Please elaborate.
The Lounge 2
- Thread starter Richie
- Start date
Explaining the concept. There is no set plot. Someone comes up with a story theme and posts the first para leaving it open ended for the next poster to continue the story. This way it can be fun as the story can take different tangents and ideas. If this does not appeal then we can go the set plot storyline route. Jessica and I have already played one of the latter ones about searching for a lost kingdom in the South American rain forests.
Jess and I are adding you to the invitees
SomeblokecalledDave.
looker-on
aka Thomas the Kraut
I'm not in favour of plebiscites because I know my fellow-countrymen inside out and wouldn't trust them. Nor did our founding fathers which is why they opted for a representative democracy. The only party that calls for referenda because it wants to do away with our representative democracy and intends to establish a new regime is our populist party. With the exception of a referendum on smoking in pubs in Bavaria there hasn't been any positive example that I know of. Do you?
The more the merrierExplaining the concept. There is no set plot. Someone comes up with a story theme and posts the first para leaving it open ended for the next poster to continue the story. This way it can be fun as the story can take different tangents and ideas. If this does not appeal then we can go the set plot storyline route. Jessica and I have already played one of the latter ones about searching for a lost kingdom in the South American rain forests.
Jess and I are adding you to the invitees
So when do we start?
When we have some acceptances I expect.The more the merrier
So when do we start?
But you are already a Republic with as I understand a PM and a President. That seems to be the norm in Europe. The President is no more than a figure head or titular appointment. Correct me if wrong. With us the Head of State, Commander in Chief will be the President, like America. Not sure if that is better than the Euro way, as long as our Head Of State is an Australian born and bred.
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This is what internationally noted Australian Human Rights barrister and author Geoffrey Robertson said yesterday. To my knowledge he has never belonged to the Australian Republican movement.
The crowning irony of the 1999 Republican referendum was that most voters wanted a republic. Forty per cent of those who voted against it did so because they could not stomach a president elected by politicians rather than by the people. The lesson is that any future republic, to pass at a referendum, must provide for a popularly elected head of state with candidates selected impartially and without previous political affiliation.
The crowning irony of the 1999 Republican referendum was that most voters wanted a republic. Forty per cent of those who voted against it did so because they could not stomach a president elected by politicians rather than by the people. The lesson is that any future republic, to pass at a referendum, must provide for a popularly elected head of state with candidates selected impartially and without previous political affiliation.
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I just heard that food banks here will be closed on Monday for the Queens funeral.
I think they should close permanently here because the benefits system is good enough so no one needs to go hungry, people just need to make lifestyle changes, like cutting out the cigarettes and alcohol.
I think they should close permanently here because the benefits system is good enough so no one needs to go hungry, people just need to make lifestyle changes, like cutting out the cigarettes and alcohol.
looker-on
aka Thomas the Kraut
I'd say we are given the full TV coverage each day at the expense of the normal schedule. A lot of Germans have always felt very close to the Windsors because of their German roots. ERII had always been "our" Queen as well to some extent and almost everybody had not seen another Royal on the British throne.looker-on
Are you and your country in mourning too Thomas? I haven't had time to catch any news today, I don't usually watch much news anyway.
I have the day of the Queens funeral off, it's a bank holiday here.
looker-on
aka Thomas the Kraut
That's all correct.
That's probably the way to go for your country. I can't think of another procedure. As for Germany, the Allies made sure that there is no Commander in Chief again who can take the country to war but a parliamentary army which is why important decisions can't be made as fast as in other European countries.
Our president is not only elected by politicians, i.e. the parliament but by a national assembly that is twice as large as parliament and is composed of "normal" people from all walks of life.
What would be the major difference between the current state and a republic?
Many differences. All outdated and frankly embarrassing colonial era appointments such as state governors, and the governor general (Fed) would be abolished. All reference to royal currently in our constitution such as in our military also abolished. Our state and federal flags will probably be redesigned, losing the Union Jack replaced by a symbol more in touch with modern Australia. Finally, the Westminster Parliamentary system will also likely be abolished.
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looker-on
aka Thomas the Kraut
What is Westminster about your paliamentary system? The two-party system?
looker-on
aka Thomas the Kraut
So did I. 14 deg outside which feels chilly right now after the warmth. Not very comfy inside either. Normally, I'd turn the heating on but now we're freezing for Putin already. What will it be like in winter?I woke up in the early hours and I was freezingour temps are dropping and it's more comfortable, it's hard to believe that we had a heatwave during the summer!
Bing it. Too complicated to explain.
That does not sound good Thomas. What is the answer. The EU to take the Gazprom pipelines by force?
looker-on
aka Thomas the Kraut
No, but to get independent from fossil fuels especially from Russian ones asap. There's not a single person over here who would deny that was a capital mistake not to have diversified our energy imports. Instead we walked right into Putin's trap of ridiculously cheap fossil fuels. We meaning industry, consumers, and politicians. Everybody wanted to benefit from cheap energy supplies and not just "politicians" as our populist party keeps claiming.
Energy generated by fossils was so cheap that, as it turns out now, hardly any health club, indoor swimming pool and the like can be run any more and large scale bankruptcies are looming. My health club covering 6,000 square meters has already been closed down for good on the grounds that it can't be operated as a private business any longer given the current fuel prices which are very unlikely to fall again in the foreseeable future. Renewables may bring a change some time.