To be fair, let's look at some facts:
John Howard was in power for 12 odd years (correct me if I'm wrong).
Kevin Rudd has been in power for 2 years.
And Johnny is criticising Rudd because he has not completed 12 years worth of work in 2 years?
these global forces you talk about put other advanced economies around the world in massive billion/trillion dollar deficits. Australia surplus.
when the squeeze came...
did you think our banks didnt implode.... just by coincidence?
And don't waste your time by challenging me to name what Howard achieved in his time in office. I'm not here to beat the drum for Howard or any other politician.
I wondered where all the Howard Haters (Rudd Lovers) had got to. They have been very quiet on the boat people and global warming, but they are back with a vengeance on this thread.
It's interesting that most people are polarised in thought in regard to politics. You are either for one or for the other, never a third view, or an impartial view i.e. if you make a criticism you are automatically for the other.
The criticism many of us have had of the handling of the GFC has been the enormous amount handed out to everyone for them to waste if they wished.And you have to be fair to KRudd, the GFC came along within his first year in power, and effectively used up all the surplus and created a deficit - coping with this would derail any PM's plans.
So reacting and steering the country through the biggest economic and financial crisis in 80 years is not doing anything?
Plenty of us are 'fence sitters' and are simply commenting on policy and government behaviour as we see it. Because Labor is in power, then obviously they are going to be making the decisions, which are then up for approval or criticism. That doesn't make people disagreeing with the government ipso facto wholly happy with everything Mr Howard did.Why if you are a Howard critic (not hater), do you automatically have to be a Rudd lover?
As a reminder, Keating called Howard a 'dessicated coconut'
The criticism many of us have had of the handling of the GFC has been the enormous amount handed out to everyone for them to waste if they wished.
Yes, the Libs would also have applied a stimulus but they would have used the funds on something which would have had a longer term view, provided employment in its application, and given us some e.g. necessary infrastructure into the future.
I don't think I'm the only one who considers that the cash handouts were to provide instant results for around six months, thus avoiding the 'two quarters of negative growth' so that politically the government could claim they have avoided a recession.
And yes, it has worked. We have not had a technical recession.
But what do we have to show for spending that large amount of money?
Plenty of us are 'fence sitters' and are simply commenting on policy and government behaviour as we see it. Because Labor is in power, then obviously they are going to be making the decisions, which are then up for approval or criticism. That doesn't make people disagreeing with the government ipso facto wholly happy with everything Mr Howard did.
And (to borrow a Ruddism) "can I just say" that I really dislike the phrase "little Johnny". It's personal and derogatory. If you have something to criticise about any politician, why not keep it to his actions and/or policies, rather than making any unnecessary personal references. We don't elect them or fire them on the basis of their size or appearance. (Well, I hope not.)
So we are both sitting on the same fence then.
Keating also called Australia 'the ar$e end of the world'
What about backing Chris Corrigan to take on the MUA and force changes which have significantly increased productivity on our wharves? No Labor govt. would have allowed it.When I tried to think about it I couldn't really remember anything that Johnny did that was worth bragging about.
Don't kid yourself that we have 'free speech' in Oz. Free speech is a myth! This country, especially our internet forums, is infested with 'speech police' who will come down on you like a ton of bricks if you accidentally say the wrong thing.Thank goodness for free speech. Long live Oz.
And Tink, for someone who claims to be a swinging voter, you could have fooled me!
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