RIP Democraps and good riddance

Yes Australia is meaner and less tolerant of certain racial groups, but is that because of the policy of this government? or is it more to do with other world event like Bali and 9/11. Why are we blaming one person, maybe the leftie fairies can concort that Howard was the bomber in Bali and mastermind behind 9/11.

btw, Education/hospital/transport etc are state policies, before the left try to blame this on Howard as well. These policies are run by the left labour party, they are the ones with the record Revenue and massive overspending on things other than education/hospital/transport. I heard that Iemma (premier of NSW) is blaming Howard for the system of distributing money to the state, rewarding Qld and costing NSW -$3 billion (over 10 years).

problems with the arguments are as follows
Howard did not set the way state money are divided
the states agreed to the division in the first place
Qld labor is also running out of money (even with their record revenue) they are probably be blaming Howard that the error was not bigger.

So while Lyn Allison might give no credit to Howard on the economy, I am quite glad that Labor (should I say 90% union hecks, and what do union hecks knows about running a economy) have not been given the chance to ruin the economy like Carr and Beattie (and their union ecks) did to NSW/QLD.

The lefties will always come up with more fairytale, I look forward to the next one

The argument that we have it so good therefore shouldn't complain is extremely dangerous. The only reason we have it so good is that in the past we thought for ourselves and took action. We slowly allow all that separates us from these less than free countries to be eroded whilst we sit back and congratulate ourselves on how good we've got it.

His elections have been won through smear and scare campaigns, not through rational presentation of policies. The article on propaganda points out that manipulating fear is one of the primary methods of controlling a population. We were told that Iraq was on the verge of annihilating the western way of life and that Howard was the only one with the vision and strength to save us, by following Bush into an illegal war. It's easy to say he's done a good job if you believe the lies that set the stage.

And what of climate change? Our children will be suffering for his deep concern for the profits of big business in Australia for generations to come. What use is saving a few jobs now in light of what faces us if even the moderate climate change scenarios come to fruition?

There isn't much on offer from the other political parties, they are all essentially following the same line, and none of them look beyond the short span of an election cycle in their consideration of the future of our country. The fact of the matter is that if we buy in to the lies, just because there's no better alternative, then there never will be a better alternative. We have to call it what it is, stir the pot a bit, and then hopefully something better may rise to the surface. While we pat him on the back and say what a good job he's done, all the other pollies will be crawling over themselves to emulate him, in the hope of succeeding where he did.

This article highlights the reason that Lyn Allison is unfit to serve in the Senate. Voters are not interested in politicians with ideas. It is the voters who have the ideas. The basis of this reasoning is that ballot papers are not filled out by politicians, or political parties, but by voters. The task of the politicians is to carry out the voters ideas. If they fail to do this, the voters will throw them out of office at the next election, and replace them with someone who will implement the voters ideas. Allison has failed to come to terms with the idea that the reason the Howard Government has a majority in the Seante is that that was the way the people voted. The most significant thing about the Tampa incident is that Howard's strongest supporters were the labor party's heartland. He was acting in accordance with the overwhelming will of the people. About the only way I can see Allison surviving is if she can find a way to dismiss the people, and appoint another. Roll on 30/6/2008!

Thanks for that, love, I really had forgotten some of the great things Howard has done for this country. It was nice of you to list them, to remind me.
He has proved much wiser than me, & a lot of others.
I was worried about the GST, & I think it would have been better unchanged from the original, but he was right.
I still have a bit of trouble with some the gun laws, but not much.

The industrial relations changes have me more than a bit worried, but, with his record [of getting it right], & his willingness to do a total back flip when wrong, I'll give it a year before I say I know better.
Again, thanks for the trip down the memory lane, of how to run a country.
Hasbeen

While we needed a critique of Howards Way a liitle more incisive than some of the dross handed up in the dailies Ms Alison's attempt only highlighted the ineptitude of the opposition parties that have cleverly conspired over the last decade to make John Winston appear much brighter than he really is - not that he is not a clever man - but he is no genius and I really think his vision for society is limited to what dribbles out of economic advancement.

The first third of Ms Alison essay was little more than a description of how the average politician attempts to manipulate publc opinion and the media - none of them are immune from that tendency; Keating was good at it, Hawke was great at it and Howard is no different - and Ms Alison is probably honing her own skills as we speak.

She goes on to highlight some of the politically succesful moves of Howard that she sees are counterporductive and dishonest - she may well be rightin her assesment; many people have grave reservations about IR changes, the WMD fiasco, thei nvasion of Iraq Mk 2, Children Over board, the incarceration of refugees to the point of insanity, Cornelia Rua etc - they all point to a form of moral bankruptcy - but all can be, by some good spin, justified acts or explainable over sights. Some even see them as righteous deeds and keys to our future prosperity.

Whatever our opinion on Howard right wrong good or bad the fact that Alison, Beazley and Uncle Tom Cobbley and all are unable to articulate an alternative social and economic contract that can engage the Austrlain people is the real problem, not wether Howard lies or is locked in the past.

Howard has had unfettered rule, even more so now, he is earnest and has faith in his views and that of his supporters - those who disagreee with him need to lift their game or the allegations of being constant whingers will never go away.

Howard's biggest failing in my opinion is pandering to the far- right and their racist, bigoted mates to score votes. The Liberals' taking Professor Cooray's advice back in the nineties to be nice to the extreme right, including groups known to be fascists, proved to me beyond doubt that the Liberals value their own politcal future as more important than Australia's peoples.

Money wise- that 14 billion dollars the governemnt is hoarding is ours. The interest the Liberals are getting is being offset by we the people as we max out on credit cards and struggle with mortgage repayments so as to see our kids through uni and so on. Thiefs.

No doubt one of the Liberals will come down with the usual you-all- piss-it-down-the-drain-and-puff-it-out response.

Then the bashing of Jim Dowling whilst at a Liberal hosted function. No integrity keeping that quiet.

Keith mate. Do us favour and stop posting Henry Lawson. You are just confirming what Allison is saying. The majority of Australia's people live on the coast and in the cities. TISM are more relevant. Radio ignored great bands like Hunters and Collectors and WPA - that is unAustralian. Shakespeare and Salmann Rushdie's unversal works say more about Australian life on the mortgage belt than Lawson's colloquail whining. Relationships make the world go round not mythical white-fella versions of noble savage, flies, mossies and horse shieet.

Then there is that idiot song Waltzing Matilda. A thief gets caught and tops himself rather than face the consequences of his actions. [Deleted for swearing]. Is there some metaphor there I am not getting. Sounds like Liberal Party politcal carry. Liberals stuff up then, rather than fess up, they run away and hide behind a mountain of little white lies.

Then there is Andrew Bolt. The Prime Ministers little 2 plus 2 equals five propagandist. What a great way to stir up sentiment whilst keeping a safe distance.

I try to see the good in every one but hell bells i have to go hard at with John Howard and his crew.
(Statesmen and women)