Wednesday, September 8, 2010

What a long, strange trip it's been.

"Suffer in yer jocks, Tone."
So. It ends.

Some thoughts – for the last time – on what it all means, if anything.

First thing, there’s no reason why the current arrangement in the Federal Parliament can’t work and work well. Hung parliaments have lasted substantial terms and delivered good results elsewhere in Australia (including Jules’ home state of Victoria) and if anybody can make it work, it’s the Wonder from Wales.

Second, the suggestion already running in sections of the media that “the arrangement is already under pressure” is complete and utter crap. The independents have made it quite clear that they will only vote for confidence and supply motions; everything else will have to be negotiated on the floor of the House. This will, of course, mean disagreements from time to time – as it should be.

Third, the Liberals will never accept this.

Never.

In their cold, reptilian, brains they are convinced of the utter rightness of their cause and if they can force election after election until the electorate gets it Right – then so be it.

Fourth, ignore all the guff about “legitimacy” or “number of votes”. The long standing convention in this is that the party that can form a majority on the floor of the lower house has the right to form government. That’s it, the end, finish.

And lastly, I have no idea how this will all pan out; it could fall over in three months, it could last three years. Anybody who says they can predict what will happen is a fool and a dick-biscuit.

And the Red Flag is flying once more over Karl Kautsky House.

Thank you.

UPDATE

I know this post is already getting ridiculously unwieldy, but this is too good to ignore

And in particular this passage;

A large proportion of the Coalition vote base believes there is one and only one acceptable outcome in politics – theirs. And it is this zealotry that will explode.

The temptation for the Opposition to continue to exploit this belligerence, as they so successfully did in the lead up to the campaign and in the campaign itself, will be overwhelming. When all that stands between the Opposition and a new election – a new chance at *power* - is one scandal, one stuff up, one member of parliament changing – the attraction of flicking the switch to rhetorical overdrive for effect, and righteous indignation to incite their masses, will simply be too great. No distortion will be too large, no lie too audacious, no accusation too brazen.

And they will be ably assisted and their supporters commercially exploited, by the leadership and opinion section of The Australian – not to mention the curmudgeonly Lesser Scribes infesting the sewer end of the News Ltd tabloids and that growing group of feeble minded cowards at the ABC whom appear to have lost any capacity for intellectual autonomy when it comes to independently assessing the dynamics of Australian politics.

19 comments:

Melba said...

Good one Ramon. Just sour grapes from the other side and if they are that Evil (and I believe you) or if not evil, thoroughly convinced that they are Right, then I hope that Labor can also find their soul (to borrow from Abbott; a man I think is probably an okay kind of guy if you can ignore his backwardness around abortion, contraception, women's rights, just a few little things like that.)

I'm hoping this process we and they have just been through effects some lasting changes (again, too much to hope for?) and that rigour will return to politics.

Did we ever have rigour?

Oh and go Jules. I am happy, yes. And I think I will put the badge back on and take her overseas with me this weekend.

Will they let me on the plane with a pin though?

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

If they try to get you to take the badge off Melba, claim you're a member of an obscure cult that worships Julia Gillard as a living Goddess and it would be blasphemy to remove it.

That should just about do it.

squib said...

Ramon, *high five*

Melba, they took an allen key off me once. A badge pin is a lot pointier. Also, Gillard just looks like an incendiary device

wari lasi said...

Also, Gillard just looks like an incendiary device

Not sure why Squib, but that made me laugh. Ta.

wari lasi said...

Oh, and my Darwin badge has made it on to planes. But once at Brisbane I left a pair of nail clippers (you know, those fold over ones) in my hand luggage and they broke the nail file off, then it was ok apparently. I didn't argue.

And I was lucky enough to fly on the very day the new LAG rules came into force and, again at Brisbane, they had a mountain of confiscated water bottles. Fair dinkum it was six feet tall.

Melba said...

Hm, I think I'll put her in my check-in bag. Don't want to risk losing her. Plus I'll be travelling with a 70-year-old woman with crutches and a back problem (newly arisen)and a 13-year-old who will be turning 14 in the air, so I have packed streamers and a banner for that. Then I have my own neuroses about flying.

I don't want to push my luck.

Anonymous said...

At the end of 2006, I was getting pretty fed up with television. Then, one night I saw a news clip about Kim Beazley being rolled by Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard and thought, "Hey, this might be interesting". It's been an awesome four-or-so years (and the commentary here has been fantastic. Thanks everyone). I'm looking at what's ahead as being like the next big arc in the drama. It's going to be different and unpredictable (what are our new front-stage characters planning, what will become of Kruddy and Manbull) and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it.

I know this post is already getting ridiculously unwieldy

Eh, it's still more concise than most of my comments.

to borrow from Abbott; a man I think is probably an okay kind of guy if you can ignore his backwardness around abortion, contraception, women's rights, just a few little things like that.

...and climate change and boat people and public services and...

Didn't Hack or somebody - way, way back - describe meeting Tony Abbott face-to-face as, "like looking into the cold, dead eyes of a shark"? Or was that you, Ramon?

Bon voyage, Melba.

Melba said...

Thanks Alex.

Have you watched West Wing?

I recommend it highly if you are interested in politics. And well-written dialogue, impenetrable political shenanigans and some of the best fictional characters in TV evah.

Oh Toby. Oh Josh. Oh CJ.

Kettle said...

OH SAM SEABORN, Melbs!

(Bon voyage for tomorrow, too.)

Anonymous said...

I've seen only the tiniest bits of West Wing, Melba. Certainly not enough to get a true feeling for it. I may have to give it a go, now.

I reckon though, that one of the best bits of real-life politics is the method of delivery. I mean, like how you can see/hear/read ten different articles and end up with ten slightly (or greatly) varying takes on a story - and you have to try to put it all together yourself to reach a conclusion. And then you have to take into consideration all the not-strictly-political stuff swirling around that may have influenced things or may influence them in the future.

It'd be hard for any conventional work of fiction to match that, I feel.

Melba said...

Wow Alex if you like your politics served up at the micro-level then maybe West Wing is not for you (too broad? too humorous? too entertaining? and yes, fictional.)

And thanks Kettle and Alex for the farewells.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Didn't Hack or somebody - way, way back - describe meeting Tony Abbott face-to-face as, "like looking into the cold, dead eyes of a shark"? Or was that you, Ramon?

That was me, Alex.

And Melbs - have a rockin' time.

And don't take a donkey to the airport.

Melba said...

Thanks Ramon, I won't.

Getting excited now.

Dr. Golf said...

Now that the balance of power has been sorted, lets talk about Power-Balance .

If this doesn't lure Perseus out of retirement, nothing will.

squib said...

Hologram stickers?! If I had one I would stick it in the middle of my forehead and that would make me an actual hologram (you know like Rimmer)

Anonymous said...

lets talk about Power-Balance .

Oh dear, it's going to be like that time-machine book, isn't it? The easier science makes life for people, the more stubborn and zealous they're going to become in their stupidity.

The rest of us will end up in a basement somewhere, making sure the machines keep running.

Unknown said...

Hung parliaments have lasted substantial terms and delivered good results elsewhere in Australia

And here, and everywhere else there's a hung fricking parliament these days. We have one over here in the UK and it hasn't killed us ... yet.

Second, the suggestion already running in sections of the media that “the arrangement is already under pressure” is complete and utter crap

Within minutes of a coalition govt being announced here, everyone was all: "The pressure, the pressure!" Feck it. Times are shit. Economically, socially, globally; it's all up the putt. It doesn't matter which political party is in power (just), it's all fecked. We're all fecked. Get used to it.

And lastly, I have no idea how this will all pan out; it could fall over in three months, it could last three years. Anybody who says they can predict what will happen is a fool and a dick-biscuit.

I predict between 3 months and 3 years. No, seriously. Three months is too short. Not a chance. Three years is too long, if you ask me. I don't see how how something like this can run long term (here or in the UK). I just don't see it working. Having said that, I haven't seen a viable alternative option either. Who the frick knows. Someone has to come up with something that people actually want to vote for.

Hologram stickers?! If I had one I would stick it in the middle of my forehead and that would make me an actual hologram (you know like Rimmer)

Oh ... wait. Now we're talking about Red Dwarf? I heart that show. They should make new episodes and all. It'd be awesome. Rimmer is my favourite. But have you seen him lately? He hasn't aged well. At all. Not that there's anything wrong with that. In the end we're all old fuckers, really, aren't we?

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

If you haven't seen it, EMS, there was a short Red Dwarf miniseries/reunion-special-thingy that came out about a year or two ago. I think it was called "Back To Earth", or something. To be honest, I didn't think any of them looked that bad. You know, for old fuckers, I mean.