G'day, I'm Dan. Scott has known me for a few years and threw me the keys to his blog with this warning:
you can abuse at any time except to write that I've been seeing Larry Craig or Hillary behind my wife's back.So I promise not to write that (though you read it here first!)
Australians have been closely following the US Election campaign. There are frequent reports given in our local news (in between reports of flooding, drought, snow and
Some of us even know about McCain and can't wait to see the look on our local chapter of Bush-Out's face, when McCain romps it in, as I suspect.
What we do know, is the US Elections are big, with a lot of razzmatazz. Marching bands and lots and lots of applause.
(At this point, a typical American audience would start clapping and cheering, I suspect.)
Most of ourelections are really a choice between two fairly similar parties, where voters attempt to pick the Least Worst.
Beneath the razzmatazz, as far as we can see, none of the candidates seem to say a whole lot about policies and it seems to be largely a contest of who can whip the crowd into the biggest frenzy. Plus the whole Bush thing.
It's really not how things work down here but it got me thinking. What would I say if I were running for Prime Minister.
Men and Women of Australia,
This could be the greatest country on Earth.
However, for too long, too many have taken it for granted.
So I say, it's time to shape up. If elected, I will give all public service and government organisations measurable goals. If these goals aren't met, the management will get fired. If they have wasted millions of dollars, they will go to prison. However, I recognize that to meet responsibility, one must have authority to achieve it. So henceforth, public servants who do well, can be paid more. Those who don't achieve their own set goals, can be fired. No ifs, no buts. I know this will be controversial and I expect our unionised public service to walk off the job tomorrow. It is this which has led to the present situation. So I say, there are plenty of smart Australians. Do your jobs or we will replace you. And if you don't like it, you can suck my d....
I don't know if it will get me elected but geez it would be funny seeing the news services try and report that last bit.
More rants to follow.
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2 comments:
I'm no expert on politics but I feel it's too important to ignore. Here's some of my perspective on our Presidential campaign which is currently in its 4th or 5th year, it seems...
We generally also have to decide who will do the least amount of damage (who's least worst.) The whole process is far too drawn out and I can't help but feel extremely sad about how all those hundreds of millions of dollars could be better used in the world. And not only is it drawn out and expensive, it hardly makes a lot of sense to the average American. Many millions of citizens cannot have their voice mean anything at all concerning who becomes the candidate. Some decide, others are silenced? That's just not right to me. And then in the actual election the candidate with the most amount of votes, the person who is MOST popular, that person can lose??? That just blows my mind. (The way I see it, that's just completely outdated, put in place so an enemy of the United States couldn't get elected and then hand America back to the British. I'm fairly sure we're in no danger of that happening anymore.)
Really no matter who is elected, what's truly going to change? Politicians can only please roughly 45% of the people which means another 45% will be ticked off at everything the President does. 10% are more concerned if their favorite on American Idol gets voted off the show.
Money will always still be wasted. I love the idea about those who waste money and/or don't meet goals -- they're out of a job. We have the same thing here, sort of... it's called not voting for that person when their next campaign rolls around. But whoever takes their place -- same old crap.
It seems never-ending. And with America split roughly 50/50 Repub/Dem, I see us going nowhere positive... or at least not very far at all.
I love our country, love it to death and would die defending our freedom... but at the same time there's so much that's so stupid and so broken and just so pathetic about this place... sometimes makes me wanna leave it behind and head somewhere new, maybe somewhere like... Wagga Wagga.
The locals just call it "Wagga".
Have a read of this for more local view on US politics.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23286699-7583,00.html
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