There seems to be lots of topics about the US elections and no topics about any other elections.
In case you didn't know - Australia will be holding elections in less than two days.
As I'm sure you all know - I'm a big green supporter and will be handing out how to vote cards on the day for the greens. The greens are the biggest growing party in Australia at the moment and look set to have another big improvement.
However the closer we get into this election the more depressing it becomes. It now seems clear that the current government will win its second election in a row (and fourth election in a row overall) based mainly on a lie. Not only that, but unlike last election, the lie is obvious.
Last election the Howard Government looked set to lose the election when a boat load of refugees fleeing from the Middle East arrived in Australian waters. Their boat was sinking and they were picked up by a Norwegian freighter. The Norwegian freighter was not allowed to offload the refugees in Australia and the government spend over $1,000,000,000 keeping those refugees out - claiming that they had thrown their children overboard. They even provided photos. Over 80% of the refugees were given refugee visas in Australia after the election and it was quickly revealed not only that no children were thrown overboard - but that either the leaders most senior advisers or the PM himself lied about the situation. Over 65% of Australian's believe that Howard did directly lie to the people about this situation - and they're still going to fucking vote for him
This election John Howard - "The Man of Steel" as George Bush called him (and incidentally Stalin’s name as well) - is campaigning on "Trust" and is also claiming that the main opposition - the Labor Party will raise interest rates if they win election. Over 60% of Australians currently believe this to be the case - despite the fact that every single economist who has been interviewed on every news or current events TV station, radio or newspaper that I have seen has pointed out that the government does not set interest rates - that they are mainly based on the international market and that interest rates will rise slightly but will remain stable no matter who wins the elections.
Because of the rise of the Greens, both major parties have committed themselves to saving the old growth rain forests around where I live. While the Labor party has a very strong policy that will result in a huge amount of the Forests being protected - the Liberal party has launched it's policy - that will result in over 140,000 hectares of unlogable land being protected - land that is uneconomical to log or is already protected. In a sense they are trying to make people who care about the environment to think they are doing something when really they are doing nothing.
John Howard has also said that he'd rather give his preference to the "Family First Party" - a conservative party that has denied it's Christian but wants to get rid of Mosques in Australia and one candidate says he'd like to see lesbians burnt at the stake like witches - instead of giving his preference to the greens.
I find it very depressing that such a person could win another election and that people can be so fucking gullible. It makes me sick. If I were Christian I would spend every minute praying that the Liberals lose the election.
My only consolation is that even if Howard wins we'll still have a humanist government than the US regardless of those elections - but that's a very bitter consolation indeed.
It's fucking horrible. It really makes me want to move to New Zealand or Canada or somewhere that isn't such a fucking selfish, hateful, plundering nation.
It's hard to believe that Australia was once a leading nation in social reform and progressiveness.
I think if Howard does win this election, by the time the next one comes around I will definitely be in a different country.
Australian Election
thanks for the thread. i enjoy reading on the domestic politics of nations other than the US , its refreshing.
i think its righteous youre promotin the Greens, but you shouldnt get so discouraged. I think green politics grow best from local levels and the growth in Australia that you mentioned should leave you with some hope if/when the Greens lose on the national stage.
i think its righteous youre promotin the Greens, but you shouldnt get so discouraged. I think green politics grow best from local levels and the growth in Australia that you mentioned should leave you with some hope if/when the Greens lose on the national stage.
It's set up like a deck of cards,
theyre sendin us to early graves
for the diamonds
they use a pair of clubs to beat the spades(ratm)
Cloud9-Juan Rangel
theyre sendin us to early graves
for the diamonds
they use a pair of clubs to beat the spades(ratm)
Cloud9-Juan Rangel
Aotearoa ain't a perfect political paradise either Jeremy. We may have a labour government, but geuss who they're co-alligned with? Not the logical choice of the Greens but instead with Peter Dunne and the United Future Party, basically our version of your Family First Party.
Why would Labour rather align itself with a conservative christian party than the Greens? Two letters, G.E, and what a load crap it was too. Last election the Greens made it very clear they would not support a government that planned to lift the moratorium on open field tests, so Labour buddied up with United Future, promised not to reform marijuana laws, and lifted the moratorium. Since then how many open field tests have taken place? None. How many applications have been made? None. Just like the Greens had been saying all along, Kiwis didn't want anything to do with GE for commercial ends, and so no company wants the black name associated with exposing the public to G.E.
So, yea. Ranting about politics is great fun and no matter where you go it's bound to be a national pass time.
Why would Labour rather align itself with a conservative christian party than the Greens? Two letters, G.E, and what a load crap it was too. Last election the Greens made it very clear they would not support a government that planned to lift the moratorium on open field tests, so Labour buddied up with United Future, promised not to reform marijuana laws, and lifted the moratorium. Since then how many open field tests have taken place? None. How many applications have been made? None. Just like the Greens had been saying all along, Kiwis didn't want anything to do with GE for commercial ends, and so no company wants the black name associated with exposing the public to G.E.
So, yea. Ranting about politics is great fun and no matter where you go it's bound to be a national pass time.
-Dale Jury
I'm not depressed about the growth of the Greens - we are kicking major arse - for the first time both parties have been forced to make huge efforts at winning the "green" vote - putting billions of dollars into saving our environment - who ever wins funding for the environment is going to get better.
It's the fact that we are going to get another term of neo conservatism that depresses me.
Aotearoa might not be perfect - but it's a lot closer than Australia - at least you aren't fighting in Iraq and still believe in compassion.
It's the fact that we are going to get another term of neo conservatism that depresses me.
Aotearoa might not be perfect - but it's a lot closer than Australia - at least you aren't fighting in Iraq and still believe in compassion.
well the election was yesterday.
The day before I did some letterboxing for the Australian Education Union and yesterday I handed out green stuff at a polling booth. This was lots of fun and my old touch football coach was handing out labor stuff - the whole atmosphere was very friendly and we chatted with the fuckers from the other parties too.
I knew I was doing the right thing when someone said "A vote for the greens is a vote for satan" to me! - If they knew me, they would have known how cool I think that is.
Anyway I lost a 32 abshire footbag there which was the big omen for the night.
I went and had a bbq with JD - the touch coach and we drank a lot. JD works for a state labor member and so there were a lot of other labor people there.
The results were worse than I expected. The fucking imp was returned with a bigger majority and he will probably win the senate too - if he doesn't Family First will hold the balance of power (and that means ultra conservative christian values - anti gay laws etc. - fuck you have no idea how much I hate religion). My seat was lost by labor.
The Greens did as well as expected and picked up a seat or two in the senate. - they now have over 7% of support in Australia and in some places it was as higher than 20%.
I don't know if you realise how passionate I am about politics but I'd say it's a bigger passion for me than footbag. It makes me so angry that the fucking liberal maggots won the election by lieing and smear campaigning - they made no effort to be postitive about anything - "under a Lathem government interest rates will rise" was their big slogan. argh. I feel like smashing everything. I don't know if I want to stay in australia or not. It's so fucked. Why are there so many fucking stupid people out there?
According to economists (what the fuck would they know about the economy - they only spend their lives thinking about it) - we have a global economy and interest rates are decided by what's happening in the world not here. Also the reason why the economy is so good now in Australia is mainly because of the reforms and recesion that occured in the early ninties under Labor. Interest rates are now so low that they are definitly going to rise and as a nation that is so in debt we are going to have some serious problems. We can only hope that all the people with high interest rates who end up losing their houses shoot their themselves in the head. And maybe next election when it becomes apparant that the pm has lied to us for the 28th time (although no doubt the count will be higher by that stage) we will finally elect a government that cares about the general population.
Democracy in a 2 party system is fucked. In my state of Tasmania Labor held all 5 seats. Because of a last minute released policy to end the logging of old growth rain forests in Australia from both parties (labor actually trying to do it - the government being misleading again) we saw swings against labor over the state. Labor lost two seats by small margins but won the others. - So clearly over 50% of Tasmanians voted for Labor and presumably support the policy - which is exactly what polls indicate (that over 70% of people want to see an end to old growth logging). Yet many people in labor think they took the wrong approach and they should not try and protect the forests. Next election saving the forests will be off the agenda. This is good for the greens but it also means that despite having majority support - it's not enough support for labor to win and they need to make their policies more like the libs to get elected. The majority of people get screwed over.
Anyway I drunk about 20 beers last night and have a horrible hangover now. I'm not sure if my nausea is from the hangover or the election result.
The only good thing to come out of the day was that JD is going to try and get me a job working for his MP until the end of the touch year and then a very left wing labor mp after that (Duncan Kerr - who is not only very left but holds one of the safest seats in the country due to being such a legend)
The day before I did some letterboxing for the Australian Education Union and yesterday I handed out green stuff at a polling booth. This was lots of fun and my old touch football coach was handing out labor stuff - the whole atmosphere was very friendly and we chatted with the fuckers from the other parties too.
I knew I was doing the right thing when someone said "A vote for the greens is a vote for satan" to me! - If they knew me, they would have known how cool I think that is.
Anyway I lost a 32 abshire footbag there which was the big omen for the night.
I went and had a bbq with JD - the touch coach and we drank a lot. JD works for a state labor member and so there were a lot of other labor people there.
The results were worse than I expected. The fucking imp was returned with a bigger majority and he will probably win the senate too - if he doesn't Family First will hold the balance of power (and that means ultra conservative christian values - anti gay laws etc. - fuck you have no idea how much I hate religion). My seat was lost by labor.
The Greens did as well as expected and picked up a seat or two in the senate. - they now have over 7% of support in Australia and in some places it was as higher than 20%.
I don't know if you realise how passionate I am about politics but I'd say it's a bigger passion for me than footbag. It makes me so angry that the fucking liberal maggots won the election by lieing and smear campaigning - they made no effort to be postitive about anything - "under a Lathem government interest rates will rise" was their big slogan. argh. I feel like smashing everything. I don't know if I want to stay in australia or not. It's so fucked. Why are there so many fucking stupid people out there?
According to economists (what the fuck would they know about the economy - they only spend their lives thinking about it) - we have a global economy and interest rates are decided by what's happening in the world not here. Also the reason why the economy is so good now in Australia is mainly because of the reforms and recesion that occured in the early ninties under Labor. Interest rates are now so low that they are definitly going to rise and as a nation that is so in debt we are going to have some serious problems. We can only hope that all the people with high interest rates who end up losing their houses shoot their themselves in the head. And maybe next election when it becomes apparant that the pm has lied to us for the 28th time (although no doubt the count will be higher by that stage) we will finally elect a government that cares about the general population.
Democracy in a 2 party system is fucked. In my state of Tasmania Labor held all 5 seats. Because of a last minute released policy to end the logging of old growth rain forests in Australia from both parties (labor actually trying to do it - the government being misleading again) we saw swings against labor over the state. Labor lost two seats by small margins but won the others. - So clearly over 50% of Tasmanians voted for Labor and presumably support the policy - which is exactly what polls indicate (that over 70% of people want to see an end to old growth logging). Yet many people in labor think they took the wrong approach and they should not try and protect the forests. Next election saving the forests will be off the agenda. This is good for the greens but it also means that despite having majority support - it's not enough support for labor to win and they need to make their policies more like the libs to get elected. The majority of people get screwed over.
Anyway I drunk about 20 beers last night and have a horrible hangover now. I'm not sure if my nausea is from the hangover or the election result.
The only good thing to come out of the day was that JD is going to try and get me a job working for his MP until the end of the touch year and then a very left wing labor mp after that (Duncan Kerr - who is not only very left but holds one of the safest seats in the country due to being such a legend)
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sPinko-Mania
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King Monkey
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Man the whole election situation here is pretty fucked up, i agree Jeremy. I share your sentiments about the stupidity of people. They cop lie after lie from the government, and still they follow because he throws them more lies that make them feel good. i was talking to my mate about it (he is Mark Latham's nephew incidently) about it, and his mum had been at the polls that morning and people were actually walking in to cast their vote whilst saying things like 'we dont want our interest rates to go up.' so dumb
he also told me apparently the average Liberal voter is a an early 20-something male! Young people support Liberals! WTF?
I couldnt believe how many took the Interest rate line and swallowed it, fucking ridiculous. It was another blatant act of deception, by a government who everyone agrees is deceptive, and its been proven that they are deceptive, and yet so many people still support them. i dont get it. There were comments in my local paper in the lead up to the election (i live in an area where the education and economic standing is not great) like 'I think i will vote for John Howard, he's got a good track record and he is doing a good job as PM'.
i just cant believe Labour got beaten so badly after all the shit of the last 4 years or more.
he also told me apparently the average Liberal voter is a an early 20-something male! Young people support Liberals! WTF?
I couldnt believe how many took the Interest rate line and swallowed it, fucking ridiculous. It was another blatant act of deception, by a government who everyone agrees is deceptive, and its been proven that they are deceptive, and yet so many people still support them. i dont get it. There were comments in my local paper in the lead up to the election (i live in an area where the education and economic standing is not great) like 'I think i will vote for John Howard, he's got a good track record and he is doing a good job as PM'.
i just cant believe Labour got beaten so badly after all the shit of the last 4 years or more.
Ian Pritchard - http://www.ausfootbag.org
'People, just play Footbag and stop being dickheads!' - Michał Biarda
'People, just play Footbag and stop being dickheads!' - Michał Biarda
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BainbridgeShred
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BainbridgeShred
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