howard was a racist liar also.

as for voting everyone who wants to should be able to vote if they want to...i dont care if its compulsary or not....but definately no rules about land ownership or income should apply

Howard appealed to baser latent racism when it suited him. He blindly followed Bush into Iraq (he allegedly urged Bush to invade whilst publically telling the Australian people the matter was still in debate), he blindly supported Bush as a global warming skeptic and helped sabotage Kyoto and waste 10 years on what is probably the biggest environmental but also economic challenge to humanity.

He lied when convenient - the "children overboard" scandal being the worst.

But Howard did some good things and managing the economic boom tied to China was probably not too hard. Whether Rudd can keep the economy on track through the growing global storm of inflation/credit crunch/possible peak oil is questionable. Then again I don't think Howard would necessarily have done any better if China's economy dips.

No taxation without representation - then no representation without taxation !

The last two Federal elections have been auctions to buy our votes. The philosophy of Government is something not considered by voters nor politicians.

I have to say however that I think that it will matter who wins. The credo of the Labour members of Parliament is that the collective is more important than the individual. Australia and the USA were founded upon the principal of individual responsibilty, self help and integrity.

The philosophy of the Labour movement is essentially that of collective will and social responsibilty where the group is more important than the individual. The outworking of this idea is collective bargaining, compulsory union membership, and the hatred of those who hold to a different view.

For example the recent Labour leader Mark Latham was reported to have said, "I'm a hater! You have to hate the Liberals."

While Kevin Rudd does not appear to be in this mould he has a convenient memory and the Party has been careful to keep their front bench very quiet during the campaign. The fact that 70% of their Members of Parliament are former union officials should alarm anyone with knowledge of the phiosophy of government. It is not what they used to do that is the problem really. It is what they BELIEVE that matters, because out of belief comes action.

The actions that will follow will result in a few years with much higher unemployment, massive debt, regardless as to what Kevin 07 says, and I suspect, the removal of Mr Rudd in favour of Julia Gillard.

Now that is something to really worry about.

robert heinlein and mickey spillane were part of my early learning and having to have veterns vote with GUNS is not going to be a very good or succesful system.

we don't have a free society. because we have lost a sense of individual responsibilty.

the lack of finacial responsibility and morality on wall street's part has destroyed america. there is no social structure to save the people.

the goverment and corporations are corrupt. we are on the verge of a military command economy and the ecology is at a breaking point.

frankly i don't give a damn. i have no children because i saw no future for them in amerika.

viva l' anarchie

http://www.ldp.org.au

Homogeneity, no matter what form: Left, Right, or Centre, Rich, Poor or Middle Class is the world-improver's creed and quickly leads to farce & disaster.

It does not matter who wins this weekend, so long as the diversity of the political, economic & social system is repected & upheld. If it is not, then we merely continue to rhyme with history once again.

Or to ease the concerns of the politically uncommitted or averse.

Actually, all 'we the people' do is ask the punters to attend a polling station and get their names ticked off a list.

What you do with the bits of paper is your business, but derogatory comments pencilled in about the poor true believers standing out front all day handing out voting fliers are hurtful