ttbn, your death wish for the Greens, is nothing but wishful thinking on your part, and not supported by the facts. Despite a surge in popularity by the Nick Xenophon Team in SA, which cost us a Senator in that state, the Greens vote nationally was once again up last federal election. We won our first seat in the Queensland parliament, We have strong representation in the populous states of NSW and Victoria, along with Tasmania.

I can comment on NSW where last election the Greens picked up their second lower house seat, and look on track to win a third next year, adding to our already strong team in the upper house. In local elections we are winning more and more seats on councils, as residence realize we are the only party that can deliver a safe and healthy environment for them and their families. We are a grass roots party that is totally concerned for the people, unlike the big two and others that pander to powerful sectional interests.

On the other hand, your party The Australian Conservatives run by Corny Banana has failed to fly, its national support is pathetically low. The only support for far right parties comes from fringe dwellers, including the red neck racists and knuckle draggers that vote for the air head Hanson and her One Nation.

Hi Paul,

We lived on the edge of the Batman electorate fifty-odd years ago, I worked there, and our kids were born in PANCH, right in the middle of the electorate. In those days it was solidly working- lass. Of course, many of their kids and grand-kids have had vastly better opportunities, and the more self-obsessed and self0indulgent have move right and joined the Greens.

We forget that, from a Marxist point of view, the class which forms the bulk of the Greens is that pampered, self-regarding, class of professionals, whose view of themselves is that they are the rightful rulers of society, but have cruelly been overlooked by a Philistine society, obsessed with money. That attitude has been around for a long time, amongst Marx himself and most 'revolutionary' leaders since, have been members of this viciously-neglected class. Hence their fascination with the Gramscian strategy of tearing society down - nihilism rather than socialism.

I suspect that, these days, groups like the Greens may sound Left but are fundamentally self-interested, and use Leftist slogans and issues, as well as bogus-Left issues such as homosexual marriage, to insert that ideology into the minds of society. But at base, like all self-interested groupings, they are fundamentally right-wing and would revert to that reactionary stance in a heartbeat.

Discuss.

Cheers,

Joe

P1405, do you try to be an arrogant, ignorant ass? Or does it come naturally? Your love of all things left and low is well documented. Your continual demands for proof and links is tiresome and your superior attitude to everyone else is making you less viable as a commentor, by the day. Just because YOU say the greens are blah, blah, blah in no way at all raises them to any level higher than a weed. I and many others here, don't care about your green stats, we go by the real peoples opinions and not your sources, no matter how much you try to push them as fact. Here is where it is really at; The greens are a nothing party, because they are not a political party. They are a TV garden show. And a bad one at that. They have NO policies. I don't like either of the big boys, but that does not mean I'm going to settle for a different con-man just because I don't like the con-men on offer. Your so one eyed you can't see what is actually going on. Here's a thought I know you'll love. If fish and chips actually got a controlling edge in the votes, it would absolutely kill the big boys, because they would lose control of the purse strings. We would not get any more stupid laws passed, because, as if, we don't have enough of them now. It would be, as I have said before, 'the cat amongst the pidgeons'. Oh what a wonderful time that would be. The govt in total dis-array, seeing them all walking around like zombies, bouncing off walls and so on. The country would still keep functioning, nothing would change, we could plan and look forward to stable day-to-day activities, not wondering when the next hit in throat or pocket will come from. If you seriously think the gardeners have anything useful to say or offer, on any topic, you have sadly not looked close enough at them.

Hi Joe,

What has caused you to exude this rabid jealous streak towards the "professional middle class", I do not know. Could it be the result of your own political experience, or simply envy and avarice of a group in society that has been successful.

I certainly do not agree with your summation, Greens are not in general a pampered self-indulgent people at all. Rather I find most to be hard working educated folk with a social conscience. Wrongly you steal the phrase "rightful rulers of society" and apply it to the middle class professionals, it is nothing but a variant of the "born to rule class" which applied to the aristocracy and the owners of capital.

As for your last paragraph, your suspicion is simply that, a suspicion, therefore I cannot say if that is true or not, only circumstance would tell. The class warrior talks in terms of issues being left and right, a hangover from a bygone era. The gay marriage issues was a social justice issue. The Greens is a social justice party, and rightly takes a strong position on social justice issues.

ALTRAV, put a sock in it, you nonsense is not worth commenting on.

Hi paul,

Yes, you're half-right: Greens know how to talk the talk, how to make the most beautifully and passionately virtuous statements, perfect for T-shirts: "Free Darfur !" "Save the Hairy-Arsed Pygmy Possum ! Now !" "Let 65 Million Refugees Breathe Free !" "Make It Up As You Go !" But walking the walk ? Not so much.

But actual progressive action ? If homosexual marriage is a progressive issue, not just an exploitable one, then yes, but not much else. I'll stand by my assertion, that they, like so many 'revolutionary' groups over the past couple of hundred years, believe they - being so sophisticated and righteous and, as you say, well-educated - are the rightful ruling class, the class with vision, yearning for a Lenninesque Utopia [that's both John and Vladimir] to impose on the ignorant masses. Failing that, being spurned by the ignorant masses, they wouldn't hesitate, if they had power, to resurrect the firing squads - after all, every revolution regrettably needs such purgers, under the wise direction of the Central Committee.

Have I got that right ?

Cheers,

Joe

My favourite line from a green leader when sexual harassment was mentioned. That's not right we are believers in equality! Seven of our eight MP's are women! So tell me again how they can do anything but game political pensions, political donations and taxpayer funded electoral expenses.
Drain the swamp let's find our Donald!