Paul,

Essentially your version of Rabid socialism is pretty much out and out communism Lee Rhiannon style, which has without exception produced extreme misery for its citizens.

Gough Whitless was a prime example of a rabid socialist who wanted to give everything to everyone for free, and in spite of ramping up taxes to the highest level in history, blew the budget in a big way.

Menzies tried to reduce the damage, but could only reduce taxes so far.

Hi Joe,

I can't really comment on this Greens/Trot axis you are so familiar with, Unlike you I have not met many people, if any, who admit to being Green Trotskyists, a couple of red trots yes, but never green.
How do you introduce yourself; "Hallo there, my name is Joe." Do they reply with; "Hallo, my name is Leon, I am a Green Trotskyists!" should I try that approach?

Beach, as a Greens insider you seem to know far more than I! So I'll simply acknowledge that all your first hand clap trap you glean from the pages of the Murdoch gutter press is true and correct.
Don't be ashamed of being a "Hansonite", most of the opinions expressed on this thread about Chinese buying into Australia would go down well at any self respecting One Nation Meeting, including my opinions.

Come on, Paul, you and I have probably been in the business long enough to know better: of course, nobody says what they are. I learnt that at about the time of the Rosenberg murders in 1953: they were my parents' age, and we were their kid's age. So of course you keep your lips zipped. Years later, when I was a Ted Hill supporter for a short time, that was still the rule.

However, not too many SPA or CPA or Socialist Apologists for Islamism supporters would admit to sucking up to any Trots, and vice versa. But birds of a feather .... After all, anything which might bring the system down in their common march through the institutions of the West.

In relation to the topic, I would hazard a guess and suggest that there are not too many on the pseudo-Left who still support the Chinese (although you never can tell with opportunists), although I do know someone who would, through thick and thin: he's been lusting after a Chinese girl for many years, and that may be influencing his objectivity.

For the life of me, I can't see how any country, including Australia, can support the control of their utilities or infrastructure by companies beholden to another country. But maybe that horse has already bolted.

Joe

Paul1405,

Full moon? As has been said before, there is always a disconnect, a gulf, between what you believe other posters have written and reality.

You have often referred to your close relations and simpatico between yourself and your 'Aunty Lee Rhiannon'(Brown) and other Eastern Bloc Greens.

Hi Joe,

Back in the 70's I was always sus about that 'Hari Krishna' mob, with all their peace and love, communal living bunk. I sused them from the start, as a pinko, commie lot, not a bone of capitalism in em'. Not that they would admit it, they never do, but I knew better! Beating drums and burning incense, I say, its incense today, hard drugs tomorrow!
There they were running up and down George Street, singing "Krishna, hari krishna, krishna krishna, hari, hari,,," when there were Viet Cong everywhere, just ready to take over good old Aussie! Knowing they were communists, My Aunty Dirtbag would always say "Stick your Hari, and your Krishna, and get and thump that Viet Cong, like a good Aussie lad should!" As you know Commies were everywhere in those days, did you ever find any Reds under your bed?
I thought there were lots of Commie organisations back then, that wouldn't admit it; Salvation Army, CWA, Royal Order of Oddfellows... Boys Scouts, the R.S.L!,,,Quakers! Just to mention some of the more perfidious subversive ones you are most likely familiar with.

Only you Beach, only you!

Hi Paul,

The strange thing was that there were almost no communists around when I was growing up in the fifties: one family here, one family there, one kid in my class at one school, one in another. In the sixties, I used to argue with a couple running the People's Bookshop here in Adelaide, but never met any others, one or two. A group of us young blokes formed a sort of loose lefty group dedicated to working-class revolution, but that didn't get very far either.

So no, your paranoia those days was completely unfounded. Even during the anti-War demos, I couldn't quite bond with many taking part, they seemed to be more anti-conscription than pro-Vietnamese as I was. Once McMahon pulled out most of the troops, the anti-War movement seemed to fizzle, except (as I recall) one last big one here in January 1973. The War itself dragged on for another two years, but it was over as far as the anti-War crowd was concerned.

There was an attempt by some students here, in about 1972 or 1973, to form an alliance with 'the workers', but they had no idea what the hell they were doing. With their usual arrogance, of course they thought they did, but they were shocked in disbelief when I pointed out that most of the workers then were non-Anglo and not Henry Lawson's battlers, at least where I worked: Greeks, Italians, Yugoslavs, Lebanese, some north Europeans, a few pommies but they usually moved quickly up into supervisory roles. And none of them were all that left-wing: migrants usually aren't since they are understandably too preoccupied with just getting established in a new country and new language. Fair enough.

Or were you trying to be sarcastic ? That will get you a fine at some unis :)

Cheers,

Joe