Amy Remeikis, Where It All Went Wrong: The Case Against John Howard

 

- This new book by respected journalist Amy Remeikis is superb on all levels. I can't praise it highly enough. 

- It's a detailed, clearly written, and compelling analysis of Howard’s abysmal and deadening conservatism which Australia is still suffering from today. Because Rudd and Gillard were not up to the task of reversing it. And neither is Albanese. 

- And importantly the book is highly economically literate. Remeikis is not captured by the usual cliches even mouthed by excellent journalists like Bernard Keane who wrote this in Crikey yesterday: If only Albanese had some of Howard’s more positive traits, like fiscal discipline and a respect for budget surpluses, or a willingness to embrace tax reform. This is so ignorant. Continued budget surpluses mean governments aren't spending enough on essential services. And Howard's 'tax reforms' were focused on benefiting the more affluent and the rich. The working class were hammered. 'Do we have a super-fast train? Free higher education? An actual universal health system? Dental? A strong social safety net or affordable housing?'

- The back cover blurb says it all: 'Of our modern crises, most are caused by his policies. Housing crisis ? Guilty. Work insecurity? Guilty. Giving away gas? Guilty. Climate denial? Guilty. Rise of the far right? Guilty. America's lapdog in foreign relations? Guilty. Jingoistic tracksuits and flag-wrapping? Guilty and convicted.' Far from being 'great economic managers', the Howard government bought boomer votes with franking credits and negative gearing, sacrificing the generations now inheriting the nation. They sold our their children and grandchildren for mining billionaires, investment properties and annual cruises.'

- As Amy says: 'If you want to know who fucked millennials and gen Z, the answer is easy: Howard. Howard marketised vocational education, turned universities into businesses, undermined universal health care by funnelling money to the private sector, and gutted public school funding by doing much the same thing.

- If you want to be thoroughly enlightened about our current political and economic problems and challenges, read this book.