MrLefty, I’m sorry, but Johnny’s dead!
Johnny has finally been voted out, but I don’t think MrLefty can handle the fact. Everyone, left right and center, has been telling me how good they thought John Howard’s last speech was. But I log on to An Onymous Lefty and he seems to be the only one in Australia who thought his speech was shit.
The speech was good. It was positive; he congratulated the other guy and wished him the best. He thanked all the people that should be thanked. It seemed genuine and nonpolitical. He also didn’t seem bitter or upset with the Australian people – he accepted the fact that Australia wanted change. It affirmed what is great about a democratic system.
He even accepted full responsibility for his, frankly pigheaded, decision to lead the Liberal party into one last election. Overall, a good speech.
I was no John Howard fan. I despised the Howard government and especially their policies. I hated the way John Howard lied to the electorate multiple times. I was very fucking pleased when the Liberal party were voted out and even more pleased when Howard lost his seat. I hated Howard the politician. But Howard the man seemed like a relatively nice guy.
We can stop hating the Howard government because it doesn’t exist any more. Hating Howard the man is stupid and pointless. Unfortunately, some of Lefty’s latest posts do seem targeted at Howard the man.
The age of John Howard is over – he even lost his seat. So please stop flogging a dead horse and stop mentioning people who are politically irrelevant. Your target, as you have said yourself, is now Kevin Rudd and the Liberal party minus John Howard.
November 28th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
[...] ChrisFryer.com Est. 1978 « MrLefty, I’m sorry, but Johnny’s dead! [...]
November 28th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
“Everyone, left right and center, has been telling me how good they thought John Howard’s last speech was. But I log on to An Onymous Lefty and he seems to be the only one in Australia who thought his speech was shit.”
Really? Did you read the comments? Don’t think I’m the only one.
In fact, I’ll turn it around. Who, other than rusted-on Howard supporters, thought Howards’ boasting about his bullshit economic credentials was “dignified”? Or that his “accepting responsibility” meant that he actually thought some of his policies were wrong?
Anyway, I’ve made my points in the posts to which you link.
I think you confuse Howard’s generally affable demeanour with his being “a nice guy”. It’s just words, Chris. When he says he “accepts responsibility” it doesn’t mean that he’s actually “accepting responsibility” in any genuine way, it just means that he thinks the words sound dignified. Ask him what he “accepts responsibility” for and he’ll flounder.
Frankly, while his legacy is still being thrashed out in the media, I’m not leaving it to the cheerleaders alone. I look forward to when his legacy is erased – if it ever can be – and when that happy day arrives, I’ll be perfectly content never to mention him again.
We’re not there yet.
November 28th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
A nice guy doesnt do the things Howard did ie tamper, the pacific solution, not saying sorry, work choices. A nice guy would stop himself from making racist, unkind policies like he did throughout his career.
November 28th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I just think you should be careful not to come across as bitter – I\’m not saying you are. Bitterness is a trap for us all.
As far as farewell speeches go it was a good one – if you divorce it from everything Howard has done earlier. I believe you should take things at face value before reading between the lines.
\”Frankly, while his legacy is still being thrashed out in the media, I’m not leaving it to the cheerleaders alone. I look forward to when his legacy is erased – if it ever can be – and when that happy day arrives, I’ll be perfectly content never to mention him again.
We’re not there yet.\”
Yeah, look what I did in my very next post.
\”A nice guy would stop himself from making racist, unkind policies like he did throughout his career.\”
That\’s a good point. But I did say he seemed like a relatively nice guy. That\’s not the same as saying \”he was a genuine nice guy\”.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Don’t apologise, Chris. I thought your post was very refreshing and I’m glad you said it. I fear far too many are not particularly happy with what is now in power; hating Howard wasn’t (and isn’t) enough.