Friday, March 04, 2005
I Got This Fucking Thorn In My Side
Further to my comments yesterday, Australia seems to have completely lost the plot. Here's some sycophancy par excellence from the SMH:
For heaven's sakes, man, pull yourself together. Whatever your multifarious failings, at least you have the mandate of the people, with whom sovereignty must surely rest in any society that actually values liberty, democracy and equality (and I personally hold these things in much higher esteem than "magic", for all that I enjoy LOTR and Harry Potter). You know, Tony, as an Australian and a Catholic you have no chance of becoming your own country's head of state, you are automatically disqualified on those counts ... how do you feel about that? Come to think of it, just drop dead.
Australians more generally - buck up! If you've got $175 weighing down your wallet, donate it to the tsunami relief and actually try to do some good in this world. Don't waste it on this crap (and in any case, given this Mary chick's apparently supernatural powers of oxygen-depletion, being in her presence may endanger your health).
You wouldn't put up with the formation of a local aristocracy in the 1850s, and this inpenetrable speech was met with great cheers (there is a joke in there about a platypus if you care to look for it), so why act in such a pathetic toady fashion today?
There's more lickspittle reporting in the NZH under the headline "Charles disarms Republican town with regal wit" ... the essence of the story being that his speechwriter gave him something amusing to say in front of 100 suits in Melbourne, and then he impressed an elderly monarchist at the markets with an off-hand remark. Hoo-fucking-ray. Look, Chuck, I got nothing against you personally, but I'm more than capable of electing my own head of state, thanks.
Last night's "TV One Close Up" debate on the monarchy was the usual fare, polarized opinions, a couple of school kids, regular cuts to the leader of the monarchist league getting in the way of ad breaks and Simon Dallow flogging the lousy 0900 poll. The funniest part was when they cut away to an octagenarian pensioner, from Christchurch I think it was, surrounded by pictures of Betty Windsor, who claimed that we were "the luckiest country in the world because we had such a successful monarchy." This ludicrous claim went unchallenged ... I could have sworn there are no performance criteria for being a monarch (other than, perhaps, not having your head chopped off), and really no way to distinguish a successful monarch from a middling one, or a failure.
In fairness, one of the republicans in the audience did later make the point that monarchy is the ultimate form of nepotism ... nice one.
One of the most disturbing claims of the selected monarchists, including Ron Mark, was the suggestion/insinuation that it was inappropriate for we commoners to even be debating such issues. The worst kind of Tory.
A rather more measured and learned analysis of last night's debate, which nicely spells out the ways in which the "powers of the monarch" do not protect us as citizens (because, in both law and practice, they are devolved to the Prime Minister of the day), can be found at the Holden Republic. There's also some interesting commentary on NRT. Good stuff, but we'll be keeping it feisty over here at BIR.
Right, that's enough possible sedition for one day.
The oxygen of publicity had already been consumed by the phenomenon that is Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.
"That's the power of the throne, I suppose," chuckled the federal Health Minister as he waited for someone - anyone - to notice his arrival at the hotel near Circular Quay.
But those happy to spend $175 on lunch for the Mental Health Foundation had eyes for one person alone: the stylish young woman in the raw silk pants-suit.
The bunyip aristocracy was struck down in NSW in the 1850s when the idea of life peers was laughed out of court, most notably by Dan Deniehy. The popularity of this visit by the crown prince and princess has caused some to wonder whether the desire for titular recognition was ever truly defeated.
Mr Abbott, a monarchist to his bootlaces, certainly believes in the redemptive power of kings and queens and fairytales.
"I want to thank you, Princess Mary, for reminding a sceptical world of the magic that can be involved in a monarch," he told the lunchtime audience of 560.
"Every time one person's dream comes true the world is a better and brighter place for all of us. Your marriage was a gift to the people of Australia. Thank you for what you have done for us."
For heaven's sakes, man, pull yourself together. Whatever your multifarious failings, at least you have the mandate of the people, with whom sovereignty must surely rest in any society that actually values liberty, democracy and equality (and I personally hold these things in much higher esteem than "magic", for all that I enjoy LOTR and Harry Potter). You know, Tony, as an Australian and a Catholic you have no chance of becoming your own country's head of state, you are automatically disqualified on those counts ... how do you feel about that? Come to think of it, just drop dead.
Australians more generally - buck up! If you've got $175 weighing down your wallet, donate it to the tsunami relief and actually try to do some good in this world. Don't waste it on this crap (and in any case, given this Mary chick's apparently supernatural powers of oxygen-depletion, being in her presence may endanger your health).
You wouldn't put up with the formation of a local aristocracy in the 1850s, and this inpenetrable speech was met with great cheers (there is a joke in there about a platypus if you care to look for it), so why act in such a pathetic toady fashion today?
There's more lickspittle reporting in the NZH under the headline "Charles disarms Republican town with regal wit" ... the essence of the story being that his speechwriter gave him something amusing to say in front of 100 suits in Melbourne, and then he impressed an elderly monarchist at the markets with an off-hand remark. Hoo-fucking-ray. Look, Chuck, I got nothing against you personally, but I'm more than capable of electing my own head of state, thanks.
Last night's "TV One Close Up" debate on the monarchy was the usual fare, polarized opinions, a couple of school kids, regular cuts to the leader of the monarchist league getting in the way of ad breaks and Simon Dallow flogging the lousy 0900 poll. The funniest part was when they cut away to an octagenarian pensioner, from Christchurch I think it was, surrounded by pictures of Betty Windsor, who claimed that we were "the luckiest country in the world because we had such a successful monarchy." This ludicrous claim went unchallenged ... I could have sworn there are no performance criteria for being a monarch (other than, perhaps, not having your head chopped off), and really no way to distinguish a successful monarch from a middling one, or a failure.
In fairness, one of the republicans in the audience did later make the point that monarchy is the ultimate form of nepotism ... nice one.
One of the most disturbing claims of the selected monarchists, including Ron Mark, was the suggestion/insinuation that it was inappropriate for we commoners to even be debating such issues. The worst kind of Tory.
A rather more measured and learned analysis of last night's debate, which nicely spells out the ways in which the "powers of the monarch" do not protect us as citizens (because, in both law and practice, they are devolved to the Prime Minister of the day), can be found at the Holden Republic. There's also some interesting commentary on NRT. Good stuff, but we'll be keeping it feisty over here at BIR.
Right, that's enough possible sedition for one day.
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