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The Forum > Article Comments > ... And at least another ten years to undo the damage > Comments

... And at least another ten years to undo the damage : Comments

By Lyn Allison, published 2/3/2006

John Howard - skilled politician and the consummate con artist.

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Comments: What a sad indictment of a failed leader in a rapidly failing political party. Lyn Allison's use of all that is worst about the left in Australian politics showed why the Democrats have failed so miserably over the last 10 years.

What has turned out to be years of plenty for Australian Conservatives has been a famine for Australia's would be left wing social democrats. Up come all the old accusations of dog whistling, clever use of of propaganda, fear mongering and more.

What has happened to the sense of vision in the left?

Perhaps Clive Hamilton was right after all. The left has failed the Australian people. In their nightmarish world of Australian racism, bigotry and intolerance all fostered, of course, by John Howard, ably supported by a tamed and obedient media, the Australian people have been conned by the little con artist living in the Lodge!

The evidence for all this? Lyn Allison directs us to Wikipedia for a definition of propaganda and to the often incoherent ramblings of Ross Gittens. Thankfully Ms Allison had the good sense not to refer us to the mental meandering of Phillip Adams but that would have been far too obvious.

Let's take a look at Wikipedia. Its reputation in such matters of poitical discourse is already sullied and Ross Gittens is hardly someone to rely on for objective analysis.

The Australian Democrats had a valuable tradition of keeping the bastards honest but the lefties who found the policy vacuum too tempting to resist have brought about its collapse and eventual demise. Their sense of reason, intelligence and fair play having deserted them they have reaped what they have sown. To now blame it on John Howard simply reinforces the verdict the Australian public has passed on them. The Democrats have become irrelevant and have lost their reason for existance.

Perhaps Lyn Allison's tirade against Conservatives will be remembered as one last shrill scream before the expiring political corpse breathed its last desparate breath.
Posted by aussieyank, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 2:07:01 AM
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J-Howard-Brilliant-polititian-more like Oppurtunistic-i say-?-is Achievements-ZERO--Immigration in Disgrace -No-Tax-reform -he gave us the GST-but we still pay all the Taxes as usual-Aborigenes still live in Worst Conditions than 3d World Countries-Just take a trip Around Australia -Nearly a Million Children live in the Streets of Australian Cities -Poverty on the rise -Education System not in very good Shape -Idustrial Relations down the American Path we are involved in a War in Iraq and Afghanistan -in reality no one wil ever WIN-EtC-etc..i could Continue there are many more Reasons
Posted by ozevic, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 9:17:50 AM
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As usual, a lot of lazy and comfortable ( on both sides) references to "Tampa" and "children overboard". But hello - what about the 353 dead people on SIEV X on Howard's watch in waters we were pstrolling? ? Does anybody care to remember that particular incident ? Don;t those deaths matter in the balance sheet of the Howard years? ? Or is it a forbidden memory - all too black, too disturbing even to remember ....?
tony kevin
Posted by tony kevin, Thursday, 9 March 2006 10:13:48 PM
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Like all truly dirty work of its kind, the 'Certain Maritime Incident' took place where no cameras could record it. Thus the 353 dead are the ultimate in faceless people, and far more easily lost to memory. It's not that people don't dare to remember - it's that the dead, though many, are mere numbers, falling into the Stalin zone: 'one death is a tragedy, 353 deaths are a statistic'. Howard knows his punters: I doubt he lost a minute's sleep worrying about the electoral consequences. And as for the morality of it ...
Posted by anomie, Friday, 10 March 2006 8:27:10 AM
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Anomie,they were Indonesian citizens and illegal immigrants in Indonesian territorial waters.What do you suggest,invade Indonesia and begin another war? You lefties have a real problem with interpreting the truth.They were the responsibility of the Indonesian Govt.Go to Jakarta and protest outside their embassy and while your there protest about the injustices on Alpha Centuari.
Posted by Arjay, Saturday, 11 March 2006 11:36:12 PM
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Arjay,

"The Howard Govt is still a very socialist Govt"... what a load of garbage...

The parties have shifted so far to the right that the middle is now the left and the true lefties are way out in ga ga land somewhere. What comes when you head right of right wing Aussie Yank? They used to say the looney left. Now we have the dumb and dumber right. Pick a fight you can't win, lie all day long, rig elections in your own country to prove democracy and get one of your buddies to pick another fight. Who will the Yanks get to do their dirty work this time?

Like the far left the far right is also dangerous ground!

The Democrats have never been a leftist party... in fact much cristicism was levelled towards them for going along with Johnny and his mates too easily. The Democratic Senators got done over by their own egos. They actually believed they were players and forgot their grass roots. Did Meg Lees and Andrew Murray have too big a say when the GST was being negotiated and did they get done over by Johnny Howard big time?

The Dems test came and went because they were too busy negotiating. I am sure they improved a lot of legislation but at times they had to just say NO.

They don't seem to understand that they negotiated too often and gave up too much. That's the problem when you focus on being a Senate party... I doubt if any of them would accept the responsibility of letting down their members and the people who always voted for them.

So after Cheryl and Meg how do your rebuild a party... especially when no-one is listeneing to you?

I doubt whether the Dems Senators could pick the issue to put them back on the front foot... and they definitely wouldn't know what tactics to use to improve their standing. They are the "Yes Boss Team" for Johhny and his boys in the minds of many and that will be hard to undo.
Posted by Opinionated2, Sunday, 12 March 2006 7:21:46 PM
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