Terrorist attacks in Israel

[Random Rooster]

The thing is conservatives have not changed. The only thing that has changed is former centre-left parties adopting right wing economic policies, and abandoning workers in the process. This is true all around the world: Third Way Politics - Wikipedia

Ridiculing JFC for continuing to vote conservative is a deflection from the real cause of declining prosperity for younger workers.

and apologies for changing the topic slightly. It is a bugbear of mine that those who vote for the wolves-in-sheep-clothing believing they have a significant point of difference over those who vote for the wolves.

No apology needed — it’s a solid point, and yeah, the so-called centre-left adopting neoliberal economics has been a disaster for workers across the board. But I don’t buy the idea that conservatives have “not changed.” If anything, they’ve changed so much they don’t even know who they are anymore. Just look at the identity crisis and infighting after the last election — the split with the Nationals was practically a live-action soap opera.

And as for conservative policies being the friend of the worker? Come on. When has that ever been the case? Cutting penalty rates, attacking unions, opposing wage rises, gutting public services — it’s a consistent playbook. They talk about “aspiration” while selling off housing to foreign investors and pushing tax breaks for billionaires. That’s not pro-worker — that’s pro-boardroom.

So yeah, the centre-left deserves criticism, no doubt. But pretending conservatives are the steady hands looking out for the little guy?

I’ve said it before in the election thread — a strong conservative party is actually good for Australia. Balance matters. It keeps both sides accountable and stops anyone from going too far off the rails.

As for ridiculing JFC? Honestly, take away the extreme anti-immigration takes and the constant doom-and-gloom because Dutton isn’t PM, and there’s not much left to poke fun at.

[dice]

No apology needed — it’s a solid point, and yeah, the so-called centre-left adopting neoliberal economics has been a disaster for workers across the board. But I don’t buy the idea that conservatives have “not changed.” If anything, they’ve changed so much they don’t even know who they are anymore. Just look at the identity crisis and infighting after the last election — the split with the Nationals was practically a live-action soap opera.

And as for conservative policies being the friend of the worker? Come on. When has that ever been the case? Cutting penalty rates, attacking unions, opposing wage rises, gutting public services — it’s a consistent playbook. They talk about “aspiration” while selling off housing to foreign investors and pushing tax breaks for billionaires. That’s not pro-worker — that’s pro-boardroom.

So yeah, the centre-left deserves criticism, no doubt. But pretending conservatives are the steady hands looking out for the little guy?

I’ve said it before in the election thread — a strong conservative party is actually good for Australia. Balance matters. It keeps both sides accountable and stops anyone from going too far off the rails.

As for ridiculing JFC? Honestly, take away the extreme anti-immigration takes and the constant doom-and-gloom because Dutton isn’t PM, and there’s not much left to poke fun at.

I did not say Conservatives were the friend of the worker. But since we are here. Notice what you assumed about me even though I labelled the Conservatives as Wolves, and criticised Labor's jump to the right.

On the point of immigration. Did you know the party with the most extreme immigration policy in the 90s was the Greens? They wanted zero net migration because they knew that would lead to the best outcome for higher wages, lower house prices, and less environmental destruction. Understand these are economically left-wing policies that were abandoned by the Greens because they didn't want to be falsely perceived as racist. Ironically, they now falsely accuse anyone who wants lower immigration as being racist.

[ism22]

I did not say Conservatives were the friend of the worker. But since we are here. Notice what you assumed about me even though I labelled the Conservatives as Wolves, and criticised Labor's jump to the right.

On the point of immigration. Did you know the party with the most extreme immigration policy in the 90s was the Greens? They wanted zero net migration because they knew that would lead to the best outcome for higher wages, lower house prices, and less environmental destruction. Understand these are economically left-wing policies that were abandoned by the Greens because they didn't want to be falsely perceived as racist. Ironically, they now falsely accuse anyone who wants lower immigration as being racist.

Ever notice how both the Greens and the Catholic Church love migrants — but only the idea of them?

They’re all about the humble, downtrodden pilgrim when he’s quiet, grateful, and fits their narrative. However, the moment he rocks up with confidence, a small business, and a few opinions that don’t line up with the script (like say, being socially conservative or not frothing over compost bins), suddenly he’s a problem.

It’s like they want migrants as mascots — symbols of struggle they can parade around — not actual people with agency. The second he stops being “inspiring” and starts being real, the welcome mat gets quietly rolled up.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Thought crossed my mind that the lefty trope 'TACO' hasn't aged that well in the light of Operation Midnight Hammer. Might be back to the focus group whiteboard

[caz]

Thought crossed my mind that the lefty trope 'TACO' hasn't aged that well in the light of Operation Midnight Hammer. Might be back to the focus group whiteboard

haha. i was never a fan of the taco trope. when he says dumb things i want him to chicken out. e.g. i want him to lower tariffs. still, for a leader who has tickets on himself and wants to project power, i can see why people ran with it.
too early to say what the fall out will be from the iran bombing ...

[Jacks Fur Coat]

haha. i was never a fan of the taco trope. when he says dumb things i want him to chicken out. e.g. i want him to lower tariffs. still, for a leader who has tickets on himself and wants to project power, i can see why people ran with it.
too early to say what the fall out will be from the iran bombing ...

When I woke up to the Ceasefire news , I thought You're kidding..

Not that I wouldn't love to see it, but after seeing Iran's proxies behaviour and its own ultimate stated goal was pessimisticly sceptical.

4 civilians were killed in the post Ceasefire strike. Just listening to Dave Sharma on the telly and he proffered the possibility that someone may have agreed to a Ceasefire from Iran. But with some of their leaders now killed and the Ayatollah himself bunkered down, that communications may be not getting through across the board.

I do know Israel have had a gutfull, and ultimately will do whatever it takes to protect against another Oct 7.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Trumps now told Israel to NOT respond to the Iranian missiles. Crikey....he seemed pissed too.

[Random Rooster]

I did not say Conservatives were the friend of the worker. But since we are here. Notice what you assumed about me even though I labelled the Conservatives as Wolves, and criticised Labor's jump to the right.

On the point of immigration. Did you know the party with the most extreme immigration policy in the 90s was the Greens? They wanted zero net migration because they knew that would lead to the best outcome for higher wages, lower house prices, and less environmental destruction. Understand these are economically left-wing policies that were abandoned by the Greens because they didn't want to be falsely perceived as racist. Ironically, they now falsely accuse anyone who wants lower immigration as being racist.

No, I didn’t know that about the Greens — and I appreciate you pointing it out. A quick check shows that groups like the ACF, the Democrats, and the Greens in the past did flirt with ideas like zero net migration, largely under the influence of groups like Australians for an Ecologically Sustainable Population (AESP). Obviously the idea that immigration or population growth is the main driver of environmental destruction is complete nonsense. And I’m pretty confident that advocating for zero immigration doesn’t automatically qualify as some kind of “economically left-wing” policy either.

Take the Fraser government, for example — they overhauled Medibank by adding levies and pushing people toward private insurance. But that doesn’t mean not having access to universal healthcare is inherently a right-wing idea. Policy context matters, and slapping a label on something doesn’t make it true.

I’m not aware of the Greens ever outright labelling people who support lower immigration as racist — though to be fair, I’m not a Greens voter and don’t follow them closely. And just to be clear, I don’t think simply wanting lower immigration is racist. People can have concerns about infrastructure, housing, or jobs without it coming from a place of prejudice. But if someone’s opposition to immigration is based on a person’s nationality, ethnicity, or religion — then yes, that’s racism, plain and simple.

[Random Rooster]

Thought crossed my mind that the lefty trope 'TACO' hasn't aged that well in the light of Operation Midnight Hammer. Might be back to the focus group whiteboard

The nickname "TACO" actually came from Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong in his Unhedged newsletter to describe a pattern he noticed in Trump’s approach to tariffs. Basically, Trump would make these big, bold announcements — like slapping on massive tariffs — and then quietly walk them back once markets panicked or the pressure kicked in. Wall Street traders picked up on it pretty quickly and started using "TACO" as a kind of inside joke. So yeah suits him perfectly- Israel goating him into bombing Iran doesn't change that. However if you want to apply the TACO nickname to other areas of The Dons presidency i'm happy to list them for you......i can give you a starters hint, it involves the president of the only country in the world that didn't get hit with his tariffs- you know the one who a month ago had 2 weeks to negotiate peace with Ukraine or face the wrath of massive sanctions......waiting waiting

[mightyrooster]

Trumps now told Israel to NOT respond to the Iranian missiles. Crikey....he seemed pissed too.

Just saw that. Hilarious. A rare occasion where I agree with the Orange Nutcase.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

President Trump has tweeted from Air Force One that he has spoken to Bibi and the Israel planes will do a fly and wave over Iran and return to base.

[Random Rooster]

Yeah, those satellite images of trucks lining up at those uranium depots days before they got bombed have definitely given Netanyahu a serious case of the heebie-jeebies. Add to that the warm welcome and clear show of support Iranian officials got from Putin in Moscow yesterday. I mean, if that stockpile of enriched uranium wasn't destroyed in the bombing, then what exactly has Israel achieved in attacking Tehran?

Well, I guess we’ve learned that Iran isn’t going to back down — they will hit back. And as for Israel’s so-called “Iron Dome,” it turns out it’s got more than a few cracks in the armour.

None of this would’ve happened if Trump hadn’t scrapped the Iran nuclear deal — purely because it had Obama’s name on it. But let’s not pretend Biden didn’t have a chance to fix it. Instead of reversing Trump’s move, he doubled down on sanctions. That’s a missed opportunity — and a failure.

Once again, we’re watching the fallout of U.S. meddling and decades of failed foreign policy wreak havoc across the Middle East.

[Random Rooster]

The best thing about Trump is that he's honest with the American people—he’s not afraid to admit when something doesn’t go perfectly. He always tells it like it is and takes responsibility for his mistakes.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Apart from President Trumps strength of leadership on the world stage atm...we haven't seen a leader like him in our times, he's a game changer.

The thing that hasn't got much ink that hits me is the man's health and vitality for someone who turns 80 next year. Imagine the pressure he is under and the demands on him. The left were trying to paint an equivalence of his and Bidens (good grief) health and mental acuity which is obviously so disparate to be laughable. No one's mentioned this, thought it well worth a shout out.

[ism22]

Yeah, those satellite images of trucks lining up at those uranium depots days before they got bombed have definitely given Netanyahu a serious case of the heebie-jeebies. Add to that the warm welcome and clear show of support Iranian officials got from Putin in Moscow yesterday. I mean, if that stockpile of enriched uranium wasn't destroyed in the bombing, then what exactly has Israel achieved in attacking Tehran?

Well, I guess we’ve learned that Iran isn’t going to back down — they will hit back. And as for Israel’s so-called “Iron Dome,” it turns out it’s got more than a few cracks in the armour.

None of this would’ve happened if Trump hadn’t scrapped the Iran nuclear deal — purely because it had Obama’s name on it. But let’s not pretend Biden didn’t have a chance to fix it. Instead of reversing Trump’s move, he doubled down on sanctions. That’s a missed opportunity — and a failure.

Once again, we’re watching the fallout of U.S. meddling and decades of failed foreign policy wreak havoc across the Middle East.

Yep it's a cluster fark that I've zoned out of. IMO that's the goal though... flood public discourse with a heap of BS because they'll get distracted and/or zone out.

The facts are pretty simple:

1. It is illegal to invade countries and to kill people. That's the core piece of understanding that people need to grasp and it's not hard to do so.

2. Russia invaded Ukraine because they wanna expand their footprint back to Soviet-era proportions. Nettanyahu has similar aspirations however they're along religious lines. Both Putin and Nettanyahu's invasions are illegal.

3. There are no 'international police' to enforce such laws. Neither Iran nor the USA have UN approval to lob bombs at other countries. It is not a good thing that countries are being bombed or that this BS is distracting public attention from illegal genocide, which back to point 1 is the REAL issue...