Pay back is a bitch, but be careful what you sow.

It seems that Melaine Phillips http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/376981/croz-dressers.thtml

"Update for our Aussie friends: New Labour has turned into a slow motion car crash; and Cameron’s Tories have discovered that it is only when they say conservative things that their poll ratings go up.

Moral: political cross-dressing is a seriously over-rated pastime. "

One thing is clear is really wouldn't matter which political party is in power. Interest rates will do what interest rates do. That is go up and go down.

It would be wonderful if the dead-head Y Generation did all migrate to New Zealand. They are no use here, and NZ immigrants to Australia have left plenty of room for them. It is appalling to contemplate that these total wastes of space are, as this one of them says, “the future leaders of Australia”. At 50 years of age, Kevin Rudd probably thinks the same way as we seniors do. If Rudd did deliberately appeal to the Y Generation as Ford seems to think, gawd help us all!

We can be sure that Ford really believes that: “Rather than being the disinterested lot we're painted as, young folk these days are far more savvy when it comes to, well, just about anything that their parents dealt with.” But that’s only because Generation Y is so disinterested in anything but itself, and wouldn’t have a clue what previous generations think, do or did. Everything was ‘just there’ for the little punks.

And simply denying that Generation Y is “anything but” self-interested and selfish, is merely a childish denial completely bereft of any self-examination. Also, the fact that this twerp can call a man (John Howard) old enough to be her grandfather, and with commensurate life experience, a “war monger” and yes man completes her self -portrayal as an ignorant little girl.

Generation Y should have been smothered at birth

John Howard, you have a lot to answer for.

If you had won, this silly bitch, & most of her contempories, would now be on their way to New Zealand.

When you look at the rabble they elect to their parliament, they would probably have been stupid enough to let them in.

Its our own fault of course. We allowed the progressives to get control of our education system, & they gave us little twits like this one.

These Ys are going to have to make some rather dreadful mistakes, before they grow up.

Sounds like the fire in Leighs belly has all but consumed him - to the point he may render himself a pile of ash;

But it is in his language you find the truth and part of the reason Howard was spanked at the polls.

Leigh asserts

"dead-head Y Generation" - "Generation Y is so disinterested in anything but itself, and wouldn’t have a clue what previous generations think, do or did. Everything was ‘just there’ for the little punks".

"Generation Y should have been smothered at birth".

This is the language of the mean sprited and bitter Australia the electorate rejected - it is the language indeed of the war monger - it is the language of smugness and elitism that longs to exclude all but that which resembles itself - it is the language that represents the face of an Australia that has been seen as ugly dismissive and contemptuous of Immigrants and refugess and by defaualt overseas born Australians.

It is the language of a dead culture.

Leigh, I'd be a little less bitchy if I were you - this is the generation whose taxes are going to fund your nursing home place. A little more generational respect would be nice.

That out of the way, the piece was rather silly, and the author deserves some ridicule for what amounts to poking out her tongue. Yes, with Howard having one eye firmly planted on retirement, the Libs came across as a party with no future plans. Entirely backup by their negative campaign. The big tax cuts on offer didnt even suck many people in. Rudd came across as looking more conservative than Howard (whether or not that it true is an entirely different kettle of fish - this is politics afterall, and the shine will come off once its generally realised that Rudd will not be able to keep all of his promises either). So those that normally vote based on economic issues, were freed up to vote on social issues.

The other issue that I keep pointing out to my (gen Y) hard-core Lib voting husband, who insists on "we are going to have a recession because of Labor and interest rates are going to go through the roof", is that if we go into recession, then interest rates will come down (RBA rates at least), and it will have nothing to do with which party is in power. The joys of an independent reserve bank.

Nice opening salvo there countrygal. That had me grinning, because it's precisely what rankles the younger generation.

Well said sneekeepete.

I'm fine with respecting my elders, but not when they don't respect the younger generation in return. If that's their attitude, to hell with them.

For an bitter old fellow, you don't have much appreciation for history Leigh.
Every generation has looked out for itself, the boomers being a prime example. For a time, I felt annoyed that as a voting block they'd chosen things like free university, free healthcare and so on, before voting on higher pensions to be funded by privatising the things that supported them... thus screwing the next generation.
But I've since come to the conclusion that this is something all generations do and you can't really blame them for it.

Enjoy your nursing home Leigh, and for their sake, at least try to respect that hardworking nurses of generation Y whom you loathe so much.