Is it worth reporting on politics?

[Jerry_Atrick]

More problem for Dick is that he seems to have Australia's best interests at heart - and given a lot of the economic power is held by foreign interests and big multi-nationals, this may be a bigger challenge to him than anyone wishing to hide the truth...

 

 

[Marty_d]

An independent winning a safe Liberal seat? Pffft. Never happen.

 

Disclaimer: The above is sarcasm.

 

 

[willedoo]

I think come next May, the only safe Liberal seat will be a seat on the first bus out of town.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

The Liberal Party once showed a bit of decency and vision. If he could see how idealogical extremists and corrupt coal lobbyists have taken over his party Menzies would be rolling in his grave.

 

 

[facthunter]

In Victoria at the moment they are not very happy people. (Funny that) Some of the older "Goodies" are making some sense but Kennet and Kroger are at each other's throats (as usual).They are all irrelevant NOW. Privatising has cost us heaps and Jeff was all for it. China owns our power poles and they will never again see a coat of paint. They don't buy if they don't make a profit and where does that come from? US of course, on our power bills. The LIBS and Nats have some of the best pollies money can buy . Nev

 

 

[willedoo]

The student strike for climate action was certainly worth reporting on just to see the placards.

 

The PM wasn't keen on the idea, saying Australia needed "more learning in schools and less activism".

 

A sample of the placards:

 

'If you were smart, we'd be in school'.

 

'Why should we go to school if you won't listen to the educated'.

 

'I've seen smarter cabinets at Ikea'.

 

'Treat our planet like Earth not Uranus'.

 

'I'll stop farting if you stop burning coal'.

 

'There is no planet B'.

 

And a quote from the SMH.

 

Resources Minister Matt Canavan said he wanted children in school learning about how to build mines, do geology and how to drill for oil and gas, "which is one of the most remarkable science exploits in the world".

 

"These are the type of things that excite young children and we should be great at as a nation," he told 2GB on Friday.

 

"Taking off school and protesting? You don't learn anything from that.The best thing you'll learn about going to a protest is how to join the dole queue. Because that's what your future life will look like, up in a line asking for a handout, not actually taking charge for your life and getting a real job."

 

You've got to hand it to the government, they really know how to win people over.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Like resources minister is a real job?

 

He's a prostitute for the mining industry, except prostitutes are honest about what they do.

 

 

[Marty_d]

The student strike for climate action was certainly worth reporting on just to see the placards.

The PM wasn't keen on the idea, saying Australia needed "more learning in schools and less activism".

 

A sample of the placards:

 

'If you were smart, we'd be in school'.

 

'Why should we go to school if you won't listen to the educated'.

 

'I've seen smarter cabinets at Ikea'.

 

'Treat our planet like Earth not Uranus'.

 

'I'll stop farting if you stop burning coal'.

 

'There is no planet B'.

 

And a quote from the SMH.

 

Resources Minister Matt Canavan said he wanted children in school learning about how to build mines, do geology and how to drill for oil and gas, "which is one of the most remarkable science exploits in the world".

 

"These are the type of things that excite young children and we should be great at as a nation," he told 2GB on Friday.

 

"Taking off school and protesting? You don't learn anything from that.The best thing you'll learn about going to a protest is how to join the dole queue. Because that's what your future life will look like, up in a line asking for a handout, not actually taking charge for your life and getting a real job."

 

You've got to hand it to the government, they really know how to win people over.

The reason Scott Morrison doesn't like students protesting is because the things young people (the future) care about, like action on climate change, progressive social issues, health, education and indigenous rights, are things that are politically aligned more with the left side of politics than the right.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Watching those kids protesting has been the most encouraging thing I've seen in yonks.

 

Hearing the government's response was something straight out of the 60's.

 

 

[Bruce]

I thought it has taken some time for the kids to see that the state of the world in 50 years time is very much their business. Our generation will be long gone, but they will be in their 60's.

 

I'll support them if I can. And I agree that the response was terrible. Just when I was thinking good things about some liberals after the floor-crossing here in SA.

 

 

[old man emu]

I see that one of Dick Smith's platform items is a referendum on climate whose only participants will be those under 30 years of age, or so. His logic for the restriction is [for the kids to see that the state of the world in 50 years time is very much their business], as Bruce said.

 

'I've seen smarter cabinets at Ikea'. There's some original Aussie wit still alive amongst these kids.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

It's made my day to see so many kids getting involved; these witty placards are worth a look:

 

Schools climate strike: the best protest banners and posters

 

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The comments in The Gardian are also worth a look, like this one:

 

I like the subtleties of the Ikea reference.

 

A cabinet of flat-pack, compressed pulp, with a very thin veneer, and an even more limited lifespan. One that was impulse bought, and destined to be turfed onto the verge in the next hard-rubbish collection.

 

[red750]

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[Bruce]

Marty, I have been there when there were no indigenous rights ( before the Hungarian uprising in the 1950's) to now when the cops don't want to hear if the crime was done by indigenous. And they suffer from too much money which is used to buy grog ( look at what happened recently at Ceduna after royalties were distributed to indigenous people ) . We just can't get the right balance.

 

My guess is that the indigenous will suffer a terrible fate when the wheels come off the whitefeller gravy train which currently brings them all things.

 

They should be supporting the kids too.

 

 

[spacesailor]

I think the TEACHERS are behind these schoolies protest;s.

 

BUT I am in absolute agreement.

 

It took lots of vegetation to make our oxygen. burning uses O2.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Bruce]

Yep space, if we were to stop burning fossil fuels, and use half our military budgets to make and bury charcoal, we could yet save the planet.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Just plant trees.

 

It's the atmosphere that stops the sun's radiation frying us,

 

spacesailor

 

 

[willedoo]

I think the TEACHERS are behind these schoolies protest;s.BUT I am in absolute agreement.

 

It took lots of vegetation to make our oxygen. burning uses O2.

 

spacesailor

I'd guess it was a joint effort. The students probably wouldn't have been able to organize it without a lot of encouragement and guidance from the teachers. But I'd doubt it's some agenda of left leaning teachers using gullible kids to push their barrow for them. I think the kids today are a lot smarter than we give them credit for and seem to be up to speed with a lot of important issues. Sure, they don't have our maturity and experience, but look where maturity and experience has got us. We've really stuffed up most things related to human life and the natural world.

 

My best suggestion is that we listen to the kids. It's their future we're wrecking.

 

 

[facthunter]

The original impetus was from Europe and the kids took it from there Give the credit where it's due.. It's THEIR future the Pollies are ruining. Adani donates to the LNP. You will lose more tourism jobs than you will gain in mining. Most mines these days are designed for minimal jobs to fully mechanized. There was only a max of 1200 (Not the 10 thousand that keeps getting bandied around) jobs in the BIGGER plan. This is to get a toe in the door before the federal government changes. No one will fund it so they cut it back so they could "self" fund it. (In theory anyhow). They have a poor record of environmental outcomes in India. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

As Dick Smith suggests, the kids should have a say in the policies which will decide their future. At the moment, most of the deciding is being done by rich old farts with very little regard for the future implications.

 

 

[old man emu]

Are Young People more aware of their place in the environment because they have had environmental awareness impressed on them from pre-school onwards?

 

Just think what you would produce if kids were instructed in environmental awareness and Aboriginal spiritual philosophy.

 

 

[Bruce]

OME, you got me to look up Aboriginal philosophy, and I am impressed. The idea that we are the land and through the land, everything is interconnected, is actually scientifically correct. Just consider the atoms that we are made of to see this. Wow.

 

But just to be a grumpy old man, I have to say that their idea of caring for the land should have included picking up rubbish.

 

 

[old man emu]

Who gave them the rubbish, Whitey?

 

 

[Bruce]

Yep OME, that rubbish sure wasn't part of the world of the aborigines dreamtime. But they bought it ( with whitefellers money ) and dropped it where it offends the eye of other whitefellers like me. Of course, their traditional way of hunter-gathering was disrupted when the whitefellers took their land for cattle stations.

 

There is a photo from the 1920's which haunts me to this day.. a group of whip-lean aboriginal young men in chains, about to be marched from Alice Springs to Port Augusta ( the nearest court) for cattle stealing. I have tried to find out more but haven't succeeded.

 

 

[red750]

Britain's answer to Donald Trunp, Boris Johnson has been making a fool of himself again.