Why is the mainstream media angry?

I can hear you asking: ‘Why do you say they are angry?’ Read what they write. Listen to what they say. Judge for yourself. To me, the majority of journalists seem angry about the recent turn of events. Not all, but the majority. Let me elaborate.

On top of her record of passing well over four hundred pieces of legislation since elected, much of it impressively reforming, while presiding over the most vibrant economy in the developed world, and as she performs well on the international stage, PM Gillard’s approval is rising although still low, Tony Abbott’s approval languishes well below, Julia Gillard is comfortably ahead in the PPM stakes, and the polling trend shows a narrowing of the gap between the major parties, although the Coalition is still well ahead.

Political journalists, most of who have been confidently predicting a Coalition landslide and a Labor wipeout in 2013, know from experience that when an election is called the polls will narrow from the current average of 56/44 towards parity. I sense that they see that the tide is slowly turning against the Coalition, and the prospect receding of it winning easily, or even at all, in 2013.

For most of the columnists at News Limited, for Michelle Grattan and Peter Hartcher, to name just two Fairfax journalists, for Tony Jones at the ABC and maybe also for Chris Uhlmann, Leigh Sales, Emma Alberici, and Sabra Lane, the prospect of the Coalition losing again appears to be worrisome, anxiety provoking, even anger generating.

Journalists are fond of talking about ‘context’, often insinuating that as insiders they understand this, while those of us outside their circle do not. They parade what they regard as their profound understanding of the ‘context’ of Canberra. Lenore Taylor did in PM's speech did stir hearts, but remember the context. She and her colleagues argued that we on the outside got it all wrong when we applauded Julia Gillard’s magnificent demolition of Tony Abbott’s sexism and misogyny in her speech last week, and that instead Gillard was the loser on the grounds that she was ‘over the top’ and would thereby lose support, and further that she was being hypocritical by speaking to support the Speaker, himself accused of sexism. Some objected even on the grounds that the word ‘misogyny’ was a misnomer.

Most of them completely missed, or avoided, the crucial point that PM Gillard was defending the entitlement of the Speaker to be afforded due process, to be given the right of reply, to have his extant court case settled before his parliamentary colleagues judged him. They missed that she was defending the processes of the parliament, and its dignity and that of the second most senior office in the House. She was opposing the trashing of proper parliamentary procedure that a ‘Motion to Suspend Standing Orders’, without notice, would bring about. She was NOT supporting Peter Slipper and his unseemly remarks, and she said so emphatically.

But most of the tone-deaf Press Gallery didn’t hear that, most didn’t see what she was doing. Most saw her move as simply another political move. Which demonstrates starkly how their insider status has distorted their hearing and their vision, how seriously it has perverted their understanding of the ‘context’ of Canberra, one that is a product of their own imaginings. Like in the remote Asian mountain village where most of the inhabitants are blind, and therefore being without vision is the norm, blindness and deafness seems to afflict most of our Press Gallery, an affliction of which they, like the remote villagers, seem quite unaware. Moreover, they seem blissfully unaware of the views of the man in the street, and in this case particularly, the woman in the street. Perhaps they are so close to their own context that they cannot see what we do, albeit from the ‘outside’.

This was plainly exhibited on The Wrap last Friday morning on Jon Faine’s ABC 774 Melbourne radio. Regulars, the IPA’s John Roskom, who represents the extreme right, and Sally Warhaft of the Wheeler Centre, who is supposed to give left wing balance, both condemned Julia Gillard’s speech, and continued to do so in the face of over eight out of ten text messages, and a similar proportion of talkback callers, passionately supporting our PM. Roskam simply labelled these people as ‘lefties’ and therefore to be discounted; Warhaft, while somewhat set back on her heels, continued to insist she was right in condemning our PM. I have listened to The Wrap for years but have never heard such condemnation of the panellists by talkback callers, the majority of whom were women. Yet the panellists persisted with their view, unmoved by the strong expression of public opinion, a reflection of the attitude of much of the Canberra Press Gallery.

What on earth has happened to our journalistic elite? Are they on the same planet as we? Denise Allen addresses the same issue in her piece MSM Versus The Fifth Estate on her website Denise Allen Australian Politics. Do read it.

Just a few have called the situation in a balanced way, notably Tim Dunlop, in his article on The Drum Unleashed: The gatekeepers of news have lost their keys that begins: “The past few weeks have made clear that the people are no longer passive observers in the news process. If journalists want to stay relevant, they'd better work with their audience.” Do read it.

The unawareness of most of the Press Gallery was starkly demonstrated in countless opinion pieces. Look at Peter Hartcher’s article: We expected more of Gillard for one of the grossest examples, beginning as it does with: ”If Gillard will not defend respect for women, what will she defend? Just another politician indeed”, and at Michelle Grattan’s: Misogyny war has no winner that begins: ”The PM may have made a hero of herself to some feminists but she did the wrong thing in trying to protect the sexist Peter Slipper.” They seem blind to the matter of high parliamentary principle that PM Gillard was strenuously defending. This is dangerous.

They seem not only disappointed and judgmental, but angry too. Why are they so?

If you want to see anger, take a look at Tony Jones on last Thursday’s Lateline, who ostensibly sought to interview Wayne Swan about the latest job figures before he left for the IMF/World Bank meeting in Tokyo, but who spent the first twelve minutes of the twenty minute interview taking about everything else in an aggressive, adversarial, and at times angry way – the Slipper affair in all its detail, and the bad joke at the CFMEU function – before getting round to jobs. He behaved like ‘counsel for the prosecution’. As he did on the previous night, he homed in on the word ‘misogynist’, asserting that ”it is the worst thing you could say about a man” (about six minutes in), insisting that it meant ‘a hatred of women’. This is where his anger bubbled up noticeably. Clearly, he felt this label for Abbott was unfair, basing his view on the older formal definition of the word: ‘the hatred or dislike of women or girls’, rather than the looser way it is now commonly used, as described in Wikipedia, which says: ”According to feminist theory, misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways, including sexual discrimination, denigration of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification of women”. Surely Jones must be aware of this looser definition, but he chose to labour the formal definition to demean its use by Julia Gillard and her ministers. Why are he and the many others who quibble about the use of the word ‘misogyny’, so angry with Tony Abbott getting a dose of his own disrespectful medicine? Why are they so angry about the contempt Abbott hands out every day being returned?

In my view it is because Jones and others who regularly demean PM Gillard and her Government and look to its replacement by an Abbott led Coalition Government, are becoming increasingly apprehensive about the recent turn of events, beginning with the Alan Jones saga and continuing with PM Gillard’s fine address, which has gone viral around the world, and around this nation too, with now almost 1.9 million YouTube views.

They are concerned too that the alternative PM continues on his aggressive, destructive and demeaning way despite the warning signs that this is not going down well with the voters, that he is making too many mistakes, showing too many lapses of judgement, adhering too closely to his old and now defunct mantras, and consistently declining to address policy and costing issues at his abbreviated and mostly soft interviews with the media. He is looking less and less like prime ministerial material, yet there is no plausible replacement. His supporters, who abound in the mainstream media, are becoming anxious, hoping for a lift in his performance, wishing for a more positive approach, yearning for a rise in his popularity and a widening of the TPP gap, but repeatedly disappointed. Anxiety and disappointment is steadily morphing into irritation, resentment and bubbling anger, which erupts in articles and interviews.

If you didn’t see it, do take a look at the segment on last Sunday’s Insiders: Gillard's misogyny speech taken in context. There you will see Lenore Taylor retreating somewhat from her strident SMH comment on ‘context’, and responding more reasonably to the strong expression of public opinion. You will see Andrew Probyn making his usual sensible comments. You will also see the annoyance and simmering anger of long time Abbott supporter Michael Stutchbury, who defiantly argues that PM Gillard’s speech will harm her among her traditional supporters – the ‘blue collar base’, the ‘union warlords’ and the ‘new professional class’, which he calls ‘the progressives’, labels he repeats several times. He disregards the public response as he defends Abbott, dismissively referring to “…the odd comments of Abbott here and there over time…”, adding, as if in explanation, ”he’s a traditional Catholic…”, whatever that means! The 'odd comments’ indeed! He twists and turns, irritated that the other panellists, and Barrie Cassidy too, disagree with him. He seems to have substituted wishful thinking for logical reasoning. He is infuriated and frustrated, and it shows. Eventually, perhaps to placate the exasperated Stutchbury, the panel ‘agrees’ that Julia Gillard’s address won’t change votes. We will see about that.

Of course, Stutchbury is singing from the same song sheet as others in the Coalition Cheer squad. It is uncanny. It is as if they have all attended the same briefing. In a copy of The Weekend Australian we picked up at a relative’s home, I noticed in Inquirer three articles from the Coalition choir. Paul Kelly wrote: Misogyny will backfire: The PM has wasted her passion on an unworthy cause; Dennis Shanahan’s piece was titled: Grubby attempts to smear Abbott as a hater will leave Labor base unimpressed; and Tom Dusevic had the lead piece: Players in Risky Game: Politicians who are obsessed with point scoring ignore voters at their peril.

Like Stutchbury, all insisted that PM Gillard would be the loser; like Stutchbury, all airbrushed away the persistent vile bullying sexist behaviour and remarks that Abbott has been directing at PM Gillard day after day for years, behaviour which precipitated Julia Gillard’s passionate response. The only concession was that he might have a ‘women problem’; his contemptible behaviour towards the nation’s first female PM was virtually ignored. If you can get behind the paywall, and have the fortitude to read their pieces, you will see the extraordinary uniformity of their offerings, all choristers singing the same hymn, no doubt hoping their words will persuade readers to their view. Wishful thinking has replaced facts and reason.

Take a look too at Paul Sheehan’s defence of Abbott in the SMH: Comments directed at Tony Abbott, where he collects comments in a manner we might expect from kids in the schoolyard seeking to return insults. He would have had to be very annoyed to go to such trouble.

Is their annoyance, apprehension and anger a product of their own political values and orientation? Maybe, but surely not for all of them! Is it the result of groupthink, which we know afflicts so many, making them unprepared to express opinions outside of the mainstream? Is it living in the Canberra ‘echo-chamber’, a term they like to use to describe the Fifth Estate, where the opinions of those in the next office, in the Press Gallery, at their drinking holes, in the parliamentary corridors, are the ones they embrace, rather than those of the electorate? Are they too influenced by opinion polls and focus groups, which are feeding them unreliable information and making unreliable predictions? Are they afraid to deviate from the position they have held for so long that the Coalition is a shoo-in at the next election?

Are they apprehensive that the goodwill that they have built up with Tony Abbott and Coalition members that would ensure they are on their drip feed should the Coalition win government, might be for naught? Are they concerned about writing anything that might evoke the disapproval of Rupert Murdoch? Journalists who work for him would not dare to do so, and those who don’t, might need a job with him. Job insecurity is rife and must influence the behaviour of journalists. If you think this is fantasy, read what Dick Smith says in the SMH: “One ABC journalist said to me: ''Dick, I couldn't mention that your magazine was rejected by the Murdoch press because one day I might have to apply for a job with them.''

How each of these factors operate we cannot know, and I guess journalists would dismiss them as irrelevant. I suppose they will never reveal to us how they feel and think. That would be below them.

The thrust of this piece is that there is mounting anger among mainstream media journalists as the fortunes of the Gillard Government and the stature of PM Gillard improve, and as the performance and stature of the Leader of the Opposition decline, and that this anger is increasingly manifest in their writings and interviews, where they hit out at PM Gillard and her Government, and defend Tony Abbott and his Coalition even more vigorously. The reasons for this are postulated above.

But whatever the reason, I predict we will see more and more anger while the situation improves for the Government and declines for the Coalition. How long journalists will take to adjust to the new reality that a Coalition victory is no longer assured, will be up to them. I suspect it will take quite a while.


What do you think?

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pj

18/10/2012Great essay, spot on, it's as if their brains have departed their bodies, their angst and anger is palpable through their metaphorical pen(s), and we are left to wonder why. I can only reason it is a cult mentality, some are finding an inability of courage to report the facts, the real games being played throughout the country. Sexism is a huge part of that, but not to swim against a 'perceived something'by outing this bias, this distasteful game, they will in turn be seen 'playing the gender card.' Wake up I say, it is Abbott that is playing his gender card, he has stacked the deck and the so called press have lost their guts. There was a tweet from a journo on twitter last night that told Bernard Keane to lighten up, 'it's just fun' when BK called them weak or pathetic for playing PM Gillard's tumble for all it's worth. The young journo made me sick to the stomach, it was if back in the schoolyard -the bully rationalising/justifying his potshots. Our PM is under constant harrassment and bullying, but by goodness she is tough stuff and one hell of a leader. At the end of the day I am inspired by nobody greater than her, time will rewrite the truth of her leadership and achievvments.

pj

18/10/2012The young journo was from the Australian paper btw.

Marilyn

18/10/2012Denise Allen finally got around to pointing out that while Gillard was ranting at Abbott legislation that strips over 100,000 mostly female single parents and their kids of income and education supplements, electricity supplements and other benefits was rammed through parliament. And so far none has mentioned that on the same day the senate rammed through a criminal "law" to incarcerate women and children in tents on a malaria and rabies infested island in the middle of nowhere with no right to work, education, health care, housing, protection, no protection from torture and no protection from deportation back to their deaths in places like Afghanistan and Pakistan. Last night's Drum on ABC though showed up how worthless they are when they are all proven to be wrong. David Hicks charges were declared to be invalid by the US supreme court so Imre and Iriss thought it a good excuse to assassinate his character again instead of actually addressing the fact that all his torture and incarceration were based on laws written 5 years after they bought him for $5,000 while he was trying to leave Afghanistan and long before any US soldiers arrived. We have the worst and laziest media in the western world, that is the fact of the matter. And today's front pages on the Terror and the HUN were repulsive. It is incredibly painful to fall as Gillard did and it is not something to joke about as all the frigging spivs did.

jaycee

18/10/2012The MSM. journalists have fired their best shots already and have missed the mark....They have spent too much time "looking over their shoulders" for approval to sight the target. The ABC. staff journos fear (for good reason) a win by LOTO would mean the selling off of the broadcaster to the highest bidder..and we all know whom that will be! The standard set by the likes of "Red" Kerry and others have been usurped by lesser talented interviewees and they are just not up to the job, prefering the gotcha moment to boost themselves rather than capture the issue. I think the MSM. is more angry at the precariousness of their employment than at the govt'..it's just that it is there that they direct their anger rather than at the boss and his self-destroying agenda!

DoodlePoodle

18/10/2012Agree with your assessment AA. I often wonder how Chris Uhlmann can be so "beastly" and biased in his interviews, married as he is to an ALP MP. Is he doing so purely to stay in the job or is he so much at odds with GB. Might be good to be a fly on the wall in that household.

jaycee

18/10/2012Sorry, that should read : "interviewers"

Bultaco Metrella

18/10/2012A very good article. I believe Tim Dunlop has the essence of it when he writes that they have lost their postion as gatekeepers of the news. Now this public is looking for informed comment that gives us background like the excellent article by Damien Kingsbury in The Drum on Abbott's tow back plans or solid analysis such as we read here.

MWS

18/10/2012Why did none of the commentators who parsed "misogynist" using a dictionary definition mention that Tony Abbott called Peter Slipper's text messages "sexist and misogynist"? They couldn't ignore it - it was the cornerstone of his speech. They talk about "context" yet fail to mention that the PM's speech was in reply to the LOTO's speech which labelled Peter Slipper a misogynist! If (a big IF) the PM wasn't accurately using the term "misogynist", then Abbott certainly wasn't either - and he did it first. As the PM's speech made clear, by Abbott's definition of "misogynist", he qualifies as one too. Unfortunately for the MSM, this could backfire. If people think that the MSM are wrong, completely out-of-touch and biased, then they won't be purchasing their "product." The new media means that the MSM aren't needed - especially if they are wrong. I think last week was a game-changer. People were able to compare Julia Gillard's actual speech with what the commentators were reporting - and many noticed the contradictions and lies.

Patriciawa

18/10/2012Great post, AA! Yes, they are angry aren't they? I think it's because they are being proved wrong and some of them don't like discovering that at all. Others have always known that Tony Abbott was not good PM material, but how many could have guessed how superior Julia Gillard would prove to be? It must be very hard to be a journalist with any self respect in our media world, distorted as it is by the dominance of News Ltd. As you point out, even those in the one third of the media employment market not owned by Rupert Murdoch, know that the jobs are controlled by him and his minions. Having to write copy supporting an unworthy candidate would make me angry. Or if I had been happy to stay with News Ltd as a journo because my own politics were a comfortable fit with them I would not at all like having a woman PM successfully running a centre left reform minority government against all the odds! I can imagine that some of these journalists are decent, self-respecting people, perhaps close to retirement or with dependent families in a world of rapidly shrinking opportunities. Having to toe an editorial line to keep a job would be very depressing. They would know when they not being true to themselves, anathema to anyone with a vestige of journalistic pride. Perhaps some of them turn their anger out against their story's subject, the one person they know does not deserve it. It's interesting to see how cheerful Tim Dunlop looks, writing about this very thing! He is able to speak his mind when urging journalists, as the gatekeepers of news, to stay in touch with their audience. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4305220.html

pj

18/10/2012spot on MWS!! good call.

Ad astra reply

18/10/2012pj Thank you for your comment. I haven’t seen how the MSM have treated the vision of the Julia fall. If you have links please let me have them. What I have read of the MSM behaviour over this, it sound typically disgusting. So many journalists can’t move beyond their nasty sexist attitude to our PM. Marilyn You said in your last paragraph: “[i]And today's front pages on the Terror and the HUN were repulsive. It is incredibly painful to fall as Gillard did and it is not something to joke about as all the frigging spivs did.”[/i] I didn’t see them. Do you have links? jaycee You said: [i]”I think the MSM. is more angry at the precariousness of their employment than at the govt'…it's just that it is there that they direct their anger rather than at the boss and his self-destroying agenda![/i]” You are right, and after Channel Ten’s sacking of many journalists today, with more too come, the anger will increase. DoodlePoodle Uhlmann is an enigma. Remember though that he once trained for a Catholic seminary, so is tarred with Abbott’s brush. I too would love to be a fly on the wall of the Uhlmann home. Bultaco Metrella Thank you for your comment. Do you have a link to the Damian Kingsbury article? He writes well. MWS The use of the old definition of ‘misogyny’ was simple a smoke screen used by journalists to avoid confronting Abbott’s sexism and flagrant misogyny, as ordinary people understand it.

2353

18/10/2012Good reflection AA. I wonder if the anger is because the traditional wisdom was that the Government would not last and they have been proved incorrect added to a tad of hypersensitivity over Abbott's continual diatribe over the past couple of years?

Ad astra reply

18/10/2012Patriciawa Thank you for your kind comment. There is much merit in your second last paragraph: “[i]I can imagine that some of these journalists are decent, self-respecting people, perhaps close to retirement or with dependent families in a world of rapidly shrinking opportunities. Having to toe an editorial line to keep a job would be very depressing. They would know when they not being true to themselves, anathema to anyone with a vestige of journalistic pride. Perhaps some of them turn their anger out against their story's subject, the one person they know does not deserve it.”[/i] 2353 Thank you for your comment. I believe there is a lot of truth in what you say.

KHTAGH

18/10/2012Another good one AA. Two examples:- I can only think that with the reaction over the blond Aussie [one of their own,(journalist)] held up in an embassy in the UK [for doing his job], the inability to report what is right in front of their faces the truth in government, people have forgotten what being a journalist actually is, it is the only conclusion that fits the evidence. I would like to add, their are not the only ones angry, seems a lot of us a pretty angry at the reporting too, with due reason.

KHTAGH

18/10/2012are pretty angry

Bultaco Metrella

18/10/2012The link to the Damian Kingsbury article I lauded above is http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4317894.html

Casablanca

18/10/2012AA Spot on as always! As you say, [quote]'Journalists are fond of talking about ‘context’, often insinuating that as insiders they understand this, while those of us outside their circle do not'.[/quote] Ever since their extraordinary groupthink response to the PM's speech I have been reminding journalists of ‘context’ whenever I correspond with them to complain about articles & reports. Previously I was inclined to use words like spin, bias, obfuscation, wilful misleading and such like. Now, I ever so helpfully provide the journalist with additional detail to help them with framing their analyses around a more considered and accurate ‘context’. I used this ‘contextual’ approach in an email to Simon Cullen which I posted at the end of Victoria’s last contribution. (Casablanca @ October 18. 2012 04:54 PM). I hope reminding them of 'context' will prick a few consciences but I guess that it would be unwise to hold my breath in the meantime.

Kate

18/10/2012A very interesting article, as always on this site. I wonder, too, whether there may be an additional explanation. Many of the most outraged and bitter commentators are male, past the mid-point of their lives, and in a dying industry. I wonder if they are disturbed by the gradual erosion of that sense of entitlement that being white, male and influential used to bring. Julia Gillard, particularly in the way she replaced Kevin Rudd, must represent their very worst fears about the future.

Michael

18/10/2012Was it George Bernard Shaw who said "those who can do, those who can't teach"? A paraphrase both in support of AA's article and shaped by simple observation of the mainstream Press groupthink might be, "those in politics represent their beliefs and the people who share them; those who write about politics have to believe they make politicians succeed or fail". It's actually the voters who do that, not bloviating Press card from a cereal box scribblers. Political commentators are always left in a just-passed caravan's dust. The best of them provide a detailed description of what just happened, and can piece together how events reached that stage, but it is quite literally 'old news'. History already. Watergate was not a "Stop the presses!" morning after story, it was pieced together slow-boil hard work by the investigative reporters who joined Sisyphus pushing rocks till they finally wore down the hill. The Canberra Press gallery seems determined to write tomorrow's news - they're trying to frame what they expect to happen (were polls-guaranteed would happen), a Coalition victory 'tomorrow' that they will be on record all these past 24 months as having said before it (inevitably) happens. In short, they've been laying the foundations for an applauded punditry and big book sales on a 'sure thing'. Now that 'sure thing', PM Abbott and the Coalition government in Canberra after a 'landslide election win' is possibly slipping away from 'certainty' to 'likely possibility' to 'tight', they are nervous, feeling caught out, and becoming bitter. That bitterness is currently directed at PM Gillard because she is spoiling their laid-out dead-certainty future. They might have to re-write or even ditch whole chapters of the books meant to come out the Monday after election weekend, the books already written, already cast against the 'sure thing'. But I can promise you one thing, as soon as Abbott becomes so on the nose with the voting public that he is seen as sinking the prospects of a Coalition win, the Press will turn on him with a vengeance not seen since the Furies stamped around Ancient Greece. That bitterness will flow, soon. And Abbott won't know what him. Nor will Turnbull, who will so 'humbly, very 'umbly, Uriah Heep', mince forward to take a chalice so poisonous it gives off fumes that only an ego like his could mistake for ambrosia. Will they have learned a thing, the Press? Nope, they'll just look for more scapegoats, their ties will be more tightly knotted, their necks stringier, their certainties even more straitened, and the caravan... Passed them by.

Michael

18/10/2012Missed one very important word: That bitterness will flow, soon. And Abbott won't know what hit him. Nor will Turnbull, who will so 'humbly, very 'umbly, Uriah Heep', mince forward to take a chalice so poisonous it gives off fumes that only an ego like his could mistake for ambrosia. Will they have learned a thing, the Press? Nope, they'll just look for more scapegoats, their ties will be more tightly knotted, their necks stringier, their certainties even more straitened, and the caravan... Passed them by.

Frank

18/10/2012This is one of the best places to visit to get a fair perspective on what is really going on. Add to your assessment of the usual media, they also ensure that pro-Coalition letters to the editor far outnumber the pro-government letters that are published. We can defeat Tony Abbott but we must get our own media outlet to combat the lies and tendentious reporting of the mainstream media.

Ad astra reply

18/10/2012KHTAGH Thank you for your comment. You are right – no matter how angry our MSM journalists are, we are even angrier at their incompetence and disingenuousness. Bultaco Metrella Thanks for the Kingsbury link. That is a very sound piece of journalism on international affairs that everyone should read. Casablanca Thank you for your comment. I smiled when I read: [i]”Now, I ever so helpfully provide the journalist with additional detail to help them with framing their analyses around a more considered and accurate ‘context’.”[/i], a beautiful way of giving them some of their own medicine, provided that they are smart enough to get your message! Kate If you haven’t been here before, welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i] family. Do come again. Your contention sounds very plausible: “[i]Many of the most outraged and bitter commentators are male, past the mid-point of their lives, and in a dying industry. I wonder if they are disturbed by the gradual erosion of that sense of entitlement that being white, male and influential used to bring. Julia Gillard, particularly in the way she replaced Kevin Rudd, must represent their very worst fears about the future.[/i]” Michael What a perspicacious analysis you have made; encapsulated so well in two of your paragraphs: [i]”That bitterness is currently directed at PM Gillard because she is spoiling their laid-out dead-certainty future. They might have to re-write or even ditch whole chapters of the books meant to come out the Monday after election weekend, the books already written, already cast against the 'sure thing'.

 “But I can promise you one thing, as soon as Abbott becomes so on the nose with the voting public that he is seen as sinking the prospects of a Coalition win, the Press will turn on him with a vengeance not seen since the Furies stamped around Ancient Greece”[/i], and as you added in your following comment: “[i]That bitterness will flow, soon.[/i]” Frank Thank you for your astute observations. Your final sentence: [i]”We can defeat Tony Abbott but we must get our own media outlet to combat the lies and tendentious reporting of the mainstream media.”[/i] is spot on. That is the task of the Fifth Estate.

Ad astra reply

18/10/2012Folks I'm calling it a day and going off to watch [i]Lateline[/i].

TalkTurkey

19/10/2012Ad astra said: [i]What do you think?[/i] Esteemed Scribe, what I think is that all-up there is no-one on the Fighting 5th Estate who is as cogent sensible sober perspicacious focused and even at times amusing as your own good self. Every time I read one of your threads I feel that anew. Were it not for TPS with you at its head, and Lyn keeping us up with the best of everyone else, I could not have felt the strength of purpose and the optimism I have been able to maintain within, and I hope, beyond myself ever since I happened across this blog. It is because of your focus on exactly the same things I have always loved and hated - I nearly said hated [i]alone[/i], sign of the times! - that I felt instantly at home here, and when on that brief occasion we met, it was just like tasting wine after testing its nose (or is that one's own?) where the physical contact is mere confirmation of what had already been a more sublime experience. (I think it was Spike Milligan who used that metaphor sort-of in PUCKOON, but, well, he didn't use it as a metaphor, he was talking about the wine itself.) But yes, I felt that, just as we synchro-meshed then, so I felt with TPS from the first. I have never read a better effort than this of yours today Ad. Musing, aside: It is such a pity that we have so [i]much[/i] to hate, that a mindset of optimistic cooperation does not reign instead. Must it always be so? Must there always be Abborttians? (Abbortt is but the worst and latest of a long line of his ilk, but he [i]is[/i] the worst ever). And I fear that were he to be elected, he would cement forever a mindset of hatred into this once-hopeful leader amongst Free World nations. But why is that outcome being fomented so single-mindedly and universally by the MSM? Long ago on this site I said they remind me of the movie [i]The Stepford Wives[/i], in which all the feisty wives of rich successful men, brought to an American-idyllic town, quite suddenly become submissive and obedient, perfect wives to their Abbortt-like misogynistic husbands. [i]How come?[/i] It is a constant source of dismay and amazement to me, one for which I can find no certain plausible answer except for one, really the Elephant in the House. Ad you canvass several possibilities. Before I posit my one more, let me quote your two paragraphs: [i]Is their annoyance, apprehension and anger a product of their own political values and orientation? Maybe, [u]but surely not for all of them[/u]! Is it the result of groupthink, which we know afflicts so many, making them unprepared to express opinions outside of the mainstream? Is it living in the Canberra ‘echo-chamber’, a term they like to use to describe the Fifth Estate, where the opinions of those in the next office, in the Press Gallery, at their drinking holes, in the parliamentary corridors, are the ones they embrace, rather than those of the electorate? Are they too influenced by opinion polls and focus groups, which are feeding them unreliable information and making unreliable predictions? Are they afraid to deviate from the position they have held for so long that the Coalition is a shoo-in at the next election? Are they apprehensive that the goodwill that they have built up with Tony Abbott and Coalition members that would ensure they are on their drip feed should the Coalition win government, might be for naught? Are they concerned about writing anything that might evoke the disapproval of Rupert Murdoch? Journalists who work for him would not dare to do so, and those who don’t, might need a job with him. Job insecurity is rife and must influence the behaviour of journalists. If you think this is fantasy, read what Dick Smith says in the SMH: “One ABC journalist said to me: ''Dick, I couldn't mention that your magazine was rejected by the Murdoch press because one day I might have to apply for a job with them.''[/i] Well now, let's go back to that first one: '...their own political values and orientation.' You comment, [u]'surely not for all of them'[/u]. [i]Surely?[/i] Hang on . . . Firstly, the employees of anything Murdoch are ALL, obviously, personally rusted-on hand-graded specifically-selected Rightards. Anything less than utter Stepfordwife obedience has for long been weeded-out, sidelined, anybody with the slightest hint of independent thought [i]unpromoted[/i]. That is almost universal, though the odd clown like that little bunny fugger on Ch 10 is sometimes allowed to be a tad irreverent - as long as they are trivial with it. Real opposition is never permitted. The newspapers around Australia, and the commercial channels' panel-talk programs, could all be swapped around, and you'd hardly notice the difference. They are all of the same herd, and all wear the same brand. And even those of the other commercial media are equally in the thrall of equally cynical ownership - now failing dramatically it would seem, but that is beside the point, which is that they are all the same politically. Only when one reads a tiny truly independent newspaper like Broken Hill's [i]Barrier Daily Truth[/i] does the bias of the mainstream newspapers dawn. As for parallel examples of televisionstations, they don't exist. So there's MOST of the media living happily in Stepford. Politically aligned like iron filings on a magnet. But what of the ABC? Taht is the amazing part. Well. Let's look at the personalities involved in the political programs. Uhlmann. Sales. Alberici. Iggulden. Karen Middleton. The breakfast trivialists, who do count too. Sabra Lane. Annabel Crabbe. They are all [i]youngish[/i]. All post-Keating, that is, all Howard-era appointments. Sure there are a few dinosaurs like Cassidy on Lopsiders, like Fran Kelly on radio, but their political prejudices for one reason or another are plain anyway, and they are there to invite such ancient bigots as Reith and Grattan on to their shows. So why think the MSM is anything but politically of the same water? They have been appointed and more pointedly promoted under Mark Scott, - himself a Howard ex-staffer I understand - for their Stepford compatibility, and yes, at base of all the other reasons you posit Ad, is the fact that the bias was and is to be found in their selection and advancement. The ones most sympathetic to the Right are given the plum jobs, they are public face of the ABC, and that completes the Grand Slam of comment monopolisation in Australia. Mark Scott, the stalking horse for Howard, is at the root of it all. He has usurped the People's ABC, and now there is no credible voice for the Left, or even a rational Centre, left. Still we must fight with what we have, and Comrades, were it not for the enormity of our adversaries, the Fighting 5th Estate would have nothing like the power we are now finding in rising to the challenge of beating them. Fear not. With *J*U*L*I*A* at our head in Canberra, and our own wits, we [i]will[/i] prevail. The stuck-pig squeals of the Hartchers and Bolts are proof positive. VENCEREMOS Comrades! [i]NO PASARAN! [/i]

nasking

19/10/2012 Ad, great post. More tomorrow...incl a reply to some contributors. [b]CONGRATS PM GILLARD, BOB CARR, RICHARD MARLES and the ALP-led govt for saving the Security Council seat bid...WELL DONE. Good move by Rudd too. Abbott and co look like short-sighted DICKHEADS.[/b] N'

Patriciawa

19/10/2012Hi TT! Thanks for that insight into how our ABC has been infiltrated. So easy to understand now! I was so impressed by Julia's speech which reminded me immediately of another Aussie ranga from the seventies. Millions of women responded to Helen Reddy all those years ago, but millions responded to our ranga, Julia Gillard, too! Is this a breach of copyright? I can't seem to find an address to write to ask for permission to use it. So meantime I won't work on it, it's just a draft! Can you advise? Meantime it really pleases me to think of Stephen Fry telling his millions of Facebook friends that Tony Abbott is repulsive! It somehow makes up for all those times he and his friend Jones have called our PM a liar. [b]Women near and far are calling Julia![/b] We are women! From near and far We are calling Julia To let you know we’re with you to the end. We raise you a loud hurrah, Cos though a super-star You’ve been insulted once too often to pretend. He called you liar, tried to frame you, Tried in many ways to shame you, But instead roused so much anger That once he had inflamed you Women everywhere acclaimed you, Another mighty Aussie ranga! We are women, how we’ve grown, Not always going it alone. There are men who know what’s fair and right. But for some it’s still a battle zone To keep the world their own. For that they’re ready any time to fight. In spite of them you have come far, You're number one here, Julia! And now thanks to Mr. Jones, The whole world knows who you are! Women and men have hit the phones! Misogynists Downunder, Au revoir!

Patriciawa

19/10/2012Hi Nasking, isn't that great! Congratulations, Australia!

nasking

19/10/2012 Abbott is a a walking disaster zone...should come with a warning...[b]MAY CONTAIN DOPEY BRAIN FARTS:[/b] http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3597058.htm N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]The words of a dickhead: [/b] [quote]Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says it would be "absolutely disastrous" for Australia to fail in its bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council given the millions of dollars spent on the campaign. Australia is competing against Finland and Luxembourg for two places on the council, with voting to begin early tomorrow in New York. "If Australia can't come first or second in a three-horse race involving Finland and Luxembourg, there's something wrong with us," Mr Abbott told reporters in Melbourne. "Given the millions and millions of dollars and the extraordinary dislocation of diplomatic priorities, it would be absolutely disastrous for our country if we didn't win this ballot. AUDIO: Finns confident of outbidding Australia at UN (The World Today) "Let's face it, it shouldn't be too hard to win a race against Finland and Luxembourg."[/quote] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-18/abbott-on-un-security-council-bid/4320110 Better get out his BOATPHONE and find out what happened. :D N'

nasking

19/10/2012 Hi Patricia, great news indeed. And top poem BTW. Now I can hit the sack. The Abbott all-spin zone bites the dust. N'

Ad astra reply

19/10/2012Folks What a well-deserved triumph for Australia, due to the efforts of Kevin Rudd, who initiated our bid for a non-permenant UN Security Council seat, Julia Gillard, Bob Carr, Richard Marles, and other ministerial and diplomatic staff. To win so convincingly on the first ballot is a measure of the respect 140 other nations have for our country. I wonder how our LOTO and his team will react. Thank you for your overnight comments, to which I will respond later this morning.

Truth Seeker

19/10/2012Ad, great article, as always, and yes they are angry and with good reason. Since the announcement of the NBN, there has been a concerted effort by the media barrons to maintain the status quo (19 century) to support their business model. What this meant, for what are 'mostly' intelligent Journos, was putting their credibility and jobs on the line. The investment made by these MSM organisations in trying to get rid of ALP is massive, and they have been thwarted at every turn by Julia Gillard and her team by simply getting on with the job. Now, as previously stated, for the most part Journos are smart (and in my experience with writers generally) creative people, who have been "persuaded" to prostitute their profession as well as their professional ethics to support the 'head in the sand mentality' of the powers that be, with business models that are two centuries out of date. And now, with around 10% of journos joining the dole queues despite towing the "party" line for the greater good, when they were spending half their lives waiting for a presser, after the opening of an envelope, that was then going to take all their creative prowess to come up with a headline, that would make any sense at all! Of course they're angry. To quote one Maxwell Smart... "If only they used their powers for niceness instead of evil" Anyway, on a matter of indulgence, I know that I posted this a couple of months ago but it lightheartedly emphasises my point, and is relevant to the current discussion. The Media. The conference called, the scrum was set, and the OB trucks plugged in As the Journo’s and the camera crews got ready for the spin A whirl wind tour of misinformation, slogans and downright lies That attracts our illustrious media like our garbage attracts flies And so they wait with baited breath to hang on every word Hoping for a headline scoop, a hope they know.. to be absurd Then the crowd is hushed as the Abbott and co step forward to the mics And their Tony starts his diatribe complete with barbs and spikes Designed for maximum effect to drive his message through Riding roughshod over fact and truth to hoodwink me and you And his slogan filled Invective keeps him confident and strong While his minders look on nervously hoping nothing will go wrong When his rambling finally ceased, he said “We’ll take your questions now” And the usual suspects, cap in hand, begin to scrape and bow Then a cub reporter fresh from uni and wet behind the ears Asked a bold yet relevant question realising everybody’s fears And the minders all looked panicked and the journo’s all looked shocked And his front bench shifted nervously as the Abbott went off half cocked He stammered and he stuttered, then said “Let me just say this” But his response was incoherent, filled with naught but wind and piss So he reverted to his tried and true and blamed the government But the cub reporter asked again and the Abbotts brain was spent Then the head began to wobble with the stare, adding its part But the journo’s were distracted by the smell of his brain fart So while Abbott bolted, Bishop stepped up, all prim and looking spruced But her expression really said it all.. “I’ve just been verbally goosed!” Then the mincing poodle took the stage, a fire in his tummy With nostrils flared and eyes ablaze…. he spat another dummy Then Hockey sought to join the fray, his large jowls all a-quiver Stating “Lower tax and interest rates you know we will deliver.” But the cub piped up so loud and clear asking “How’s that to be done?” But because of the impertinent cub, they were no longer having fun So the conference ended and all the pollies quickly walked away And the journo’s left to write their tripe for the headlines the next day While reporters smiled into their cameras, saying “back to the studio.” And the morning anchors lauded them, then returned to their spin promoting show. And the next days headlines in the papers read “Another Abbott win.” Ignoring facts and truthfulness and promoting only spin And the mainstream commentators all said……holding hands to hearts That the Abbott’s surely got it all…. ignoring his brain farts So the fifth estate said enough’s enough and with minds of one accord Tore down the media’s empires and put them to The Political Sword. Cheers

Lyn

19/10/2012TODAY’S LINKS Australia Wins Seat On United Nations Security Council, Australian Politics Com. Australia has won a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council, winning 140 votes out of 193 to comfortably defeat Luxembourg and Finland http://australianpolitics.com/2012/10/19/australia-wins-seat-on-un-security-council.html The Politics of ‘WEOG’ – Australia’s bid for a seat at the table, Brenton Baldwin Australia began its Security Council campaign relatively late (March 2008). Australia’s rival candidates, Luxembourg and Finland announced their candidacies in 2001 and 2002 respectively. Australia’s rivals both have strong cases in support of their election and are providing stern opposition to Australia’s bid. Luxembourg has never been a member of the Security Council. It enjoys a political profile of a small and non-threatening European nation with strong diplomatic relations with fellow EU neighbours. Finland http://brentonbaldwin.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/the-politics-of-weog-australias-bid-for-a-seat-at-the-table A note on “Journasplaining”, Limited News So who does Kerr imagine his audience is? Who are these people who find such value in horse-race ‘who-won-the-day’ Gallery “analysis”? Let’s be honest, when was the last time you heard someone say “Wow, did you read Grattan/Shanahan/Hartcher today? Nailed it!”? I can’t remember ever hearing this, I thought I’d look at some objective figures. By using social media analytics I analysed mentions (both in social media and in comment fields on news websites) over the past month of senior Gallery journalists Grattan, Hartcher, Shanahan, Phillip Coorey and Hugh Riminton. http://limitednews.com.au/2012/10/a-note-on-journasplaining/ Public engagement stifled by an overbearing elite, Tim Dunlop, The Drum And to top it all off, journalists stop writing for a mass audience and instead talk to each other via their columns and on their TV and radio shows, confident that their take on matters is not only superior but the only game in town.The public space in which citizens might involve themselves in important discussions and thus learn about them and contribute to them is crowded out by elites http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4317978.html Abbott predicts 'filthiest' election campaign, Simon Cullen, ABC One of the reasons why I can say with absolute confidence that the next election campaign will be the filthiest and the most personal in living memory is because you just have to look at how Labor treats its own to see how they're going to treat their political opponents in a very hard fought election contest." http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-18/abbott-reax-to-rudd/4320702 Carbon tax lies, Dave’s Archives The word “lie” attracts a disproportionately emotive response compared to other forms of deception. Nevertheless, I will briefly point out that Tony Abbott has told a very succinct lie in the following statement, quoted by the ABC, in relation to electricity transmission costs: http://davec.org/2012/10/carbon-tax-lies/ Alan Jones to be retrained and his radio broadcasts monitored and fact-checked by 2GB, Clarence Girl Harbour Radio Pty Ltd, the licensee of Sydney radio station 2GB, has agreed to overhaul its processes to ensure reasonable efforts are made to verify facts and present significant viewpoints in its current affairs programs. 2GB conducted a review of its compliance processes following ACMA investigations which found breaches of the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice. http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/ Alan Jones’ new porkies test: fact-checker for shock jock, Matthew Knott, Crikey 2GB admitted to the media watchdog that “no research was conducted by staff and that Mr Jones researched the figures himself”. A 2GB review subsequently found the station does have fact-checking measures in place, but that Jones’ editorial pieces do not always include the involvement of his wider editorial team. http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/10/18/alan-jones-new-porkies-test-fact-checker-for-shock-jock/ very naughty parrot: ACMA sends Alan Jones back to schoolm, Genna Price, The Conversation What 2GB found when it went looking, were serious shortcomings in the research practices on the Alan Jones show. From now, those who work with Mr Jones will be forced to check third-party claims which Alan Jones has broadcast without checking in the past. http://theconversation.edu.au/a-very-naughty-parrot-acma-sends-alan-jones-back-to-school-10212 Radio National Won't Cut Quality, Michael Mason, New Matilda Fears that ‘cheap storytelling’ will drown out the diverse voices and styles for which Radio National is known are unfounded. Radio National manager Michael Mason replies to Siobhan McHugh http://newmatilda.com/2012/10/18/radio-national-wont-cut-quality Risking nuclear over safe renewables, Ludwig Heinrich, Independent Australia the question is not really whether or not we should move to renewable energy generation – because we already are, and combined with increasing efficiency, this represents our best energy option – but rather, it is how can we maximise the social good of changing to clean energy sources. With 2.26 million Australians living below the poverty line, and much of our built and natural environments needing repair, http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/international/risking-nuclear-over-safe-renewables/ MI-SOG-Y-NY Hijacked by Pedants, Corinne Grant, The Hoopla While referring to the modern definition of misogyny, Shorten was lectured by host Tony Jones who said, “you’ve redefined a word that’s in the dictionary to suit your own means”. This was then backed up by a male audience member, who continually kept quoting this same mysterious ‘dictionary’ as if it was the bible. The same argument had also played out in The Australian over the weekend. http://thehoopla.com.au/hijacked-pedants/ Are you sick of hearing about the 'gender wars' in politics?, Womens Agenda Remember this is the man who said when it came to universal paid maternity leave that it would be over his dead body that we'd ever have such a provision in Australia. A bloke who on an attitudinal basis said that women were biologically or psychologically non predisposed to positions of authority. http://www.womensagenda.com.au/talking-about/top-stories/are-you-sick-of-hearing-about-the-gender-wars-in Calling a Scumbag a Scumbag: Rupert Murdoch’s Revealing Twitter Habit, Eric Ellis, The Global Mail He’s had a Twitter account since December 2011. And, what fun, he’s amassed 342,000 followers since then, tweeting on all manner of topics. But he reserves particular venom for those he perceives as enemies, traitors and anyone who stand in his way: the BBC, The New York Times, Australia’s Fairfax, Hugh Grant and other phone-hacking victims, the British Prime Minister David Cameron, the Obama administration, China. http://www.theglobalmail.org/blog/calling-a-scumbag-a-scumbag-rupert-murdochs-revealing-twitter-habit/430/ MYEFO Madness. Research is shutting down, Peter Martin Australia’s medical and scientific research system is in chaos ahead of next week’s budget update with as many as 4000 of the nation’s top researchers uncertain of their futures and without guidance. http://www.petermartin.com.au/ Telstra's post-NBN future , Mark Gregory, Technology Spectator Another potential growth area for Telstra’s wholesale division will be the growth of customer choice products. As part of Telstra’s new customer focus mantra, customers will be permitted to request services offered by Telstra’s competitors and vice versa. Customers will have the ability to request access to services offered by companies within Australia or overseas. Some potential scenarios may include, Telstra offering AFL football coverage to non-Telstra customer’s mobile devices or permitting customers to request access to the Optus library of old movies – http://technologyspectator.com.au/telstras-post-nbn-future Memo From Tina Brown to All Staff Re- Newsweek’s Digital Future, Newsweek our business has been increasingly affected by the challenging print advertising environment, while Newsweek’s online and e-reader content has built a rapidly growing audience through the Apple, Kindle, Zinio and Nook stores as well on The Daily Beast. Tablet-use has grown rapidly among our readers and with it the opportunity to sustain editorial excellence through swift, easy digital distribution - a superb global platform for our award-winning journalism. http://newsweek.tumblr.com/post/33830925419/memo-from-tina-brown-to-all-staff-re-newsweeks Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 19 October 2012 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Michael

19/10/2012Bad Abbott. Apparently Australia has actually failed in securing a temporary seat on the UN Security Council because we'll only have it for two years. That every temporary seat on the Council is a two year tenure seems to have escaped the perspicacious nit-picker Leader of the RePosition. This buffoon Abbott is an embarrassment of Berlusconi proportions.

jaycee

19/10/2012It will be interesting to see how the MSM. spin the UN. success today....More negativity?...even Tabbott's conceeding was delivered in a negative way!

KHTAGH

19/10/2012Morning all, a question for anyone in the know, Who will sit in the seat on the security council? could Julia offer it to Rudd as a reason to get behind her & win the next election & then allow him to take the seat as a prize he organized? just a thought I had this morning & could it work as the international stage is where he prefers to be anyway. WELL done Aussieland!

paul walter

19/10/2012Wretched (and inaptly named) Christian Kerr- the New Milne. Has ever there been a more valueless piece of flotsam or jetsam on Tabloid Beach? Security Council, our chance to tell the fibs of the Big Ally for it. Finally Marilyn's comment. Were Labor to be just a little less prone to a tendency toward expediency, its credibility would be higher and it would find itself slipping less easily into the sort of situation exemplified by the Slipper speech, where they had to fight their way out of a corner again. A real politician could have "had" them. Abbott, on the other hand, wouldn't know a real political issue if he fell over one. In a two way shoot out Labor is still ahead the coalition, but let's not have any illusions about either.

Truth Seeker

19/10/2012Interesting that none of the front pages that I have seen mention the UN seat win. They just can't help themselves. Cheers

Ad astra reply

19/10/2012LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

jaycee

19/10/2012Just perused the front pages of the dailies....certainly no headline on the UN. win..truly they are junk status papers..What sort of newspaper neglects the news!!?? Even as a market necessity they are stupid beyond comprehension.

Truth Seeker

19/10/2012Patricia, another fine poem. Cheers

jaycee

19/10/2012let's seriously analyse the journalists conumdrum...On the experience I have gleened over the years in the building trade, customers start to get angry and dissatisfied when their money starts to run out. Using this as a foundation to build upon, we have; a)Journalists filing stories that get rejected by the editors for not toeing the company "Political line"..b) The same journalists then have to write copy they know is sloppy and bad to get their pay. c) Such stories they write are being scorned by the reading public because it is stupid or distorted( mark that the "reading public" consists mostly of centre/left discerning, educated people)and the papers are not selling. d) The editors are blaming and sacking the journo's because "THEY" are not pulling their weight!......"Damned if they do,..." Of course, the newspapers say the advertising is going to the internet....But what comes first?..I'd say the advertising goes to where the customer base is...and when the newspapers are deserting their solid reader base for junk politicising, the customers go elsewhere..as does the advertising. I'll repeat myself when I state that in the days when The Age and certain Fairfax publications were left-wing, they were "fat and prosperous"...and as an aside, if the right-wing readership had the capacity or the interest to maintain and enhance their political conversation, The Australian would be showing a handsom profit! At this point in time..BOTH are of the right..BOTH are losing.

Michael

19/10/2012It's definite! Karl Stefanovic is joining 60 Minutes! Why does this matter? How do I know? It doesn't, and I'm guessing on the following 'evidence' that folds in to the broader thesis of this post topic. Throwing to a news story this morning, he read from his auto cue, "A Domino Pizza was held up... that's a Domino Pizza store was held up this morning...". He corrected the lazy journalism of whoever wrote his script. Ergo, just letting us know he's a serious journalist (in waiting), but, in doing so, also demonstrated just how casual journalism has become. OK, say "it's only TV", but it's the attitude that counts, the attitude that news reporting can just be tossed out to us any old way. That's lazy, that's incompetent, that's degrading the actual point of 'the news' - we are being told what happened. Tell us sloppily, it's not news anymore, it's a stab at the news. 'Good enough will do'. "Good enough" won't. And Karl Stefanovic, of all people, called it Wonder how the Nauruan government and people are taking to Abbott's promise that their country will 'officially' be a penal colony under Coalition plans to ensure asylum seekers sent to Nauru stay at least five years? (See front page The Australian) 'PM Abbott' setting Nauru's foreign policy!? Another 'victory' for the Anglosphere and the white man's burden that Abbott espouses with every word he utters on anyone with family not traceable back to just West of the White Cliffs of Dover. Berlusconi, Yeltsin, Putin - Abbott manifests them all in one sloppy package.

nasking

19/10/2012 Truth Seeker...meant to say I like yer gravatar. The PM and the fine blogs like The Political Sword need all the fine cyber-warriors they can get...a poet and a warrior...thumbs up. N'

Steve1

19/10/2012If the MSM was writing about the 2012 AFL Grand Final, they would be explaining how Hawtorn actually won that game. They had more possessions, more clearances, more shots on goal and the fact they didn't score as much as Sydney should simply be ignored. In the MSM universe, Hawthorn won the 2012 Premiership and Abbott won the debate.

Truth Seeker

19/10/2012Nas thanks for your kind words and the feedback on the new gravatar. I have now gone to Truth Seeker for comments on all blogs, and thought a new gravatar was called for. So far I have received only positive feedback, so it looks like i'll stick with it. We all take up the fight in our own ways, and with one or two notable exceptions, try to stick to the truth and opinions based on facts. GO the fighting fifth. Cheers comrades in arms!

TalkTurkey

19/10/2012Whacko Everybody, What a great win, in face of Abbortt's disgraceful performances naysaying our UN bid! But Whacko Everybody on all your great short long rhyming different quirky informative passionate contributions to The Political Sword. We the ordiinary bloggers are the third leg of TPS, there's Ad astra, and Lyn, and Us. Three legs is what we need. (Triangulation is the arrangement that gives strength.) We are all important to the Sword. There is nothing like The Political Sword, really, in all the World. How could there be? Certainly not in Australia, and there's nowhere else that is the right size. US too big, Canada too monstered by US, UK too big already though it is the only place a-bit-similar thing might be put together. But not really. And New Zealand might be interesting, I don't know what's there but something might be happeneing there for all I know. (We don't talk much with NZ do we, a great shame imo. I respect Kiwis, on average, better than I like my own countrymen I'm afraid. Ever since the Vietnam War, and the Grubber.) NZ is a bit small, but the people are friendly. But after that there's no more suitable English-speaking places of the right size and shape. Australia is it really. And if not English-speaking, not really comparable. And most of all, only TPS has Lyn and ad astra. So Comrades, just remember and be aware that together we are creating a unique archive uninterrupted for the last two+ years that I can vouch for, be proud, this is really something. I'm in a hurry now, must quit, it would have been purpler but I must go. VENCEREMOS! :) preobably

KHTAGH

19/10/2012TT I also like your new gravitar very fetching.

KHTAGH

19/10/2012sorry Gravatar

2353

19/10/2012A discussion on why dictionary definitions change (using the PM's recent speech as an example) http://blogs.crikey.com.au/fullysic/2012/10/18/misogyny-a-conspiracy-theory/. This was the lead story on the Brisbane Times site this morning around 7:30 http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/australia-wins-membership-of-un-security-council-20121019-27uny.html. It has since sedged into a Phillip Coorey opinion piece that Rudd is planning another comeback.

nasking

19/10/2012 Good one Truth Seeker. I've always been attracted to that name...good choice. LYN, thnx for the valuable links...I'm putting them gradually up @ http://www.facebook.com/nick.king.1232760?ref=tn_tnmn with a few other links...including American politics. I'll have to catchup on yesterday's links...this bear was a wee bit worse for wear after a few stress relieving drinks (French wine and Scottish Whisky) on Wed night - yes, ya noticed by my music choice going up :D I think I'll stick to meditation, Tension Tamer tea by Celestial Seasonings, Taurine from Biovea online...and start doing some yoga again...less headaches and bad tummy. :( Also, my iPad keeps losing connection...so the linking will be a slow process...well, slow for me. :D GO JULIA N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]'PM Abbott' setting Nauru's foreign policy!? Another 'victory' for the Anglosphere and the white man's burden that Abbott espouses with every word he utters on anyone with family not traceable back to just West of the White Cliffs of Dover. Berlusconi, Yeltsin, Putin - Abbott manifests them all in one sloppy package.[/b] Michael, Abbott sleeps with nasty and over-the-top macho bedfellows. Well said BTW. I enjoy reading yer comments. N'

MWS

19/10/2012I found this comment by "creme brulee" on Tim Dunlop's piece in The Drum and thought it deserved a wider audience: [quote]It is fair enough for Tony to predict a filthy and personal election campaign. After all, if he does not know what the Liberal election campaign strategy is, who would?[/quote]

Truth Seeker

19/10/2012Nas, thanks again. I know where you are coming from in regards to the "demon" scotch, which I have to say I am probably going to enjoy a session of soon after lunch when my friend comes over for his weekly recording session / thrashing at darts. It must be compulsory for us political warriors to suffer for our relaxation :-) Cheers

MWS

19/10/2012I don't listen to 2GB, but I am [b]astounded[/b] to read that they have a "research team." Apart from checking for new posts on "Wattsupwiththat.com" they would have nothing to do. After all, no facts, no fact-checking.

nasking

19/10/2012 Indeed Truth Seeker, luv recording sessions...and darts. Gets me thinking of pints or steins, a few shots of whiskey...great mates. It's been awhile since my mate Tony in Sydney and I recorded music. Miss it. BTW, [b]More awesome 'happy Friday' news: Mitre 10 - gone First National Real Estate - now also gone! "We appreciate your comments. We've just discovered our adverts were placed without the network's authority. They have been removed from his show."[/b] http://www.facebook.com/SackAlanJones?ref=stream ------ Excellent...this rich blowhard has been pulling the wool over audience's eyes and ears for far too long...good companies should look for radio personalities with integrity. BTW, i know Jones has been charitable...but he can AFFORD to be. Just like Limbaugh in the USA. NO LONGER EYES WIDE SHUT. N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]I found this comment by "creme brulee" on Tim Dunlop's piece in The Drum and thought it deserved a wider audience: It is fair enough for Tony to predict a filthy and personal election campaign. After all, if he does not know what the Liberal election campaign strategy is, who would? [/b] MWS, luv it. Apt quote. SPOT ON FROM THE TIMSTER. N'

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19/10/2012Talk Turkey Thank you for your most generous comments about my writing and [i]TPS[/i]. And thank you too for your sagacious comments about the issue of the political orientation of MSM journalists. I note what you write, and admire your analogy of [i]The Stepford Wives[/i], which seems ever so pertinent. Yet the prospect that so many journalists are submissive, docile, even zombie-like sycophants of the Coalition is frightening. Maybe we have to work on this assumption, and regard most, if not all of them, as advocates of the Coalition and its leader. Certainly the convolutions of Greg Sheridan, Dennis Shanahan and the Editor of [i]The Australian[/i] to defend Abbott’s failure to mention his ‘turning back the boats’ policy to the Indonesian President, in fact to turn it into a diplomatic triumph for Abbott, exemplifies the bizarre extremes to which News Limited journalists will go to support Abbott man. But while the behaviour of News Limited journalists, Murdoch’s ‘Stepford Wives’, is understandable, your appraisal of the ABC is alarming. Supposedly a paragon of balance and fair comment, it seems progressively to be becoming more and more a collection of Murdoch’s Stepford Wives. Certainly, Tony Jones’ comments on [i]Lateline[/i] and [i]Q&A[/i] often give the impression of anger towards Julia Gillard and her Government. His sarcasm and nasty asides give him away. Chris Uhlmann often gives the impression of being angry with, and antagonistic to the Government despite his wife being a Labor parliamentarian. Leigh Sales seems hell bent on giving her interviewees a hard time, but because she seldom gets to interview Abbott, he seldom gets a taste of her tongue, while Government ministers often do. Emma Alberici is similar, but milder. If find Barrie Cassidy more balanced, but even he wavers from side to side. Your thesis that Mark Scott, a long-established Liberal supporter, is having a substantial influence on the selection of staff, and more importantly on the culture of the ABC, which many now read as pro-Coalition, (although Coalition supporters see it the other way round), is eminently plausible. That is even more frightening than the longstanding partisan bias of News Limited. With many Fairfax journalists now showing signs of being Coalition sycophants, there are few left in the MSM field that are supportive of PM Gillard and her Government. Most support comes from the Fifth Estate. [b]This places a heavy, yet bearable burden on our shoulders to counter the bias and malevolence of the MSM. Yet as the poignant song says: “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother’. VENCEREMOS indeed .[/b]

rocco

19/10/2012My 88-year-old mother is about a tradtional catholic is you can get ... and she sure as hell isn't anything like Tony Abbott! If you ask her (she generally keeps her views to herself) she will remind you that Christ was the son of a carpenter who hung around with fishermen, prosititutes and sundry other vagabonds and was very into forgiveness. Her overriding philosophy on life is his advice "to do do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Mr Abbott might do well to reflect on that occassionally.

42 long

19/10/2012Abbott can admit NO good in any Labor doings. IF they (labor) did something really bad would anybody take any notice of what abbott says? Do the LIE-NP not know of the boy who cried wolf? They must only talk amongst themselves, to think thoughtfull people will believe it. "This is a really BAD government." WHY Tony?.... Because YOU say so? ALL of your exaggerations have been proved FALSE!! Same as the MSM. It's gotta come out anti- labor with them, regardless of the reality.) Of course the vote in the UN was one of the most significant things that could have happened. A ringing endorsement of the mature way Australia is regarded by much of the world. How are they going to react when the labor win becomes obvious. More hysterical claims or some accommodation? What IS obvious is that the MSM are becomming increasingly distrusted and irrelevent.

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19/10/2012Nasking Thank you for your kind comment and your regular updates. It was a great triumph for Australia to get its place on the UN Security Council. Opposition spokesmen are choking as they utter even the minimum of commendation. He’s the best Abbott could manage: [i]”Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he welcomes the result, although again questioned the expense of the campaign. "It's just a two-year term that we won today at the cost of many many tens of millions of dollars and some dislocation of our ordinary diplomatic efforts," he told Channel Nine. "But it is two years we've got now at this top table, let's hope we can make the most of it."[/i] Julie Bishop focussed her comments on Kevin Rudd; she did not mention Julia Gillard.

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]I'll repeat myself when I state that in the days when The Age and certain Fairfax publications were left-wing, they were "fat and prosperous"...and as an aside, if the right-wing readership had the capacity or the interest to maintain and enhance their political conversation, The Australian would be showing a handsom profit! At this point in time..BOTH are of the right..BOTH are losing. [/b] Well said Jaycee. We don't mind ads and business...provided it's less corporate fascist extreme right-wing supporting. I don't need them left-wing persay...just balanced...offering up innovative ideas...and not giving Abbott and co. a free ride. But some left-wing views expressed more often would be nice. Rational world as opposed to nasty world...courtesy of the constant usual suspect mockers with a PM and ALP bashing slant. Real turnoff. ------ I watched Annabel Crabb's Kitchen Stories with Bronwyn Bishop...i found her to be more pleasant than I expected...reminded me of one of my grandmothers...a bit control freakish...but pleasant until crossed. Or experiencing pain. Bronwyn certainly didn't have much time for Howard...Stace & I roared when she replied "Immaculate" as in conception related to the ugly phrase "Tony Abbott is the love child of Bishop and Howard". The look on her face told a thousand stories about living in [b]Liberal Party Blokesworld.[/b] BTW, Stace hasn't failed to notice the similarities of those spurned by Howard and co...and those who stand sycophantically next to Abbott. Hmmm... BTW, I'd luv to see Bronnie let her hair down...when you've got it...flaunt it. :D N'

Lyn

19/10/2012Good Morning Ad and Everybody, Twitterverse for you:- ABC News 24‏ The PM @JuliaGillard is thanking DFAT staff involved in Australia's bid for a seat on the #UNSC, live now http://bit.ly/abcnews24 Simon Cullen‏ PM invited to stick around for a "cup of tea" afterwards at DFAT HQ Sarah Kate‏ Oh look at that JG thanked Krudd. Everyone can shut it now. #abcnews24 cjjosh‏ PM thanks KRudd first of all - make something of that derps Chris Johnson‏ JG thanks everyone involved in the UNSec Council, firstly Kevin Rudd. @latikambourke will now hopefully apologise for muckraking reportage. Latika Bourke ‏ '[PM] Gillard failed to mention Rudd in her statement, a notable and needless omission.' http://latika.me/S6HpP1 #unsc Latika Bourke ‏ Text of the PM's statement (not crediting former PM Kevin Rudd) on the UN Security Council win here: http://latika.me/Tx0irz Latika Bourke ‏ PM Gillard - Firstly I would like to thank Kevin Rudd. #unsc Craig Emerson MP‏ We won! Australia wins UN Security Council seat. Got 140 of 193 votes. Testament to Australia's standing in the world. Australia wins UN Security Council seat in ‘unequivocal’ vote, AFR http://www.afr.com/p/national/australia_un_security_council_seat_F0M4ZS78UfSPLsmM2XDhBK Australian Politics‏ Australia wins UN Security Council bid: AFTER a four-year campaign, the Australian government this morning trium... http://bit.ly/WtstxX Henry Woo‏ Australia wins seat on UN Security Council. Great news. #auspolhttp://m.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/australia-wins-membership-of-un-security-council-20121019-27uny.html … Linda Moody‏ Australia gets seat at UN & this is front page "@smh: The front page of today's Herald: pic.twitter.com/oygXUIMB Le Grace‏ Hartcher/Coorey: "Oh Kevin, I love youuuuu. I honestly looove you." smh.com.au‏ @strange_brew55 The announcement was this morning - hours after the paper was printed. Linda Moody‏ @smh couldn't you have prepared 2 stories & held front page? krONik‏ #AUSpol → http://j.mp/Wts3re → PM Gillard leads Australia to win seat on UN Security Council news.com.au‏ Nearly 60% of readers say #Australia 's UN Security Council win is great for the country. #UNSC #auspol http://bit.ly/UaOZed #poll ABC NewsRadio‏ Following Australia's UN Security Council seat win, Marius speaks w/ @RichardMarlesMP and @JulieBishopMP ... (audio) http://bit.ly/WtI4O9 susan taylor‏ How Australia can wield power at the UN head table - The Drum Opinion (ABC) ~ Thom Woodroofe http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4321704.html … via @abcthedrum Bushfire Bill Posted Friday, October 19, 2012 That The Australian leaves coverage of the biggest diplomatic story of the year to a second-ranker is petty-mindedness. That they do this whilst bad-mouthing the Prime Minister for her own – successful – diplomatic efforts abroad is nothing short of bizarre. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2012/10/15/essential-research-53-47-to-coalition-5/?comment_page=74/#comment-1445736 Leroy‏ We've won the seat. Someone picked the media narrative yesterday, whichever way the #UNSC vote went. http://twitpic.com/b569a2 #auspol #ausmedia Mick Gentleman‏ Katy Gallagher says "Election too close to call" were all working hard right up to the last minute http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/undecideds-hold-the-key-leaders-20121018-27ujz.html … Lyn Bender‏@Lynestel Leadership speculation.No other news ?RT“@NationalTimesAU Rudd back in harness,counting numbers.Phillip Coorey reports http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/rudd-back-in-harness-counting-numbers-20121018-27tzj.html …” Barry Tucker‏ Supposedly biased Michelle Grattan has more praise for PM than OL in today's opinion piece. NatTimeshttp://bit.ly/PdAnd0 #auspol First MRRT revenue due by end of October Treasury will learn how much revenue is earned from the mining tax only at the end of October, a Senate hearing has been told. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1702870/First-MRRT-revenue-due-by-end-of-October Latika Bourke ‏ Shoe retailer 'Don't do a Gillard this Spring Racing Season' http://latika.me/S6vroG HT @benpackham

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19/10/2012Truth Seeker I do like your new Gravatar. Who is the upward gazing young man? There is much truth in what you say: [i]”… for the most part Journos are smart (and in my experience with writers generally) creative people, who have been "persuaded" to prostitute their profession as well as their professional ethics to support the 'head in the sand mentality' of the powers that be, with business models that are two centuries out of date. [/i]” And it’s sad. To have to toe an editorial line must be agony for creative writers. Thank you for reproducing your excellent verse, which tells such a sorry story of our MSM.

pappinbarra fox

19/10/2012Would someone please advise me the number of times the Opposition has sought to suspend standing orders? And are there any other easily digestible statistics that demonstrate the Oppositions's trashing of parliamentary procedure?

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19/10/2012Patriciawa Thank you for yet another great pome, so poignant, particularly the sad end of this verse: We are women, how we’ve grown, Not always going it alone. 
 There are men who know what’s fair and right. 
 But for some it’s still a battle zone 
 To keep the world their own. 
 For that they’re ready any time to fight. The last three lines give the reason we have the curse of the Abbott man still upon us.

Truth Seeker

19/10/2012Ad, the young man is Richard Rahl, the seeker of truth from the "Legend of the Seeker" TV series, holding and looking up at the Sword of Truth. The TV series is based on Terry Googkind's "The sword of truth" book series. A great read if you are into fantasy novels. Thanks for your support. Cheers :-) :-)

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19/10/2012Micheal, jaycee, KHTAGH I suspect MSM coverage of our UN triumph will be scant, and if it is at all, it will include the negatives – cost especially. The vote was too late for the print media today, which tells us something about it being behind the times, but we ought to see something substantial tomorrow from the broadsheets, but let’s not expect anything from the tabloids. But if Julia fell over while making a statement about our new UN Security Council seat, that would do the job. Our representative will be Gary Quinlan our UN Ambassador.

Truth Seeker

19/10/2012KHTAGH, thanks for your feedback, it seems to be pretty well unanimous. Cheers :-) :-)

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19/10/2012paul walter Christian Kerr is indeed a paltry writer and commentator jaycee Your analysis is sound, and adds another dimension to our understanding of the anger of the MSM. Thank you. Steve1 What a nice analogy!

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19/10/2012TT You are an inspiration. All morning, as I read through the comments on this piece, I marvelled at how much those who comment here add to our understanding. What a privilege it is for [i]TPS[/i] to have so many fine contributors. You are right: [i]”Three legs is what we need. 
(Triangulation is the arrangement that gives strength.)
 We are all important to the Sword.”[/i]

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19/10/2012MWS Do you have a link to the Tim Dunlop piece? Isn’t it laughable that at last 2GB has instituted a fact-checking system for Alan Jones. What a novel idea! rocco [i]"to do unto others as you would have them do unto you"[/i] would be anathema to Abbott man. He squeals like a stuck pig, and takes on victim status, whenever he gets a dose of his own nasty medicine.

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19/10/201242 long You say: [i]”How are they going to react when the Labor win becomes obvious. More hysterical claims or some accommodation? What IS obvious is that the MSM are becoming increasingly distrusted and irrelevant.[/i] In my view, as Michael foretells, the hysteria will escalate, but once they see the writing on the wall, they will turn viciously on Abbott as the one who is losing what they thought was ‘the un-losable election’.

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19/10/2012Hi Lyn As you have seen, I’ve been busy all morning responding to the many thoughtful comments that have been made overnight and this morning. After lunch, I’m looking forward to reading all your Links and Twitterverse – what a pleasant ‘dessert’ to contemplate and savour later.

MWS

19/10/2012Aa, the Tim Dunlop piece was in Lyn's links this morning: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4317978.html "creme brulee"s comment is at 18 Oct 2012 8:22:59pm

jane

19/10/2012[quote]Most of them completely missed, or avoided, the crucial point that PM Gillard was defending the entitlement of the Speaker to be afforded due process, to be given the right of reply, to have his extant court case settled before his parliamentary colleagues judged him.[/quote] Yet another great post, Ad astra. I do, however, disagree that the msm completely missed what the PM was defending when she made her speech. It is yet another egregious example of the msm deliberately lying, obfuscating, misdirecting and misinforming the public about the Rudd government and this PM and her government. They, and their shills here and elsewhere, have been conducting a relentless campaign against the Rudd/Gillard government since the GFC-the ongoing campaign of lies, distortions and misinformation wrt the HIP and BER spring easily to mind. Remember the scurrilous and unprincipled Liars Party accusations of "industrial murder" against Peter Garrett and the revealing lack of support for his minister from Kevin Rudd. A sign of things to come. The Canberra press gallery, of all people, would have known "the context" of the PM's speech and made a conscious and DELIBERATE decision to misreport it. After all, if the international community was able to easily figure out "the context" of her speech, it highlights the incompetence or willful blindness of the homegrown self labelled "experts", who should have been onto it straight away. Lenore Taylor's lame defence of their hypocrisy is testament to that. I'm not even sure if their "anger" is genuine, because every so often a more measured report from the usual angry suspects slips out. Perhaps the anger they feel is because they are being forced to prostitute themselves to the wizened foreigner-they know there is a line to toe even if they're not already within the borders of Mordor. The Emperor and his spawn control the journalists lives. Disobedience will be punished with unemployment. They feel pressured to submit or starve.

nasking

19/10/2012 Check out this wonderful and colourful pic of President Obama and his family: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151218076831749&set=pb.6815841748.-2207520000.1350617528&type=1&src=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash3%2F552522_10151218076831749_71733433_n.jpg&size=553%2C405 N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]Remember the scurrilous and unprincipled Liars Party accusations of "industrial murder" against Peter Garrett and the revealing lack of support for his minister from Kevin Rudd. A sign of things to come. [/b] jane, talk about disgraceful...they did similar to Gordon Brown and other Labourites in the UK...once their beloved religious crusading war-monger kowtower phoney Tony was gone. And don't forget they put up Rudd as Australian of the Year just before the onslaught...some of us predicted it...knowing how these scumbags work. I remember how they treated Neil Kinnock in the UK all those years ago. Murdoch has history. [b]Perhaps the anger they feel is because they are being forced to prostitute themselves to the wizened foreigner-they know there is a line to toe even if they're not already within the borders of Mordor. [/b] Indeed. I reckon, using a WW2 analogy, that we've stormed the beaches of Normandy...and a number of corporate fascist leader Murdoch's generals and other troops are gettin' very worried... some considering taking him down. [b]The wave of the Fifth Estate[/b] will not be stopped...because good and truth and justice is on our side...some may make mistakes...some fall... but we will never succumb to their propaganda swill... rather we will surge onwards...until Victory is ours. And the people are empowered....freed from the Murdochracy. --------- BTW, Abbott really digs that Karl on Sunrise, Channel Nine. What gives? That fella has been a complete sexist ass lately...as shown on the brill Hamster Wheel last nite. Great seeing a female comedian on Hamster Wheel...she was funny. Anyone know her name? N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]We are women, how we’ve grown, Not always going it alone. 
 There are men who know what’s fair and right. 
 But for some it’s still a battle zone 
 To keep the world their own. 
 For that they’re ready any time to fight.[/b] Spot on Ad...I find inspiration in this stanza from Patricia's emotive poem. N'

nasking

19/10/2012 From [b]BUSHFIRE BILL[/b]: Posted Friday, October 19, 2012 [b]That The Australian leaves coverage of the biggest diplomatic story of the year to a second-ranker is petty-mindedness. That they do this whilst bad-mouthing the Prime Minister for her own – successful – diplomatic efforts abroad is nothing short of bizarre.[/b] blogs.crikey.com.au/.../#comment-1445736 N'

42 long

19/10/2012We all know that the Misnamed loss making "Australian" is murdochs "Big GUN". Print media is doomed and who cares? What have they done to deserve any respect but dutifully carried (or attempt to) the masters will, to get rid of a government that won't serve him well. Abbott owes too much to the "bad guys" to do the right thing for the average australian if he gets to power. This massive shift to the right is happening in all the western countries despite the evidence everywhere that austerity creates a recession. This Labor government with the assistance of smaller businesses ( certainly not the mining sector) kept the economy going by maintaining jobs which reduce support costs and keep taxes being paid to keep the whole cycle going, and avoided a recession. The LNP should take a trip to Europe and then come back here and with a straight face say there never was a GFC. If journo's have to "suck" their way to a job in the future what standard could we expect then? They would have proven they have NO integrity.

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19/10/2012Hi Lyn I’ve enjoyed reading your links. I thought the one by [i]Limited News[/i] was very good. As usual, Tim Dunlop was spot on. Everyone should read what he had to say. I see that Tony Abbott predicts “[i]…that next year's election campaign will be the "filthiest and most personal" in living memory.[/i]” As Parliament’s chief purveyor of personal filth, he should know. What a laugh – Alan Jones taking training in ‘fact-checking’. Factual accuracy will ruin his anti-Gillard, anti-Government shock jockeying. Corinne Grant writes a delightful article about misogyny. She is one stylish writer. Your Twitterverse was fascinating. What’s with Latika Burke? If she had taken the trouble to read the PM’s statement she would have realized it was not a vehicle for thanking every Tom, Dick and Harry that had helped to secure Australia’s UN Security Council seat. The PM did that in other forums, including DFAT headquarters, where she generously extolled Kevin Rudd’s initiation of the process. Why are journalists always waiting to trap and demean the PM? Also, what’s with Phil Coorey. He seems reasonable enough on [i[Insiders[/i], but is obsessed about a Rudd return. He must be on the drip feed from Rudd supporters and feels he has to regurgitate their ruminations. Even his subeditor had to change the name of today’s piece from ‘Counting numbers’ to ‘Rudd back in the frame’. Get over it Phil. Julia is going nowhere, and Rudd knows it, even if his mindless supporters don’t. It’s pathetic, lazy journalism you’re peddling Phil. Try writing something a little more mind-bending and earn your fat salary.

Marilyn

19/10/2012 Australia is a founding member of the UNHCR executive committee from 1954 onwards, yet this is what that racist coward is now doing to innocent human beings. Another 38 asylum seekers, Iranian and Afghan, arrived in Nauru this morning (Friday 19 October) taking the number of asylum seekers, in the increasingly crowded detention centre, to around 330. But asylum seekers on Nauru continue to protest. A united protest of all detainees was held on Wednesday 17 October, demanding that processing of refugee claims start immediately and that the Australian government stop sending asylum seekers to Nauru. Attached is a statement (in English) issued on 17 October outlining their demands. The Refugee Action Coalition has also been told that an Iranian man is on the eighth day of a protest hunger strike. Asylum seekers say that his condition has noticeably deteriorated and they are worried about his health. Conditions in the camp have become unbearable. One message from Afghan asylum seekers received on 18 October says that, "Now Nauru has become a place for asylum seekers to be detained, in small tents that are set up on dirt and are non-standard, with only a few bathrooms and showers that aren't usable and an area that is surrounded by wire. It's called Nauru and we asylum seekers, numbering 290 people are detained within this. Here, in addition to mental and psychological problems such as several instances of suicide attempts, most of the asylum seekers are suffering from horrible skin diseases that the officials' only solution to is to recommend Panadol and an intake of cold water. "When the sun rises the asylum seekers try to seek refuge outside the tents in search of some shade in dread of the blazing sun rays and the hot weather inside the tents and only when the sun sets are they able to return to their tents. "Dirty water exacerbates the skin diseases and every day is worse than the day before. There is no such a thing as medication and hygiene; if a refugee is suffering from an illness all they get for treatment is quarantine. The numbers of sick refugees are increasing due to extremely hot weather, inappropriate places for sleeping and lack of hygienic facilities and this particular contagious disease is troubling the refugees to a great extent. "We request the World Health Organization and the Amnesty International to visit us, or any other organization or human being who claims to be an advocate of human rights to help us so that our cases are processed in Australia as soon as possible and to stop the Nauru solution to prevent a humanitarian disaster from happening." "Nauru is rapidly becoming the kind of hell-hole created by the Howard government. The Gillard government must repudiate Tony Abbott's call for asylum seekers to be held in such appalling conditions for five years and begin processing refugee claims immediately and halt the transfer of any more asylum seekers to limb in Nauru, said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition. and this disgrace http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/politics/defeated-in-a-cruel-game-20121018-27ttk.html And Hazara are being denied because our rotten spivs in DFAT are claiming this year they are only coming to improve their finances.

Jason

19/10/2012Marilyn, "Attached is a statement (in English) issued on 17 October outlining their demands." Please translate my response to their demands "Get F@#ked!"

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19/10/2012MWS Thanks. I didn’t get round to Lyn’s Links until this afternoon. It was agreat Dunlop piece. jane Thank you for your kind comment. If you are right when you say: “[i]The Canberra press gallery, of all people, would have known "the context" of the PM's speech and made a conscious and DELIBERATE decision to misreport it”[/i], that is even more egregious that simple ignorance. I think you are on the money when you say: [i]”Perhaps the anger they feel is because they are being forced to prostitute themselves to the wizened foreigner-they know there is a line to toe even if they're not already within the borders of Mordor. 

The Emperor and his spawn control the journalists’ lives. Disobedience will be punished with unemployment. They feel pressured to submit or starve. “[/i]

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]Cameron: why I suppressed Brooks emails PM tries to quell[/b] [b]row over unpublished messages between himself and former News International chief executive [/b] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cameron-why-i-suppressed-brooks-emails-8217383.html All very sad...Murdochocracy has managed to spread their virus to another leader...now ruined his career. As for that dopey toff and rich man puppet Osborne...he's now comparing Greens and climate change believers as being like The Taliban... another desperate FOSSIL FOOL on the DOWNWARD SPIRAL. They should hand the govt over to The Liberal Democrats. Before the ship crashes completely. As for the Murdoch empire...OUT OF THE UK The country I was born in...where my grandfathers fought bravely and lived humble lives...DESERVES BETTER. OUT REAL LIFE MORIARTY...OUT MEDIA GOEBBELS. You've done enuff DAMAGE to a once great country and press and parliamentary system and judicial system and police force. OUT N'

jane

19/10/2012[quote]Abbott is a a walking disaster zone...should come with a warning...MAY CONTAIN DOPEY BRAIN FARTS:[/quote] ROFLMAO, Nas'.

Robynne

19/10/2012Thank you sir for reminding us of the ineptitude of the MSM and the abbott broadcasting corporation in the matter of the PM's speech. The willfull distortion was truly appalling.I'm sure you belled the cat, these people have become so convinced of the rise and rise of abbott and now they can see that this may well come crashing down around their ears and they have managed to get most of the members of Govt. offside. They will struggle to garner any information after the next election Serves em right. To Patricia and truth-teller, both poems are indeed excellent.And MWS, before the last election abbott trotted out an almost identical line about filthy election tactics. Pity those in the msm can't get off their bums and remind him that we have heard that one before, but that would be yet another clanger from their hero. A

nasking

19/10/2012 Obama at GOOGLE...before the Murdoch empire pushed them around: http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plpp&v=m4yVlPqeZwo The days of inspired internet innovators. N'

nasking

19/10/2012 Ad, thnx for yer supportive comment. Per usual I agree with you wholeheartedly. As for Rudd...nice guy...but you helped me SEE THE LIGHT of OUR PM GILLARD. [b]Also, what’s with Phil Coorey. He seems reasonable enough on [i[Insiders[/i], but is obsessed about a Rudd return. He must be on the drip feed from Rudd supporters and feels he has to regurgitate their ruminations. Even his subeditor had to change the name of today’s piece from ‘Counting numbers’ to ‘Rudd back in the frame’. Get over it Phil. Julia is going nowhere, and Rudd knows it, even if his mindless supporters don’t. It’s pathetic, lazy journalism you’re peddling Phil. Try writing something a little more mind-bending and earn your fat salary.[/b] There will be no second coming. Certainly Ruddy did some great things...including beating that worm Howard. But he did let things get out of control...and we are still cleaning up those messes. Particulary the PM and her team. Certainly alot wasn't his fault...what with the GFC that he and his fab team had to respond quickly too...but he made too many enemies from all camps in that early period...and his relationship with the Murdoch empire has been hot and cold and hot again...looking top much like Abbott the opportunist. I know he is a good man. But his time at the top levels of federal politics is over. We can't afford to take the risk... but I see a good job ahead for him related to overseas work. He deserves it. And let's face it...when ya see the inspired and beaming looks on young girls' faces...even my wife's these days...as PM Gillard speaks with colourful nature and schools and tech/science/arts backgrounds , debates in parliament, greets children, walks and surveys troops...why would any caring, rational person want to change that? Woman PM has arrived...the FIRST Let's keep it that way. Regardless of what the moaning, mocking, sly ones in the MSM want. N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]The PM @JuliaGillard is thanking DFAT staff involved in Australia's bid for a seat on the #UNSC, live now http://bit.ly/abcnews24 [/b] FANTASTIC I loved the way she, the PM, handed out sooo much credit and appreciation. Proud of her. A real leader. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151250041337328&set=a.10150173759707328.302398.161674172327&type=1 N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]How are they going to react when the labor win becomes obvious. More hysterical claims or some accommodation? What IS obvious is that the MSM are becomming increasingly distrusted and irrelevent.[/b] 42long, indeed. But we push them back by the day...soon all that will be left are those in Murdoch's BUNKER. And those fleeing overseas...but where will they go? N'

Lyn

19/10/2012Hi Ad and Everybody Twitterati for you all about the UN Security Council win & Julia Gillard's speech to DFAT. You must look at this picture please https://twitter.com/JuliaGillard/status/259179920897486848/photo/1/large and this one Sorry this is the last one you must look at :andrew meares‏ PHOTO: @CraigEmersonMP snaps @JuliaGillard at DFAT HQ following Security Council announcement #thepulselive pic.twitter.com/W7lBv0OA https://twitter.com/JuliaGillard/status/259179920897486848/photo/1 The Honourable Julia Gillard MP, Prime Minister of Australia addresses the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Australia's successful United Nations Security Council bid, Friday 19 October 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx4okl4cG-8&feature=youtu.be TheFinnigans A question about Syria and what #UNSC is going to do about it. The Hoopla‏ Australia has its seat at the big round table on the world stage: what is it going to do with it? http://bit.ly/WugSyA Concera Vota‏ ANyone notice the journalists were starting to call Pm "Prime Minister" during that presser and NOT Ms Gillard? #auspol Possum Comitatus‏ Worth noting that the AFR Editorial called it ...... wrong....... again http://bit.ly/PdIDd4 Edin Voloder‏ Great news today-Australia has won a seat on the UN Security Council. http://ems.gs/1jWq5fTeLcZEL Simon Cullen‏ Joe Hockey says now that Aust has seat on UN Sec Council, maybe the UN will help stop asylum seeker boats Australian News‏ 27 years too long out of UN council: PM (AAP): Prime Minister Julia Gillard says 27 years since... http://yhoo.it/QyT0TA #ausnews #uavaus MowbrayHolmes JuliaGillard Strength of character is in our PM's DNA...something money can't buy nor ever learned. Thankyou MrG Anne Summers‏ Incredible speech by @JuliaGillard incl thanks to @KRudd Gillard thanks DFAT for efforts in securing UN seat http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-19/gillard-thanks-dfat-for-efforts-in-securing-un-seat/4322718 … @abcnews Andrew Catsaras‏ Are people really quibbling re the $25 mill spent on UN Security Council bid? $1.14 per Australian to influence world outcomes. Seriously? Stephen Jones‏@stephenjonesALP Why Winning a Seat on the UN Security council is good for Australia http://fb.me/1GhW5h0MO ACMC‏ Australia wins a spot on the United Nations Security Council, find out what this means for the ACMC? Australia wins seat on United Nations Security Council: what next? http://parliamentflagpost.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/australia-wins-seat-on-united-nations.html Australia secures a seat on the United Nations Security Council http://acmc.gov.au/2012/10/australia-secures-a-seat-on-the-united-nations-security-council-2/ Australia wins seat on UN Security Council , By Paul Toohey and Malcolm Farr @ 12.59pm If Tony Abbott says that spending money to promote this country ... is a waste of money, then I'm afraid he hasn't got the breadth of vision to be prime minister of Australia," Mr Carr told ABC TV this morning. "His notions of retreating to the Anglosphere ... is I think a pretty diminished vision for someone who would want to be prime minister of this serious, global citizen." Ms Gillard said she was disappointed by the opposition's reaction to the seat victory. "I think it is disappointing that the opposition today hasn't had the generosity of spirit to say this is a great day for Australia. It is," she said. "Being on the security council is not a piece on the economic table ... it doesn't play that role... http://www.news.com.au/national/australia-wins-seat-on-united-nations-security-council/story-fncynjr2-1226498925124 Mark @JuliaGillard successfully negotiates with 193 countries .... while Abbott couldn't even negotiate with THREE independents!!! #ausp Marius Smith‏ It's a great day for international law here when the Herald Sun's top article is expaining how the #UNSC works: http://bit.ly/Qv1lK3 :):)

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]Selected Quotes from Tim Dunlop:[/b] [quote]And to top it all off, journalists stop writing for a mass audience and instead talk to each other via their columns and on their TV and radio shows, confident that their take on matters is not only superior but the only game in town. The public space in which citizens might involve themselves in important discussions and thus learn about them and contribute to them is crowded out by elites and inevitably becomes focussed on their concerns. Remind me again who it is that has disengaged?[/quote] http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4317978.html [b]Indeed. Spot on. You said it pal.[/b] [b]Tres bien![/b] N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]EU moves towards single banking supervisor[/b] [b]On the banking union, much work remains to be done and the deeper the discussion union goes, the more complex and problematic it will get.[/b] Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/world-business/eu-moves-towards-single-banking-supervisor-20121019-27vxs.html#ixzz29jEoAkJF Not that complex...OUT WITH THE CRIMS AND THIEVES AND MANIPULATORS WHO MAKE LIFE HARD FOR THE SMALL LOCAL FINANCIAL ORGANISATIONS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE AND HONEST... OUT WITH THOSE WHO MANIPULATE CURRENCY, TRANSACTIONS, PAYMENTS, TAXES, MARKETS, TRUSTS, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS, MARGIN CALLS, LIBOR RATES, INVESTMENTS FOR PERSONAL OR CABAL GAIN...IN ORDER TO SCREW OVER WORKERS...THEIR SAVINGS, PENSIONS, SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, COMMUNITIES, HEALTHCARE...YOU NAME IT. OVERSEE WITH INTEGRITY. NOW!!!!!!!! N'

nasking

19/10/2012 Fascists up to old tricks using new(ish) communication medium: [b]Nick Griffin's Twitter account suspended as police investigate accusations he tweeted gay couple's address and urged supporters to demonstrate outside their home The BNP leader is alleged to have published the address of Michael Black and John Morgan on the social networking site and called for a demonstration to be held outside their home. [/b] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nick-griffins-twitter-account-suspended-as-police-investigate-accusations-he-tweeted-gay-couples-address-and-urged-supporters-to-demonstrate-outside-their-home-8217914.html Hmmm...surprised Griffin hasn't been invited to OZ by a certain extremist Liberal politician. N'

Gravel

19/10/2012Ad Astra Great topic. Next one is "Why are Aussies so angry?" I've been away from computer for nearly two weeks. I was lucky enough to see Julia in QT deliver her exhilarating response and was almost in tears knowing I wouldn't be able to get back here to put my thoughts and read other reactions. 1.8million hits, now that is one reason why Aussies are angry, and I don't think they've finished yet, especially after the way the MSM reacted to it. I too was able to listen to The Wrap on 774 last week and laughed and cheered with the callers and text messages. And they still didn't get it. The bubble of relief started with being involved in the Alan Jones stuff online, it has grown bigger at the venting at MSM since there appalling response to Julia's response. Hopefully something will happen and everyone will finally explode against both MSM and the Nopposition. Have had a great day today. Winning the UNSC seat is a fantastic achievement. Being able to watch Julia speak to the DFAT staff, watching their faces and hearing their applause was wonderful, then to finally having an almost respectful press conference topped it off nicely. Patriciawa, Truth Seeker and others, thanks for your pome's they were great. Victoria, thanks for your piece and look forward to more. Acerbic Conehead, Another great laugh, sorry I couldn't comment on the thread. It was also great to see each topic brought some more people out of their shells to comment, can I add my welcome to the newcomers, and please have your say.

nasking

19/10/2012 Worth visiting... http://www.facebook.com/KeepCalmAbbottisnotPM?ref=stream The [b]ACMA cleaning up Alan Jones' shit[/b] Is hilarious http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=538857549473618&set=a.223592677666775.73092.223583594334350&type=1&theater ROFL So apt N'

nasking

19/10/2012 RESPECT [b]Stuart Hall (born 3 February 1932, Kingston, Jamaica, then a British colony) is a cultural theorist and sociologist who has lived and worked in the United Kingdom since 1951. Hall, along with Richard Hoggart and Raymond Williams, was one of the founding figures of the school of thought that is now known as British Cultural Studies or The Birmingham School of Cultural Studies. He was President of the British Sociological Association 1995-1997. At the invitation of Hoggart, Hall joined the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies at Birmingham University in 1964. Hall took over from Hoggart as director of the Centre in 1968, and remained there until 1979. While at the Centre, Hall is credited with playing a role in expanding the scope of cultural studies to deal with race and gender, and with helping to incorporate new ideas derived from the work of French theorists. Hall left the centre in 1979 to become a professor of sociology at the Open University.[ Hall retired from the Open University in 1997 and is now a Professor Emeritus. British newspaper The Observer called him "one of the country's leading cultural theorists". He is married to Catherine Hall, a feminist professor of modern British history at University[/b] [b]College London.[/b] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Hall_(cultural_theorist) Educate...empower. Active citizens. N'

Ad astra reply

19/10/2012Robynne Thank you for your comments. You are right: [i]”…the willful distortion was truly appalling. I'm sure you belled the cat, these people have become so convinced of the rise and rise of Abbott and now they can see that this may well come crashing down around their ears and they have managed to get most of the members of Govt. offside.[/i] That’s their problem! Gravel Welcome back. We all agree: [i]”Winning the UNSC seat is a fantastic achievement. Being able to watch Julia speak to the DFAT staff, watching their faces and hearing their applause was wonderful, then to finally having an almost respectful press conference topped it off nicely.”[/i] The tide is coming in for the Government, and going out for the Opposition. All Joe Hockey could offer on Australia getting a UN Security Council seat was that he hoped it could ‘stop the boats’! Julie Bishop had nothing but stammering to offer when asked what Australia’s role should now be (and she’s Shadow Foreign Minister), and of course Abbott grizzled about the cost. What a miserable negative mob they all are.

jane

19/10/2012Ad astra @5.10pm, it would be be disingenuous in the extreme for the press gallery to claim ignorance of the background and "context" wrt to the PM's speech. After all, they keep telling we plebs that they are the fount of knowledge and wisdom in all matters parliamentary, but seem completely devoid of it. I also find it amusing that "context" is the new buzz word. They seem to have tired of narratives. Too many fairy narratives emanating from the opposition, I shouldn't wonder.

KHTAGH

19/10/2012my neighbor sent this to me & I wish you all feel the way it made me feel in these days of turmoil. The Power of Words - one minute clip You won't forget it. If you don't watch this you will have missed a really good snip. This is a wonderfully, thought-provoking, one minute clip is full of wisdom and very brief. It's not a joke, it's not religious, it's not political, it's just special. It has great meaning for all of us. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Hzgzim5m7oU&vq=medium

Ad astra reply

19/10/2012Hi Lyn Your Twitterati was exciting, and what a magnificent photo of our PM addressing DFAT. At last she seems to be getting the respect that she, and her position of PM, should. It’s not surprising that the AFR editorial was negative – the editor is Gillard-hater Michael Stutchbury, late of [i]The Australian[/i]. After Abbott’s whingeing about the expense of our UN seat, it’s noteworthy that Andrew Catsaras points out the cost is $1.14 per Australian! What a day it is for Labor when The Hun says something positive about the Gillard Government. It will be interesting to see the front pages of tomorrow’s papers. I wonder how many will feature our great triumph?

Ad astra reply

19/10/2012KHTAGH That YouTube clip was beautiful. Thank you.

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]Bring war crims to justice.[/b] [b]Tribunal to investigate 1980s massacre of political prisoners in Iran Hearing in The Hague aims to uncover truth about death of 20,000 people, including many teenagers[/b] [quote]As political liquidations go, it is a massacre that ranks alongside some of the worst excesses of the 20th century: at least 20,000 Iranians executed in prison in the 1980s. Yet it received scant international attention. Unlike the carnage of Srebrenica or the purges of General Pinochet's coup in Chile, there was little worldwide outrage, and no opportunity for justice and legal redress. But this month the killings, perpetrated by then-Ayatollah Khomeini's regime, will be examined by an independent tribunal in The Hague in a process that exposes the shortcomings of the international justice system. The hearing, aimed at uncovering the truth of what occurred in Iran's jails, highlights the selective nature of what goes before the UN's courts and special tribunals. Founded in 2007 because no official judicial body would investigate complaints against Iran, it is a cross between a people's truth commission and a formal legal indictment. It is based on the model developed by a private international war crimes tribunal established in 1966 by Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre to investigate the US war record in Vietnam. The focus of the Iran tribunal is the mass executions carried out inside the country's jails from 1981-89 of political prisoners, men and women. About 4,500 people, many teenagers and from leftwing groups, died in summer 1988 alone, according to Amnesty International. Iranian exiles claim 20,000-30,000 prisoners died in total – victims of a fatwa issued by Ruhollah Khomeini, then head of state. The extent of the killings has been largely ignored by the west. British lawyers on the tribunal's legal steering committee include Prof John Cooper QC and Sir Geoffrey Nice, a former prosecutor at the international criminal court (ICC) and Gresham professor of law. Other founders were the former South African minister Kader Asmal, who has since died, and the UN rapporteur on Palestinian human rights, Prof Richard Falk. All are unpaid. In a recent lecture, Nice drew attention to the gaps in international justice. "War crimes courts and tribunals established over the last 20 years have changed the way the world citizen can think," he said. "As a result the world citizen may assume that they, like national courts, are part of a coherent, judicial crime and punishment system that happens to be international. Nothing could be further from the truth." The choice of conflicts for judicial intervention was highly selective, he said. "The ICC suffers a further, significant and probably irremediable defect … The treaty-based permanent court has been ratified by only 121 of the approximately 200 countries of the world. "The US, Russia and China in particular are not members. The court is not good enough for their citizens, it would appear. Yet they are happy to send citizens of other non-ratifying countries like Sudan or Libya to the court for trial through a security council resolution." Iran has also failed to ratify it. The tribunal, Nice said, was a two-stage process intended not just to leave a record but to hold the regime accountable for its crimes against humanity. "This is a conflict that would never be selected for international attention despite its gravity. The informal tribunal – that may be matched by others and by other internet and computer-assisted processes yet to be imagined – shows that the world citizen can hope courts will serve him well, but can easily find the means to do much of the job himself if they don't." The first stage of hearings took place in London this summer at Amnesty International's premises. About 75 witnesses, many surviving detainees, gave evidence – some in person, others via video. By choosing the Peace Palace, home to the UN's international court of justice, the Iran tribunal hopes to acquire some of the authority of its surroundings. The final sessions will be from 25-27 October. Hamid Sabi, a London-based lawyer who fled Tehran in 1979 and one of the organisers, has not had a response to his invitation to the Iranian government to attend the sessions. "Until a few months ago no one spoke about this in Iran but as a result of [the tribunal] so many Iranian papers began talking about it. [The government] response was: 'Yes, we did kill them in prison but we were entitled to under international law.' "It's known as the 'bloody decade'. Thousands of people were murdered and tortured. In some cases families were simply told to come and collect their bodies. We have around 17,000 names. The fatwa in 1988 ordered that all those fighting the regime, such as the mujahideen, were apostates. If they did not embrace Islam, as he [Khomeini] believed it, they should be killed. It resulted in the mass liquidation of the prison population."[/quote] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/18/iran-tribunal-investigates-massacre?fb=native WE, THE PEOPLE, HAVE MEMORIES AND EVIDENCE, RECORDS WITNESSES BE WARNED WAR CRIMS JUSTICE IS COMING CEASE AND DESIST COOPERATE...OR... NOONE IS UNTOUCHABLE... NOONE N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]Mark @JuliaGillard successfully negotiates with 193 countries .... while Abbott couldn't even negotiate with THREE independents!!! #ausp[/b] Lyn, thnx...I put this tweet up. Great tweets BTW. So true. I've run out of steam for now. later Gonna make a vege pizza for Stace and I...using pineapple, various garden herbs, sundrieds, zuchinni, olives, garlic, Nimbun cheese.... and of course, Encona West Indian hot pepper sauce...bought from British Sweets and Treats online. I luv promoting small business for free. A public service. Unlike some greedsters @ 2GB etc. N'

nasking

19/10/2012 Oh yea, KHTAGH, Thumbs up for that vid. Moving. N'

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]It was also great to see each topic brought some more people out of their shells to comment, can I add my welcome to the newcomers, and please have your say.[/b] Gravel, agree. N'

Lyn

19/10/2012Hi Khtagh Thankyou for the youtube clip it really is so lovely. Ad glad you enjoyed the Twitterati, exciting day today the tempo and pride can be felt all over the internet. Shame the Liberals are so miserable maybe they should have a sign saying: it's a beautiful Country I can't enjoy it because of misery. Glad you like the picture of Julia, I love it, did you see Craig Emerson in the photo taking a photo. :):)

Bacchus

19/10/2012I think you'll find Craig was taking a video Lyn :) https://twitter.com/CraigEmersonMP/status/259099208257241088

Lyn

19/10/2012Hi Bacchus, Thankyou for the video link, like the way it shows all around. :):)

2353

19/10/2012KNTAGH - wonderful clip - thanks for posting it.

nasking

19/10/2012 [b]Those who have hidden these child abuse crimes have aided and abetted...and perverted the course of justice...they should be treated like any other person in court of human law:[/b] [quote]CATHOLIC clergy commit six times as much abuse as those in the rest of the churches combined, ‘‘and that’s a conservative figure’’, a child protection expert says.[/quote] Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/catholic-clergy-the-worst-abusers-inquiry-told-20121019-27vqi.html#ixzz29jp0Wjsd The Catholic church wants more and more schools... how can they be trusted? How do parents/guardians know their children will be safe...with coverups and moving perpetrators from church to church...school to school? At the highest levels...this is a crime against children. The root of evil lies in the Vatican... and with the top level protectors of abusers... hard for some to swallow. N'

nasking

19/10/2012 DEMO of my mate and I's latest song...the project is GREENOBSERVESBLUE...not politically aligned...meaning lying on green grass observing blue sky as I came up with many lyrics over the years. Probably shoulda called it: Green observes blue and multiple ant bites :D Anyway, i know my voice isn't brill...but did my best. Soon we hope to get a fullbore guitarist. And yes, we luv David Sylvian, Jim Morrison, Died Pretty and The Fall: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zyosNlaTyyQ N'

nasking

19/10/2012 Sorry, song called "[b]They're a comin' "- Workin' 24-7[/b] http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zyosNlaTyyQ N'

DMW

19/10/2012[b]The Blind Men and The Elephant[/b] [i]A Hindu Tale[/i] It was six men of Indostan To learning much inclined, Who went to see the Elephant (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation Might satisfy his mind. The First approached the Elephant, And happening to fall Against his broad and sturdy side, At once began to bawl: "God bless me!—but the Elephant Is very like a wall!" The Second, feeling of the tusk, Cried:"Ho!—what have we here So very round and smooth and sharp? To me 't is mighty clear This wonder of an Elephant Is very like a spear!" The Third approached the animal, And happening to take The squirming trunk within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant Is very like a snake!" The Fourth reached out his eager hand, And felt about the knee. "What most this wondrous beast is like Is mighty plain," quoth he; "'T is clear enough the Elephant Is very like a tree!" The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said: "E'en the blindest man Can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can, This marvel of an Elephant Is very like a fan!" The Sixth no sooner had begun About the beast to grope, Than, seizing on the swinging tail That fell within his scope, "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant Is very like a rope!" And so these men of Indostan Disputed loud and long, Each in his own opinion Exceeding stiff and strong, Though each was partly in the right, And all were in the wrong!

pj

19/10/2012Apologies for only just getting back here, the comments re/ PM Gillard falling were via twitter, as quickly as the vindictive ridicule comments were made, other twitter messages jumped in condemning the cynicism and snide comments. To me I am sensing a shift in the political cosmos, coming from grassroots, picking up a few journo's that are worth their salt and try to do the right thing with news, stories, balanced media. Not naive enough to think all things are rosy, but facebook, article comments, twitter, people are coming forward and calling the nasty stuff for what it is. The 2GB destroyers are still going quite strong, this is all good. Great accomplishment for security seat council. I don't think Tony Abbott quite knew how/what to react with. Thankyou to the folks who post all the links, I am enjoying working through as many as possible. And the poetry! What a civilised place for news and discussions. Much appreciated.

Sue

19/10/2012Great article Ad Astra. One thing I think is worth keeping track on is the PM's changed attitude to the press. The change came about the same time as that August press conference where the PM took all questions. From what I have observed lately the PM not only will point out sexism when she sees it, she will also point out poor journalism. Today for example Laura Tingle was told the assumption of her question " that Australia would now have to chose to support either America or China " was infantile.

TalkTurkey

20/10/2012Ad, I love the merry tenor of your post at 4.26, you sound confident and feisty paying out journalists as never so, enjoying the battling, as well you may: the Government has won a great tribute from the world today, Anal Jones -(sorry but the way these terrible people are has coarsened me in the last couple of years) - has received a smack on the nose to resound to shock jocks and haters everywhwere, and the writers on The Political Sword have never been better! Cripes that's all one sentence. :) *J*U*L*I*A* looks radiant these days too. Doesn't she eh! Taking every trick both at home and overseas, across every issue, never boastful, always attributing kudos and praising those who are helping the People's struggle . . . Justifying our confidence in her all along, I'm just proud of all those stars I always put in her name! Because I have always thought her special. The only time in two+ years - the [i]only[/i] time - that the MSM have been right about anything (and We of the Fighting 5th wrong) was over the Rudd challenge in February - and why? - Because they MSM were being fed treacherous stuff from the Rudd camp and they KNEW stuff that we mostly just couldn't quite believe, we were never privy to the whiteants as they were. So even that one instance doesn't count. The writhing hate-spitting ridiculous sooking Mainstream Media have NO authority now, the authority is with the Left of the 5th Estate and may I say none are more deserving of the credit for that than this blogsite. You know what I think is the most special thing about our Prime Minister? It is her [i]nontheism[/i]. With no allegiance to notions of sky-fairies she is free in the mind to be completely rational, and at the same time she can be truly moral, not with one eye to her salvation, but for simple humanity's sake. She doesn't spit the dummy ever so far, she negotiates superbly, her colleagues respect her more than ever, every day she grows. God-fearing Christians? Devout Moslems and Pious Jews? No thank you, we see their hypocrisy, we humanists are better than that. We are the ones who in the situation are the Good Samaritans, those despised as lowly non-Jew Gentiles in Jesus time, serving in humble ways without an eye always to reward but for the sake of simple humanity. And if anybody wants to see the face of naked evil, he need look no further than the child-abusing crow-garbed priests and penguin-habited nuns of the Holy Roman Empire, the murderous Taliban and the phosphorus-bombers of Israel. Oh yeah spreading the love and showing their superiority to those of other superstitious belief. That above all is why *J*U*L*I*A* is such a treasure. Should we lose her to ill winds of fortune, when comes such another? But Ad this rave started about your happy cheeky post. It makes us all feel good to see you so sanguine, you give us all strength. The Sword is a truly powerful weapon now, a great asset to the Government and a force for Good. Abbortt will not prevail, and we of the Fighting 5th Estate that will help make sure of that.

Gravel

20/10/2012Knee High That video was just tear-making. I waited with bated breath to see what that wonderful woman had written. Beautiful. Thank you. Lyn I have a bookmark full of links, I will try and make my way through them, it'll probably take me until Christmas, but read them I will. Thanks heaps again for all your work.

jaycee

20/10/2012With this latest bout of negativity from the LNP. re. the UN. appointment, it demonstrates a political party in absurdity meltdown..while even the MSM.gave grudging ; "quick! check the boss isn't within earshot while we give credit where it is due!"..praise, there was little enthusiasim from a political party that claims to be THE only one with the best interests of Aussie at heart. I think it is due time that a challenge was made to the leadership and the party withdrew from contesting elections till it rebuilt its' base policies and public credibility. The constant negativity on ANY policy front has blown gaping holes in its' capacity to be taken seriously in any policy debate. Its' BIG LIE on carbon tax is shattered..its' BIG PROMISE on fiscal management has a black hole of unplumbable depths..its' BIG DEAL on "stop the boats" has been shown it has nothing left there but lame excuses....its' whole policy front is in disarray, it's entire front bench is in disarray, the only thing it has going for it is Joe Hockeys recipe on "Kitchen Cabinet" for "snags a-la-carbone"...! Burnt sausages...truly, a fit banquet for a scrappy party....I trust they have many cartons of "poor-man's-port" to ressurect a "feel-goood" moment!

Michael

20/10/2012Two things about Peter Hartcher's BS article about John Howard at the Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/we-heart-howard-both-sides-want-to-be-like-the-little-master-20121019-27wqu.html His own electorate threw him out. His own electorate and the nation threw him out because, given the chance, he embodied what unbridled Conservatives will do to impose their ideology if given the chance, the 'chance' he took with control over both houses of parliament, to impose the punitive social experiment of Workchoices. Howard came to power as the 'just get on with it and don't frighten us like Keating did' figure put into The Lodge by scared little people. So long as he kept the suburbs docile and consuming he was doing that job for those people. As soon as he got the chance to do what was really at the heart of his rancid worldview, he confused voters' docility and rampant consuming with affection and respect for him. Howard twisted the 'possibility' of Australia into the home of envy as aspiration, and made this nation small, mean and suppliant ("Deputy Sheriff"??? FFS!). He got what he deserved when his creatures turned on him. Labor has to draw Australia back to self respect that isn't jingoistic patriotism, confidence that isn't cocky dismissal, optimism not fueled by egotism, civil society not ruled by testosterone as the touchstone of 'leadership'. Howard's myopic take on this nation was cancerous.

DMW

20/10/2012Time for a bit of wall jumping. That wog numbers nerd and jaundiced viewer of the body politic adds another perspective on the impact of [i]That Speech[/i] [b]Online sensation exposes Abbott's gender card play to millions[/b] George Megalogenis [i]THE power of that speech, a week and half after its delivery, is in its repetition.[/i] This link to Google may help you over the wall: http://goo.gl/It2b8

Michael

20/10/2012This is the last phrase from the Megalogenis article that DMW's Google link above will take you to: "...the idea that Abbott can unify the nation if he wins the next election seems just that little bit harder to imagine." "Harder to imagine"?? "unify the nation"??? Not even conceivable! Howard's myopic take on Australia was cancerous, but Abbott's grip on power over Australians will be sociocidal.

pj

20/10/2012Great article! Well done George, calling it for what it is.

DMW

20/10/2012On another subject the full 'context' is revealed Tim Soutphommasane ‏@timsout Caramello Koalas were wot won it, from @endacurran http://on.wsj.com/RLDLrk #UNSC No more argy bargy, [b]Caramello Koala for PM[/b]

DMW

20/10/2012There is no point in getting angry DMW ... [b]Defeated in a cruel game[/b] Waleed Aly @SMAge/NTimes [i]It's the very definition of insidious. So insidious the department has even given it a euphemistic, bureaucratic name, ''screening out'', as though it's a routine classification process.[/i] http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/defeated-in-a-cruel-game-20121018-27ttk.html Despair, revulsion, and frustration but NOT ANGRY. Ohh, and the illustration accompanying the article by Ed Aragon is absolutely compelling and brilliant. Well done Ed.

Lyn

20/10/2012Hi Ad and Everybody Twitterverse for you:- Bushfire Bill Posted Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 9:31 am But free-to-air television is approaching an evolutionary crossroads. ... Coupled with the looming shadow of dramatic structural ownership changes across the industry, audience fragmentation, TV piracy and dwindling advertising revenues are conspiring to crush the traditional business model. ... Change is not just coming, it is coming fast. ''By 2014 online will overtake TV, which is the greatest change in the history of media,'' says media buyer Harold Mitchell. To survive, networks ''will have to get hold of the digital dollars''. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2012/10/20/seat-of-the-week-gilmore/?comment_page=2/#comment-1446765 Labor’s UN triumph leaves Abbott to rue rhetoric, Tony Walkeer, AFR Tony Abbott may want to rethink his remarks about Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s lobbying efforts during leaders’ week at the United Nations for a seat on the Security Council http://afr.com/p/opinion/labor_un_triumph_leaves_abbott_to_7TUjbxOgVgfZ9fAwvt965J Australian News‏ Polls open in ACT election: Labor is seeking a record fourth consecutive term in government in ... http://bit.ly/S3Rsme #ausnews #uavaus Churlish Coalition shows little generosity, Phillip Coorey The Coalition's negativity towards the bid, the first time an Australian bid has lacked bipartisan support, was used by Australia's rivals during the negotiations. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/churlish-coalition-shows-little-generosity-20121019-27wmb.html#ixzz29mexoA8L The US leading us down an exciting but expensive path, Laurie Oakes http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-us-leading-us-down-an-exciting-but-expensive-path/ Danger ahead for HSU if Abbott has his way, Simon Benson, The Punch Tony Abbott has threatened to do many things when and if he gets into Government. Actually most of them involve undoing things rather than doing them. If anyone in the ALP has any doubts about Abbott’s potential for brutality if he is elected, they might like to recall that it was Abbott who did all the heavy lifting in 1994 for the Royal Commission into the ALP/Centenary House rent scandal. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/danger-ahead-for-hsu-if-abbott-has-his-way/ Michael Bee‏ Liberals keep quiet on Twitter about leadership spill | adelaidenow: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/liberals-keep-quiet-on-twitter-about-leadership-spill/story-e6frea83-1226499622932?sv=c84f7241b2803d383116dcbdc0a3f1d7#.UIHMkQKczlw.twitter … via @adelaidenow Budget shock: $21b shortfall, Peter Martin http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/budget-shock-21b-shortfall-20121019-27wqj.html#ixzz29mYQF8hI smh.com. Packer aims to hire 2000 indigenous workers in proposed casino-hotel http://goo.gl/gf3rv Mr Denmore Gibbot5000 Hear my discussion with @richardaedy on @RNMediaReport on these issues http://tiny.cc/a87fmw TheQldPublicServant‏ We can't cop more Newman sackings with jobless at 8.4%. LNP MP quietly attacks Newman | Fraser Coast Chronicle #qldpol http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/news/we-cant-cop-more-job-cuts/1588 Ken ‏ Roman Catholic psycho typical Liberal Tony Abbott is the worst abuser http://bit.ly/PGEle6 Libs' advertising draws the attention of polling officials The Liberals were forced to move a hot air ballon that was inflated as Mr Seselja arrived because advertising on the basket was deemed too close to a polling place. How-to-vote cards and political advertising are banned within 100 metres of a polling venue on election day. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/libs-advertising-draws-the-attention-of-polling-officials-20121020-27xn7.html#ixzz29nBF37OY Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/libs-advertising-draws-the-attention-of-polling-officials-20121020-27xn7.html#ixzz29nB0Qzcu Mitt Romney’s Tax Dodge A guide to how the multimillionaire twists the law to hide his massive fortune - and avoid paying his fair share in taxes http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/mitt-romney-s-tax-dodge-20121012#ixzz29nAZVBIf :):):):)

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012Sue Thank you for your kind remarks. I’m surprised that it was Laura Tingle who asked that infantile question. She’s much better than that. But you are right – JG has got the measure of the media pack, and will no longer stand nonsense from them – why should she, why should our nation’s PM? Talk Turkey Yes, I do feel more buoyant with every passing day. Julia Gillard goes from strength to strength, Tony Abbott continues to sink. Her successes mount, her stature grows, her competence on multiple fronts becomes more obvious, her confidence continues to rise, and her superiority to her opponent becomes starker by the day. Meanwhile with each day success evades Abbott, his stature shrinks with each inane utterance, competence escapes him, confidence shrivels, accelerated by his dressing down, and his inferiority has become his ugly trademark. Most of the MSM is letting us down disgracefully by not pointing out all of this, and is showing no sign of improving. We must continue our all-out assault on our incompetent and malevolent political media. You are right when you say: [i]”The writhing hate-spitting ridiculous sooking Mainstream Media have NO authority now, the authority is with the Left of the 5th Estate and may I say none are more deserving of the credit for that than this blogsite.”[/i]

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012DMW Thank you for the link to the excellent article by George Megalogenis. As too often happens with George, he lets himself down when he includes a pussycat sentence that blunts the thrust of what he writes. A Michael points out, George ends his article with: [i]”…the idea that Abbott can unify the nation if he wins the next election seems just that little bit harder to imagine.”[/i] No, George, what you [b]should[/b] have written is: [b]“…the idea that Abbott can unify the nation if he wins the next election is now impossible to imagine.”[/b]

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012Hi Lyn I’m working through your exciting and comprehensive Twitterverse. You are a marvel, working on a Saturday morning. Thank you. I have to go shopping now so will respond after lunch.

Tom of Melbourne

20/10/2012The media really does go easy on Swan.. They consistently ignore his politicisation of economics and his incompetence. When the Reserve Bank observed the potential for overheating the economy a couple of years ago, they raised interest rates. At the very same time Swan was spending billions $$$ in stimulus. Swan’s policy was pushing the economy in the opposite direction to that of the Reserve Bank. Now we have the Reserve Bank seeing the danger of economic contraction, and reducing interest rates to promote growth. Meantime, Swan is locked into a politically motivated surplus, so is looking to cut spending, ie reduce economic growth. Swan is just the most incompetent, bombastic, self important politician in memory.

nasking

20/10/2012 I was trying to find the ABC report on cancer towns in China...best I could do: [b]China's cancer village: a product of industrial pollution[/b] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2010/jun/07/china-cancer-pollution N'

nasking

20/10/2012 BTW, thnx for the feedback on our song. Much appreciated. As a couple of obscure males my mate and I don't get much motivation. But we do our best to spread messages about saving the environment from abuse...gay and women's rights...treating workers fairly. N'

NormanK

20/10/2012ToM I hope you don't risk serious sunburn each time you crawl out from under your rock. When you provide a considered response to this, backed up by links to credible sources, you might be entitled to speak on Swan's credibility. @ February 19. 2012 07:28 PM http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2012/02/19/Tony-Abbott-we-are-sick-of-your-lies.aspx#id_14f4ef5c-d613-4688-a57f-60a6d3d5d01c And if this is the product of Swan, Treasury and the RBA working at cross-purposes, then I say let's have more of it. http://www.thefinnigans.blogspot.com.au/

nasking

20/10/2012 I meant to respond to you TT in the previous thread...apologies: [b]But there's so much reading here anyway (Nasking!) that I'm sure yous can do without my bit of tripe for a day or so. [/b] That's silly...you are a wonderful commentor and poet. Besides, my postings should never deter you from saying what you feel...if you ever felt i thought you overdoing things then put it down to the grumpy and hypocritical side of the Bear. Keep up those great postings. As for yer disappointment with me over Assange and Hicks...diff strokes for diff folks. I see them now as self-centred patriarchs, one who pushes his manhood by killing innocent animals, the other by using women as he sees fit...both obviously OCD on libertarian views and fighting what they believe are their enemies... both mistreated indeed... but ya take the risks ya have to pay the consequences. And if you decide to big note yerself...and attack our "fair-go" PM don't expect my...or others support. Frankly, I've had my fill of selfish Libertarians who think the world revolves around them...they USE the system...get hands up...but choose to conveniently ignore such...and babble on and gripe daily about paying taxes and 'big government'... whilst supporting some of the biggest corporate exploitive puppets and war-mongers...and highest taxing...politicians and govts in history. And whilst I'm on the topic of SELFISH people... Lance Armstrong and the other doped cyclists (makes ya wonder if Abbott did same)...are CHEATS AWFUL ROLE MODELS CORPORATE SUCKHOLES and anyone who thinks that just because these guys do some charity work (as tho they can't AFFORD IT...don't BENEFIT FROM IT) is blind and DUPED. When I think of all those cyclists and other sports figures who tried their hearts out clean of drugs...and were left by the wayside... called failures... left UNMOTIVATED... jeered... by a CORPORATE CHEATING ELITE... and GULLIBLE CROWDS and FANS... it fckn makes me irate. How many wonderful, passionate people were ROBBED...left to ponder WHY BOTHER? How many CHILDREN have been SUCKED into this CORPORATE CHEATS WORLD...??? Whilst sports became all about PRODUCT PLACEMENT...CORPORATE SPRUIKING... And CHEATS GOT RICH. And HOW MANY LOOKED THE OTHER WAY...just like the BUILDUP TO THE IRAQ WAR??? The same as MANY DID AS CHILDREN WERE ABUSED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND CULTS Sad world...sad world. But at least some of US weren't fooled...again. FOCUSED on this GROTESQUENESS...including the CON that was the GFC...used deliberately by THE CORPORATE ARISTOCRACY to PULL THE THE CARPET OUT FROM UNDER THE PUBLIC SERVICE, PENSIONS, WAGES OF WORKERS...CONDITIONS... AND CLEANER ENERGY. So they could shift moneys, govt expenditure to THEIR INTERESTS...CREATE THEIR NEW ENERGY...KEEP YOU AS HARD WORKING...DEBT UP TO YER EYE BALLS...PAYING THEM FOR SERVICES AND TOLLWAYS...AND PRODUCTS... SERFS. WORKING...24-7 No longer eyes wide shut. Over...and out...it's up to YOU NOW. N'

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012Hi Lyn I see at last a few journalists are willing to call Abbott’s faults. Phil Coorey and Tony Walker had a go, and Simon Bensen writes about Abbott’s vicious plan to hold a Royal Commission into the trade union movement should we unfortunate enough to have him as our PM. His bitterness at losing in 2010 knows no bounds. BB, as usual, writes a good commentary about TV that is worth careful study. Lyn, I’m about to post a piece by Kay Rollison that is a great follow-up to the current piece. So that no one misses your Twitterverse, could you please also post it on the new piece: [i]Out of bounds on the full[/i].

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012Folks I have just now posted another piece by Kay Rollison: [i]Out of bonds on the full[/i]. I know you will enjoy it. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2012/10/20/Out-of-bounds-on-the-full.aspx

nasking

20/10/2012 Thnx Ad for giving people an opportunity to read my comment. N'

Tom of Melbourne

20/10/2012Typically people here (Norman K in this case)- • Immediately resort to personal insults • Adopt the lazy response – “don’t debate this with me, debate it with the link” Hopeless and intellectually lazy.

NormanK

20/10/2012Folks, That sound you can hear is me kicking myself around the room.

TalkTurkey

20/10/2012Comrades, Just trying to catch up on the onboard writers here, haven't even looked at your Links yet Lyn (busy most of morning), an embarrassment of riches altogether! Grasshopper I must say I find your posts and attitudes delightful altogether, thank you always, but just this time I can't download this clip that people think so marvy, atm my G4 broadband isused up, will go back in a few days' time. Jane Sue Gravel jaycee MWS pj Truth Seeker Nasking 2353 Bultaco Casablanca Kate NK Frank Oh all the people who have answered the Call of the Sword this thread thanks and sorry I can't answer all of you, I have trouble just [i]reading[/i] you all. But Patricia I especially love the title of your song [i]Women near and far are calling Julia![/i] which of course is pronounced Joo-Lee-ARRRRR even like a pirate if you like! And Ad I don't see too much sadness in those Patrician lines you quote, more determination and optimism. Well yeah it's sad that there are Abbortts but aren't we glad we got the remedy, and the biggest part of the remedy for misogynism is the Women themselves. Truth Seeker That verse of yours is some of the best stuff I've ever seen on the 5th Estate. Thanks for republishing it. It goes out to sea so fast! But on TPS it's all archived, how good is that, what a record we are making day by day! Most particularly of Lyn's links, but all the rest of us too. Michael I admire your writings a great deal too. nasking thank you for the kind words, now for the other part, [i]As for yer disappointment with me over Assange and Hicks...diff strokes for diff folks.[/i] The difficulty here is that the difference between my stroke and yours could be the difference between ordinary and extraordinary applications of Law, you must see that. [i]I see them now as self-centred patriarchs, one who pushes his manhood by killing innocent animals, the other by using women as he sees fit...both obviously OCD on libertarian views and fighting what they believe are their enemies...[/i] OK but it isn't the way that you see them that is relevant here! [i]both mistreated indeed...[/i] So you accept that . . ? [i]but ya take the risks ya have to pay the consequences.[/i] But the consequences should be within the normal range, not "cruel and unusual" pursuit and punishment. And David Hicks' whole incarceration has at last been ruled unconstitutional, how do you maintain any opinion that he should have faced any consequences? Oh well . . . [i]And if you decide to big note yerself...and attack our "fair-go" PM don't expect my...or others support.[/i] I thought you meant me at first, after all I have criticised *J*U*L*I*A* on her references to Assange as criminal - not attacked her though - after all it is your best friend who tells you you have egg on your face, or that your breath stinks. Everyone knows what I think of her in general of course. No I didn't like the way he or his mother talked of *J*U*L*I*A* either, but she said that 'criminal' bit first, which is patently untrue. After that, well I can hardly blame him for spitting it, that notion has been used - illegally in my opinion, in a neat reverse - to freeze his funds, and to queer the process. Anyway as I said I don't expect to change your views, only you might do that. I am sure of the propriety and logic of my own. Ad we are all glad when you are buoyant. We know then we are on the right track. And Yes We Are.

TalkTurkey

20/10/2012Anyone I didn't mention in that last post please don't think I omitted you deliberately, not so, I just missed you OK!?

NormanK

20/10/2012Ad astra I'm sorry that I didn't get to comment on this article because the subject matter is important and topical. My response is still sitting on my desktop because it seems to have been superseded by recent events e.g. the bizarre editorial where the media house with control of 70% of the metropolitan readership of print news complains that 'the media' got it wrong on Abbott's visit to Jakarta - wow. I am glad that you did not try to draw any concrete conclusions from your research and musings. The media is a complex beast that does not lend itself to meaningful generalisations.

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012NormanK If you wish, you could post your response on the new thread, which is related to this one.

uriah

20/10/2012Hi Ad, Thank you for another wonderful article each day more of your reasoning and commonsense reaches the ears of the silent majority.It is an extremely interesting time in politics with many battles to come.The contrast between the PM and LOTO could not be more stark.The MSM are envious and the libs have no idea how to beat PM Gillard they have effectivly fired all their shots while she calmly stared them down.Julia Gillard is indeed a phenomenon.

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012uriah Thank you for your kind comments. You are right - the Liberals have no idea how to cope with an ascendant PM Gillard, and all the media can do is shoot at her and her Government on any pretext. It really is pathetic.

NormanK

20/10/2012Ad astra I hasten to point out that I was not having a dig about the starting of a new thread. I wrote a response last night and by this morning found that I was no longer happy with it. These are fast-moving and very peculiar times in our media. The most important point of my aborted comment was that I was glad that you did not try to reach any concrete conclusions on something as complex and contradictory as our current media.

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012NormanK I'm planning on writing another piece for later in the week where I argue that we are being seriously shortchanged by our MSM, especially as we move into an election year. I may even be bold enough to suggest how the MSM might lift its game!

42 long

20/10/2012The world of communication is changing at a blistering pace. Communication is POWER, and the dynamics are confusing many of the players. They will have to adjust. yesterdais rules will not apply tomorrow.

NormanK

20/10/2012Ad astra I'll look forward to that. While reading Kay's piece it occurred to me to wonder what would happen if all political commentators declared a two-week moratorium on discussing the politics of politics. No mention of tactics or personalities or minority government, just straight policy discussion. It would be an interesting experiment, the empirical results of which should be measurable - both social and economic.

Ad astra reply

21/10/2012NormanK I agree wholeheartedly.
I have two politicians and add 17 clowns and 14 chimpanzees; how many clowns are there?