Election hangover

One thing that struck me re-reading my drunken election watch ramble from yesterday is just how angry the words are. I don’t think there’s anyway around the fact that I feel very deeply about the responsibilities of Government and their role in our society. John Howard stood for everything I stand against and it is within this one, petty selfish man I have channeled my rage about the world for quite some time. Last night was a catharsis eleven years in the making and I didn’t feel that satisfied or happy. I’m just glad it’s done with.

Why John Howard? Why not any other politician? I mean, there are very few politicians I like let alone trust in this day and age but there was something about John Howard that is special. I guess it comes down to this: John Howard the man was identical to John Howard the policy maker. I think that is ultimately that led to his demise but also why he riled me so much. Howard wanted to create an individualistic nation, one where you only care as much as it concerns you or your hip pocket; that its not your problem or your fault when things go wrong and worst of all, there is always someone to blame for everything apart from yourself. I see these attitudes in my work life sometimes and this conceited arrogance burns brightly. John Howard created this but like his ideology, he would only accept responsibility for the stuff that didn’t make him look bad.

Want examples? The Cronulla riots were a boil over of the racist ideology of the Liberal Government, those terror policies of “us against them” turned real. Howard said he did not contribute to them and the rampant nationalism on display (on a par with the National Front) was not racist, just a misguided display of patriotism. Any pragmatic witness to these riots would beg to differ I believe. I hated the way he exploited 9/11 and Bali as a means to bring about hatred against Muslims in our community and as a justification for some of the most Draconian terror laws in the world. He used fear to sell himself and when the threat never came to fruition, it was like he was almost wishing for a terrorist attack to take place in Australia to justify himself.

There is so much that riles me from Tampa to Work Choices but always behind these developments that undermine our society, it was Howard’s guiding hand whether he acknowledged or denied. My politics are simple because they’re based on basic principles of humanism. If people are sick, there should be medical aid available to them no matter how much money they have. If people want an education, they should be able to get it. If people fall behind there should be some form of welfare support to help them and so on… This seems simple and realistic to me, what Government’s should do and not pander to big business or rogue states like the US. Why we’re in Iraq when we have the majority of an indigenous population living in third world conditions still perplexes me to this day. But all of this comes from Howard. He didn’t want to retire from his job so he sets an agenda called the “myth of early retirement” where he basically made it impossible for people to retire when they turned sixty. I guess this is fine if you’ve been behind your desk all your life and like to big note yourself on the world stage but for tradespeople who have undertaken forty years hard labour, don’t they have the right to retire? No says Howard because that’s the agenda that suits his selfish ethos.

And as I said, it is this arrogance that ultimately destroyed him and his party. If he had retired a year ago, Peter Costello would have become Prime Minister and I believe had a shot of winning against Rudd (as much as I would have hated the idea). But Howard, always self interested and arrogant, like the community he created, held on to it because he couldn’t see beyond his own narcissism and undying belief that he was right. Even when faced with polls saying he would lose and that he was out of touch with the general population, he ploughed on relentlessly. His line: “If you like the way the country is going, then vote for us.” It was almost like he couldn’t believe that anyone would think that, that his grand vision for the country could not be questioned. It was almost with disbelief last night that he conceded but the actions of this selfish man linger on. Peter Costello has decided against standing for the leadership of the Liberal Party, something he has coveted for years. Why? Because Howard’s selfishness made it a poison chalice and even Costello knows that he will never become Prime Minister because of Howard’s actions, he will merely be a pariah. You can see the pain on Costello’s face as he announced this decision and everyone knows that this is Howard’s doing. Not only did Howard doom himself but he also doomed his most loyal lieutenant. And this is why I’m glad he’s gone because there was never anything sacred to him that couldn’t be exploited for his own selfish ends. We’re all selfish in our ways but John Howard became the patron state of self interest, lying and disinterest in any sense of community or humanity. I think the Australian public got tired of this but not soon enough for my liking.

Will Rudd fair any better? All politicians speak in half truths and its unlikely that the promises of the election will be delivered so we’ll have to wait and see I guess. There are only two politicians (in the major parties) I can think of who speak their minds honestly: Tony Abbott and Bob Katter and both of them are bonkers. But I don’t think we’ll see the presumptuousness and arrogance of Howard for some time… The air seems a little fresher today, its almost like a weight has been lifted and that is a good thing for me. See I can be selfish too.