The Hollow Men

As I’ve watched the news events of this week TS Eliot’s words have been echoing :

This is the way the world ends – not with a bang, but a whimper.

 

However, I’m pretty sure he didn’t have the Australian Labor Party in mind when he put pen to paper in 1925

As a person on the outside it’s hard to decipher whether it is the media, the Party Destabiliser [i], or the ALP factions that have been at work . But the net result is that I am bemused, befuddled and bewildered to watch the implosion unfold.

I’ve been counting up the promises of fireworks and the delivery of fizzers: 

• The Mining tax – what began as a real attempt to deliver some of the riches to the nation and that seemingly promised to take on the mining giants, petered out into a megre few dollars that couldn’t even help deliver a budget surplus 
• Withdraw of media legislation – a week of frenzy and opposition to bills that were to be rushed through parliament and then a twelfth hour withdrawal altogether
• And of course the leadership challenges.

For a party that is rapidly eating itself to ensure that Kevin Rudd is never again Prime Minister, I’m surprised that they have not found a suitable alternate candidate within their ranks and promoted her as another option .

So while the Labor circus washed it’s baggy patched pants in public the class clown was on his feet in question time rolling out a vitriol of rhetoric referring to stopping the boats, getting rid of the faceless men, allowing the people to go to the polls and elect the Prime Minister and yelling repeatedly to the incumbent: You must go. 

I despair September.

I’ve read this week that the Queensland Government has appointed a new Director General of Education. It’s interesting to note some of the April 16 2012 comments on The Riot Act related to his leaving the top position in the ACT to move to Victoria: 

• He’s gone, almost faster than he arrived
• He was director general of the education dept for a nanosecond. 

Interesting that the announcement of his appointment in the Courier Mail lauds the grand reform agenda he has said he achieved in the ACT. They cite expectancy of great things. I say beware of another fizzer.

Eliot keeps on reverberating: 

(Here) are the Hollow Men

Leaning together

Headpiece filled with straw.

Shape without form, shade without colour,

Paralysed force, gesture without motion;

 u8ddle3de together head pieces filled with straw

  

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[i] Mark Latham’s words – I’ve been reading his Quarterly Essay: Not Dead Yet. I have to say I am somewhat surprised at the insights of someone I have long held to be a bit of an idiot.

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This Week's Art Work 

 I wonder what might rise out of all these ashes?

Phoenix. Acrylic and orgami paper on watercolour paper. 500x700mm