In Japan, Rural Economies Wane as Cities Thrive - New York Times
This article about the economic changes in Japan from the point of view of how it is affecting different regions makes for interesting reading.
It is true, as the article notes, that many smaller towns in Japan have old town centres which are stuggling due to new shopping malls in the nearby suburbs.
The thing is, Australian and other Western cities saw this same change from about the 1960's. But, over the years, many of the older small shop precincts have adapted and are again pleasant places to be.
In Japan, they are not so used to letting the market sort out such things.
The other point to make about the article is that it seems peculiar when talking about the decline of Japanese small towns to ignore the really fundamental issue for the future of the country: its rapidly aging population that is failing to reproduce or to accept reasonable levels of migration.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
A danger for Turnbull....
Unleashed: An honourable, fidgetty, humanist Liberalism
This could be a very bad sign for Malcolm Turnbull: Bob Ellis likes him!
This column by Ellis starts off with a prediction (the Liberal Party will disappear from history) which Ellis claims is supported by his uncanny election predictive powers:
In any event, I actually recommend this article by Ellis, despite his typically overwrought style, because of the potted history it gives of Turnbull's past political friendships.
Of course, given that it is written by a recent loser in a political defamation case (a point Ellis himself raises here), you can probably take much of it with a grain of salt, but it's interesting nonetheless.
As a footnote, maybe it's just me, but that photo of his is such a posed attempt at basset hound charm that it just makes me want to slap him about the face a bit.
This could be a very bad sign for Malcolm Turnbull: Bob Ellis likes him!
This column by Ellis starts off with a prediction (the Liberal Party will disappear from history) which Ellis claims is supported by his uncanny election predictive powers:
You mark my words. I predicted a Labor majority of twenty-eight or thirty and it's twenty-four, and I was right about every state.Actually, Bob, the result is now predicted to be Labor 83 seats, Coalition 65, and 2 independents. A majority of less than 20, it would seem.
In any event, I actually recommend this article by Ellis, despite his typically overwrought style, because of the potted history it gives of Turnbull's past political friendships.
Of course, given that it is written by a recent loser in a political defamation case (a point Ellis himself raises here), you can probably take much of it with a grain of salt, but it's interesting nonetheless.
As a footnote, maybe it's just me, but that photo of his is such a posed attempt at basset hound charm that it just makes me want to slap him about the face a bit.
More Jesus talk
Comment is free: Jesus: Messiah or Bolshevik?
Is Terry Eagleton getting more conservative in his old age?
I know little about him except what I have read in Wikipedia. He is mainly known as a Marxist (or now just very Left-ist) Catholic literary critic.
Yet his recent attack on Richard Dawkins did not really show the signs of what I normally expect from very liberal Christianity (ie, a belief in nothing really metaphysical at all.)
Anyway, his piece above in the Guardian talking about the way to understand Jesus as a political figure seems pretty reasonable to me.
(It still doesn't really address the issue as to whether he is a realist or non-realist when it comes to the supernatural, but I have to give him credit for sounding like a relatively sensible lefty Catholic.)
Is Terry Eagleton getting more conservative in his old age?
I know little about him except what I have read in Wikipedia. He is mainly known as a Marxist (or now just very Left-ist) Catholic literary critic.
Yet his recent attack on Richard Dawkins did not really show the signs of what I normally expect from very liberal Christianity (ie, a belief in nothing really metaphysical at all.)
Anyway, his piece above in the Guardian talking about the way to understand Jesus as a political figure seems pretty reasonable to me.
(It still doesn't really address the issue as to whether he is a realist or non-realist when it comes to the supernatural, but I have to give him credit for sounding like a relatively sensible lefty Catholic.)
He's not the Messiah
I can unite world on climate, says Rudd - Environment - smh.com.au
Unfortunately, it appears that headline is not a direct quote from our PM, just a paraphrase. That's a pity, as it would be quite funny for Kevin to start making silly grandiose statements so early in his Prime Minister-ship.
I note that Penny Wong is credited with having performed well in the election campaign, hence her reward of being made Climate Change Minister. (Sounds like it's her job to ensure climate changes happens.)
I don't know. I thought in any media appearances I have noticed she comes across as too earnest and humourless. Especially after her election night turn on the ABC, I can warm to Julia Gillard more readily, in the personality stakes anyway.
Penny has apparently received a fair bit of attention in reporting in China, but it is probably safe to assume this has not included details of her personal life yet. It will be interesting to see how (if ever) this is reported in Chinese media.
Back to Kyoto: this report in the Australian today did the useful service of explaining the issue of penalties under Kyoto in precise form. (I had become confused as to whether they really were a risk to any country.) Apparently not, is the answer:
The effect of this treaty is that everyone agreed to try really, really hard. Many countries failed, by such a margin that they can't realistically be penalised.
But it's the symbolism! Yeah, great.
Supposedly, the great benefit of Australia signing is to be directly involved in fresh negotiations now. Well, what about the USA? Is it just being given "observer status" because it hasn't ratified. I don't think so. It has to be involved for there to be any meaningful outcome.
Regardless of what the Liberal leadership may now say, I still stick to my line that giving supremacy to the symbolism over the practical outcome is actually the thing that deserves cynicism.
Unfortunately, it appears that headline is not a direct quote from our PM, just a paraphrase. That's a pity, as it would be quite funny for Kevin to start making silly grandiose statements so early in his Prime Minister-ship.
I note that Penny Wong is credited with having performed well in the election campaign, hence her reward of being made Climate Change Minister. (Sounds like it's her job to ensure climate changes happens.)
I don't know. I thought in any media appearances I have noticed she comes across as too earnest and humourless. Especially after her election night turn on the ABC, I can warm to Julia Gillard more readily, in the personality stakes anyway.
Penny has apparently received a fair bit of attention in reporting in China, but it is probably safe to assume this has not included details of her personal life yet. It will be interesting to see how (if ever) this is reported in Chinese media.
Back to Kyoto: this report in the Australian today did the useful service of explaining the issue of penalties under Kyoto in precise form. (I had become confused as to whether they really were a risk to any country.) Apparently not, is the answer:
experts outside the negotiating process think it is highly unlikely the UN will enforce the Kyoto caps because too many countries would be forced to pay up.So, our risk of losing money is low. The risk of other countries worrying about missing targets is also low.Deloitte emissions trading expert Lorraine Stephenson said a permit for each tonne of carbon over the limit would cost about $30 on current markets, putting Australia's potential Kyoto bill at up to $150 million.
That would be dwarfed by the bills facing other major industrialised countries such as Canada and Japan, which have already exceeded the targets they committed to when they ratified the protocol a decade ago.
On current projections, Canada would be required to pay about $6.8 billion to offset its projected 38 per cent blowout of its target. Japan would face a bill of about $4billion for being 10per cent over the limit.
European nations such as Greece and Ireland will avoid expensive Kyoto bills because the European Union will aggregate its total emissions.
The EU is expected to meet its target thanks to the inclusion of eastern Germany and the closure of the British coal industry in 1990, the baseline year for setting targets.
The effect of this treaty is that everyone agreed to try really, really hard. Many countries failed, by such a margin that they can't realistically be penalised.
But it's the symbolism! Yeah, great.
Supposedly, the great benefit of Australia signing is to be directly involved in fresh negotiations now. Well, what about the USA? Is it just being given "observer status" because it hasn't ratified. I don't think so. It has to be involved for there to be any meaningful outcome.
Regardless of what the Liberal leadership may now say, I still stick to my line that giving supremacy to the symbolism over the practical outcome is actually the thing that deserves cynicism.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Stupid ways to promote Green
Earthrace: the green machine - Telegraph
This is, to make an understatement, counter-intuitive:
And it's not just CO2 that the biofuel is spewing out:
This is, to make an understatement, counter-intuitive:
Earthrace is not your standard petrol-guzzling powerboat. Its jaw-dropping looks have already earned it the unofficial mantle of the world's coolest boat, but it is also one of the greenest. Fuelled by biodiesel and made with environmentally friendly products, it has on-board recycling and all its carbon emissions are offset. But forget images of sandal-wearing sailors and lentil soup. This boat's performance in the water is what turns the petrol heads on. With its 13,000-litre fuel tanks it can travel halfway round the world at speeds of up to 40 knots....Err, how about by not worrying at all about how fast a small-ish boat can circumnavigate the globe, whether or not it is using biodiesel?
What better way to prove the viability of "green" fuels that produce 78 per cent less carbon emissions than by smashing the decade-old record set by Britain's Ian Bosworth, who circumnavigated the globe in 75 days on the petrol-guzzling Cable & Wireless boat?
And it's not just CO2 that the biofuel is spewing out:
"It averages about 85 decibels at cruising speed. Without earplugs the crew would go deaf," Bethune explained matter-of-factly.Bethune may also be certifiable, by the sounds of this:
Any doubts about Bethune's commitment were dispelled when it emerged that he recently had liposuction and converted the extracted fat into biodiesel. However before you think that cosmetic surgery might save the planet, it only produced 100ml of fuel.Hmmm. Maybe if I save all my urine for 5 years and dry it out, I'll have enough urea to mix with biodiesel to make enough explosive to sink the noisy boat of this self-cannibalising wannabe greenie.
Monday, December 03, 2007
A cheery soul
The moral agent | Review | Guardian Unlimited Books
It must be literary night here at OD. See the link above for a long article on Joseph Conrad.
I had liked Typhoon (a short novella) which was in a high school book, and many years later read Lord Jim. Although I finished it, it certainly put me off him as a novel writer. His writing style is just incredibly dense, although at first I thought that this might be my fault for being too wedded to "easy" reading.
But no, according to the article, he was even heavy going for his readers when he was alive. HG Wells wrote a review in which he described Conrad's style as being:
Anyhow, the article shows that Conrad was the nervous type whose cynical, modernistic view of the world is summed up by this extract from a letter to a friend:
It must be literary night here at OD. See the link above for a long article on Joseph Conrad.
I had liked Typhoon (a short novella) which was in a high school book, and many years later read Lord Jim. Although I finished it, it certainly put me off him as a novel writer. His writing style is just incredibly dense, although at first I thought that this might be my fault for being too wedded to "easy" reading.
But no, according to the article, he was even heavy going for his readers when he was alive. HG Wells wrote a review in which he described Conrad's style as being:
"like river-mist; for a space things are seen clearly, and then comes a great grey bank of printed matter, page upon page, creeping round the reader, swallowing him up".As I recall, "Lord Jim" is supposed to be a tale told around a table in one night. Many reviewers must have found this an unbelievable conceit, as the edition I read included a foreword by Conrad claiming that this criticism was unfair, and you really could tell the tale in one night. (Maybe, if you are in polar regions in winter.)
Anyhow, the article shows that Conrad was the nervous type whose cynical, modernistic view of the world is summed up by this extract from a letter to a friend:
Life knows us not and we do not know life - we don't even know our own thoughts. Half the words we use have no meaning whatever and of the other half each man understands each word after the fashion of his own folly and conceit. Faith is a myth, and beliefs shift like mists on the shore; thoughts vanish; words, once pronounced, die; and the memory of yesterday is as shadowy as the hope of tomorrow.Yes, well. Joseph certainly sounds like the last person on earth his mates would have thought about inviting out for a few drinks and a yarn. If he got anywhere near a gin bottle, they would've had to make sure sharp objects were out of reach of his wrists.
No stopping him
The end of the affair and beyond | The Australian
There were reviews in the weekend press about a newly published collection of letters by sex mad author Graham Greene. This excerpt made me laugh:
It sounds like a clear case of "too much information" being delivered to his mistress:
"Graham, are the rumours true? Have you been paying a woman for sex? What is her name?"
"I confess dear, I have needs. Her name is Hazel, but only on Mondays. Tuesdays and Wednesday are Betty. On the first and second Saturday of each month it's Ethel; the third Saturday is Mildred; the Fridays are either with Edith, Beryl or Babbs, depending on who's free; on the 5th and 10th of each month I have regular bookings with Marge, unless she's otherwise engaged, then it's....." etc, etc.
There were reviews in the weekend press about a newly published collection of letters by sex mad author Graham Greene. This excerpt made me laugh:
His promiscuity, which his editor suggests was "often made utterly unmanageable by bipolar illness", added to that restlessness and led inevitably to the end of his relationship with Vivien (although they never divorced). Greene as sex addict does not figure strongly in these letters. But in his exhaustive (and, at 2251 pages, exhausting) authorised biography of Greene, Norman Sherry annexes a list of 47 favourite prostitutes scribbled down by Greene in 1948 when his mistress Catherine Walston challenged him about rumours that he paid women for sex.And that was only his favourite prostitutes.
It sounds like a clear case of "too much information" being delivered to his mistress:
"Graham, are the rumours true? Have you been paying a woman for sex? What is her name?"
"I confess dear, I have needs. Her name is Hazel, but only on Mondays. Tuesdays and Wednesday are Betty. On the first and second Saturday of each month it's Ethel; the third Saturday is Mildred; the Fridays are either with Edith, Beryl or Babbs, depending on who's free; on the 5th and 10th of each month I have regular bookings with Marge, unless she's otherwise engaged, then it's....." etc, etc.
What does Penny Wong think about this?
Eat, drink and be miserable: the true cost of our addiction to shopping
Madeleine Bunting follows the George Monbiot line that, to realistically get to the CO2 reductions required, massive changes to society will be needed. Her last paragraph:
I am guessing that it will only be a matter of time before we have some greenie group or other seriously promoting sabotage of coal mining or power stations for the greater good of the earth.
I suspect Madeleine is partly right: very serious CO2 reductions can only be achieved with pain. But the problem is, if you bring Western nations' economies to a halt too quickly, it will inhibit the innovation that is needed to help as well.
It's probably nothing that a massive war between the US and China couldn't solve. (Just kidding, you know.)
Madeleine Bunting follows the George Monbiot line that, to realistically get to the CO2 reductions required, massive changes to society will be needed. Her last paragraph:
Hearteningly, we know it can be done - our parents and grandparents managed it in the second world war. This useful analogy, explored by Andrew Simms in his book Ecological Debt, demonstrates the critical role of government. In the early 1940s, a dramatic drop in household consumption was achieved - not by relying on the good intentions of individuals (and their ability to act on that coffee-stained pamphlet), but by the government orchestrating a massive propaganda exercise combined with a rationing system and a luxury tax. This will be the stuff of 21st-century politics - something that, right now, all the main political parties are much too scared to admit.Yes, that makes serious post-Kyoto targets sound attractive, doesn't it?
I am guessing that it will only be a matter of time before we have some greenie group or other seriously promoting sabotage of coal mining or power stations for the greater good of the earth.
I suspect Madeleine is partly right: very serious CO2 reductions can only be achieved with pain. But the problem is, if you bring Western nations' economies to a halt too quickly, it will inhibit the innovation that is needed to help as well.
It's probably nothing that a massive war between the US and China couldn't solve. (Just kidding, you know.)
A cultural note
James Fallows (November 27, 2007) - "The" way vs "a" way (Japan v China dept)
Found this via Japundit. It involves a funny sort of comparison between China and Japan.
Found this via Japundit. It involves a funny sort of comparison between China and Japan.
When surgeons fight
Isn't it a little odd that, at opposite ends of the country, we currently have cases of feuding surgeons causing major problems for hospital administration?
Of course, we also have the case of Dr Patel, the surgeon who just wouldn't stop, to deal with soon, as well as action against the hospital administrator for not acting on complaints about Patel faster.
Surgeons are a worry.
Of course, we also have the case of Dr Patel, the surgeon who just wouldn't stop, to deal with soon, as well as action against the hospital administrator for not acting on complaints about Patel faster.
Surgeons are a worry.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Things your priest gets up to on holiday
Guns, porn oust priest | Herald Sun
A very strange story of an Adelaide priest who (allegedly!) has been carrying guns in Afghanistan and collecting what sounds like gay porn on his computer.
I see that he got a mention in a SMH article earlier this year:
I am also curious as to how the Catholic church works out holidays for priests, at a time when everyone knows there are not enough to go around.
A very strange story of an Adelaide priest who (allegedly!) has been carrying guns in Afghanistan and collecting what sounds like gay porn on his computer.
I see that he got a mention in a SMH article earlier this year:
Father Tony Pearson, a Catholic priest who allows Shiite Hazaras in Adelaide to hold their annual Moharram ceremony on church premises, says the isolation and uncertainty of the temporary protection visa system has ravaged the morale of Australia's small Afghan community. ....
"When Afghans are given a fair go, the vast majority are found to be hardworking and moderate in their view of Islam," Pearson says. "But our Government chose to make an example of them to deter others. Some victims of that policy have suffered grave and unnecessary psychological damage."
Another paper reports:
Prior to voluntarily standing down, Father Pearson was heavily involved in the Archdiocese of Adelaide's Aboriginal Catholic Ministry and the Otherway Centre in Pirie St as chaplain. He is a frequent traveller to Afghanistan, having visited the country up to six times in recent years.....
"Tony Pearson's trips to Afghanistan have been private trips, in his own time and funded by him. Consequently, there has been no requirement or obligation for him to advise the church in respect of them," she said.I wonder what will happen if his hosts in Afghanistan find out about the photos on his computer?
I am also curious as to how the Catholic church works out holidays for priests, at a time when everyone knows there are not enough to go around.
Window cleaning in Japan
Polishing a paradox high up in the sky | The Japan Times Online
Just a nice article about what it is like to do high rise window cleaning in Tokyo.
Unfortunately, this crew appears to have some sort of code of ethics which prevents them answering the most obvious question:
Just a nice article about what it is like to do high rise window cleaning in Tokyo.
Unfortunately, this crew appears to have some sort of code of ethics which prevents them answering the most obvious question:
"Lots of people wave," Yamamoto said. And do they wave back?
"If people wave at us, we wave back. Otherwise we don't look at what's happening inside."
Now they were warming up a little I tried asking again — this time about things they've seen inside other buildings.
"We've seen things that it wouldn't be appropriate to say," said Yamamoto, tantalizingly. Alas, he would be drawn no further.
The full Nelson
Knowing the full Nelson - Opinion - theage.com.au
Jason Koutsoukis gives a good explanation of why Brendan Nelson cannot be taken seriously.
Jason Koutsoukis gives a good explanation of why Brendan Nelson cannot be taken seriously.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Post-election wrap ups
* Amongst all the triumphalism of Alan Ramsey's column this morning (he had to get an election result right eventually), there is a funny quote useful for all who dislike Brendan Nelson:
* Greg Sheridan is probably the first columnists to put a bit of blame on Costello and him supporters for doing their bit to undermine Howard's leadership. Fair enough too, I think.
* On Radio National breakfast yesterday, Gerard Henderson was firmly in the "it really was all Howard's fault for not going earlier" camp too. I thought he might be a bit more cautious about this, although it's undeniably true that if Howard was mostly concerned with looking good by leaving while at the height of his powers, he did make a mistake.
The thing that everyone seems to leave out of the equation is whether Costello really could have overcome his famous (if unjustified) unpopularity with the public. Julia Guillard pointed this out on election night: she thought it was fanciful to think Costello could have won it for the Coalition; if anything, she believes he could have made the loss worse.
Sure, Paul Keating managed the trick, but look at the help he had from John Hewson's scaring the horses by talking up a new tax.
Costello versus Rudd would in no way have been the same dynamic.
* I still make the point, however, that the main players in the Coalition are taking the loss with a relatively high degree of grace. The press this morning has the headline "Howard's fault: Costello." Well, it is the implication of what Peter is saying, but you really have to watch or read the interview to see that he certainly does not seem bitter and twisted about it.
* Finally, you would have to have a hard heart not to be moved by the video summary of Matt Price's funeral that is on News.com this morning. Brought a tear to my eye, that's for sure.
Incidentally, has anyone else noticed that Tim Blair seems not to have commented on Price's death on his blog? Seems peculiar. (Speaking of Blair, his post-election column is pretty good.)
John Stone, a former National Party Senate leader, was moved to say of Nelson: "He reminds me of Andrew Peacock without the substance."* Michael Duffy casts a cynical eye over professional political punditry generally. (I think he has written about this research before, hasn't he?, but it's good to be reminded.)
* Greg Sheridan is probably the first columnists to put a bit of blame on Costello and him supporters for doing their bit to undermine Howard's leadership. Fair enough too, I think.
* On Radio National breakfast yesterday, Gerard Henderson was firmly in the "it really was all Howard's fault for not going earlier" camp too. I thought he might be a bit more cautious about this, although it's undeniably true that if Howard was mostly concerned with looking good by leaving while at the height of his powers, he did make a mistake.
The thing that everyone seems to leave out of the equation is whether Costello really could have overcome his famous (if unjustified) unpopularity with the public. Julia Guillard pointed this out on election night: she thought it was fanciful to think Costello could have won it for the Coalition; if anything, she believes he could have made the loss worse.
Sure, Paul Keating managed the trick, but look at the help he had from John Hewson's scaring the horses by talking up a new tax.
Costello versus Rudd would in no way have been the same dynamic.
* I still make the point, however, that the main players in the Coalition are taking the loss with a relatively high degree of grace. The press this morning has the headline "Howard's fault: Costello." Well, it is the implication of what Peter is saying, but you really have to watch or read the interview to see that he certainly does not seem bitter and twisted about it.
* Finally, you would have to have a hard heart not to be moved by the video summary of Matt Price's funeral that is on News.com this morning. Brought a tear to my eye, that's for sure.
Incidentally, has anyone else noticed that Tim Blair seems not to have commented on Price's death on his blog? Seems peculiar. (Speaking of Blair, his post-election column is pretty good.)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Worth a look
ABC TV: Captain Cook
I kept forgetting it was on, but from what I did see, the 4 part documentary about Cook which recently ran on ABC was very good.
I did see most of the last episode, about his ill-fated final voyage. I didn't realise how strangely Cook behaved on that trip, or how the reason for this is still only a matter of speculation.
I recommend watching it if it is repeated soon.
I kept forgetting it was on, but from what I did see, the 4 part documentary about Cook which recently ran on ABC was very good.
I did see most of the last episode, about his ill-fated final voyage. I didn't realise how strangely Cook behaved on that trip, or how the reason for this is still only a matter of speculation.
I recommend watching it if it is repeated soon.
Class Act
Lateline - ABC
Peter Costello gave a fine performance on Lateline tonight. The transcript is not up yet, but you can watch the video already.
He does not give any impression of a man who will be caught up in extended bitterness over what could have been. Disappointed, sure, but not full of bile and bitterness.
The difference between how John Howard and Peter Costello have handled the election defeat, compared to Keating and Latham, is remarkable. (It's true that on the Labor side, Kim Beazley was a good loser, but he seemed a bit too comfortable in that role for the good of the Party!)
Peter Costello gave a fine performance on Lateline tonight. The transcript is not up yet, but you can watch the video already.
He does not give any impression of a man who will be caught up in extended bitterness over what could have been. Disappointed, sure, but not full of bile and bitterness.
The difference between how John Howard and Peter Costello have handled the election defeat, compared to Keating and Latham, is remarkable. (It's true that on the Labor side, Kim Beazley was a good loser, but he seemed a bit too comfortable in that role for the good of the Party!)
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Oh.. my... God
Before I get to the main point, while I type this I can see Shirley Bassey on TV performing at the 2005 Royal Variety concert from England.
What gives with Ms Bassey? How old is she? It feels like she should be about 80, yet she has looked exactly the same for the last 40 years. I can only assume that she is either:
a. some triumph of plastic surgery (but doesn't have the very obvious over-worked looks of many American stars),
b. a singing robot, or
c. she has sold her soul to the Devil.
She is the best preserved ancient singer in the world; she makes Cliff Richard look like a geriatric prune.
OK, I can't avoid the main point now.
What the hell are the parliamentary Liberals thinking?? Did Peter Costello vote for Brendan Nelson as leader just in case he (Peter) has a change of heart and wants to take a stab at leadership in 18 months time?
Does anyone in Australia, anyone at all, think that Nelson will be a better leader than Turnbull. No? I didn't think so....
I can't stand Nelson. Everyone I have heard on the media or in real life talking about Liberal leadership since the election has said they like Turnbull.
The theory that the party really just wants Nelson to hold the seat and take all the punishment of the first couple of years of opposition before they get serious and appoint Turnbull has some merit.
But jeez...do we have to really go through the embarrassment of having the 3rd or 4th rate contender as leader first?
What gives with Ms Bassey? How old is she? It feels like she should be about 80, yet she has looked exactly the same for the last 40 years. I can only assume that she is either:
a. some triumph of plastic surgery (but doesn't have the very obvious over-worked looks of many American stars),
b. a singing robot, or
c. she has sold her soul to the Devil.
She is the best preserved ancient singer in the world; she makes Cliff Richard look like a geriatric prune.
OK, I can't avoid the main point now.
What the hell are the parliamentary Liberals thinking?? Did Peter Costello vote for Brendan Nelson as leader just in case he (Peter) has a change of heart and wants to take a stab at leadership in 18 months time?
Does anyone in Australia, anyone at all, think that Nelson will be a better leader than Turnbull. No? I didn't think so....
I can't stand Nelson. Everyone I have heard on the media or in real life talking about Liberal leadership since the election has said they like Turnbull.
The theory that the party really just wants Nelson to hold the seat and take all the punishment of the first couple of years of opposition before they get serious and appoint Turnbull has some merit.
But jeez...do we have to really go through the embarrassment of having the 3rd or 4th rate contender as leader first?
Willing to take bets on this
The party's over and Liberals will soon be history - Opinion - smh.com.au
Steve Biddulph is a psychologist best known for his books on raising children (boys in particular). Makes him sound as if he might be a bit on the conservative side? Ha! His Wikipedia entry shows he lives in Tasmania and helps fund the SievX National Memorial Project. Not conservative markers, to say the least.
In any event, his analysis of the election result (linked above) makes for an erratic read.
First, he claims that the Liberals will die because all Western governments have become "centrist." (Well, both parties moving to centrist positions is true, although I still can't see why you can't have 2 centrist parties with sufficient differentiation to make a contest.)
Second, the environment is the future's big issue. (Possibly true.)
Thirdly, the Western economy may be about to undergo a major collapse, and this was possibly a "good" election to lose. (Possibly true, although his claim that "We are a civilisation in collapse" is a warning sign that his analysis is about to go off the rails.)
Fourthly: in the face of imminent civilisation collapse:
No, Steve Biddulph wants us to be more like a fairy tale Europe:
I don't have time to do the Googling to show the aspects of Europe today that do not compare favourably to Australia under Howard. But you know they are out there.
No Steve is just a Greenie dill after all.
Steve Biddulph is a psychologist best known for his books on raising children (boys in particular). Makes him sound as if he might be a bit on the conservative side? Ha! His Wikipedia entry shows he lives in Tasmania and helps fund the SievX National Memorial Project. Not conservative markers, to say the least.
In any event, his analysis of the election result (linked above) makes for an erratic read.
First, he claims that the Liberals will die because all Western governments have become "centrist." (Well, both parties moving to centrist positions is true, although I still can't see why you can't have 2 centrist parties with sufficient differentiation to make a contest.)
Second, the environment is the future's big issue. (Possibly true.)
Thirdly, the Western economy may be about to undergo a major collapse, and this was possibly a "good" election to lose. (Possibly true, although his claim that "We are a civilisation in collapse" is a warning sign that his analysis is about to go off the rails.)
Fourthly: in the face of imminent civilisation collapse:
Labor is the right party to manage this.What? What does he base that on?:
Despite the widespread belief after years of cynical politics that politicians are all the same, Rudd and Gillard are not in power for power's sake. I am willing to stake my 30 years as a psychologist on this, but I think many observers have also come to this conclusion.LOL! (Especially for Kevin.) But Steve finds them to be altruists pure of heart:
Kevin and Julia, as Australia already calls them, want to make this country a better place for the people in it. In the coming times of deprivation, they have the value systems that will be needed to care for the sudden rise in poverty, stress, and need. They also have the unity.As opposed to Liberals who, I suppose, want to crush the coming mass of starving enviro-peasants under their heels and send them back to the workhouses again.
No, Steve Biddulph wants us to be more like a fairy tale Europe:
The big lie of Liberal supremacy was economic management. In fact, they knew how to generate income, but not how to spend it. We could have been building what Europe built in this past decade - superb hospitals, bullet trains, schools and training centres, low cost public transport of luxurious quality, magnificent public housing. We pissed it all away on tax giveaways and consumer goods.Oh come on. I suppose Paris is caught in strikes and riots because everyone decided that perfection could be just a little more perfect?
I don't have time to do the Googling to show the aspects of Europe today that do not compare favourably to Australia under Howard. But you know they are out there.
No Steve is just a Greenie dill after all.
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