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Death of A Salesman – Metaphorically Speaking!

WILLY: Don’t be so modest. You always started too low. Walk in with a big laugh. Don’t look worried. Start off with a couple of good stories to lighten things up. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it—because personality always wins the day.

Death of A Salesman, Arthur Miller

 

* * *

 

“By all means say that we could do better at salesmanship, and look, I’ve never been a skite – never intend to be a skite; I would rather underpromise and overdeliver … Andrew, I would welcome you going out and using your salesmanship skills, which I’m sure are considerable, to help sell the government’s message.”

Tony Abbott 22nd January, 2015

 

* * *

Zero Up front. That’s Right! Get Your Degree Now! Pay Later! And what’s more the Federal Government will still contribute almost half your degree!

Um, will they still pay half after it’s all deregulated?

Yes, yes, but does it matter, after all you can get a degree now. And with 60 months interest free terms…

Um, don’t you charge interest?

Well, a bit, but don’t worry about that. Hurry, hurry. this could be your last chance to sign up before your degree is out of reach…

* * *

It’s all about sales, you see. There’s nothing wrong with our policies. On anything. And it’s only the fact that I don’t like to skite, that’s prevented me from telling you that we’re right about everything, and, if you don’t understand that, well, we’ve just had a bit of a failure to communicate and once we make ourselves clearer, you’ll understand that you really have no choice, because we intend to learn from our mistakes and we’ll consult widely so that we can find out why you’re not bowing to our superior wisdom.

* * *

“If there is one lesson to be learnt from the fate of the former government in Canberra, maybe even the fate of the former government in Victoria, [it] is that you do not change leaders; you rally behind someone and you stick to the plan. We’ve got a good plan. We inherited a mess, we’ve made a good start.”

Tony Abbott..

So what is this plan? Well, from The Real Solutions Booklet we see:

“That’s why our plan is to build a stronger, more productive and prosperous Australia – a truly 21st Century Australia – so that all Australians can get ahead in the global economy, live in a better country and have a better future.”

And I must say that it’s a good plan, Mr Abbott. Your plan is to build a “truly 21st Century Australia”, and I’m with you on that, but after searching all your documentation, I find it a little short on detail. Exactly how are you going to build a “stronger, more productive and prosperous Australia”?

 

* * *

WILLY: Don’t say? Tell you a secret, boys. Don’t breathe it to a soul. Someday I’ll have my own business, and I’ll never have to leave home any more.

HAPPY: Like Uncle Charley, heh?

WILLY: Bigger than Uncle Charley! Because Charley is not—liked. He’s liked, but he’s not–-well liked

 

Death of A Salesman, Arthur Miller

 

Can’t work out why Miller’s play ended tragically. After all Willy had a plan, and his was a good one, too. He planned to be rich, but somehow it didn’t happen. But he had a good plan. He just wasn’t much a salesman. And when you’re in sales, I guess that’s what counts. I didn’t realise that’s what’s important when you’re the Government too, though!

 

12 comments

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  1. John Fraser

    <

    LOL

    Good Article RossLeigh.

  2. Ned

    Death of a salesman
    Our man in Havana-Cigars Joe

    Mr Mc Nabb sounds like a disinfo change agent for factions set up by the Liberal party pushing the false talking point that”salesmanship” is to blame for the worse Government in nations history, When everyone knows its the product that is no good. You don’t blindfold the customer take them to an undisclosed location and force products on them that they never asked for and have no interest in. And say you and i are not leaving till you approve, But thats what Tone does everyday. He hoaxed his way into power, without consent. He is treating the Australian people as the unemployed who have no choice but to force Mutual obligation activities and consent to whatever he wants and what he has in stall for them. Their was no common consent in the beginning. Racketeering your way into power does not make it legitimate power or commanding of authority and respect. And the PM has lied all the way.

    Worse yet, The PM does exactly what he accuses the Unions of doing. He comes to power, and then says, Im not leaving until four years time regardless of my performance or suitability. Canberra is a sheltered railway workshop for the Liberal Union who operate like a union sitting around playing cards with other peoples lives until the clock hits four.

  3. Florence nee Fedup

    Ned, still only three years I hope. Not only a bad salesman, but salesman for the wrong boss. Bad product to sell. That is coal, I mean.

  4. Rossleigh

    Just re-read this from the early part of last year… Doesn’t sound quite as silly now, does it?

    It’s A Plan, But Not As We Know It, Jim OR They ARE a bunch of ruthless Chris Pynes.

    Yes, all you Abbott paid readers. I made the whole thing up. No need to worry. That story in the paper today about Liberals even being prepared to consider electing Turnbull leader was just the media making things up again…

    Promise…
    😀

  5. Michael Taylor

    Funny, isn’t it, Rossleigh, that all of a sudden the Murdoch media is no longer interested in leadership speculation?

  6. Harquebus

    Selling a fatally flawed plan is very difficult if not impossible.

  7. Florence nee Fedup

    Abbott working phones this weekend. Thought one done that after a challenge been made. A spill without a challenger is a new state affairs. Peta seems to be missing. has she given up.

    Could it be there is a back bench revolt on. Maybe one aimed at all sitting on front bench.

  8. Anomander

    STOP THE BOAST

  9. Rossleigh

    Ha ha, Anomander.
    With the Newman Government demanding ID for voting, perhaps he’s trying to STOP THE VOTES…

    And Florence, Abbott was just ringing to say that they won’t get penalty rates for having to take his call on the weekend, so why should anybody else get them…

  10. Anomander

    Although I desperately try to avoid it, a headline drove me to an article in the Terrorgraph today, which brought home the inanity and stupidity of the voting public.

    http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/increase-cost-for-families-running-an-airconditioner/story-fni0cp8j-1227195669476

    Apparently, all those OTHER people owning air conditioners are solely to blame and the price rises aren’t actually additional costs on families, they are in fact necessary “price signals”. Well that’s alright then.

    To beat the changes some households may have to surrender control of their aircon to their power provider. Others could be forced to fork out for more energy-efficient coolers. Those who can’t afford that investment — or spiralling running costs — may have to flee to more community “cooling centres” such as libraries.

    Hang on. Wasn’t energy use declining after the Carbon Tax was introduced? If that was the case, why did the companies need to spend billions increasing capacity?

    Besides, I thought Axing the Carbon Tax was going to solve all these problems? Tony even said so himself on many occasions. I’d have thought with that $500 extra from the carbon tax and the energy generators now relieved of the burden of this destructive tax. And since the job destroying Mining Tax is now gone it should now be much cheaper to dig-up and burn coal – so prices should be plummeting. Surely?

  11. eli nes

    blindness of the brainy or the vice chancellor disingenuous camouflage is rife in labor’s eyes.
    High in the sky are the $100K degree for the smart but the bread and butter teaching, nursing places filled with those who, except for NAPLAN(a those days are numbered) have never sat for an exam in their life yet sign despite almost zero chance of a long term or permanent job and TAFE/VET those with non academic ambitions are already targeted for a signature worth up to $96K adding billions for the universities. Do the maths? least educated and lowest paid can sign up to $96K to a uni, college, institute???

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