Comments on: Has Howard made us more left-wing?

By: Glen Ryman

Glen Ryman — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 21:30:30 +0000

I find the whole “left” vs “right” argument rather perplexing. Isn’t this just a case of the government expressing a radical social reform agenda (classed as “right” wing here) and the public expressing its natural conservatism (classed here as “left” wing). A cautionary note: one should not confuse “right” with “conservative”.

By: Faustno

Faustno — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:49:18 +0000

Guy, your comment has some general validity, but in practise the ALP seems to be doing everything it can to keep Howard in power. It started going off the rails when Keating challenged Hawke, and now doesnt even know where the rails are. See Rodney Cavalier’s piece in The Australian March 8.

By: Graham Young

Graham Young — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 10:29:48 +0000

When you see a story like this one http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,18374377%255E952,00.html you have to wonder how colour blind our society is. Well-dressed Aboriginal woman left for dead for five hours at a busy Brisbane bus-stop until a group of Japanese students rescues her.
How often are European people left in this situation, and for how long? Would it make news if it was a European? What is the racial mix of people using that bus stop – were the Japanese students the only group of non-European people?
Which doesn’t mean that I agree with your basic argument “Disgruntled”, just that there is a lot of complexity in these issues.

By: Disgruntled

Disgruntled — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 09:14:43 +0000

That’s like saying that because Michael Jordan is (or maybe was, nowadays) hugely popular in the USA that there isn’t a problem with racism in the US. Your argument doesn’t hold water sorry.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 15:59:00 +0000

How can people like George Gregan, Guy Sebastian and Cathy Freeman be so popular, if we are as racist as Disgruntled suggests?

By: Disgruntled

Disgruntled — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 11:04:27 +0000

Well, whatever the research says, I am of the opinion that Australia *appears* to be expressing greater freedom of speech (particularly with regard to racial matters), *not* because we are getting more left-wing (and therefore more inclined to freedom of speech and less inclined to curb others’ freedoms), but because the right-wing has the “mandate” to be more outspoken in its extremist views as a result of the long-term right-wing government (who are even coming out themselves and making extremist comments). This government is FAR from being conservative in its racial views, as it has demonstrated throughout its pitiful and dishonest term in office, and this is allowing those Australians with similar views to express them more publicly. Signed – Ashamed to be an Australian.

By: Graham Young

Graham Young — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 09:11:20 +0000

Disgruntled, I think you should read the report of the Meagher/Wilson piece. I’m not saying that Australia has got more racist, or extremist, and I’m not aware of any research that would support that.

By: Disgruntled

Disgruntled — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 08:53:29 +0000

So, you’re saying that Australia’s becoming more racist and extremist is a left-wing indicator?? Are you out of your mind? It is pure right-wing behaviour to be racist, extremist and non-accepting of other cultures. I think Australia has become more extremely right-wing than anything, and would question the results of any “research” that has shown otherwise. Perhaps they were just getting their left and right mixed up. We were much more accepting (ie left-wing) in the 80s than we ever have been under John Howard.

By: Guy

Guy — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 08:41:37 +0000

I tend to think that the longer a government is in power, the stronger the opposition grows by default as a result of normal day-to-day attrition.
It may be partly explicable as part of the age old “grass is greener on the other side” aspect of the human condition. When you’ve had a lot of something it’s only natural to start wanting something a little different down the track.