And this is the last I'll have to say on politics for a while, I'm sure

[guiltyschu]

Dear Australia,

Oh dear. Baby did a bad, bad thing. Congratulations Australia - you've just elected a guy who used to be nicknamed Doctor Death. Yeah, that's a good sign

Comments

[mad_monk]

From a general designer and evolutionist perspective, I support effective marketing. I oppose the Lib style mudslinging, more because it frustrates me as an ineffective strategy regarding Australian voters than finding it morally reprehensible. If the Kyoto thing was only done to win votes, and it worked, then well done to Rudd for playing a sneaky hand, and having nice glasses.

Howard said HE was sorry. He hasn't apologise on behalf of the nation. I certianly feel no personal responsibility for what was done in the past but this isn't about me. It is about a major cultural group who had their land invaded and are still suffering from being legally considered local fauna until fourty years ago. The whole problem with the stolen generation was the government deciding what was best for the aboriginal people rather than allowing them to live the way they had lived quite hapily for thousands of years. Most of the communities that were invaded were already dry. Howard didn't introduce that. They did. Part of the agreement between the communities and the government was that nobody was permitted in the communitee land without permission from the elders. This was to prevent the white influence of drugs and alcohol (among other things) which caused their problems in the first place. Alright, I could go into a lot more detail about why the existing measures were beginning to see effect and Howard's intervention has destroyed years of work and reinforced distrust of whitey in these communities. It will take a very long time to repair this damage. I won't. I would be here a long time. Suffice to say, Howard's 'help' is viewed as condescending by the Aboriginal community as a whole and appears to be nothing more than a political stunt with short term benefit and long term damage. Men who were seen as unfit parents by white standards were taken from their families and put in jail for a couple of years where they will have access to drugs and alcohol which they did not have before. When they do get out again and return to their families, what was previously a culturally acceptable situation will become intollerable. Okay. I'm stopping this time. Really.

Regarding Aus/USA relationship. Rudd did suggest that Australia would be a little more independent of America, while maintaining the alliance. That could be taken to mean anything, but anything short of being Uncle Sam's lap dog sounds good to me.

On the other points, I don't really know enough to have a strong opinion. If he has said he will fix something and hasn't said how, I hope he will think of something soon. Opposition leaders don't generally need to know how they'll do something. The promises are like modern marriage vows in that way. It is a declaration of intent. Rudd has indicated (more subtly than Keating did) that he knows we are due for a resession and sounds like he has a plan for it. He does seem to have his finger on the pulse so to speak.

Well, the battle is over for the next four years in any case. We have a new prom queen with nice glasses. So, like you, I'm just waiting to see what shape this new Australia will take.