Hi there PAUL1405...

I find at times you're a very enigmatic individual, who has this (extraordinary) singular capacity to lay a false trail and lead some unsuspecting poor sap down it, and when you're good and ready 'snap' ? And in so doing, I've been caught, hoodwinked and thoroughly demoralised in my initial argument with you ?

I recognise you're both a declared, pacifist and a supporter of the Greens. As was I, though much earlier on with their highly principled policies of preserving our endangered, very precious flora and fauna. Then for some inexplicable reason they (the Greens) seemed to depart from their core values and principles, and wade out into more unchartered territory of some of the more universal policies that governments need to address from time to time. Matters of Defence, Immigration, Firearms etc. and other areas that have no real substance, nor an interest for them, or have any impact upon their original, core values ?

You 'appear' to be a strenuous advocate for the Greens ? Yet I have this sense that a lot of what they say is not part of your belief system ? Notwithstanding you're from the Left Paul, I don't believe you're as far Left that you'd have us all believe ? Furthermore, I've heard you say some things in the past, that are more practical, even contradictory to much of what a normal socialist might opine ? It's for this reason I describe you as being quite enigmatic, a puzzling individual ?

Where do you (actually) stand PAUL1405, I know you're smart, and a University graduate, but you're not a 'dyed in the wool Socialist', not even within a whisker of being one ? Somehow, I have this sense you and I, and many others on the Forum, have much more in common, than some might believe ? Though, the events of 1964 - 1972, might still be 'a bit of a deal breaker' as far as I'm concerned at least, in the long run ? I dunno ?

Hi o sung wu,

Like there are small 'L' Liberals, I would describe myself as a small 'E' environmentalists. I agree with many aspects of socialism, but I also temper that with the recognition of the success of the mixed socialists/capitalists society we live in. I am not a "revolutionary" in the sense I want to change the bases of the social political structure we have, but I do want to improve our society. I recognise the need for social justice, giving a voice to those who have no voice, and much of that is at the core of The Greens. Believe it or not, I know most of the Greens in the NSW parliament, and in no way are they communists, in fact they are closer to Tony Abbott than Karl Marx. The Greens are made up of a very diverse cross section of the community. Nation wide there are about 30,000 party members.

cont.

cont

I hear what you say, and it is a common theme from many, why don't The Greens stick to their core issue of the environment and leave the rest to the big boys. Something I don't agree with, The Greens are as much a diverse and serious political party as is The Labor or Liberal Parties. One issue parties come and go, and never grow beyond the one or two percent level of support, no matter how important that single issue might be, it will never be the be all, or end all of politics. I was once a member of The Labor Party, a party I believe has lost most of its core principles and is not that dissimilar to the Liberal Party, both have shifted to the right of the political spectrum over time, leaving a center left vacuum that needs to be filled, hopefully The Greens is the party to fill that void, but it takes time, a long time, and The Greens may fail to achieve that goal, and some other political force may rise and fill the gap,I don't know. My politics has not shifted that much from my informative years, although I am no where as radical as I was as a youth. LOL

Cheers.

http://greens.org.au/

G'day there PAUL1405...

Thank you for your honesty ! Thank you also for the official Site of the Greens too. You're pretty much as I thought. I also appreciate your desire to give a voice to those who haven't got one, or who're unable to give voice to their own set of unique problems. Actually most of the regular contributors to this Forum, would be of a similar mind, as I'm sure you'd already recognise ? Aussies are a pretty 'giving' lot really, as you're aware Paul.

Years ago we'd have to drive slowly through Belmore Park (adjacent to Central Railway), we'd see dozens of these poor buggers trying to sleep on bench's (if they were fortunate enough to get a bench!) or on lawns. Occasionally you'd find one, who'd succumbed to the cold or whatever, and died during the night ?

Periodically we'd have to arrest one or two of 'em, either for fighting or drunken behaviour, a myriad of minor street offences. Often we were doing them a favour. they'd get a week or two off the streets, out at Long Bay, with a bed and three square meals daily !

I realise Paul, this might seem harsh to you, the law treating these blokes and 'ladies' in such a manner, but it's not really, as the street can prove quite dangerous to many, having their meagre pension stolen, almost as soon as they get it ?

The reason I'm telling you this, most of the Aussie adult population would view sympathetically or commiseratively, those of us who simply can't fit into our society. Whether we're Labour, Liberal, Greens, or whatever Party, we'd all like to believe we have a better social conscience then most other Nations ?

The same goes for protecting our heritage, our natural environment, defending our Country, pretty well all the most important issues we confront daily ? It's the 'micro-management' of many of these beliefs where we tend to differ I think, otherwise we're not all that disengaged from each other, basically we're all on the same page, is my thinking ?

Hi o sung wu,

You pick a good example of one who needs a helping hand, and I don't see what you did as harsh at all, in fact just the opposite. Seeing a "beggar" in the street one has a couple of options, turn a blind eye and say "you deserve your station in life, you brought that upon yourself" and to some extent that may be true Or you could say, "regardless of the cause of your situation you need help and I will do what I can." I know this all sounds 'Good Samaritan' type of stuff and I don't want you to think I'm putting myself or The Greens for that matter up as some kind of saints, we are not. The beggar is the extreme case, easy to spot, but in some respects we are very much all some kind of "beggar" the old person on a pension, the kid in school, the woman in hospital, the bloke who cant find a job, the returned soldier, the drug addicted etc etc. Its only the lucky few who are not deserving of, or in need of, some form of help in society. With all that comes some need for balance and priorities etc, that is where the politics comes in, who needs what, and who is the more deserving. Nothing is perfect in this world so we are going to argue for some time to come.
This might sound silly, when I catch a public bus, pay my $2.50 ticket, sit down, ride, get off, I'm in a way like "the beggar" I needed help. I needed and received help from society to take that journey, society made my life that little bit better/easier. through a helping hand, a subsidised bus trip, that case is not so easy to spot, but it happens a million times a day in so many different ways.

Indeed we all need help of one sort or other throughout our lives PAUL1405. Picking up those old 'chats' to use a denigrating form of the vernacular, was of great benefit to them. Their singular form of treasure was having sufficient 'weed' (Tobacco- usually 'Drum' or 'White Ox')to last them until next Pension Day ? Everything else could wait, in their minds ? By going to gaol for a week or two meant clothes, 3 x square meals a day, and best of all, a small supply of weed ! I've actually witnessed several times, these poor fella's actually thank a Magistrate for sending them to gaol ?

Like you Paul, you're very grateful for having the ability to pay the fare to catch your omnibus ? And I'm similarly grateful, for my two pensions. Otherwise I may well be squatting outdoors, somewhere like Belmore Park, these colder autumn nights ?

What is it they say...? There but for the grace of God, go I ? Some of us are very lucky, while others are not so lucky. Politics doesn't have anything to do with it, neither has religion ? Life's just a roll of the dice, nothing more nor less I reckon.