Saturday, April 30, 2005
Memo
To : Peter Costello
From: The City
Peter,
You must now be painfully aware of the coded insult, and the slight to your own standing within the Party, that occurred just yesterday, when the Prime Minister offered his views, that he’s going to stick with the job, with no end date in sight.
We share your hurt Peter, we understand your feelings of betrayal and humiliation, and we know that your instinct is to simply bite your tongue and do what’s good for the Party.
But the window of opportunity is fast closing. It is now or never Peter. What is more important after all, your own ambition, or subjugating your manifest destiny to some tricked up nonsense about the greater good.? Indeed, what does the Party itself stand for, if not for individual responsibility and reward for effort. Peter, don’t let the false God of collectivism, this notion of Party unity that they push in your face, blind you to the fact that you’ve almost done your dash, and it’s now or never mate.
History will not be kind to you Peter because unless you make your mark now, history will simply forget you. How would that bright young lawyer that triumphed over the unions in the Dollar Sweets case look upon the man he has become. He would see a man whose destiny has been thwarted, dare I say, a broken man. A man who takes his frustrations out on infertile couples, who becomes the perfect economic rationalist. All head, no balls.
Even if the baton is passed to you peacefully, the damage will still be done. How can you not but fail to live up to the oversized legend of your predecessor, as Eden failed to live up to the legend of Churchill, which eventually broke him? It will not be seen as a victory Peter, to win against Beazley. It will be expected. And you will receive no gratitude for doing so. You will be forever viewed as the supplicant unless you act now to seize the chalice. The only way to truly make your mark, to sear your name into the public’s memory, is to best the old bull. Peter, you must take on the Prime Minister. To avoid humiliation yourself, you must humiliate him. It is the immutable law of the alpha male that we’ve inherited from the jungle.
Paul Keating did it. He took on the old bull and won. His place in history is now assured. Despite being despised by many, he is also loved by many more. He is considered one of the greatest Prime Ministers. Not because of what he achieved in the role, but because he was a fighter, bowing to no man. His place in the pantheon of the Gods is assured.
Such a place is waiting for you Peter, but you must act now before the window closes and leaves you forever the bridesmaid and never the bride. And Peter, if you don’t act, you’d best not be showing your face around Melbourne town again. We don’t tolerate losers here.
Update: Tim Dunlop is of a similar view
Note: 3000 character limit on comments From: The City
Peter,
You must now be painfully aware of the coded insult, and the slight to your own standing within the Party, that occurred just yesterday, when the Prime Minister offered his views, that he’s going to stick with the job, with no end date in sight.
We share your hurt Peter, we understand your feelings of betrayal and humiliation, and we know that your instinct is to simply bite your tongue and do what’s good for the Party.
But the window of opportunity is fast closing. It is now or never Peter. What is more important after all, your own ambition, or subjugating your manifest destiny to some tricked up nonsense about the greater good.? Indeed, what does the Party itself stand for, if not for individual responsibility and reward for effort. Peter, don’t let the false God of collectivism, this notion of Party unity that they push in your face, blind you to the fact that you’ve almost done your dash, and it’s now or never mate.
History will not be kind to you Peter because unless you make your mark now, history will simply forget you. How would that bright young lawyer that triumphed over the unions in the Dollar Sweets case look upon the man he has become. He would see a man whose destiny has been thwarted, dare I say, a broken man. A man who takes his frustrations out on infertile couples, who becomes the perfect economic rationalist. All head, no balls.
Even if the baton is passed to you peacefully, the damage will still be done. How can you not but fail to live up to the oversized legend of your predecessor, as Eden failed to live up to the legend of Churchill, which eventually broke him? It will not be seen as a victory Peter, to win against Beazley. It will be expected. And you will receive no gratitude for doing so. You will be forever viewed as the supplicant unless you act now to seize the chalice. The only way to truly make your mark, to sear your name into the public’s memory, is to best the old bull. Peter, you must take on the Prime Minister. To avoid humiliation yourself, you must humiliate him. It is the immutable law of the alpha male that we’ve inherited from the jungle.
Paul Keating did it. He took on the old bull and won. His place in history is now assured. Despite being despised by many, he is also loved by many more. He is considered one of the greatest Prime Ministers. Not because of what he achieved in the role, but because he was a fighter, bowing to no man. His place in the pantheon of the Gods is assured.
Such a place is waiting for you Peter, but you must act now before the window closes and leaves you forever the bridesmaid and never the bride. And Peter, if you don’t act, you’d best not be showing your face around Melbourne town again. We don’t tolerate losers here.
Update: Tim Dunlop is of a similar view
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