Politics The Hangar Politics Thread

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bombermick said:
Agreed, although this happens all the time. What would have been the reaction if Abbott tried to tear up the NBN contract?
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He can't, it was one of the issues he was losing in during the election.
 
America continues to amaze me. Having been to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and DC, I probably did quite well in seeing what are generally the more politically progressive parts of the country. I loved those places.

In other words, not red neck Republican or crazy latter day saints.

And yet, I read yesterday that Utah has formally reintroduced the firing squad as a form of capital punishment. Given the problems of having sufficient supplies of the lethal injection drugs, the chances of them needing to use the firing squad are reasonable, although no executions are apparently planned there anytime soon.

As someone who is a rather strident opponent of capital punishment full stop, I follow the situation there in regards to abolition with some interest. Washington (state, not DC), Oregon, Colorado and Pennsylvania are the ones to watch.

I wouldn't be holding my breath on Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, Florida or...well, anywhere else in the south really.
 
Doss said:
America continues to amaze me. Having been to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and DC, I probably did quite well in seeing what are generally the more politically progressive parts of the country. I loved those places.

In other words, not red neck Republican or crazy latter day saints.

And yet, I read yesterday that Utah has formally reintroduced the firing squad as a form of capital punishment. Given the problems of having sufficient supplies of the lethal injection drugs, the chances of them needing to use the firing squad are reasonable, although no executions are apparently planned there anytime soon.

As someone who is a rather strident opponent of capital punishment full stop, I follow the situation there in regards to abolition with some interest. Washington (state, not DC), Oregon, Colorado and Pennsylvania are the ones to watch.

I wouldn't be holding my breath on Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, Florida or...well, anywhere else in the south really.
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Florida is generally a swing state, and fairly progressive. California is also fairly progressive.
 

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Not in the same way the states from about Pennsylvania upwards to the north east into New England are, though. Still a lot of hicks down in Florida.

Cali isn't too bad and they have a moratorium on executions anyway- none in nine years.
 
Yes, I suspect the closer you get to the Georgia and Alabama borders (in other words, outside Miami), the more GOP it gets. As it is, Florida (and New Mexico, though whether that's true 'South' is a question) is pretty much a Democrat oasis in a very sparse Republican desert at present.

Can't really think of Virginia as South, for both geographical and political reasons.

The unfortunate thing is that states like Texas keep gaining electoral college votes at the expense of states like Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts.
 
Thanks for everything Kate Lundy. Enjoy your cushy new job with the NRMA and all your retirement perks.
 
When I think of flat out insane/hardcore GOP I tend to think of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina.

States like Nebraska and Kansas are hardcore Republican but in a less, well, Deliverance way.

And Utah are Mormons, so...yeah.
 
I've got to say I pissed myself laughing watching 7.30's special on anti-siphoning and sport a few nights ago.

A pay tv lobbyist was trying to argue that people actually want to pay for sport. Seriously, how can that campaigner take any money for doing the job he does?

Not sure who, other than the business owners, the reduction of the anti-siphoning list benefits. I can't come up with one reason why sporting event should be denied to punters because some people have the money to pay for high definition coverage.

At least we know that the corruption investigation won't be particularly difficult if there are any significant reductions to the list (e.g. Soccer, AFL, NRL, Cricket - could not give a flying about golf).
 
Bloody Liberal governments get all the luck. Non-economic international crisis after non-economic international crisis.

Amazing that a thoroughly incompetent minister Julie Bishop in what is ultimately a meaningless portfolio becomes leadership material because she is willing to get some mileage out of tragic incidents involving Australian lives.

There are number of horrible twists to the executions of the Bali 9 ringleaders.

The AFP tipping off Indonesian authorities are most to blame for this. The government was happy enough to sacrifice the lives of Australians at an operational level to secure some convictions and maybe land a drug king pin but now the politicians are driving a wedge between Australia and what should be its most important regional partner because there is no other way they can endear themselves to their constituents.

The tragic irony is that it is the political pressure that ended the lives of the Bali 9. How could the Indonesian president ever succumb to international demands to spare the lives of Australian drug traffickers when the president's constituents overwhelmingly favour the death penalty? If it was done diplomatically through back channels there is a chance that they could have lived.

The Indonesians have proven themselves as nothing short of barbaric in the way that the process has been carried out. I don't see the point in torturing the convicted for 10 years and then feeding the media frenzy,turning it into a display of ritual sacrifice of a reality TV program.

One thing that annoys me about the commentary is that these are not good boys who made a mistake. They're drug traffickers whose reformation is almost certainly only the result of being on death row. I would not have thought that there is any anecdotal evidence suggesting that the Australian prison system is reforming drug traffickers (as opposed to the mules). It's what makes the whole process so cruel. If there is no intention to grant a reprieve, and there never was, the executions should take place as soon as the appeals against the findings of guilt have been exhausted.
 
Whatever the reason for the reformation, wether it be to prove contrition to stave of death, or a working device of any penal system, the great shame is a rehabilitated individual is one of the more valuable members of our society.

They have learnt from their issue and are available to pass on their lessons.

Why you wait ten years is so far beyond reason its not funny - you are killing a different person, a totally different person. Just do it after inital judgement! As you said.

Clearly they were backed into a corner where anything but going through with the deaths would look like an act of weakness - fanned by our countries vocal muscle flexings.

I used to be very intolerant, let junkies rot, drug dealers.. meh, let them burn.. then something happened, i became a father - i now realise how easily through zero fault of my own it could be my son there in the gutter or on death row. Its an uncomfortable feeling.

914937-0fabd7a8-ed5a-11e4-b2ab-57dfa37cc8ba.jpg


this photo chops me up more than it should...

Anyhow if you are for or against the death penalty, or wether every sovereign country has a right to their own barbaric rules i think there is one thing worth thinking about.

How in the hell you can leave a persons life in the hands of a politicians pen stroke is totally beyond me! Politicians who do what they need to do to swing voters, to run with trends, whose morales are always diluted by whomever is in their pocket or whatever can win them the next election.

At the very least cant they leave pardons or acts of mercy to a board of luminary people who are not comprimised? (i know hard to find in some places)

Usually its a back room deal.. ill swap you three of your rapists for two of our paedophiles... please.. its not a game of chess its people lives!
 
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Now that it's over maybe the hundreds of Australians that aren't convicted drug traffickers missing in Nepal can get some coverage although I doubt it.
 

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Beerfish said:
Now that it's over maybe the hundreds of Australians that aren't convicted drug traffickers missing in Nepal can get some coverage although I doubt it.
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Agree, some of my daughters uni classes have been postponed as a lecturer is trying to locate her daughter in Nepal.

It's hard to fathom what those families are going through.
 
Bergman said:
$150 billion in trade vs. $16 billion
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But it's about human life man!

Those pesky little numbers won't matter. Oh look a pig just flew past my window
 
How far away is the NSW election?

Can't be too long. It's seemingly been on the horizon for a little while now.

Is it still shaping as a pretty likely Lib win?
 
Doss said:
How far away is the NSW election?

Can't be too long. It's seemingly been on the horizon for a little while now.

Is it still shaping as a pretty likely Lib win?
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It was held a month ago?

LNP have 54 seats, ALP have 34 and Greens 3.
 
eth-dog said:
It was held a month ago?

LNP have 54 seats, ALP have 34 and Greens 3.
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Oh dear.

Shows how much attention I've been paying recently.

Funny, maybe it coincided with a busy period personally or something, but it didn't seem to make much news here. I suppose a not surprising result helps in that regard.

How much does that reduce their 2011 majority by?
 
Doss said:
Oh dear.

Shows how much attention I've been paying recently.

Funny, maybe it coincided with a busy period personally or something, but it didn't seem to make much news here. I suppose a not surprising result helps in that regard.

How much does that reduce their 2011 majority by?
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ALP and Greens gained 16 seats between them.
 
eth-dog said:
ALP and Greens gained 16 seats between them.
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A solid inroad. Enough to mean 2019 could be a contest depending on how things go.
 
Doss said:
A solid inroad. Enough to mean 2019 could be a contest depending on how things go.
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Beyond a few fringe effects "momentum" and "striking distance" aren't actually things in electoral politics any more, if they ever were. Just look at Queensland. One of the big fallacies of Australian political media reporting, IMO.
 
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