Bravo. In my opinion we have been systematically enveloped by a grey cloud of stifling political correctness over the past 11 years.

A political correctness that doesnt allow any real questions to be asked.

An example. People on the left occasionally make silly comments about all kinds of hot-spot cultural topics. When ever they do the screaming harpies on the "right" immediately swing into action and blow everything out of proportion.

By contrast consider a certainly Bolt, a person who engages in character assassination and bullying in almost every column that he writes. In doing so he specialises in taking and putting other peoples statements out of context and either reversing what they were trying to say, or giving their statement(s) a completely different meaning. And he more often than not uses a single sentence or phrase in this exercise of mis-representation.

He also tells blatant lies.

And yet he is never ever criticised for this exercise in toxic journalism.

If anyone on the left wrote or writes like him they would be villified by the screaming harpies on the "right" including Bolt himself.

This is new - and relevant.

Google Video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2246973658225588456&hl=en-GB

- or in instalments on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1tLO87vzNQ

- a critique of the story of our "heroic" involvement in East Timor, with plenty of historically documented facts.

Enjoy!

It’s to be hoped his PhD is more “in depth” than this quaint little offering.

We all know what Janet Albrechtsen thinks; some of us agree with her, and some of us don’t. We don’t need a lecture on the thoughts of a journalist.

I just love it when these fluffy-cheeked youths presume to instruct the rest of us, in the belief that they have discovered something we don’t know.

To suggest, as this one does, that the left has “called into question what an ‘ordinary’ citizen is”, in a positive way, is total hogwash. Nothing is more elitist and disdainful of ‘ordinary citizens’ than the leftist dogma imposed on society from time to time by malcontent swinging voters. This boy wouldn’t remember how ‘ordinary’ citizens fared under the Fabian, Whitlam, and the leftists Hawke and Keating. The ‘ordinary’ citizens – the workers by some definitions – have never had it as bad as they did under those arrogant villains.

We have had a change of government, and that’s that. But the naïve smugness of this lad, commenting on why the change occurred (“…many of those women and men who voted against the Howard in the recent election do not share the his views…”) indicates that he isn’t aware that most people vote the same way at every election, and only a very, very few who change their minds change governments.

Rubbish the “legacy” of John Howard all you like, Mr. Smartypants. He cleaned up the mess left by your left wing idols, and gave Australia the best decade ever.

It’s doubtful that we will be seeing a similar critique of Kevin Rudd from you after the swinging simpletons who put him in Government realise their dreadful error and swing back again.

It is said that ignorance is bliss. You must be deliriously happy

And from Leigh's comments, he seems to be deliriously unhappy ... sad really, putting it all on the "simpletons" as he does.

What a tragic response from Leigh - a tired old grump who stopped thinking last century. I wonder what he was like as a young man? Just as hypocritical as he is, I hear you call? No, I think he could probably think, once.

Leigh laments: "I just love it when these fluffy-cheeked youths presume to instruct the rest of us, in the belief that they have discovered something we don’t know." And then proceeds from his rocking chair to 'instruct the rest of us' on what he calls 'the leftist dogma imposed on society from time to time by malcontent swinging voters' presuming to tell us all what he thinks we don't know.

This particular Mr Smartypants won't be deflected by you, Leigh, with your insults about 'swinging simpletons' and the presumption that they got it wrong, the ungrateful wretches.

When it comes to a critique of the Howard years, Leigh, it must be said that his government will be remembered as the most divisive, the most mediocre, the meanest, the most dishonest and the least moral in memory.

Now we can try to get back to being a country to be proud of, where dissent is accepted, where the voices of Indigenous Australians can be heard again, where the poor won't be humiliated by ideological government, where ordinary people will be protected from the greed of profiteers, where diversity is regarded as a blessing not something to be afraid of, where war will only be waged for ethical reasons, where care for the environment is not just an economic afterthought, where refugees and their children will not be vilified, where Australians will not be tortured by nations claiming to be our allies, where workers can negotiate collectively for fair conditions, where old people and the sick are looked after with dignity and decency and where young people are cherished for their naivety and idealism rather than being put down.

If you think John Howard gave Australia 'the best decade ever', Leigh, I can understand why you would talk about ignorance being bliss.

I totally agree FrankGol. Could not have said it any better myself.

Furthermore, even in economic terms, Howard did not give us the best decade ever. It was the Hawke/Keating government that made all the structural changes to enable our economy to enjoy this sustained period of economic growth.

Howard was also lucky to be in power when the whole world economy was experiencing growth. Our situation is not so remarkable when you compare it to other developed nations.

Howard's contribution was to pander to the worst in people's natures thereby creating a nation that is more selfish and less accepting of others who are different in any way. That is something to be ashamed of not to celebrate.