Does Gillard inspire confidence?

[Calliope]

BTW. Left and right are somewhat redundant terms. I have been accused of left AND right wing extremism, often over the same issues.

Yes. Better terms would be Big and Small government. Big government wants to control all aspects of our lives. Small government is a more hands-off approach.

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Australians want the middle ground and Australians want government for the people, not the rich or special interest groups.
Not the hard right that has failed the USA, not the hard left that has failed parts of Europe.
And we have been good at obtaining it from our politicians. Once a party moves too far in one direction, we dump them.

They have gone from Nationalist socialism to Marxist socialism, to bigger government.

 

[drsmith]

Now the clown is claiming that the backdown is a great victory for tax reform and we can "move forward."

That clears up their definition of tax reform. Just increase taxes and don't worry about any additional complexities introduced.

 

[Knobby22]

They have gone from Nationalist socialism to Marxist socialism, to bigger government.

We want government to pretoect us if things go wrong.
We want unemplyment benefits, medicare, a scheme to help the homeless. You are just using emotive terms.

Small government is a slogan that sounds good but all the USA small governments are going broke, at all levels.

With regard to Bush, he took the controls off the banks and ran down the regulation agencies so they could not perform and pumped up business. He did it the loud congratualtions of the right wing press. He was wrong and we do not want to go down that path. We should go the middle way and we do, successfully.

 

[drsmith]

We want government that considers policy from a broad perspective.

 

[wayneL]

We want government to pretoect us if things go wrong, but we have a government that tries to micromanage us and criminalize us over a multitude of invented crimes.

We want unemplyment benefits, medicare, a scheme to help the homeless, but we have a government that institutionalises bludgeing and bribes the middle classes with... middle class welfare. We have breed an entitlement culture far beyond a "safety net".

Small government is a slogan that sounds good but all the USA small governments are going broke, at all levels.

Nonsense. Small governments do not go broke. The USA actually is big government bro.

With regard to Bush, he took the controls off the banks and ran down the regulation agencies so they could not perform and pumped up business. He did it the loud congratualtions of the right wing press. He was wrong and we do not want to go down that path. We should go the middle way and we do, successfully.

Let's face it. The "right wing press" is... Murdoch. But once again, what is meant by "right wing"? The Murdoch press is all about bellicose jingoism and the antithesis of what America purportedly stands for.

As above, right and left are redundant terms.

But if we want to stick to the old fashioned left-right spectrum, pumping up business via a credit bubble is actually a left wing tactic viz, Keynesianism. A truly right wing laissez faire small government would have allowed the economy to cycle naturally to recession in 2001-2002, short circuiting the damaging bubble that still has yet to go through the delerium tremens stage of withdrawal, the first sign of which are starting to appear as the stimulus drug starts to dry up.

Small government (and there haven't been small governments anywhere in the west for decades) will become a necessity in the future. It obvious, but ideologues are... well, ideologues. Only through collapse will socialists realize their folly... as if there wasn't an excellent example already.

 

[Bushman]

Nonsense. Small governments do not go broke. The USA actually is big government bro.

I think he is talking about Municipal Boards that loaded up on CDOs and indebted states like California when he says 'smaller governments'?

 

[wayneL]

I think he is talking about Municipal Boards that loaded up on CDOs and indebted states like California when he says 'smaller governments'?

He doesn't understand that small government is a relative term then.

 

[Knobby22]

Good arguments and I agree with a lot of it.

I agree with you on the middle class welfare point which we seemed to have got trapped in it lately. I particuarly hate the so called homeowner grants that distort the market.

I disagree that the Muroch press doesn't represent the right but maybe it more a subsection of the right, they should be called the "dumb right" led by Sarah Palin and the "vested interest" right, probably led by Murdoch himself.

Government in the USA is small compared to Australia if you exclude the "war/defence" section. That each stage of government collects taxes is galling though.

 

[noco]

Julia and Swanie have claimed a great vcitory in thier negotiations with the miners.
I'd prefer to call it a BACK FLIP on the policy she, Rudd, Tanner and Swanie all agreed there would be no negotiations.

KRuddy was well and truly made the scape goat and he (Rudd) says, "I have a long memory".

Look out Julia if you win the next election and give Kevie a ministerial position. He will be after 'blood'.

 

[Julia]

Yep, I was much amused at Swan saying today that these negotiations could never have happened under Rudd. Not just Rudd, dear Swannie, it was just as much you who time after time insisted that the government would not be swayed, that you had the figures right, yada, yada, yada.

Now that Kev has gone, do they really think they can expect the public to believe it was all Kev's fault, and that both Swannie and Julia went along with it reluctantly because Kev wouldn't listen to anyone and he was the boss?
I don't think so.

I felt a sense of what might be to come listening to Ms Gillard this evening saying "all it took was a different, more consultative approach, to get a good outcome for everyone".
Translation: the miners had us backed into a corner and we had to do a mighty backdown to avoid them restarting their advertising and renewing their attack.
Looks as though she might be going to be just as hubristic as Kev once she really hits her stride.

Perhaps I'm being unreasonable, but I see their continuing spin as simply insulting to the electorate who on the whole are more intelligent than the government appear to imagine.

 

[BBand]

Can't wait for Kevs memoirs being published

 

[noirua]

Can't wait for Kevs memoirs being published

Memoirs are to be published in late 2010 in Mandarin - price 99 yuan. There are no copies to be published in English as former P.M. has got the hump over the whole lot of goings on.
The final aggravation was the presentation to him on handing over to the new P.M., yes, a box of embroidered handkerchiefs, 'love from Julia'. No No No it wasn't the embroidering that did it, it was the short note, 'with gratitude from BHP, Rio and Xstrata'.

 

[Quincy]

Does Gillard inspire confidence?

I think the "eyes" have it.

 

[Calliope]

That old communist, Phillip Adams has no confidence in Gillard. He has resigned from the Labor Party, over her political assassination of poor Kevin. Adams thought Rudd was a nice bloke, but then his judgment of character have always been lousy.

Why I quit the Labor Party

For 35 years the ALP has protested the Kerr coup – ululating over the vice-regal regime change that deposed Whitlam.

The Dismissal? Factional thugs now dismiss leaders at their whim. In cowardly conspiracies. First, a rapid succession of NSW premiers. Now a Labor prime minister.

For once, and only once, I’ll agree with Tony Abbott. Removing a PM from office is a job that properly belongs to the electorate. It’s what elections are for. Now the faceless men are back in the saddle and I’ve had enough. For over a month my membership renewal has been languishing on my desk. Paying to remain in the NSW branch seemed problematic. The assassination of Rudd makes a final decision all too easy. After 50 years of membership, through thick and thin – mainly thin – I’m resigning

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...-the-labor-party/story-e6frg8h6-1225886243738


Good one Quincy, but I'm afraid they are not Gillard's eyes. If a pooch had Gillard's slitty eyes you would give it a wide berth.

 

[Julia]

That's interesting.
Amazingly, Phillip Adams has quite a following, so the government may be a little unhappy at his public disavowal of The Party.

I expect, however, that his view will be mirrored in a chunk of the electorate.

 

[noco]

Boy oh boy, Julia is sure rushing to clean the slate before the election.

First the back flip on the super resources tax and now a band aid solution on the asylum seekers. Will she negotiate with Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnan or Indonesia?
Will she tow the boats back to Indonesia like Rudd said he would 2007?
How will she remove the bad taste of the BER debacle which she herself created?
How will she stop more houses being burnt down from the home insulation debacle?
Will she be able to stop borrowing $95,000,000 per day?
She sure is going to be a busy girl between now and the election.
But Ms Gillard, no matter what you do, like the one (Kevin Rudd) you political assinated, most of us have long memories.
You might be able to run but you can't hide.

 

[nulla nulla]

That old communist, Phillip Adams has no confidence in Gillard. He has resigned from the Labor Party, over her political assassination of poor Kevin. Adams thought Rudd was a nice bloke, but then his judgment of character have always been lousy.

Why I quit the Labor Party



http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...-the-labor-party/story-e6frg8h6-1225886243738


Good one Quincy, but I'm afraid they are not Gillard's eyes. If a pooch had Gillard's slitty eyes you would give it a wide berth.

Or give it the greyhound remedy, a piece of lead behind the left ear.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Julia Gillard is the best conservative PM since Kevin Rudd.

She was a socialist when she was young, she is no fool, and now in middle age recognises her folly.

I believe she will ensure that Australia continues to function as it has since federation, with the exception of the Whitlam and Keating cacophonous interludes, as a safe environment in which to live and a good place in which to do business.

Peace through the night and food through the day are the 2 essentials for the populace, so they will be kept happy.

Julia will provide this.

So would Tony Abbott, but Julia has trumped him.

gg

 

[noco]

Julia Gillard is the best conservative PM since Kevin Rudd.

She was a socialist when she was young, she is no fool, and now in middle age recognises her folly.

I believe she will ensure that Australia continues to function as it has since federation, with the exception of the Whitlam and Keating cacophonous interludes, as a safe environment in which to live and a good place in which to do business.

Peace through the night and food through the day are the 2 essentials for the populace, so they will be kept happy.

Julia will provide this.

So would Tony Abbott, but Julia has trumped him.

gg

Yes GG, she has out smarted Rudd, Swan and Abbott.

She has politically assassinated(spelt it right this time) Rudd with cool precision timing. It was alawys going to happen.

She has humiliated Swan, firstly by promoting him to Deputy Leader so she can lead him like a pomeranian and secondly to cut him off at the ankles with his no negotiations on the 40% RSPT. Swan must now feel like an absolute fool.

She has pinned Abbott's ears back with her negotiations with the miners in accepting a negotiated deal on tax albeit renamed the RRT. Why would Abbott want to recind such an arrangement when the miners, who may not be all that happy, are nevertheless contented with the deal which turns out to be a win-win for both sides? Abbott should have gone along with the arrangements and accepted the fact the miners were willing to pay.

If Gillard goes along with the Coalitions policy on asylum seekers, it will be a win-win for both she and Abbott. A Courier Mail poll indicates 80% of voters favour the Coalition policy. So if Gillard does adopts the Coalition policy albeit under a different banner, she will say she has listened to the people of Austarlia. So both will have a win.

I can't help be inspired by Gillard. She is cool, crafty and spontaneous and knows how to push people's buttons. She certainly wants to stay in power at all costs and at the rate she is going that may well happen.

I still would not vote for her because of her record on the handling of the BER scheme but she may well prove me wrong, but history shows Labor are big spenders and high taxers.