There was a practice in Ancient Rome where particular tyrannical rulers would have their names removed from the records following their removal from power. This practice – damnatio memoriae – was used rarely on particularly odious ex-rulers in an attempt to remove their very name from public memory. It was as if that person never existed. Domitian was subject to this humiliation following his murder by court officials. Clearly the policy wasn’t entirely effective, as we know of Domitian’s name.
Today it would be very difficult to erase the name of a person. However, I wonder if the Parliament could enact a bill which removed Kevin Rudd’s name from the official list of Prime Ministers? So that the formal record would show that Julia Gillard was the next Prime Minister after John Howard. And in the space December 2007 – June 2010 there would be an asterisk with a note showing that there had been an interregnum where a Labor administration governed without a Prime Minister.
I suspect such a bill would receive bipartisan support.
And think of the savings – no need to provide a Gold Card or office to Kevin Rudd and no need to top up his superannuation payments to ex-Prime Minister levels.
But perhaps we shouldn’t do this – after all his memory will serve as a warning for future generations about the folly of putting style over substance.
Who is Kevin Rudd?
dover_beach
29 Jun 10 at 8:23 am
I am Kevin Rudd. No, I am Kevin Rudd. No, I am Kevin Rudd. I am Kevin Rudd (etc)
Ev630
29 Jun 10 at 8:51 am
It’s quite incredible when you reflect that the ALP’s political literature during and for the most part of the last three years was, ‘Kevin07′, ‘Rudd and New Labor: New Leadership’, and so on. And, now, yesteday’s ‘Labor hero’ is today’s fish and chip wrapper. BTW, how many of those school halls and the like have “Kevin Rudd” chiseled in stone? We’re likely to see a few stonemasons asked to re-visit these foundation stones. Actually, may be the stones will serve as stark reminders of what we have been all witness to.
dover_beach
29 Jun 10 at 9:15 am
A bit harsh,unlikely to happen, but the sentiment is right.
johno
29 Jun 10 at 9:18 am
More evidence that Rudd is a few sucks short of a sauce bottle.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/kevin-rudd-twice-asked-julia-gillard-for-frontnech-job-and-was-rejected/story-e6frf7l6-1225885418755
Rudd asked twice, but failed to convince Gillard to give him a frontbench job.
Incredible. Like a dumped lover who just can’t let go.
jtfsoon
29 Jun 10 at 9:20 am
Jason, *wince*. Yes, that’s awful. I wouldn’t have had the cheek to ask for a frontbench job. But then I’d be a terrible politician.
The interesting thing is how (as Tim Blair points out) some commentators are performing their own damnatio memoriae (forgetting their previous words of gushing support).
Legal Eagle
29 Jun 10 at 9:33 am
I wouldn’t have had the cheek to ask for a frontbench job. But then I’d be a terrible politician.
No, you’d be someone with good social skills.
jtfsoon
29 Jun 10 at 9:47 am
Au contraire Samuel J
They should put a statue of Rudd up in front of Labor HQ in Canberra posed as The Great Leader – we could probably get the North Koreans to knock one up in no time.
This so the Caucus and Labor machine are reminded constantly that they all willingly fell in to step for over three years behind a paramount Office Psychopath ( with form from his Dr Death days in Goss’ government ), in order to leverage their way in to power on the back of Ruddie’s Sunrise following.
And only have themselves to blame for trading principled leadership for the spoils of power.
Myrddin Seren
29 Jun 10 at 11:11 am
I think the sacking of a PM by his own party is something that should be deeply engrained in our cultural memory. In particular all prospective PMs should read this chapter of history. The ALP did a courageous and noble thing. If they didn’t pull down this failed leader then we the people would have been compelled to.
The Liberal party at this point are behaving like disappointed babies. They should have come out initially with praise for the ALP. The ALP in essence were willing to swallow their pride and do what was right for them and the country. The Liberals have a million other things they can attack the ALP on and should focus on those issues instead. Crying about the fact that the ALP took their head off the executioners block is just self serving and silly.
TerjeP (say Taya)
29 Jun 10 at 11:11 am
“Crying about the fact that the ALP took their head off the executioners block is just self serving and silly.”
???
.
29 Jun 10 at 11:18 am
I think the sacking of a PM by his own party is something that should be deeply engrained in our cultural memory. In particular all prospective PMs should read this chapter of history. The ALP did a courageous and noble thing. If they didn’t pull down this failed leader then we the people would have been compelled to.
Terje, they sacked a ‘Labor hero’ the last time they were in power. This isn’t Labor turning a new page. Saying this is a “courageous and noble thing” is very amusing but it doesn’t bear a moment’s notice. What the ALP did was a “cowardly and self-serving” act executed against a leader they, themselves, provided him with the privileges they are now complaining about and they had no problems with his conduct as PM while the going was good. In fact, during the glory years he could do no wrong.
The Liberal party at this point are behaving like disappointed babies. They should have come out initially with praise for the ALP. The ALP in essence were willing to swallow their pride and do what was right for them and the country.
The ALP did what was ‘right’ for the country? Hilarious.
dover_beach
29 Jun 10 at 11:25 am
Terje is right… Rudd was messing things up and it was the best thing for the Federal ALP and for the nation. Gillard is almost certainly not as bad as Rudd.
.
But Dover is also right… the ALP has made a habit of executing leaders in power when the polls go south. They do it a lot. Just as Rudd’s management style eventually had repercussions, this habit will eventually have repercussions for Labor.
.
TAANSTAFL applies to leadership spills, regardless of the temporary poll bounce.
daddy dave
29 Jun 10 at 11:36 am
The ALP did what was ‘right’ for the country? Hilarious
.
Who’s going to screw things up more? Rudd or Gillard? The answer is obvious.
.
That doesn’t mean that they were motivated by the noble aim of doing right by the country. But it is a consequqence (perhaps a side-effect) that our leadership is probably improved.
daddy dave
29 Jun 10 at 11:38 am
The ALP in essence were willing to swallow their pride and do what was right for them and the country.
What a fanciful tale. London to a brick that what was right for the country didn’t come up once in their discussions.
Infidel Tiger
29 Jun 10 at 11:40 am
Who’s going to screw things up more? Rudd or Gillard? The answer is obvious.
dd, I don’t think the answer is at all obvious.
What a fanciful tale. London to a brick that what was right for the country didn’t come up once in their discussions.
Indeed, the way this tale is now being told it’s as if the ALP took a bullet for the country.
dover_beach
29 Jun 10 at 12:02 pm
“But Dover is also right – the ALP has made a habit of executing leaders in power when the polls go south. They do it a lot”
Habit? Keating v Hawke. McMahon v Gorton on the other side of the fence. Where’s the habit?
ennui
29 Jun 10 at 12:59 pm
Habit? Keating v Hawke. McMahon v Gorton on the other side of the fence. Where’s the habit?
Certainly looks like a habit for the ALP; they’ve done it to two consecutive ALP PM. Whereas, on the Coalition side, you’ve had to dredge up McMahon v Gorton. There have been two Coalition PM’s since then without the same occurrences.
dover_beach
29 Jun 10 at 1:07 pm
Look at the states for a better picture of what the Australian Lairs Party does with its leaders.
jc
29 Jun 10 at 1:09 pm
“they’ve done it to two consecutive ALP PM.”
Not so DB – the most recent ALP PM was Keating – I believe it was the electorate that deposed him.
Just accept the fact it was a rather silly meaningless throwaway line that was incorrect!
ennui
29 Jun 10 at 1:16 pm
Not so DB – the most recent ALP PM was Keating – I believe it was the electorate that deposed him.
I thought you’d quibble over consecutive, nevertheless, it has all the appearances of a habit. And as JC says, at a state level, particular NSW, it appears innate, not merely habitual.
dover_beach
29 Jun 10 at 1:19 pm
Ennui:
Stop it with the Lair’s party whore-ship as it’s unsightly.
The Liars party at state and Federal level do move their leaders in an out of office in order to create the facade of renewal while the policies remain the same.
We haven’t seen it so much at the Federal level of course because they were out of power for 13 years. However we’ve seen enough of it at the state level particularly Nsw- the heart of this deadly, evil beast. What just happened with Rudd is what the Liars party has been doing for a long time at the state level.
jc
29 Jun 10 at 1:20 pm
“it has all the appearances of a habit”
Hardly, twice since WW2 to my knowledge. In fact the ALP has been accused of being stupidly loyal to leaders even when in Opposition eg Calwell Evatt etc
OK inthe case of NSW there can be no dispute!
ennui
29 Jun 10 at 1:27 pm
Ennui has to go back before the time of Christ to find a part of history that aligns with his argument.
Dude, accept the fact that the Liars party changes its leaders to create the false facade of renewal.
No one gives a flying fuck what was happening during Callwell’s time.
jc
29 Jun 10 at 1:31 pm
As I said at the begin JC, who is Kevin Rudd? As we speak he is being erased from our political memory. He is being marginalized in much the same manner as Mark Latham. His once ‘faithful’ colleagues have denied him; they can’t even recall serving in his Cabinet, etc. The failures are/ were all his own. If you listen careful, they are even intoning while sobbing, “We are innocent, we are all innocent, except him”, or “It wasn’t me, it was him, it was him!. He did it”, some even have stooped to saying “We were hostage to his political success, we had no choice”, and so on. Kevin Rudd, formerly the Milky Bar kid, is now the devil, sorry, was the devil. Now, he is forever more, the Member for Griffith.
dover_beach
29 Jun 10 at 1:32 pm
Hardly, twice since WW2 to my knowledge.
How many ALP PM’s have we had since WW2? 5. Of the five, two have been deposed internally. As I said, all the appearances of a habit.
In fact the ALP has been accused of being stupidly loyal to leaders even when in Opposition eg Calwell Evatt etc
And how “stupidly loyal” have they been to Hayden, Beazley, Crean, and Latham in Opposition?
dover_beach
29 Jun 10 at 1:38 pm
Yea Dover… So much so that the straw that broke Rudd’s back is now throwing it all on Rudd, saying it’s his fault and gets a promotion.
SwnaDive has to the luckiest mediocrity that has ever, ever walked the face of this earth.
Rudd gets erased from memory and SwanDive gets a promotion.
If Rudd brings his case to the tribunal for unfair dismissal, as he should, he can readily point to SwanDive as exhibit A where a total failure not only keeps a job but also gets a promotion.
jc
29 Jun 10 at 1:38 pm
Not so much the Romans, but there are two ancient Athenian political institutions I would love Australia to adopt: sortition, and ostracism. Except, we would surely need many, many more than just 1 citizen ostracized each year.
Peter Patton
29 Jun 10 at 1:58 pm
Kevin’s digital cenotaph:
http://pmrudd.archive.dpmc.gov.au/
Mitchell Porter
30 Jun 10 at 1:22 pm
Peter – yes I would like to see ostracism. But one a year would be sufficient. And we should – as the Greeks – ensure that after 10 years the ostracised citizen can return and take possession of his or her property.
Samuel J
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