Australia

[a_majoor]

If our Parlimentarians and people were like this, we would indeed be the masters of the world!

http://torydrroy.blogspot.com/2006/06/interesting-column-on-australia-loyal.html

WASHINGTON -- In the Australian House of Representatives last month, opposition member Julia Gillard interrupted a speech by the minister of health thusly: ``I move that that sniveling grub over there be not further heard.''

For that, the good woman was ordered removed from the House, if only for a day. She might have escaped that little time-out if she had responded to the speaker's demand for an apology with something other than ``If I have offended grubs, I withdraw unconditionally.''

God, I love Australia. Where else do you have a shadow health minister with such, er, starch? Of course I'm prejudiced, having married an Australian, but how not to like a country, in this age of sniveling grubs worldwide, whose treasurer suggests to any person who ``wants to live under sharia law'' to try Saudi Arabia and Iran, ``but not Australia.'' He was elaborating on an earlier suggestion that ``people who ... don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then they can basically clear off.'' Contrast this with Canada, historically and culturally Australia's commonwealth twin, where last year Ontario actually gave serious consideration to allowing its Muslims to live under sharia law.Such things don't happen in Australia. This is a place where, when the remains of a fallen soldier are accidentally switched with those of a Bosnian, the enraged widow picks up the phone late at night, calls the prime minister at home in bed and delivers a furious unedited rant -- which he publicly and graciously accepts as fully deserved. Where Americans today sue, Australians slash and skewer.

For Americans, Australia engenders nostalgia for our own past, which we gauzily remember as infused with John Wayne plain-spokenness and vigor. Australia evokes an echo of our own frontier, which is why Australia is the only place you can unironically still shoot a Western.

It is surely the only place where you hear officials speaking plainly in defense of action. What other foreign minister but Australia's would see through ``multilateralism,'' the fetish of every sniveling foreign policy grub from the Quai d'Orsay to Foggy Bottom, calling it correctly ``a synonym for an ineffective and unfocused policy involving internationalism of the lowest common denominator''?

And with action comes bravery, from the transcendent courage of the doomed at Gallipoli to the playful insanity of Australian-rules football. How can you not like a country whose trademark sport has Attila-the-Hun rules, short pants and no padding -- a national passion that makes American football look positively pastoral?

That bravery breeds affection in America for another reason as well. Australia is the only country that has fought with the United States in every one of its major conflicts since 1914, the good and the bad, the winning and the losing.

Why? Because Australia's geographic and historical isolation has bred a wisdom about the structure of peace -- a wisdom that eludes most other countries. Australia has no illusions about the ``international community'' and its feckless institutions. An island of tranquility in a roiling region, Australia understands that peace and prosperity do not come with the air we breathe, but are maintained by power -- once the power of the British Empire, now the power of the United States.

Australia joined the faraway wars of early-20th-century Europe not out of imperial nostalgia, but out of a deep understanding that its fate and the fate of liberty were intimately bound with that of the British Empire as principal underwriter of the international system. Today the underwriter is America, and Australia understands that an American retreat or defeat -- a chastening consummation devoutly, if secretly, wished by many a Western ally -- would be catastrophic for Australia and for the world.

When Australian ambassadors in Washington express support for the U.S., it is heartfelt and unalloyed, never the ``yes, but'' of the other allies, perfunctory support followed by a list of complaints, slights and sage finger-wagging. Australia understands America's role and is sympathetic to its predicament as reluctant hegemon. That understanding has led it to share foxholes with Americans from Korea to Kabul. They fought with us at Tet and now in Baghdad. Not every engagement has ended well. But every one was strenuous, and many quite friendless. Which is why America has such affection for a country whose prime minister said after 9/11, ``This is no time to be an 80 percent ally,'' and actually meant it.

Charles Krauthammer is a 1987 Pulitzer Prize winner, 1984 National Magazine Award winner, and a columnist for The Washington Post since 1985.

It is true that Australia has been an unapologetic ally of the United States in the war on terror.The fiberal party in Canada was always pandering to its resident base of leftists thus Carloyn Parrish, Ruby Dhalla et al. I hope HM New Government will rverse this trend completely and make Canadians understand,if we lose the war on terror, all will be lost. I always find it interesting that
Charles Krauthammer was raised in Quebec and can still see right through the leftist haze of fiberal Canada.
He got his undergraduate degree at Mcgill University and won a Commonwealth
Scholarship to Oxford, before going on to the Mcgill of the south: Harvard. He is a very bright man!

 

[RDBZ]

To all the Aussies on this board: do you think the results of the last Federal election, and recent events in the Solomons and Timor confirm the core arguments and perspectives put forward in this article?

 

[Trooper Hale]

HAHA! I was just about to bring that up! We'd love to think as ourselves as the culture and people represented in this article but a serious look at Australian politics just depresses most people. We have a conservative government that do things no government should ever do. If you want to understand this simply jump and google and type two delicious words, "children overboard". They edited the Navy's photo of people in the water after a people smuggling boat sunk and created a story about them having thown their kids overboard, then blamed the navy for the photo (which showed 3 people in the water, allegedly after having been thrown off the boat by their perents. And thats how they won the election. On fear and lies and creating something that people thought the liberals could defend them from.

Wes? Get into it? I'm sure you've got a different opinion well worth hearing. I'm a raving Lefty but i hate the country Australia has become because of the government. THAT doesnt mean i dont want to defend it though.
I'd fight for Aussie Rules Footy any day! (I'm being quite serious)

 

[1feral1]

Hey Hales, its after 0200h here on a work night. Can't sleep, still LAVing it up even in dream mode! Gotta go in today to be a pin cushion at the RAP, then to 2 HSB for a TB test, and back to the RAP for my AHA. Oh joy! Yes I am supposed to be enjoying my FAN this week. I need a holiday from my holiday.

As fo me, I have 110% trust in Howard, although he has been harsh on the gun laws, he has gained my respect in other ways. In my 26 yrs of voting in two nations, he is the only politician I have time for. Ya, I hate the GST, and other things, but overall he is okay.

Ya, I am as right winged as one can get, but not 'that' right if ya get my drift. God, guts and guns, lets fight to keep all three!

I like the stance we have on same sex marriage, and terrorism, and I respect the Lib pollies for having the balls to criticise extreme islam ( no PC here), and confronting the crap from assylum seekers. They have all but stopped polluting our shores like dog turds on a beach since the exclusion zone was set up. Australia cannot be seen to be a pushover as it was not so long ago. Our country has been taken advantage of my so many 'new' Australians, it has made me sick. At least now the worm has truly turned. We have indeed had enough!

Could you imagine the carnage if that the Labor gov't was in now. He's gone now, alll bitter and twisted, biting his own kind, bent out of shape and I won't even mention his name, but I will say he would have damaged Australia more in 5 minutes than others did in a decade.


Cold beers,

Wes

Oh ya, and watch out for those fatties in those Pet pubs, I nearly 'hissed' myself when you mentioned that.

 

[Hot Lips]

Well that article is a refreshing read...I think many Canadians (IMO) have lost the spunk the Aussies have 
Trooper Hale so sorry to hear that your politicking is much like ours 

HL

 

[paracowboy]

We have a conservative government that do things no government should ever do...And thats how they won the election. On fear and lies and creating something that people thought the liberals could defend them from.

your post makes no sense.

 

[Trooper Hale]

Thanks Para. Good on you. In Australia the Liberals are Conservative and i'm sorry i forgot to put a comma in instead of the and. Hows this sound,

"On fear, lies and creating something that people thought the liberals could defend them from."
I'll grant you i wrote it heavily hung over but i'm pretty sure it makes sense if you know anything about Australian politics.

I'm jealous of you Wes, sounds like a blast up there now. I agree with most your stuff, although i'd edit it slightly, Guts, Guns and Aussie Rules. My church has three letters in its name, MCG!
I dont know, i agree that Latham might have stuffed up if he'd got in but then again, he was an awesome breath of fresh air! "A congo line of Arselickers"? Thats my sort of politician!
I'm not a big fan of boat people landing either, i agree with them being in Woomara and else where but the children over board really shocked me and upset me. That changed a lot of how i view Australian politics. To have such a MASSIVE lie and for it to have no consequence really makes me wonder. I went to high school in innercity melbourne, and as a white anglo i know what its like to be a minority (my school was 60% asian, 20% wog) and i'm quite partial to New Australians who actually want to be Australian, rather then Chinese exchange students who look down on you like your white bogan scum.
I dont know, i'm to young, confused and i hope for to much. But i do know i hate being Political correctness as much as the next bloke. A spade is a spade and i want to be able to say spade rather then "implement for which digging can be achieved but doesnt have to be if it doesnt want to".
Have fun on your holiday mate, shoot something for me! I wish i could get out after some roo's right now!
Onya mate, Hales
PS. And Para, it doesnt have to be articulate to make sense! I never am! Politeness costs nothing old boy and i mean that in the nicest possible way, you para's deserve the respect.

 

[paracowboy]

And Para, it doesnt have to be articulate to make sense!

actually, it does. If it isn't articulate, then the reader cannot decipher it, so it doesn't make sense to them, and your message is lost.

Now, knowing nothing about Australian politics, are you saying the the liberals in Australia are the Conservative party, or are you saying that the Liberal Party are actually conservative in their policies? I'm still not following.

For the sake of ease of understanding, let's use capitals to distinguish political parties, and lower case for political leanings, ie: "Liberal Party", or "conservative ideals".

 

[Trooper Hale]

The Liberal Party are conservative in their politics. Sorry about the mix-up, i didnt even consider capitals when i was writing it. It seems your following my posts pretty closely, i'm going to have to watch myself lest you get your way and kick me out ! I'll start watching myself a bit more strongly and being a far bit more careful with how and what i post on. I want to keep writing and reading but i'll slow it down from now on i reckon.
Hope you enjoy my posts, they give you something to write about if nothing else and i'm sorry if they've offended you. My opinions are only the opinions of myself and i need to make that clearer,
BTW were you at the gym at Pet today to watch the GG? I mean watch because where i was standing we couldnt hear a thing.

 

[paracowboy]

The Liberal Party are conservative in their politics.

Okay, now I'm tracking.

It seems your following my posts pretty closely,

not really. At least, not to single you out. There are far more "asshat-ish" individuals on here than you. I've just noticed a trend in some of your recent posts that are starting to brush up against Guidelines. But, hardly anything serious. Trust me, you'd recognize the difference. 

i'm going to have to watch myself lest you get your way and kick me out !

no intentions of it. It's refreshing to have the viewpoint of another nation's soldier.

i'm sorry if they've offended you.

not yet. If they had, the difference would have been immediately apparent. I'd have slipped in my language considerably, for one thing. With you being a troop, I'd have applied NCO language.

BTW were you at the gym at Pet today to watch the GG?

nope. I'm in Edmonton. Over 3,000 kms away from Pet. Thankfully.

 

[1feral1]

Hey  para, the Libs are the conservatives here, although the name does not match, while Labor is the lefty socialist type, a combination of Cdn Libs and Cdn NDP. Real classics.

One thing we all can agree on though is ALL politicans are liars, and are full of shyte.

Cheers,

Wes

 

[Trooper Hale]

HAHA, thats why your a Sargeant Wes! "Cut the crap and get into it", said like a true Australian Soldier! And your dead right as always.

And Para, i'll go over the guidelines again just to make sure. I dont want to piss any more people off then i have. Ta for the clarification though, its helpful.

 

[paracowboy]

Hey  para, the Libs are the conservatives here, although the name does not match, while Labor is the lefty socialist type, a combination of Cdn Libs and Cdn NDP. Real classics.

I see. Makes sense, really. Historically, liberalism is actually what most "conservatives" today espouse. It's been bastardized and perverted in the past 3 decades. Or at least, the term has, anyway.

Labour has traditionally been used by those who have the interests of the "common man" at heart. It would stand to reason that an historically liberal party would now have no connection to the "common man" anymore. Democrats in the US, Liberals and NDP in Canada, etc.

 

[ArmyRick]

From what I have been reading, it seems the aussies are sorted out. Now keep the liberals here out of power for say another ten years and we should be good.  8)

 

[cobbler]

HAHA! I was just about to bring that up! We'd love to think as ourselves as the culture and people represented in this article but a serious look at Australian politics just depresses most people. We have a conservative government that do things no government should ever do. If you want to understand this simply jump and google and type two delicious words, "children overboard". They edited the Navy's photo of people in the water after a people smuggling boat sunk and created a story about them having thown their kids overboard, then blamed the navy for the photo (which showed 3 people in the water, allegedly after having been thrown off the boat by their perents. And thats how they won the election. On fear and lies and creating something that people thought the liberals could defend them from.

Wes? Get into it? I'm sure you've got a different opinion well worth hearing. I'm a raving Lefty but i hate the country Australia has become because of the government. THAT doesnt mean i dont want to defend it though.
I'd fight for Aussie Rules Footy any day! (I'm being quite serious)

Thankfully lefty believers are just a vocal minorty here.

We would be literally screwed without a conservative government. If Howard hadn't been elected 10 years ago you folks would have been sending us foreign aid right about now.


Hale, would you have preferred Mark bloody Latham to have won the last election? Cause I know die-hard labor supporters who thank god for that result.

 

[Trooper Hale]

I was to young to vote last time and so i cant say who i would have voted for, i didnt get into it to deeply, i just thought i'd vote for so and so because it seems a good idea, we'll know next time though. It turns out that voting for Latham would have been a silly move though wouldnt it? I just said he was a great breath of fresh air with his honesty (at least until he became the opposition leader) and i think he changed Australian politics quite a bit.

"Thankfully lefty believers are just a vocal minorty here." Whats that mean? I suppose itd be easier if we all just sat around baa-ing and doing what we'r told? Everyone has to have a different take on things. If we didnt imagine how boring life would be? Without a left wing in Aus, industrial relations and other workers ideals would be pushed back even further then they are now. Without a different opinion whats to stop Fascism or Stalinism to kick in again? Its the people on both sides of politics that make Australia the country it is today. Would you like to change that?
I dont think you can say we'd be "literally screwed" without the liberals in power for the last 10 years. And Canada sending us foreign aid? Really? What would you say if i wrote that in a post? You'd do what i did when i saw it and laugh. Thats got not a grain of truth to it.
Anyway, have a good night,
Hales

 

[cobbler]

"Thankfully lefty believers are just a vocal minorty here." Whats that mean? I suppose itd be easier if we all just sat around baa-ing and doing what we'r told? Everyone has to have a different take on things. If we didnt imagine how boring life would be? Without a left wing in Aus, industrial relations and other workers ideals would be pushed back even further then they are now. Without a different opinion whats to stop Fascism or Stalinism to kick in again? Its the people on both sides of politics that make Australia the country it is today. Would you like to change that?
I dont think you can say we'd be "literally screwed" without the liberals in power for the last 10 years. And Canada sending us foreign aid? Really? What would you say if i wrote that in a post? You'd do what i did when i saw it and laugh. Thats got not a grain of truth to it.
Anyway, have a good night,
Hales

True, you do need a left to counter the right, I'm just glad the left is the minority.

And if you look at the figures, it is no exageration that Australia was on a road to the stone age in the early 90's. The financial situation was dire, bankruptsy was iminent. Debt was extreme and was growing at an alarming rate, it was only finally paif off in full a few months ago.

 

[Trooper Hale]

Really? I didnt know that but i still cant believe it was that bad. I mean look at Bob Hawke, a bloke who can drink a tinny in 2.7 seconds couldnt possibly ruin the economy...or could he? haha, that sort of speaks for itself doesnt it?

You wrote once that Melbourne a lefty sort of capital. Your right and its weird for me to think of a place with right wingers everywhere. I'm in the army, i agree with what Wes said about guns, guts and (my one) Aussie rules, so i'm not really that left oriented but the environment i grew up in would make it very hard for me to ever vote liberal even if i did agree with a lot of their ideas.
I reckon its great that we've got politicians like Julia Gillard who say what they think though, i like honesty and i just find you see more of it in labor then liberal. Thats just me though, what do you reckon?

 

[cobbler]

Well I grew up in what is widely considered to be the safest Labor seat in the country, so I was always one conservative surrounded by lefties.

I think all the parties are as bad as each other, from both my experience and my observations I certainly wouldn't say that Labor were any better. I've seen Vic Labor government employees on one hand vigarously oppose the proposition that a chemical storrage facility be upgraded and upsized in the neighbourhood (many of the ugrades for safety, and the site had been there for many decades), yet at the very same time call Mildura residents unreasonable and stupid for opposing the Victorian labor governments attempts to place a toxic waste dump area near their town and amongst the areas wine growing vineyards. Hypocracy.

The Federal government aren't saints, not by a long shot, many of the ministers and senators are slimy things, but what else would you expect from politicians. I don't agree with all their policies, but on the whole I think they do a very good job.

And Gillard is the worst in Labor's lot IMHO.

 

[RDBZ]

I reckon its great that we've got politicians like Julia Gillard who say what they think though, i like honesty and i just find you see more of it in labor then liberal. Thats just me though, what do you reckon?

Maybe, but being in opposition and not government gives you greater freadom.