FERAL ELECTION

Happy daze John in Oz, yes good is good but one would expect that from an ex apprentice (failed-saw error of his way as found out about ladies) priest. Must say not too sure he is capable of this he seems to me akin Howard le Evil Dwarf & very much the 1950's man with beliefs much dated. As to the alternate well they just may mount a coup before hand not too sure if that is allowed once an election is announced or not? Either way like so many countries now days good leadership is sparse on the ground who is there in Aus to take on that role seems no one to me looking in from outside. I do not get involved in political discussion here rather listen & learn but one thing is for sure the majority voted Hollande in yet he is despised by the majority. His nick name is 'Le Jellyfish', it seems to me often people vote out what they have just for a change or to punish their leader then equally often regret it? We are just fickle I guess?
John post 15, I quite agree this is something I often think about. Why do we have the right to insist on this, is it because the population would like democracy, stuffed if I know? Just another of life's conundrums I guess but a lot of lives lost in enforcing democracy which in itself is odd.

Leratty, as you say he may not be the best man for the job but he is a bit better than what we have just now. There is however a chance that both sides may change leader before the parliament is dissolved, such a lovely word just wish it could be everlasting, it happened in 1983 the day the election was called.
What all countries appear to be lacking is someoen with a vision for the future, not just something to get them over the next election.

Richard, as you seem still to do a bit of travelling world wide, I believe Fiji is still under military government. The general populance outside of these countrys which have been taken over so to speak, are often much maligned in the western press for doing such a thing as deposing a government. To me I try and see the circumstances of such happening. Is it not possible and more than likely probable that the reason for doing so was that there was a civilian government in which was incompetent, incapable, and probably untrustworthy. In some of these so called army takeovers I cant see any army general getting any benefits for doing so, apart from maybe being a good citizen of that country getting rid of unsavoury officials. This is one side of the argument which never gets an airing, as is always pushed to get the again so called democratic government the best press. The other side of the coin to this is of course Syria, where it appears it is to the Wests advantage to pick the other side. All the trouble in the middle east is reported on with a bias towards the governments thinking, without putting the people who put them there, the reasons on their thinking, apart from photographic scenes which they approve of. Regards John Sabourn

Hi All.
Just a pennies worth. I think if the Mad Monk had won the last election we would be talking about a change of Govt, this man who has as much between the ears as he has between his legs, had to bring out his wife to defend himself against his priestly woman hating ego, maybe running around in bugie smugglers for so long without a connection upset him, his fury at continually being called Mr No nearly cost him the leadership which might yet happen. A week is a long time in politics, eight months is a lifetime, maybe just maybe he will be able to find a policy to announce, especially one on work reform which should go down a bundle. One thing, for the first time in yonks the parliament will run it's full term.
Cheers Des

The new date for "CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY" is September 14th 2013.

During the last war Nazi Germany had a Propoganda minister Dr. Goebbells I believe. The most you can say for this man is, he did not shirk as far as I know from his title. Today they shy away from the title of Propoganda and prefer to call it Spin. I cant remember if we had an opposite number for Goebbells as we must have had someone but his name was not a household word. Who are these spin (propoganda) ministers we have now, and is it a full ministerial job with all the going perks. John Sabourn

John it seems to me in the countries we are discussing in your post any upper rank military person is getting heaps of dosh as well as a very good standard of living + illicit gains shifted off shore where the western banks do stuff all about it but you or I try it well change of story! Just take Egypt as an example & apparently still going on. They, the army even were running many commercial enterprises.

Syria well I am just appalled we are allowing the carnage there as well as the Russian-China behaviour in UN. But also understand the west does not wish to be involved in all these situations but that 'optician'who took over from his father should be hauled into the streets & done away with along with his cohorts. They like so many countries have all been bleeding the country dry with their corruption etc. The funds stashed off shore would be HUGE. I know Capt. Kong thinks I am a dreamer there as he is irritated with supposedly the UK giving funds to the opposition he sees as terrorist, which no doubt some are however what is occurring is unacceptable in my humble opinion though what to do?

Fiji, hm a place we love & also the people + of course their rugby 7's team (: This political situation as I recall was due to what was perceived by the indigenous population read military who got the Tom T..s with the imported (yet born in Fiji) Indians in parliament, hence the coups. Look at the Solomon's-PNG (will be there, latter in a month...) & so called democratic government, say no more. Unfortunately this applies to so many other countries just that we visit each year for example Ethiopia, Yemen, Laos I could go on but.....yet a beautiful African country Malawi where we also go is run by a lady, corruption is fading away, the people are happy so there it seems to work?

Often heard whilst in Shanghai people saying China could never be due to its population be a democracy as we know it. I used to say as the educated come to exceed the uneducated you will see that come about. You can see the shoots are appearing now but how long only Buddha knows.

Des love that post 24!

Windy & cold today so a pleasant lunch in order as have been mucked around by bureaucracy this morning & feeling stressed as well as p..... off (: Richard

Hi Des.....your #24 refers.

Whilst I've always held the view that discussion of a man's politics is dangerous ground, I make the following observation.

Clearly, there is no doubt where your own feelings lie regarding Oz politics and your total disdain for Tony Abbott would, I'm sure, be shared by many. However, in reply to your proposed scenario 'had Abbott won the last election', have you considered the possibility that Australia, today, might concievably be 250 Billion dollars better off, had we not had to bear the cost of mindless squander on the madcap enterprises of Miss Gillard and those other two exemplars of modern politics, Swan and Albanese ? Des, mate, surely you can't be happy with the way this country is being run.....or can you? Do you honestly believe that Big Julie and Co are capable of leading us forward into a bright and happy future on the strength of what we, the people, have had to endure from Canberra these past four years?

I, too, am not totally won over by Tony Abbott, but would much rather take a chance on he than suffer more of she. Do hope that, after you read this, we can still be mates;)

................Roger

Roger you have summed it up very well. The duty of an opposition is to keep, or at least attempt to keep, the gov of the day honest. To date I am of the opinion they have done this. In past parliamenst when the Libs have put forward good policy prior to an election being called Labor has often poached them as their own. Time yet for good policy to be announced by Abbot.

As to Fiji, I was there over the early part of January. On one tour I got talking to the guide who it turned out was the grandson of the longest serving PM Fiji ever had. It was at the time Sitaveni Rhambuka came to pwoer. He was surprized that I could recall the bames of all the persons involved at the time, though I am unable to spell them.

The current gov is a democratic one but it has the support of the army, though it is not a military gov. All over the islands there are pictures of the corrup politician deposed at the last change of gov along with a list of their crimes. There is still a diviude btween the native Fijians and the Indian population, but despite that they appear to get on. The bus driver was an Indian and gave the appearance of being just an ordinary guy doing a job he liked.

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Originally Posted by Des Taff Jenkins

Hi All.
Just a pennies worth........

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Had Rudd used his brain when the Credit squeeze hit (gfc) he would have done well to make btter use of the money he wasted.
Almost 1 billion went overseas to persons now gone back to countyr of origin but getting Oz pension. How did thta help this country.
Cash ammounts given to seniors and others, it is estimated as much as 85% went on items such as plasma TV. How did that help this country. Then there was the debacle of the pink batts and school halls.
Had he used his brain he would have used the money to subsidise payroll tax etc so employers could keep staff employed. It would have benified the country in a far better way, person in employment often pay income tax.
Hope we can stiil be friends after this one mate.