I’ve identified a similarity between John Howard and myself; we’re intolerant!

One thing he did achieve though, was defining the gap between the cosmopolitans and the conservatives.

Decry the social divides of his own efforts to do this as he will, his was an efficiency of divide and rule above most I can think of that came before him.

Dan.

John Howard is one of the only two politicians I have ever respected as human beings. But he is one of only two Australian Prime Ministers who have been kicked out of their own seats. He is well past his use-by date, and I do not wish to read his books; nor do I want to hear his opinions and 'after' advice. Like Bob Menzies, who some conservatives are talking up with 'Menzies 2.0', Howard would not last five minutes in today’s vicious politics; nor is there anyone among the current rabble, including the embarrassing Prime Minister or the cowardly Leader of the Opposition, capable of holding a candle to Menzies or Howard

My take on Howard and his "book" is a whitewashing of his political history. He was both divisive and autocratic, tin eared and intolerant and an animal of the extreme right in moderate's clothing.

His most enduring legacy is the number of non-core promises (BS) he used to win and hold power. He was in my view a power junkie.

And John, having a very different view does not equate to hate.

I despise John Howard the politician and very autocratic leader.

The only thing about him that drew my admiration and agreement was his stand on East Timor. And lost it again by involving us in the war against Iraq.

Even then when we should have completely defeated and removed the Bath party and their armed forces, we and the coalition vacated the field with the job less than half done and resulted in the torture and murder of many opposing Iraqis

His GST increased the cost of living for ordinary Australians and introduced to lower the tax liabilities on those with the largest incomes/profits/income.

He was not a PM for all Australians, just the usual conies and the overprivileged!
Alan B.

Well said Alan B.

My earliest recollections of Howard was his dogged support of the Vietnam War, yet in cowardly fashion, like his idle Menzies he dodged military service, and like Menzies preferred to let other young Australians die in his place.

2001 was the year Howard's Coalition government, enacted the “Pacific solution” of offshore imprisonment of refugees and asylum seekers, thumbed its nose at the Aboriginal stolen generations, joined the US-led “war of terror” on the innocent, and participated in the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. With 9/11 Howard was able to enact some of the most draconian national security laws in the Western world. Granting greater powers to the nations secret police to enact surveillance, warrantless searches and detention without charge as routine acts.

There was the Tampa scandal where by Howard and his government, with Labor Party support purposely lied to the Australian people. For political reasons Howard lied about refugees, claiming they were going to throw children overboard, which was nothing more than a bastardy lie.

The best thing about Little Johnny Howard, like his hero 'Pig Iron' Bob Menzies is the fact he, like Menzies, is no longer relevant in Australian politics.

But, at the first opportunity I'll read his new book.

I was never a fan of John Howard. He was divisive.
And his policies did a lot of harm. He got kicked
out for good reasons. Yet, to see him on television
today - he appears like an old fragile man that
presumably he is. His days are long gone. I'm sure
that there are some who will miss him. But balanced
he definitely wasn't!

I consulted Amazon Australia to garner how many people (including Everald) read Johny's book.

And there are at least 20 readers. The longest reader review being http://www.amazon.com.au/Sense-Balance-John-Howard/dp/1460762622/ref=asc_df_1460762622/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=564661976088&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16275292371573080234&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9072183&hvtargid=pla-1653251303705&psc=1#customerReviews

"[one out of five stars]

"Wilful blindness Reviewed in Australia on 23 August 2022

Verified Purchase

Hard to encapsulate in words Howard’s blindness towards historical accuracy, science, and voter dissatisfaction with the path Liberal party has taken in recent years. To name a few….

Howard makes the claim that Australia has “… long practised an open and non-discriminatory immigration policy” (kindle ed, p1) Surely, he must be aware that for most of our history, Australia operated under the 1901 ‘Immigration Restriction Act’ better known as ‘The White Australia Policy.’

He also claims that Australia “….rejected class distinctions of any semblance of an Aristocracy” (kindle ed, p2). Clearly, there was no landed aristocracy in Australia; since we were ignoring the first peoples, who did actually ‘live with the land’; however, there were certainly significant class differences between free-settlers and ex-convicts, and the Macquarie family and other landed squatters acted like an aristocracy in their own right.

In the final chapter reaffirming the concept that quotas for women is not a Liberal tradition due to their commitment to ‘merit’, (kindle ed, p274), displays a blatant ignorance of the concept of systemic gender bias and the historical exclusion of women from positions of power based solely on their sex and gendered role.

Both this book and ‘Lazarus Rising’ deserve a book length expose of the fallacies they contain.

4 people found this helpful"

Paul whined: "My earliest recollections of Howard was his dogged support of the Vietnam War".

Howard got into parliament in 1974. The war was over by then!!

Paul whined: " he dodged military service"

Conscription started in 1964 for people who were 20 yrs old. Howard was born in 1939. I'll leave Paul to do the maths to work out if Howard was eligible. (Note: he might have to take his shoes off to calculate it.)

Howard did many fine things for Australia not the least of which was the reform of a disastrous tax system via the GST. Both sides knew it was a required reform but only Howard was brave enough to argue it before the people and get it passed.

But his greatest service was during the Asian financial crisis. Under different leadership (by that I mean ALP) we might have made all the wrong calls. But Howard held firm and unlike almost all other nations affected, Australia emerged from the crisis strengthened rather than weakened.

In my lifetime, Australia has had two truly worthy PMs. Hawke remains the greatest of those. But Howard is a close second. I fear the nation and culture that bred these greats has passed and their like won't be seen for a long time.

mhaze,

Howard was still hanging around Sydney Uni in the late 60's, early 70's, organising and addressing small counter protests to the main stream anti-war protests. I can recall seeing a demented Howard on the lawn near the Quadrangle, with a megaphone raving like the fuhrer to a small group of the like minded fanatics. Nothing to do with PARLIAMENT.

If you were gung-ho like Howard, there was nothing to stop one from VOLUNTEERING FOR VIETNAM. The Australian Army at the time accepted recruits up to the age of 35. Howard could have enlisted anytime between 1957 and 1974. Menzies like Howard was the prize coward, there was no conscription in Australia during WWI. Menzies was the perfect age for military service turning 20 in 1914. unlike 90% of young men, Menzies stayed at home.

mhaze learn history.

"Howard was still hanging around Sydney Uni in the late 60's, early 70's, organising and addressing small counter protests to the main stream anti-war protests. "

He graduated from Sydney Uni in 1962 !!.

The rest is pure fabrication by Paul. As usual.

Laughably he thinks his fantasies are history.

mhaze,

Talking about fantasies?

Still supporting Trump and think that Cardinal Pell
was innocent?

Anyone who has the slightest faith in our judicial system knows Pell is innocent. Those incapable of admitting error cling to their mistaken fantasies that he was proven guilty.

But for some, wanting something to be true means it is true. Reality eludes these people.

Reality certainly has eluded "those" people.
History will judge them.

I remember John Howard stating firmly on television: 'the boat sunk in Indonesian waters'.
That was said during an interview at about the time of the 'children overboard' saga.
But he was wrong.
It might well be that that particular boat SANK in Indonesian waters, but it sure as sure didn't SUNK.
I have heard him occasionally on Tv recently, and he seems a bit frail and pathetic now?
My overall impression of him is that he lives inside his head.
He doesn't consider how others might see him.
I think that some of his current attitudes are unwholesomely wrong.

mhaze,

The only knowledge of John Howard you appear to possess is a 'Google', and a read of 'Wikipedia'. It is well known that Howard was pro the Vietnam War, and he was still claiming his war stance was the correct one in interviews 30 years later. What is "pure fabrication by Paul", that Howard was eligible for military service, and dogged it, not so. Nothing to do about conscription and hoping your number comes out. Like the coward, pro Nazi Menzies, Howard didn't serve when he had the opportunity to do so. Why was that man of knowledge?

"It is well known that Howard was pro the Vietnam War"

Which is not what you claimed. You said he was speechifying in the late 60s at Sydney uni about the war.

As usual, when Paul's rants are shown to be mere fabrication he tries to alter his claims and then pretend to be vindicated. It never works but he keeps trying anyway.

mhaze,

As I said; "Howard was still hanging around Sydney Uni in the late 60's, early 70's, organising and addressing small counter protests to the main stream anti-war protests." Do you dispute that? What personally do you know of Howard from that time period. You are one of those clowns who says; "If I can't Google it, and it don't suit my mantra, then it can't be true."

"It is well known that Howard was pro the Vietnam War," that is not disputed, its a fact, Howard has said that publicly many times. what's your problem.

BTW; hanging around has nothing to do with Howard graduating in 1962. What, once you graduate you are band for life from ever entering the university campus. Your Googling and Wikipedia are not helping you.

Being the fool of knowledge you are, answer the question; Howard didn't serve when he had the opportunity to do so? Maybe he attempted to enlist, but was rejected. I think not, just another Menzies type.

Now let me get this straight Paul. You make an outlandish claim that is based on nothing other than your feeble fantasies, and I'm supposed to disprove it.

Well I think I can. In fact Howard worked as a top secret spy in the late 60's and 70s and infiltrated the Kremlin, Peking CCP and was a fly on the wall in Hanoi. He passed secrets back to Kissinger and Nixon. Now I know these is nothing to back that up, but, by your rules, its up to you to disprove it. Good luck!!

As to signing up, its just a silly argument. If everybody was forced to sign up for every policy they support, then the world will unravel. I support law and order but that doesn't mean I have to join the police force. You support the climate crazies but I don't see you dangling from a bridge in their protests. Its a moronic argument which is why it only makes sense to you.

mhaze,

There is nothing in my narrative that I claim about 'Howard The Coward' that I want you to accept or reject, prove or disprove, where did I ask to do that? I only avail you of some facts that I know, they were stated generally and not directed specifically towards you, I don't expect you do do anything with them. You may say; "I do not believe what Paul1405 has posted about John Howard" and I will leave it at that. You are like several others of your ilk on this forum, believing yourselves to be the 'gods of truth', when in fact you are a bunch of dills, and have been shown to be so many times.

Ooooh Paul's throwing a tantrum now that his little fantasies are shown to be as such.

"believing yourselves to be the 'gods of truth',"

No. But I do have some reverence for the truth and you just making stuff up because you'd like it to be true is irksome. That trait is why you are so often led down the garden path.

mhaze,

You are such a petulant character, there is no tantrum being thrown by me, I simply state an observation, judging by your comments generally you lack knowledge on most subjects, including this one, I see other intelligent contributors picking you up on your decided lack of knowledge time and time again. I do place you in the dill class of forum contributor, where you are not alone. Other than 'Google' and 'Wikipedia' how have you arrived at your assessment of "Howard The Coward"? Any personal experiences on your part to speak of.

Dear Paul,

I admire your patience and tenacity. Some people have
developed terribly bad habits - especially of not
focusing on anything that requires any real brain
power. I won't mention any names - we both know who
they are. Many of us who try to explain things to
these people have found they still don't get it.
And never will. We're on different wave-lengths.
Have you watched any recent interviews of Trump
supporters in the US recently?

No need to say any more. The dill basket doesn't cover it.

"I see other intelligent contributors picking you up on your decided lack of knowledge time and time again"

Still fabricating?

There is another dimension - a genuine reality
opposed to fiction.