Today marks the second time in my life when I can honestly say I watched history unfold.
The first was September 11, 2001.
Today's election of Barack Obama as President is a far, far more preferable experience. His acceptance speech was one of the best public addresses I've ever seen - I felt proud and happy, and I'm not even American. Watching Obama with his Vice-President Joe Biden and their families hug and wave in front of the hundreds of thousands in Grant Park, Chicago was beautiful to watch. I'm so glad so many were able to share in such a positive moment.
So, congratulations, USA. You've done a lot today to redeem yourselves, and I'll refrain from making any jokes about Yanks for the next 48 hours.
It is interesting to wonder though - would we have wound up with a President like Obama had we not gone through the purgatory of George W. Bush in the first place? (And I don't simply mean "a black man" - I mean a man of intelligence and reason, who puts hope before fear).
The Obama presidency looks even better through the filter of the Bush Administration, for sure.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Americans seem to go for a Democrat when the world has turned to poo around them.
ReplyDeleteAt heart they seem to want to be shafted by the Republican side of politics presumably because they seem to thing that this is how they should be.
Having watched ABC news clips showing white southerners saying they would not vote for Obama because he was a "terrorist" and because he swore his Senate oath of allegiance on the Koran (by the way Obama is a Christian) I tend to worry that these people consider themselves to be the leaders of the free??? world.
Hopefully Obama will be able to drag the US into the new millenium but it will be a hard job and, to cap it off, he starts out with a complete basket case thanks to eight years of Republican mismanagement
If you want an idea of how the Republicans think read Bill Clinton's autobiography (Monica not withstanding) He was a good President who brought the US back to a balanced budget after the George Bush senior years.
If I was Obama I would be off first thing to the Kevlar Flack Jacket Company to have a Hoodie made, just in case.
The FBI are going to have to be right on top of their game for the next four /eight years
OH, I laughed and laughed at the title of this one. But if America's the pig, does that make Abama the lipstick?
ReplyDeleteI had some problems with his speech. What did he say" The Ark of History passing though the gates of Hope?
I told Aurélie that he was president four minutes after he was declared winner and she said "and no-ones shot at him yet?"
So far I have only heard chunks of Obama's speech while in a taxi on the way back to work, but I intend to watch the whole thing online very soon.
ReplyDeleteI too was proud and moved and really honoured to be hearing such a great man speak. He put me in mind of Martin Luther King Jr.
I am so proud of the people of the United States of America right now. To see a black man as the President of the USA... not because he's a black man, but simply because he's the best man for the job... not the best WHITE man for the job.
I haven't felt this happy about an election since... well ours!
ReplyDeleteYay progressive governments in Australia and the U.S.A
woot!
lol
ReplyDeleterudd's government progressive?
wat a wank
after the aussie election he's certainly hit the ground...reviewing..oh and flying...
oh hang on...isnt that y we have a foreign minister?
rudd has been a dudd so far..
yes the yanks have again shown they r the most democratic country on earth even more so now electing a black president...
i thought obama's speech was magnificent..he is a man of high intelligence and i love his passion
i love his articulate manner and grace
he puts these great qualities into actions..
congratulations citizens of the united states..
obama will not waste time and money on reviews / summits and think tanks..
he'll act and govern..
lets hope he has a word with our kevi..
go home and govern mate
u cant do it from here
oh and wats your name again?...didnt i c u on youtube?
cheers
Do I gt the feeling CH that when the deficit in this country comes to light next year you will be among those pointing the finger and saying "Well it only took the labor party one year to throw away the gains made by the coalition over 11 years"
ReplyDeleteMaybe, if the previous government had used the surplusses to improve Health/Education/Tranport infrastructure Labor would not now be having to throw billions to keep the country treading water.
The oddest thing about the last three months is that Malcolm Turnbull is preaching bipartisanship but cannot resist saying "Oh we are totally supportive of what Labor is doing but, we think it is better to do it this (our) way"
The last time a group of political parties worked for the common good was in Britain during WW2. One would think that the present mess requires the same self sacrifice.
Oh! silly me, I didn't take ego's into account
i certainly dont mean 4 my remarks 2 b desparaging 2 anyone...
ReplyDeletebut rudd has been at best ordinary
the man simply wont govern
perhaps his first best destiny is 2 b foreign minister?..of which i believe he is first class at..
i'd love 2 c julia pm...that woman has boobs of steel and seems 2 act decisevely..
however kevin rudd is the most right winged labor pm weve ever had..
cheers
name 1 polly without an ego?
ReplyDeleteyet britain threw churchill out
thnx winston but cya...
health has been run my state labor governments for yonks
and they have been pathetic at best..
the feds simply feed them dosh
yes they all preach
nothing compares 2 rudd's preaching
all hail 2 the world messiah...watch me
i'll get rid of 1.1 percent of carbon emmissions
i'll bankrupt the country but hey
the world will b cleaner by 1.1 percent
cheers
but ur rite am
ReplyDeleteself scarifice is almost impossible with aussie pollies
cheers champ
OK I accept that Kev has been a bit slow off the blocks but, I think I prefer that to say, the Whitlam first six months.
ReplyDeleteIt's a matter of run before walking but, having spent 11 years in opposition. they had a lot of learning to do. I don't believe that governments, of any persuasion give too much info to the shadow minsters
I think the move to the right for the Labor Party started with Bob Hawke as a way of cutting the coalition off at the pass, as it were.
Paul Keating continued the progression which was why the Liberals spent so long in opposition. John Howard (love him or hate him) then returned the favour and took up with his "Aussie Battlers"and the resy, as they say, is history.
As far as the states are concerned and the Federal govt as well, I feel that the worst thing they have all done is to convince the public that countries should be run as businesses, the bigger the surplus (profit margin) the better the country is doing.
Unfortunately the more they save the less is being put into the infrastructure, the result of which you can see around you.
By all means have a surplus ($1 bill will do) but don't get into a "Mines bigger than yours" type of argument.
Taxes should be spent for the good of the people, not save in the piggy bank to be showered on the electorate at election time
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our government is a progressive government. I also believe that it has done more in 10 months than the conservatives did in 11 years.
ReplyDeleteRight out of the gate our progressive government said sorry to the indigenous people of this country and began a process of reconciliation we desperately needed.
I will admit that our current government is quite a centre-ist progressive government, but that is a sign of the times. All mainstream parties are trying to colonise the centre of politics as that is where most people sit politically.
I believe that both the current government of Australia and the incoming government of the U.S are similar in nature with similar leaders with similar styles.
I believe we have an intelligent, articulate leader whose indepth knowledge of diplomacy will be very useful during these global troubling times.
All my opinion, yours might be different. I am very thankful we don't still have the conservative Howard government in power.
Speaking of Howard, the ABC documentary "The Howard Years" begins screening on the ABC shortly.
ReplyDeleteThat should be a good view, politics aside.
Between Abbott's snivelling, Costello's egotism and Howard's self-aggrandising, we're in for quite a treat. ;)
saying sorry
ReplyDeletehhmmmm
shouldnt they b saying thank u that the spanish didnt cum here 1st?
snivelling / egotistical / self aggrendising
sounds also like paul keating
the most hated pm in our history
tho..wat would we queenslanders know? being a banana republic and all
no child shall live in poverty in australia
good 1 hawky boy
where's ross kelly's white board???
kevi could do with it rite now
lets start with 1.1..now only 98.9 2 go...
nicola roxon's alco tax means reduction of alcohol by the youngin's...NYET....
terrific 11 month's kevi 0.7...
up up and away
Yeah, you're right.
ReplyDeleteThe indigenous people should thank us for slaughtering them with guns and germs.
They should thank us for gutting their culture and pissing on their land owndership.
They should thank us for... no.. f*ck it.. im not going to go through the list. If you don't understand what the colonists did to the first residents of this land, if you don't see how their entire culture has been raped for 200 years + then god help your ignorance.
And I am going to go further than that. Crazy Horse, you are officially the the most bigoted, small minded, self-centred, racist, sexist, puerile waste of skin I have ever had the misfortune to come across. You blame others for your own short-comings and you deserve every smear of sh*t that has landed on your lap.
Every time GC writes an article I know exactly how you you are going to burble on (and normally we have the dubious pleasure of having to wade through three meandering posts of whatever small minded drivel that happens to vomit from your craw at the time).
Some days I think your must be trolling for a reaction. It has become apparent to me that you are actually the small minded bigot you appear.
So... good-bye Crazy Horse. I will never acknowledge your existence again in this website. Life is too short to have to spend time scrubbing off the feculent, slimy feeling I have evertime I taint my eyes and mind with your close minded drivel.
lol!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteder der diddums...
wat the british did to the aborigines...not australians
as for rape
well
they do enough of that amongst themselves..
u r way 2 sensitive u pathetic punce..
u obscure the truth with politically correct crap..
stop blaming white aussies..
if going on wat u say is rite then u have no rite 2 b here..
then give it back 2 them u chubby chopped chuppa chup
u ignorant politically correct nincompunce!!!!
fuck off..get lost and leave..
but since u dont have the guts 2 live by your convictions that wont happen will it..
u sicken me with your white hating bigoted crap
bend over and say ahhh the next time a dog walks by..thats wat u really enjoy...
oh thats rite
this'll b deleted by the slip slop slurper
if either of u have the convictions of which your small minds believe...then leave and take your white hating crap with u...
the wah....
wat a total drop kick fuckwit u r..
misnomer
your really...the WANK...
its good having white hating shit 4 brains morons like him in this world
he makes us all feel superior
this is my last post...
goodbye all and enjoy the wank
Please for the love of god, Horse! They're called capitals. You use them once at the beginning of every new sentence. Then, between each paragraph, you hit enter.
ReplyDeleteIt's like you're posting comments from a 'speak-and-spell'.
What did any of that mean? slip slop slurper? chubby chopped chuppa chup? did someone slip stupid pills into the water in Brisbane?
ReplyDelete