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Jul 29, 2012

USA; so like Australia, at least politically

Images: No to Barack Obama and Mitt Romney

When you think about it, there are a hell of a lot of parallels between the US and Australia, although, while they have Obama, Johnny Cash and Bob Hope, we have Julia Gillard, no cash and no bloody hope (old one, sorry).

Other than that it sometimes appears that both leaders plagiarize each other in their statements. Obama has “tried real hard, Gillard has “done the best she can,” Obama has done so much he has not spent enough time trying to get the message across to the unwashed masses, Gillard, ditto.


But, wait, there’s more. Obama is up for election against an opponent who is the closest thing to the character of Arthur Daley in ‘Minder’ that most of us have encountered, Gillard is opposed by Tony Abbott, who poses as Gillard lite; both only being acceptable because the current leader is worse.

The author, Douglas Adams, was probably the most capable social commentator of his time and wrote the following passage in, “So Long and Thanks for all the Fish:”

[Ford Prefect] ... On its world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."

"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."

"I did," said ford. "It is."

"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?"

"It honestly doesn't occur to them," said Ford. "They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates to the government they want."

"You mean they actually vote for the lizards?"

"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."

"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"

"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard," said Ford, "the wrong lizard might get in. …
... Tell me about the lizards."

Ford shrugged again.

"Some people say that the lizards are the best thing that ever happened to them," he said. "They're completely wrong of course, completely and utterly wrong, but someone's got to say it."
This kind of rings a bell; doesn’t it?

2 comments:

  1. That Douglas Adams quote has been stuck in my head the last couple of days; it's absolutely perfect in illustrating the current circus our "democratic" elections are.

    Now I've finally just ordered the entire Hitchhiker series. I read the first book long, long ago but can't remember much of it and I'm sure I missed a great deal of the subtle nuances back then. I'm looking forward to reading all of them.

    So, Jim, are you getting kickbacks for "tricking" people into ordering books and then stashing the doough in a Cayman Islands bank account?

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  2. I've been a great fan of Adams ever since I heard the radio show late at night in about 83. It was the one where Arthur was having his house demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass and the bureaucracy involved made me think, "This guy really gets it."

    I've read the whole lot and still love it.

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