tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post6515832981355809758..comments2023-12-06T00:23:28.790+11:00Comments on Press gallery reform: Andrew Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-58936832150114522112010-09-20T08:35:14.792+10:002010-09-20T08:35:14.792+10:00I missed reading the Berg piece in the paper (perh...I missed reading the Berg piece in the paper (perhaps a conscious choice) so thanks for picking out the choice tidbits. The question of what constitutes a 'good' elite or a 'bad' elite is fascinating and important in decoding this sort of discourse. And as for <i>trahison des clercs</i> in <i>Quadrant</i> - LOL!Simonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-46519794885783081202010-09-19T22:51:39.729+10:002010-09-19T22:51:39.729+10:00That Chris thinks the "Tea Party" is an ...That Chris thinks the "Tea Party" is an authentic populist uprising is a sign that he is either pushing propaganda, or risibly uninformed. From the start, it's been backed by the extreme right of the republican big money party.<br />I mean, hell, their first real break was a staged hissy fit from a wall st trader on CNBC.<br /><br />Since then, Fox has been pushing it as hard as they can as some sort of "authentic" populist movement, when it's nothing of the sort.anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11924888411539339814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-29602414663768958442010-09-19T21:48:06.545+10:002010-09-19T21:48:06.545+10:00I think these comments on the Tea Party from Berg ...I think these comments on the Tea Party from Berg are just as clever as his views on climate change. <br /><br />I recall he seemed to believe an 'adaptation only' strategy was the way to go.<br /><br />I am all for adaptation (together with mitigation). Its just sad that the right has borrowed it for their purposes.Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-48818003865841369642010-09-19T20:28:51.301+10:002010-09-19T20:28:51.301+10:00One of the great weaknesses of the right in Austra...One of the great weaknesses of the right in Australia is their vacation of the intellectual field. I was surprised the Young Liberals and Liberal Students never offered PhD scholarships, but were content to grizzle about leftie academics while pining for part-time jobs with halfwit MPs (on similar incomes to those of academics) where their published work never went beyond the length or depth of press releases. Andrew Norton tried to arrange a confab to stimulate intellectual development in the right during the '90s, but knowing some of the attendees it's fair to say that nothing came of it, with the possible exception of Norton himself.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-5557531210702898412010-09-19T15:45:20.968+10:002010-09-19T15:45:20.968+10:00I'm finding the musings of Australian "th...I'm finding the musings of Australian "think tanks" terribly underwhelming. I think it's because I thought the disciplines that generally apply to academia would apply to them but I've since learnt that they are just opinion spruikers. Where are the Phds in these places? <br /><br />Watching The Drum has been an eye-opener for me. I get some unease when pundits from these "think tanks" are simply listed as 'so-and-so' from IPA or CIS etc as if they're some non-partisan academic expert on a particular area, rather than an ideologue or lobbyist. When they open their mouths, however, it's easy to see their political bias. It would be nice to see the think tanks described as 'right-wing' or 'left-wing' or something to note that these guys are serious academics, they're just people pushing a barrow.<br /><br />Chris Berg isn't alone in being a twit. Jessica Brown from CIS is equally as much of an opinionated twit. <br /><br />I love Chris' "Kevin Rudd's prime ministership died in the Liberal party room". Such a simplistic and misleading thing to say. Many things went into Kevin Rudd's demise, most of it due to Kevin Rudd. To credit the Liberal party with his demise is arrogant and self-serving.<br /><br />The Tea Party is a very American phenomenon due to many things peculiar to the US. It's 'centre' is much more to the right of Australia's 'centre'. <br /><br />The US Right has an obsession with taxes that Australians just wouldn't get, an obsession so brilliantly displayed in the Californian constitution, which has done that state so many favours. Yes, low taxation is utopia.<br /><br />The resentment felt by many whites against blacks and hispanics is also something that drives the Tea Party, and nothing get under their nose more than a black president, the hide of those people to think they can lead nice white folks! The ambient racism is something Mr Berg didn't bother to comment on, nor on the GFC, nor many other things feeding into the Tea Party.Cantbeeffedhttp://twitter.com/Cantbeeffednoreply@blogger.com