The Liberals and Indigenous Australians

So that's twice in recent times the Labor PM has saved the Opposition Leader from the consequence of a gaffe over indigenous affairs.

The first was Kevin Rudd helping Brendon Nelson over the disaster that was his address in the Apology by going across the chamber to get Nelson to accompany the elders into the Parliament.

Then yesterday we had Julia Gillard ensuring her security detail escorted Tony Abbott as well as her out fro the Lobby restaurant.

It transpires today that the activities that the PM regretted for disrupting the ceremony were in part caused by one of her staff being in a communication chain that passed on Mr Abbott's planned location for the day to the protesters. It doesn't seem to be he wo informed them of Mr Abbott's view that the Tent Embassy had passed its useful time. It wasn't he or anyone else that inspired Mr Abbott to assert that really we'd taken care of aborigines now with the apology and possible constitutional recognition so they didn't need their Embassy.

The Liberals in Government are notable for the demolition of ATSIC (for goodish reasons) and the NT intervention. No matter how honestly motivated the latter was it was as poorly executed a piece of paternalism as was taking half-caste children from their parents.

Perhaps, rather than saying it is tme the Tent Embassy moved on, we should consider the value of a permanent "embassy" - a place of representation of the indigenous Australians - within the Parliamentary triangle. And perhaps National Australia Day/Invasion Day/Survival Day ceremonies could start with a smoking ceremony there like NSW ones do with a smoking ceremony at Farm Cove.

It would be more useful than the former ATSIC building stuck over by the Museum of Australia.

I note that Google Maps identifies an area between Old Parliament House and the lake as "Reconciliation Place" - but it just seems to be a circle. If that is indeed what it is - more needs to be made of it.


Novae Meridianae Demetae Dexter delenda est

Kodak

Anyone observing the latest chapter in the Kodak story would do well to read Clayton Christiansen's The Innovator's Dilemma.

Kodak, you see, invented digital photography but didn't invest for fear of cannibalising the film business. This the only technology choice where this occurred.

There ought to be a saying somewhere, if you don't cannibalise your own business you will just end up road kill.

That said, this is the US, and "bankruptcy" doesn't mean what we think it means.


Novae Meridianae Demetae Dexter delenda est

Not Blogging Really

Anyone in Australia thinking of the idea of primaries should take a bit of a look at what happens in the US.

This ad is run by Newt Ginrich to destroy the credibility of Mitt Romney.



But Ron Paul goes one better and just attacks Newt and Mitt.



But when you follow these links you find a really monumental pro-Ron Paul piece which argues that a non-interventionist Foreign Policy as proposed by Paul ticks the Libertarian boxes.



It is frightening that Julie Borowski - who describes herself as TokenLibertarianGirl on YouTube - can hold such views so young. But then again anyone in their early to mid twenties who wears pearls like those is a bit doubtful to begin with. I guess Tanya Costello (nee Coleman) was just like her at that age.

Anyhow, she has conveniently told us the libertarian books she recommends. Some of the more serious of these I have read - and they are as dangerous nonsense as Marx's Capital or Hitler's Mein Kampf. Simple prescriptions unbounded by empirical evidence. More fascinating still is that she holds up Bastiat's The Law telling us how politicians use the Law to take away our freedom.

The fascinating part is that this volume is getting close to two hundred years old and describes a slightly different world. However, Bastiat was at his best using a method of rhetoric that outlined the stupidity of some policy proposals - as for example his item on a Negative Railroad.

Should we start a charity to rescue young people from the libertarian fold - like a variety of a cult busting group?


Novae Meridianae Demetae Dexter delenda est