January 18, 2006
Help Wanted - Apply Within
So, in this war of ideology, us good guys on the left (if you buy into the whole left/right thing anymore) are pretty much getting bent over. I don't like it any more than you, but we are being well stitched up by a gang that are:
A. ORGANISED - many of them go to church at 9AM SUNDAY MORNING! They don't spend their time together swearing at each other IN PUBLIC.
B. DISCIPLINED - Sure, you have your out-there Petrosexuals breaking ranks to cosy up to the doctors' wives, but anyone with real clout who steps out of line (are you listening, Malcolm Turnbull? Peter Costello?) cops a whack on the knuckles with a ruler and has to stay back to clean the blackboard dusters. Unity. UNITY!
C. GOOD (=BAD) WITH THE WORDS - If John Howard doesn't like a question he's been asked, he just answers another one. He knows precisely what he wants to say, and he says it, regardless of what lefty scum like Tony Jones (T, call me. P.) try to get out of him. Problems are very easy to solve when you get to decide what they are.
Alas, while the Tories are skilled at question-evading, agenda-setting, line-toeing, the best we can offer is the ineffectual (Kim Beazley), the self-congratulatory (Kevin Rudd), the self-righteous (actors, Geoffrey Rush in particular), the utterly out-of-touch and possibly quite mad (Germaine Greer), or the drunk (Bob Ellis).
Oh, and convenor of the Australian West Papuan Association, Louise Byrne, who was asked by ABC journalist Tom Iggulden why her association didn't notify National Search and Rescue when it learned that a boat load of Papuan Refugees was missing somewhere in the Torres Strait.
TOM IGGULDEN: Do you think perhaps given the treacherous nature of the voyage that perhaps that would have been a good idea?
[...pause...]
[...pause...]
LOUISE BYRNE: I don't know. It's not that treacherous.
OMG! WTF!*
We know why she didn't tell them. Because she knew that if she did, the Papuans would have either been turned back or incarcerated behind razor wire until their children tried to kill themselves. And if the Papuans had a competent advocate in Australia, these facts would have been made very clear.
DREAM LOUISE BYRNE: No, Tom. It would have been an atrocious idea, given this government's record of violating grossly the human rights of those seeking asylum. It's a horrible, horrible situation, but our government has created an environment where it is safer to remain at sea in treacherous waters until you hopefully reach land than it is to notify National Search and Rescue. This is what our country has become.
Hey presto. Louise goes from "psycho lefty bitch willing to break The Law for islanders who are quite possibly unclean/carrying bombs etc" to "passionate advocate dedicated to exposing the failings in our systems and fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves".
But no, we get "It's not that treacherous."
Stupid mistakes. We make them. They rarely do.
* Note irony.
Filed under Politics
Comments
Exactly.
The church thing is really scary. Sometimes I think they're going to win the culture wars. They have meetings! Every week! For hours at a time!
And, in addition to their willing hordes who show up, they've conned a large number of non-attenders into feeling guilt about not attending, so they'll support the attendees by being sympathetic to their demands.
It's a worry.
Posted by: MrLefty at January 19, 2006 07:23 AM
I really do think that a lot of people actually secretly prefer to have Howard/Bush/Blair in office because it gives them something to focus their rage on. They act all disgusted and try to get you to sign pointless petitions but they'd be completely lost if they suddenly got governments from the "other" side of politics - what remains of it anyway.
Posted by: Adam 1.0 at January 21, 2006 12:16 AM
almost monty pythonesque. its just a flesh wound!
also - wanted to blog about this but am handing it to you as a reverse birthday present.
How to Make Your Own Totally Sweet Mario Question Blocks and Put Them Up Around Town
Because It's Really Awesome
Posted by: fluffy at January 21, 2006 01:31 PM
Adam, that's not really how I feel. I'd most likely be just as infuriated with a Labor government (are you listening, Mr Bracks? I hate your stupid ads). And if not, I'd be happy to be lost for anti-government rage if I had to be. I have better ways to spend my time, frankly.
And fluffy, that is totally unreal! If only we could get the music out there somehow. Doo-doo-doo doo-doo doo!
Posted by: Peter at January 23, 2006 08:39 AM
I think it's more the petition crowd rather than the sane people who have political masochism.
Posted by: Adam 1.0 at January 23, 2006 07:23 PM
A good beginning is half the battle... Venetia
Posted by: Venetia at November 22, 2006 07:51 PM
Every why has a wherefore... Emmanuel
Posted by: Emmanuel at November 22, 2006 07:57 PM
Every why has a wherefore... Emmanuel
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The mountain has brought forth a mouse... Richard
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The mountain has brought forth a mouse... Richard
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