Samuel’s Footy Tips: Results Samuel’s Footy Tips

Local Government

September 7th, 2006 at 09:30am

Good morning Tim,

Good idea, scrap local government…there is nothing which they do, that a more efficient state government department couldn’t do anyway.

And while we’re at it, can we please scrap the local government of Mr. Stanhope and his annoying friends here in the ACT…it was all running just fine before self-government.

Regards,
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
Canberra

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7 Comments

  • 1. Chuck A. Spear  |  September 7th, 2006 at 12:18 pm

    Keating once suggested scrapping state gov’t accross the board Samuel.

    I say, scrap local councils – that way you can’t get parking fines that are criminal in costs.

    Bugger it, scrap them all we don’t need them. I am serious about that. Just like the Spanish Revolution. Except make sure that no damn Franco’s come along and ruin a perfectly run system.

  • 2. Clayton Northcutt  |  September 7th, 2006 at 3:03 pm

    The Spanish Revolution wasn’t fought in an effort to scarp politics and governments in its entirety, it was fought in an effort to (depending on what side you were fighting on) maintain ‘order’ by the in-power political “left” (which was a coalition between the varied groups of the left, the Popular Front) or resisting the current government which was sending Spain down a red, destructive path which was oppressive (in other words, fighting against communist and anarchist efforts). Franco had every intention of restoring the “glory” of Spain under a form of government, eventually his fascist regime, while the Popular Front had every intention of resuming control after subduing the rebellion.

  • 3. Chuck A. Spear  |  September 8th, 2006 at 2:47 am

    Yes it was Clayton. It was an anarchist revolution based on social libertarian principles. In essence, they pissed off the system as they knew it and established their own – for a while at least.

    Thanks for the history lesson though.

  • 4. Chuck A. Spear  |  September 8th, 2006 at 2:52 am

    Oh yeah, I love your blog man!

  • 5. Clayton Northcutt  |  September 8th, 2006 at 11:50 am

    I would hardly call the Spanish Revolution an anarchist revolution because, purely and simply, the ‘anarchists’, a part of the Popular Front, were already in power. Thus, those doing the ‘revolting’ were, in fact, the far right, under Franco. But it wasn’t *just* the anarchists who were in power at the time. The Popular Front was simply a coalition of the collective group of left wing parties who realised that with the flourishing favouritism of left wing politics among the people, though varied in terms of party support, banding together under a single movement would get them elected. Yes, elected. The Popular Front, *with* the anarchist parties, were elected into power. They did not revolt against the, prior to the Popular Front victory, government. It was Franco, in opposing the anarchists and the Popular Front on their policies and, in particular, treatment of himself in particular, who rebelled.

    Thus, as seen, any revolution, which was started by the right-wing principle-holding ‘collective’, against the left-wing powered government, which contained the anarchists, would be the total opposite to what you proposed. There was no anarchist revolution because, firstly, they were in power (though significance of which can be debated) at the time and it was the (would-be) fascist movement that was the basis of the revolution and rebellion. So, unless you propose that the anarchists were rebelling against themselves or that you believe Franco had adopted the anarchists (the extreme left) into his ‘collective’ (the extreme right), it’s suffice to say that the Spanish Revolution was started, maintained won or lost in an attempt to “scrap” government.

    Further, the revolution wasn’t sparked by the Popular Front (and anarchists) “piss[ing] off the system”. In all actuality they pissed off a couple of generals, who were popular in the military and held enough power within, the right-wing believers (though, this would no doubt happen in the reverse case) and one part of the royalists. This is not “the system as they knew it”. Franco was the one who was pissed off with the system and, as a result of his rebellion (sparked by his exile), in turn pissed off the system. He went on to establish his own government. The Popular Front (with the anarchists) lost. So not only was the rebellion a rebellion and revolution based on right-wing disagreement, but it was a revolution against the anarchists (and the Popular Front) in power.

    And if you professing your love for the blog was for my blog, I thank thee. Very much.

  • 6. Chuck A. Spear  |  September 9th, 2006 at 1:42 am

    I think the issue has been over complicated. I was making a flippant tongue-in-cheek remark about scrapping our three tier system of gov’t whilst making reference to the Spanish Revolution when the Anarchists were in control – albeit for a short time until Franco came along and ruined everything.

    Franco was a fascist. Local Councils who issue exorbitant parking fines are also fascist in nature.

    One thing I will tell you is that I was there in 1868 during the glory years, I was there in 1936 during the Anarchist Revolution and I was also in Australia in 1918 when the Spanish Flu killed everybody – or just about.

    I have also sipped the drink called Spanish Fly and it is a horrible, horrible drink.

  • 7. Clayton Northcutt  |  September 9th, 2006 at 5:51 pm

    I’m still battling to see how the Spanish Revolution was an anarchist revolution, but I can agree with you that local councils can easily be made redundant and, thus, unnecessary. Calling them fascist: a bit extreme. Useless? Quite.


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