8. How politics became theatre
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8. How politics became theatre
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About this listen
Why does modern politics feel so much like theatre? It's a problem that stretches right back to ancient Athens, where the very layout of the citizen assembly favoured the charismatic and the power-hungry.
Today, this has evolved into "democracy by theatre". We are drawn to politicians who entertain us, which means vital issues are often ignored simply because they aren't 'exciting' enough for the 24-hour news cycle.
In this video, I explore how this damaging focus on performance distracts from real governance. We look at an Austrian election, where the divisive topic of immigration eclipsed the public's stated priority: education. I then contrast this with a powerful alternative in East Belgium: a standing citizen jury that successfully tackles complex, real-world problems like affordable living and aged care, all away from the political spotlight.
It's time we asked how we can refocus our institutions on good governance rather than political grandstanding.
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