A good article; expresses what the majority of voters think about today's politics. Yes, both sides are guilty but I think the Libs more so during this government.

I's like to see progressive media do an impartial weekly 'hyperbole meter'; like Crikey's 'Fact-o-meter'

The author says:

"What is lacking in the above comments is not only some perspective, but the maturity to grasp that using some of the darkest episodes of the twentieth century to score political points might be a bit irresponsible"

Yeah, right, tell that to the moralisers who describe sceptics of the AGW scam as "deniers".

Good article. Most of the Abbott supporters in the comments argue for equivalence in hyperbole and nastiness. While the Government side are not blameless, my count would be a far greater propensity by Pyne, Brandis, Mirabella and Co. for vitriol unfortunately. This stems in part from the constant abuse of Gillard and the Government by shock jocks and the News Ltd. tabloids. This sets the tone which the Opposition all too often follow.

'but I think the Libs more so during this government.'

I think that ones hard to judge, we all have a tendency to notice the bad in those we dislike more than in those we like (or dislike less as the case may be for many of us). What seems like a nasty insult when directed at our side is perhaps a sign of passion when used by our side against opponents.

My gut feel is that parties will tend to use the tactic more when in opposition than when in government.

What is clear is that author made no attempt at any objectivity in the article, the piece was an attack on the coalition rather than an honest call for better standards by our elected reps (or any other part of the community).

It would not have taken a lot to give the article some semblance of balance. It's not primarily about counts of comments but about the reality that both major parties use similar tactics to attack the other side. Both seem more interested in theatrics and getting power at almost any cost than in responsible government. We will mostly have a side we prefer for one reason or the other, that should not stop any of us from demanding better of them.

I don't believe that process is helped in any way by such blatantly partisan pieces as this article.

R0bert

Let us remember that both major parties are indeed child and human rights abusers.

That is, they lock children up without charge or trial for years, sometimes indefinitely, in circumstances well evidenced to cause, amongst other ailments, serious mental trauma, as witnessed by more than one of the members of the A.M.A.

( a.k.a. the a.ustralian m.oney grubbers a.ssociation as - oh yes, you have lots of money, I'll put a specialist bandage on your finger but no, sorry, even though you are half dead, you have insufficient money so you'll have to go out the door. )

This view that I express is what one slimy conservative on "the Drum" calls the purvey of those desperate to find a cause - what filth they are.

And of cause, the knowing and deliberate infliction of mental harm is a breach of the genocide convention act, though no doubt this trash would argue that they are doing it for their own good, as they do when challenged over the so called "Stolen Generations."

Now, when last Indonesia's Head of State was here he publicly advised that the child abusers had within their prisons/concentration camps no less than 54 Indonesian minors. And yesterday, the Indonesian government launched an action against the ALP filth in the Human Rights legal arena.

Curiously, whilst ABC 24 is renowned for playing the same simplistic and shallow crap over and over and over, this particular story appears to have been promptly pulled.

Of course, if you were to ask an Irish or Arabian fighter, they would no doubt tell you that the only sure way to deal with this kind of sh!t is BANG!

Given Labor had to reluctantly get rid of the nations Chief Legal Officer, because Roxon was so on the nose for trying to repress free speech there is a direct and correct resonance. Maybe Nazi was wrong, it was 1984 with is commentary on the Left that appears to be the model for the attempt. Stalinist or Maoist is probably better.