Prediction - The Demise of Family First...

Like Meg Lees and The Democrats before them, Johnny has pulled the rug out from under Mr Fielding and Family First - and the poor fool doesn't even know it. Whilst his actions (which is most likely in support of the Government to pull the rug on RU486) might get backing from the Religous Right, his "Family Impact" strategy will now be bunkem as a weapon against the government as Universities start to slash on-campus facilities in reaction to the new Bill.

Surely we had to see it coming? So well laid up by the government. Putting RU486 up on a media platform - scaring the begeesus out of the anti-abortionist in his party, probably working them into a fever pitch (look at the US problems with this - forget about killing thousands in the Iraqi War (including your own people) - as long as Mr Bush says he'll fight Roe, then we'll back him).

So what a great three card trick? Use RU486 as a rouse to stir up his support base, then land the VSU stuff on his lap - it's either VSU or the unborn kids - take your choice.

So, those "family" folk who originally supported them on their "non-religous footing", Howard has simply outed them on their position on Abortion (thus turning them into a future political basket case), he gets to water down RU486 for a few more years (and don't be mistaken, it'll become legal at some stage - but it'll get Abbott & Costello happy for a bit) and tops it all off with the VSU legislation.

So in just 6 months, Howard has effectively managed to wipe Unions from the Australian political landscape...

Oh, are we in deep poo in this country or what ... ???

PS - Await the announcement over Xmas for Johnnie to retire - he must be like a pig in mud right now.

Reap What You Sow - Racial Violence in Sydney

Following the riots in Sydney this weekend, even Mr Howard is concerned.

Sorry Johnny, but you reap what you sow...

Years of expousing hate and fear by our national leadship and their rampant hype of nationalism has surely had some effect. It all started with Hansonite politics when Howard first came into office - his failure to neuter Hanson opened the door on intolerence in this country and Howard has been cajolling it ever since for his own end (Tampa, Iraq, Terror Laws, etc).

Problem is, where will it all end? Must be a sure bet that the communities targetted by the mob on Sunday will likely react...??? The genie is out of the bottle and it will take something special (like real leadership) to put it back in.

Update 16/12/2005: Even Laurie Oakes is coming around that we've all been duped...

Orwellian Speak - "Outrageous/Outlandish Claims"

In recent months I've notice ruling governments the world over lambasting a rash of "outrageous/outlandish" claims against them (for example):

• Downer refuting allegations of DFAT's involvement in the AWB scandal in Iraqi Wheatgate - "Wheat kickback claims outrageous: Downer"
• Rumsfeld's reaction to claims Bush wanted to dump on Al-Jazeera - "We are not going to dignify something so outlandish with a response," a White House official told CNN.

So, is this a new double-speak? It sounds like a denial yet it completely lacks one! So, it's a great way of defusing an issue by appearing to refute the claim yet does nothing of the sort. Anyone can claim something is outrageous or outlandish, but that doesn't mean it's not true. The language we should be looking for is "we completely refute this claim" or "this claim is not true".

So, all Joe Public hears is the "outrageous/outlandish claim" and a few more soundbites thus crushing any chance for the truth to be told.

Prediction - Howard's About to Resign...

Three reasons why I think we're about to see a leadership transition in the Libs:

1. The huge rush on to push through a raft of legislative changes before Xmas. Why? Because Johnny wants to wear the mantle on these for prosperity (oh, and it also lets Costello/Turnbull argue that they didn't guarantee that "no one would be worse off").
2. Recent turmoil with Costello being sent to the cleaners on the appointment of Robert Gerard to the Reserve Bank highlights leadership tensions within the Libs. This surely was an internal knife in the back - Labor completely missed it for 3 years and it wasn't till the Fin Review published the story that it all come to light. No, my bet is it was either Malcolm Turnbull's supporters or someone else jockeying into position - with the expectation that Howard was about to "walk the plank" so they're getting in early to undermine Costello's chances.
   
3. Yesterday's announcement by Costello that he was going to be working on the Budget and that he would deliver the budget next year (i.e. won't be leader) is such a classic political move I'm amazed that everyone's taken it hook, line and sinker. Ever since it's been an issue, Costello has always been obscure with remarks about the future - now suddenly it's definately not on - yeah, right!!!

No, clearly Howard's clearing the way for Costello (after many years promising it too him, he has to deliver) so I suspect all of this is simply to take the press hounds off Howard so he can make the announcement at his choosing.

Thoughts - Outsourcing Justice (or just Execution's)

The recent controversy surrounding the hanging of Van Nguyen by Singapore has (yet again) exposed the crass underbelly of the Australian psyche and the Howard government is using it to great effect.

A number of things have me worried about the direction (and again, failure in leadership) we, as a nation, are headed and it has me asking the question - "has the Howard Government decided to outsource our Justice (well, execution's at least)?"

Despite a long history of the Liberals voicing their opposition to Capital Punishment, we have seen an almost deliberate watering down of that long held position in recent months. Like "Tampa" before it, they aren't coming straight out and saying they support it, but the comments they are using are enough to tag at the heartstrings of the Hansonite's in our midst, further entrenching the government in the community. It's politics at it's lowest and dangerous to boot as the Libs go about selling out on what they stand for to secure their political future - and that can only lead us into worrying territory.

So, I'm starting to wonder, how can the government back capital punishment (and thus reengage with the Hansonite sympathisers) without appearing to change a long held Liberal policy? Well, I suspect they've taken a leaf out of Bush's policy of outsourcing torture to Eastern Europe which allows the Bush presidency to claim they do not support turture in America.

Similarly, we are seeing the Howard government outsource punishment for drug crimes to our Asian neighbours, without so much as a whimper of complaint. Proof of this?

• Despite Van Ngyen being sentenced in 2002, it has only been in recent months that anyone in government appears to have made any attempt to challenge this. Why weren't attempts made immediately for his transfer to Australia to answer charges here?
• Why dob the Bali 9 into the Indonesian's? If the AFP knew of their movements (and if I recall, even their flights back into OZ), why not simply pick them up off the plane back in OZ? Surely the deliberate act of informing the Indonesian's about their plans was tand amount to signing their death warrants.

Both appear to be deliberate acts to ensure these individuals are sent to their deaths. Now, I don't particularly have a problem with another country enforcing its laws as it sees fit. And we all know you'd be stupid to even consider touching drugs in any Asian country for fear of capital punishment - yet it still happens (so not much of a deterant).

My concern is that, in both of these cases, the most harm was not going to occur to the local population - no, instead these "mules" were returning the drugs to Australia for our population to suffer the consequences. So, why are we not insisting on setting the punishment? Why aren't we dragging them back to OZ to face our justice system? Why? Because many of us (and the this is the bit the government are sucking up to) clearly think this is a suitable punishment so Howard is playing the Hansonite card yet again to sure up his support base.

Other things that concern me about this include:

• The use of language - it's been very Orwellian again - remanicant of Tampa - not admitting they support Capital Punishment but doing everything in their efforts to suggest they actually do,
• The clear lack of leadership (by both sides of politics) to support our long held position against capital punishment. Again, this is reminicent of Hansonite politics - how Howard allowed Hanson to express her view unchallenged in the parliament.
• The move by the Lib/Nats in Queensland to boycott the minute silence as a protest. Again, it sets a tone in the community and offers tacit support to that ugly underbelly.

So where too now? I suspect/worry we're on a slippery slope. The actions we're seeing appears to highlight peoples desire for revenge over than justice. How anyone could believe that death was a suitable punishment for simply carrying the drugs is beyond me. We don't see the masses demanding the gallows for tobacco exec's? Yet their "legal drugs" kill many more Australian's every year (as the argument goes that the drugs they are carrying will kills Australian's after all).

So, given the recent turmoil surrounding Howard's devisive policies (IR, terror, welfare to work, etc) which will clearly work against the government, are we seeing a return to wedge politics to divert attention away from their current failures?

My concern with this is that we're playing with fire. Once we start to encourage the ugly side of the Australian Psyche out into the open, it will be a difficult to put it back into the box - and that scares me no end.