Political killjoys smother hope, idealism and a vibrant democracy

Perhaps we instinctively know that a society must remain open to the prospect that all things can live in an idyllic equilibrium and secretly anticipate a renaissance in the romantic style of politics that is proud and honourable .

Perhaps we appreciate that poll-driven politics is insecure, rudderless, inconsequential and lacking in coherency, so we direct our attention inward to find meaning.

Perhaps political life has ceased to capture our hearts and our imaginations, so we have simply withdrawn our subscription.

Perhaps we feel that politics is not a forum that encourages discursive practices in any meaningful way and dismiss the possibility of real dialogue. Aboriginal Australia call this communication failure "binan goonj" - they listen but they don't hear.

Or perhaps we know full well that a society that closes down possibilities is closed to hope and will never have vibrant citizenship.

What ever the cause of our silence, it appears that participatory democracy is synonymous with an optimistic democracy, while politics that fosters conceit and distrust has the same effect as contaminating the village well: we neither draw water from it, nor make our wishes known to it.