Political Rhetoric.

[Bleedin Thumb]

Don't you just love election time!
In NSW we currently have a State election looming as well as the Federal which means that it is hard to drive very far without some sort of billboard assaulting the senses.

One such poster that caught my eye today said something about standing for "FAMILY VALUES" which got me thinking does that actually mean:?.

I've given it a bit of thought and I really don't know what they can be on about.:(

Who's family.... can't be mine. I value... a nice bit of timber, my wife values expensive clothes, my kids value...chocolate ice-cream?

So what can this all mean?? Is it some sort of Christian 1950's idealised view of Western Civilisation?

Do the turkeys that promote themselves and their political ideologies with such phrases ever stop to think about what they are promoting?



.......Just realised that this may be deemed as a political posting... its not.:no:

Its just a quiet reflection on the stupid language that politicians of all persuasions think that they have to use in order to get us to vote for them.

[Gumby]

Family value to a politician is the value in dollar terms they expect to rip off you in a particular financial year.

Family values in Victoria are very high. :cool:

[joe greiner]

Several years ago, there was a Dilbert comic strip concerned with "buzzword bingo." Also, there's a few web sites dedicated to construction of buzz phrases. Whenever one of the corporate or gummint types starts talking, my BS detector kicks into overdrive.

Joe

[bsrlee]

Yep, its 1950's rhetoric, hastily rebadged from 1930's German National Socialist Party rhetoric - Kinder, Kirk und Kuchen. Barefoot Missus chained to the stove with a bunch of squalling kids around her feet, Hubby a wage slave for the "Big End'.

Unfortunatley its the religious nutter types who are currently crowding out the more reasonable types in the party back rooms, and pushing their more radical candidates into office. The non-crazies just don't have the driving urge to inflict their ideology on everyone else.

[echnidna]

What it means in a nutshell is,
We Vote - but don't get a say in how things are done.

[Honorary Bloke]

bsrlee is right, although I suspect Spartacus led his uprising based around Family Values or someting similar as well. :U

It is a political construct which can mean anything you want it to mean, so it is not controversial. In fact, no pollie is going to come out against Family Values--so it can't be fought.

The (correct) assumption is that the average voter knows SFA about the candidates, so a pleasant catchphrase is needed to appeal to those uninformed voters (whose numbers are legion). Sigh. :no:

[Bleedin Thumb]

So the pollie with the best catch phrase wins........... I think its about time I launched my campaign.

I'll reduce taxes...............
I'll rebuild our hospitals.........
I'll be nice to old people............
I'll get tough on criminals.............

[Honorary Bloke]

So the pollie with the best catch phrase wins........... I think its about time I launched my campaign.

I'll reduce taxes...............
I'll rebuild our hospitals.........
I'll be nice to old people............
I'll get tough on criminals.............

What about free pie and beer at the footy matches? :wink:

[silentC]

It is carefully designed to reinforce the "us and them" attitudes that have helped the Federal Govt stay in power for so long. It works for them, so why not?

[Doughboy]

I wonder if pollies realise, no matter what party they are in ... no matter what country they govern, that we as citizens think they are petty name calling foolish imbeciles!!!?

I don't care if one of them smoked pot as a uni student, I don't care if they paint their toenails pink I care about how they run the country and at present I only see them running the country into the ground. eventually they must be made accountable just like most jobs give them a trial period and if they stuff up kick them out. Lies will get them in to the position but only action can keep them there.

Pete

[Howdya do that]

So the pollie with the best catch phrase wins........... I think its about time I launched my campaign.

I'll reduce taxes...............
I'll rebuild our hospitals.........
I'll be nice to old people............
I'll get tough on criminals.............

They have all promised that for the last 200 years bleedin

Bloody liars:((

[coastie]

In the States they call them lion tamers,out here we call them lion bastards.

[RETIRED]

Honorary Blokes sig.


Ten women fainted in a rush for 2000lbs of butter at a Sydney store today. About 200 women refused to leave when police closed the sale. The police then joined hands and forced the women back. - News report, Sydney, 7 March, 1952. The end of rationing after the war. Hard to believe.

[Rossluck]

I wonder if pollies realise, no matter what party they are in ... no matter what country they govern, that we as citizens think they are petty name calling foolish imbeciles!!!?

I don't care if one of them smoked pot as a uni student, I don't care if they paint their toenails pink I care about how they run the country and at present I only see them running the country into the ground. eventually they must be made accountable just like most jobs give them a trial period and if they stuff up kick them out. Lies will get them in to the position but only action can keep them there.

Pete


Well said, Pete. I know that a caller to ABC radio here in Brisbane told the broadcaster that "we don't care who Kevin Rudd or John Howard have lunch with, only the pollies and you [the media] are interested ...". I thought it was a reminder that pollies and the media often misread the public pretty badly.

[echnidna]

So I wonder who the next leader of the opposition will be,
Little Johnny or Peter Whatisname

[Rossluck]

So I wonder who the next leader of the opposition will be,
Little Johnny or Peter Whatisname

Fingers crossed.:wink:

[Gra]

I read this somewhere, and agree. You watch, shrub, can see the writing on the wall, just before the election, he will resign, handing the poison chalice to Peter whatshisname, and take the glory of being the longest serving undefeated leader of the party..

[echnidna]

hes already lost an election while he was leader.

[graemet]

I can't find much to recommend either of the NSW state parties. I feel the incumbents have stuffed up bigtime but the opposition have nothing going for them either.
However, I have to thank little johnny for providing my first and only break in over 40 years of voting. Every promise from both sides of politics has always been due to come in in 2 or 3 years and is canned as being too costly or too impracticable before it's implemented - the tax cuts that were L A W etc.
BUT a 9 month window to boost my super, with all the age limits, work tests, preretirement programmes all made just for ME!!! Whohoo!! I haven't had a break like this since I missed the Nasho callup. (And I was ready to go, too.)
Onya Johhny. Just get the GG's assent before the election. Don't care what happens to ya after that.
Cheers
Graeme

[Ashore]

The thing that realy gives me the s word is the way each party misquote or take out of contex statements made by the others, espically when you listened to the statement made and then you see it so badly distorted, and to me it makes those who missquote liars pure and simple, though thats most of them are, and to compound matters I have to go to the polls and vote , deciding bhetween the BIGGEST liars , The most INCOMPETENT , or the seriously WEIRD,
Where is the box to vote for the one who will honestly do their best and not just follow party lines or their own agenda.
Rant over

[DavidG]

It is getting bad when I have to vote for the polli who will do the least perceived damage....... :~

[Bleedin Thumb]

OK I'm getting some tips here that will come in handy once my campaign reaches full tilt, IE don't have lunch with a Mr Burke, misquote and take out of context everything said by the opposition.

I noticed another important tool of the pollies last night.... the hand movement. When you stand at a lectern you must use wave your hands in some really unnatural manner.

I have notices several secrete movements that they all have in common.

There's the hands moving outwards with the palms slightly raised ( to God?).
Then there's the side of the hand chopping into the other hand like a cleaver.
And there is the clenched fist placed in the palm of the other hand that wraps it up like that paper, scissors stone game.

I have also noticed it is only the top pollies, the leaders that use this secrete language, you never see a backbencher practice it.:rolleyes:


It makes you wander... if they all use these standard movements who teaches them this art?:?

Is there a hand coach that they all use? Are they in the Yellow Pages?

[Honorary Bloke]

It makes you wander... if they all use these standard movements who teaches them this art?:?

Is there a hand coach that they all use? Are they in the Yellow Pages?


Sadly, Bleedin' you are right in one. :( Yes, in fact, there IS a hand coach.

[Bleedin Thumb]

I wonder if there is a "Tell a bloody big lie and keep a straight face" coach?

I was watching George W give a speech and he looked as though he got the budget hand coach whilst Tony Blair has obviously got the delux model.

Locally Little John is quite good, plenty of practice I guess but if you want a good laugh watch Maurice Lemon who is still trying to get the hang of it all.