....are we there yet?

Shane in a Hole

G'day Petals,

It's a truism that five minutes into a long car journey children will often ask, "Are we there yet?" And there's an old metaphor saying that if you're making a situation worse you are "...digging a hole for yourself," and that the best way to minimize the problem is to stop digging.

But this is Australia, in which the ruling rabble Mk2 is digging us all into social and economic oblivion.

It has come to light that these genii who tout themselves as the best of economic managers actually fall way short of their myth-making hyperbole.

In 2021 Qatar will make royalties of around $26.6 billion from shipping some 100 million cubic metres of LNG. Australia on the other hand, shipping around the same volume, will receive $800 million. Even after the Henry Tax review of 2010 warned that The resource Rent tax "...fails to collect an appropriate and constant share of rents from... projects"  ...and that... "the uplift rates are over-compensated for..."   Now, let's hear again what fine models of economic management they are.

Trentham Falls

A new chapter in the race to the bottom has also been seen with Senators MacDonald and O'Sullivan reprising the thuggish, boorish untermenschen roles last performed when the duo attempted to pillory Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs in a past senate enquiry.

This time their victim was Solicitor General, Justin Gleeson who not only had the temerity to disagree with the Ruling Rabble's faux Attorney General, Senator Bookshelves Brandis but also point out to him that he couldn't agree to changes in the law without consultation.

 Gleeson, also objected1/, to Brandis using his earlier opinion – that a particular bill would withstand high court challenge – when the bill had been changed since that time and 2/ , that Bookshelves be the only person who, first, should be asked for permission before anyone sought advice of the Solicitor General.

This is the definitive  Brandis: an oily, slippery, mendacious and dictatorial bully-boy from the Deep North whose overweening ambition is best seen in his scant regard for the national good and his corralling all power to himself.

It's interesting that Brandis is so inept both politically and as Attorney General. He not only keeps getting caught out but in the ensuing fracas of his own making he serves only to further highlight  the unbelievable incompetence of the Ruling Rabble Mk2.

Trentham Falls

"So, we artists are not “legitimate students.”
Our profession will not “benefit Australia economically”.
You want to “encourage students to study”….by taking away opportunities for the next Hugh Jackman, Jackie Weaver or Tony Sheldon, to name a few?"

Writing in his blog,   AbStar921 – Musical Critic    takes acute aim at un-education minister Flappy-Head Birmingham's proposal that the best way to have an "innovative and agile" nation is to 1st, make Uni fees so high only the wealthy could attend and 2nd to make every course business/work related... so... 
F***k the Arts! 

Taking a leaf from Pastie Paterson's IPA inspired drivel, Flappy-Head exposed his truly Neanderthal lack of cognisance of culture as the basis of civilization because, as he sees it,  there's "no economic benefit in the arts."

I did warn years ago Petals that the Huns were at the Gates.  http://shanewombat.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/viewing-nice-things-and-huns-at-gates.html           
Well, they've well and truly arrived.

Trentham

And speaking of Holes...ex-Maj. Gen. James Molan architect of the "Turn-Back-The-Boats" policy last week exposed his... right between his ears.

With a truly disturbing Goebbels-like performance, patronisingly batting away or ignoring any dissenting or alternative opinion, Molan claimed that even though he hadn't been there, our refugee concentration camps on Nauru and Manus "....you will find the most extraordinary medical facilities that most Australian towns would give their right arm for.....”  and, "...we are so far ahead of refugee camps throughout the world that it is not funny.”

He is one who will never admit his view is not the most considered and correct one. His world view is, it seems, is the only view and one part of his rationale over the Iraq war (and ignoring the false reasoning for going there in the first place,) was that, "there were more Iraqi's alive when I left  because of what I did than there otherwise would have been."

We can only be thankful perhaps that this blinkered vision of aggression was an unsuccessful senate candidate for the ruling rabble in 2016.

It's a pity the Ruling Rabble Mk2  can't concentrate on running the country instead of attacking Conroy's replacement in the senate.. oohh, hang on, they are.... into the ground!

Hoo-roo Possums,

Shane