(sir) bobwatch uk

Posted on July 25, 2006 by @ndy

Kill Rock *s : starting with Geldof, and ending with Hanna

‘Geldof cancels Italian tour after only 45 fans turn up for Milan gig’
Barbara McMahon in Rome
The Guardian
July 24, 2006

Millions of people [allegedly] like to hear Bob Geldof talk about causes as diverse as debt relief and the rights of fathers but it seems not so many, at least in Italy, are as keen to hear him sing.

The Irish rock musician and political activist beat a retreat back to London at the weekend after cancelling concerts in Milan and Rome because too few fans had bought tickets.

Only 45 people turned up on Friday at Milan’s Civic Arena for a performance by the 51-year-old singer and songwriter. The venue has a capacity of 12,000.

I can tell Sir Bob why we don’t like his concerts.

His music’s shit. (Unlike, say, Le Tigre. In fact, their music is now considered so entertaining by the corporate sector, the grrls have sold it. First to Universal, then Telus, then Goldmark, and now Nivea. Obviously, “Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman / giving all your love to just one corporation…”)

As for Sir Bob’s politics…

A month ago, advertising teacher (sorry: “guru”) Simon Hammond’s book BE was featured in an article in The Australian, ‘Believe in your brand’: “In the book he explains that BE brands are those with “belief” that customers want to “belong” to and that inspire core emotional “behaviours”. Loyalty is important among these.” Better yet: “People like Robbie Williams, Bono, Sting and Geldof are the true influences because they are perfect BE brands.”

Not to be outdone, red carpet — the mob that organised The Influentials brief tour of Australasia — describe The Influentials thusly: “Whilst humanity numbers over 6 billion, the most important changes in the [worlds] of media, technology, brands, ideas, economics and politics are the work of just a few. These extraordinary individuals are The Influentials – Leaders, Rebels and Superstars.”

Uh-huh.

Well… maybe not. Having bombed in Milan, Bob bombed in Melbourne too. (Maybe it’s got something to do with cities beginning with the letter ‘M’?)

‘How to lose buyers, not influence people: Geldof gig woes’
Jesse Hogan
The Age
July 6, 2006

IT WAS promoted as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, a business leadership conference in Melbourne featuring Bob Geldof, Sex Pistols founder Malcolm McLaren and Survivor creator Mark Burnett.

But the group dubbed “The Influentials”, it seems, is not so influential.

Fuck. Don’t tell me that there’s a world outside of the masturbatory phantasies of advertising “gurus”? Sad but true: The Influentials exercised little influence over the good burghers of Melbourne, the dog and pony show attracting a small audience only on its Sydney and Auckland legs:

‘Boomtown Rat happy to take copied music’
Jonathan Marshall
New Zealand Herald
July 16, 2006

[July 28. Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. I think I accidentally deleted the last half of this entry. Damn you Geldof! | Google Cache to the rescue!]

Sir Bob Geldof was quick to condemn New Zealand’s foreign aid contribution – but he was happy to fly home with a healthy appearance fee and a CD of copied New Zealand bands’ music. Television presenter John Campbell gave Geldof a CD compilation of local songs, which the Boomtown Rats frontman and activist packed into his suitcase before he left Auckland on Friday night…

Geldof was in Auckland to speak at a motivational business leadership conference at the Aotea Centre on Friday, after which he criticised New Zealand for its level of foreign aid contributions. He told the Herald on Sunday he didn’t know how much money he would receive for speaking at the function which charged punters $1495 per ticket. He laughed at suggestions he would donate the proceeds to charity.

“Why should I?” he said.

Grovelling Gold-Digger Geldof

Geldof, lamenting the fact that he couldn’t make any big money out of the pop-music business, said: “I wanted to make money out of it, but I only ever wanted the money to enable me to do all the things I want to do” (TV Times, 25-31 October, 1986). Have you ever heard of anyone wanting to make money to do things they didn’t want to do?

For years before Band Aid, Geldof’s band, The Boomtown Rats, had been a flop. In his so-called autobiography Is That It? he wrote that they’d made an album In The Long Grass — but it was no-go. Tracks released from it as singles — “total stiffs”. “We even went and tried to hype the second single.” They got £1,000 and “went to all the stores we knew were ‘chart return’ shops and bought it ourselves, hoping to buy it into the charts” (p.267). But it didn’t work. “We gave away a free ticket to any one of our concerts with every copy…”. Still no good. “We made four superb videos… But still nothing” (p.268). He then writes that he was getting desperate. “It was coming to the end of 1984 and I could see no prospect for the release of the album In The Long Grass… I went home in a state of blank resignation and switched on the television” (p.269). He saw the BBC film on famine in Ethiopia. Almost immediately he also saw the opportunity of the charity business bringing big publicity, and a way at last to make money ‘to enable him to do the things he wants to do’.

He knew he was well on that way when he arrived at Buckingham Palace on July 24, 1986. There, dolled up in top hat and morning dress — the uniform [deemed] appropriate [to receive] medals for service to the middle class — he was able to bow and scrape to the Queen of parasites as she officially installed him as Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

The squalid hypocrisy of an ‘Order of the British Empire’ — the building of which was a series of atrocities substantially responsible for the immense suffering of African peoples right up to the present day — no more deterred Geldof’s drooling acceptance of it than does any of the other phony do-gooders. On the contrary, his adulation of the Royals sometimes gets near to the extreme. In Is That It? (p.411) he says: “Of all the people I have met since this [Band Aid] began, Prince Charles is without doubt the one I have been most impressed by. I find myself more in agreement with him than anbody else.”

Then the money started to roll in. One of the little things he wanted to do was to get married to Paula Yates — the hip, boring, middle class pop robot [since deceased]. So in September 1986, out in some exotic place, he spent over £75,000 on a “quiet little wedding”. Only a month later, the aforementioned book was published — with Geldof’s name spread across the top of the front cover, aptly in the largest, gold letters — amidst a welter of publicity. This was followed by a successful “tour to packed houses in major venues”, each gig ending with the Band Aid song Do They Know It’s Christmas?. A successful tour due, as he admits (p.319) entirely to publicity through Band Aid. There was then a recording contract, an album, a rubbishy single in the charts, a pop video, appearances on TV chat shows (he’d earlier been on This Is Your Life), interviews in newspapers and magazines, and he “got rows of honours, medals, awards, and even honorary degrees, from all over the world” (p.426).

In fact, the middle class, liberal to fascist, swarmed around Geldof and his Band-wagon like flies ’round shit — and the reasons why range from feelings of guilt to unscrupulous exploitation. For example, among the flies that got a good lick of the shit were US TNCs AT&T and Kodak. The purpose of their frenzied participation in these ‘Aids’ was made clear by Dan Hovicky, ‘advertising expert’ and Division Manager of AT&T. Speaking on Channel 4 (February 19, 1987) of AT&T’s involvement with Live Aid and Sport Aid, Hovicky said: “It was a great opportunity to show to all those who matter in the world, our technical skills, abilities and services. It was of exceptional use to us because it enabled us to put it all over while at the same time giving a clear impression that we cared”.

– Andy Anderson*, ‘First Know Your Enemy’ (1988), in Andy Anderson and Mark Anderson, The Enemy Is Middle Class, Openly Classist, Manchester, 1998, pp.69-70.

[*Class War reckons Andy “was a self-confessed former US and British intelligence officer”!]

Anyway, they say nobody can find a good word for Bob, but I can :

Twat.

See also : ‘Bono Bloody Bono’, Dave Bleakney, Z, February 12, 2002:

Bono, the 80’s inspired politico warbler is the latest in a long line of performers who are trotted out on behalf of the power holders. Poor Bono, he doesn’t get it. At first I thought he looked silly. But now I see him as dangerous. Okay, well, silly and dangerous. At least that’s how he looked at the World Economic Forum held recently in New York. “Bono steals spotlight at forum,” said the Globe and Mail byline of February 5. While distribution of the Earth Times may have been banned at the exclusive Waldorf-Astoria for the WEF the corporate and political elite made a home for Bono.

Admittedly, I have never been a fan. Bono has always seemed a little pompous and overblown to me. But what the heck, pop music is aural candy. The candy I can live with. What was more alarming was to see Irish pop stars Bob Geldof and Bono praising the Canadian Prime Minister in Genoa during the G-8 meetings last year. Meanwhile, on the other side of the barricades Carlo Giuliani was shot and killed by a police bullet. Police routinely attacked independent journalists, medics and protestors, as has become a routine practice in crowd control.

Posted in Media, Music, State / Politics | Leave a comment

redwatch uk. again.

Posted on July 25, 2006 by @ndy

Press Gazette, July 21, 2006 :

Yorkshire Evening Post journalist and anti-racism campaigner Pete Lazenby has said newspaper publishers have a “moral obligation” to help bring down the far right website Redwatch believed to be responsible for a number of attacks across the country.

The Guardian, July 21, 2006 :

Following a series of attacks on anti-racist campaigners, Home Office ministers will meet police chiefs next week to consider action against individuals linked to a far-right website that publishes the addresses of politicians, teachers and trade unionists.

Home Office minister Vernon ‘When I was a student I smoked marijuana‘ Coaker met with MPs and trade unionists yesterday in the wake of the latest incident, in which anti-fascist campaigner Alec McFadden, the president of the Merseyside TUC, was stabbed in the face after his details were listed on the Redwatch site…

…Angela Eagle is the MP for Wallasey, Mr McFadden’s home constituency, and her photograph appears on the front page of the Redwatch website, alongside that of the Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Peter Lazenby…

“…The site is registered by two UK and one US citizen and the police know who they are”, she said…

…Until now, there were doubts that the website could be closed down because it is hosted in the US.

But news that Redwatch‘s sister site in Poland has been shut down following cooperation between police there and in the US has given the government new hope.

UK ministers confirmed earlier this week they were in touch with the US authorities in relation to the UK site.

NB. the parasitic Redwatch Poland subsequently obtained a new host, also located in the US[?].

Posted in Anti-fascism, Media, State / Politics | 1 Comment

Splitsville UK : Trot Guide 2006 #4.5

Posted on July 25, 2006 by @ndy

The boys and girls of the Trot Guide are no longer alone as the splitsville hits UK… this time arriving at the heart of Workers Power. According to the new mob, called permanentrevolution:

On Saturday 1 July 33 members of the LFI in Britain, Australia [5], Ireland and Sweden (30% of the LFI membership) were expelled by the International Secretariat (IS) of the League. They were all members of an International Faction (IF) that had been formed in the run up to the League’s 7th Congress in July.

The formation of the IF was a culmination of a two year long struggle beginning in Workers Power Britain (WPB) and extending into the League. That struggle was around perspectives and tactics. The majority perspectives adopted at the 2003 congress, and many of the tactics deployed by the organisation on the basis of these perspectives, were wrong, especially around the use of the slogan of a Fifth International within the anti-capitalist movement.

According to another Trotskyite sect, the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, these 33 members do indeed constitute around 1/3 of the total membership of the ‘2/3 League for a Fifth International’. Given that 5 of the expelled members were from Australia, I think Revo Australia* / Workers Power may have to be added to the endangered species list.

(*Ugh. That name.)

Choice quote from the ones left holding the bag:

…some of our ex-member[s] are now arguing that individuals and minorities should have the right to argue different lines from that of the majority – even to recruit people to minority positions. This centrist position, condemned by Leon Trotsky, betrays their individualistic outlook. A communist, speaking in public on political questions, is not exercising her or his “free spirit”. We leave that to anarchists and liberals…

The 66 or so left behind by the 33 remain defiant, “[i]n spite of the splitters and deserters”.

That’s the spirit!

The Weakly Worker comments:

When we have felt it worthwhile, we have featured some journalistic commentary on this. We have pointed to the group’s pandering to anarchistic sentiment in the so-called anti-capitalist movement; its overblown perspectives concerning the political character of the period; its mildly embarrassing bout of youth vanguardism; and its laughably pompous and profoundly misplaced belief in its own destiny as the anointed leader of the world’s proletariat, often expressed in the form of a lofty disdain for the rest of the revolutionary left.

Pandering to anarchistic sentiment is barking up the wrong tree; overblown perspectives are to be expected; vanguardism of any sort is laughable; so too, any and all claims to proletarian dictatorship.

(Anyway, what have the Romans ever done for us?)

Back to the 2/3:

The only problem for the minority faction was that outside the British Section and the four members of the Australian section their support was negligible…

It is clear from the emails that, in an online ‘referendum’, a clear majority favoured an early split before the congress, because they feared their own demoralisation as a result of having to argue with the majority at the congress. They feared that they would either “get trapped “ by having no excusable pretext for leaving or would have to walk out after a heavy defeat. Instead they have decided to hold a founding conference in London with the British minority and the two Australian delegates. The latter were brazenly encouraged to get the money for their fares paid from the League for attending its congress and then attend the split meeting instead…

In addition Workers Power (Australia) voted unanimously at its aggregate to support one of its members “ignoring Majority faction dictates at the Revo Conference 2006”: that is, to break from the League policy of continuing the work of strengthening international democratic centralism within REVOLUTION [“REVO“] and instead fight for it to completely break its links with the League. (Lisa F, ‘WPA Aggregate/Faction meeting’).

The Faction planned to cease paying League subs from July and began transferring money to a new bank account, having discussed a subscription scale for their new organisation. Some of them it seems have already cancelled their subscriptions.

The Faction has entered into communications with organisations and individuals hostile to the League in Austria and has a project of “regroupment discussion” listing an assortment of centrist and sectarian organisations, including some who split from the League over issues on which the then faction leaders totally supported the majority…

In accordance with its inner logic this process has now culminated in a classic petit-bourgeois rebellion against democratic centralism – the highest form of proletarian organisation.

(Take that, Spartacist League!)

The petit-bourgeois diletanttes at libcom.org express typically anarchistic sentiments with regards this, the ‘tragic necessity’ for a split in the League. And their mocking the importance of the correct slogan (“especially around the use of the slogan of a Fifth International within the anti-capitalist movement”) — betrays their, um, “individualistic outlook”. A result of too much over-exercising of her or his “free spirit”, I expect; and the paying of too little attention to the views of (the majority of the) 66 members of the 2/3 of 1/5 International.

See also : ‘Workers’ Power: a tale of kitsch Trotskyism’ (AWL, 1993). One Trotskyite sect having a crack at a (former?) competitor.

We Are… The League! The only League worth listening to.

Posted in Trot Guide | 3 Comments

Further case studies in ‘The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie’

Posted on July 24, 2006 by @ndy

‘Rabbit mutilator jailed’
Sydney Morning Herald
Leonie Lamont
July 3, 2006

A Sydney financier has been jailed for 16 months for “the worst case” of aggravated cruelty against animals.

[Above : Agent 00Kitten of the Bunny Rabbit Liberation Front is fiercely protective of her Oryctolagus cuniculus companion]

Brendan Francis McMahon, 37, of Tamarama, will have to spend at least 12 months in jail for his torture, mutilation, and alleged sexual offences against 17 rabbits and a guinea pig.

The magistrate, Ian Barnett, said a strong message should be sent to the community that people such as McMahon could not escape responsibility for their actions by the fact they were psychotic at the time.

“In my view this is one of the worst case scenarios of aggravated cruelty to animals,” he said.

He accepted McMahon had a lifelong cannabis addiction and, before and during the offences against the animals, had a $125 a day addiction to methamphetamine (also known as ice).

“In my view there is community outrage at this matter and someone should not be allowed to commit such offences of aggravated cruelty against animals and say ‘Well I had been using ice at the time. I have been taking cannabis most of my life.’

“My view is … this is not acceptable.”

The dead or dying animals, some skinned, were allegedly found in and around McMahon’s York Street office between July and early August last year.

McMahon ran a financial planning and mortgage brokerage, Meares-McMahon Capital, with Jason Meares, the brother of the swimsuit designer Jodhi Meares, former wife of James Packer.

Earlier :

‘Rabbit case gets stranger still’, Natasha Wallace, Sydney Morning Herald, November 25, 2005
‘Financier in court on bestiality and cruelty charges’, Les Kennedy, Sydney Morning Herald, October 13, 2005

See also :

Pet-Abuse.Com

[Above : Anonymous human comrades strike back against the animal-hating Empire of capital and state. Some people build cages; others dismantle them.]

Posted in Cats | 1 Comment

It’s all because…

Posted on July 24, 2006 by @ndy

“Baby, I’m An Anarchist!”

Through the best of times,
Through the worst of times,
Through Nixon and through Bush,
Do you remember ’36?
We went our seperate ways.
You fought for Stalin.
I fought for freedom.
You believe in authority.
I believe in myself.
I’m a molotov cocktail.
You’re Dom Perignon.
Baby, what’s that confused look in your eyes?
What I’m trying to say is that
I burn down buildings
While you sit on a shelf inside of them.
You call the cops
On the looters and piethrowers.
They call it class war,
I call it co-conspirators.

‘Cause baby, I’m an anarchist,
You’re a spineless liberal.
We marched together for the eight-hour day
And held hands in the streets of Seattle,
But when it came time to throw bricks
Through that Starbucks window,
You left me all alone.

You watched in awe at the red,
White, and blue on the fourth of july.
While those fireworks were exploding,
I was burning that fucker
And stringing my black flag high,
Eating the peanuts
That the parties have tossed you
In the back seat of your father’s new Ford.
You believe in the ballot,
Believe in reform.
You have faith in the elephant and jackass,
And to you, solidarity’s a four-letter word.
We’re all hypocrites,
But you’re a patriot.
You thought I was only joking
When I screamed “Kill Whitey!”
At the top of my lungs
At the cops in their cars
And the men in their suits.
No, I won’t take your hand
And marry the State.

‘Cause baby, I’m an anarchist,
You’re a spineless liberal.
We marched together for the eight-hour day
And held hands in the streets of Seattle,
But when it came time to throw bricks
Through that Starbucks window,
You left me all alone.

Posted in Anarchism, Music | Leave a comment

Blogging the Middle East

Posted on July 23, 2006 by @ndy

About

Filed under: Uncategorized — Anarchistian @ 12:49 pm

Who? Secular, anarchist, graduate student

Where? Rabieh / Qornet Shahwan, Lebanon

What? Analyzing the Middle East and working towards a world without borders / exploring culture, life, and other aspects of the Middle East

Interests? Anarchism, Marxism, Mikhail Bakunin, activism, international affairs, politics, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Middle East, photojournalism, photography

Posted in Anarchism, Media, State / Politics, War on Terror | Leave a comment

Collingwood rejoins winners’ list!

Posted on July 23, 2006 by @ndy

And about f@#$ing time too…

COLLINGWOOD 19.13 (127) def. West Coast 13.12 (90)

Collingwood has shaken off a disappointing five weeks of football to defeat West Coast by 37 points at Telstra Dome on Saturday afternoon.

In a highly entertaining encounter, the Pies were lifted by their captain Nathan Buckley to run the game out strongly, denying any sort of miraculous Eagles comeback with the 19.13 (127) to 13.12 (90) win.

‘Impressive Pies overhaul depleted Weasels’ (SportsAustralia.com)

‘Magpies back to winning ways’ (ABC)

‘Magpies in breakthrough AFL win’ (The Age)

‘Magpies snap losing streak’ (Realfooty / The Age)

‘Pies bounce back to beat Weasels’ (FoxSports)

‘Magpies in welcome win over Weasels’ (The Age)

Words of wisdom from Mick :

“Sometimes you’ve got to look at the bad to value the good, then you’ve got to do a comparison,” Malthouse said.

“If you’re a smart enough player … to realise the difference between the previous three weeks compared to this week … it’s poles apart.

“It’s up to the player group, as we know what we believe took place and we can build on that.

“I’m not saying we needed those losses by any stretch of the imagination, but what it’s done is reinforced certain values that we’ve had.”

‘Fraser runs riot as Weasels rue Gardiner’s absence’ (Realfooty / The Age)

‘Magpies look dangerous after mid-season slump’ (Realfooty / The Age)

‘Malthouse relief at Pies’ win’ (Realfooty / The Age)

‘Buckley makes most of move’ (Sunday Herald Sun)

[Anti-fascist, pro-Collingwood] ‘Youth rally makes Mick happy’ (FoxSports)

Ha!

Posted in Collingwood | Leave a comment

Let’s do the Kutasi!

Posted on July 22, 2006 by @ndy

Bugger it.

The recent media-storm-in-a-teacup regarding the sensational revelation that NSW Young Liberals aren’t exactly backwards-about-coming-forwards inre their attitudes towards women, queers and blacks prompted some ‘neo-con’ (statist reactionary) to leave a post on my blog:

    “The ‘Racist, sexist, homophobic’ chant is a parody of the rhetoric the left use when describing Liberal students. Few actually consider themselves racist, sexist or homophobic.”

Which theme James the New Conservative elaborates on his blog, and to which the following (slightly reformulated) is a reply:

:::::::

    Wednesday, July 19, 2006

    ABC hatchet job

    “They [the ABC] seem to be on a bit of a crusade [against the Tories].”

I’m unconvinced: the real crusade is currently being led by George II, with HoWARd — Patron Saint of the Young Liberals, and former President (1964/1965) of the NSW Branch — content to play the role of snivelling sidekick, and the Young Liberals his dysfunctional cheer squad.

Besides, if ALP branch-stacking is deemed newsworthy, then so too is Tory Party branch-stacking. And the criticisms extend beyond assertions of ‘social conservatism’. (That is, if you regard racism, sexism and homophobia as distinct from social conservatism.)

What’s interesting, I think, is the shift in power that has been established through the use of such practices; secondly, the implications this has for the future development of the Party and NSW state politics.

As for Imre… [whom James cites as providing proof of the ABC’s nefarious activities] there are two claims in the article (‘Liberals complain of ABC threats’, The Australian, July 13, 2006) which might constitute evidence of “thuggery and intimidation”. The first is an extract from the [Tory Party’s] letter of complaint [to the ABC]:

“The standard testimony from these members is that (the reporter) has used unwarranted demands of a subpoena to try and obtain an interview,” the letter says.

Which is definitely odd behaviour for a journalist. I mean, if I read the allegation correctly. (They’re alleged to have issued / threatened to issue demands to appear in court?) If so, this would presumably be considered unethical under the semi-mythical journalists’ code of ethics that Media Watch keeps tut-tutting at infractions of… again… and again… and again. Not to mention the law?

In any case, I think it would first need to be established that the journalist’s (alleged) conduct was as a result of their carrying out instructions from a superior before a conscious campaign of disembiggening of the Tories could be attributed to the ABC as a whole.

As for the second :

A former member of the Liberal Party, Kyle Kutasi, has made a statutory declaration claiming the reporter told him: “I know more about you than you could possibl[y] know. I have files on you. I have photos of you. I have statements from women saying that you assaulted them.”

What Salusinszky fails to mention is the fact that this cat called Katusi is not just ‘a former member’ of the Tories, but:

a) a former President of the Sydney University Liberal Club (2001/2002);

b) in April 2004, received “congratulations” from the NSW Young Liberals for being one of “our very vocal hecklers” at some daft debate with Young Labor;

c) if Salusinszky read the SMH, he might have read the following (July 1, ‘Party Animals’):

The most controversial accusation made by moderates is the use of “double agents” or “sleepers” by the conservatives – people who join the party, claim to have moderate views and become friends with moderates, while secretly working for the right and trying to take over branches.

One of those who has come under attack as a sleeper is Kyle Kutasi, who is engaged to Clarke’s daughter, Anne-Marie. Kutasi is said to have taken over three Young Liberal branches, including Newtown, by posing first as a moderate and bringing in friends. He denies the accusations but will not comment further, saying he has been burnt by journalists in the past.

In an interview two years ago, [Alex] Hawke told the Herald the double agent accusations were lies. He said people who were initially interested in the left had simply decided their views were better suited to the right. But Hawke also admitted he had embarked on a recruitment campaign.

d) in his inaugural speech (27/05/03) to Parliament David Clarke said:

“The Liberal Party now has a new young generation of members of talent and dedication to carry our party forward. Nicholas Campbell of our party’s State Executive, Alex Hawke, the new President of the Young Liberals, and his three vice-presidents Natasha McLaren, Anthony Orkin and KYLE KATUSI, are all in the vanguard of our party’s organisational wing. I take great pride in being a member of a party comprised of such good young people as these.”

e) he’s one of the principal villains of the piece.

But if it’s true that ABC employees aren’t “very fond” of the Tories, one could be forgiven for thinking that it’s got something to do with Tory Party policy.

For this reason — taking Liberal Party claims seriously, but without seriously investigating them — and for many others, Imre Salusinszky merits the term ‘hack’ far more than do the award-winning journalists at Four Corners.

    “I doubt any actually consider themselves racist, sexist or homophobic, a point underscored by the fact that women, gays and people not of Anglo-Saxon background have been known to repeat the chant.”

What the young, self-declared ‘racist, sexist, homophobes’ consider themselves is surely beside the point. That is, if the students who did so say ‘sorry for the offence we acknowledge we caused through our insensitivity’, great. The point its use in the Lateline report underscores is not concerned with whether or not this chant is popular among “women, gays and people not of Anglo-Saxon background”, but the political shift in the Young Liberals to the (far) right it represents.

Finally, you’re ignoring the context of these remarks.

    “Further, the God save the Queen performance was in many cases delivered by staunch republicans.”

Again, this is beside the point.

JOHN STEWART: In 2004, Aboriginal elder Ted Lovett opened the national student conference with a speech from the land’s traditional owners. He says that throughout his speech, Liberal students sang God Save the Queen.

TED LOVETT, BALLARAT COMMUNITY ELDER: I sort of, you know, I just sort of stopped dead and I let ’em finish their song and when they finished, I said, “alright you’ve had your national anthem,” I said, “I’ll give you mine”.

JOHN STEWART: Mr Lovett says the students were later removed.

TED LOVETT: You know how they humiliated me, they not only humiliated me, but they humiliated all elders right across Australia and all Aboriginal people.

JOHN STEWART: The Aboriginal elder wants an apology and a guarantee that it won’t happen again at this year’s conference.

James again :

    “It’s all about taking the piss out of the left, and seeing how angry we can make them. The Michael Moore-like editing doesn’t help the representation of ‘young liberals.'”

I’d have to watch it again before I compare the work of Vanessa Hughes and Jessica Tyrrell to Michael Moore (I expect they’d be flattered — he is kinda popular, after all!).

What it’s “about” you seem to think is the Young Liberals’ sole right to declare, which is, basically, ‘taking the piss out of lefties’. How does shouting at a conference that you’re racist, sexist and homophobic, or disrespecting Aboriginal elders achieve that? And why do you so easily allow the ‘left’ to be identified with opposition to bigotry? Do you really believe that opposition to racism, sexism and homophobia, and showing a modicum of respect for invited guests — who are simply being generous with their time — is confined to ‘leftists’?

All such antics demonstrate is that the Young Liberals are rude prats, with a stunning lack of imagination when it comes to taking the piss, and a really bad sense of humour.

Posted in Media, State / Politics, Student movement | 5 Comments

“The Aristocrats!”

Posted on July 22, 2006 by @ndy

Just when you might have thought that the world was run by people of perhaps passing intelligence (???) this item from the BBC says it all!

Transcript: Bush and Blair’s unguarded chat

The conversation
A transcript of the off-the-cuff conversation between US President George W Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair during a break at the G8 conference in Russia.

The president was caught on tape using an expletive as he described the actions of Hezbollah in attacking Israel.

They also discussed the exchange of gifts.

Bush: Yo, Blair. How are you doing?

Blair: I’m just…

Bush: You’re leaving?

Blair: No, no, no not yet. On this trade thingy… [indistinct]

Bush: Yeah, I told that to the man.

Blair: Are you planning to say that here or not?

Bush: If you want me to.

Blair: Well, it’s just that if the discussion arises…

Bush: I just want some movement.

Blair: Yeah.

Bush: Yesterday we didn’t see much movement.

Blair: No, no, it may be that it’s not, it may be that it’s impossible.

Bush: I am prepared to say it.

Blair: But it’s just I think that we need to be an opposition…

Bush: Who is introducing the trade?

Blair: Angela [Merkel, the German Chancellor].

Bush: Tell her to call ‘em.

Blair: Yes.

Bush: Tell her to put him on, them on the spot. Thanks for the sweater – it’s awfully thoughtful of you.

Blair: It’s a pleasure.

Bush: I know you picked it out yourself.

Blair: Oh absolutely – in fact I knitted it!

[Laughter]

Bush: What about Kofi? [Annan] – he seems all right. I don’t like his ceasefire plan. His attitude is basically ceasefire and everything sorts out… But I think…

Blair: Yeah, no I think the [indistinct] is really difficult. We can’t stop this unless you get this international business agreed.

Bush: Yeah.

Blair: I don’t know what you guys have talked about, but as I say I am perfectly happy to try and see what the lie of the land is, but you need that done quickly because otherwise it will spiral.

Bush: I think Condi [US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice] is going to go pretty soon.

Blair: But that’s, that’s, that’s all that matters. But if you… you see it will take some time to get that together.

Bush: Yeah, yeah.

Blair: But at least it gives people…

Bush: It’s a process, I agree. I told her your offer to…

Blair: Well… it’s only if I mean… you know. If she’s got a…, or if she needs the ground prepared as it were… Because obviously if she goes out she’s got to succeed, if it were, whereas I can go out and just talk.

Bush: You see the irony is what they need to do is get Syria, to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it’s all over…

Blair: [indistinct]

Bush: [indistinct]

Blair: Dunno… Syria…

Bush: Why?

Blair: Because I think this is all part of the same thing…

Bush: [With mouth full of bread] Yeah.

Blair: Look – what does he think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine. If you get a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way.

Bush: Yeah, yeah, he is sweet.

Blair: He is honey. And that’s what the whole thing is about. It’s the same with Iraq.

Bush: I felt like telling Kofi to call, to get on the phone to Assad and make something happen.

Blair: Yeah.

Bush: [indistinct]

Blair: [indistinct]

Bush: We are not blaming the Lebanese government.

Blair: Is this…? [Blair taps the microphone in front of him and the sound is cut]

Story from BBC NEWS.

Published: 2006/07/18 16:25:12 GMT

© BBC MMVI

…The Aristocrats!

[Shake of the balaclava : Mannie & Kendall]

Posted in !nataS, Media, State / Politics, War on Terror | Leave a comment

On the Israeli state’s latest recruitment drive for Islamic terrorist groups

Posted on July 21, 2006 by @ndy

There is “great rejoicing at the nation’s capital”. So says the morning’s paper.

The enemy’s fleet has been annihilated.

Mothers are delighted because other mothers have lost sons just like their own;

Wives and daughters smile at the thought of new-made widows and orphans;

Strong men are full of glee because other strong men are either slain or doomed to rot alive in torments;

Small boys are delirious with pride and joy as they fancy themselves thrusting swords into soft flesh, and burning and laying waste such homes as they themselves inhabit;

Another capital is cast down with mourning and humiliation just in proportion as ours is raised up, and that is the very spice of our triumph…

This is life–this is patriotism–this is rapture!

But we–what are we, men or devils? and our Christian capital–what is it but an outpost of Hell?

Ernest Crosby, “War and Hell”, 1898
(Written at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War.)

On Israel and Lebanon : Robert Fisk, ‘The child lies like a rag doll…’, The Independent, July 20, 2006.

Posted in History, Poetry, State / Politics, War on Terror | Leave a comment