Decade of fun

I have either had too much or too little stimulation this week to be able to think very straight and so blogging themes are not gelling in a cohesive way...I am resistant to do what everyone else is doing, and that is reflect on the Howard decade. But perhaps I should....
My problem with the last decade of politics is that it has been a decade of "politics" and not of vision or idealism.
Howard and his team are so responsive to public opinion that they change policy in order to ensure the survival of their government. This is good for the party not good for long-term policy.
I wonder what judgment history will make of the Prime Ministership of JW Howard. Apart from the introduction of GST it is difficult to pinpoint a long term contribution (this current term may offer something). But there is no Land Rights policy, no Global Warming policy. There is little that could be called innovative about Health or Education....there is plenty that could be called reactive but little that could be seen as innovative. This does not make for good history...I suggest that in 20 years JW Howard will be as well-known and understood as Arty Fadden--- Who? I hear you ask. I suspect the awareness of Howard will be similar.
I have had a decade in this current job....maybe much the same could be said for me. But then I am not PM and do not want to be.
In the same decade my youngest child has gone from being 2 to being 12...a huge and exciting change, but JWH seems same, same but different! (see here)