Campaign to change the Australian flag - should we?

[redandblack]

AB, unfortunately you're putting up a classic case of the end justifying the means.

After 23 years of Liberal rule, Whitlam was elected at the end of 1972. The Liberals were pissed off and forced him to another election in 1974! He won that election. As dedja has correctly stated, 2 Labor senators needed to be replaced, The Liberals twice broke the long-established convention that the replacement always came from the same party. That broken convention, not democracy, gave them the numbers to block supply.

Kerr's actions are worth another thread, but he didn't signal his actions to Whitlam at all - that's the point of the controversy. His actions meant that to stay in Government, Whitlam had to win his 3rd election in 3 years.

You call that a proper democratic process.

At least I enjoyed Kerr's drunken ramblings at the Melbourne Cup presentations. That's Psyber's preferred model of Head of State for Australia.

Mine is an Australian citizen.

[dedja]

shouldn't this thread which has gone down hill be changed to politcs ? for my money as a 11 yo old kid kerr looked (& apparently was) an old drunk, gough was a character & the name gough made me laugh & as for MAL fraser i thought with him & sir joh you had to be a farmer to get into politics.....the thoughts of a then 11yo.....anyway get back to talking about the flag & imho it should not change & it seems easier that you can get a national flag changed than a football club would change the design of their jumper

Shut up bayman, we're busy negotiating the road ...

[am Bays]

At least I enjoyed Kerr's drunken ramblings at the Melbourne Cup presentations. That's Psyber's preferred model of Head of State for Australia.

Mine is an Australian citizen.

Umm Kerr was an Australian citizen and under the ARM model the sort of person who could well be "our head of state".

But anyways i like our flag and so no reason to change it.

There, thread back on track....

[dedja]

LOL, thanks mate for reminding me I nearly forgot ... and I'm the one who started this topic!

Anyway, what a load of Istanbul, keep the flag as it is ... bloody un-Australian bastards who want to change it.

[redandblack]

AB, as you well know, but along with most non-republicans choose not to mention much, the Queen of England is our Head of State.

You're quite right that Kerr was an Australian citizen, though, but I'm reminded of the famous Neville Wran quote (so famous I can't quite remember it correctly, but it goes something like this).....

He might be a bastard, but he's our bastard

[Mr66]

18th century colonialistic relic.
..and it's only a piece of cloth.
What we need is substantial change to our constitution to ensure everybody has basic rights eg freedom of speech, to assemble etc.
The current constitutuion is set up to make life easier for the lazy stupid criminals (politicians) than 'run' the country

[shoe boy]

I believe we should change our flag and the main issue with me is the Union Jack!!


The traditional land owners of this country must shudder when they see the Union Jack and what transpired when white sails on the horizon landed on this magnificant land.

RESPECT!!!

[SABRE]

1975 not reason enough?

You're living dangerously with this one 'dedj' !

Before you all go back to tearing new *rseholes in eachother,
can I just say ...." I told you so "

[Leaping Lindner]

Time to dig up Bill Hicks' thoughts on the flag (albeit the american one). He did this routine at the time the US Government was going to bring in a law that made it treason to burn the American flag.

Hicks (being angry onlooker) - "Hey buddy, my daddy died for that flag."

Hicks - "Really? I bought mine. Yeah, they sell 'em at K-Mart now."

Hicks (being angry onlooker) "He fought in Korea for that flag!"

Hicks - "Wow, what a coincidence. Mine was made in Korea."

No one—and I repeat, no one—has ever died for a flag. See, a flag is just a piece of cloth. They may have died for freedom, which is also the freedom to burn the f****n' flag.

The man was brilliant. Cut through the shit on so many "problems" people have.

[dedja]

1975 not reason enough?

You're living dangerously with this one 'dedj' !

Before you all go back to tearing new *rseholes in eachother,
can I just say ...." I told you so "

not much damage really ... and most of the worms are back in the can now.

[SABRE]

Time to dig up Bill Hicks' thoughts on the flag (albeit the american one). He did this routine at the time the US Government was going to bring in a law that made it treason to burn the American flag.

Hicks (being angry onlooker) - "Hey buddy, my daddy died for that flag."
Hicks - "Really? I bought mine. Yeah, they sell 'em at K-Mart now."
Hicks (being angry onlooker) "He fought in Korea for that flag!"
Hicks - "Wow, what a coincidence. Mine was made in Korea."
No one—and I repeat, no one—has ever died for a flag. See, a flag is just a piece of cloth. They may have died for freedom, which is also the freedom to burn the f****n' flag.

The man was brilliant. Cut through the **** on so many "problems" people have.

Sounds like he would have got along with George Carlin & Lenny Bruce. Thought you might enjoy this 'LL'

http://blogzarro.com/2007/05/100-greate ... in-quotes/

Two of my favourites from Lenny:
1 - I'm not saying I went to a tough school, but we had our own coroner !
2 - I remember writing an essay entitled "What I want to be IF I grow up."
Cheers,
SABRE

[redandblack]

1975 not reason enough?

You're living dangerously with this one 'dedj' !

Before you all go back to tearing new *rseholes in eachother,
can I just say ...." I told you so "

I think we're managing to survive the debate in good humour

[Psyber]

,,,, At least I enjoyed Kerr's drunken ramblings at the Melbourne Cup presentations. That's Psyber's preferred model of Head of State for Australia.
Mine is an Australian citizen.

I thought John Kerr was an Australian citizen, and until then a friend of the Labor Party, which was how he got the job.
My preference is for a directly elected head of state required to act as a form of Ombudsman to protect citizens from the excesses of elected governments and government departments.
Also, with the power to call a new election as necessary to defend us from such excesses and resolve things if negotiation fails..
As I said elsewhere I've been a Republican since the early 1960s, but I didn't like the puppet Head of State model they offered us in the referendum.

[redandblack]

That's what I can't understand about your logic, mate.

You don't want a puppet head of state, but you're happy with a foreign citizen.

Whether Kerr is Australian is irrelevant. He wasn't our Head of State, the Queen of England is. You know, that country where Australian citizens going through immigration go through the 'Aliens' or 'Others' queue, while the EU citizens go straight through.

Never mind, you obviously don't trust Australians to work something out to control their own destiny.

[Cambridge Clarrie]

That's what I can't understand about your logic, mate.

You don't want a puppet head of state, but you're happy with a foreign citizen.

Whether Kerr is Australian is irrelevant. He wasn't our Head of State, the Queen of England is. You know, that country where Australian citizens going through immigration go through the 'Aliens' or 'Others' queue, while the EU citizens go straight through.

Never mind, you obviously don't trust Australians to work something out to control their own destiny.

That's actually a very good point! A German, as a citizen of the European Union, is treated in a more friendly fashion than what a citizen of a Commonwealth country such as Australia would be...

Aaaaaaarrrrrhhhhh!!! I can't believe I'm agreeing with something you've posted...

[redandblack]

There's hope for both of us yet, Clarrie

[westozfalcon]

I believe we should change our flag and the main issue with me is the Union Jack!!


The traditional land owners of this country must shudder when they see the Union Jack and what transpired when white sails on the horizon landed on this magnificant land.

RESPECT!!!

What about respect for the resourceful, hard-working and diligent British people who founded and built our great nation?

[the big bang]

i think leave it as it is............because i dont want collingwood's logo to change.

[Farmy]

I believe we should change our flag and the main issue with me is the Union Jack!!


The traditional land owners of this country must shudder when they see the Union Jack and what transpired when white sails on the horizon landed on this magnificant land.

RESPECT!!!

What about respect for the resourceful, hard-working and diligent British people who founded and built our great nation?

Oh you mean the convict slave labour? Or what? Once they started living here they were no longer British mate.

All the British have ever done for Australia after its creation is get Australians killed in their conflicts and then bail on us when we needed them most. Britain, the Queen and all her defective relatives can go jump.

[Dogwatcher]

What about respect for the resourceful, hard-working and diligent British people who founded and built our great nation?

I love it.