Howard and Liberals in general believe in doing nothing -- doing nothing has some great rewards as a politician -- if you refuse to do anything - you cannot 'lose' an election - the opposition must win it
it's a big ask - -normally governments fall because they lose
Howard had the huge benefit of the world booming - so, he sat back, the nation got funds in - heaven shined - and, he gave tax cuts to his mates -- didn't spend on anything else
when he was threatened once - he purchased some cheap votes by upping the baby bonus massively - this took from Labor and gave to the Liberal party - - politically it was a master stroke --- policy wise for the good of the country - it was yet another disaster - but, it worked.
At last the welcome wore out and in came Labor - complete with Rudd - the total disaster - who's influence plagued Labor with almost terminal disease for years -
they couldn't put him down like they should have.
Up rose Tony Abbott - and, one has to dip one's lid to Abbott - a master destroyer ----- the very thing you need when you are in opposition
only problem ---------- eventually - he wins an election -
the problem?? -- a fantastic opposition destroyer makes a totally crap Prime Minister - he blundered and embarrassed Australia from pretty much day 1.
Onward - and, he morphs into a Rudd Mk 2 -- a disease that requires either radical surgery or termination for the sake of the party -
they can't do it -------------- and, that's exactly why they are where they are now
There's a chance that the Liberals will never recover ----------- not because Abbotts antics have been that bad ----------- but, because of the combination of him AND the timing in history
Howard, then Abbott etc. have brought the Liberals to pretty much their weakest - on their knees - right at the moment in history when the party needs to be strong - to go for a voluntary rebirth -because, their basic philosophy - their very essence and being - cannot possibly survive in the present - or certainly in the near and medium future - it's just not possible.
Normally, out of near total destruction, despair and ruin ----------- great things can rise -- but, they have to have been good solid strong things that were knocked down in the first place -
the liberals were not -------------- since Howard - they just didn't grow - they didn't mature, they didn't morph into something better, they didn't grow with the rest of the world - in fact - they actually went and took us with them - backwards in several things
you really cannot rise from the ashes like that -
if you rise - you rise as something completely different -
something that one could not possibly identify as a 'Liberal party of Australia' --------- it would just have to look so vastly different - that it would be unrecognisable
so, if it isn't death already - at a guess, it will be in 5 years of so
the people of Australia may well decide the timing of it for them in May
