"The desire of the Right to freeze Australia in some non-existent idyllic moment of the past has the nation marking time, afraid to embrace and plan for inevitable change ..."

You mean like that perfect "non-existent idyllic moment of the past" the global warmers rabbit on about? The one they think they can fix in place forever with a carbon dioxide tax?

Have a go yourself, Bruce. List the great achievements of the Left in Australia. Or anywhere else for that matter.

But until you can remind us of the Left's shining successes, spare us your vision for state-controlled everything and open borders.

Love your work Bruce.

"There is no Left in Australian politics or discourse at the moment. There is just the Centre, now seen as the Left by the Radical Right and The Right stretching away to glorious infinity – a Nirvana of free markets, the centrality of self, supported by uncontrolled vitriol and uncurbed aggression."

Many in the rank and file have moved away from the ALP for the reasons you outline. The ALP no longer represents an egalitarian platform.

I recently read an extract by David Korten who writes "A depersonalized economic system with no attachment to place disrupts the bonds of community and family and makes it nearly impossible for parents to provide their children with the nurturing attention necessary for healthy development..."

Korten's ideal is of creating democratic middle class societies where there are no extremes of poverty or wealth and a focus on caring community rather than consumption.

There is room for optimism (as opposed to complacency). History tends to go in cycles where excesses tend to be later tempered with a re-emergence of those all important 'connection' or community values.

In this context a combination of Left, Centre and Right values can be easily tweaked to ensure reward of personal endeavour but not to the detriment of others. It is the far reaches of these Left/Right models that tend to create the same problems of oppression in their extreme manifestations.

KenH
The Left has provided you with many of the advantages you enjoy today including universal health care, education, industrial reform and a social welfare net. And regulation of business that ensures healthy competition and much more. It is the Left or Centre that invariably places importance on environmental protection and understands the importance of sustainability. The list is endless.

Love your work Pelican.

I wonder just where, during his overseas service, that Bruce caught the disease that makes him see a centrist when he looks at the lovely Julia, rather than the raving lefty ratbag she is.

Hell if that old shoe banger Nikita Khrushchev were still around, I'm sure Bruce would be complaining he was extreme right wing.

good piece. Hasbeen has given us a great example.

You see if the NSW Liberal government increase mining state tax then that's okay, But if the Labour federal government want to put in a federal mining tax then it's a communist plot.

I don't think the left has fallen to far, it's just shouting into the wind at the moment.

I really liked the point re how some people consider the Australian to be left-wing!

And yes the obviously right-wing comments are proof of Bruce's thesis.
Bullies rule OK!

Meanwhile I quite like the book by Chris Hedges titled The Empire of Illusions. This "empire" began with Ronald Reagan and was extended by George Bush, and Howard here in the land of OZ.
If you really do your home-work you will find that the 8 years of his MAL-administration were easily the worst years in USA history.
And if anything thinks, that in the context of the USA, that Perry or Bachmann are anything other than deeply symptomatic of the problem re the dis-integration of Western culture altogether, then they are deeply deluded.
And yet Quadrant online features an essay which claims that Perry will "fix things".