Crooky

Vexnews noticed that Crikey has posted an article giving instructions on how to bypass the paywall at The Australian.

Crikey is a subscription dependent website which relies on its readers paying for content.

Angelina's Split

Andrew Bolt notes the growing problem of Angelina Jolie's right leg.

He's got nothing on the subeditor who captioned the photo in today's Australian.

More split than the Labor Party

Community Service Announcement

Today, 28 February is High Five a Muslim Day.



I'm surprised the Attorney General hasn't sponsored it.

Oh Just do Playboy already...

Channel Ten jumps the shark:

THE drama that is the life of Lara Bingle is about to become a real-life, televised soap opera.

The bikini model has signed a lucrative deal with Network Ten to star in her own primetime reality series, and says nothing will be off limits.

Oh, I think certain things will be off-limits thanks to restrictions in that timeslot. And they're the only things which have made her famous.

All Israel, All the Time

The Syrian Sydney Morning Herald has for the third day in a row, run a letter to the editor, critical of Israel.

For three days in a row there has not been a single letter published about Syria.

Syria has killed more Muslims in the last year, than Israel has in the last 60. As I said yesterday, when thousands of Muslims are being killed, but there's no Jews to blame, nobody cares.

Fearless Middle East commentator Antony Loewenstein covers the big issues: Palestinian breakdancing.

Allah. Not so Akhbar

Watch this video of the violence in Syria. Warning: Graphic violence.



Note the number of people shouting "Allah Akhbar" as they are shot at by Syrian forces.

When Muslims are shooting at Muslims (nothing new at all), it might be time for them to start questioning this whole "Allah" thing and how that's working out for them so far...

Maybe they're just Anti-Zionists?

Yael Rothschild is the woman who deprived a spoiled little 14 year old of a dirty, sweaty, smelly t-shirt.

Brave Freedom Fighters on Yahoo and Facebook demand justice.

The question: "Anyone know Yael Rothschild's address?
She needs to pay for stealing that shirt from that young girl. Post it if you got it!"

The answer is promptly provided. Followed by other helpful comments.

What do you expect from a Rothschild? There is kind of a history of taking what belongs to other people there.

Such a *****...I hope she gets what she deserves. Her children are probably demon children too...gosh


I heard that this pretty much sums her up:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=covetous+Jew&fb_source=message

I heard that this is her profile:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=[deleted - DL]

I heard that this is her poor husband:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=[deleted - DL]

I heard that these profiles belong to her daughters:
http://www.facebook.com/[deleted - DL]
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=[deleted - DL]
http://www.facebook.com/[deleted - DL]
FYI she is barren and conceived her 3 daughters via IVF.

I heard that this is her mothers profile:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1527373380

I heard that this is her two property addresses:

[deleted - DL]Street
Caulfield North VIC 3161, Australia
Phone: [deleted - DL]

[deleted - DL]
St Kilda EastVIC3183
Phone: (03) [deleted - DL]

Those were some of the more tasteful comments.  Rapists and murderers have been called nicer things.

Syrian Morning Herald

The Syrian government continues to murder its own citizens using rockets and even nailbombs. Nailbombs! Let's take a look at the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday and today.

Number of letters about Israel (mostly harshly critical): Four.

Number of letters about Syria: Zero.

It's all about priorities, people.

Bashar al Assad would be relieved. He should consider subscribing.

Update:

Israeli ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor, February 13:
STOP standing on the sidelines watching murder after murder. . . do something

Perhaps an angry letter?

Some other interesting statistics. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resulted in about 8000 Palestinian deaths. Note, those figures include active combatants (i.e. not just civilians) and quite a few suicide bombers as well, whose deaths are usually also used as political ammo against Isarel. 1500 Israeli lives have also been lost, and a far greater ratio of those were non-combatants, including schoolchildren and babies deliberately murdered.

However, if you ignore the context  and simply say that in 25 years, 2 intifadas and 1 Gaza war there have been 8000 Palestinian deaths,  by way of comparison the violence in Syria has had 8000 casualties so far, in less than one year. No Jews involved of course, so nobody cares.

Contrived

It is being suggested that whomever in the Prime Minister's office leaked the "Happy Little Vegemite" tape of Kevin Rudd swearing, may have given a free kick to Kevin Rudd and hurt Julia Gillard.

In today's SMH:

The video of Kevin Rudd swearing has only lifted his popularity. We have all had these frustrating moments in life and we need a human being in the role of Labor Party leader, not a saint. I don't vote Labor but if I did it would be Rudd for leader. Thank you that poster, hope your foot doesn't hurt too much from the gunshot wound.

Michael Stanbridge Bonnet Bay

I wonder if someone from Rudd's camp released the tape.

Anyone remember when he said "Shitstorm" on television? It didn't look especially accidental and any number of bogans were excited by it.

Beats Pissing on a Stick

A terrific piece in the New York Times about statistics and behavioural analysis are used by marketers. We now know that Target (USA) can use modelling to determine when a woman is pregnant and start canvassing baby products towards an extremely receptive audience.

There have been some unintended consequences.

About a year after Pole created his pregnancy-prediction model, a man walked into a Target outside Minneapolis and demanded to see the manager. He was clutching coupons that had been sent to his daughter, and he was angry, according to an employee who participated in the conversation.

“My daughter got this in the mail!” he said. “She’s still in high school, and you’re sending her coupons for baby clothes and cribs? Are you trying to encourage her to get pregnant?”

The manager didn’t have any idea what the man was talking about. He looked at the mailer. Sure enough, it was addressed to the man’s daughter and contained advertisements for maternity clothing, nursery furniture and pictures of smiling infants. The manager apologized and then called a few days later to apologize again.

On the phone, though, the father was somewhat abashed. “I had a talk with my daughter,” he said. “It turns out there’s been some activities in my house I haven’t been completely aware of. She’s due in August. I owe you an apology.”

Breathless

Antony Loewenstein in a cryptically entitled post: "Helping PNG by leaving the country breath on its own" writes:

During my recent visit to Papua New Guinea, I constantly heard complaints about the absurd number of Western advisers who were coming to the country telling locals how to live their lives. It’s a form of neo-colonialism.

This from a fellow who sits in Sydney trying to tell Israelis how to run their country, and who according to his inflated profile:

sits on the advisory council of the British-based Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice.

It's a form of neo-stupidity.

Ultimate Taser Ball

This is the greatest sport ever invented.

No Door Prize

A Victorian MP is pushing for a three-fold increase in penalties imposed on drivers who open car doors in front of cyclists, that would make the offence the equivalent of running a red light.

The problem grows...

Mr Barber said so-called "dooring" incidents were a growing problem and that a hefty increase in penalties would help educate drivers to look for cyclists before opening a car door.

Perhaps they already do.

My Land

Good news. The Jews and the Arabs can stop fighting over whose land it is. Now we know it's Whitney Houston's.

Via Aussie Dave



Update: Channel Nine is offering their "Tribute to Whitney Houston" in the form of showing The Bodyguard tonight. Not on Channel Nine mind you, but on Gem, their spinoff channel. It's the equivalent of turning up to the funeral in thongs.

Retard hypocrite

At Pure Poison, Jeremy Sear attacks Daily Telegraph columnist Joe Hildebrand for offensive use of the phrases “mentally handicapped” and “retarded”.

But here’s Jeremy himself:

"[T]he authorities come up with pretty much the most retarded "nickname" imaginable ..."

And from comments at Pure Poison personally moderated by Jeremy and teammate Dave Gaukroger:

“Is, or is not, ayn rand the most mentally retarded person to have ever been considered a “philosopher” anywhere in the last 200 years?”

Jeremy Sear is the internet's greatest. hypocrite

Resiliance to Stating the Bleeding Obvious

Today's newspapers included an ad from the Commonwealth Attorney General's department offering grants to community groups who could assist with the national "Building Resilient Communities" program. The aim of that program is to reduce terrorism.

The program and its related website ignores the obvious, that most ethnic communities represent no physical threat to Australians whatsoever, and pretends this is a widespread problem which could come from anywhere. For example this page which talks about the number of Australians killed in terror attacks.

More than 110 Australians have been killed in overseas terrorist attacks in the past decade

Australians have been directly affected by terrorism and violent extremism. We are not immune to these threats, nor should we forget the many Australians who have lost their lives to acts of terrorism, including the 88 people who lost their lives in the Bali bombings on 12 October 2002. Over 200 Australians have also been injured, many seriously, in overseas terrorist attacks.
Since 2001, Australian law enforcement and security agencies have foiled four major terrorist plots on Australian soil

Law enforcement and security agencies in Australia have been successful in detecting and disrupting terrorist attacks before they could occur. In some cases, information provided by the community has been instrumental in preventing attacks that could have caused serious loss of life. While law enforcement will continue to be important, broader strategies including community initiatives are needed to challenge the ideologies and grievances that fuel terrorism in the first place.

Notice any descriptors missing? Indeed the only specifics about any terrorist were in this paragraph:

Not all violent extremists are part of an organised group. Some act alone

Although many violent extremists are part of international and national extremist organisations, others have acted individually. Examples include Anders Behring Breivik in Norway and Roshonara Choudry in Britain. We need to be vigilant against lone extremists as well as the ideologies that push them to commit violence.

What rubbish. Roshonara Choudry didn't act individually at all. She was well and truly a member of an international extremist organisation. It just doesn't have an office building.

The police investigation found that in the last quarter of 2009 Choudhry began downloading from the internet sermons and material from Anwar al-Awlaki, the Islamist cleric who western officials say is the spiritual leader of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. He preached the need for violent action to combat the atrocities of the west against Muslims around the world, and urged followers to do what they could, when they could, no matter how small.

The AG Department's definition of "violent extremism" is just as pathetic for its desperate avoidance of stating the dominant threat to this country.

Examples of violent extremism

Separatist and nationalist causes

• Violence linked to anti-immigration causes
• Violence to gain political/national independence, such as action by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the United Kingdom, or ETA (a Basque separatist group operating primarily in Spain)

Political–ideological motivations

• Violence during anti-globalisation protests
• Anarchist violence
• Right-wing violence (such as the July 2011 attacks in Norway and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995)

Political–religious motivations

• Violence by individuals or groups against abortion clinics or doctors
• Violence in the name of religion (such as attacks conducted by Al‑Qaeda)

Issues-based causes

• Violence or destruction of property by groups for causes such as environmental protection, animal rights or anti-gun control

One might conclude that the "attacks conducted by al-Qaeda" were something to do with abortion or gun-control. Also, while they specified the "Right-Wing" was responsible for violence, I'm pretty sure the smelly hippies at every anti-globalisation protests were from the Left-Wing, unnamed.

What a joke.

Yes, yes, not all Muslims are terrorists. But too many are and you can't deal with a problem if you don't dare name it.

This program is the same one which awarded grant money to Preston Mosque, as previously reported here, who sponsored an anti-ASIO rant about Jews.

Your tax dollars at work.

Joke Bombs

The Iranians are none too happy about an Israeli TV Commercial for the Samsung Tablet.

A senior lawmaker says Iran's Majlis is considering a plan to cut off the country's economic transactions with South Korea's Samsung in reaction to the company's anti-Iran teaser.

Head of Majlis Energy Committee Arsalan Fat'hipour said the double-urgency plan, aimed at imposing a complete ban on buying all Samsung products, would make the company regret making the insulting teaser.

Samsung had nothing to do with the ad, which was produced by an Israeli Cable TV network, but why should that matter?

Fat'hipour said Samsung's apology to the Iranian nation, though necessary, would not be enough and that the company must be held accountable for producing the teaser.

There's that Islamic sense of humour we've come to love.

(Hat Tip: Antony Loewenstein who shares the Mullahs' epic sense of humour)

They just don't get it...

From the "We aren't antisemites, we're anti-Zionist" files, comes the latest adventures of the BDS groupies.

If you liked the protests against Israeli company Max Brenner you will love our Israeli Apartheid inc corporate tour of companies complicit in Palestinian oppression.

As part of the global Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, Students for Palestine is beginning 2012 by taking on corporations in Melbourne's CBD that support the theft of Palestinian land and the brutality of the Israeli military.

We will begin our tour in the Bourke St Mall and then end at Max Brenner.

Look out for the Tour Guides dressed in Palestinian colours.

Can't miss 'em.

These ferals are also planning to crash a trade luncheon. There's a special type of person who can attend a protest at 11:30am on a working day, and that person isn't employed. It starts with protests. Then violent demonstrations. Then.... Well, just study history.

Vexnews reports they're hanging around Synagogues too.

Meanwhile, in Syria this week:

roads in and out of the besieged suburb of Baba Amr, in the south-east of Homs, were blocked, preventing the evacuation of children and the wounded, and food, water and medicine were running out.

Speaking at an international gathering in Sweden, the British prime minister, David Cameron, said: "It is quite clear this is a regime hell-bent on killing, murdering and maiming its own citizens … we need to take the toughest possible response we can."

More than 100 people were reported dead in Homs on Thursday during heavy bombardment by government forces, but that figure could not be independently confirmed in the absence of observers or humanitarian organisations. A local resident, Basil Abu Fouad, said it was impossible to estimate casualties accurately.

"We can't count the number of the dead in the rubble. When we pull someone from the rubble, we don't know if they were killed today, yesterday or before," Abu Fouad said by phone from a basement in Baba Amr.

"They are using helicopters and mortars and tanks, T-72 [former Soviet] tanks. Hundreds of homes have been demolished and they have come down on the heads of their owners.

"Communications have been completely cut off between neighbourhoods. The army have blocked access to the city. Some people tried to escape but they found all the roads were closed. There is no food left in the city. We don't have milk. All the water tanks have been targeted. We don't have medicines. If you go to the shops and try to get in, the snipers up on the roofs will shoot you," he said.

"The children will die here. All the people want is to escape. They can smash this place if they want. We just want to get out of there. But they won't allow us."

Dani Abdul Dayan, a resident of the Insha'at, next to Baba Amr, claimed the army had taken over the Hikma hospital, expelled doctors and was using the patients as human shields. The claim could not be verified.

In Homs, Abu Fouad said the security council veto had given the regime a green light to commit genocide against the Syrian people. "The whole world is against us. Nobody is helping us," he said, before the electricity failed. "There is nothing left but to pray."

When Muslims kill Muslims, and there are no Jews involved, nobody cares. Enjoy your boycott kiddies. Don't forget to chant stuff about "justice" and "genocide"...

Bucket List Checked

BUTTE, Mont. (AP)--A 55-year-old Montana man who says he "always wanted'' to be part of a police chase can check that off his bucket list.

The Montana Standard reports John C. Hughes followed a patrol car for seven blocks early Thursday before pulling his SUV around and taking off at speeds of up to 70 mph.

Officers say the Butte man was driving faster than 100 mph [160kph] on an interstate toward Rocker, Mont.

Officers in that city laid out a spiked strip to flatten the tires on the SUV.

A police report says Hughes told officers he "just always wanted'' to see what it would be like to be in a police chase. Officers say Hughes had not been drinking.

Hughes faces a charge of reckless driving while eluding police.

Apparently driving something quicker that handles better than an SUV doesn't appear on his bucket list.

Tense Embassy

Andrew Bolt:

I don’t think these protests lately have advanced Aboriginal interests.

Any moment now, it will be reported that Bolt called for Aboriginal homes to be demolished. Riots to follow.

Antony Grew Some Balls?

Here is Antony at the "Festival of Dangerous Idiots Ideas" auditioning for Tony Jones's role as panel moderator. Antony is usually as painful to listen to as he is to read.

So someone in post-production of this video has sensibly felt that Antony's usual screeching whine could do with a bit of assistance.

DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? - with Antony LOEWNSTEIN.

The video features Antony answering the question: "Did you have any idea?"

No comment necessary.

They also spelled his name wrong. Antony's celebrity grows...

Is Being Raised by Moonbats Considered a Disability?

I've always cringed when dirty hippies scream like little girls for the benefit of the cameras as they are arrested by police at demonstrations. People in real police-states must shake their heads at these lightweights. Or at least they would if they had Internet.

But this chick takes things to a whole new level. Meet Jennifer Nash. According to her blog, her son got picked on at school.

The sordid saga of abuse and administrative callousness inflicted upon Jordan Nash – and his long-suffering mother Jennifer – began about a decade ago in Brisbane, where Jordan was being severely bullied as the result of an untreated expressive and receptive speech language disorder, which severely affected his learning as a child and made him a target for other children. Exacerbating this situation, Jordan was also subject to a learning disability, though not one that was severe enough to warrant him attending a school for children with special needs.

Ms Nash complained to her local member and after (ahem) occupying the space outside his office for several weeks was ignored. See if you can work out the problem.



As her son is driven off, she loses it completely, convinced he'll never be seen again. Mamdouh Habib must be grateful he wasn't picked up by the Queensland Police. Here's an 'alternative' version of the events in the above video.

Nash was immediately denied the right to speak, told to leave by MP Mickel and brutally removed from the public gallery by an armed Queensland Police Officer who used excessive force to remove her and caused her fear, pain and bruises to both upper arms when he violently forced her down the stairs of parliament.

No mention of the permanent hearing loss the officer would have suffered.

On ejection from parliament building, the aggrieved mother was unable to take her handbag with her and was threatened with arrest when she requested the return of her bag.

The Police officer then made a phone call on his mobile phone and moments later two paddy wagons and an additional half a dozen Police officers arrived in a show of force and "lack of diplomacy" which Jennifer Nash says is inconsistent with the Police's Mission statement "To serve the people in Queensland by protecting life and property, preserving peace and safety, preventing crime and upholding the law in a manner which has regard for the public good and the rights of the individual."

He has now missed all of high school. This kid hasn't got a chance, thanks to his caring Mum.

Japan, land of violent racists

Sea Shepherd supremo Paul Watson concludes, after giving the matter much thought, that Japanese racism is the only explanation for the arrest and detention of Dutch Cove Guardian activist Erwin Vermeulen. Really.

Watson's whiny rant includes a linked video claimed to show the assault of two female Sea Shepherd affiliated activists. The hilarious video does make one thing abundantly clear: Japanese fishermen and police forced to deal with obnoxious activists deserve medals for patience.

Jellyfish takeover questioned

On a luckless fishing trip George Monbiot fears "the beginning of the end of vertebrate ecology":

A combination of overfishing and ocean acidification (caused by rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere) has creating the perfect conditions for this shift from a system dominated by fish to a system dominated by jellyfish.

Don't worry George, jellyfish aren't taking over the oceans just yet:

In the last decade, gelatinous blobs have reportedly clogged up water treatment and power plants, overrun fish farms, and hampered fishermen around the world. They even forced the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan out of the Port of Brisbane in 2006.

But claims they will dominate our oceans are not supported by data, says Winthrop Professor Carlos Duarte director of the Oceans Institute at the University of Western Australia.

Wot Terrorism?

Today's SMH write-up of the trial of a number of Islamist terrorists in Australia is chilling reading. However hardly a surprise. Australia has imported a problem to this country, refused to deal with it for too long and in many cases refuses to even name the problem for fear of upsetting somebody.

"Greek Fire" in comments to this blog:

Diversity has killed discrimination, which is a bad thing indeed. People should discriminate against bad ideas. They should be jaundiced against jihad, sick of sexism and hate homophobia. But if you do that you will be labeled an Islamophobe. And, by the way, your right to free speech has also been sacrificed to the great leftist meme of diversity.

However, if in fact your religious beliefs embody jihad, sexism and homophobia the intellectual elite and their house organs like the ABC and Fairfax will sensitively lick your arse and the government will throw money at you under a policy developed no doubt by some deadbeat deathwishing drongo in the public service.

Western civilisation is well and truly fucked. The beneficiaries of past struggles for human rights care not for their cultural inheritance. It will not be transmitted to even one further generation. The diversity-mongers have seen to that.

Entertainment reporting not newsy enough

Crikey expert media analyst Jeremy Sear reveals convincing proof of "the amusing childishness of News Ltd in its ongoing war with the ABC, and the ever more shameless triviality of the 'news' content it’s willing to share with readers for free." The News.com piece in question is a comparison of breakfast television programs; since it's in the entertainment section it's bound to be trivial.

Next from Jeremy, a riveting sports coverage exposé.

Weird science

An enlightened Scienceblogs.com reader comments on iron ore magnate Gina Rinehart's appointment of geologist Ian Plimer to two board positions:

Porcine pollution princess, Gina Rhino-arse, puts pseudoscientist Pliemer (silent "p") on retainer.

Jeez, who knew Lefties regard rich females with such contempt. By the way, the comment is at Tim Lambert's Dulltard snake-pit.

Update A Crikey reader is also none too keen on the billionairess:

You are never, in a million years, going to make anything but a hash of media ownership, for one very simple reason: you have never had to do a lick of managerial work in your life. All you had to do was sit tight while your old man gifted a big bunch of dirt to you, dirt that the rest of the world wanted so badly they would pay billions to get it. You have never had to actually manage your companies because a platoon of toady managers do all that for you. Like other famous business children, such as Packer and those two Murdoch dunces, the minute you decide you can actually make a business decision, it all goes immediately wrong. OneTel, anyone?

Looks like the emergence of multiple cases of Rinehart Derangement Syndrome.

Face saved

Scuffing on my helmet resulting from a slow speed slide on bitumen after getting knocked from my bike. I knew there was a reason why I stopped wearing an open-face helmet and goggles.

Small Doodles

One of the more well-rounded members of the Islamic Community, Irfan Yusuf provides a nice demonstration of how Muslims should react, when someone draws a cartoon.

To his credit, Irfan hasn't reached for the scimitar. Then again, if heaven promised 72 KFC Buckets....

Perhaps they can Register Wooden Spoons

The Tele reports:

Smacking kids can be tantamount to child abuse and should be banned in Australia, the nation's leading paediatricians said yesterday.

This was one of the most hotly discussed topics on talkback radio today as well.

Regardless of your views on smacking children, what is the point of creating another law that can't possibly be enforced? I can already see how this will be abused. Petulant children will call the Police to arrest their parents for not letting them play X-Box. Parents in custody battles will accuse each other of smacking as a tactic.

Education campaigns are important. However creating unenforceable laws which will be ignored and misused simply encourages disrespect for the law.

Mosque Must Go

Last week I reported a disgusting speech given by lawyer Rob Stary at the Preston Mosque.

The Australian has covered it.

Mosque's lesson in dealing with ASIO

A CAMPAIGN to frustrate the domestic spy agency's attempts to root out homegrown Islamic terrorism is being waged at a mosque linked to a jailed former spiritual leader.

...
A report on Mr Stary's address features on the society's website, which accuses ASIO of sowing "distrust and fear". The mosque was linked to self-styled Islamic spiritual leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 51, who along with six other men was sentenced to jail in 2009 for terrorism offences. Targets included the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Crown casino.

In his address to the mosque, Mr Stary was critical of what he claimed was Australia's pro-Israel stance, adding yesterday that Julia Gillard was showing bias towards Israel. He has hit out at what he described as the influence of the so-called Jewish lobby and added he had been reported accurately by the Islamic society.

Australia-Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said the reported comments were inflammatory.

Why do people think that opposing Jihadi suicide bombing, head-chopping, women-hating ideology is the result of a Jewish plot? There is a very simple reason why any sensible democracy, and any sensible leader of a democracy, would oppose such things. Jewish people of course have plenty of reason to oppose it. I'm sure more people would support the Arab world if it wasn't such a cesspool.

Not reported by The Australian was that the Commonwealth Government had been providing grant money to the Preston Mosque. How's that for value for money?

Watermelon Fight

Yesterday, The Australian reported:

GREENS MPs and activists have complained that the party's NSW branch is run by a small "cadre" of Leninist-style ideologues whose activities are making it appear to be populated by "lunatics".

The Australian has been doing a sterling job exposing the Communist links held by Greens leaders, who evidently have other plans besides saving the odd tree. Read it all.

Lest there be any doubt, Antony Green reported yesterday that in an Adelaide by-election, on their 'how to vote card' the Greens directed their second preference to a Communist Party representative. Green notes:

Bob Briton is likely to finish close to last in a field of nine, so Green preferences will never be distributed to him. Which makes it even more mysterious why the Greens would bother listing him second. Especially ahead of one of their former candidates campaigning on an environmental issue.

It's not mysterious at all. The Greens are 'watermelons'. Green on the outside and red in the middle.

No Plagiarism Plague

A rather stupid "Exclusive" in today's Daily Telegraph, with Simon Benson claiming to have caught Tony Abbott plagiarising speeches in the manner of Anthony Albanese's embarrassing cockup last week.

Albanese (or at least his speechwriter) was busted for plagiarising a speech given by Michael Douglas as the US President in a movie. Whereas, according to Benson:

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has been swept up in his own embarrassing claim of political plagiarism, appearing to have borrowed from speeches of two American Presidents and a US shock jock in his address to the National Press Club on Tuesday.

An example is given:

Apparently not concerned about crossing political divides, Mr Abbott also drew inspiration from Democrat president Barack Obama, quoting the same passage from Abraham Lincoln as Mr Obama used a week ago in his State of the Union address.

"The current leaders of the Labor Party have failed to understand what Abraham Lincoln knew in the marrow of his bones, that government should do for people what they can't do for themselves and no more," Mr Abbott said.

Abbott directly attributed the comment to Abraham Lincoln (whether Obama said it is irrelevant). How is this plagiarism?

Other weak examples were offered:

In outlining his vision of small government and greater individual freedoms as being principles of the Liberal Party, Mr Abbott said: "At the heart of Labor's failure is the assumption that bigger government and higher taxes are the answer to every problem."

On February 2, 1973, Richard Nixon said: "At home, we must reject the mistaken notion ... that even bigger government is the answer to every problem."

Hardly an explosive gotcha. It's a well established conservative view that small government is a good thing. Exactly how many way can you reword the same viewpoint to avoid petty claims of copying? Ditto any reference to democracy, freedom or bureaucratic meddling.

Still desperately trying to bust Abbott, Benson comes up with this:

Mr Abbott then went on to channel conservative US radio shock jock Rush Limbaugh: "The government has completely failed to appreciate the iron law of economics that no country has ever taxed its way to prosperity."

Mr Limbaugh, February 18, 1994: "No nation has ever taxed itself into prosperity."

It's debatable whether it's an "iron law" but the comment was based on a pretty well established political viewpoint.

Once upon a time, Winston Churchill said "We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." (and Benson will probably accuse me of plagiarism now).

Albanese's cockup was amusing, he copped it sweet and everyone had a good laugh at is expense. It was hardly the biggest disaster from that government in recent memory. It seems now however we can look forward to journos Googling every single phrase of every political speech looking for similarities to expose. It will happen often - there are only so many tropes and it's not Tony Abbott who should feel embarrassed about this article.


It can't be good for the nation that political discussion in this country is being dumbed down to endless attempts at 'gotchas' which result in politicians hiring fact-checkers and speechwriters, rather than simply saying what they believe, doing what they say and letting us decide whether or not to support them.

Update: The comments on the Tele's post from rusted-on Labor voters are hilarious.

kevin marshall of woodridge qld Posted at 12:18 AM Today

what wrong with these clown canot that get some one with a wee bit of brains to think off something new not a repeat of some one else

dave Posted at 3:42 AM Today

Abbott, Abbott, Abbott. How the heck could you govern the country? You're just a cardboard cut-out of a Politician and Leader. The Liberals need to replace this guy now. The Liberals may be gloating over Albanese, but he doesn't LEAD a Party. If Abbott's the smartest politician the Liberals have, then the Liberal Party will remain in opposition forever. No wonder Gillard has you running around like a negative whinger.

Err...

Booby Prize

Kel Richards was recently standing in for Brian Wilshire on Radio 2GB.

The prize for the winner of the night's quiz: A copy (unsigned) of My Israel Question by Antony Loewenstein. Plucking a Duck wasn't an option and the 'winner' is stuck with it.

I wonder who sent a complimentary copy to the radio station. I also wonder whether a single copy was sent, or an entire pallet-load.

14 Year Old Girl needs to Harden Up.

Media have gone nuts over the story of Novak Djokovic's sweaty, sweaty Australian Open shirt being thrown (depending who you believe):

a) Into the crowd or
b) Directly at a young 14 year old girl who believes it was 'robbed' from her by an older woman in a manner similar to a (genuinely disgraceful) event at a baseball game.

The 14 year old had a big cry (literally) to the media which started a witch-hunt. The 'witch' in question, a Mrs Yael Rothschild had this to say (presumably after media hunted her down:

"When the shirt was thrown, there would have been 20 excited people, all with their hands out," she said.

"After (it had been) thrown, there would have been 19 disappointed people.

"Such is life.

Indeed. Why this 14 year old, or indeed a mass of poorly spelled (presumably young) commenters underneath the piece believe it was really intended for her rather than randomly hurled is beyond me. Stuff gets thrown into the crowd at sporting matches as a matter of course and there are plenty of earlier examples of what goes on at the game.

Perhaps Djokovic can mail a set of his dirty undies to the girl to keep her happy. Rothschild is now under pressure by way of fatuous Internet polls, to auction the shirt for charity. Why? Winners are grinners and it's hers.

The 14 year old's parents should not be letting her appear in the media or be identified in any way. I'm not going to name her.

No. This is a child who is being raised to believe everything is handed to her. Fortunately, the Neo-Nazis at Stormfront have sided with her.

Stand your ground, Mrs Rothschild.

It's On.

Although the next Australian federal election could be as late as November 2013, Tony Abbott has just given a speech to the Press Club which has set the agenda.

The press gallery will summarise it as follows:

a) Tony Abbott is to personally scuttle boats drowning refugee babies
b) Tony Abbott is to ban computers in schools
c) Tony Abbott is to reintroduce WorkChoices and personally sack every Worker and Battler in the country
d) Tony Abbott want to see the Internet die
e) Tony Abbott wants to destroy the planet.

The above may or may not be what he actually said.

Julia Gillard's week just got a whole lot worse.