Some things never change

I don't know where he sources his quotations but Noel Whittaker (who you may be familiar with - he has a column in the weekly Money Section of The Age) always has an amazing array of pertinent quotations in his enews. Here is the link to his easy-to-read and good-advice newsletter - you can easily sign up. He's the best selling author of 17 financial advice books. But this is not about finances.

Noel Whittaker - the wise 'old' man of financial advice (and still going strong!)

Today's post is about the most boring election campaign yet - with both leaders throwing money at us, throwing their families in our faces, vying for the cruelest way to deal with those less fortunate and taking their debates to the lowest common denominator (regretfully you can see what I think of both campaigns). There will be those who voted for the winner now in a euphoric state whilst the losers will blame everyone but themselves and hopefully put their tails between their legs and slope off to I don't know where!

So enjoy the following - we need a bit of humour which has been sadly lacking in the political arena for far too long.

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.
Aesop - Greek slave and fable author

Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.
Plato - ancient Greek philosopher

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.
Nikita Khrushchev - Russian Soviet politician

Politicians are people who, when they see light at the end of the tunnel, go out and buy some more tunnel.
John Quinton - American actor/writer

Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor, and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other.
Oscar Ameringer - ‘the Mark Twain of American Socialism’

The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn.
AND
The Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work and then they get elected and prove it.
PJ O’Rourke - American comedian and writer

I offered my opponents a deal - “if they stop telling lies about me, I will stop telling the truth about them”.
Adlai Stevenson - campaign speech, 1952

A politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country.
Texas Guinan - 19th century American entrepreneur

I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.
Charles de Gaulle, French general and politician

Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.
Doug Larson - English middle distance runner, gold medallist 1924 Olympics

The problem with political jokes is they get elected.
Variously attributed to Will Rogers and George Bernard Shaw

Thank you Noel. It just goes to show that absolutely nothing has changed since Plato!

So before I sign off - here is our newly elected Prime Minister - Triathalon Tony - let's hope he will focus on the enormous job at hand for this country as much as he does on his fitness.

Lycra Tony pushing ahead

Our newly elected Tony splashing through the water in his.....

Running to the job at hand