By Garry Fabian
MELBOURNE, Australia — The political scene in general, and politicians in particular in most democracies have come to be seen as having lost any semblance of any idealism, and young people have turned away from becoming involved in the broader political life of their countries in any meaningful way.
Yes we have seen the Arab Spring, where multitudes protested and rioted in the streets, and student demonstrations and other violent manifestations of quasi political expressions of wanting to change the status quo.
But here we are looking at ordered societies, where politics is conducted in the party arena. The political process is conducted in an adversarial manner by a government in office and a opposition across the parliamentary benches, with some heated debates, but in peaceful and mostly civilised manner.
But in many countries, the younger generation has little or no interest in the political debate in general, and even less in getting involved in politics at a parliamentary level.
Senator Kim Carr, currently the Federal Minister for Science, Innovation, Industry and Higher Education, is my son-in-law, and as well as the father of my grandchildren. Despite being a political operator, never-the-less, even after 20 years in Parliament, he still retains a great deal of idealism in the positive way politics can advance the interest and well-being of the community in general.
He has just written a book A Letter to Generation Next: Why Labor.
In the introduction of the book he states: ” It is often said that our parents influence, if not our politics, then at least our core values. So I dedicate this book to my children in the hope that they will understand and perhaps embrace the values that have underpinned my work and the work of the generations of passionate Labor activists .. to leave a richer, fairer greener Australia”
Senator Carr is a true believer. In his book he lays out a heartfelt argument about why politics is important in our daily lives and demands our involvement. This book is a book from a passionate and pragmatic idealist, who makes the case for activism and proposes that for the next generation of social democrats, the time has come to reinvigorate the Australian Labor Party.
The Australian Labor Party is probably the closest in its politics to the US Democratic Party.
Senator Kim Carr has been a Labor Senator for Victoria for 20 years, a member of the Australian Labor Party for 40 years and on the Party’s National Executive for almost 20 years. He is a leading figure in Labor’s Left Faction.
While he is not Jewish, and indeed a professed atheist, being married to our daughter Carole, he is very much aware of Jewish cultures and values, and in fact he insisted that both our granddaughter and grandson have a Bat and Bar Mitzvah.
He has visited Israel on a number of occasions and in his portfolio of Science and Innovation has initiated a number of joint projects between Australia and Israel.
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Fabian is Australia bureau chief for San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via garry.fabian@sdjewishworld.com