And a very warm welcome to you too, under one god.
Cheers,
Anthony
http://www.observationpoint.com.au

Great Anthonyve,

…You sound bored! I am currently reading a book entitled “the story of the mind”, printed 1902, making the book 109 years old. So what is the point of this you say? Well, the point is, reflection. Here is a book written at the end of the Boer war in 1902, (South African secessionist war). A short educationalist manual on the study of psychology.

…The point you are attempting to convey, I feel, by assimilating our Tony into a Tolkien character, is to assist in the psychological analysis of the man. But to make any sense of the political direction of this country, one really needs to psychoanalyse the political system in which our Tony operates: that complex analysis needs to include consideration of scientific and technological advances; ones which have evolved over the period of time since my little book was written, observed through the time line of history, which includes two catastrophic global wars.

…The last war terminated by the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Japan in 1945 by the US of A: And the end of Nationalism (fascism), the end of Communism (China is not Communist in the technical sense), the end of the British Empire, The end of a unified Europe, and soon the end of the Capitalism, (presupposed).

…The world appears to be politically driven by simmering ideological hatred: And borrowing from the madness, people are born not to question their personal ideology and its side-effects on peace and harmony; burying their heads in the sands of everyday chaos, omitting time for reflection. And here is the “rub”, critical of a Political system and the by-products, (I.E. Abbotts, Gillards and all), and void of an understanding on why and how to change it!

…Political satire is all well and good, but it needs more than a drive of cynicism behind it. Satire must be intelligently directed towards better outcomes, not simply ridicule for the purpose of humour alone

Diver Dan your post got to me, it is the most interesting one I have read in ages.
It took me back to my education.
From far different back ground than most, school for me was a living hell.
It was so for all but one of my family.
Being the poor kids in a very small village, making up two thirds of the whole school in the 1950,s our family wanted out, to work.
Reading, after teaching myself became my path to education.
Must have read a house full of books twice.
So my understanding is not from formal education.
Here however are some views on why we are as we are.
Any chance we are being blinded by others, lets face it our tribalism in politics is blinding .
Right now believe me, life time Friends dislike me intensely because I see, with 20/20 vision my party needs redirection.
But on the evidence we see here every day, the other side too needs to do some self reviewing.
Am I just getting old? is it just the hung Parliament?
Or are we getting more interested in tribalism in politics than out comes.
Lexi Anthony has a crystal ball!
My days of shoulder rubbing are over nothing more X than an X.
But yes a challenge is on and yes Rudd looks in front BUT Bill Shorten, is no youth, his intellect is massive, as big as his ego, and he IS THE MAN WE THOUGHT RUDD WAS.
Be aware Crean will be pushed if Gillard gos,she must Simon must not lead,he is tainted by Latham.
Labor will change leader by end February.

Belly:

...Canberra might sing to its own praises in the antiphon of “O Sapientia” (wisdom). But you and I both know better! Hang in there, and all praise to you for your unflinching loyalty to a party that long, long ago abandoned to the wolves, loyalists such as yourself.

...“All Praise” indeed

Hi diver dan,
Thanks for a thought provoking post. I'll look out for 'the story of the mind'. I've been led to some great reading by Forum posts.
You're right, I was, whilst admittedly going for a laugh or two, making a serious point about Tony.
I find him - in his current iteration, quite fascinating.
I chose Gollum because he's always fascinated me as well. And I think the parrallel goes quite deep.
To me, Gollum's pursuit of his precious turned him into the ultimate outsider. He started life as a Hobbit but his obsession drove him away from his 'tribe' - a term that Belly uses most aptly, I think - until he owed allegiance to nothing and no one, except the subject of his obsession.
This in turn, made Gollum into the ultimate opportunist. Do anything, say anything to achieve his precious.
Turning to Abbott, I see something similar occuring. I don't believe he had any serious thought that he could become PM until he suddenly became Liberal leader almost by accident.
In his early, and even middle years as a politician, Abbot was driven by his conservatism and by his strong social consience. He was of the "Love him or hate him, you always know where he stands" stripe.
But, since he's seen that the ultimate prize has become possible, it seems to me that he has abandoned his once principled positions.
He now stands for whatever will further his aims. He's reversed his position on several once deeply held principles. Some of his views are difficult to reconcile with his Christian, conservative, and once compassionate background.
So I see that Abbotts' striving for his prceious is - and maybe this is too strong a word, but anyway - 'corrupting' him as precious did to Gollum.
On the other hand I could be - and probably am - totally over thinking it.
Cheers,
Anthony
http://www.observationpoint.com.au

Ah but Belly the servant and follower of that knight in not so shining armor follows still.
He has seen the other tent at the other end of the Field of battle and it frightens him still.
Left Field the tent of Sir Robert of the Green frog sits, it too concerns him.
The noises coming from said tent are scary.
What remains? Belly thinks he knows sir self interest has more knights than any but is still fixed , poor fellow, with the idea best remains best, even if the selection must come from the back bench so be it.
Abbott, not the fat jolly one from Sherwood Forrest, rather More Sheriff of Nottingham, shall not have Belly's last shilling.
And Belly would not be seen in the same paddock with Sir Robert.
So he is content to dream and hope and indeed to know.
The horse his shilling rides with is the best of a bad bunch.