Aussie Republicanism (2326 hits)
Category: PoliticsRating: 1.31 on 49 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Thorpe (View user info) at 2005-01-13 20:44:55 EST
Firstly, if you aren't interested in Australia or Australian politics, don't read on. Not for my sake, for yours. This post is a pretty lengthy explanation of the plight of the Australian republican.
I'll start by explaining some differences in Australian and US terminology. To say you are a republican in Australia means that you want Australia to become a Republic, not that you are a conservative - there being no Republican party for obvious reasons. In fact, the majority of conservatives are not republicans, and vice versa. The other confusing thing for the Yanks is that our conservative party is actually called the Liberal party, giving rise to the expression "small l liberal". So I, being pretty left wing, am an avid republican and strongly anti-Liberal.
So anyway, as you'll know, Australia was founded as a prison colony for the British Empire in the 18th century. Things progressed pretty quickly, and the independent British colonies formally federated in 1901 as six states to form a nation. However it was still under considerable British control - to this date Australia's head of state remains the monarch in Britain, represented in Australia by the Governor-General, who is appointed by the Prime Minister, and must sign all new legislation passed by parliament for it to come in to effect. Originally this was taken fairly seriously, however after World War II, when it was up to the Australian Prime Minister to withdraw troops from Rangoon against British wishes and pull them back to defend Australia, the influence of the British over Australia fell considerably. Now, over the last fifty or so years it has been pretty much taken for granted that the Governor-General will sign anything presented to him, and this is always the case. However there is one shocking example of the Governor-General exercising his power - the sacking of the Whitlam government in 1975.
Gough Whitlam was, in my opinion and in the opinion of many left wingers, the best Prime Minister Australia has ever had. As soon as his election win in '72 was beyond doubt, instead of waiting for the nomination of ministers and the succession of the previous Prime Minister, or even for all the votes to be counted, Whitlam and his deputy formed a two man government and initiated the most extensive series of reforms seen in Australian history, which continued into his three year period as PM. However, when the conservative Liberal opposition gained control of the Senate, they blocked the Budget supply, which is the equivalent of the US Congress vowing never to approve any spending put forward by the President, and putting the country into deadlock. As is the case in times like this, Whitlam called a "double dissolution", a new mid-term election for both houses of parliament - and he won it by a considerable margin. All was again well, until the conservative premier of Queensland, a right bastard at the time, replaced a retired Labor senator with a conservative independent, against all protocol and decency. This meant that the Opposition could again block supply - and John Kerr the G-G at the time, SACKED WHITLAM AND INSTALLED THE LIBERALS IN GOVERNMENT. In my opinion, this remains the greatest injustice in Australian political history, considering that another election would almost certainly have thrown out the un-elected senator and probably also given Whitlam control of the Senate to prevent this happening again. Let me make it clear that I am not only appalled at this because I believe he was the best PM we have ever had, but because an un-elected official dumped a twice elected PM, and the public after it's first wave of indignation, sat back and did nothing.
It was a shocking reminder of the power that the British still held over Australia, and it is unbelievable that this potential for foreign interference, which is what it was, still exists.
But these are some of the arguments we have heard in favour of retaining the monarchy:
"Australia has British heritage, and we should not forget that"
"There is no need to change, as the system works well as it is"
"The Queen is a lovely respectable woman"
"It would be too costly to start printing coins without the queen on them, and to change the letterheads used by the government."
I'm not kidding.
Finally, in 1999, the current Howard government did put it to a referendum, after an overwhelming sway in public opinion towards a republic. But it must always be remembered that Howard is a WILY BASTARD and you can never trust anything he does or says, because in Howard's referendum the Republic model that was put to the public was one in which the President was not elected by the people, and was appointed much the same way as the Governor General is now. At the same time, the conservatives ran a campaign saying "Just vote No", bringing up all these doubts about how the Republic would work and whether it was worth risking the change, despite the fact that they were in control of the model presented at the referendum. Needless to say, the Australian public, despite saying they wanted a republic, voted No by the narrowest of margins.
Which is why right now my country's flag has the British flag in the top left corner, the position of importance, goddamnit.
On a lighter note, there is a design here for an awesome Australian flag which I found on the net somewhere for WHEN we become a republic, and WHEN we have an Australian head of state. It incorporates the colours of both the Aboriginal (black, red, yellow) and colonial (blue, red, white) flags, plus it also incorporates the Aboriginal flag design, the Commonwealth star and the Southern Cross. The best bit though, is that it also is a sort of drawing of the country - the blue with the white strip is surf coming up onto the red land, with the sun and stars up in the sky.
And also, it looks pretty cool in my opinion.
User Reviews
Submitted by DCWoody (user info) at 2007-05-02 23:16:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
"Which is why right now my country's flag has the British flag in the top left corner, the position of importance, goddamnit."
:D :P
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2007-05-02 22:39:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
:0
Submitted by manic_impressive (user info) at 2007-05-02 12:14:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2007-04-25 11:54:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
almost peanut butter, and Asterix rocks
Submitted by Phallic_Cymbals (user info) at 2006-11-19 00:49:17 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
haahah politics
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2006-01-12 03:51:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Viper_04 (user info) at 2006-01-12 00:21:19 (#)
Ranking: 0
If you're so sure that another double dissolution would have had whitlam re-elected then why did the libs get elected by a landslide.
Whitlam was an arrogant fuck (well except his comments about the day after the Melbourne Cup) and so is Howard (in a less 'charasmatic' way).
------------------------------
It actually would have been a half Senate election he was going to call before Kerr sacked him, and rightly so, seeing as the only change had been the appointment of one Senator. I'm not 100% sure that it would have returned the Senate to Labor but it is definitely the more likely outcome. The libs won in a landslide because they were in power when the election was called, the advantage being that everybody in the country needed to get on with it. As I said in the post, even I might have voted Liberal then.
As to your second point, Whitlam was the most arrogant bastard this country has known.
Submitted by Viper_04 (user info) at 2006-01-12 00:21:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
If you're so sure that another double dissolution would have had whitlam re-elected then why did the libs get elected by a landslide.
Whitlam was an arrogant fuck (well except his comments about the day after the Melbourne Cup) and so is Howard (in a less 'charasmatic' way).
Also I'm all for becoming a republic, however I don't think that we need a flag change as I still believe in the fact that people died under that flag and so on. Although I must admit that our anthem need changing it's just woeful (but if someone suggests that it be replaced with waltzing matilda I think I will stab them with a blunt instrument - the rest of the world already thinks were savages without having that as an anthem). We need something like the French Anthem: 'La Marseillaise' -
Let's go children of the fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us tyranny's
Bloody flag is raised! (repeat)
In the countryside, do you hear
The roaring of these fierce soldiers?
They come right to our arms
To slit the throats of our sons, our friends!
Refrain
Grab your weapons, citizens!
Form your batallions!
Let us march! Let us march!
May impure blood
Water our fields!
More
La Marseillaise en français
Listen to la Marseillaise
Bastille Day article
Bastille Day online games
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This horde of slaves, traitors, plotting kings,
What do they want?
For whom these vile shackles,
These long-prepared irons? (repeat)
Frenchmen, for us, oh! what an insult!
What emotions that must excite!
It is us that they dare to consider
Returning to ancient slavery!
What! These foreign troops
Would make laws in our home!
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would bring down our proud warriors! (repeat)
Good Lord! By chained hands
Our brows would bend beneath the yoke!
Vile despots would become
The masters of our fate!
Tremble, tyrants! and you, traitors,
The disgrace of all groups,
Tremble! Your parricidal plans
Will finally pay the price! (repeat)
Everyone is a soldier to fight you,
If they fall, our young heros,
France will make more,
Ready to battle you!
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors,
Bear or hold back your blows!
Spare these sad victims,
Regretfully arming against us. (repeat)
But not these bloodthirsty despots,
But not these accomplices of Bouillé,
All of these animals who, without pity,
Tear their mother's breast to pieces!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sacred love of France,
Lead, support our avenging arms!
Liberty, beloved Liberty,
Fight with your defenders! (repeat)
Under our flags, let victory
Hasten to your manly tones!
May your dying enemies
See your triumph and our glory!
Refrain
We will enter the pit
When our elders are no longer there;
There, we will find their dust
And the traces of their virtues. (repeat)
Much less eager to outlive them
Than to share their casket,
We will have the sublime pride
Of avenging them or following them!
Refrain
Nothing says it quite like threatening to spill the blood of tyrants over land...But I guess ins Australia's case we would have to talk about spilling the blood of (generally) defenceless Aboriginals and the likes. Oh well...
Submitted by Confuzitron (user info) at 2006-01-11 23:40:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by minimumdino (user info) at 2006-01-11 20:08:44 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
immortal!
Submitted by williamson (user info) at 2005-08-10 23:44:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by shandythedog (user info) at 2005-01-14 06:39:49 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:12:34 (#)
Ranking: 0
There will never, ever, ever be anything aboriginal on the australian flag. It's not gonna happen.
--
i heard cathy freeman's cunt juice got on there once
=-=-=-=-=-=-
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2005-08-10 23:29:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
cool flag
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-06-08 20:52:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Finally - just evening out the rating.
Submitted by Spam (user info) at 2005-06-08 09:21:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by notwelcomehurr (user info) at 2005-06-08 08:05:16 (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
--
Fucking Spammers...
Submitted by notwelcomehurr (user info) at 2005-06-08 08:05:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by G-prime (user info) at 2005-05-08 22:12:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by howto (user info) at 2005-05-08 08:44:19 (#)
Ranking: -2
Wwwow! Wwhat a tttterrific audience!
=======================
I'm sure he was talking about me...
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-05-08 09:00:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I -2ed this classic of his, which was surely gonna make best ever.
http://www.ubersite.com/m/65895
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2005-05-08 08:58:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by howto (user info) at 2005-05-08 08:44:19 (#)
Ranking: -2
Wwwow! Wwhat a tttterrific audience!
----
Thorpe what have you done to this kid? he's stropping about -2ing yer posts!
Submitted by howto (user info) at 2005-05-08 08:44:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Wwwow! Wwhat a tttterrific audience!
Submitted by G-prime (user info) at 2005-04-18 19:57:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
That IS a pretty sweet flag. Ours is still better, because maple leaves rule and you can make booze with a maple tree. AND if you're crafty you can switch the maple leaf for a pot leaf... Heheheh...
Submitted by Thirty_Four_Eggs (user info) at 2005-03-20 07:49:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Im a monarchist, for the time being at least.
But +2 for this line:
Gough Whitlam was, in my opinion and in the opinion of many left wingers, the best Prime Minister Australia has ever had.
So... so.... true
Submitted by r1nce (user info) at 2005-02-17 08:34:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Nicely written.
I don't agree with any of what you have to say, but still, nicely written.
If the referendum on the republic had been worded differently, I would have voted yes. The way it was written implied that everyone voting yes to it would be a retard, thus, I chose no.
Labor is not popular because they don't stand for anything anymore. No policies, no leader of any worth, no responsibility. The opposition does not only have to oppose the sitting government. There are plenty of bills Labor has fucked around with that any good they were meant to do was slowly squeezed out. I'm looking forward to July when the Liberal's get hold of the senate.
Either way, I'm not going to change your mind, you're not going to change mine, and that flag design is fucking hideous and I would burn it every day if it became the national flag.
Submitted by Danger_Ranger (user info) at 2005-02-08 20:32:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Whoa boy, let's not get too carried away. I think it's best that you be the designated driver when we drink Steinies with Mr. Lange. Sure, we'll use David... and they've got nice scenery - but they're STILL kiwis. *sigh*... You're right about us not been very tough though, certainly not as tough as those nasty americans.. *shiver*, but we've still got Chopper... and Aussie Joe Bugner.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-02-08 18:41:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Go the Kiwis. As if Australia has any tough guy power in the region anyway. All we can do is bribe the rest of 'em with free trade deals.
Submitted by Danger_Ranger (user info) at 2005-02-08 07:48:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I wonder what David Lange's up to... he sure was across that whole ANZUS thingy...
I HAVE A CUNNING PLAN... gather 'round, we don't want that cunt Malcom Turnbull finding out..
*hushed tone* David's about Kim Beazley's size, right? We get him over for a couple of.. well, we'll probably have to drink Steinies.. explain to him that he gets to fuck-off the americans again, measure him up, put him in a Big Kim suit, next federal election he gets elected to office, and we're back on track. It's brilliant, really. He's never even played for the all blecks. I know, I'm fucking clever, save it for the after party, we've got work to do!
Submitted by Danger_Ranger (user info) at 2005-02-08 07:00:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I'm not sure what makes me more ill - a) the fact that we fucked-up the referendum, b) the fact that we voted the prime miniture back into office *sigh* again, or c) the fact that both a and b are monuMENTAL fuck-ups of similar proportions to the re-election of that village idiot, george dubya.
Shame Australia, shame... Flag's not bad, the queen's a German and we sure fucked-up the british lions - then there's the football (soccer) as well. We should change the anthem as well, Iva Davies shits me but Great Southern Land would be sweet - 'specially at the beginning of the Bledisloe. Fucking all blecks..
Submitted by shandythedog (user info) at 2005-02-08 06:41:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-01-14 09:50:00 (#)
Ranking: 2
Read about that government sacking before, interesting stuff. If I've got things straight the Queen could do the same and much more today to Tony Blair, but that's simply inconceivable. What Whitlam did doesn't seem extreme enough to justify the G-G's throwing down the trump card.
---
GG was drunk, or, if you believe pilger, a cia stooge.
Submitted by Hairsphincter (user info) at 2005-02-08 06:29:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good post - shame I missed it.
Submitted by Nobb (user info) at 2005-01-13 22:20:04 (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for being pretty left wing, though you aussies keep electing a fuck like Howard, why don't you hop on down to NZ, we've got a nice left wing government, could be better, but hey it's better than Howard. Plus our dollar is almost equal with yours now, left wing economies are the shit.
Nobb - NZ is nearly as dependent on Australia as it was in the beginning, when it was administered from Sydney. The NZ nation and economy are completely and utterly dependant on Australia, if not only due to the massive amounts of NZ owned by Australian interests. The whole nation's population is only a little larger than the city I live in. NZ fosters a green image and pretends to be brave while hiding behind Australia's regional strength. It's like the little brother who pokes his tongue out when the big brother is about. The countries are, and since European settlement have always been, intensely tied together. Without Australia acting like the tough guy in the region, NZ would be a fishing village with a killer backdrop.
In saying that, I am not intending to be negative towards my trans-Tasman brothers, I honestly love Aotearoa. Just don't get too big for your boots and bite the hand that feeds you. Go back to beating us at rugby, and we will handle the crap from the rest of the world.
Also, just as in NZ and Canada, there is no British "power" here, simply ceremonial issues yet to be rectified. The Queen signs what she's fucking told to sign. This will change.
Submitted by williamson (user info) at 2005-01-23 22:03:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Why are we still reviewing this?
Submitted by smedley1984 (user info) at 2005-01-23 21:53:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for wanting a republic.
-2 for saying your left-wing.
+2 for writing the shortest history of colonial Australia I've ever read.
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-01-14 09:50:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Read about that government sacking before, interesting stuff. If I've got things straight the Queen could do the same and much more today to Tony Blair, but that's simply inconceivable. What Whitlam did doesn't seem extreme enough to justify the G-G's throwing down the trump card.
Submitted by Ed_0150 (user info) at 2005-01-14 09:00:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I like jonnie Howard.... but that was a really well though out and executed post, +2
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2005-01-14 08:46:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Woooow...
Left is right AND the toilets spin opposite ways!
Submitted by FuckTheArmy (user info) at 2005-01-14 07:25:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Nobb, the basic problem is, Labor no longer presents itself as left wing. Since they don't have any better policies, and people still have illusions in them as being less capitalist, people vote for the better 'economic manager' bullshit, forgetting that in fact they lose even worse.
That, and the Labor party's few genuine leftists didn't say shit about all the stupid shit Howard did - they could have easily won, but they just went fucking silent.
Submitted by shandythedog (user info) at 2005-01-14 06:39:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:12:34 (#)
Ranking: 0
There will never, ever, ever be anything aboriginal on the australian flag. It's not gonna happen.
--
i heard cathy freeman's cunt juice got on there once
Submitted by hairycoo (user info) at 2005-01-14 04:40:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
A-
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-01-13 22:24:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
In case you're still there, what's the republican movement like in NZ?
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-01-13 22:23:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
How I wish I could, Nobb. How I wish I could.
Submitted by Nobb (user info) at 2005-01-13 22:20:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for being pretty left wing, though you aussies keep electing a fuck like Howard, why don't you hop on down to NZ, we've got a nice left wing government, could be better, but hey it's better than Howard. Plus our dollar is almost equal with yours now, left wing economies are the shit.
Submitted by Auf-Der-Maur (user info) at 2005-01-13 22:03:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
It sure is crazy down there in opposite land
Submitted by transhuman (user info) at 2005-01-13 22:03:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Jimmy (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:22:33 (#)
Ranking: 0
Nationalism is an admirable trait, but is 'left winger' a roundabout way of saying socialist? Which presumably means you're happy with the third world immigration into Australia, which is the opposite of nationalism. There's no point in kicking up such a fuss over Britain's last tenuous bit of power over your country, when you're replacing the electorate by allowing just over a hundreed thousand people a year to turn up, making australians a minority in their own state.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Silly, silly. Immigrants become Australians too - We aren't replacing the electorate, we are extending it.
Republic? I said yes.
Submitted by Wazza (user info) at 2005-01-13 22:01:41 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Yes , well , everyone is entitled to there points of view,funny thing is that the last election John Howard romped it in to power ,The people spoke !!
Sorry old chap guess you will just have to wait till next election.
Submitted by williamson (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:56:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
+2 cause i want an aussie republic.
-1 cause i hate that fucking flag. Eureka stockade all the way!!
http://act.republic.org.au/eureka.gif
Eureka flag has history damnit.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:36:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Jimmy - never accuse me of being a nationalist again. It just strikes me as being stupid that we don't have an Australian head of state. It is not that the power is held by the British that annoys me, but the fact that the G-G are not elected by Australians.
Not necessarily a socialist in the truest sense of the word, and saying left-wing isn't a roundabout way of getting to the point anyway. But you make me fucking sick. Firstly, if someone from the third world immigrates here and becomes eligible to vote - then they ARE Australians, and have as much right to vote for their government as you and me. Australia has the resources to take in a lot more people than it supports right now anyway. But don't get me started on immigration now, that's for another post. This is about a Republic.
Submitted by Chronicles_of_College_Guy (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:31:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh, Australia, must everything be backwards about you?
Submitted by Jimmy (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:22:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Nationalism is an admirable trait, but is 'left winger' a roundabout way of saying socialist? Which presumably means you're happy with the third world immigration into Australia, which is the opposite of nationalism. There's no point in kicking up such a fuss over Britain's last tenuous bit of power over your country, when you're replacing the electorate by allowing just over a hundreed thousand people a year to turn up, making australians a minority in their own state.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:15:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
PFF: It is not so much an imposition of the Aboriginal flag on to the Australian, but a reference to it. Each of the elements comprising the reference serve another purpose on the flag.
But yeah, you're probably right.
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:12:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
There will never, ever, ever be anything aboriginal on the australian flag. It's not gonna happen.
Submitted by IcyBlackHand (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:12:02 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
+1 because I learned something about Australian political history
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2005-01-13 21:03:39 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
THis was really interesting, if confusing. I like John Howard. I also think that Australia is going to be one of the major, MAJOR players on the world stage in the next fifty years.