Oceania Can we forgive Howard for his shallow, weak lies?

3000 families from Ansett are now struggling to find employment and means to feed their kids, due to Howard and Anderson's inexcusable politics.

An entire race of people have been vilified and a family mortally insulted because Howard based policy on 'whisperings and rumours', deciding vehemently that we 'don't want people who throw their kids overboard in our country...WE decide who comes into this country!"

The Tampa crisis was in fact - by international law - closer to Christmas Island and therefore our responsiblity, as opposed to Howard's claim that the ship was closer to Indonesia and therefore not our problem.
About turn on that eh Prime Minister?

And now we learn that his pathetic insinuation that 'Asylum seekers sowed their kids lips together' are not only false but knowingly false...not even a set of rumours on which to base such claims.

And the Governor General saga disgust me so much i won't even dignify it with any detail : I am sure you are all aware of his conduct in this regard.

Remember his Election Promise.. "If re-elected the first thing I will do is fix the Ansett crisis."

Well, he certainly delivered. We no longer have a crisis.

We have a tragedy.

Thank's John, you weak little man. If Hollingworth want's to redeem his career before being sacked, he will do what is right and remove Howard from office on the grounds of incompetence and gross abuse of power.

No more lies. No more tragedy...No more parents weeping silently becuase they can no longer financially support their kin, feed their kids. No more lives and misery turned into 'unfortunate' statistics.

I for one, can not forgive him.

Can you?

 

It doesn't really matter....he's here for 4 more years (unless Costello takes his Office...heehaw! ).

Saying it's all unforgivable or understandable is irrelevant because only the guy hes defending can remove him.

 

A dismissal? You're dreaming.

 

Saying it's all unforgivable or understandable is irrelevant because only the guy hes defending can remove him.

Share or Shaft?

 

I just hope all those folks who voted for him are happy now.


What a wonderful job he is doing!







p.s. I don't really blame him for Ansett, though. It was a dead company, losing TENS OF MILLIONS every day. Trying to revive it was, though noble, a futile effort.

 

Republican Revolution!

 

3000 families from Ansett are now struggling to find employment and means to feed their kids, due to Howard and Anderson's inexcusable politics.

And the govt was what, supposed to pour billions of dollars into something that they don't have responsibility over? If they did then they'd have to do that for every failing company. Fair's fair in our economy; it's survival of the fittest. These things happen; it's bad yes, but it's inevitable. I doubt the government could've done anything to revive the failing airline (honestly, do you want to have your taxes raised because Air NZ buggered up Ansett?)

An entire race of people have been vilified and a family mortally insulted

Oh, BS. You make it sound like Howard was launching a racist propaganda campaign. If anyone, for a minute, thought that because someone from a certain racial group threw their kids overboard that everyone in that racial group was the same then they are idiots. And those idiots would've come to that conclusion by themselves; John Howard had nothing to do with it nor did he want any part of it. I remember he said something to that effect during the election campaign

Howard based policy on 'whisperings and rumours', deciding vehemently that we 'don't want people who throw their kids overboard in our country...WE decide who comes into this country!"

The media had more to do with spreading that stuff than Howard. I don't recall that 'overboard' tape being part of his election campaign. In fact, I don't even think it was brought up until the last week.

The Tampa crisis was in fact - by international law - closer to Christmas Island and therefore our responsiblity, as opposed to Howard's claim that the ship was closer to Indonesia and therefore not our problem.

Who cares what region they were in. They were still breaking the law and trying to sneak into our country illegally.

About turn on that eh Prime Minister?

Ok, about turns? Let's talk about the ALPs new backflipping trick of "We support the Government's Defence Policy" before the election to "We don't support that policy" afterwards. Now they want to be more leniant. Make up your mind. That's what happens when you have a party made up of two opposing factions

And now we learn that his pathetic insinuation that 'Asylum seekers sowed their kids lips together' are not only false but knowingly false...not even a set of rumours on which to base such claims.

First I've heard of it. Source?

And the Governor General saga disgust me so much i won't even dignify it with any detail : I am sure you are all aware of his conduct in this regard.

Howard didn't dismiss him because:
a.) It would cause constitutional disturbance (never good)
b.) There wasn't solid grounds for his sacking. He slipped up on an interview (on the ABC no less)? Whoop-dee-doo!
c.) It should be the GG's place to resign

We have a tragedy.

Like experience pilots and stewards wouldn't get accepted into other airlines. Yeeesh

No more parents weeping silently becuase they can no longer financially support their kin, feed their kids. No more lives and misery turned into 'unfortunate' statistics.

That's one of the most accurate descriptions of life under an ALP government ever. "Recession we had to have" my ass. Remember early last year when the media claimed that the economy was almost in recession? Funny that now our economy is one of the strongest in the world

I for one, can not forgive him. Can you?

Yep.. although I don't know what I'm forgiving him for. He's done nothing wrong

You've presented an extremely one-sided stab at our current Government. In doing so, you've ignored the good things that they have done for this country:

* Government Debt: $50 billion repaid (after the ALP increased it by $80 billion to $96 billion)
* Unemployment: Less than 7% with over 800 000 jobs created (compared to the ALP having over 8% unemployed on a good day)
* Outlawing of sympathy strikes and compulsory unionism ha

 

I just hope all those folks who voted for him are happy now.

You bet. The taste of victory is stil sweet in my mouth

 

Politicians lie mate.

I hope this has been an enlightening post for you.

 

Unfortunately, the most valuable asset the government has is the faith of it's constituents, and this has been badly damaged. Many of the good things you have listed have come at great cost to those least able to afford it and/or protect themselves from it.

 

Stinrab - I think YOU need to look at all sides....

When the ALP gained power from the coalition in 1983 (correct me if I am wrong on the year) - they took over from a government that was in recession and had double digit inflation and interest rates... stagflation... and guess who the treasurer was... Mr. John Winston Howard.

 

Gath; like he hasn't redeemed that by keeping our country's economy strong for the past three terms

Of course I'm biased.. Everyone knows that. I've never denied that. The point of my post was to show the other side (because, yes, there is one)

 

You have to admit, at times, he has gone to far RIGHT wing, even for the Liberal party...

Ie: the Waterfront / MUA crisis.

To me, he will always be a national traitor for leading the cause for the retention of the monarchy in the Republic Referendum.

 

Yeah, he buggered up that referendum for sure. I agree with you there. But it's not like getting a Republic would make much of difference or would increase our potentional

EDIT: National traitor is a bit too extreme though

And we need more right-wing policies in our country. Too much bleeding-heart hippy crap present, IMO

 

Doesn't matter, it is all about principle and symbolism.

 

My Source? certainly.

Here is one of many. Jill Singer Opinion piece, Herald Sun, 22/02/02.

You make it sound like Howard was launching a racist propaganda campaign.

Do I? funny about that.
His entire campaign was designed to prey on the instinctual fear of the ignorant masses concerning 'national security' and a ploy to appeal to the innate racism in all Australian's since our days of colonisation.

And yes, I am dreaming of a dismissal. Realistically it will not happen, in truth, DA is right : Howard is here for another full term - or at least his government is.

But doesn't change the fact that the right and just course of action would be to have him removed from power.

The ALP government is changing, undergoing radical transformations in both structure and idealogy. I am still ambivilant regarding Crean, but I hope against hope he turns out to be enough to de-rail the tyranny of the Howard Autocracy.

Howard & Ruddock / Bush & Rumsfield.
Two 'great democracy's' being run and controlled by little dictators, appealing to the majority of the ignorant lower classes in an attempt to bypass the views of the nations Intelligensia.
And have a look people, it's working. Puppets such as Lord Andrew Bolt and his cronies are brainwashing our people.

When 'Truth and Justice' are once again synonymous with 'Democracy', I may once again feel proud enough to lift my chin and state "I am Australian."

Until such a time, I look at our leaders - whose decisions define us as a nation - and hang my head in shame.

Humanity, please forgive us.

 

His entire campaign was designed to prey on the instinctual fear of the ignorant masses ...

Isn't it amazing how times have changed? Without an election in sight he's ignoring the masses and keeping his appointed GG safe. What if this happened 6 months ago?

 

There is no one in Ausltralian politics ATM that stands out as a 'leader'. No one with the charisma or whatever that you can put faith in, howard was re-elected because his policies benefitted the people who voted for him in some personal way. (yes, many of his policies benefit many people).

But we're a community, we're a nation. We need to take care of each other as well as ourselves. That is, after all, what government is for

 

Jill Singer Opinion piece, Herald Sun, 22/02/02.

An OPINION piece? That's your source of facts? How come I haven't heard about these allegations you've brought up anywhere else? Surely that wouldn't have slipped past the lefties in the media

His entire campaign was designed to prey on the instinctual fear of the ignorant masses concerning 'national security' and a ploy to appeal to the innate racism in all Australian's since our days of colonisation.

I think his slogan "Keep Australia in safe hands" was about the extent of it. I must've missed the memo

And you're saying all Australians are racist? Talk about making sweeping generalisations. Yeeesh

But doesn't change the fact that the right and just course of action would be to have him removed from power.

Because of what?

Ansett? Not his fault
Overboard scandal? He was going on the information he had at the time (information which he was told was reliable... how could he not report it then?)

Two 'great democracy's' being run and controlled by little dictators, appealing to the majority of the ignorant lower classes in an attempt to bypass the views of the nations Intelligensia.

Turn_it_up

Little dictators? Why? Because they base their policies in reality, rather than a theory like most left-wing parties do?

You are overstepping the mark there. You're whining about extremism when you are actually exhibiting some of your own. Pfft

Humanity, please forgive us.

Overdoing it a bit aren't we? Just a smidge

 

Yet, a man as weak as Howard can't even stand by THAT conviction.

He has always left himself an out concerning the GG. "With the Information available to me so far, it seems..."

A- huh... the only thing stopping him from following the fleeting feelings of the un-educated throng at the bottom of Darwins pool, is his pride and ego.

It would still look bad if he turned on his 'champion'.

I look foward to rejoining this conversation 2morrow morning, but for now,
Adieu.

 

If there was only a political coup and Costello overtook Howard... god I LOVE talking about politics!

 

Costello's cool. I don't doubt he'd be a better leader than Howard (but that's not to say that Howard hasn't done a good job, IMO)

 

//Sir Humphrey Appleby

Yes, prime minister.

 

Look for the republic issue to come up when Costello moves in on Howard.

Besides, imagine all the Abbott and Costello jokes that will be bandied around. At least George Bush will know our leader's names.

 

The allegations have been bountiful in the media.

After the hunger strike protests where kids and adults sowed their lips together, the Government insinuated that the adults somehow forced these kids to act in such a manner, portraying them as obviously evil.
ACA did a show on it not so long ago, if you want an alternative source.

And all Human's are racist, especially Australians. Just to differing degrees. Some people are very effective at showing empathy for others, but the less sophisticated and developed of us rely more on primal instincts. Tribal, territorial instincts.
Racist instincts.

I suggest you take a step back and evaluate your assumptions, honoured Sir.