Democracy as we know it has one big fat achilles heel- it's short sightedness. By political necessity you do and say what it takes to get elected and that usually involves short term, immediate solutions. The long term issues get pushed along.
To me the discourse about oil in the debates was telling of this fact. Obama had to pull back from over emphasizing clean, renewable energy, instead bragging about how we've produced more oil than ever. Oil is going to run out and that's when the feces hits the fan (but not in our lifetimes so why worry about it, right?). He was right 4 years ago and during his first term to push renewable energy development but he is stepping back to appease the center right. Short term necessity trumps long term vision.
Same thing with the debt. All Romney had to do to convince me was detail his cuts (if he refuses tax hikes and defense cuts he has to make so major major cuts). He won't do it. He can't do it, because as soon as he starts talking about who is going to take the pain he loses. Will he really do it (make really deep cuts) if he's elected? Probably not, not if he wants to be re elected. So here we go again, kicking the can down the road.
And yes, as someone above mentioned, the two party system is also a major flaw. I've seen the proportional system at work in Italy and it's a mess but it does give fringe parties a voice- like say the Green Party, if they get 5% of the vote they get 5% of the seats. Now you have to create coalitions. You might have to work with Greens and with Neo Fascists but there are definiteley more options.
I hope the US election goes smoothly today , and without controversy ,as it should....our right to elect our leaders is sacred......more importantly , I hope both the candidates, and the people , have the courage to accept the peoples choice , and live with it. .....In Australia , weve had two years of a "hung parlaiment" and the losing party has not yet sommoned the guts to accept it , and play their role for the benefit of their country..........when our political leaders encourage total disrespect for people who didn't vote for them , there is a fundamental problem that needs fixing............politics is a dirty game on both sides of the fence,and somtimes it ain't pretty........
Actually, there have been some very well articulated points made on this thread. I thank Ghetto for bringing up the subject. I hope we are all bigger and better than the political whores who make their lives by trying to control ours. While I may agree with some of you and disagree with many of you, I would pull any of you out of the water. In the water we are all brothers! Also if I disagree it doesn't mean I dislike you! After all I have vehemently disagreed with the rat a few times. But I just can't help but love the way he just puts it out there!
Woopsy! There goes the internet and privacy laws, in the future we'll be arrested for talking about this stuff. So Australia is just following other world governments for totalitarian control??
Independent Australian site crikey, article titled 'Assembling the building blocks of global net regulation'
I've been away for a few days ("Surfing Art by Shapers" show in Hossegor got me busy) so I had not seen this thread. I went through it quickly so i won't say that I READ it, but I just want to answer the guys asking why moderators didn't close this thread: it seems to me that this is an "all american" topic and, being French, I don't feel authorized to decide whether to close or not such threads. Leaving it to the others.
Belonging to a country who recently voted for the biggest dummy there is doesn't help, either...
i did not write this but it would be a good solution i think
DIVORCE AGREEMENT
THIS IS SO
INCREDIBLY WELL PUT AND I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT’S BY A YOUNG PERSON, A
STUDENT!!! WHATEVER HE RUNS FOR, I’LL VOTE FOR HIM.
Dear Australian Laborites, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Gillard, et al:
We have stuck together since the late 1950′s for the sake of the kids,
but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I
wa
nt a divorce.
I know we
tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations,
but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our
two ideological sides of Australia cannot and will not ever agree on
what is right for us all, so let’s just end it on friendly terms. We can
smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way
Here is a model separation agreement:
Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each
taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure
our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should
be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly
divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate
tastes.
We don’t like redistributive taxes so you can keep
them. You are welcome to the ACTU, the Fabian Society and every member
of Emily’s List. Since you hate guns and war, we’ll take our firearms,
the cops and the military. We’ll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and
you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel. You can keep the ABC left
wingers (particularly Kerry O’Brien) and Bob Brown. You are, however,
responsible for finding an electric vehicle big enough to move all of them.
We’ll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies,
Woolworths and the Stock Exchange. You can have your beloved lifelong
welfare dwellers, dole bludgers, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies
and boat people. We’ll keep the budgie smuggling, bike riding, volunteer
firemen and lifesavers, greedy CEOs and rednecks. We’ll keep the Bibles
and the churches and give you SBS and the Greens.
You can make
peace with Iran, Palestine and the Taliban and we’ll retain the right
to stand up and fight when threatened. You can have the greenies and war
protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we’ll
help provide them security.
We’ll keep our Judeo-Christian
values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political
correctness and Penny Wong. You can also have the U.N. But we will no
longer be paying the bill
We’ll keep the 4WDs, utes and V8s. You can take every hybrid hatchback you can find.
We’ll keep “Waltzing Matilda” and our National Anthem. I’m sure you’ll
be happy to keep in tune with Peter Garrett as he sings “Imagine”, “I’d
Like to Teach the World to Sing”, “Kum Ba Ya”, “We Are The World” and
his recent big solo hit “Beds and Batts are Burning.”
We’ll
practice trickle down economics and you can continue to give trickle up
poverty your best shot. Since it so often offends you, we’ll keep our
history, our name and our flag.
Would you agree to this? If so,
please pass it along to other like-minded conservative Australians and
if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting,
I’ll bet you answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.
Stoney, relax, my forty year old shapes look like crap if you ask me, the rails way too thick, and yesterdays board, well the rails seemed a bit prego. You probably would infer that nothing has changed since then but it has. Yeah Velzy working at Roger's Foam, how cool was that; I didn't even know who it was at first. I used to enjoy his face so full of emotion, as he searched for words, he was a character, and a stylemaster. I remember his funeral, there will never be anything like it again in California. And now this Saturday Donald's. I talked to Donald a while back on the phone, he was in Hawaii, and Mira Costa College was having a 100th aniversary surf themed party, with a showing of "Endless Summer" including Gidget, and Hynson. he told me he wasn't coming back, he seemed so happy, but his voice was a little slurry, I told him it wouldn't be the same if he wasn't there because he had been such a big part of surfing in that community, and had helped so many surfers become good surfers. He thanked me profusely, but really I was the thankful one for having known him, and him telling me 30 something years ago my rails were too thick on my longboards, when longboards were cool. Thick rails I will be working on that, today.
stimulating discourse is also a gift.
My mom called it instgating-insigator.
fomenting a revolution is no big deal
if you consider revolution is just
the spinning of the sphereof whatever you wish
last night my friend was ruminating on the fact
that all the revolutionary surfing forms are now mainstream
aka hand planes,11'plus gliders ,stand up paddle shafts ad infiknightem.
the way of the world in the political sphere in our culture the secret ballot is sacred
as a defense against being socially ostracised by perfectly reasonable people who once were friends
not letting on who you vote for till after the winner is determined by hook crook and supreme cort.
of course we all have voted for the winner what else is new,you wanna lose your cushy job in g'ment.
rats know how to survive
surfers know how to pick a set wave.
...ambrose...
VOTE we all win.
don't vote we all lose
ambrose M. curry III
As much as it pains me to do so, I quote the Rodent:
"Bravo to those with the courage to state their minds regardless"
Should I infer from the Rodent's lack of statement ...
Swaylocks Surfboard Design Forum: thoughts & theories ... practical & theoretical
RAIL PROFILE http://bgboard.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-82014-afterr-seeing-recent.html
Democracy as we know it has one big fat achilles heel- it's short sightedness. By political necessity you do and say what it takes to get elected and that usually involves short term, immediate solutions. The long term issues get pushed along.
To me the discourse about oil in the debates was telling of this fact. Obama had to pull back from over emphasizing clean, renewable energy, instead bragging about how we've produced more oil than ever. Oil is going to run out and that's when the feces hits the fan (but not in our lifetimes so why worry about it, right?). He was right 4 years ago and during his first term to push renewable energy development but he is stepping back to appease the center right. Short term necessity trumps long term vision.
Same thing with the debt. All Romney had to do to convince me was detail his cuts (if he refuses tax hikes and defense cuts he has to make so major major cuts). He won't do it. He can't do it, because as soon as he starts talking about who is going to take the pain he loses. Will he really do it (make really deep cuts) if he's elected? Probably not, not if he wants to be re elected. So here we go again, kicking the can down the road.
And yes, as someone above mentioned, the two party system is also a major flaw. I've seen the proportional system at work in Italy and it's a mess but it does give fringe parties a voice- like say the Green Party, if they get 5% of the vote they get 5% of the seats. Now you have to create coalitions. You might have to work with Greens and with Neo Fascists but there are definiteley more options.
We need more party animals-
[IMG]http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r31/llilibel03/PQ2LZpDP9d62si53OwQ4On...
I hope the US election goes smoothly today , and without controversy ,as it should....our right to elect our leaders is sacred......more importantly , I hope both the candidates, and the people , have the courage to accept the peoples choice , and live with it. .....In Australia , weve had two years of a "hung parlaiment" and the losing party has not yet sommoned the guts to accept it , and play their role for the benefit of their country..........when our political leaders encourage total disrespect for people who didn't vote for them , there is a fundamental problem that needs fixing............politics is a dirty game on both sides of the fence,and somtimes it ain't pretty........
http://www.currumbinwoodworks.com.au/
Actually, there have been some very well articulated points made on this thread. I thank Ghetto for bringing up the subject. I hope we are all bigger and better than the political whores who make their lives by trying to control ours. While I may agree with some of you and disagree with many of you, I would pull any of you out of the water. In the water we are all brothers! Also if I disagree it doesn't mean I dislike you! After all I have vehemently disagreed with the rat a few times. But I just can't help but love the way he just puts it out there!
Great post Kayu!!
Woopsy! There goes the internet and privacy laws, in the future we'll be arrested for talking about this stuff. So Australia is just following other world governments for totalitarian control??
Independent Australian site crikey, article titled 'Assembling the building blocks of global net regulation'
http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/11/06/assembling-the-building-blocks-of-global-net-regulation/
other:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-01/is-the-un-the-next-big-threat-to-internet-freedom
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204792404577229074023195322.html
Governments need more transparency and accountability...not less!!
I've been away for a few days ("Surfing Art by Shapers" show in Hossegor got me busy) so I had not seen this thread. I went through it quickly so i won't say that I READ it, but I just want to answer the guys asking why moderators didn't close this thread: it seems to me that this is an "all american" topic and, being French, I don't feel authorized to decide whether to close or not such threads. Leaving it to the others.
Belonging to a country who recently voted for the biggest dummy there is doesn't help, either...
i did not write this but it would be a good solution i think
DIVORCE AGREEMENT
nt a divorce.THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY WELL PUT AND I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT’S BY A YOUNG PERSON, A STUDENT!!! WHATEVER HE RUNS FOR, I’LL VOTE FOR HIM.
Dear Australian Laborites, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Gillard, et al:
We have stuck together since the late 1950′s for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I wa
I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our two ideological sides of Australia cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let’s just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way
Here is a model separation agreement:
Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.
We don’t like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the ACTU, the Fabian Society and every member of Emily’s List. Since you hate guns and war, we’ll take our firearms, the cops and the military. We’ll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel. You can keep the ABC left wingers (particularly Kerry O’Brien) and Bob Brown. You are, however, responsible for finding an electric vehicle big enough to move
all of them.
We’ll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Woolworths and the Stock Exchange. You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, dole bludgers, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and boat people. We’ll keep the budgie smuggling, bike riding, volunteer firemen and lifesavers, greedy CEOs and rednecks. We’ll keep the Bibles and the churches and give you SBS and the Greens.
You can make peace with Iran, Palestine and the Taliban and we’ll retain the right to stand up and fight when threatened. You can have the greenies and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we’ll help provide them security.
We’ll keep our Judeo-Christian values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Penny Wong. You can also have the U.N. But we will no longer be paying the bill
We’ll keep the 4WDs, utes and V8s. You can take every hybrid hatchback you can find.
We’ll keep “Waltzing Matilda” and our National Anthem. I’m sure you’ll be happy to keep in tune with Peter Garrett as he sings “Imagine”, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”, “Kum Ba Ya”, “We Are The World” and his recent big solo hit “Beds and Batts are Burning.”
We’ll practice trickle down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it so often offends you, we’ll keep our history, our name and our flag.
Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded conservative Australians and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I’ll bet you answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.
cheers huie
now retired
Stoney, relax, my forty year old shapes look like crap if you ask me, the rails way too thick, and yesterdays board, well the rails seemed a bit prego. You probably would infer that nothing has changed since then but it has. Yeah Velzy working at Roger's Foam, how cool was that; I didn't even know who it was at first. I used to enjoy his face so full of emotion, as he searched for words, he was a character, and a stylemaster. I remember his funeral, there will never be anything like it again in California. And now this Saturday Donald's. I talked to Donald a while back on the phone, he was in Hawaii, and Mira Costa College was having a 100th aniversary surf themed party, with a showing of "Endless Summer" including Gidget, and Hynson. he told me he wasn't coming back, he seemed so happy, but his voice was a little slurry, I told him it wouldn't be the same if he wasn't there because he had been such a big part of surfing in that community, and had helped so many surfers become good surfers. He thanked me profusely, but really I was the thankful one for having known him, and him telling me 30 something years ago my rails were too thick on my longboards, when longboards were cool. Thick rails I will be working on that, today.
Thanks for the link Marsh !..a good read..........http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-01/is-the-un-the-next-big-threat-to-internet-freedom
http://www.currumbinwoodworks.com.au/
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