Comments on: Forget the ALP, time for a Greens/unions unholy alliance

By: Bob the builder

Bob the builder — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:09:32 +0000

David1
You might remember the military trained thugs employed by Patricks on the wharves last decade. Planned, organised, financed at the highest levels, yet pretty much no comeback for the perpetrators. You’d have to be pretty naive to think that sections of the elite don’t operate this way systemically when they need to. Perhaps there are a few toughnut unionists, but not really of much account in comparison to the thuggery from those who run things. And as far as not seeing the employer/employee relationship as a battleground I can only agree with you that it’s not anymore - it’s a butchery, with precious little resistance from the lambs at slaughter….. a few t-shirts against work ‘choices’, a few grumbles at the ‘labor’ party’s attacks on employees, barely a murmur at the havoc wrought by the GFC. The class war has largely been won and the victors have the temerity to complain about murmurings of dissent…..

By: David1

David1 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:26:49 +0000

I take it then Michael Crook you have no problem with union thugs as exist in the building industry. Obviously you want to take the union movement back to the 60’s. Thank God the majority have moved on from those unenlightened days. There is a new generation of union members out here, we dont see the employer/employee relationship as a battle ground. I doubt the greens would want a bar of your type of unionism either.

By: michael crook

michael crook — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:15:33 +0000

Interesting idea Guy. The ALP is now a party that does not believe in its own objectives or policies. It has no place for the democratic process as evidenced here in Queensland by the spate of centralised preselections prior to the recent state election. The problem is that both the general ALP supporting population but also the ALP branch members are not aware of the total control of the party by the right wing factional warlords which has resulted in so many decisions being made which are completely contrary to the ALP’s own policies. This being the case, the job for the Greens, Left wing unionists and Socialist Alliance is to increases our levels of activisim and let voters know that the ALP has lost credibility and no longers represents the interests of ordinary working people. If the Greens were to become as active in Queensland as they are in Tasmania, I see no problem with obtaining votes of 20% plus in any of the Labor held electorates.

By: Bob the builder

Bob the builder — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:26:33 +0000

RE: John Newton
Groan, another over-earnest soft-leftie with no sense of humour. Don’t worry John, ‘real’ hippies are increasingly aware that the Greens are just another bunch of middle-class wankers. They won’t come and spoil your Party. But neither will all those smelly workers and other non-tertiary educated oinks.

By: David1

David1 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:23:32 +0000

Jim the major flaw in your entry into fantasy land is your failure to acknowledge there is no huge groundswell of anti Labor discontent, regardless of what the News Ltd press and the irrelevant Sky News would have you beleive. Its a noisy bunch of in the main, minority Builders Union heavies, well known for their lack of union within the union movement, from time to time. They will come to heel when the whip is cracked, usually do. They enjoy doing a Pyne, love the sound of their voices, boring but there it is.

By: Jim Reiher

Jim Reiher — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:13:39 +0000

What a great idea (about the affected unions running in the marginal seats and preferencing the Greens). It is managable enough to actually do, without the backing of the major unions that so quickly support Labor - and it may be that it ends up with actual results.

Who else should be reading this besides the converted?

By: David1

David1 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:58:52 +0000

Its not going to happen. As a member of a very large Public Service Union which has zero support for the loud mouthed, big noting chest thumping miniscule minority in the union family, that see themselves as leaders of noone in particular, support for them will never be reflected in large numbers moving away from Labor. Ms Gillard knows this, she is no fool, she is going to war in a battle she knows she will win. Her popularity within the great majority of Unions has never been better. Rudd also knows this is one scrap he should stay on the fringes of and let his deputy handle the front line…..”We put them in and we can have them thrown out,” what a load of …..

By: Michael Beggs

Michael Beggs — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:41:07 +0000

Guy was clearly talking about a perception of the Greens rather than giving his own view, John. And it’s a great idea, Guy.

By: John Newton

John Newton — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:02:00 +0000

Groan - it seems its up to me today to correct the woefully misinformed journalists of Crikey about The Greens.
’ Hippies’ Guy Rundle calls us. some freakin’ weird hipppies man.

In my branch we have at least one lawyer (who is also a city concillor) a senior commonwleath government public servant, a psychiatrist, a communications consultant, even someone with ties to the formation of Crikey! I go on, several teachers, someone who works for the State Library……

Catch up Guy man, the Greens have the highest number of tertiary educated members of any party.

Not a wacky hippy in sight