Margaret Thatcher has been vilified time and time again for her comment “There is no such thing as society”, yet it is a statement of the bleeding obvious.
There is no one great mass in politics. There are competing interest groups individuals identify themselves with – but individuals are the building blocks. This campaign, John Howard has forgotten that. If he loses, this will be why.
Jargon and ideology obsessed academics call the PM a neo-liberal. They are talking out of their arses. Instead, as Crikey has been saying for half a decade, he is a populist authoritarian.
Authoritarians don’t like individuals. They like cohorts. John Howard has never given greater freedom to individuals. He has never trusted Australians with their own money. All he has offered is bribes to key demographics.
If he had given us liberty, the freedom to do what we want with the money we earn, he could legitimately claim that Labor technocrats threatened that.
He hasn’t. All he has offered is bribe after bribe – piddling, bureaucratic bribes. Bribes that have ended up stretching our credulity.
Howard has forgotten about individuals. His slogan “Go for growth” only relates to the economy. All year he has been unable to relate that to individual Australians.
If John Howard loses tomorrow, it will be because he is not a liberal.
You’re right, Rob, and that’s why you should vote Liberal since all your gripes are with state Labor gov’t failure. In fact, Rudd’s campaign is based on State Labor gov’t failure – education, health. Spending on my kids is not a waste.
no such thing as society? is that right christian kerr? i don’t know why i bother reading you. you’re a real unreconstructed reactionary with deceptive little dollops of liberal sauce. will they ever get a decent progressive political writer on this rag?
Be truthful Leanne. How much has your income and after tax income gone up since 96? Do you have extra costs now such as kids etc? Then there’s Howard’s extra family support. Andrew, what will you do when Kevin admits he can’t change our climate?
Tony, my pay packet may be larger but I get to keep less of it. After paying off my $30,000 HECS debt, health cover I didn’t need 10 years ago and the rest on ridiculous rent prices (there is no way I can afford a house) there not much left.
If Howard was the liberal you are alluding to he would have already lost office. Aussies are not Americans, nor are they European soc dems. They largely do as they are told and trust the state.to create a fair go. Howard used one to undermine the other.