barely distinguishable from their opposition?
Poirot,
you're doing it again, why try so hard to drag the conservatives so far down when they clearly are not.

Dear Poirot,

That's why I recommended Lindsay Tanner's book to you.
It's part memoir, part analysis, part critique.
He does tackle the rot that's set in at the heart of
Australain public life. He lays bare the decline of political
reporting and political behaviour that occurred during
his career. It's an interesting take on things and only
confirms what we already suspect.

BTW: The book is called - "Sideshow: Dumbing Down Democracy."

And he talks about the "corrosive impact of the media
on politics." He talks about the media turning - "into
an entertainment frame that has little tolerance for
complex and social economic issues. And, in turn polticians
and parties are adapting their behaviour to suit the new
rules of the game.To such an extent that the contest of
ideas being supplemented by the contest for laughs."

Worth a read.

Dear Belly,

It's going to be an interesting week in politics coming up.
Whatever Tony Abbott decides to do - (and we already suspect
we know what that will be). However, either way - the Malaysian
Solution is not going to work and the PM should simply
admit it. It will go badly - the longer she delays.

A bad situation to be in all round.

I wish someone would come up with something that will work.
But no one's been able to do it thus far.

I have been an admirer of Lindsay Tanner since his days as a local pollie in Carlton, Melbourne. I thought it interesting that he chose not to remain in politics after the Rudd dethroning.

I must read his book - Lexi, does he discuss the machinations behind Rudd's ousting as PM?

On topic. Like bed-bugs, internet trolls cause irritation, unlike bed-bugs they cannot be fumigated, but they can be ignored. What I find interesting on this thread are the opinions of what constitutes a 'troll'. Lexi has covered the modus operandi best - others have simply used the topic to, well, troll.

I wish someone would come up with something that will work.
But no one's been able to do it thus far.
Lexi,
have you been sticking your head in the sand again ? Many years ago a chap called John Howard had a good solution not the best but nothing better as yet.
Just Google a place called Nauru & afterwards Google the number of boats since Labor stopped Nauru. Then do the sums. Use a calculator by all means.

Dear Ammonite,

Yes Tanner does discuss the demise of Rudd.
The following website has a great article on it:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/rudd-was-beheaded-and-was-all-for-nothing-tanner-laments-20110429-1e0th.html

Dear Individual,

Why are you offering Nauru? It didn't work then and it
won't work now. The entire farce cost the Australian
taxpayers a fortune and it was abysmal. People were
left languishing for years, many still bear the scars
today and many ended up in Australia anyway. It was
a cruel exercise in futility. And the boats did not
stop coming because of it. That's a myth. Howard had
the navy take them back. Why on earth would you pick
one of two evils - both Nauru and the Malaysian Solution
are awful. Why not try on-shore processing - and treat
people as human beings - just for a change.