Respect
In response to a comment on Twitter from Mr Denmore:
“I’m older than Barnaby & ScoMo, but these guys are more like my father’s generation: sexist, patriarchal, anti-intellectual, frightened of difference, their self-confidence inversely correlated to their ability. They seem completely out of time. I simply do not get it.”
I wrote the following:
I have continued learning throughout life, from a maths degree at 21 to a law degree at 71, with other qualifications including a Masters in between. I have been a teacher (and even an insurance representative) as well as a lawyer and a mediator and have raised 3 children who are also all well-qualified.
In this process I have met thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds and believe I have earned respect from most of them.
But I do not think I would survive in the doghouse which is occupied by our politicians. They lack respect for others, they are too often inflexible, and, clearly, too many of them are there for their own benefit not ours.
They are outright dishonest over claiming their ‘entitlements’ while trampling on the helpless over issues like RoboDebt and current family polices. They live in a parallel universe where the helpless are further deprived, the dishonest get a slap on the wrist or even a reward for effort and, as for small children, the biggest crime is being found out.
The system is corrupt and I wonder whether it can ever be put right.
Global warming is an issue of major urgency and those we have elected are putting future children’s lives at risk by failing to take action. It is far more important than most of the issues Parliament is fighting over, and, as for our treatment of refugees – words fail me!
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43 comments
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Denis Hay -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
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Yvonne Robertson -
wam -
Jack Cade -
Keitha Granville -
Jack Cade -
terence mills -
Judith -
Matters Not -
ChristopherJ -
king1394 -
helvityni -
Wat Tyler -
Alcibiades -
New England Cocky -
Paul Davis -
Phil. -
DrakeN -
Joseph Carli -
Lambert Simpleton -
Kaye Lee -
Paul Davis -
RosemaryJ36 -
Matters Not -
wam -
wam -
Phil. -
Paul Davis -
Phil. -
wam -
Phil. -
Kaye Lee -
Denis Hay -
Jack Cade -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
Adrianne Haddow -
Diannaart -
Phil -
Phil -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
Diannaart
Return to home pageNothing much is going to change unless the political and financial system is changed. It’s about time Australia embraced the Modern Monetary System and disregard neoliberalism which has only benefited the top few percent of the population of Australia while everyone else has been dragged down. The only political party that seems to be addressing Australia’s major issues is the “Real Democracy Party.
I agree with Rosemary and Denis.
Well said Rosemary. Australians need to protest. It is as simple as that as the environment, immigration, health and social security are all in peril.
And yes, Denis, we need to realise that China has fast trains and money for infrastructure because its central spending and lending is all divorced from taxes and the need to borrow. But then what would be the point of politics if you didn’t compete for the power to divvy up the money and reward ‘constituents’ and donors?
Rome is burning while they argue about who is the best economic manager.
Time to get off our arses and into the streets. I am ready
There’s been a shift from party values to winning at all costs. I sometimes imagine that the logic is that even if they have to compromise on their values, it’s better to do that and govern rather than allow the other side in. Of course there’s also the complexity of no two people thinking exactly the same on any one issue and the advent of the factions within the major parties as well.
Somewhere in time, the parties were lead to believe that they could massage the electorate in order to win if they covered all their bases and acted accordingly. Consequently we see this constant polling situation not to mention all the ones we don’t see – the internal polls, the focus groups. We are also in the grip of the political adviser, many of whom I believe are too young and inexperienced to really know how anything plays in the electorate or they wouldn’t keep advising to have the nodding colleagues in the background and the grating repetition of the puerile phrase of the day. I guess their polling tells them that it’s working for them.
So where is our responsibility in this? Some of us try to keep up to date with the twists and turns of the political game play but where do we get our information in the main? We can’t be there and unless we have all day to watch parliament and even then we’re not privy to the behind the scenes machinations and will have to rely upon the views of journalists who nowadays report more opinion than fact. If we couple that with the behind the scenes manipulations of lobbyists and the mountains of money poured into misinformation a la Glencore and others, how can we just point the finger at the politician?
Personally, I can’t abide the Liberal philosophy and the way it supports the capitalist system at the expense of the individual member of society, but really, isn’t the drive for power and the dollar (I was voted in as Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce!), the single factor which brings most of them undone by appealing to the same in the rest of us?
couldn’t agree with mr denmore more than 10% the other 90% is christian interpretation. When we can question pollies on their beliefs he will get it.
They are ‘country boys’, who cross all generations and are the same the world over. The type of people who shoot holes in traffic signs, aim their cars at animals boggled by their headlights. ‘Wake in Fright’ people. They will
never change.
I remember the ‘flower people’, the ‘peace and goodwill ‘ people who were going to change the world, and the US in particular, forever.
But In their midst, festering away, were the John Howards, the Maggie Thatchers, the Cheneys, the Dubyas, the Putins.
I may be old, and cynical.
But I am right.
History teaches us only to recognise what can happen, but not to stop it. People are still tribal, with all that concept threatens. The world is captive to arms manufacturers – and the UK has a PM who is married to an arms dealer. A borderline tangerine-tinted twat threatens Venezuela with peace and democracy while arming the Saudis, the very antithesis of what America thinks itself to be but never has been.
The more things change, the more they remain the same.
Rant over!!
Party values Yvonne ? A seismic shift, I can’t even remember when MPs were in parliament for the benefit of their electorate rather than their own self-serving greed. The spectacle of Question Time is something I can no longer endure – toddlers squabbling in the sand pit behave better.
It is a daily tragedy that a person can step out of politics in their late 40s or early 50s on a benefit of more than $150,000 per year for life, when at the same time a pensioner is expected to manage on one tenth of that – and don’t even mention those on Newstart. And this benefit has no limits or restrictions, they can pick up positions on boards and all manner of other little gems to supplement.
For those unlucky enough to have been elected after this incredibly generous scheme was discontinued, they can still squirrel away their daily allowances of more than $240 as well as travel, free lunches, and all the other little extras they come to enjoy, to pay off mortgages and set up their super.
Only when all this has been taken away will we learn who would really like to represent us and look after our country. I won’t hold my breath.
The answer is genuine Independents, not people who were rejected as candidates and choose to seek revenge. The problem is that the Ted Macks of the word are rarities, and the major parties manipulate the system so as to make genuine Indis impossible to elect because of the costs involved. As George Galloway so eloquently puts it, ‘The two major parties are cheeks of the same arse.’
This morning on ABC RN with Fran Kelly Barnaby said that he wasn’t planning a challenge, was not counting the numbers BUT that he was elected as the leader of the Nationals and the Deputy Prime Minister at the last election and that he would seek to resume that position if the opportunity arose.
I think Vikki has been messing with his head and isn’t happy about being a back-bencher’s girl friend.
The fact is that there are a lot of people in regional areas, women in particular, who find nothing about Barnaby Joyce that makes him an attractive choice as our future Deputy PM.
ChristopherJ checkout http://www.climateprotectors.earth/greypower/
Re:
Barnaby says it because it resonates with a significant percentage of the population and those in the MSM who know better leave it unchallenged. Fact is – voters/citizens cast a vote for an aspirant Member of the House of Representatives and Members of the Senate. That’s the limit of their voting powers. Then it is those elected government MHRs and Senators (and only those) who determine who fills the higher positions. While most people know that, it’s not necessarily at a conscious level. Hence bullshit prevails.
It’s a bit like people saying that Ministers are spending taxpayers’ money. (As though tense matters not.) Truth is governments are spending government funds. But apparently the punters like to think that governments are spending taxpayers money. (That taxpayers after paying their legal obligations somehow still have claim to same.) So let them dream on – undisturbed.
Thank you Judith, will check them out
Agree that we do not vote for the prime minister, leader of this or that party or for ministers. We elect a local member to represent us. That person may or may not have some status within his/her party. Does Barnaby Joyce not understand this?
This Government does not know the meaning of the word ‘respect’…
The people of New England knew only too well what type of creature Joyce was, and is, and voted overwhelmingly for him.
I don’t expect them to be any more discerning next tine around.
I have absolutely no confidence in the people in the bush discriminating between their anus and their ulna.
Zali Steggall plans political ad reform after rightwing smear campaign
Advance Australia group falsely says Tony Abbott’s opponent supports Labor’s franking credit policy
One can confidently predict this election campaign will be the lowest, dirtiest, most dishonest gutter crawling campaign, that has yet to actually even formally begin, in Australia’s collective memory. 🙁
I agree with RosemaryJ36.
If Barnyard Joke, the Adulterer-in-Chief and representative of the Notional$ in New England believes that he will survive by practicing the “National$ family values” of Adultery, Alcoholism, Avarice, Bigotry, Croneyism, Deception, Egoism, Hypocrisy, Misogyny, Misrepresentation, Philandering & Racism then Australian voters in New England have the political representative and declining regional economy that they deserves.
TAMWORTH WOMEN SUPPORTING ADULTERY SUPPORT NATIONAL$
@ Wat Tyler: Now that is a difficult question that you raise there … what is an ulna?
Yes Jack Cade, they are indeed Wake In Fright people. They are flag waving, polluting, destroying, gluttonous, conceited, venal, braggard, pig ignorant red neck selfish arseholes ….. and don’t get me started on their mums and dads ….. but they are also uneducated, have dog awful role models, misled, lied to and corrupted, taught the price of everything and the value of nothing.
They are of course the rusted on 40% who will in May vote for the Conservative Fascist coalition for reasons that escape anyone with an ounce of commonsense or decency or a conscience.
Wish we could forcably move them all to Western Australia and let them cede from the commonwealth.
There is no need for a long winded thesis on Australian politician’s, they are the same as most politician’s around the globe self serving oxygen thieves. They are not interested in what their constituents think, only on how they vote. In the case of our own current government, they are masters at division and they know what makes the working class tick. Go to any front bar in a pub in Australia and there you will find the key to winning. The great comedian George Carlin had it sussed out years ago. Change the country but, the principle remans the same.
Strangely enough, Paul Davis, some small town inhabitants and small business operators are expressing dismay at the failures of their political representatives to engage in productive discussions with them, let alone display any intention to conduct their partliamentary business in accord with the known requirements of the local population.
I suspect that some of the ‘born to rule’ standing for re-election might well be in for a bit of a come-uppance this next election.
One can but hope and wish that it will be so.
God!…you’re all so dour and miserable…Here..you need a bit of cheering up!… https://freefall852.wordpress.com/2019/03/09/the-seven-weeping-men-of-sedan/
Mr Denmore has been on the money for a long time in cyberspace…respect!
Rosemary,
I love the Steve Maraboli quote.
DrakeN, i will be watching a number of seats with interest. Mayo, Warringah, Kooyong, Dixon and Point Piper (sic, alzheimer’s kicking in) for starters. Would love to see Georgina Downer still trying to get elected in 12 years time… Speaking of which, dismayed to see so many of these young gormless cretins coming off the IPA production line shoehorned into Lib preselection for a career of bland dull obedience to their owners, eg, James Patterson.
Read a book recently called “Rusted Off” and today saw the author on ABC TV. Yes, many regional business people and some of the farmers (not the trad landed gentry of course) becoming disenchanted with their divine righters and hope this is reflected in May.
Kaye – credit for the quote must go to Michael!
I am normally an optimist but, today, I was alarmed to hear a friend suggest that we are too late to prevent being overtaken by global warming.
I shall be in our local School Strike for the Climate day on Friday (not sure if I can stay on my feet for that long!) and am gathering data (too slowly I fear – help is welcomed!) to persuade our EPA to support establishing effective recycling services, but how do inspire a sufficient number of people to support these ideas?
We need to be rapidly reducing the current level of wasteful packaging – the source of much of our waste. There are so many changes to be made and we really are running out of time to make them!
I shall probably be dead in 20 years time but I want my 3 great grandchildren to be living in a viable world.
Try showing this video for inspiration
“She has fired the youth of the world, crushed beneath the weight of their parents’ greed and smug self-assurance, with a soaring ambition to make a difference. She leads them on another major global climate strike on March 15, in which 75 countries are involved with 860 events.”
jack cade, you must be a loonie. Just a smartie with a throw away line about blair and brown. Right up there with the dibransimkims and their wistful hopes.
There is still respect and heart in labor and if shorten can shy away from the loonie boys and the sinking jocks they will give the sonofasmallcar a thrashing,
I am not hopeful that labor will try to sink brandt but they should hit the loonie latte sippers everywhere.
jack cade, you must be a loonie.
Just a smartie with a throw away line about blair and brown. Right up there with the dibransimkims and their wistful hopes.
There is still respect and heart in labor and if shorten can shy away from the loonie boys and the sinking shock jocks they will give the sonofasmallcar a thrashing,
I am not hopeful that labor will try to sink brandt but they should hit the wastrel and the loonie latte sippers everywhere.
Bill has a good team, they are honest and concerned with us especially those at the lower end.
‘ Bill has a good team, they are honest and concerned with us especially those at the lower end.’
Nanu nanu…
Yes Phil, apparently we peons at the lower end may need to continue to tug our forelocks in the direction of the new set of trough snouters after May in hope that these concerned honest good guys n gals will toss us more scraps than the last lot.
Nanu nanu and don’t forget to live long and prosper.
” Yes Phil, apparently we peons at the lower end may need to continue to tug our forelocks in the direction of the new set of trough snouters after May in hope that these concerned honest good guys n gals will toss us more scraps than the last lot. ”
Indeed. Who could forget Bob Hawke and his ‘ Politics of envy ‘ We socialists well that’s me anyways, did real well out of the accord NOT. . Then there was the well dressed spiv Keating. A funny man with a rapier wit, thing is my wife had to go back to work to pay the mortgage. My house took me an extra ten years to pay off, but hey I’m lucky, unlike a lot of people, I have one to live in. At this stage.
Then there was Gillard a real friend to the single mothers and pensioners, yea right! . She voted down the pay rise in the caucus then had the brass neck to claim the rise after she failed to get the numbers on her side. I will never forgive her for knifing Rudd on the trumped up charge, he was going to lose the election. Utter rubbish, Rudd would have won it easy. Yes he was a nerd and had other faults but, he was a winner. It was done on the alter of her ego and now where is she and her fellow plotters . I watched her being interviewed the other week in relation to a painting of her. My God you would have thought she found a cure for cancer or brought total peace to the Middle East. Of course the feminists love her. Go figure.
Yes I am a socialist a true believer, there are because of the names I have mentioned, not many of us left. It is not a stretch to lay the blame at Labor’s door step for the mess we are now in. With what has transpired in the last five years, Labor should have come out of this next election with the biggest majority in its history. They will win but, it will not even at this juncture of proceedings, be a wipe out. Yes they are the better of two evils but anyone looking for huge changes to the Status Quo are going to be much mistaken. Even more of a sure bet is , the people in the government who should be doing porridge for crimes against the people, will live the rest of their lives in the lap of luxury. We have as a society lost our way. I despair.
Beam me up Scotty there is no intelligent life down here.
Have a problem with understanding, phile? Don’t worry half of Australia is on the left of the bell curve with you. Perhaps not as far left?
As for socialist you do exhibit all the arrogance of a national socialist be going to hear milo?.
Loved your reference to scotty
‘Even though he is no longer able to serve effectively as an engineer and struggles to acclimate to 24th-century life, Scotty nevertheless helps save the Enterprise-D from being trapped within the sphere.[12] s\
He sounds just the sort of bloke who should ‘beam you up’.
oops should have read the heading. rosemary
‘As for socialist you do exhibit all the arrogance of a national socialist be going to hear milo?.’
Milo a National Socialist? Erm….Ya don’t say. A Nazi? Heavens to Murgatroyed he seems so thoughtful and dare I say caring. As me being arrogant wow? Don’t make me laugh cup cake, it’s a joke right?.
As for Scotty, when he beams me up come and say hello.
Until then, get some rest. Your comments lead me to believe you are over tired and no doubt taxing your grey matter, one of the straps of your straight jacket must have slipped up around your neck, cutting off the blood and oxygen supply to the one cell keeping your ears apart you think is a brain.
Now if you want to insult me fine, find someone else to exercise your rapier wit with. I will not reply to you any more. I come here to expand my knowledge, not trade insults with Trolls. Bye.
Living in a very marginal seat in NSW and being one of the few people who still have a landline, I get polled continually about both the state and federal elections. When it comes to the part about what issue is most important to you, I have to wait till about option 7 which is “environment” – climate change doesn’t rate a mention.
If you want real change, here is a re-post about the Real Democracy Party:
What Does Love Look Like In Public?
Cornel West is a progressive political activist in the U.S.A. He has been highly critical of both the Republicans and the Democrats.
Why wouldn’t he be? After all, they are both deeply neoliberal and support the commodification of everything and everyone rather than the nurturing of everything and everyone.
This meme, (that is attributed to Cornel) has been placed on this FB page to underline why a commitment to human rights, civil liberties and social justice is absolutely fundamental to maintaining an open and egalitarian Australia. Geoffrey Robertson QC has contributed this important work to the benefit of all Aussies. I hope my FB mates will reflect upon it as we go into the bogeyman political narrative season. Check out the alternative at:
https://realdemocracyparty.net.au/Policy/Liberties/
Relevantly, to the tsunami of scandals that have happened in Canberra is the following anti-corrupt politicians’ policy:
https://realdemocracyparty.net.au/Policy/Liberties/
An example of another leading edge policy that supports the notion of caring for the environment we depend on to survive – and being able to transition to as close to a zero carbon nation within seven to five years – because our kids deserve better:
https://realdemocracyparty.net.au/…/AustralianClimatePolic…/
After you have checked out the policy positions page in more detail, check out the rest of the website, and then think about joining us – or promoting us – both activities are free:
https://realdemocracyparty.net.au/SignUp/
Nothing much is going to change unless the political and financial system is changed. It’s about time Australia embraced the Modern Monetary System and disregard neoliberalism which has only benefited the top few percents of the population of Australia while everyone else has been dragged down. The only political party that seems to be addressing Australia’s major issues is the “Real Democracy Party.
Very few societies have ever had a benign, caring and effective government. Machiavelli has had a. As rap but what he advocated was essentially walk softly but carry a big stick. He made the point that ‘niceness’ usually comes to a sticky end.
Maybe we need a dictator like Lee Kuan Yew. Obey the law and be a good citizen and you’ll be okay . Break the law and get severe punishment. The problem is that there are millions of people willing to do the bidding of bad people, on the basis of ‘I was just doing my job’.
Well said Phil @1.14am
Excellent comment Phil @1.14am
My thoughts in a nutshell.
With all the obvious cronyism and corruption that has gone on for the past 5 years, why hasn’t the Labor party done more to speak out against the current mob? Why has Labor supported them in the more draconian legislation such as data retention, encryption laws, welfare privatisation with its over the top compliance issues, and penalty rates reduction?
Where is the social responsibility that those who wish to govern should display?
Labor, if it wins (and anything can happen, shudder if Scummo is returned). If it wins, there’s a very long to-do list.
Not sure if Labor has the same list which pertains to immediate action on climate, investment into sustainable technologies, end to chaplain programs in public schools, a stop to government subsidies in private schools, fossil fuels, massive corporations such as arms dealers … such a lot to repair and I doubt Labor has the will or even the motivation after so many years of pleasing the lobbyists while forgetting the people.
Of course, even a compromised Labor is better than the raucous rabble we endure now.
More Independents, small parties. Remember how much a visionary independent can achieve?
Rob Oakshott
Glen Lazarus
Tony Windsor
A Greens party led by someone with the vision of Bob Brown?
There ARE people of quality among us. We need to support them.
Oh, and respect is a two way street, it is offered in hope, retracted if not returned. Waiting for it to be ‘earned’ is wasting time we don’t have.
Along with respect let’s not forget forgiveness, everyone makes mistakes, of course repeating the same mistakes is not acceptable.
Adrianne Haddow.
“With all the obvious cronyism and corruption that has gone on for the past 5 years, why hasn’t the Labor party done more to speak out against the current mob? Why has Labor supported them in the more draconian legislation such as data retention, encryption laws, welfare privatisation with its over the top compliance issues, and penalty rates reduction? ”
Agree totally with all of that. The silence has been deafening. Shorten will be captured by the same forces Morrison champions. I mean, if Shorten doesn’t make a fair fist of the job where do we go then? It was the issues you listed that makes me very suspicious of Shorten. He of course is from the union movement who have had over the years, their fair share of ‘ Agent Provocateurs ‘ even Albo who I voted for when he was running for leader which by the way, he carried the vote of the members,(Democracy in action not ) I now believe is suspect, his passion has gone the way of a rejected lover.
At the end of the day, Shorten will not destroy the goose that keeps laying the golden eggs, they all benefit from the cosy relationship of the duopoly. For mine the only real change will come when something catastrophic happens. I believe we are headed for a collapse of the eco system, a financial crash, or God forbid a war on a global scale. We no matter who governs now are headed into the Abyss we have lost the plot. People think the planet can be exploited forever, they are going to learn the hard way, it is on borrowed time. The people that put these capitalist bastards into power for all these years should be taken out and horse whipped. Cheers.
Jennifer Meyer-Smith
March 12, 2019 at 11:21 am
Well said Phil @1.14am
Cheers for that.
Well said Diannaart @1.46pm.
Jennifer
Labor will need to hit the ground running and not let up, nor let themselves be derailed by a sniping chorus from the COALition.
They cannot please everyone, therefore a good start is to do the best for the 99% who are not wealthy beyond necessity.