View Full Version : Another interesting comment from Howard
wagstaff
3 Mar 2002, 23:00
In Monday's Age, John Howard commented on the general public's attitude to the Hollingworth saga and his defence of him. He said:
"I believe that thinking people in the community understand that I have reached a correct judgment. I feel comfortable about that judgment,"
Coming from someone who helped create the term 'Howard's battlers' before the 1996 election, and commonly refers to the 'elites' of society as being out-of-touch with the general public's concerns, this is a rather snobbish comment.
After all, could it be argued that these 'thinking people' are the same minority who have been critical of the government's handling of the boat people issue?
Oh, that's right, they're chardonnay socialists. And probably UnAustralian as well :rolleyes:
pffft so if youre not one of those 'thinking people' who agree with him, you mustnt think and must be stupid. he is such a fool.
Bloodstained Angel
4 Mar 2002, 11:41
Why does a lazy, compliant and sycphantic Australian Media let Howeartd get away with such rubbish all the time ?
He wouldn't speak such gormless tripe and wouldn't spout such cynical bullsh*t if the media (through just a couple of clever and persistant questions mind you) didn't let him get away with it.
We deserve the politicians we get
cheers
Originally posted by wagstaff quote:
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"I believe that thinking people in the community understand that I have reached a correct judgment. I feel comfortable about that judgment,"
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In
I think Howard is speaking quite correctly. After all, at least 80% of the population vote willy-nilly without thinking about the issues at all.
And can anyone honestly say that their criticism of the GG is in no way tainted by political loyalty?
I hate being 23 years old. It's about the age when you realise that most people are ignorant of how they are politically and socially manipulated.
The worst thing is realising that it won't change in the near future either (if ever!)
dreamkillers
8 Mar 2002, 01:09
Originally posted by Yianni
I hate being 23 years old. It's about the age when you realise that most people are ignorant of how they are politically and socially manipulated.
The worst thing is realising that it won't change in the near future either (if ever!)
the lovely apathetic majority..........:D :D .......mind you it would be even worse without compulsory voting........
wagstaff
8 Mar 2002, 18:25
Originally posted by Yianni
I hate being 23 years old. It's about the age when you realise that most people are ignorant of how they are politically and socially manipulated.
As someone who is also 23 years old, I certainly can emphasise with you in this area. The sad thing about the whole boat people/govt coverup issue is not that the government (abetted by the opposition and the media) attempted to mainpulate the people, but that a large chunk of the general population fell for it.
All of a sudden, people were mainpulated into thinking that boat people were the source of all their social problems. It was as if people were puppets on a string, dancing to the government's tune.
Santos L Helper
8 Mar 2002, 22:15
I saw another Howard comment tonight on Hollingsworth. "I always thought that we assumed innocence before guilt in this country".
This coming from a man who locks up refugees in a prison partly due to his belief that we have no idea of their background and that they have ALL certainly broken the law to get here.
wagstaff
9 Mar 2002, 21:48
Originally posted by Bloodstained Angel
Why does a lazy, compliant and sycphantic Australian Media let Howeartd get away with such rubbish all the time ?
We deserve the politicians we get
BA, I think you've been very kind to the media in your sentiments. The hypocrisy of the commerical media on recent issues involving Howard has been incredible, even by their standards.
Take the boat people issue. Michael Harvey of the 'Herald Sun' wrote in today's paper:
"It's a sad commentary on the electorate's complacency that an overwhelming proportion of voters doesn't mind that something decidedly dodgy went on with the kids-overboard affair."
Funny, but I recall that the Herald Sun lapped up all the sensationalist claims that were delivered by Howard/Ruddock about boat people and regularly gave them front page treatment, in the course of which it planted in the minds of the general population that these boat people were less then human. The children overboard claims was the ultimate example of this.
It seems that the Herald Sun, like other Australian mainstream media outlets, is faced with a problem on this issue. Government figures like Howard and Reith, the public service and the upper echelons of Australian defence forces have been involved in at least covering up, or at worst, deliberate deceit, of the true nature of the boat people issue. The Herald Sun, like other media outlets, played an essential role in assisting this cover up by lamely accepting whatever the government said about boat people. It's self-righteousness about the cover-up process in recent weeks has been particularly hard to stomach.
So what does it resort to? Blaming the general public for not being vigliant enough in criticising Howard and his government for his actions on this issue. Of course, Herald Sun 'phone polls' and commercial radio talkback are seen as the barometer of what the Australian public is thinking.
In summing up, here's my message to Michael Harvey and others in the commercial media:
You're full of crap
Docker_Brat
10 Mar 2002, 12:32
Originally posted by Santos L Helper
I saw another Howard comment tonight on Hollingsworth. "I always thought that we assumed innocence before guilt in this country".
This coming from a man who locks up refugees in a prison partly due to his belief that we have no idea of their background and that they have ALL certainly broken the law to get here.
But the GG is white, the innocent before guilty premise applies to him. :rolleyes:
Originally posted by Yianni
I hate being 23 years old. It's about the age when you realise that most people are ignorant of how they are politically and socially manipulated.
The worst thing is realising that it won't change in the near future either (if ever!)
At 23 your doing very well to realise that.
Once you then recognise that the person that you thought you were is really only a genetic creation that has been programmed by parents, teachers, peers, media etc and that the decisions you are making are only those that result from the programming then the journey of finding ones true self begins.
For some there will never be that journey and for some they will not have realised at 80 what you have done at 23 !!!
Pessimistic
10 Mar 2002, 16:43
Originally posted by wagstaff
BA, I think you've been very kind to the media in your sentiments. The hypocrisy of the commerical media on recent issues involving Howard has been incredible, even by their standards.
Take the boat people issue. Michael Harvey of the 'Herald Sun' wrote in today's paper:
Funny, but I recall that the Herald Sun lapped up all the sensationalist claims that were delivered by Howard/Ruddock about boat people and regularly gave them front page treatment, in the course of which it planted in the minds of the general population that these boat people were less then human. The children overboard claims was the ultimate example of this.
It seems that the Herald Sun, like other Australian mainstream media outlets, is faced with a problem on this issue. Government figures like Howard and Reith, the public service and the upper echelons of Australian defence forces have been involved in at least covering up, or at worst, deliberate deceit, of the true nature of the boat people issue. The Herald Sun, like other media outlets, played an essential role in assisting this cover up by lamely accepting whatever the government said about boat people. It's self-righteousness about the cover-up process in recent weeks has been particularly hard to stomach.
So what does it resort to? Blaming the general public for not being vigliant enough in criticising Howard and his government for his actions on this issue. Of course, Herald Sun 'phone polls' and commercial radio talkback are seen as the barometer of what the Australian public is thinking.
In summing up, here's my message to Michael Harvey and others in the commercial media:
You're full of crap
It's worse than that. The Hun actually made money out of the boat peoples misfortune. They ran phone polls for over a week on the subject. Thousands of idiots rang up, and the Hun made huge wads of money.
wagstaff
11 Mar 2002, 11:54
Originally posted by Frodo
At 23 your doing very well to realise that.
Once you then recognise that the person that you thought you were is really only a genetic creation that has been programmed by parents, teachers, peers, media etc and that the decisions you are making are only those that result from the programming then the journey of finding ones true self begins.
For some there will never be that journey and for some they will not have realised at 80 what you have done at 23 !!!
I'd never thought I'd say this about one of your posts, but that is very profound. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Docker_Brat
11 Mar 2002, 23:46
I bet John Howard wished he thought of this one...
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/03/09/1015365752044.html
No wonder this country is seen as racist.
Originally posted by Frodo
At 23 your doing very well to realise that.
Once you then recognise that the person that you thought you were is really only a genetic creation that has been programmed by parents, teachers, peers, media etc and that the decisions you are making are only those that result from the programming then the journey of finding ones true self begins.
For some there will never be that journey and for some they will not have realised at 80 what you have done at 23 !!!
Who programmed you?
Enoch, Maggie etc