Following on from my last two posts - a question. "Why won't anyone else in the mainstream media call them on it"?
Why don't Fairfax staff and the rest of the non-Murdoch media tell it like it is and expose the Coalition's dingbat behaviour for the un-Australian and destructive BS that it actually is? Why indeed?
The simple answer is fear. And their desire to remain within the old boys club.
Our so-called senior journalists and their colleagues are all fearful of the power that Murdoch and Abbott wield over their jobs and their promotional prospects. It's pathetic.
I watched Ross Garnaut deliver his final report today and then listened to the lame questions put to him by these same journalists. Not one actually displayed any real understanding of what Garnaut is on about. Actually reading would challenge some of them - lightweight the lot.
Ross Garnaut has credibility and spent a bit of time today explaining his report with its associated science, logic and reasoning. It was clear, concise and it made a lot of sense. As someone who has followed his climate work since 2007, I can say that he is an impressive individual who has dealt with this problem in detail and with class and style.
But tonight and tomorrow in *our media* we will see the most god-awful and distorted picture presented by these so-called journalists - because they "don't get it" - and their employers think that they are in the "outrage business".
It's just crap - pure and simple.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
More Stimulus Probably Needed
Following on from my previous post - I just wonder if "The Coalition" clowns think that the rest of us are completely stupid.
Because why else would they have spent the last year or so ranting and raving about our government stepping in and spending money during the global financial crisis? All in support of the Australian economy as the private sector pulled the pin? Why would they want to remove any government stimulus before it had done its work - and guarantee that our small businesses were decimated? Why else would they want Australia to have a similar GFC experience to the United States and Europe? And why would they want an unemployment rate around 10%?
Duh - I don't know either.
Actually on reflection, I do know. They think that we are as stupid as they pretend to be. They are so opportunistic and reckless and incompetent that they think they can say and do these things and that the rest of us will have forgotten it all between 5 minutes and 6 months later. And they do it because they are just a rabble without any morals or principles. Oh and they do it because Rupert told them to.
Fortunately there is now a permanent record of their stupidity to be found in the history pages of the internet.
Not only are Monsignori Abbott and his dingbat cronies Robb and Hockey incompetent - but they are also a serious danger to our society. They are clearly not an alternative government, never were and never will be.
We can't afford these clowns any longer and the sooner the Liberal party works that out the better.
Because why else would they have spent the last year or so ranting and raving about our government stepping in and spending money during the global financial crisis? All in support of the Australian economy as the private sector pulled the pin? Why would they want to remove any government stimulus before it had done its work - and guarantee that our small businesses were decimated? Why else would they want Australia to have a similar GFC experience to the United States and Europe? And why would they want an unemployment rate around 10%?
Duh - I don't know either.
Actually on reflection, I do know. They think that we are as stupid as they pretend to be. They are so opportunistic and reckless and incompetent that they think they can say and do these things and that the rest of us will have forgotten it all between 5 minutes and 6 months later. And they do it because they are just a rabble without any morals or principles. Oh and they do it because Rupert told them to.
Fortunately there is now a permanent record of their stupidity to be found in the history pages of the internet.
Not only are Monsignori Abbott and his dingbat cronies Robb and Hockey incompetent - but they are also a serious danger to our society. They are clearly not an alternative government, never were and never will be.
We can't afford these clowns any longer and the sooner the Liberal party works that out the better.
Wherefore art thou Stimulus?
So the Australian economy is apparently now *weak* - according to the ABS and the people who track these things. Business indicators here, Car sales here and housing here.
It looks like things in OZ are now getting a little tougher.
But don't expect any more *stimulus* measures from the Australian government - because as we have been constantly told by the *experts* those measures are useless and unnecessary and a waste of time and money.
Or according to the Coalition brains trust and News Limited parrots they are.
Because only a year or so ago they were all banging on about how the *stimulus* was unnecessary and a waste of public funds and other made up BS.
Now of course every half arsed Coalition supporter wants a new *stimulus* package to save their favourite industry.
I just watch all this with total amazement.
It looks like things in OZ are now getting a little tougher.
But don't expect any more *stimulus* measures from the Australian government - because as we have been constantly told by the *experts* those measures are useless and unnecessary and a waste of time and money.
Or according to the Coalition brains trust and News Limited parrots they are.
Because only a year or so ago they were all banging on about how the *stimulus* was unnecessary and a waste of public funds and other made up BS.
Now of course every half arsed Coalition supporter wants a new *stimulus* package to save their favourite industry.
I just watch all this with total amazement.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
A Special Report
It might be that many of us are not concerned with the long term - thinking that we need to deal only with the here and now. The today as opposed to the tomorrow.
I suppose when the value of your house is continually going up - regardless of what you do - then thinking about today as opposed to tomorrow is quite natural. The day after tomorrow will be better and we will think about that then.
But when your house price trajectory is in the other direction then you will be very concerned about tomorrow as opposed to today. Because tomorrow will mean that your wealth is somewhat less than it was yesterday.
And that is the thing that we seem not to fully appreciate. House prices go down - as well as up. And when they do start to go down then they usually keep doing that for quite some time.
Instead of thinking that our government will bail us out again and again - we probably should be starting to take a bit of personal responsibility.
And one of the things that will help with that is to become a little better informed.
I know that is a foreign concept for many but let’s forget our press and television - and let’s start to seek out the sources of knowledge and information that will help us to deal with uncertain times.
Lots of them exist - and anyone who has been reading my posts will know where to go to find them.
A special report on Australia by The Economist - audio here - is surprisingly good. As is Bill Mitchell. Now I know that Bill can be a little verbose - but this is well worth reading.
The piece I loved and can't resist quoting is this assessment of Julie Bishop by the conservative columnist Greg Sheridan.
"The opposition’s response, through Bishop, was pathetic. It was internally contradictory, unprincipled, amoral beyond even the exigencies of parliamentary hypocrisy and profoundly stupid. Bishop was a dud shadow treasurer and is now a dud foreign affairs spokeswoman. But her response on China betokens a much broader crisis for the opposition. The Liberal Party is now not so much a political movement as a collection of unemployed former ministers in search of a public service to do their thinking for them.
Bishop’s press release of August 19, surely one of the dumbest press releases issued by a foreign affairs spokesperson"
One of the ways that we can become a little better informed is to mark down the nonsense thinking of "The Coalition" until their leadership start to tell the truth and articulate real policy that is aligned with the interests of all Australian's.
Because if you continue to ignore them they will keep doing this sort of sh*t to attract your attention.
I suppose when the value of your house is continually going up - regardless of what you do - then thinking about today as opposed to tomorrow is quite natural. The day after tomorrow will be better and we will think about that then.
But when your house price trajectory is in the other direction then you will be very concerned about tomorrow as opposed to today. Because tomorrow will mean that your wealth is somewhat less than it was yesterday.
And that is the thing that we seem not to fully appreciate. House prices go down - as well as up. And when they do start to go down then they usually keep doing that for quite some time.
Instead of thinking that our government will bail us out again and again - we probably should be starting to take a bit of personal responsibility.
And one of the things that will help with that is to become a little better informed.
I know that is a foreign concept for many but let’s forget our press and television - and let’s start to seek out the sources of knowledge and information that will help us to deal with uncertain times.
Lots of them exist - and anyone who has been reading my posts will know where to go to find them.
A special report on Australia by The Economist - audio here - is surprisingly good. As is Bill Mitchell. Now I know that Bill can be a little verbose - but this is well worth reading.
The piece I loved and can't resist quoting is this assessment of Julie Bishop by the conservative columnist Greg Sheridan.
"The opposition’s response, through Bishop, was pathetic. It was internally contradictory, unprincipled, amoral beyond even the exigencies of parliamentary hypocrisy and profoundly stupid. Bishop was a dud shadow treasurer and is now a dud foreign affairs spokeswoman. But her response on China betokens a much broader crisis for the opposition. The Liberal Party is now not so much a political movement as a collection of unemployed former ministers in search of a public service to do their thinking for them.
Bishop’s press release of August 19, surely one of the dumbest press releases issued by a foreign affairs spokesperson"
One of the ways that we can become a little better informed is to mark down the nonsense thinking of "The Coalition" until their leadership start to tell the truth and articulate real policy that is aligned with the interests of all Australian's.
Because if you continue to ignore them they will keep doing this sort of sh*t to attract your attention.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Make my Daydream
For the one or two of you who know who Sarah Palin is and what she has been up to - this is just hilarious.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Brilliant
Andrew Elder has a remarkable insightful piece here - a must read for anyone interested in the way our politics and our media intersect.
And it raises a big issue - when are we going to have a national debate about the war that we have been prosecuting in Afghanistan now for over ten years? And which has cost us 24 young lives and untold amounts of treasure?
When do you think our democratic processes will ensure our people actually get to understand and talk about this war and its impacts and to decide if it's something that we want to continue with?
Oh you mean never?
So it's quite OK for governments on both the Liberal and Labor sides to think the people of the nation aren't smart enough or mature enough to be told the truth and to engage in a serious debate on this shitty little war?
Hell no - the geniuses in the parliament are much more capable of making these important decisions for us all.
Apparently it's not something the politicians think we need to have a conversation about but the people have decided to have it anyway - which is why the asylum seeker debate is so toxic.
And it raises a big issue - when are we going to have a national debate about the war that we have been prosecuting in Afghanistan now for over ten years? And which has cost us 24 young lives and untold amounts of treasure?
When do you think our democratic processes will ensure our people actually get to understand and talk about this war and its impacts and to decide if it's something that we want to continue with?
Oh you mean never?
So it's quite OK for governments on both the Liberal and Labor sides to think the people of the nation aren't smart enough or mature enough to be told the truth and to engage in a serious debate on this shitty little war?
Hell no - the geniuses in the parliament are much more capable of making these important decisions for us all.
Apparently it's not something the politicians think we need to have a conversation about but the people have decided to have it anyway - which is why the asylum seeker debate is so toxic.
Couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding
The rest of the world has been observing our shenanigans - and they are not impressed.
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