The Hollow man
8 November, 2008
Once upon a time there was a hollow man with a large ego who, since he was ten years old, dreamed that one day he would become the leader of his people.
Not much is known the man’s childhood because the man had been quite vague about these days and in some cases downright deceitful.
From the little we know, the man’s father died, some said from effect of alcohol, when he was a young boy, leaving the men’s mother to car for him. Notwithstanding the hollow man did well at school and proceed to one of the best universities from which he graduated with high distinctions.
University life also served as a stepping stone for politics for the hollow man. Like some many student his age, he joined the student branch of the party that believe in social reform, trade unions, redistribution of wealth and socialism albeit the word itself does not form a portion of the name of The Party.
After graduation the man went to “work” on his dream. He carefully selected his place of employment on the basis of their political potential; mixing with powerful and wealthy people who can advance his ambitions. He was particular careful to avoid real responsibilities as those can lead for the occasional failure that may blot future résumés.
The hollow man was elected to the legislature when he was in his early forties. His arrival was marked by his famous inaugural speech, hollow or not, his self publicity machine went to work as he waited the opportunity to spring into the limelight.
Indeed when the opportunity arrived he challenged the “establishment” of the party for the party nomination and despite “family ties” and the experience of his opponent the hollow won his party nomination. A bitter election campaign followed.
The hollow man’s opponent now was a conservative man named John, much senior in age and with over 25 years experience as an elected member who also enjoys the benefits of incumbency. The hollow man would need all his wits to and a lots of money to win this battle.
The ensuing election campaign was one that was never seen before. The conservative opponent experience and age were portrayed as stuck in the past, the same old failed policies of the past in clear reference to his opponent’s age whilst the hollow man himself was portrayed as “young” and “cool”.
The hollow man has prove himself as a great orator although despite the hysteria of the young generation, his rhetoric was somewhat lacking when it came to the older generation. He was further greatly assisted by the mainstream media who almost in unison were all openly actively supporting him.
He opposed the war in Iraq but supported the War in Afghanistan (and saw no inconsistence in that) he supported socialistic program but described himself as economic conservative in fact many people said that he walked the two sides of the streets on just about any issue as he modified his policies to suit his audiences
He stuck to meaningless, yet emotional slogan such as change, hope and working families. He was the first to exploit the power of the Internet for political campaigning.
He won the election in the following November decisively, although not in what you would all a landslide.
*****
No, my friends, this is not the story of Barack Obama, that was the story of the election of Kevin Rudd in November 2007 as the Prime Minister of Australia by removing John, Mr. John Howard from office.
*****
I was struck by the similarities between the two from the first time I heard Barack Obama and I often mentioned it to my American conservative friends. As we down under have an handicap of 12 months on you Americans, let me tell you about the “achievements” of our hollow man whilst you were busy with your elections, a sort of Back To The Future, as I dubbed it at the time.
Firstly soon after taking office, our government ratified the Kyoto Protocol an utterly symbolic step but nevertheless gained a round of applause by the world greenery convention in Bali. You see our hollow man LOVES the world stage.
At the same time, and in an attempt to further impress the global eco-whackos, our illustrious Prime Minister and our Minister for the environment and stupid statements, inflated their chests and ordered the Australian Navy into the Southern Oceans to chase away the Japanese Whaler to discover that, according to the Antarctic Treaty to which Australia is a member, no military vessels are allowed – what started in a blast ended in a whimper by sending a “Custom Vessel” to “monitor the whaling.
This was only the first of making policy on the run as we have learned since.
Next the government celebrated a sorry day to the indigenous people of Australia, another divisive feel-good symbolic act that socialists are really good at. You see, this was our equivalent of the race card or the coming together cliché we often hear (and I thought that coming together is something people do in the privacy of their bedrooms 🙂
Next we had a funfest summit of one thousand of the brightest and smartest in the country to “recommend” future action Australia should take in the 21st century. Before the election Kevin07 had told Australians that he had a plan for the country, after the election he needed Kate Blanchett and her like to tell him what to do.
In fact he did not need them to tell him what to do, going by the list of invitees, he needed them to tell him to do what he wanted to hear – the diversity of opinion was limited only by Kevin Rudd’s opinion. It was totally a Kevin07‘s scripted event.
Talking about Kevin07, Within a few month after taking office, our PM was dubbed Kevin707 after the RAAF (the Australian air force) Boeing 707 that used by the PM. By last September, when he was in office for merely 10 months, Kevin707 had accomplished 16 overseas trips, the man really likes the world’s stages which he spins to portray him as international statement. He enhances his image further by selectively leaking private conversation he has with word’s leaders to big note himself.
And of course there is climate change, the imaginary “crisis” that politicians love to exploit by spreading fear that enable them to push their agenda. Until about one year ago, it was only Australia and the US that stood firm against that global deception, Australia “fell” last November with the election of the Rudd government and the USA will no doubt follow under Obama.
It will not be long before we all can play the “spot the difference” game between Kevin07 and Obama08, In the meantime I have placed my bullshit detector on “silent”
That’s a damned good story, Jacob. Sheesh, I definitely thought you were talking about Obama. The only difference I can see is between your “John” and our “John”….I never considered our John a conservative. Hee hee. Thanks for inviting me here. 🙂
Welcome aboard mate, you are the pioneering member