lots of community forums about bushfires mate! All worthwhile and useful. And ultra-democratic. Down to earth. Noisy, Angry. But real.
Not dressed up stage events for Labor Party stooges - so Gillard can fluff huff and puff meaningless platitudes accompanied by a compliant row of clinging on for the job/money grinning self-deluded sycophants who happen to have the title "Minister" on their calling cards, all smugly pandering to the Party faithful!
Losing one's home, possessions, all that you had in the world, (and one's beloved family members and/or beloved relatives, friends, and neighbours, and pets, tends to bring one down to earth with a hell of a thud!) The hell of fearing your family is about to die tends to encourage you dispense with the unimportant - for th rest of your life!
You learn, fast, what really matters in life. And you now dismiss the trivial and the contrived, and to see the bovine excrement these pollied thrive on - preferring thr raw bravery of those who went through this hell, and came out the other side stronger and braver. One bushfire survivor is worth a thousand fork-tongued politicians!
They have also seen, endured, and had a gutful of politicians trying to self-glorify themselves at community meetings.
You also learn to sort out the fakes, the pretenders, the strutters, the all words no action types, the show ponies, and the poseurs, pretty damn smartly!!
Politicians who are not the real deal get very short shrift!!
After this terrible tragedy, nothing matters - except what's real - and genuine. These people faced death - and now face hardship - Good way to sort out values - and eliminate the fakes from your life. MAny still live hard lives now - but laugh in the face of severe adversity! These are real people!!
So, Lefties, don't lecture me on what's a "Community" meeting! Label it Cabinet - I'd call it "Cabaret!!"
Gillard's vaudeville show was a staged joke - and an insult to anyone's intelligence.
