What is "Mid(dle Austr)alia"?

"Mid(dle Austr)alia" is so named for two reasons:

1. I am a middle class and politically centrist. I believe in rationality and reasoned argument, without dogmatic commitment to any particular ideology.
2. It is a very clever play on my surname.

Of course, no-one wants to read a moderate, middle-of-the-road viewpoint. As "shock jock" ratings prove, extreme views get attention and generate debate.

But to say that I am part of Middle Australia is not to say this blog will be uncontroversial. Middle Australia is not uncontroversial. Middle Australia is sometimes angry, occasionally prejudiced and often holds views that, by established standards, would be considered improper. Middle Australia is an often silent - though rarely moral - majority.

As a member of Middle Australia, I don't claim to represent anyone or any group in the sense that I speak on behalf of others. Rather, I hope to offer a selection of thoughts (many of them inevitably not particularly high brow) from the centre of the political spectrum. Those on the Right will probably describe me as pinko, lefty scum; those on the Left will probably see me as a conservative fascist. If I get the balance right, they'll both do so at the same time.

So welcome. Feel free to read, leave a comment and, most importantly, disagree.