I am deeply disillusioned Belly, not just politic's but social attitudes are terrible now days. You told me not so long ago that everyone does not have to agree with me. Very true. But it still pains me when i see and here all these supposed democratically minded, free christian people expounding hate and fear. I am mean't to be the radical here, an atheist who votes for parties just to keep things divided. But some how when ever i defend common decency and the value of compassion over hate and mistrust i am run down by the good christian conservative lobby who don't realise that this is their territory.
I can not seem to get to the bottom of what all the fear is about. History shows that all great empires and civilisations fall under the weight of their own greed and self indulgence. Despite the signs being their we still seem determined to push toward oblivion. The greatest hope i have is in my children's generation, maybe there is a social revolution in them that will head in a better direction than the last one that gave us the "ME" generation.

nairbe:

Beautifully put. It's interesting. I was recently cleaning out a chest of drawers and came across an old copy of "A Saturday Reflection," (do you believe - reprinted from "The Age" 13/12/1980)entitled "She'll Be Right.") Why did I bother keeping it? Then I re-read it. "Among the Australianisms that strike visitors to this country is the much bandied cliche "She'll be right!" The expression, drops daily from the lips of easy-going optimists. When a daunting problem emerges, a forbidding prospect appears, or some other cause for anxiety threatens, the Harry Sullivans will airily wave a hand and assert "She'll be right mate." Their bland affirmation is really an expression of a hope that this situation, if left to itself will cease to exist. A cover-up for their blindness to the facts."

We all know that real problems don't simply go away: as long as effects arise from causes. Life's difficult circumstances are not easily side-stepped. A smell of gas, a lump in the breast, a child behaving "dopey," are like alarm bells signalling that something is wrong. Only those who've faced disturbing facts, accepted the reality of them, and shown ability to deal with them can affirm with any degree of credibility - "She'll be right!"

Belly, do read nairbe's posts. The sentiments therein are not so removed from what I am saying.

It was you who said you 'loved' the ALP and your union.

Frankly, that is a bit sad, to admit that you 'love' something like a political party, but at least you are honest. And in that honesty, I see your fixation which makes you somewhat blind to the failings of the ALP, of the unions, of the trust that political parties demand, like religions do, on 'faith'.

Now, there are similar people in the Greens too but as I have already explained to you, I vote Green for similar reasons to nairbe.... sheer desperation.

A lack of honesty within the ALP, a corruption of the union movement from the Kelty-Hawke era onwards, and a horribly rightwing shift right across politics from scared, and scary, politicians.

Nairbe, no one, least of all Howard, forced any Australian to abandon intelligence during his era. Like Lexi identifies, the old Donald Horne 'Lucky Country' syndrome is alive and well still, and 'she'll be right' suits rightwing politics because nothing is ever challenged under that model of 'thought'.

Australians loved Howard because he demanded nothing much from them, other than 'faith', and that suits the Australian mindset, which eschews thinking.

Rudd was just a failure in Canberra, just as he failed when with Goss in Qld, but no one wanted to look that 'far' back in history, with 'she'll be right' their motive force.

Gillard is just a total dud all round, failing first as a deputy PM allowing Rudd to go go berserk without ever challenging him to pull back. Naturally, she was not alone there, the entire caucus was in on 'the joke'.

OK challenge excepted, Gillard is a dud, said that the morning after she took over.
But said, may yet be right, she would govern well, do not trust her.
But Nairbe/TBC not all unions are socialist, not all are from the very left, in fact death is the future of extreme radical unionism.
Labor may call it self socialist, but the handful of true socialists stand up the back in town halls shouting 1950,s slogans to them selves.
Running a country, winning elections, is not about less than,A BEST, 12% of the populations wishes.
I am yesterdays man, no longer a union official, I put my union first, others will too one day, the bloke I informed of a place my job could go is ego driven and harmful to the movement.
Unions should use the power of its members for them, not blindly splashed out on bonds with any party.
The leader in NSW has turned on a great union leader, she has to go, has greatly damaged my party by saying she has unions in her pocket.
If so they will drown with her in the Titanic event to come.
PROUD TO BE UNION
And labor I target the greens for what they are dangerous radicals and on their way to seeing conservatives win many more elections.
A vote for the greens is a vote for Conservatives.
Tell me I am wrong, more in EACH main party dislike greens than vote for them.
Nairbe still respect you but I think you waste your vote TBC sorry you baffle me, I try to respect every ones right to think as they wish but have difficulty's when I run in to some one who thinks as you do.

Belly

Translating your writing is not an easy task.

Are we to understand that you have retired or resigned from your job as an organiser?

Bernie can hardly be called a great union leader. He's just another DLPer posing as an ALP member.

The 'nobodies guuuuurl' you have posing as a premier deserves to be sacked, although that has nothing to do with her spat with Bernie, which I find very amusing.

I am still to read what he said, but from scraps I've picked up he was simply stating the truth, that the working class are so stupid they vote Tory, as they have always done.

I'm not sure there is anything shocking or new in that 'revelation'.

Did she really say she has unions in her pocket?

How refreshingly honest for an ALP state premier, who does in truth have them in her pocket- just watch them pay for the election campaign and attack the Coalition as if they and the premier were best mates.

Actually Belly, a vote for the ALP is a vote for not-very-much, which is why people vote Green and independents these days. But a vote for the ALP is also a vote for backwoods conservatism too, so why not vote for real conservatives in the first place?

It's the Buckleys & Nunn syndrome writ large Belly.

Thanks for your comments Belly, I appreciate your fog and just hope your 'time off' allows you to look around a little more, not to start to think like me, but to reflect a little on just how poorly served we all our by the ALP these days.

You might see that your 'love' of the ALP and unions is not reciprocated by them to you.

Deep Blue, Gday bloke, your post convinced me you know less about politics than most.
You launch in to Bernie then say you have not read about it,
March out on that pirates plank talking about him that shows you are remote from knowing what it is all about.
I an Aussie would know, unless he had a heavy night, told my boss to take his job and plaqce it? I did this because he was ordering me to neglect my members., well you will understand, or will you.
No coward, but no fool, the forum comes before my pride, I intend to avoid you.
I see no point in talking to you, you both over estimate your understanding and under estimate me.
Now know, my members ex now are mates never comrades never would be, the word is tainted by the very left.
And I wear a watch they bought and paid for, but far more important they are my mates still .
good by TBC I refuse to debate a person who only values their point of view.