Kevin Rudd

[Garpal Gumnut]

New Holes in Rudd's Belief

On April 1st some independent thinkers in Russia briefly debated some new ideas in Leninist theory and simultaneously blew a huge hole in Kevin Rudd's pompous approach to Australia's social and political problems

What a joke.

The fools.

As if.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7976883.stm

 

[Happy]

Re: Does Rudd inspire confidence?

From ABC, 20 Feb. 09

RECESSION IS INEVITABLE: RUDD

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has acknowledged a recession in Australia is inevitable.
He has told a group of business leaders in Adelaide that Australia would not be spared from the worst economic downturn in 75 years.

Mr Rudd says a recession in Australia is inevitable because more than 20 nations around the world are being affected by the slowdown.
"The worst global economic recession in 75 years means it's inevitable that Australia too will be dragged into recession," he told the conference.
"The severity of the global recession has made it impossible for Australia to avoid a further period of negative economic growth."

Mr Rudd said seven of Australia's 10 largest trading partners were in recession.
"The challenge for government is to cushion the impact of recession on business and jobs, through the actions we take, through economic stimulus strategy," he said.
The Federal Government announced stimulus packages in October 2008 and February this year, worth a combined $52.4 billion, in an attempt to stave off the effects of the global financial crisis.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has been criticial of the Government's response, saying the "cash splash" has failed to protect Australia from tough economic times.

How come we knew that and Kevin didn’t?

My question again, is the broadband the most important investment he can think of?

 

[Julia]

Re: Does Rudd inspire confidence?

How come we knew that and Kevin didn’t?

My question again, is the broadband the most important investment he can think of?

Of course he knew it, Happy. He was just seeking to divert attention away from the boat incident. It was a meaningless announcement for no other reason.

 

[OK2]

Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

Rudd went about sighting uncertainty in the Asia region outlook for the $100 billion military plan.

Is there a better way to get through a recession or depression? Bring on the war machines.

 

[moXJO]

Re: Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

Rudd went about sighting uncertainty in the Asia region outlook for the $100 billion military plan.

Is there a better way to get through a recession or depression? Bring on the war machines.

Is it true we are building more submarines then we can man? WTF do we need so many subs for anyway. I would have thought better air capabilities would be more desirable.

 

[Largesse]

Re: Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

Chairman Rudd doing his thing.

How long until we have miltary hardware parades in the streets?

 

[Absolutely]

Re: Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

Is it true we are building more submarines then we can man? WTF do we need so many subs for anyway. I would have thought better air capabilities would be more desirable.

Yes no on to man a military much bigger then we currently have. And our existing population getting older too.

Hope they got a plan in that regard which doesn't include importing cheap chinese labour because somehow, I don't think that gonna work.

 

[Sean K]

Re: Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

Let's stop military spending completely I say.

And divert all that money to something really useful.

Like free Yo Yo's for all.

 

[MACCA350]

Re: Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

I bet Rudd isn't the one that controls the money in his own house, yet his been given THE Australian credit card

cheers

 

[So_Cynical]

Re: Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

The bulk of our (big) military equipment is old and needs replacing, and those replacements are expensive.

So whats new here...why is this an issue. :dunno:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25384698-5017817,00.html

• 100 F-35 joint strike fighters.
• 12 submarines
• Eight 7000-tonne warships equipped with ballistic missile defence systems
• 27 anti-submarine helicopters

 

[pacestick]

Re: Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

The bulk of our (big) military equipment is old and needs replacing, and those replacements are expensive.

So whats new here...why is this an issue. :dunno:

hear hear

 

[kitehigh]

Re: Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

Is it true we are building more submarines then we can man? WTF do we need so many subs for anyway. I would have thought better air capabilities would be more desirable.

Australia is an Island and therefore any potential aggressor that wishes to launch a full scale invasion will eventually have to use shipping to maintain such an invasion. This is where subs come in. They can effectively neutralize any hostile shipping activities. They are also a very effective deterrent as the Argentinian's can attest to after they lost their largest Battleship, the Belgrano during the Falklands war.

 

[moXJO]

Re: Rudd's $100 billion military build-up

Australia is an Island and therefore any potential aggressor that wishes to launch a full scale invasion will eventually have to use shipping to maintain such an invasion. This is where subs come in. They can effectively neutralize any hostile shipping activities. They are also a very effective deterrent as the Argentinian's can attest to after they lost their largest Battleship, the Belgrano during the Falklands war.

This is my point
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25311813-5014047,00.html

even the best recruiting strategy may not lure enough gen-Y school-leavers to properly man the 12 submarines that may be called for in the new Defence white paper. At present, the navy can barely man three of the six Collins-class submarines.

Half our crap ends up sitting in docks or warehouses rotting. And money seems to be spent on white elephants as often as possible. A lot leave the defense force from sheer frustration.

I am not saying they shouldn’t' spend money. When I was in there we had combat knives we couldn't stick into things because the point would break off. And the wire cutter feature was for show only as it would also break on first attempt. Guns heating up and jamming. One guy in our unit was issued pants (this was in 1997) from the 1970's. And was often joked the pants had seen more action then he had. God only knows they needed the money.
But I just hope the people who decide on these purchases know the ins and outs of where the defense force is at.

 

[rhen]

Re: Does Rudd inspire confidence?

An email doing the rounds brought a smile so thought I should share same (sorry I couldn't include the pictures)...
It's subject is "Three New Navy Ships"



1.The USS REAGAN

Seeing it next to the Arizona Memorial really puts its size into perspective... ENORMOUS!


BEAUTIFUL!

When the Bridge pipes 'Man the Rail' there is a lot of rail to man on this monster: shoulder to shoulder, around 45 acres. Her displacement is about 100,000 tons with full complement.

Capability

Top speed exceeds 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refuelling

1. Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years

2 Carries over 80 combat aircraft

3. Three arresting cables can stop a 28 - ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet

Size

1. Towers 20 stories above the waterline
2. 1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall
3. Flight deck covers 4.5 acres
4. 4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across, weighing 66,200 pounds
5. 2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons
6. 4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 sq ft capacity
7. Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel
8. Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days
9. 18,150 meals served daily
10. Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2,000 homes
11. Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring 1,400 telephones
12. 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets
13.. Costs the Navy approximately $250,000 per day for pier side operation
14. Costs the Navy approximately $25 million per day for underway operations (Sailor's salaries included).


2. The HMAS Gough Whitlam
Sunday, July 20, 2008 Sydney . Headed for Newcastle , the Australian welcomed the latest member of its fleet today. The HMAS Gough Whitlam set sail today from its home port of Sydney .



The ship is the first of its kind in the Navy and is a standing legacy to Prime Minister Whitlam for his foresight in military budget cuts and his conduct while Prime Minister.

The ship is constructed nearly entirely from recycled aluminium and is completely solar powered with a top speed of 5 knots. It boasts an arsenal comprised of one (unarmed) F14 Tomcat or one (unarmed) F18 Hornet aircraft which, although they cannot be launched or captured on the 100 foot flight deck, form a very menacing presence.

As a standing order there are no firearms allowed on board.

The 20 person crew is completely diversified, including members of all races, creeds, sex, and sexual orientation.

This crew, like the crew aboard the Manly Ferry, is specially trained to avoid conflicts and
appease any and all enemies of Australia at all costs!

An on - board Type One DNC Universal Translator can send out messages of apology in any language to anyone who may find Australia offensive. The number of apologies are limitless and though some may seem hollow and disingenuous, the Navy advises all apologies will sound very sincere.

The ship's purpose is not defined so much as a unit of national defense, but instead in times of conflict, the HMAS Gough Whitlam has orders to seek refuge in New Zealand .


The ship may be positioned near the Labor Party Headquarters for photo - ops.
The Whitlams Should be very proud.


And the newest: -

3. The HMAS Kevin Rudd, sailing in from South East Asia, once a week.

 

[rhen]

Re: Does Rudd inspire confidence?

Commentary
7:47 AM, 11 May 2009

http://www.businessspectator.com.au...eeds-a-new-tune-pd20090511-RWT84?OpenDocument

Robert Gottliebsen

Rudd needs a new tune

Kevin 'GFC' Rudd may not be exactly a modern day Chicken Little, but he is part of the problem that is multiplying the reduction in Australian business activity.

Someone needs to tell him that just because the Australian skies are raining money does not mean they will fall in. The global problem is not as great as we feared and Rudd’s daily warnings of a global financial crisis have become part of the problem.

Rudd’s GFC warnings are in stark contrast to US President Obama who keeps telling Americans how he will save them. So how do we stop the Australian Prime Minister from becoming a complete Chicken Little?

Step one: let's send the mandarin speaking Kevin Rudd on a fact finding mission, first to China and then on to the US. He will discover that while the global economy is going to be tough it now seems that this GFC is unlikely to be anywhere near as bad as we first thought.

Step two: send him a DVD of President Obama’s speeches.

Step three: start a slow hand clap every time we hear him mention the words “ global financial crisis”.

To be fair to Kevin Rudd, two months ago China’s growth rate had fallen to levels that were expected to cause serious social disruption and were decimating our metal prices. Just as serious, the IMF was forecasting enormous additional bank losses and a huge decline in economic activity.

My China-watchers say that China is set to grow around 8 per cent in calendar 2009 which would be a remarkable achievement. The Chinese stimulus package, which included massive bank lending, is working. And better still, it is directed at metals-intensive spending (construction, telecommunications etc), so there is renewed demand for metals and the Chinese are stockpiling copper and other metals, sending up prices.

The US stress tests on its banks have revealed that American banks have nowhere near the problems that the IMF predicted. It is possible that the stress tests were inadequate, but that’s unlikely. The task of the US government is to get its banks lending again, but there are all sorts of signs of minor recovery (A global triumph, May 8). America is not going to go shooting upwards, but President Obama's words have played a big role in turning the economy around.

And we are seeing that changing trend in the share market rises. By contrast, I expect in tomorrow’s budget each time Wayne Swan breaks an election promise he will try to out-do his Prime Minister in the number of mentions of the “global financial crisis”.

Let me give a small example of how the Rudd rhetoric is starting to become damaging in small ways which then multiply thousands of times.

One of Australia’s largest accounting firms is doing very well but they have been subjected to so many global financial crisis warnings from our Prime Minister that they decided to do something really radical – they would stop buying fruit for executives who work long hours. So some poor contractor has had to go home to and tell his or her spouse that the family must tighten their belt. Meanwhile the accounting firm’s productivity has fallen because executives waste time to go down the street and buy their fruit. It's unfair to blame Kevin Rudd for such decisions, but nevertheless he has become part of the problem.

Having seen money rain from the sky, we are now going to get a budget that will pay for the money showers by a series of nasty measures. You could argue that the money showers were necessary, but so is confidence.

I am the first to admit that two months ago I believed the IMF and was worried about China. Kevin Rudd should be big enough to admit the same and tell the Australian people why share markets are rising. That’s what I have done (Two pillars of prosperity, April 20).

Meanwhile, don’t forget the slow hand clap each time you hear Rudd say the GFC words on radio, TV and the net, or you read them on the net and in print. It will make you feel much better.

 

[Julia]

Re: Does Rudd inspire confidence?

Rhen, you beat me to posting Gottliebsen's article which is very good.

Tonight in Swan's opening to his Budget speech, for the very first time he talked about our capacity to ultimately come out well from the GFC, the resilient character of Australians etc.

We'd have been much better served if he and Rudd had taken this sort of focus from the start instead of constantly talking down the global and domestic economy.

 

[Calliope]

Re: Does Rudd inspire confidence?

No not really. I watched him tonight while Swan was reading his budget speech, His melon head kept nodding and his little mouth kept mouthing "hear, hear."

He is giving the seal of approval to the most disastrous Budget in my memory. This Budget was designed to upset nobody and in the process root the country. And they justify this huge deficit based on the premise that we will return to 4.5% positive growth in a couple of years.

 

[Calliope]

Re: Does Rudd inspire confidence?


PM Rudd wants more footballer respect for women

Mr Rudd said the matter was "very difficult and very sensitive''.

"It's very important for all leaders of sporting organisations, all sporting clubs and all sporting teams in everything they do to show proper respect for women,'' he said.

He said the bottom line was that players, coaches and teams should "take every reasonable and practical step to underline the absolute importance of treating women with respect''.

Yeah Right! Unless they are nightclub strippers.

 

[Green08]

Re: Does Rudd inspire confidence?

Any man who looks like an old woman with those puff cheeks and baby hair is suss.

But a woman being a woman in her full glory is something to behold. Have to replace Rudd 08 with a fresh strong face. Early Election Early Election 09 this is the one time I'll pray

 

[Aussiejeff]

Re: Does Rudd inspire confidence?

PM Rudd wants more footballer respect for women



Yeah Right! Unless they are nightclub strippers.

*SHHH!*

[size=-5]Quick, take this Government authorized pill. It will "relax" you. Soon, you won't have any more of these evil fantasies.[/size]