@weststigers said in [Politics Super Thread \- keep it all in here](/post/1092791) said:
I’m personally a big believer in getting our manufacturing back - perhaps that’s why I like Trumps economic policies
We will likely disagree on the actual effect his rhetoric and policy will produce, but the state of our manufacturing industry is the biggest problem that I have with our country, so we can easily agree on that.
Oddly a major policy of the last election to take advantage of our still not totally lost car manufacturing infrastructure and technology, plus value adding on back of our resources, in the form of electric vehicles was ignored amongst three word slogans and advertising delivered by targeted algorithms.
I still cannot believe that we allowed our oil refineries to close, so the country has to rely on a fuel reserve that is sometimes as low as a few weeks worth of supply. That is verging on criminal to me in relation to national security and especially so when so much is spent on false narratives under the same banner.
The electric car policy may have worked in among other sensible economic policy, but I'm sure you'd agree, Labor went a bit hard to the Green Left on social justice and climate change...ultimately, they had too many messages aimed at too many people. Unfortunately, if you take one policy, you've got to take them all.
Labor were overwhelmingly defeated...surely that many Australians aren't simply too stupid to understand what Labor wanted to achieve?
My take is that Australian elections are typically won on economic policy. Labor was fairly light on this and made the mistake of attacking the Adani mine which QLD viewed as a serious reason not to vote for them. They just seemed more interested in transgender bathrooms than stimulating the economy.
I'm sure you can isolate some good Labor policies, but even Labor stalwarts like Graham Richardson echo the above sentiment.
Actually, as I age and evolve as part of an ever changing world, I find myself lurching further to the left from very much the middle earlier on and vote for what I believe is best for the community, even as neighbourhoods have fractured to the point that so many don't even know the people more than one door away, if in fact there immediate neighbours.
Our earlier discussion on franking credits from which I stepped away being one case in point, where I don't like it, particularly as the investment had already benefited from one of the tax advantages applied to super under Howard. That is despite the many thousands of dollars by which it advantages my parents each and every year, that will be passed on to me and my siblings upon their death, as I don't think it is socially right.
I used to go and bash/extort gay men as a youngster, well maybe closet ones as they would meet at public toilets and some had wedding rings, occasionally called people wogs or slopes, even though many were friends and abused transvestites and similar crap. That sort of shit is long gone, as the religiously raised ignorant kid that was a product of the community quickly got past that prejudicial crap. I suggest that anyone who is unsure just how much these people are affected by discrimination, just go up to them and ask,as they won't bite. They are simply a person that is trapped in a body that often doesn't match the rest of the genetic profile that nature has handed them.
Whilst I don't agree with a bit of the far left fringe thoughts or actions, I abhor things like the religious discrimination bill that will allow attacks on vulnerable individuals, as the psychological knowledge of it's impact is well known, as well as legislation that prevents protest, or clandestine political trials. I don't like people gluing themselves to trains, but blocking a street that inconvenienced people that could go around it for a few minutes, in an effort to save fellow earthly creatures from our species should be encouraged, not criminalised. The major protests of my lifetime have always been proven to be correct, as I expect our children that are chastised because they are marching for action on climate change will soon also be.
The main catalyst for me going further to the left were the policies of the Thatcher and Reagan governments which along with the tax havens created, for mine laid the seeds to destroy the fabric of western society. One which had moved very much forward from the former class and monarchical rule, during the wars period. Though not affecting us directly at the time, the major change that removed the comprehensive unbiased media requirement laws in the US under that administration was a watershed moment that has led to the absolute partisanship you wrote about earlier. Murdoch was heavily involved, abusing and profiting from it since.
I am always happy to have discussion, particularly as if I am civil, I may be leaving it to be read by someone that will then consider others a little more. As my thoughts are that we as a society need foremostly to protect and care for the vulnerable, rather than positioning for ourselves, I cannot vote for a party with any conservative leaning.
There's a number of points you've made in your post, so a full blown response would be overkill, but I just wanted to say something on climate change.
I think the view from the left is that the right doesn't want to do anything about climate change or doesn't believe it exists. It's true, some don't believe it, but mostly, we don't feel that strongly either way...we feel more strongly about the carry on that goes with it.
Personally, I don't really care if it's true or not...the question a conservative will ask is 'at what cost?'
So if you said to me, 'we want to reduce your household waste by 20%' I'd shrug my shoulders and say, no big deal, I can live with that...my belief is irrelevant.
If you said to me I can't drive a car unless it's electric, we'd have a point of disagreement.
One way of reducing emissions is Nuclear power. Labor have a stated policy against it. https://www.alp.org.au/petitions/australians-dont-want-nuclear-power/
I'm no power expert, but it seems like this is an area that could be compromised on, but political parties need to differentiate, so Labor pushes renewables and Liberal pushes nuclear (I don't know which one is better and I don't care), so they find themselves in a stalemate. No one wins. My view is I'd rather the Government be responsible for energy than make me install and maintain solar panels for the rest of my life...I personally see it as a burden that I don't want. You and others may be different. I don't know.
I don't think anyone on the right has an issue with doing anything about it, I think the left just needs to be clear on what it is they want and what it's going to cost (financially or otherwise) to make them happy.
It just seems like the more you give in to the left, the more they ask for, so sometimes there is hesitation in agreeing to anything at all. There just needs to be a reasonable line in the sand.
Right now the rhetoric is 'there's inaction on climate change!!!!' - No one can visualise what the bottom line will be for them right now.
