Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging thinktanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", 2019 parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, "Speedboat", "The Cockroach", eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
The Commonwealth of Comedy
First Kath & Kim, and now Flight of the Conchords. The more cultural and constitutional ties, the better, say I!
You've been here before. Give it up. The whole attitude is so last century, and the middle decades of the last century at that. Those countries that still have these ties even now are going to have them for ever. If they were going to cut them, then they would have done so when so many other places did so, generations ago now.
The logic of John Howard's own nasty position is anti-monarchist. In fact, it is most interesting that anti-monarchist feeling has risen in Australia at the same time as support for ultra-capitalist, wannabe American (in the very worst sense) politicians, pre-eminently Howard.
Thank God that they have both peaked, and will now decline.
I said that it was the lofgic of his position. Which it is. Just apply the anti-monarchist arguments to economics, and the point is made: you end where he is, or even where his most outspoken supporters would like him to be.
The same was and is true of Thatcher's most outspoken supporter: apply their arguments to the Constitution, and you'd abolish the monarchy; apply stock anti-monarchist arguments to economics, and you end up where they are.
And it is notable that there is a strong anti-monarchist streak in New Labour, whereas Old Labour was and is staunchly monarchist beyond its sectarian Left fringes (whence came New Labour, if you look into them), not least because the monarchy bound together the Commonwealth.
A LOT of Labor supporters must have voted No last time, and I have every confidence that they will again.So rRoll on the referendum. I hope that 'bein pensant' opinion takes No for an answer this time, and then gets on with doing what a Labor Government should be doing, like the Labor and Labour Governments of old.
How about a Canadian one on Wednesdays, a West Indian one on Thursdays, and a Pacific Islander one on Fridays?
ReplyDeleteBliss - God Save The Queen!
ReplyDeleteKath and Kim lay the boot into the conservative Howard....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22354648-2,00.html
The Queens days in Australia are numbered in Australia - Rudd and Costello both ardent republicans....
But it won't be up to Rudd and Costello, will it?
ReplyDeleteYou've been here before. Give it up. The whole attitude is so last century, and the middle decades of the last century at that. Those countries that still have these ties even now are going to have them for ever. If they were going to cut them, then they would have done so when so many other places did so, generations ago now.
The logic of John Howard's own nasty position is anti-monarchist. In fact, it is most interesting that anti-monarchist feeling has risen in Australia at the same time as support for ultra-capitalist, wannabe American (in the very worst sense) politicians, pre-eminently Howard.
Thank God that they have both peaked, and will now decline.
Your understanding of Australian politics is "interesting". I have never heard Howard be described as "anti-monarchist".
ReplyDeleteActually, the Labor party are looking like they are heading for a landslide win. So Rudd is the most likely to organise for a referendum .
Howard is actually in danger of losing his own seat -
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/17/2034286.htm
Even if Howard retains his seat, and he retains government, he has already said he will retire and has annointed the republican Costello...
So, decisions on the referendum will come down to either Costello or Rudd....
There is unanimous support for a republic in the Labor party, and majority support for a republic even with Liberal party.
Australians do not see the Queen as meaningful to them. They were aghast that protocol suggested that the Queen was to open the 2000 Olympics.
You may say "God Bless the Queen", but this British riposte means nothing to australians....
I said that it was the lofgic of his position. Which it is. Just apply the anti-monarchist arguments to economics, and the point is made: you end where he is, or even where his most outspoken supporters would like him to be.
ReplyDeleteThe same was and is true of Thatcher's most outspoken supporter: apply their arguments to the Constitution, and you'd abolish the monarchy; apply stock anti-monarchist arguments to economics, and you end up where they are.
And it is notable that there is a strong anti-monarchist streak in New Labour, whereas Old Labour was and is staunchly monarchist beyond its sectarian Left fringes (whence came New Labour, if you look into them), not least because the monarchy bound together the Commonwealth.
A LOT of Labor supporters must have voted No last time, and I have every confidence that they will again.So rRoll on the referendum. I hope that 'bein pensant' opinion takes No for an answer this time, and then gets on with doing what a Labor Government should be doing, like the Labor and Labour Governments of old.