Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #7

[Kieran McConville]

Oh definitely, Russia is an empire in long standing. Possibly one at a fairly low ebb these days, but an empire nonetheless. That business in the Crimea was a warning shot. People like to rant and rave about Putin, but they forget the ruin and the humiliation of the 1990s under Yeltsin. And the expansion of NATO right up to Russia's borders. There was always going to be a reaction, and in the present era, that means the nationalist right.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Went to the first live taping of Sideliners tonight - new ABC panel sports chat show. It's in a fucking horrible time slot (6pm Fridays, jesus christ) but it's really, really good. Informed chat, some fantastic new talent, heavy on females which is extremely refreshing (4-1 ratio tonight) and genuinely funny sketches. Here's one: https://www.facebook.com/sideliners/videos/1434217966645300/

I must take this opportunity to just say that if I don't respond to items like this, it's not a personal thing, I just know nothing about sport. Like, literally nothing.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Oh definitely, Russia is an empire in long standing. Possibly one at a fairly low ebb these days, but an empire nonetheless. That business in the Crimea was a warning shot. People like to rant and rave about Putin, but they forget the ruin and the humiliation of the 1990s under Yeltsin. And the expansion of NATO right up to Russia's borders. There was always going to be a reaction, and in the present era, that means the nationalist right.

They also forget that Putin is still essentially a continuation of Yeltsin, not some evidence of a sharp turn away. You can say that Putin is the West's monster but you won't see the FYM folks admitting to it.

 

[Axver]

There was indeed always going to be a reaction, and the West's attitude towards Russia in the nineties basically guaranteed it would be oligarchs garbed in nationalism. That was a right fuck-up.

And in addition to Crimea, let's not forget the forays into Georgia: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Both have decent claims at independence, especially the Abkhaz, but their appropriation as proxies by Russia obscures this, as it's a pretty brazen attempt to undermine the Georgian state.

 

[Kieran McConville]

They also forget that Putin is still essentially a continuation of Yeltsin, not some evidence of a sharp turn away. You can say that Putin is the West's monster but you won't see the FYM folks admitting to it.

That too. I'm well aware that he was, among other things, Yeltsin's final prime minister.

Two legs good, four legs bad. Who's up for the five minutes of hate this week?

 

[Kieran McConville]

There was indeed always going to be a reaction, and the West's attitude towards Russia in the nineties basically guaranteed it would be oligarchs garbed in nationalism. That was a right fuck-up.

And in addition to Crimea, let's not forget the forays into Georgia: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Both have decent claims at independence, especially the Abkhaz, but their appropriation as proxies by Russia obscures this, as it's a pretty brazen attempt to undermine the Georgian state.

A lot of places perhaps have decent claims at independence, but empires being empires, will meddle.

 

[Axver]

After making that post I fell down a hole of websites about Abkhazia, Transnistria, and the like, and now I know where I want my next holiday to be.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Let me guess, in Abkhazia, Transnistria and the like?

 

[Axver]

Hell yes. Come on, Transnistria still even has the hammer and sickle on its flag. Vlad, pack your bags, I need a translator.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Central Asia (I'm not looking at a map, but I'm guessing that's the general area) seems to be quite stunningly beautiful in parts, the parts that aren't endless flat plain, although that can be beautiful too). Based on photos in Wikipedia, anyhow.

 

[Axver]

Transnistria is actually Eastern Europe, the borderlands between Moldova and Ukraine. But yeah, the Caucasus and the Central Asian republics hold a great fascination to me. I'd love to go to the "shore" of the Aral Sea, the old shore, from which water has long since departed. Though it sounds like that can be challenging.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

My grandparents spent a notable portion of their life living in Uzbekistan. It holds a strong interest to me as well, I'd like to be able to go there sometime.

 

[Axver]

By choice, or were they part of one of the many groups that Stalin unceremoniously plonked in Central Asia?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

By choice, although my grandfather was taken to the Urals as he was a Crimean Tatar.

 

[Axver]

I initially read that as "Crimean traitor", which could've made for an interesting story.

In Honours I wrote an essay on Magnitogorsk, which really deepened my interest in the Urals. One of the most satisfying research assignments I performed in undergrad, and I hope to visit the area sometime - though hopefully with somebody who can speak Russian or at least read Cyrillic! My past attempts to learn the alphabet and some basic phrases have been... disappointing, shall we say.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

There was a previously active Interferencer who was from Magnitogorsk!

 

[Axver]

Was there? I don't recall that!

I've now gone down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about Soviet closed cities.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

In news that will please you, Ax, construction of the Adelaide tram line extension starts next month!

 

[Axver]

Very good news. My visit to Sydney tonight has reminded me that the removal of the original tram networks in major cities was nothing short of criminal.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Hi Australia, I'm coming to you.

 

[Axver]

When and which part?

I apologise in advance for Queensland. And Sydney. And really anywhere outside Melbourne.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and then shipping off to NZ for Auckland and Queenstown.

 

[cobl04]

Dr G Yunupingu has died

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and then shipping off to NZ for Auckland and Queenstown.

Welcome.

Dr G Yunupingu has died

A brilliant musician.

 

[cobl04]

Listening to his music now, for the first time. Far too late. Aboriginal music has been a blindspot for me for a long time. It's beautiful. He's got three solo records on Spotify, he had a beautiful voice. What a loss.

 

[cobl04]

Like, holy shit, I'm two songs into his first solo album and it's stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. I feel awful I did not listen to this earlier.

 

[Axver]

Damn, I've meant to get around to his music for a long time. What a loss, and you have to wonder if he would have received better healthcare if he were white.

But to be a miserable bastard with no sense of propriety, why on earth is he being referred to by the title Dr? He only has an honorary doctorate. That does not entitle the holder to use the title Dr except in relation to university business and communication.

I also would refer to him by his full name, since it's not as if I make any effort to observe anybody else's arbitrary cultural sensitivities, but I can see why media would want to be respectful at this time, especially given a long legacy of crass reporting on Aboriginal people.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Like, holy shit, I'm two songs into his first solo album and it's stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. I feel awful I did not listen to this earlier.

I too will need to rectify this, bit by bit as time goes on. I had no idea the guy was so young. 46. He must have been like 20, 22 when 'Treaty' was all over Rage and the radio in the early 90s.

 

[cobl04]

This is amazing/horrifying One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts denies he lied, is 'choosing to believe' he was never a UK citizen

 

[Axver]

Can I choose to believe that Roberts was never a senator?

I'm starting to think both Canavan and Roberts will be disqualified by the court of disputed returns - or, if it finds them eligible, would also rule Waters eligible. I still think Ludlam would have been unlikely to win; he ought to have known he was a citizen of New Zealand, but the court might accept Canavan's ignorance as legitimate and Roberts and Waters as having taken reasonable steps to not be foreign citizens. My concern is that as Waters has resigned, she won't be able to simply resume her seat if found eligible. The Greens, in that case, would have blundered by trying to take the moral high road.