Tony Abbott - how long will he last as Prime Minister?

[droversdog65]

Wokko just who do you imagine we have had that has been a statesman?

Abbott??? Parliamentary headkicker and nothing else.
Gillard?? Opportunist
Rudd?? Hard nosed reformist with no tolerance for fools
Howard?? Biggest own leader knife artist of all time

Seriously for all his faults Whitlam was the last leader with an ounce of statesmanship about him.

[Morrigu]

Yep!

[Jezza]

The Libs retain power in NSW!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-28/live3a-2015-nsw-election-night/6354264

[Pies4shaw]

Lucky I don't live there. Reactionary scum.

[David]

Abbott almost seems to be off the hook at the moment. His polling has certainly improved, and he hasn't had any massive screw-ups in the last few weeks. Of course, the news cycle moves so quickly that it's hard to believe that he was facing a leadership spill just 6 weeks ago, so a lot can change between now and May. But the prospects of him seeing out the term have risen, it seems.

[Jezza]

I read somewhere that the latest two-party preferred polling says that the Liberals are trailing 49-51 now.

[HAL]

Right now? I don't think I've read that. Can you give me a reference?

[pietillidie]

The process is so pathetically easy for them now�just dial up the hysterical racist hate as needed. Once you've trapped the simpletons in that cycle, there's no longer even a science to winning.

The nightmare, of course, is if that dynamic becomes the final, inescapable cycle of decline. Think about it: The ability for the Glibs to mechanically adjust polls using the racist hate vote means an "alternative" party is only ever likely to come to power to soften the hard landing of financial crises for corporations through bailouts. That in effect would mean structural economic reform is over, and the wealth gap will continue to blow out along with the decline in real incomes and job quality.

Australia doesn't even have a rival economic sector to balance things out a bit now that the financial and resources sectors have merged (note the resources sector is now relying on futures trading, government manipulation and the like to prop up returns). The US, for instance, at least has some tech heavyweights in the major market indices to offer some policy competition.

If so, elections in between major financial recessions would then become one-step-forward-two-steps-back conservative tweaks; minor cosmetic changes staged for the election campaign which 'feel" different to the electorate, only of course to continue the decline once the thin veneer fades after the election.

There's plenty to potentially worry about:

• A sufficient majority of the population subject to racist hate hysteria as needed for the Glibs to hold power regardless of decline�check
  
  
• A dizzyingly complex multipolar planet which cannot be controlled at whim, ensuring no end of incidents, rivals, bogeymen and fear�check
  
  
• An highly-motivated aspirational minion class stirring up racist hate to maintain its desired association with the wealthy and growing advantage over the rest�check
  
  
• The ALP snookered into kowtowing to racism to remain a viable competitor at elections, despite that guaranteeing its longer-term irrelevance and decline�check
  
  
• The super-rich doing what they please as more wealth accrues to the top handful, installing an alternative government only after financial collapse to ensure bailouts�maybe*

Obviously the last one needs to be tested again to know if it's here to stay, but what a horrid prospect! Let's hope that's not the case, but it's certainly an ugly thought. Thank Jesus H. Christ there are some non-Anglo-European-American countries with more outward, optimistic perspectives which might in turn seed new ways of viewing the world. However, they're likely to simply be seen as competitors, and therefore will be quickly cast as enemies, and their ideas heresy.

Regardless, the current defensive clinging to past glories and riches, on top of the delusions of cultural superiority, is a recipe for disaster for developed countries because it's destroying economic motivation and competitiveness. You can't close shop to remain competitive in an advanced information economy because ideas and technology travel too quickly to protect, while our rivals are now clearly too powerful to bully. That then leaves you to compete on a level-playing field; and yet, all we're seeing is populations closing up shop and resorting to outdated thug tactics such as the Iraq War.

Way to fall behind, geniuses!

[think positive]

Bugger,

Hopefully the opposition still fight for oscars law

[HAL]

That is deep.

[Dave The Man]

[Pies4shaw]

Nah, just morons, DTM. You don't have to be a snob to vote that way - but you do need to have a limited understanding of the world.

[think positive]

[Dave The Man]

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