6 - # of Straya threads or # of times we've changed Prime Minister in a decade?

[Vlad n U 2]

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...f-the-far-right-in-australia?CMP=share_btn_tw

 

[Kieran McConville]

Almost makes you hope One Nation make a go of it, doesn't it? Might steal some of Reclaim Straya's thunder. In either case, the far right will ebb and flow but they will not disappear. Ever. So it's a case of how much traction they can hold.

 

[Axver]

Saw Peter Garrett live last night (great performer as always, with a strong backing band and in a very nice, well-mixed theatre). The last three songs of the main set had as their most prominent lyrics "it still matters to me", "I'd do it again", and "I'm back". I wonder what point he could possibly be making!

 

[Kieran McConville]

Peter Garrett doesn't usually go in for cryptic, so yeah. I can't really picture him in a solo context (ie. the band isn't Midnight Oil, clearly), but fair play to the guy.

 

[Axver]

Yeah it was interesting seeing him without the Oils - though one of the guitarists was Martin Rotsey. The other guitarist was Abbe May, with some guy from Jet on bass. Can't remember who the drummer and keyboardist were. But he went for a sound a bit different from the Oils, so it didn't just seem like Garrett + Shitty Oils Cover Band.

It felt like a good warmup for when the Oils tour next year, anyway. Whole place was on their feet when, after a bunch of covers, solo songs, and a couple of Oils rarities, he got to "The Dead Heart".

 

[Kieran McConville]

Oh man, The Dead Heart always brings down the house (it's almost like their Streets).

Mining companies
pastoral companies
uranium companies
got more rights than people oh yeah
got more say than the people oh yeah

 

[Axver]

Probably my favourite Oils song. Never mind "Beds are Burning" or whatever.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Oh it's miles ahead of Beds Are Burning.

 

[Axver]

This is a pretty decent overview of the forthcoming NT election and it's insane background, if anybody needs a refresher: https://www.theguardian.com/austral...ion-labor-to-reap-benefit-of-chaotic-clp-rule

Can't wait to see how badly the CLP loses. It's not a question of if the ALP will win, but by how much.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Never mind the CLP, how is the Northern Territory not ripe for a different kind of intervention (a la the 1970s/80s Labor interventions in their Queensland branch, only for the CLP/LNP/whatever-the-fuck). Oh wait, I forgot, the feds are swinging in the breeze too.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Hey maybe one of Giles' deputies will stage another 2am coup and embark on a minute-to-midnight Russell Cooper moment.

 

[Axver]

Sometimes you wonder if the feds are just trying to see if they can match the level of dysfunction in the NT. It may not be a lofty goal but it's ambitious!

 

[Kieran McConville]

Gotta set your sights somewhere, son.

We have no government.

All I'm saying is, I hope we don't have a repeat of the 2008 'moment' anytime soon, because I'm quite certain there is nobody at the wheel. At least in the NT it's just colourful copy (well, except for people who live there).

 

[cobl04]

who the fuck is brendan o'neill? what a fucking cunt of a human.

 

[Kieran McConville]

That is an excellent question. Who the fuck is Brendan O'Neill?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

who the fuck is brendan o'neill? what a fucking cunt of a human.

That is an excellent question. Who the fuck is Brendan O'Neill?

Q&A seem to absolutely love inviting him on the show. It's at least the third time he's been on in a year or so.

I've seen him claim to be a leftist. He's nothing but an older Milo Yiannopoulos.

 

[cobl04]

"balance"

 

[Kieran McConville]

You guys could stand to stop watching Q&A. I've a fear it's rotting your brains, or at the very least, your souls.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I haven't watched in a while, because it's fairly predictable what O'Neill is going to say.

Furthermore, there's this fascinating thing about some UK media pundits, in that they claim to be leftist but actually spend their entire time deriding absolutely everything left of centre. This is present in the likes of O'Neill (although not even sure he pretends anymore), Nick Cohen, James Bloodworth etc. There's little such thing here in Australia.

 

[cobl04]

oh I don't watch it. housemate happened to throw it on and I was listening in the background. Junkee did an article on how q&a is nothing more than televisual clickbait.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I haven't watched in a while, because it's fairly predictable what O'Neill is going to say.

Furthermore, there's this fascinating thing about some UK media pundits, in that they claim to be leftist but actually spend their entire time deriding absolutely everything left of centre. This is present in the likes of O'Neill (although not even sure he pretends anymore), Nick Cohen, James Bloodworth etc. There's little such thing here in Australia.

Nick Cohen is a disgrace, but to pursue that point, I'm sure there is a similar phenomenon in Australia. I suppose I'd have to think to come up with examples, but it's there. You probably see it in heightened form when questions concerning Israel pop up (cue 'the decent left').

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Definitely not to the extent that Nick Cohen does, god I hate that man.

 

[Kieran McConville]

oh I don't watch it. housemate happened to throw it on and I was listening in the background. Junkee did an article on how q&a is nothing more than televisual clickbait.

That's exactly what it is. Tony Jones must go to his bathroom every night and stare in dead eyed silence at the mirror, remembering the days when he was an actual journalist.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I take it Duncan Storrar (remember him?) hasn't sued the program into bankruptcy yet? A shame, because they deserve it.

 

[Axver]

My biggest regret of the last few months is definitely watching Q&A last week.

I really do wonder what sort of person still watches it regularly, why, and how come they haven't figured out yet that there are better sources for opinion and debate.

 

[Axver]

I for one completely support this bid: Brisbane to tip in $870,000 for Olympics feasibility study

Southeast Queensland basically specialises in white elephants. The Olympics are right up its alley.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Oh for fucks' sake... the last thing Brisbane should be doing is going anywhere near that wandering slum clearance and gentrification project known as the Olympics. People never learn.

I'd like to propose that the Olympics be given back to Athens, permanently - no more extravagant bids, no surprises, same place every time - and the world pay in to give them some stimulus every couple of years. God knows the EU isn't going to let them out of their imposed death spiral if it has any say in the matter (which it does).

 

[Axver]

I'm more concerned about condemning the athletes to the Gold Coast. Nobody deserves that.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Heh, I've never lived on the Gold Coast, but I hear it has quite the reputation.

 

[Axver]

I often wonder if my teenage years would have been much happier had I simply gone to school anywhere else.