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Punch on: Open thread 06/12/10

Lucy Kippist

by Lucy Kippist

06 Dec 05:00am

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Filed under: Democracy, Open Thread, Spain

26 comments

Spaniards went to the polls today in 1978 to vote for democracy following 40 years of dictatorial rule.

Out with the old and in with the new

Welcome to Monday. What’s on your mind? Share it here.

Most commented

431Australia, you have nothing to fear but fear itself
390There's no one Thomson won't burn to save his skin
336Animal experiments won't cure me from cancer
313Thomson didn't answer the question everyone is asking
265Who murdered the Arts degree?
246A big day for Thomson, who thus far is guilty of nothing...
231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...
231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.

26 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • acotrel says:

      05:53am | 06/12/10

      While the leader of the coalition is often touted as a boy genius, he doesn’t seem to be able to get his head around the mindset arising from the ‘new paradigm’.  Yesterday he accused the Gillard government of ‘acting like an opposition’, because Julia tells him all about himself, and he’s promised to become a new Tony with vision.  I have severe doubts that he can perform the change process, that he can change the agenda of the Liberal Party to one that recognises the legitimate role of industrial democracy in industry.  If I was an adviser in the Liberal Party, I’d advise him to lose the union-bashing approach to politics, and concentrate on motivating workers.  I’d recommend a new approach to profit sharing/employee share ownership/productivity gain sharing.  Of course that won’t radically change the culture in our businesses in the short term.  I’d point out that Telstra involved its workers in a ‘loyalty share issue’ when it was privatised in the early 90s.  However, every shareholder meeting since then has been tied up with the managers answering ‘dorothy dixers’.  Many Telstra employees have apparently sold their shares! I believe that any attempt from Tony Abbott to become forward looking and constructive must fail.  He just hasn’t got what it takes!

      Reply

    • acotrel says:

      05:56am | 06/12/10

      Was Mr B.A. Santamaria still alive in 1978?  He’d have wept at the Spaniards getting democracy?:

      Reply

    • BobbyDan says:

      07:10am | 06/12/10

      If Don Bradman was still alive he would be weeping at the state of Australian Cricket. As reported in the media most children try it as a summer sport, but give it away by age 13, what is the future for cricket?

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      01:21pm | 06/12/10

      Probably not soccer, and by the look of things, Cricket is on a very good wicket.

    • Adam Diver says:

      07:34am | 06/12/10

      So how come we can’t get a full length article for some of the punch readers but we can get articles from Will Colvin whos bio is basically “student” and who spends half of his article self debasing, effectively nullifying any point he was to make and Marcus stealing quotes from other sites, repackaging a number of cherry picked ones to make a really weak argument.

      I was hoping for a proper article on the world cup bidding process, the amount of corruption as well as the obviousness of it, is so extreme its not funny.

      The best part of the punch is the comments, and the slogan is “Australias best conversation”, I hope that you start embracing this fact.

      One last rant, whats the point of having articles on the weekend if it takes the entire day for your comment to be moderated? Its hardly a conversation, its closer to snail mail.

      Reply

    • Adam Diver says:

      09:54am | 06/12/10

      Judging by the comments made on the articles mentioned, I am not alone, I should of mentioned the other student Ben Payne, because he is getting pummelled in the comments and what is worse these authors never defend thier argument, point, or engage with the readers.

      I don’t understand, why we get so much opinion from “students” with no real life experience, and who have so much on their plates that they can’t respond to legitimate comments on their arguments.

      The best 2 things I have read today was a comment by zeta in the feminism article, and Steve in the world cup article.

    • Drew(Darlinghurst) says:

      07:43am | 06/12/10

      Evil Franco…thats what happens when there is no separation between CHURCH & STATE.

      Oh the Catholic Church….a cult with a belief of invisible men in the sky and a love of wearing fancy dress. raspberry

      Reply

    • acotrel says:

      09:51am | 06/12/10

      The catholic church should be thanked for one thing - pulling down the iron curtain.  These days an individual in Australia can express their views without being labelled a ‘commie’!  I believe that those religous bods have partly repaid the debt they owe Australians for giving conservatives the political means to undeservedly win elections!  Their poison kept Menzies in power for far too long in a period when Australia needed development most.  It became ‘OPPORTUNITY LOST’!

    • michael j says:

      12:00pm | 06/12/10

      Oh the Catholic Church,that is
      the Church Tony Abbot studied
      for three years to get into
      why did he chuck it in,?
      being called A commie or
      even a socialist doesn’t worry me,
      i dont like being called a racist,or homophic
      for asking a simple question like
      do homosexual’s get the baby bounas
      when they conc ,ahh,given,mm,aa,recieved
      a new baby? if not why not,
      a couple of my mates use to play
      the oppersite way and its nun of
      ya bussiness what padock i play in

    • TheRealDave says:

      01:23pm | 06/12/10

      I’d thank Ronnie Reagan and his ridiculous Space Arms race proposals that helped bankrupt the Soviet Union and 70 years of Communist Financial mismanagement before I’d even mention the Catholic Church.

    • nosthow says:

      08:18am | 06/12/10

      I see in todays papers Lucky Abbott is going to “launch an early offensive” next year to attempt a baton change and propel him into the PMship ! Stunning ! Now we all know why he will do that dont we viewers - yes he knows time is running out for himself as the proclaimed messiah of the Liberal Party. On the Insiders yesterday on the ABC he fumbled his way through an embarrassing interview where he revealed exactly what we all know - he has no policies and no vision for Australia. This was then confirmed in discussion by the panel after the interview. Basically what they were saying folks is why would you bother even trying to be PM if you have nothing at all to offer Australia and nothing at all to discuss re the hot topics Australians are interested in. Dont forget on the subject of Climate Change Abbotts statement there reveals this lightweight in spades “Climate Change is crap” he says. Not all his Opposition folks agree - Malcolm Turnbull to his credit is in touch with Australians on this matter. So as 2011 rolls along I really dont know what Abbott is going to do as the big issues come up for debate - he has nothing to say on anything ! Abbott remains Labors biggest asset. Please stay put king of the budgie smugglers - we love ya !

      Reply

    • Zeta says:

      09:13am | 06/12/10

      The Cairo University has published the first ever Electrovaginogram, which measures electricty in vaginas. You heard that right. Vaginas shoot electricity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15205981

      I mean WTF Australia. The Cairo University, in Islamic Egypt, is not exactly known for being progressive, but they’re leading the world in electrovaginograms. They thought this up in 2003, and now you can go to Egypt, stick some electrodes on an boom! You can send your electrovaginogram to your loved ones for Christmas.

      You can’t tell me there isn’t some killer hash in Egypt. Dr’s Shafik and Mostafa just chilling, taking hits from the hookha - ‘hey bro, do you think that, like, vaginas, shoot electricity? Do you think they can do that?’ “I don’t know, I’ve never seen one’. Long pause. ‘Let’s get some vaginas in here and do some experiments’.

      My favourite part of the study is this, on the discovery of a vaginal pacemaker that sets electric rhythm: ‘the vaginal pacemaker seems to represent the G spot, which is claimed to be a small area of erotic sensitivity in the vagina.’

      ‘Claimed’ to be. I wonder if the Egyptian electrovaginogramamaticians ever thought to ask their test subjects? I mean, knowing vaginas have electricity in them is cool and all, and is yet another reason to wear a condom during intercourse - but if they could find this so called G-spot, imagine the accolades. “And the Nobel Prize for Science goes to, Dr Shafik and Dr Mostafa for the discovery of the G spot using an electrovaginogram’. And also, the Nobel Peace Prize for ending war and global conflict goes to Dr Shafik and Dr Mostafa for the discovery of the G spot.”

      If you were Dr Shafik and Dr Mostafa, would you tell everyone? Or would you keep it to yourself? I’ve got to admit, it would be pretty tempting to be the only guy in the world who could find every woman’s G spot. Julian Assange would end up leaking it though.

      Reply

    • Davida says:

      10:24am | 06/12/10

      Imagine the implications.  No more need for nasty coal-fired powerstations.  Start a harem and go off the grid for ever.

    • NicoleG says:

      09:18am | 06/12/10

      Well, here’s my rant. My mother and father live in a little 2 bedder. They have solar hot water, gas cooking and gas heating. They have the basics such as a fridge, washing machine, TV etc and are extremely conservative with their electricity usage. Now here’s the problem. Upon opening up the mail this morning there was an electricity bill for $1000.00. WTF??? How in God’s name can this be justified? To all you numpties who voted Labor, I say IDIOTS!!!

      Reply

    • adam says:

      09:27am | 06/12/10

      Perhaps use your head and call the electricity company before blaming all your problems on the government.

    • acotrel says:

      09:57am | 06/12/10

      Must have been the same idiots who voted conservative, believed in the ideology, and privatised all the public utilities?

    • TimB says:

      10:09am | 06/12/10

      Nicole get them to double check the meter readings too.

      I have a similar level of appliance usage & have gas cooking and hot water. My quarterly bill is usually about $200 max.

      Even allowing for the fact that fact that it’s just me in my place & I’m usually only home weekends and nights….there really shouldn’t be that large a difference. Something funny is going on. Either their rates truly are terrible (always possible) or like I said, something is hinky with the meter.

    • Lucy Kippist

      Lucy Kippist says:

      10:26am | 06/12/10

      Hi Nicole,  did you read Penbo’s piece on this exact thing last week? It appears to be happening to a lot of people at the moment.

    • acotrel says:

      10:42am | 06/12/10

      There is such a thing as ‘bill shock’.  I haven’t had an energy bill for ages, and I expect when I do get one it’ll be pretty horrible. They’ll wait to get paid!

    • NicoleG says:

      10:42am | 06/12/10

      @Lucy, I did read it and couldn’t agree with it more. What’s going on? Our bills have doubled in the past 12 months, but how are pensioners and low income families expected to survive? They just cant.

      @Tim, she rang them and they said they checked the meter twice. I don’t believe them. So she jumped to talk back radio and had a big whinge. Next thing, the radio station rang her back, because someone at AGL had heard her and they said they don’t like people bagging them on the radio. Oh ok, shut your mouth and cop it sweet? No! Now the radio station want all her details so they can investigate this. Some bad publicity is on the way I think. AGL are in panic mode.

      This is going to be an interesting day. I’ll let you know what happens

      Reply

    • Dr B S Goh says:

      10:58am | 06/12/10

      Re; Wikileaks.

      What an insane idea that US should use force against China. There is in place now some forty years old a Cold War concept for the Nuclear Age developed at the US Air Force Think Tank the RAND Corp in Los Angeles. RAND Corp also developed the internet concept and built the prototype. It is called the MAD strategy. MAD equals Mutually Assured Destruction. Any Australian politician who wants to dabble in foreign affairs must understand MAD.

      Mr Rudd should know China’s history best and understand that Tibet and Taiwan are not negotiable items of China. Tibet was under the effective control of China before Columbus set sail and discovered America.

      Reply

    • jane wallace says:

      12:51pm | 06/12/10

      democracy has not done spain much good.the rain in spain falls mainly on the plain.
      in 2010, Spain won the World Cup and and lost its 2018 World Cup bid to Russia, the home of world democracy.
      Your comment:

      Reply

    • John says:

      03:32pm | 06/12/10

      Franco kept the Spanish out of WW2 for starters and kicked the ass of the Stalinist goons in the civil war. . He played a great part in the fight against the Communist reign of terror in Eastern Europe while strengthening the persecuted Catholic church in the workers paradises so beloved of your readers and the ABC.

      Reply

    • acotrel says:

      04:33pm | 06/12/10

      John, For a better perspective on Spain, you should read ‘The March of Time’ by Michael Orloff.  He stated quite clearly that there were no communists amongst the democratically elected Spanish Republican government politicians.  And that Stalin only had advisers there to use the conflict as a try out against Hitler, and to suit his own interests. Franco was no different in political principle to his allies,  Mussolini, or Hitler himself.  They were all authoritarian/totalitarian dictators, and Stalin was only different in that he was on the political left, while the others were right wing! The whole lot were a bunch of @ssholes, and the Spaniards paid the price for 40 years!

    • encareeFradly says:

      07:29pm | 06/01/11

      Enjoy <a >Coolest Gadget Reviews</a>

      Reply
 
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