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The Forum > Article Comments > Peter Garrett - a beacon for a contradictory age > Comments

Peter Garrett - a beacon for a contradictory age : Comments

By James Rose, published 28/2/2007

Peter Garrett stands for a great deal that many Australians hold dear and his ethical dilemmas are ones we can relate to.

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I have no sympathy for the guy.

Idealists keep making the mistake that simply because they feel passionately about something, they by definition have something to offer to the political system.

The realization that the exact opposite is the case arrives quickly and, occasionally, painfully.

Politics is a suitable occupation only for professional politicians, who understand that the only place for principles is in the pre-election leaflets.

That is one of the reasons why we are now seeing second- and third- generation politicians. Politics is seen as a well-remunerated and gold-card-expenses career opportunity rather than as a service to the nation.

Garrett has those genes, it would appear. So there has to be a good chance that the principles and reputation that got him where he is will be gradually abandoned in favour of a comfortable, and lucrative, career.

But exactly who is using whom - he using the party, or the party using him - is not immediately evident.
Posted by Pericles, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 4:16:05 PM
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"There seem to be so many of us who are clear about what we don't want, yet confidence to find each other and get about building an alternative seems so difficult. What is to be done?"

Work against, not for, the ALP. Stop propping up a party that is dead against any radical change, but is much better than the Coalition at co-opting it. Work to defeat it instead and start work on a movement that can replace it.

David Jackmanson
http://www.letstakeover.blogspot.com
http://www.lastsuperpower.net
Posted by David Jackmanson, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 5:07:01 PM
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Doesn't convince me as all. From a conservationist's point of view, we have the "Angle with a Dirty Face" and "this yellow bellied rat never spat in my eye" but he is no James Cagney either.

He lamented about cutting down trees in "Blue Sky" and "River Runs Red", and then the stress signal was always the song "Power and the Passion".

The tragedy of Garrett is he always believed in the Power and the passion and the "temper of the time", he has demonstrated so effectively, only sold Albums for his business. For greed, for the very sins that he stood against.

He rose politically in the anti nuclear movement. What does he say now? He wouldn't vote against nuclear power station in a future ALP Government. Dirty rat.

He said he was against woodchipping. He is now financed by a pulp mill in Tumut. The chippers actually finance the guy.

He said that the US forces are "a setback to your country". He now says that he has changed his mind. Power and the Passion.

He actually went down to the last Victorian election and told lied to the Victorians in a political stunt against the Greens Party. He said that a vote for the Greens is a vote for the Liberals. The Victorians were smarter than he was, and voted 3 Greens in power, in spite of a liar, traitorous filthy opportunistic rat in Peter Garret.

May the mediators expell him from the Quakers. They will if I have anything to do with it. He is a blight to Quakerism. Through the rodent to the Catholics, let them deal with him.

And David, why should we be so fast in voting for a party just for the sake of getting rid of the Liberals if we simply get more lies, sleaze, and opportunists. There are other choices too, and I think you guess what other parties I can point to.
Posted by saintfletcher, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 6:23:23 PM
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as a dedicated lefty, who turns to Labour only as the better of two evils-
I must actually go against the flow here.

I would have been happy to see Peter Garret join the greens-
however, I respect and appreciate his decision to join Labour.
After all, it is government (and maybe occasionally the balance of power) who get the chance to affect change- and the Greens (bless their little souls) appear decades away from developing an alternative government/coalition.
Yes indeed he has had to compromise a lot of his ideals that in his various incarnations had been previously easily maintained- but really, isn't that the only way politics is done?

For me, I feel that I have a pretty good idea on where he stands on a lot of issues, environmental inparticular- and regardless of the public toeing the line position he must present as a labour MP- I feel confident and thankfull that his views and beliefs (environmental again) are at least present within the internal workings of Labour (even if at present they are largely ignored).

Frankly, I would rather have him in there, than some other guy/girl carreer politician.

High uncompromised ideals are great for some people, particularly ones who are happy to stand on the sidelines and protest as the world moves on by. For others maybe they realise that affecting a DIRECTION of change TOWARDS their ideals is more important than sticking to ideals as they are again and again ignored.
Posted by hansp77, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 6:35:51 PM
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He could have stood as an Independent.
Good thing though that he had a career change, because he was a lousy singer.
Posted by Is Mise, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 8:44:54 PM
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Can't sing, can't dance, can't be taken seriously.
Posted by Rainier, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 9:11:38 PM
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