Tim Blair

On Saturday night the giant, lumbering road train known as the will of the people, aka the democratic process, smashed through the pretensions, delusions and manipulations of the unelected and unaccountable who presume to tell Australians what to think and who to be.

... for the fourth election in a row.

Now, we will see if we can duplicate the success in Australia in the US. The goal must be to restore sanity to a world where the left is running unfettered.

I'm glad to see that leftist hyperbole is not limited to the US, but is pervasive.

The left has dominated US government and culture for the last 40 years, and has reshaped institutions to their liking. Now, the though of President Bush winning re-election, and what it might mean for the prospect of rolling back the leftist revolution has got them energized (although not less than they were in Australia, apparently).

Hi Tim,
Great read on the ALP's abyssmal record and showing this is... But if you delve down deeper into Sheehan's article the story gets even more interesting.

Looks like the "core constituency" of the ALP is disintegrating. It's a rolling circus now and within Labor it seems now the "Unions" versus the "Progressives".

What is more, some non-"Naderites" (remember the DLP etc.) might just as well start another faction. In NZ Back in the old "Westminster" days the very pro market-economy faction of Labour is now a separate entity under proportional vote - and it's called "ACT" (Association of Consumers and Taxpayers).

Looks like this election may tear the ALP into a self-defining crisis. The Greens on one end, the "progressives" ("mullah advocates" on another), the union guys at yet another and the free(ish) marketeers at the final cord..

happy tug-of-play !
CROSSY

Jim, I don't see it as "rolling back the leftist revolution".

It's more like "cleaning up the debris of a failed ideology".

Sheehan writes that Andrea Mason is the first Aborigine to head a political party. But wasn't Aden Ridgeway in charge of the Democrats for a while?

And aren't all those who complain about this being the dawn of the "religious right" in Australia forgetting about the Reverend Fred Nile, who's been hanging around for decades?

It is quite remarkable to read some of that commentary from Australia. It's almost word-for-word identical to a lot of the commentary I've been reading in the US vis-à-vis Bush.

But wasn't Aden Ridgeway in charge of the Democrats for a while?

He was only a Deputy, he contested the leadership, but lost to the drunk or the homosexual.

I forget.

I WAS RIGHT

Let the The Mother of All Gloats Begin

I, in defiance of the Conventional Wisdom at the time, correctly predicted Howard's power trip, both in:

• policy: Howard has become more economically statist - "LITTLE JOHHNY" HOWARD: MACHIAVELLIAN ASIAN-LOVING SOCIALIST(June 11, 2003)


• politics: Howard would win with an increased majority - SPECIAL C-FILES PREDICTION: HOWARD TO WIN IN 2004 (June 09, 2003)

All doubters and critics must now recant and bow down before my all-conquering wisdom.

HOWARD THE HAMMER

I wish Margo would fuck off. How can she actually be paid to traffic her tired old rhetoric?

Will the SMH hire me to maintain my own vanity "web diary" full of shit?

Nice Crossy.
The ALP "Progressives" as "mullah huggers"
Has a cross factional ring to it.

An epitaph for that loathesome sodomite Bob Brown and that Sewer Trout Mark Latham, a little poem by Robert Service.......

I've little time to talk with men,
For I must talk to trees;
Or blades of grass, or blossoms,
when they frolic in the breeze.
I worship sun and sea and sky
And with a simple mind,
I've so much love for Nature I
Have little for mankind

Tim,

on the other hand, I (staunch conservative though I am) spit on Hillsong, their inane Christian rock, their moronic pop-plagued church filled grinning, benighted zombies.

Fuck'em all. Long live Satan.

How can the ALP ever expect support with people like that deadshit Mike Kaiser in charge. He hissed like a school girl on Chanel 9 on Saturday night.

How can the ALP ever expect support with people like that deadshit Mike Kaiser in charge. He hissed like a school girl on Chanel 9 on Saturday night.

At the Northmead polling booth a stooge handing out how to vote cards for the deceptively named "Liberals for Forests" (whose sole purpose is to direct preferences away from the Liberal Party) got more than they bargained for.

The stooge was accosted by a lefty moonbat who ranted on at length and in a hostile fashion about the evils of John Howard, lies and children overboard. Its almost a shame they didn't come to blows.

I have my morning coffee in a splendid little place in the heart of Melbourne's CBD. The clientele is mostly tertiary education (RMIT) and union apparatchik (ACTU House is two doors down). The mood was glum this morning - all the regulars loudly commiserating with each other, and, in typical lefty fashion, assuming everyone within earshot shares their point of view. One of the regulars wailed in genuine bewilderment: "Who actually voted for that little twerp?" There's the problem in a nutshell. Maybe if she just got out a little more, or went to a different coffee shop.

I would never bother to read sheehan,but the point should be made that labor has been losing support amongst the workers for years.
I am in the CMFEU in WA and can recall the last few elections when most building workers did NOT vote labor.
They see labor as piss weak and full of factionalised time servers,and unionists have mortgages too.

Here's a tip to extend the euphoria, go back to and search through some of the moonbats columnisits comments before Saturday, its REALLY fun!
This one from Mike Carlton.

"Beyond the Liberal Party faithful, I detect no enthusiasm out there for him or his Government. Nobody is putting out more flags, nobody is mounting the barricades. The fact is that Honest John has about worn out his welcome. The dissembling has been too much. The "never ever" GST, the kids overboard, the non-existent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the grovelling to George Bush and the absurd claim that our part in the war has somehow made us safer from terrorism have eroded his credibility to the point of no return. And his dizzy election spending spree has been met with the public cynicism it deserves"

egg, face, all over.
Yoda

How sweet it is!

The Federal election result has stirred me from slumber.. the kids have gone to school & house is a mess - but I can't help myself, for the very first time I've visited blog after blog ... It is all facinating stuff. AND now I'm leaving my 4th post!!!
A couple of things of stand out - in the main, Coalition voters seem to be poor 'winners', displaying a level of disdain for the 'losers' which is more appropriate for the footy match. David W - "I wish Margo would fuck off", JDM - "Howard the hammer" (deadshit, piss-off, lefty-moonbat , egg, face, all over...- just a few examples from previous postings)! Come on guys - give us a break.
Secondly - I've found out 'm not alone in my beliefs, perhaps I'm not too strange 'for analysing things to death' - an accusation my friends level at me frequently.
I agree with the free-market rationalists - it's great to give people choices. But I'm concerned too - what if people don't have the money or intelligence to exercise their choice. In the relay race that is life aren't those people going to be put on the outside track - perpetuating social inequality. Or perhaps Australia has given up on the idea of social equality as a myth from a previous century.
Who knows why people vote the way they do - mind you I'm starting to be able to pick those who vote Liberal. They talk about their home extensions, drive their SUV's and worry about which private school & health insurance they can afford - so - they have big mortages, don't really care about the environment and don't care what happens to Public education or health. Its a generalisation I know - but I see it time and time again in the suburb where I live.
I can't see Labor winning for a long time - and when things are so bad that people finally re-discover empathy, it will cost a fortune to fix things up. Then of course Labor will be accused of spending too much & it will all start over again.
As I know from experience life doesn't always turn out the way you plan and one day you might just need some of the services that are being dismembered in the name of fiscal responsibilty - sorry I digress.
Why do we expect Labor to fix things but we're happy to re-elect Liberals to simply stay the course?
Congratulations to the Liberal Party and it's supporters, & chin up to the Labor Party and theirs.

Alison White, if you think Coalition voters are ungracious to the opposition think for a minute about how long we have had to tolerate a vocal minority parading their views and denigrating our Prime Minister?

For instance, Margo Kingston's Web Diary - it's a crock of crap. She is virile and petulant and pejorative-laced, and is paid to write something so biased, ignorant and farciful?

She's been ranting and chanting for months about how "nobody" likes Howard and he's going to lose.

I think Coalition supporters can feel some strong vindication by Saturday's result. We are in the majority. The bulk of people do support and recognise good governance.

Margo should learn a lesson and piss off. If she wants to prattle, so be it, but she should do it in "Green Left Weekly" and not expect a payroll.

WTF is an SUV?
Where do I get one?

As a chrome plated RWDB with a great hole where my heart should be, I demand to be issued with all the trappings.

I want a boat, too, so I can throw children over the side.

Coalition voters seem to be poor 'winners'

Have you taken a look at some of the more left-aisle blogs to see how poor 'losers' they are? Here's a nice gathering of quotes.

But I'm concerned too - what if people don't have the money or intelligence to exercise their choice.

Yes, what if people are just too stupid for their own damn good? Thanks for the condescension, Alison.

Or perhaps Australia has given up on the idea of social equality as a myth from a previous century.

Hmm, I didn't know Australia as a whole had ever had aspirations to becoming a communist country. Methinks you're making that perpetual lefty mistake, confusing equality of opportunity (good) with equality of outcome (bad, unless you admire the standards of living of Eastern Europe ca. 1945-1989).

mind you I'm starting to be able to pick those who vote Liberal. They talk about their home extensions, drive their SUV's and worry about which private school & health insurance they can afford - so - they have big mortages, don't really care about the environment and don't care what happens to Public education or health.

Wow, wanting to send one's child to a private school now equates to not caring about the future of Public education? That's an interesting stretch of logic. Sounds kind of like a public-education version of "if you're not with us, you're with the terrorists", and we all know how much the Left likes to deride that statement.

Why do we expect Labor to fix things but we're happy to re-elect Liberals to simply stay the course?

Umm, from what I've gathered, several regular posters here would have entertained voting for Labor if they could have been counted on to just stay the course. The problem is that Latham couldn't even assure the majority of that, let alone that he'd be capable of "fixing things".

BTW, what's all this silliness about mortgages? I understand that some people may have voted for Howard because he promised continued low mortgage rates (or something...I can't say I paid much attention to that, so if anyone cares to enlighten me, go ahead).

But, listening to the Left half of the Aussie blogosphere this weekend, one gets the feeling that the mere fact of having a mortgage now makes you a Bad Person in their eyes. And since we're talking about the Left here, that's not merely Bad Person, but Bad Person Who Needs To Be Denigrated At All Times. Where the hell did this obsession with mortgages of all things come from?

Hi PW...
words always fail me - I'm not good at this so I'll try & clarify what I meant to say as I feel you have misunderstood.
Yes I have looked around at other blogs & I base my statement upon people saying things like 'nah nah nah nah' & "fuck-off etc". I've not seen as many on the other 'side'. That's just my personal experiene from the last 24hrs - I could be wrong.
My child has a low IQ - I'm not being condescending - I'm concerned. Hugh Mck was on compass last night and made some interesting points about intelligence and how we see it as an achievement - when in fact it is a gift. I in no way mean to suggest that people who vote any particular way do so because they are stupid. Far from it - I have read intelligent comment on both sides.
Social equality = communism!? Does it - then pardon my ignorance - what other term can I use then. Sorry but I think we should look after the 'losers' in our society - the poor, the disabled.
My best friend sends her children to a private school & she said she didn't care what they (Govt.) did to public schools. As I see it as people remove their children they disengage from it and have no interest, I'd like some of the concerned parents to stay and be involved in our local school - but they are scared that they aren't doing the best for their children. That is what concerns me.
I'm not a raving leftie - but if you want to paint me that way - so be it
... must go & get the washing out & re-make the beds. Life goes on.

Alison White,

May I recommend you look at:-

http://www.ihatejohnhoward.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6

then you might find that the recent conservative gloating is quite innocent compared to some raving lefties advocating political assassination. I suppose they can be forgiven...poor ideolistic darlings.

With the hysteria of the Left this election... a Labor victory would have only rewarded and intensified their vomitous conduct.

Hello from America (Maryland). Congratulations. In America, there is a conservative American Indian who describes the liberal mindset better than anybody I've ever seen. I urge you to check out Bad Eagle and read the two posts on the main page.

We're fighting the battle over here, too.

Alison,

The virtue of "Selfishness" is that by taking care of oneself first, you are then in a position to help others if you so choose. If you cannot look after yourself, how can you possibly look after anyone else? This is part of the basis of why acting in your own self-interest is not only rational but moral and ethical.

If you choose to look after the poor and disabled, that's your choice to do so. However, you've got no right to force that choice on other people and neither has any government through redistributive taxation.

You comment that parents leaving the public school system do so because they are afraid that if they stay they aren't doing the best for their children. Are you aware of what you are saying? Are you proposing that they deliberately act in a way thay they think is NOT in the interests of their children? Or are you saying that you know better than they do what's in their best interests?

It's this final point that is the real conceit and evil behind left-wing and any collectivist ideology. The idea that there is some "greater good" that the individual has to be sacrificed for. Of course, the "greater good" is decided by whatever gang of thugs has managed to grab power.

To Bad Templar (no relation to Knights?)... I took your advice & did a quick visit to said blog... OUCH. Ok I see your point.
just one question - is this blog as far to the right as that one is to the left so that I know I'm comparing apples to apples?
The other blogs upon which I based my opinion had posts from both 'sides' of politics & I was comparing within.
Just goes to show we are more the same than we are different!

Yes I have looked around at other blogs & I base my statement upon people saying things like 'nah nah nah nah' & "fuck-off etc".

From what I've seen, the expletive statements are generally reserved for use towards people who use the same or stronger language themselves (Bad Templer's link is quite instructive). The kind of people who think democracy itself has failed whenever they don't win an election (e.g. Margo Kingston, Alan Ramsey, etc.)

Social equality = communism!? Does it - then pardon my ignorance - what other term can I use then.

Wish I knew. Most of them have been poisoned and/or distorted beyond meaning by the political process, IMO.

Sorry but I think we should look after the 'losers' in our society - the poor, the disabled.

You'll hear no disagreement from me on that. (Nor from most others who frequent this blog, I presume.) What I condemn is an attitude that basically declares everyone a loser, because the usual implication is that "government knows what's best for you", and the people of any country based on that philosophy are generally worse off in the long run, not better. Sorry if I misinterpreted your 'social equality' remark in that way.

I'd like some of the concerned parents to stay and be involved in our local school - but they are scared that they aren't doing the best for their children.

Yes, but whose fault is it that public education is lagging so far behind private schools now that parents are willing to pay big money to get their children out of the public school system? Self-interest cuts both ways: If these people thought it would be less expensive for them to try to improve the public schools for their children's benefits, they would do it. That they aren't doing that is a pretty good indicator of just how bad the public schools must be these days. I suspect those parents would be willing to help out the public system, just not at any cost.

And I didn't mean to imply you're a raving lefty, just that you're repeating much of what passes as the conventional lefty wisdom that simply doesn't hold up to scrutiny anymore.

Alison: you may not be aware of this (many people aren't) but the ideas you seem to think are absolutes -- that "social equality" means taking care of poor people, that sending kids to private school (which I gather in Australia is the same as it is in the US -- schools that aren't part of the state-subsidized system) is somehow wrong, that people who own property as opposed to renting are selfish, that someone "having a low IQ" will be unable to sensibly make decisions about how to spend their own money -- are merely commonly-accepted notions that are often based on what has become fashionable practice. Most of them don't hold up to the light of day. For instance:

Social equality has very little to do with taking care of poor people. Social equality is the idea that no one is a more valuable member of society than anyone else, and that all social "rankings" like castes and classes should be abolished. On its face this looks like a very attractive plan, especially to people not in the top social ranks of society. However, there is quite a bit of evidence that classifying people into different and unequal groups seems to be a basic component of human behavior -- at the very least human groups automatically sort themselves first (non-family groups, that is) into followers and leaders, and there are usually more of the former than the latter. Like many socialist ideas, the attempted implementation of this attempt to alter basic human behavior has caused more harm, and produced more poverty, than following the older, more traditional method of inculcating into the moral code of society the idea that the upper classes should be considerate of the lower ones, and that all classes should obey the laws of god and man.

By the way, you say your child has a "low IQ," as an example in the argument about whether some members of society should be considered intelligent enough to spend their own money any way they see fit. The problem is you don't go into much detail. Is your child merely not a very good test-taker (IQ is a score that is calculated upon the result of certain tests), or does he have some sort of medical condition, like retardation or autism? Or is he simply a slow learner, or what we call here in the states a "C" student? In any case, unless your child is mentally handicapped in some way I see no reason that he should be considered too stupid, once an adult, to be trusted to spend his own money sensibly. The ability to spend one's own money sensibly is a component of the ability to control one's own desires for instant gratification, and that has very little to do with how whip-smart someone is at taking tests or writing poems or solving quadratic equations. I've known some quite brilliant people who spent money as if it grew in their backyard on a tree, and some supposedly simple, unimaginative clods who had a comfortable savings account, a steady job, a nice car, and (yes) a mortgage that was almost paid off.

"...the attempted implementation of this attempt ..."

Er -- please read as "the implementation of this attempt..." That might make a little more since. Hey, it's after midnight here and I'm not on my regular computer, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Alison Bronowski and her band of daiquiri diplomats have played themselves right off the edge of the stage

Here's a story from a recent book by Brian Tracy and I think it's relevant to some of the recent posts:

"I had a real eye-opening experience some years ago. I was speaking to an audience of about 1,200 people on success. I was telling them that I believed that anybody could be successful if they just did certain things in a certain way. At the break, I was surrounded by about 30 well-dressed men and women who were asking me questions and sharing their own stories. At that moment, a mentally retarded young man who had been sitting in the audience pushed his way through the crowd. He said in a very loud voice, "Mister Tracy. Mister Tracy, can I be a success too?"

I was a bit taken aback. I stood there looking at him while all these people watched me to hear how I was going to answer his question. I didn't exactly know what to tell him. My mind was racing. My credibility and my message, "Anyone can be successful," were being put to the test. Fortunately, he continued speaking. He said, "Mister Tracy, I live in a group home. Mister Tracy, we repair furniture. Every month, I buy a hundred-dollar savings bond. if I continue doing that, will I be a success too?"

As it happened, I had just been reading about how much someone would have to save to become financially independent. I knew that a person who saved $100 per month from the age of 21 to the age of 65 and earned an average return of 10 percent on the savings over that time period would be worth more than a million dollars at retirement. I suddenly realized that the young man, living in a group home, repairing furniture, with no advantages or opportunities, could actually become wealthy. If he just kept saving $100 every month, he would retire wealthier than 95 percent of the population."

To me, this story is about a lot more than just the magic of compound interest (wonderful though that is!). The real magic is in the power of the human spirit.

Alison at October 11, 2004 at 01:59 PM seems to be the nicest person who has ever tapped into a blog.

The way you express your opinions, in an open-minded and warm-hearted manner, is a refreshing change from the normal testosterone-fuelled pissing contests than one has come to expect, including from my self.

Jack,

Well said! Get's my vote too! One of the real tragedies is that decent people like Alison end up being the victims of the con job that collectivist ideology really is.

Alison, for just a few moderate examples of lefty poor losing check out Chris Scheil's site, from what I saw Chris himself was suprisingly gracious, but see the comments by some of his commenters, the ones that disgusted me were the ones that ran along the lines of "I hope the interest rates go throught the roof so these morons who voted for Howard will go broke". They are just examples that really annoyed me, search around and you'll find more that your fair share of moronic dummy spits. Maybe you should clean up your own backyard before critising others.

So don't come in here with your fau "above all that" attitude trying to take the high ground over conservatives who have spent years listening to the lies and rumour mongering of lefty lunatics and who knew full well that the gloating of the lefties if Latham had won would have been far,far worse than anything we're dishing out.
I mean seriously, what did you expect in an unabashedly conservative blog that has seen some of the most vicious, abusive and childish lefty crap on the net?

I know its hard Alison, but I'm afraid that you are just going to accept that Labour L.O.S.T. and move on.

To Michael, gosh - did I sound irritating to you - I'm sorry I just based my opinion upon my observations over the last 24hrs or so. I never said it was an absolute statement of fact . Did I really say anything to get so angry at?!

I've accepted the Labor party lost I'm not angry I'm just concerned for the future - perhaps good nature will prevail & I'm worried over nothing.

Thankyou for the kind words Jack.

Andrea - my daughter has an IQ of 58 and muscular dystrophy - we don't know what the future will bring for her. But when Govt.s start talking about cutbacks, a allowing people to make their own 'choices' I know that may never apply to her she needs people to pay their taxes and look after her when I'm dead.

Anyway back to the chores - children are home soon...

It has been exhilarating and a bit scary - good luck & happiness to all of you... in whatever form you seek.

Alison,
I think you'll find that the Howard Government will not leave you and those you love in the lurch. If you do have a worry, such as with your child, send the PM an email. He'll respond to you, just as he responds to me....what a little ripper he is!

Sure, you might not be completely satisfied with the answer but ask it anyway and I am sure you'll get a more positive response than I did. I was quite disappointed when he didn't take up my suggestion that Australia resign from the UN. But (sigh) it was a long shot anyway.

Alison,

Thanks for your comments. I've posted a reply on my blog.

"Did I really say anything to get so angry at?!

Well, yes actually (for me anyway) You made an this shallow and unfair generalization
"in the main, Coalition voters seem to be poor 'winners', displaying a level of disdain for the 'losers' which is more appropriate for the footy match"
based apparently just on your visits to blogs.

My mother, who died recently and my father who is now a heartbroken shell of a man have always been staunch conservatives, but were amongst the most compassionate people you could ever wish to meet. In their heyday, they were extensively involved with the underprivileged in their community. And no-one in their right minds could ever consider them "poor winners"

I did find that particular comment offensive, but seeing your subsequent posts, you seem a little more genuine than many lefties that jump in to consevative blogs and maybe I did react a little strongly. But perhaps you might like to rephrase those comments to specifically accuse conservative *blog users* of being "poor winners" instead of the wider conservative community, I'll happily admit to being a blog trash "poor winner" but genuinely believe its unfair to say that "in the main conservatives seem to be poor winners"

P.S like others here I also believe that your son will not be forgotten. I wouldn't have voted for Howard if I thought there was a possibility of that.

"Because of Howard's adventure in Iraq, Australians are at greater risk of being murdered by medieval Islamic jihadists."

Really. I should have thought medieval Islamic jihadists were at greater risk of being murdered by Australians

Alison
I too am a little concerned at your generalisations.
We have always been conservative- worked very hard, paid our bills on time, lived within our means, and that meant no holidays except 4 camping trips when the kids were young. No restaurant dinners, making my own clothes and cutting my husbands hair.
We had the same car for 20 years and gave at least 20$ per year to the salvos.
We had children who were shy. and slow learners and making no headway within the local state school. We supported our school in every way we could and by grade 5, were told by our son's teacher that she had been advised that he was very backward should be kept behind, however she was one of those treasures and found out what interested him and he flourished that year. We paid for him to have external math tuition but the next year he had another teacher who could not give a rats. We decided that we would see if he could be accepted a a private school even though we knew it would be difficult finacially. We could not get into a local Independent school they were booked with children enrolled from birth. We then went to a Anglican Boarding School- A very exclusive 'reputedly elite snob' school. We were met with kindness, understanding and assured it mattered not that we were not from the ranks of the 'social elite' and our child would be given every support and respect.
My husband and I were on average incomes but we poured all of my salary and some of my husbands and by the time our daughter joined him we were living on the smell of an oil rag. I was forced to take a second job to make ends meet.We met wonderful people at that school many in similiar circumstances and some VERY wealthy. The amazing thing is that the wealthy were so ordinary- oh yes there were the few social snobs and climbers and they stuck out like a sore thumb. They were kind generous of spirit and had a greater social conscience than many one meets in the leafier suburbs. This school, as do many private schools did a large amount of community work both in their school locale and also supporting educational opportunities for children in 3rd world countries.
Many of those children have gone into professions and continue to be dedicated to doing their best for society and the strange thing is the ones that are most active are conservatives- the few radicals and labor supporters run committees and organise marches and have Academic Careers or Law/politics grads.
My children grew in their own self worth and whilst never scoring great honours academically have turned into thoughtful and enterprising adults.
We saved for our retirement and thanks to our parents who passed on their common sense and hard earned savings at death, we too are independant of government pensions.
My father who in 1914 at the age of 3 lost his father to a German U- Boat- his mother left with little support, to raise 5 children under 10 years- they had no shoes in winter, having to wrap their feet in old newspapers and lard on the coldest winters day and barefoot the rest. At 7 he had a weekend job 10 hours a day and after school each day for a baker and butcher who gave them stale food and meat scraps as wages.
At Fifteen some one took pity on them and arranged for him to go to a Naval boys Home where he was fed and housed. By 21 when he could vote, he was a radical socialist as where his brothers.
He then joined the Merchant Marine and in the course of this time 1927 he was Ice bound in Vladisvostock for 6 months. They received no pay whilst not at sea, and food ran so low that they were almost starving and may have, if some of the poor peasants hadn't traded food for whatever they had to trade.
He had been so enamoured of the Soviet Ideals before this experience and would have probably gone on to be a Trade Union Leader. What he saw and experienced in this Soviet Utopia destroyed all vestiges of socialism and he NEVER EVER vote Labour again.
He was to suffer for his stubborness often out of work especially in winter because if you did not'buy' the Union Boss a 'beer' you did not get put back on the job when the weather thawed.
My mother struggled cutting down old and second hand clothes for us children and at Christmas we only got a new dress she made herself ditto birthday. We never had holidays other than a day a the 'seaside' about 5 time in my school life.
I had to leave school at fifteen and study at night school so that I could make the grade to be a nurse.
My parents came to Australia in 1959 as did I later in 1964 as 10 pound poms and we could not believe what a wonderful place Australia was and what opportunities it presented,
My parents saved and bought a VERY modest double fronted, retired on a full pension, had saved for a modest car which they had until unable to drive. They had the usual pensioner concessions and thought they were very very fortunate. They had no time for whingers and whiners who complained that the government should do more. Mum could not tolerate the selfishness of some in the senior cits who did every thing, went every where- gave all their assets to the kids so they could claim the pension and still bitched.
They remained staunch conservative until death as will we.
We have no SUV and live on a dirt road where it would be of use, but we think they are less safe and a waste of fuel. We live a house with no central heating and light the wood fire only after seven at night in mid winter, we wear extra clothes instead and work in the house or garden to keep warm and fit.
We don't go out to restaurants by choice now, love the ABC dramas and documentaries and the Life style, Getaway and Great outdoors- My husband has a pash for Catriona(old dog) and live a very contented life.
Since my active working life ended I have discovered the net and now can express my liberal views- but not in such depth in future.
I am very glad the labor party has had this great loss because it does not represent the wishes and hopes of the average citizen- it has ceasedd to do so since Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser did not represent us, Bob Hawke got his constituency by shafting a very good man as he did with Bill Haydon who better represented and understood the 'working' man. Paul Keating - well the less said.
John Howard is the best representaive we have ever had and been denied time and time again an opportunity to enact any bills for the betterment of this counrty because of the stubbornm deceitful and obstructionist minor and independents.
Long Live the Liberals and Costello has started to grow into a worthy successor.
Sorry Tim wont do this again-I hope

One of my clients is a trade union. I believe now is the time for the Liberals to make big permanent inroads into the union movement. A lot of blue-collar workersd could be on their side. Unfair dismissals DO occur - for example lefty local authority officers who hate men sacking men to give politically-correct women their jobs. Workers on the ground are also generally well-informed on health and saferty issues - often better than remoter bureaucrats - and Liberals shouls show they are actively interested in these things. There's a good deal more but that's a start.

To change the subject, the good Professor Bunyip has posted a link to Alan Ramsey's e-mail address. Let's all send him a message to cheer him up.

I've started writing him a little song:

My name is Alan Ramsay, I'm an aged bag of bile,
And find my writing handicapped by the fact I am senile

My Name is Alan Ramsey, I'm old and I'll die soon
But meanwhile I will show myself a pustular buffoon ...

@rexie..

Mullah huggers - as I said.. !
CROSSY

Rose, I don't know about Tim, but you can write like that any time you want, as far as I'm concerned. Inspiration!

you guys are just trying to crack onto alison.

if victory is so sweet, why so much bile?

Rose,
magic post!

you guys are just trying to crack onto alison.

Too right!

if victory is so sweet, why so much bile?

This from someone who keeps calling us "orcs".

what poor Alison does not seem to understand in all her naivete is that this is a battle for the moral high ground and what we do here is make sure that our enemies are de-humanised; characterised only as lunatics, cheats, spendthrifts and devoid of all the qualities shared by the ordinary honest hard working human beings we'd like to be thought we are.

This from someone who keeps calling us 'orcs'

Rather be a duck would you?

Bless Alison's heart...if there was ever an example for what the "Conservative = Liberal who's been mugged by reality" sounds like before the mugging, she's it.

(I'm using the American terms...adjust by locality as needed.)

I only became conscious of media bias after reading the Electronic Whorehouse.I haven't viewed media in the same non questioning way ever again.It was interesting for me to see how quickly it became to pick the ideological bias of commentators after that book.