Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Paul Keating - Unplugged
Watching Kerry O'Brien ABC recent interview with former PM Labor Paul Keating, brought back all the old nightmares.
Keating spouted his economic text book theory that goes over the head of most people. All the arrogance, self importance and know it all unapologetic gobbledegook was still evident. No regrets expressed for the hundreds of thousands who lost their jobs as a result of Labor's mis-managed economic experiments.
It was vintage Paul Keating, sitting in his imported $1500 Italian suit telling us he always was and always will be there for the oridinary bloke. The sort of high sounding intoxicating smoke and mirrors stuff the press gallery lapped up in the 1990's, making them blind to the realities the orinary bloke running a business actually faced.
Even Kerry O'Brien could not resist cringing at Mr Keatings flights of fancy and self importance. In true style Mr Keating claimed the credit for todays good economic news, transfered the blame for the disasters and totally ignored the business and job losses during his time at the helm of Australia's economy.
Keating spouted his economic text book theory that goes over the head of most people. All the arrogance, self importance and know it all unapologetic gobbledegook was still evident. No regrets expressed for the hundreds of thousands who lost their jobs as a result of Labor's mis-managed economic experiments.
It was vintage Paul Keating, sitting in his imported $1500 Italian suit telling us he always was and always will be there for the oridinary bloke. The sort of high sounding intoxicating smoke and mirrors stuff the press gallery lapped up in the 1990's, making them blind to the realities the orinary bloke running a business actually faced.
Even Kerry O'Brien could not resist cringing at Mr Keatings flights of fancy and self importance. In true style Mr Keating claimed the credit for todays good economic news, transfered the blame for the disasters and totally ignored the business and job losses during his time at the helm of Australia's economy.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Support For Experience
The Advertiser Saturday 6/5/06 editorial is just plain wrong. The idea being that we should not support a second coming, such as Jeff Kennett, a person who was capable of making the hard decisions that resurrected Victoria's failed economy. The inability to acknowledge the benefit of experience consigns us to repeat the same mistakes that lead to failed economies.
A no second coming logic, at its core it extols the virtue of electing people who appear to have a fresh approach – inherent in that sentiment is the idea we should only elect those who have never made mistakes, who have no experience, who never make a significant decision.
Those who never make a decision can rightfully claim they have made no mistakes, after all that is the mediocrity we have settled for with Mike Rann. Sir Winston Churchill and John Howard are good examples of leaders capable of accepting their mistakes, learning from them and reinventing themselves, as can any good performer who outlasts fads. The key test is do they actually stand for something? Ideals never grow old, although methods to attain those ideals may change.
A no second coming logic, at its core it extols the virtue of electing people who appear to have a fresh approach – inherent in that sentiment is the idea we should only elect those who have never made mistakes, who have no experience, who never make a significant decision.
Those who never make a decision can rightfully claim they have made no mistakes, after all that is the mediocrity we have settled for with Mike Rann. Sir Winston Churchill and John Howard are good examples of leaders capable of accepting their mistakes, learning from them and reinventing themselves, as can any good performer who outlasts fads. The key test is do they actually stand for something? Ideals never grow old, although methods to attain those ideals may change.
