Australian Champagne Socialists

[AiA in Atlanta]

Champagne Socialists or the "caviar left" as the French say. This is a difficult topic for me as I am a left-leaning Progressive who wants to see the weak protected but there are those on the Left who lead a lavish lifestyle, often financed by inheritance who don't see the contradiction that they want others to avoid such a lifestyle.

Don't keep up with Australian politics as much as I used to (haven't been to AUS in quite a few years) and am wondering who there fits the profile of a Champagne Socialist ...

[Aldebaran5]

I'd say that Kevin Rudd and his wife Thérèse Rein are archetypal champagne socialists. Historically, many of the ALP leaders fell into the same category. Paul Keating is another classic.

It's questionable whether the term "socialist" applies. The new socialism is totally different from the old. I guess if you look at it from a US perspective, most European countries are socialist in that there is a lot more welfare available compared to the US.

Even the Liberals would be Champagne Socialists from a US perspective, because they support the status quo of Medicare and Centrelink benefits.

[mantra]

Champagne Socialists or the "caviar left" as the French say. This is a difficult topic for me as I am a left-leaning Progressive who wants to see the weak protected but there are those on the Left who lead a lavish lifestyle, often financed by inheritance who don't see the contradiction that they want others to avoid such a lifestyle.

Don't keep up with Australian politics as much as I used to (haven't been to AUS in quite a few years) and am wondering who there fits the profile of a Champagne Socialist ...

I used to know a lot of Champagne socialists, but not any longer. At the time they were extremely annoying, but now at the opposite end of the spectrum I can see where they're coming from.

You might look at them and say what would they know about hardship? It's easy to make false judgements because you assume they haven't got the obstacles of poverty - but this is not a bad thing because it enables them to look at the big picture objectively. The positives are that they are not extreme capitalists and don't support a globalised world where the multinationals rule.

Too many people now vote for the party who will personally give them a handout, but they don't think ahead as to what will this party will provide towards the future of our children and grandchildren.

Has anyone heard about the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership which some nations are signing up to? No doubt we will also. This agreement will enable multinationals to encroach on every aspect of our life without restriction or reproach. They will have free reign without legal obligation to take what they want, anytime they want and wherever they choose.

[Rorschach]

I'd say that Kevin Rudd and his wife Thérèse Rein are archetypal champagne socialists. Historically, many of the ALP leaders fell into the same category. Paul Keating is another classic.

It's questionable whether the term "socialist" applies. The new socialism is totally different from the old. I guess if you look at it from a US perspective, most European countries are socialist in that there is a lot more welfare available compared to the US.

Even the Liberals would be Champagne Socialists from a US perspective, because they support the status quo of Medicare and Centrelink benefits.

Yep agree on all points except to say the Liberal Wets would be social democrats. That is about as far Left as most mainstream parties get. Then you have the Greens of which some are Socialists even borderline Commies and of course the rot set in for the Australian Democrats under the socialist Kernot, when it became the pseudo Labor Party.

Keating, Hawke, Whitlam, Shorten, Rudd...

Most Australian MPs of the Left would actually be "Chardy" Socialists... Kernot, Stott Despoja, Beattie, Dreyfus, Clare, Coulter, Bartlett, Chesterfield-Evans, Allison...

Chardonnay Socialists, many of whom populate the Australian media: Tony Jones, Peter Fitzsimons, Mike Carlton, David Marr, Maxine McKew, Lisa Wilkinson, Laura Tingle, Anne Summers, Barrie Cassidy, Kerry O'Brien, Charlie Pickering, Carrie Bickmore, Wil Anderson,Todd Sampson, and the list goes on and on and on....
Pick a Green any Green... Brown, Milne, Bandt, Rhiannon, etc... there are the "pretenders" of course with hyphenated names... Hanson-Young and Whish-Wilson.

[AiA in Atlanta]

It's easy to be generous when one has no skin in the game (most liberals) just like it is easy to send boys to war when one has no direct descendants in direct combat (most conservatives).

[AiA in Atlanta]

It's easy to be generous when one has no skin in the game (most liberals) just like it is easy to send boys to war when one has no direct descendants in direct combat (most conservatives).

Both are equally vile. A politician with skin in the game ... his money on the line, his child's life at risk at war ... what a different world this would be.

[mellie]

Kevin Rudd and his wife....sure, Shorten also.....but I think Paul Keating set the precedence, he being the natural godfather of Australia’s Champaign left.



Malcolm Turnbull is another which springs to mind unfortunately.

[mellie]

Kevin Rudd and his wife....sure, Shorten also.....but I think Paul Keating set the precedence, he being the natural godfather of Australia’s Champaign left.



Malcolm Turnbull is another which springs to mind unfortunately.

They are all conservatives. Just because they're wealthy doesn't mean they're socialists. All of them are extreme capitalists and that's their prerogative. They only care about what's in front of their nose and how much they can eat at the trough.

Dick Smith could be considered a champagne socialist because he actually cares about Australia and it being sustainable for future generations. He actually tries to do something for the country.

Wealth has little to do with it, it's a political ideology.

Gillard, who was not overly wealthy until she cashed in on her role as PM, ..by rubbing palms with wealthy property developers and businessman such as lobbyist Albert Dadon and Gonski... her AWU activities aside..is a champaign socialist.

A Champagne socialist is a pejorative political term originating in the United Kingdom. The phrase is used to describe self-identified socialists whose comfortable upper middle class lifestyles are perceived to be incompatible with their professed political convictions.

Dick Smith is a champaign socialist, that continuously bites the hand that fed him. Capitalism.

He's a hypocrite of the highest order and really should stick to making dry peanut-butter that sticks to the roof of your mouth.


[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5umnQhsOBU[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5umnQhsOBU

Mantra, if you fell for Dicks Champaign socialist bravado, you weren’t alone.

[Rorschach]

It's easy to be generous when one has no skin in the game (most liberals) just like it is easy to send boys to war when one has no direct descendants in direct combat (most conservatives).

careful there fella... the Liberals here are nominally the Conservatives.

[Aldebaran5]

I know this is not the right place to bring this up and I don't know if will rub salt in the wounds, given that I made my first appearance in the midst of a virtual tempest, but how exactly do I go about getting full membership on here? I still can't PM or post in any other sub-forum without approval of that post 24 hours later. I've emailed the registration address asking the same question.

If you're worried about me voting in this Forum poll that's coming up, I'm not interested in doing that. I don't know anybody all that well, either from here or other forums.

Do you think I could lose my training wheels anytime soon guys?