Punch on: Open thread 21/03/2011

acotrel says:

05:32am | 21/03/11

@Erick Half of the people who participate in royal weddings are women!  They’re sneaking in everywhere!

skepdad says:

10:00am | 21/03/11

Finally: a) the powers seek UN and Arab League endorsement for military action, and b) they are given it.

It’s about time you figured out the right way to do things, diplomats.

TheRealDave says:

11:23am | 21/03/11

Its a pity that so many Libyans had to die before the UN and Arab League got off their collective arses then huh?

I was surprised they actually did reach a decision before Ghaddafi had stomped the rebels out in all honesty. My money was on voting on a no-fly zone after the civil war had ended.

I do note with interest that the African Union is kicking up a stink though.

rick says:

04:10pm | 21/03/11

They had less reason to go into Iraq or Afganistan

Erick says:

04:24pm | 21/03/11

Quite right, TheRealDave. There should have been action weeks ago.

As for the Arab League and the African Union, I suspect their public protests do not reflect their private agreements.

Zeta says:

07:57am | 21/03/11

Margaret Thatcher. You arguement is invalid.

AnthonyG says:

08:24am | 21/03/11

Couldn’t you find anyone in Australia Zeta. I know I didn’t stipulate Australian Politicians but someone of your intellect could surely come up with one Aussie please.

Bilby says:

09:00am | 21/03/11

Have you noticed that the Labor party has a horrid history of putting women in as fall guys (pardon the expression)? When everything has gone to sh!t and there’s no hope, we’ll put a woman in to lose that last election. I won’t even begin to suggest why, but the pattern is there.

fairsfair says:

09:14am | 21/03/11

I agree G - we don’t have a good track record. No female Australian political leader has ever been initially elected in their own right have they? I wonder what it would be like if the percentages were reversed though? My dad has always said “politics is a woman’s job” (make of that what you will) and I think he is right. Sitting around fighting, focussing on insignificant factors, ignoring real problems and actively searchign for fault in your competition epitomises most of the women I know If the politics was approached by a majority group of women (who had the numbers and support to make decisions like women), the world would be a different place - whether it would be better or not is something that everyone would have a different take on.

For women to succeed in politics they have to adopt the masculine approach or fail. I think that is why it trips the Australian ladies. As a women you have to conform to the way the boys do it or drown in the waters. However in our case - it is just an epic fail all round.

I know the examples given by Zeta, Marley and Jim were to balance the argument so to speak, but it is rather laughable to put any of our female leaders in the same ballpark as the likes of Maggie Thatcher, Indira Ghandi and Angela Merkel.

AdamC says:

09:14am | 21/03/11

AthonyG, I will have to come back to you on the Aussie woman point, but I need to call you up on this notion that Gillard was appointed simply to ‘balance the ledger’. Gillard was the only possible successor to Rudd, male or female. Obviously, the faceless *men* didn’t expect her to cock everything up so masterfully, but she did seem like the best *person* at the time.

Zeta says:

10:06am | 21/03/11

I’ll bite - under Amanda Vanstone, there were less asylum seekers in detention, more humanitarian and compassionate visas, and less illegal boat arrivals.

I’d say that’s a job well done. Of course, her legacy has been rubbished by the Left, because she didn’t subscribe to their stringent definition of how a successful female leader acts.

iansand says:

10:23am | 21/03/11

I can think of quite a few dud men.  I think that proves something, although I’m not sure what.

Traxster says:

11:10am | 21/03/11

The GovGen altho a woman is not a politician.

TheRealDave says:

11:24am | 21/03/11

Amanda Vanstone! Thats a classic Zeta!

Kudos

rick says:

04:14pm | 21/03/11

Help me out!...................No mate you’ve dug your own hole now lie in it.

Jim says:

08:38am | 21/03/11

Add Corazon Aquino to that as well.

AdamC says:

10:23am | 21/03/11

Why have you lumped Billy Hughes and Silvio Berlusconi in with Leonid Brezhnev? While both Hughes and Berlusconi were/are controversial leaders, they both have substantial achievements to their names. Brezhnev on the other hand, was both tyrannical and ineffectual as a leader.

stephen says:

10:35am | 21/03/11

Kristina Kennealy.
She’s a real pretty gal, and I reckon after this election, she may have ter be.

bella starkey says:

10:54am | 21/03/11

Berlusconi has achieved not being sent to jail for many years now! He’s a keeper!
Here’s a decent list of some of his most substantial achievements:
http://www.cracked.com/article_19070_the-5-craziest-exploits-worlds-shadiest-politician.html

Hamish says:

11:27am | 21/03/11

Marley, Gold Meir is a great nomination, but you are being completely unfair on Berlusconi. For a european leader he’s actually pretty competent and he’s easily the most entertaining politician in the world. Gillard is both incompetent and boring as were Carmen Lawrence and John Kirner. I say the ALP needs to take their ‘we’re going to lose, quick, put a chick in’ strategy to its logical conclusion and knife Gillard in favour of Kate Ellis. They need to do it now while they’re not in NSW ALP territory. Poor KK, she never had a chance.

fairsfair says:

10:41am | 21/03/11

that is actually quite frightening Shane.

TheRealDave says:

03:11pm | 21/03/11

And to think, with all the negative press etc the rAbbott STILL can’t get near her in Preferred PM

Thats gotta hurt