Political junkies and the media are obsessed with opinion polls on the relative standings of the political parties. Movements within standard statistical margins of error are treated with great respect.
In between elections it’s probably all irrelevant but a significant turning point may have been reached in the forthcoming Australian election which – until very recently – looked like the election Peter Dutton couldn’t lose – or at least come very close to a majority within a couple of seats.
Europeans are doing it, the great bruiser Doug Ford is doing it, Mark Carney is gearing up to do it – even Keir Starmer is doing it.
But it’s a dance our very own Prime Minister isn’t doing.
Whatever reputation as a factional bruiser Albo might once have had it has been diminished along with his Prime Ministerial performance.
Despite being overwhelmed by the idiocy emanating from Trump and his acolytes it is encouraging to note some push back from many; some timeless commentary from others; a reality check on the rare earths situation; and, some blatant Russian acknowledgment of Trump’s useful idiot status.
Lech Walesa
First, the view of genuine tough guy who stood against massive threats – the former political prisoner and Polish President, Lech Walesa. Walesa sent the following to Trump. “Your Excellency, Mr. President, We watched the report of your conversation with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, with fear and distaste. We find it insulting that you expect Ukraine to show respect and gratitude for the material assistance provided by the United States in its fight against Russia. Gratitude is owed to the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed their blood in defense of the values of the free world. They have been dying on the front lines for more than 11 years in the name of these values and the independence of their homeland, which was attacked by Putin’s Russia.
Many, many years ago the then Victorian Premier, Jeff Kennett was over the moon about poaching the Grand Prix from Adelaide.
Today, after costing Victorian $1 billion dollars with another $2 billion in losses pending by the end of the contract in 2037, it has never shown value for money.
The indefatigable Save Albert Park group, led by Peter Logan, has been campaigning for years to expose the massive rorts involved. Sadly, as when Peter and the blog confronted a then Labor Deputy Premier about the Grand Prix, he confessed they couldn’t cancel it for fear of petrol head backlashes.
The priestly pundit caste in the media is well into their election coverage rituals while the political parties are busy adjusting their strategies to tailor their offerings to these ritual needs.
For a start the pundits have already looked intensely at the runes on when the election will be held although the little matter of a cyclone has had unexpected impacts on that.
In any company which had a history of illegality; incurring massive costs for those illegal actions; polluted public discourse; and, made massive false claims about companies and institutions, the directors and managers would be facing summary sacking at an AGM. But in the case of News Limited all the evidence is that the company never learns from such lessons.
For a self-promoted tough guy – particularly if it involves refugee women and children – Peter Dutton’s career has been marked by many instances of being missing in action.
Abdul Rizvi (P&I 6/2/20) wrote that: “For years now Peter Dutton has boasted of his border protection achievements. But a brief examination of the detail of his boasts shows that while he has excelled in gratuitous cruelty, dog-whistling and eating taxpayers money, his actual border protection record is weak.”
It hasn’t taken long but the Trump honeymoon is over according to some polls.
A Reuters poll found that the share of Americans who disapprove of his presidency has risen more substantially, to 51% in the latest poll, compared with 41% right after he took office.
The share of Americans who think the economy is on the wrong track rose to 53% – up from 43% in the January 24-26 poll. Public approval of Trump’s economic stewardship fell to 39% from 43% in the prior poll.
Amidst all the outpouring of words, images, claims and counter-claims about the activities of the Musk-Trump regime there is one word missing – schadenfreude.
For anyone who doesn’t know what it means it is that delicious experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of, or witnessing, the troubles, failures, pain, suffering, or humiliation of another. In this case, the experience all those people who didn’t vote for Trump are starting to get.
When you decide to repaint the interior of the house – with all the unpacking and packing of things and fraught decisions about what to keep and what not to keep – there are often some strange surprises.
In the midst of clearing a cupboard containing old cricket bats and tennis racquets– none of which used in some decades – there was a copy of 20 January 1990 edition of The Age. It hadn’t been saved for any newsworthy reason – simply as wrapping paper.