Sunday, October 10, 2004
An Ode to John Howard
Well, Little Johnnie has done it again... Australians have become accustomed to Howard's continual deception and have now given him and his deception a ringing endorsement. Howard will now use this result as a mandate to continue lying openly and with increased regularity and veracity.
And Australians don't deserve any better. Australians saw fit to give Howard a swing towards him on a scare campaign about interest rates, terrorism and the inexperience of the alternative Prime Minister. The crowing Liberals have yet again won an election by scaring Australians into voting for them, but this time, they have bought as many as they have scared. Australians have shown that we respond to advertising like the trained mice that we are. Given the right stimulus, each mouse runs the wheel generating the current of electricity which causes the little diode to flicker.
But what's worse is that Howard now has an increased majority in both houses, and will use this 'absolute power' to pass whatever he wants. The Australian Democrats, an effective backstop for 25 years, now with four or five Senators will not be able to do anything to legislation. The Greens, given a further 2 or 3 seats will also have a muted presence. Family First may sell out to help Howard pursue a regressive social agenda. It is a black day when unknown party like Family First can hold the only glimmer of hope for Howard's battlers. What will it take for people like Steve Fielding, (local councillor from South Eastern Victoria) or Andrea Mason (South Australian Evangelical) to sell their souls to the devil, to John Howard.
Of the majority of Australians who voted for Howard, no Australian deserves job security. No Australian may presume to have a right to education and health care. Howard is a user pays man, so rich merchant bankers like Malcolm Turnbull will always be able to buy whatever they need, including election results.
The losers will be middle Australia, Menzies' forgotten people. Those whose middle management positions have been eliminated under Howard, and who fight every day to find reasons not to commit suicide. Aborigines will again bear the brunt of a government and a society which cares little for their welfare. The bush will also suffer, as Telstra will be sold at the National's expense. The likes of Nick Minchin may well have to wait for John Anderson's retirement, but Telstra is as good as sold, and untimed subsidised local calls are a thing of the past. The bush battlers who love Howard deserve no better. This election was fought on a 'me-first' agenda. Howard has proven that Australians are selfish and small minded people.
2000 Tasmanian timber workers will win. The environment will lose. Which means our children will have increased health problems and tourism, particularly in Tasmania, will continue to suffer attacks to it's pristine Old Growth Forests and Rainforests. Blow the trees out of the ground timber workers! It's only our children and grandchildren who will pay the price. We must only worry about now and about increasing the rate at which we destroy Tasmania. We are indebted to the conservative fools in North Western Tasmania who chose to focus opportunistically on Howard's apple poised precariously on their cowering child's head.
Australians will continue to be perceived by the world as a people without sovereignty, indebted to the United States for our existence. And terrorism. I have fears that terrorism will not decrease.
It is a black day when Australians show their true colours.
And Australians don't deserve any better. Australians saw fit to give Howard a swing towards him on a scare campaign about interest rates, terrorism and the inexperience of the alternative Prime Minister. The crowing Liberals have yet again won an election by scaring Australians into voting for them, but this time, they have bought as many as they have scared. Australians have shown that we respond to advertising like the trained mice that we are. Given the right stimulus, each mouse runs the wheel generating the current of electricity which causes the little diode to flicker.
But what's worse is that Howard now has an increased majority in both houses, and will use this 'absolute power' to pass whatever he wants. The Australian Democrats, an effective backstop for 25 years, now with four or five Senators will not be able to do anything to legislation. The Greens, given a further 2 or 3 seats will also have a muted presence. Family First may sell out to help Howard pursue a regressive social agenda. It is a black day when unknown party like Family First can hold the only glimmer of hope for Howard's battlers. What will it take for people like Steve Fielding, (local councillor from South Eastern Victoria) or Andrea Mason (South Australian Evangelical) to sell their souls to the devil, to John Howard.
Of the majority of Australians who voted for Howard, no Australian deserves job security. No Australian may presume to have a right to education and health care. Howard is a user pays man, so rich merchant bankers like Malcolm Turnbull will always be able to buy whatever they need, including election results.
The losers will be middle Australia, Menzies' forgotten people. Those whose middle management positions have been eliminated under Howard, and who fight every day to find reasons not to commit suicide. Aborigines will again bear the brunt of a government and a society which cares little for their welfare. The bush will also suffer, as Telstra will be sold at the National's expense. The likes of Nick Minchin may well have to wait for John Anderson's retirement, but Telstra is as good as sold, and untimed subsidised local calls are a thing of the past. The bush battlers who love Howard deserve no better. This election was fought on a 'me-first' agenda. Howard has proven that Australians are selfish and small minded people.
2000 Tasmanian timber workers will win. The environment will lose. Which means our children will have increased health problems and tourism, particularly in Tasmania, will continue to suffer attacks to it's pristine Old Growth Forests and Rainforests. Blow the trees out of the ground timber workers! It's only our children and grandchildren who will pay the price. We must only worry about now and about increasing the rate at which we destroy Tasmania. We are indebted to the conservative fools in North Western Tasmania who chose to focus opportunistically on Howard's apple poised precariously on their cowering child's head.
Australians will continue to be perceived by the world as a people without sovereignty, indebted to the United States for our existence. And terrorism. I have fears that terrorism will not decrease.
It is a black day when Australians show their true colours.
