i would remember it. given its logical structure and all. but i didn't so i'm just guessing at what i should be doing. i've written my first blog for this subject. fantastic. and helped someone else get registered on blogger.

and i've read kaplan's 'editing made easy'. its a good read, and its all thouroughly reasonable and indisputable advice that i've yet to put into practice ha ha.

bloody easy btw. so i'll see all you workshop people in blogspace soon enough

prize to the first person to tell me where and who this quote can attributed

"he said he'd smell me later...but he never smelled me again"