The Australian reports that Labor’s lead in this fortnight’s Newspoll is down slightly from 57-43 to 56-44. Kevin Rudd is down three points as preferred leader to 65 per cent while Brendan Nelson is up two to 14 per cent.
The latest weekly Essential Research survey shows no change in Labor’s long-standing 58-42 lead. Also featured is a national-level question on state voting intention which suggests collective primary vote support for the state Labor governments is 7 per cent lower than for federal Labor (40 per cent compared with 47 per cent), although Coalition support is only 3 per cent higher (38 per cent compared with 35 per cent). Further questions involve federal Labor’s performance on various individual issues, and attitudes to the balance of power in the Senate.
BB
This was a soldier who told me. He was driving his car home from the air base at Edinburgh and stopped to fill up at a petrol station.
A revealing article in the New Matilda, shows Australian politics is rife with corruption :-
http://newmatilda.com/2008/08/26/dirty-money-behind-elections
Any one see that just before QT, Nelson actually congratulated Channel 7 on it’s Olympic Coverage? wtf
103 Worse than that Brenda was surprised when everyone laughed at him.
104 You’d think he’d be used to it by now…
On a more serious note, does anyone else follow the updates on arctic ice melting at the NSIDC website? Its very clear. After a slow start to ice melting this year, it is continuing to trend parallel to last years record melt, headed for another near record low. Given that weather conditions this year have been much less conduicive to melting, this is a serious outcome: it suggests that last years record was not a once off. If so, bye bye arctic in our life times, and then bye bye Greenland within a measurable period after.
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/
As of 18 August the “North West Passage” routes had opened to ice free sailing yet again.
I’m surprised this site doesn’t get more media coverage. It shows the real time situation graphically with clear unambiguous explanations.
WTF people WTF!!!
Patrick Cockburn has written an article PRAISING Bush II’s latest foreign policy in Iraq. He’s NEVER written a good word about GWB in eight years.
He applauds the timetable for US withdrawal, the ending of legal immunity for military contractors and dropping most of the pro-US anti-Iraq “nation-building” clauses.
There is a relevance for the US election. On the Obama side, his plan is basically the same as GWB’s so McCain can’t call him a liberal elitist surrender monkey without saying the same about Bush II. On the McCain side, it defuses the unpopular Iraq War to some extent.
It all makes the Rodent’s tagalong “we’ll stay there as long as you want us” stance look pretty sad. The Ruddster was ahead of the curve on this one! 😀
Don’t know that it actually contributes to the debate, though I was certainly out on the streets protesting the Vietnam and 2nd Iraq wars, hiding objectors from the Vietnam war, and have seen a fair number of people for therapy, mostly from the Vietnam war, I’ve not ever come across anyone in uniform in Australia of late being vilified. Not a sample, I realise.
BTW, I find the latest deny the welfare payment to parents who don’t have their children enrolled and attending school proposal absolute bollocks. It’s probably the most stupid thing I’ve seen in a good long time. Children not being enrolled or attending school may be due to an extensive but not infinite range of factors, usually requiring a fair degree of expertise to analyse, and expertise that extends across professional, cultural and linguistic experts, as well as the people themselves, then the intervention needs to be tailored to local/community needs. I’ve no idea what Labor is up to with this gambit, other than a mantra that rings hollow to me. Might I suggest they consult some people who actually know what this sort of intervention will do, which is sweet bugger all.
Diogenes @ #101:
I’m surprised you fell for it. Do you believe every sob story told to you at servo pumps?
This is the oldest soldier’s trick in the book, put out over the ages to garner some sympathy from gullible members of the public.
Greek hoplites and Roman legionaires would have been saying the same thing to anyone who’d listen.
“Woe is me… my own country spits on my uniform.” (as they cry into their wine)
Did he ask you to lend him ten bucks too? And did you lend it to him?
There was no hatred of uniforms here during Iraq. Sure, a lot of people (me included) criticised the mission. But we knew Howard had made sure they were in the absolutely cushiest job in the Middle East: defending a backwater airforce base in a backwater province that had the lowest casualties in the entire theatre, and still does. How could anyone possibly accuse them of being murderers for God’s sake? They hardly fired a shot compared to their COW allies in other areas.
Most likely any aggro they might have suffered from being identified as soldiers was from tanked up locals in the pub thinking they could take on a soldier boy in a bar fight. It’s always been the way: likely lads fancying their chances against a uniform. Down through the ages.
The custom in Australia is to not wear uniforms when off duty. The custom in America is to wear uniforms. Two different cultures. If his superiors told him that he risked being spat on, and that he should go out in civvies, that’s more a reflection on the pathetic mindset of the wankers in command than the Australian public, and shame on them.
Stories like this… you heard it from a stranger in a service station driveway… he told you his commanding officers had told him… and the cute bit about the mum in America and her daughter… sounds suspiciously like one of those heart-wrenching chain emails that go the rounds every now and again. There were certainlyno reports of anything like this happening here. And believe me… if Howard could have wrung a few tears out of unpatriotic Australians bashing and spitting on soldiers just because they’d been to Iraq, he’d have wrung it for all it was worth.
You don’t need to promote obvious tear-jerker nonsense like this to make your case.
Socrates @ 106. I’ve been seriously focussed on this for some time since reading Brian at Larvatus Prodeao’s material. And before, anyone else starts up with the “What is it with you and Brian” stuff. Don’t be silly. Just found a very informed series of articles. I can’t do the linking thingy, so all I can suggest is going back through the archives till you find it. He does, however, know how to do links properly, so once you’ve found one, you’ll get the others.
The Coalition are doing nicely in the polls, aren’t they?
BB
Actually I was operating on him at the time (under local anaesthetic) when he told me. I was cutting a skin cancer off his cheek. And I seem to recall that he paid me, not the other way around. He said he was at a petrol station when he was spat on.
I am the most cynical person I know by a long way. I am incessantly questioned /accused “Aren’t you being too cynical?” . My standard reply is “It isn’t possible to be too cynical.”
He may have been bull-shitting me but I find that most people tell the truth when you have a scalpel in your hand.
Harry
You’re not the only person concerned about the eerily Howard-like policy of linking welfare payments to truancy. And keeping the Australian Building and Construction Commission isn’t all that popular either. Evidently it’s an affront to human rights.
Dissent grows in Government ranks
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24246147-12377,00.html
112 “Evidently it’s an affront to human rights.”
Diogenes, it all stems from here.
http://www.cyi.org.au/
And what’s wrong with servo sob stories?
Did you here the one about the family filling up their car at the servo – five kids in the back, maybe a wheelchair, Tarago I think – off to buy sausages because petrol was so expensive they couldnt afford meat.
Broke my heart at the time (sniff)
as i remarked earlier today Diogenes nothing has changed only new pigs feeding at the same trough.
115 Edward – so nothing at all has changed or will change? Is that your contention?
Good lord, Possum – was it you I was sitting next to at 3 am in the gutter at King’s Cross? (Certainly whoever it was was soft and fluffy…)
Essentially yes GB but as the gutless often do – when they finally screw up the courage to do something they blow the one big thing.
118 Edward – I’m sure this government hasn’t and won’t go far enough in changing our society for some true believers but to say nothing has changed or won’t change is going just that step too far IMHO. Let’s face it they haven’t really got into gear.
Although I didn’t like many of the things Howard did, not everything he did was wrong or bad. to throw out everything he did and start again surely is not required.
ESJ
I find it a bit disconcerting when there are double standards about Rudd and the Rodent. I think Rudd is a much better PM but there are things he has done, like suspending welfare payments to parents of truants, which would be denounced thoroughly by Labor supporters if the Rodent did them. But there’s barely a whimper when Rudd does them.
For some Diogenes politics is just football.
GB – a quarter of the term is up – that’s a heck of a warmup.
Rudd has said he is planning for the long term. The procedure is to determine where we are at, plan and implement. If that can be done in 8 months then he’d be a miracle worker.
You seem to expect everything to be done tomorrow. Then again maybe you just don’t expect it to be done at all. Whatever, you are being very judgemental far too early IMHO. Judge the situation in 3 years, not 8 months.
Just what would you have expected Rudd to have done in 8 months ESJ? I have asked this question before and have yet to get a response as I recall. Be specific.
“Who’s Ya Daddy” on Lateline………raving up Cossie
GB,
In the Budget he could have:
a) Abolished the 50% CGT discount for wealthy people
b) Abolished tax free super for rich people
c) Actually increased welfare spending for poor people (instead of gestures)
You dont need to wait years for equity GB, demand it, demand it!
Red
he really really misses johnny,was waiting for him to break down and cry
“oh for the good old days”
the fibs are still in denial mode- i feel their pain 🙂
MayoFeral
PM’s Whitlam , Hawke , Keating and Rudd believe ANZUS commits USA to our defence under attack via Article iv and in taking th Treaty in full They hav credibility in such National Security matters , you do not , neither does any Bob Brown type politcan As for you relying on Malcom Fraser’s views as support , well Malcolm Fraser’s credibility ran out on 11th November 1975
You represent a minority not believing in th overall USA alliance and suspect your narrow interpretation is so influenced Th wording difference between 2 Treaties reflects drafters styles at diferent time periods with one more stark , but intent and meanings of both of US obligations ar clear
You ar entitled to those views but ar mix up/influenced by th Alliance and th Treaty issues , ‘oz’ for example did not need to go to either Vietnam or Iraq under ANZUS at all , and because Labor opposed both wars ‘oz’ would not in hav been involved in either war under a Labor Govt , yet ANZUS nothwithstanding woud hav been still operational
Labor Party is absolutely committed to ANZUS longterm and for sound reasons , overwhelming % of ‘oz’ rightly support it , & for those that don’t for whatever reason (including anti US & pacifists) that don’t like ANZUS , they’ll had to get used to that as objections will make no diference
Diogenes @ 93 –
So why is another generation of Iraq vets going through the same thing? Or was his experience very atypical?
I have no idea whether what you’ve been told is true. I retired 9 years ago and have very little contact with the military these days.
However, a few observations.
I regularly see lads in uniform from the air defence regiment when I’m shopping in Mt Barker and haven’t noticed them being harassed. FWIW, they seem to live on nothing but sausages and beer. At least these seem to be the only items in their trolleys. Uncouth lot, the Army! Sniff 😉
While most of the population was against the Iraq adventure I have not detected any anger over the issue. Anyway, I’ve always thought the animosity against Vietnam veterans resulted mostly from peoples guilt over having supported the war. Unable to face up to their culpability they took it out against those who had the least say in the matter. That and being poor losers.
While I’ve been on the receiving end of the usually comments from the public, and the odd WW2 digger, the only time it was more than that it came from, ironically, a Vietnam vet who took very great exception to my walking away when he began mouthing some of the same crap. Really went ballistic.
It all makes the Rodent’s tagalong “we’ll stay there as long as you want us in Iraq” stance look pretty sad.
But this IS Democrat VP Joe Biden’s years long firm stance May as well hav made US Iraq General th VP
Oh for Christ’s sake Diogenes, spare us, will you? How would you know who was telling the truth under the knife and who wasn’t? Did you hire a private investigator to follow up?
Really mate, you have been coming up with some awful balderdash lately, and this soldier with his death bead confession takes the cake.
Now you’re telling us that because you’re a surgeon you have an better inbuilt bullshit detector than anyone else because “most people tell the truth when you have a scalpel in your hand.” Oh really?
I’ve been under the surgeon’s knife several times before and I lied like there was no tomorrow to my bloke. He knew it to. And told me so. But he still did the op. We’re still mates.
Your posts are getting more like a late series episode of ER than a rational discussion of politics. You should argue the case on its merits, not from the standpoint of a medico to whom no-one dares lie, because their life is in your hands. [CUE: A thousand tiny violins]
Sorry, but I’m older than most coppers I come up against, most lawyers, most business colleagues and certainly most doctors. I’m not in awe of them any more. You have to do more to convince your readers than the “I’m a doctor, so I’m special…”, heart-strings gambit.
Bushfire Bill
I’ve never been spat on , and never heard of any soldier who has Howevber th issue i said in #91 is not spitting , beeing spat on is geez hell nothing in comparison to war or how paticularly ‘nam solders generly were later treated , almost always by those whose who opposed th war and by many govts
Edward StJohn
#126
“GB,
In the Budget he could have:
a) Abolished the 50% CGT discount for wealthy people
b) Abolished tax free super for rich people
c) Actually increased welfare spending for poor people”
ESJ , he could hav only done that by putting budget surplus at less than 1% of
GDP , given he was locked into matching howards 31 billion tax cuts (otherwise he may hav lost election) as regards point (c) however Schools program & medicare levy changes ar broadly for poor & middle anyway & they’re expensive However nothing wrong with your generall point and assume Rudd will focus this area further
Noww that economic indicators ar not as healthy with World downturn care is even more needed with spending & incentive re (a) as one needs growth in downturns , whilst (b) they’re taxed on income at marginal tax rates less offsets whilst capital inflows feeding into sysytem ar cheaper for economy than overseas sources whereas at another econ time I’d fully agree with you
Finally big chunks of budget ar loked into ‘middle class welfare’ , that Howard built in partly for politcal reasons This has taken a huge alot of spending ‘discretion’ away from Rudd and future Govts Not sure how or if it can be easily unravelled quickly without suicide electoral backlash , so Swannee may need time given it took 12 years of Cossie to creaste this unsatisfactary web , so your flat tax proposal doen’t look like a look in
126 Edward – You confound me Edward. At times I could swear you are a conservative at heart and other times you come across as a stark raving lefty. Hell, if the Labor government did as you suggest I’d probably vote against them myself.
I actually share your sentiment in regard to the poor and I’m sure the rich could afford the changes you advocate but it would be a sure fire way of losing the next election.
Changes have to be made slowly ESJ. You can’t make the changes from the opposition benches, it’s as simple as that. I think Ron is pretty much on the right track.
“I find it a bit disconcerting when there are double standards about Rudd and the Rodent… there are things he has done … which would be denounced thoroughly by Labor supporters if the Rodent did them. But there’s barely a whimper when Rudd does them.”
That’s because when Rudd does something he does it with love in his heart whereas there was only evil, evil I say, in the Rodents heart.
Ron, GB
As a certain political school of thought used to say:
“dare to struggle, dare to win”.
Rod @ 136. Don’t be silly. What a stupid thing to say. Rodent, Heart? You gotta be kidding right?
Tom.
How the story changes. For months it’s been:
Today, The Australian pronounces:
Do I detect the makings of a retreat from fantasy?
[Do I detect the makings of a retreat from fantasy?]
Poor Shanners and co, still can’t influence the political sphere no matter how much they try…
I was listening to ABC local radio on my way in to work today. Matt & Dave interviewed Lyn Arnold, former SA Premier. The extreme cutting off of benefits would be the last, extreme step.
Don’t believe everything you need in newspapers!
Gillard seems determined kids can break out of welfare and make better lives for themselves through education. If labor does nothing but this it will be one of the great governments.
Oh, Lyn is now leader of Anglicare.
As a well known Hillary supporter, i just gotta say that another double standard is running here. From what i have heard and seen so far, none of the previous losers in the Dem POTUS nomination have never, repeat never, actively and openly endorsed or supported the winner.
In fact, yesterday CNN showed a clip of the 1980 convention where Jimmy Carter defeated Ted Kennedy for the nomination and Ted Kennedy refused to shake hand with Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter had to run after Ted Kennedy to get a “unity” handshake photo.
So why is it that Hillary is demanded to “support” and “delivery” the Presidency to Obama. Obama is the nominee, he is the one that should win over everyone and everything.
btw: Michelle Obama’s sweet American Pie speech and children prop performance yesterday was excruciating to watch.
BB
I am surprised that a post describing a single soldiers experience has got you so excited. Why get so hysterical that I actually believe what one person told me?
Finns
Lots of losers in the primaries have supported the winner in the past for the good of the party, and their own future. I agree that Hillary has supported Obama as much, if not more, than most of them. It’s mainly the media who are trying to look for any sign of discord to create a story because Hillary has so many supporters that it’s crucial how her supporters vote. Most Obama supporters, myself included, think she’s doing more than enough.
[I agree that Hillary has supported Obama as much, if not more, than most of them. It’s mainly the media who are trying to look for any sign of discord to create a story because Hillary has so many supporters that it’s crucial how her supporters vote.]
Not only that, but the McCain camp found a disgruntled Hillary supporter and brought out a McCain ad saying how the supporter had sour grapes about Obama winning the nomination, and was going to vote for McCain, using Hillary’s name. What would you expect Hillary to do? Sit back and say nothing? I don’t think would just want McCain to win out of spite.
You quoted it authoritatively as having some kind of wider meaning. The gist of the comment and subsequent enhancements was that Australians so despise Iraq war veterans that the military brass has forbidden soldiers to wear their uniforms in public in order to avoid violence and denigration of our men and women who have faced the foreign foe. Subsequent comments by others were of the “shakes head sadly, if it’s true” variety… exactly the reaction you wanted, I suspect.
Then when challenged you started out with that “I’m special. I’m a doctor” business. You admitted you were only administering a local anaesthetic, but somehow we’re supposed to believe that even a straightforward day-surgery procedure brings out the unvarnished truth from your patients on any matter discussed, a truth that only you can be privy to because “most people tell the truth when you have a scalpel in your hand.” Some kind of “death-bed confession” concept I suppose. In other words, don’t argue BB, doctors are better judges of the truth than mere mortals.
Soldiers have been claiming the public hates them and their uniform for years, millennia in fact. And mothers and daughters always thank them for their service in the street. That’s an essential part fo the fairy tale. I’m surprised you were so gullible as to believe this horse$hit, and worse to tout it as some kind of meaningful contribution to any debate. If this story as to ADF policy was true it would have been publicised in every newspaper and on every TV news. It wasn’t. It’s clearly an urban legend, and that’s if you didn’t make the whole thing up yourself.
Enough, Bill.
Andrews Bolt and Landeryou report that a third Andrew, Jaspan, has been dumped as editor of The Age.
Diogenes,
I saw a couple of diggers in uni this morning at that well known hotspot, Maroubra Jungo. Not only did no one spit on them, they didn’t spit on anyone either. Now, if they were strolling down King St, Newtown, it may have been a different story. You never know what to expect from those long-haired, Commie, poofter uni students. They’ve been known to hang a greenie on an plain clothes copper. God knows what they would do to a pair of serving soldiers who were dressed to kill. And spookily, I am still waiting to see my first public dressing down of a Vietnam vet. But I can tell you that I’ve had a few soldiers (plus Navy and Airforce) whingeing in my lug about how unfair it all is. I get the impression that a lot of soldiers, while they to a great job in the main, want to spend the rest of their lives getting patted on the back. In much the same way as Dawnie Fraser has parlayed a few Olympic medals into a lifetime of glorious reverence. And don’t get me started on the birthday boy, Don Bradman…