The official IR reform thread! (2 Viewers)

[frog12986]

All those things...I actually believe most people vote howard because of his social policy. His rhetoric is very mainstream totally non intellectual. He never lectures the community from an intellectual POV even if it is the best POV. He never labours on correcting popular opinion (the exception is IR reform...he has such a big majority he could do anything....he doesnt have to justify it)...he embraces mainstream views on immigration even if they are incorrect. John Isn't about telling people they are wrong. He is all about saying he agrees.

I don't think many people vote for him due to his dry neo liberal bent. I think most people find dry neoliberal economics rather offensive. However its well packaged by the Liberal government. Any simmering resentment of howard government economic reform is lost when people have got a new car in the driveway (financed of course) and they like Howards social policy.

I mean Howard went to the 2001 election with a social policy (stop terrorist boat people. We decide who comes here and the circumstances in which they come (regardless of whether they are legit or not)...John Hewson went into his election with an overt dry neoliberal ECONOMIC POLICY and Keating, using social policy, ate him up.

Kim Beazely, a Rhodes Scholar; an intellectual; who bores and confuses the electorate with this so-called intellectual POV.

 

[erawamai]

Kim Beazely, a Rhodes Scholar; an intellectual; who bores and confuses the electorate with this so-called intellectual POV.

yep...and no one likes to be talked down to...even if they are stupid or wrong. John Howard mainstreams...never talks down...agrees with the community and uses this for political gain....dumb it down for the electorate so they understand...it makes a a lower north shore lawyer from the professional elite look like an everymans man.

If Howard got up and harped on about neo liberal economics (his passion) from an intellectual standpoint no one would like him.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

it makes a a lower north shore lawyer from the professional elite look like an everymans man.

His parents ran a gas station...

What I don't understand is you complain about him following the mainstream community, however every example I can show you of him not following the mainstream community you would disagree with.

 

[erawamai]

His parents ran a gas station...

um...so what...hes a lawyer from the lower north shore who was a member of the professional elite. I believe he worked for mallesons. The point is his mainstreaming makes him look an everyday man rather than someone a part of the professional elite who would use intellectual analysis everyday.

If he got up and started to harp on about neo liberal economics from an intellectual position or how his IR reforms complement neoliberal ideology no one would like him.

 

[Generator]

Unions claim anti-IR law rallies a success

As expected, some, such as Peter Hendy, are rather dismissive of the rallies' effectiveness.

 

[erawamai]

What I don't understand is you complain about him following the mainstream community, however every example I can show you of him not following the mainstream community you would disagree with.

I'm not complaining. It just should be pointed out. Intellectualism is a rhetorical tool. It's a bad one for politicians. While Howard could be all intellectual and confuse people he doesn't. It's a key to his success.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Well of course when the mainstream community is following values that you have little/no problem with, then you're not going to challenge them.

You're trying to paint Howard as a popularist, but I cannot think of a situation where he has bowed to the majority and sacraficed his personal views.

 

[Rafy]

Just talked to my dad. Hes a publc servant (state government; DIPNR). He attended work today and says that at least 90% of people on his level of the building were at work today. (Even though the state government gave all its employees the day off and DIPNR is located near the protests at Wynard)

These protests have been a failure and will be forgotten within a few days.

 

[Generator]

They may not have been as widespread as some may have hoped, but they are far from being the supposed failure that some seem to suggest, deus.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

I tried to get onto 702 but they gagged me

 

[Generator]

Better luck later today, NTB.

Hundreds of thousands march against IR laws

Minister dismisses protests

That's about it for now. No doubt there'll be more to report later tonight, from today's inquiry hearings in particular.

 

[nedzelic]

Failure?

I was there in w'gong - 10k peopleover 200 centres had the live sky viewing
200k in melbourne
over 100k in sydney

trust me - people care about thsi one
we just have to mainatain the care in spite of all thre dirsty tricks expected bewteen now and the election in 2 years

 

[Not-That-Bright]

It won't work that way at all. If people don't feel their jobs have gone to shit by election time, then this will be almost a non-issue, except to those who feel their jobs have gone to the shit.

 

[Rafy]

heh, the protests got a mere 3 minutes coverage in seven's news. Mostly negative, regarding the illegal blockage of the M4 (Even Iemma spoke out against that action) and other traffic chaos caused by RTA workers striking.

"250 000 turned up, far less than the 500 000 organisers were hoping for"

 

[Generator]

It's a shame that more people don't watch or listen to the the ABC. Oh well, at least Rossco will keep them informed! Only those issues that are important, of course!

 

[walrusbear]

heh, the protests got a mere 3 minutes coverage in seven's news. Mostly negative, regarding the illegal blockage of the M4 (Even Iemma spoke out against that action) and other traffic chaos caused by RTA workers striking.

"250 000 turned up, far less than the 500 000 organisers were hoping for"

yeh commercial media is brilliant isn't it

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Channel 10 was going on about how huge the protests were.

 

[walrusbear]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1507315.htm

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Awesome...

 

[Rafy]

7.30 report: "What happens in these instances is ones prejudices are simply reinforced"

Compare these protests to GST debate. as well as the massive protests regarding the Iraq war. In both situations the coalition was voted bback in