Why? Well, anyone prepared to accept the weird conjunction of "reptile insights" must think they can see quarks, or might have been staring into the sun too long …
Take the bromancer today as an example - please, somebody take the bromancer, and make sure you use a HB pencil when you draw the blinds, Jeeves …
Sorry, the pond is going a little stir crazy but the bromancer is going completely bonkers …
The bromancer offers up a classic reptile ploy, wherein he offers up a proposal, only to fiercely deny it, yet in a way that it sticks in the mind.
It's classic 4Chan conspiracy theory trolling, in a supposedly respectable and respected rag … and here's how it works …
You see? No one believes it is the case, and yet, and yet … why, it's theoretically possible.
Now to give this sort of meaningless speculation some weight, the reptiles immediately followed up with a graph, which anyone interested will have to click on to enlarge, because the pond has many reptile eggs to fry easy over this day …
There, duty done, now let's return to the insidious bromancer speculation in action in a par ...
It would be insane? No one is making this charge? And yet the bromancer gives it air, and watch how the following snaps of the Chinese go from a handshake to sinister military motifs.
First the handshake … and more sinister speculations …and more denials of the sinister speculations, which only serve to strengthen those sinister speculations ...
What's the point? Israel has a biological weapons program; the US has a biological weapons program, which it claims to have ended, but who knows? Russia has also been busy in the area, taking it to the streets when an assassination is needed, and who knows what the North Koreans might manage?
And so on, and so forth, but now we must implant images of the sinister Chinese industrial military complex on the march … because, trust the pond, there are no examples of any other industrial military complexes available … unless you count a stricken US aircraft carrier threatening Guam ...
You see? "I am not remotely accusing Beijing …" or any other government I actually don't name, because let's keep the attention on the Chinese and their hero worship … and as for "not remotely"?
Why of course, let's indulge in more idle speculation ...
Thank the long absent lord that the whole world isn't entirely susceptible to the bromancer, and his paranoia about caucasian populations, which reaches a new level of white nationalism, even for him at his delusional best …
And now, moving on from this weird 4Chan shit, the pond just has the time to notice that the reptiles are continuing with their Orwellian police state routine …
The pond happened to catch a glimpse of The Drum last night, and there was some loon from the Sunday Terror peddling this nonsense, and as usual, the ABC politely standing by while the Murdochian regurgitated the new company line …
And, almost inevitably, the lizard Oz editorialist carried on the very same way today …
For fuck's sake, while everybody else is trying to be exceptionally cautious, the reptiles are rabbiting on about diktats and state control? What the infectious fuck?
Suddenly they're quoting the dog botherer as an expert in how to deal with pandemics? We must be in backpacker heaven, carousing into the night hours in Glebe … will anyone save them from their own and reptile stupidity?
Suddenly even Gladys is accused of running a police state? Pity the poor coppers, required to go out and confront carefree loons, without so much as a face mask …
The plods in the field in the UK are suffering as they carry out their duties, and so are the fuzz against junk in the States. And amazingly there have been reports of people attacking supermarket staff …
And what cheek to end with "irresponsible demands for a premature relaxation of restrictions" after blathering on about police states and diktats …
If the reptiles have their way, people will still be wandering around infecting each other by Christmas … all in the name of reptile freedom of the post-Orwellian kind …
And so to the savvy Savva, because no matter the length of the post, the pond will have its Savva fix … and sadly, it seems she's taken the SloMo kool aide and gone off to the footy ...
Oh dear, what to say of the photo, except it's not a Lobbecke?
As for the text … what an opening comparison ...
It was about this point when the pond felt the need to wheel in an immortal Rowe, with more Rowe here …
There, that felt better, and the pond could return to the Savva ...
Ah well, it probably keeps SloMo's Pentecostal buddy off the front pages … and a few other things have disappeared too …
And so to the final Savva gobbet ...
Oh no, not the devious biological weapons deploying Chinese again. The pond felt in need of a cartoon from the infallible Pope …
Hallelujah, and usually the pond would end there … but of late the reptiles themselves have been in turmoil, and this in turn happened to involve the cult master Lobbecke …and respect and attention must always be paid ...
So much despair and so much trouble, and a Shanahan on the case - nepotism, moi? - but the pond decided to go the Miller … because the reptiles have already ignored the pond's humble suggestion.
Kill off the lizard Oz, which as the bromancer demonstrated ably today, is little better than a trawl through 4 or 8Chan, and save the local papers …
No? Well, then let us turn to the redeeming power of the cult master …
Now, the pond is no expert in interpreting the cult master - others are much better at deciphering the entrails - but that headline "revolt against Establi…" would have been more convincing if the ink blotter darkness had been emanating from "Coronoavirus: biological war is now top of mind" …
As for the rest of reptile Miller's moaning and whining, as News Corp joins the reality that's been faced by so many businesses these past few months …in fact they've been a little late to join the queue …well, once lured in by the Lobbecke, the pond is now in so deep that it would be as tedious to return as to go o'er ...
What's this? The reptiles moaning and whining and demanding that the government fix things for them? Haven't they heard this will only lead to an Orwellian police state? You know, with sinister heads of state demanding lavish praise?
Never mind, back to the reptiles, demanding freedom on the one hand, and on the other, that the world be cabined, cribbed, confined and bound in to saucy doubts and fears of the reptilian bromancer kind ...
Um, well, the pond doesn't actually profit from the reptiles, but in a way, nor does the world. It's the dear leader, Chairman Rupert, who profits as he spreads fear, confusion and chaos through sundry lands …
Dear Mr Miller, you do realise that News Corp helped launch on to the world one of the most inept leaders in recent times? One singularly incapable of dealing with a real crisis? And for this you think you deserve support? Why, the pond would rather donate to the Graudian than spend a nano second lifting a finger to help News Corp ...
You do realise begging for government help is a pitiful sight, at least if you spend all your time talking of free markets while deploring police states, and at the same time, regularly publishing IPA propaganda for Gina?
You do realise you're spruiking for a deeply corrupt and corrupting organisation, where the only humour to be found is the sight of "Judge" Jeanine Pirro getting on the turps and then getting on the telly?
Oh never mind, the pond has said it all before, here, have a cartoon or two …
Pope is referencing one of the great movies, The Blues Brothers: https://youtu.be/xbq0OuJtErs?t=275
ReplyDeleteThe live action Morrison remake can be found here:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khANQLVfttc
https://www.nationalsecularlobby.org/columns/morrison-commits-australia-to-god/
Isn't it odd that people who are so vocal about freedom of expression seem so secretive about the details of their beliefs.
The thing is, Bef, that I just can't ever see any connection between ScottyfromMarketing's "faith" and his actions as PM. Where did SloMo's rejection - albeit tardily - of the standard LNP 'libertarian' economics come from ? But when he did, he really did.
DeleteI really don't think, 'Blues Bros' and Pope notwithstanding, that it came from any kind of religious awakening. "Seeing the light" just doesn't seem to be anywhere in his makeup.
Neither do I. I should probably have said "stated beliefs" or similar.
DeleteIt's just the rhetoric and the optics. One message here and another message there depending on the audience. It didn't matter much in the past but the internet is always watching.
Part of the downside of relative isolation is that one tends to read the Bromancer’s blatherings. I went all the way down to ’No nation on earth more seamlessly fuses civilian commercial and military research than does China.’
ReplyDeleteSetting aside the minor grammatical point (I can hear Ms Thing in Form 3 repeating ‘no OTHER nation - do you see why? - not OTHER nation!’) - because, grammar is one of the early casualties of war.
So the Bromancer keeps that observation almost to the end - with warnings to gullible Australian universities - even though, earlier in his piece, he cites ‘Australia’s pre-eminent strategic thinker’ from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which appears to be seamlessly fused with our Department of Defence and uniformed forces. Not forgetting his citation of another - clearly not quite as pre-eminent - talent from ASPI jut t’other day for the Shoebridge solution for the supply of ventilators. ASPI would appear to be fusing with at least one media outlet. Which happens to be the one which Michael Miller sees as the best possible candidate to become our very own Izvestia, should a sufficiently decisive government take the hint to move away from ‘political self-interest’.
Bromancer’s links with ASPI did remind me of ‘Grimbledon Down’, which the great Bill Tidy contributed to ‘New Scientist’ until 1994, although I doubt that we have anyone with the supple ability to pivot that was shown so frequently in that series by Treem, and is so admired by the Savva.
Other reminders? Mussolini was known for sitting at a very large desk, with a shiny top, on which sat one file, or, even better, one sheet of paper. Did Adam Taylor have that in mind when he posed our Duce at work? Some may remember Taylor for his photography in March of last year (soooo long ago) when our Duce visited Christmas Island - to send some message about not letting boats land. Well, some boats, in some parts of the country. Gee - a whole year ago.
Other Anonymous
Oh sigh reminiscently, OA, about back in 1994 when 'New Scientist' was still about "science" and was still readable. I have to depend on American Scientist now, and it just isn't the same.
DeleteLove the Amelia Bedelia riff DP.
ReplyDeleteActually, she may have done a lot better than Trump in reacting to the news that there was a new virus in town. Scanning the Johns Hopkin figures this morning, the numbers are terrifying:
Singapore 1,000 cases
USA 215,417 cases
Politely and calmly as possible, one national government had an effective communications campaign out and about mid-February. And testing, testing, testing.
The other national government had an old man in denial.
Outcomes looking a little different.
The same could be said of our own national response VC. Way too slow for mine and too much confusion early on.....followed by a couple of major fails. I sent a link to Hunt’s office back in Feb. on the Singaporean Govt’s public information and awareness approach and still waiting for a reply.
DeleteNot sure if you caught Senator Keneally ripping the Uberdutt a brand new one earlier today on ABC....until in usual ABC form(feeling Polonial) they just left the feed as soon as press questions began.
Hard not to feel they are running cover for this faux Govt. at times!
https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/two-more-cases-discharged-one-new-case-of-covid-19-infection-confirmed
Then again, I did tell him, politely, that like his work on the environment portfolio, “his work was done” and he should resign. :)))
As you note, testing, testing, testing.....as of weeks ago!
Given the Sheridan musing this day, this song seems fitting, even if it is about the 80’s Crack epidemic in the States, but given Trumps equally hopeless war times approach to Covid19, it will suffice. Cheers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T3dt3a6y7Y
"Amelia Bedelia riff" Que ? No matter how many days, there's always something new in each one.
DeleteBut mainly, vc, Singapore (and Hong Kong and even South Korea, but very particularly and almost always omitted, Taiwan) all learned from prior events which scarcely touched the rest of the world which consequently learned nothing.
That's the way it always works, so I've been told, and so I have observed.
The Willy DeVille song had about 4900 views and the majority of comments were from 7 years ago. Even Velvet Underground did better than that. Oh well, there's always plenty of Cassandras to ignore in life, isn't there.
DeleteI dunno about that "reptile insights" thing, DP. At first I thought it might be a typo and insLights was intended. After all, reptiles frequently indulge themselves spouting in(group)slights. Indeed I was almost all the way through before I encountered this:
ReplyDeleteMichael Miller: "Outdated media ownership rules must be abandoned."
Is that a reptile insight or what ? Now we can all proceed with the realisation that those "outdated media ownership rules" that allowed Chairthing Roopie to suck up so much Australian media are outdated and must be undone in the name of honesty, decency and humanity.
Wau, just wau !
But then: "the bromancer is going completely bonkers …"
"Going" ? As in "going, going, gone !" perhaps. So let us see: "Apart from common decency [Que ? a reptile invokes "common decency" ?] there have been two operational limitations on any nation considering the use of biological weapons. The first is that if they were caught they would suffer devastating retaliation."
What, "devastating retaliation" for just "considering" the use of bioweapons ? And how, pray tell, would it be discovered that they were only "considering" bioweapon use - unless they actually did use it. And given the present sanctions on Iran - one of those on the Bro's list - what additional "sanctions" would be imposed ... nuclear attack, perhaps ? Would that be considered "devastating" enough for just some "considering" ?
Yep, bonkers all right, DP.
On to The Editorialist, and whaddaya know: the trope of the day rides again. But I did like the bit about "You cannot visit your partner for social reasons". Well of course not, that isn't one of the approved reasons for leaving your residence. But this is: "You may also leave you home in an emergency or if required by law."
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-stay-home-and-restricted-activities-directions-faq
Now combined with reason 4 ("for exercise") then that clearly includes emergency visiting for the reason of having active sex, yes ? And that's about all for The Editorialist, today.
Onwards to the Savvy Sav. Now I do applaud the mentions of 'Escape from New York' and 'Blade Runner' - that's almost as good as referencing the Goons (which I'm sure the Sav would never do) or The Blues Bros. Then we have this: "Whatever the faults of Australia's system of government, and there are a few, they leave the American And British models for dead."
Now it may have escaped the Savvy's scant attention, but the "Australian system of government" has been way ahead of just about everybody else since even before federation, when we "gave" women not only the vote - as so boasted of by NZ - but also the right to stand for parliament. Now that really was a significant world first. Among many (8 hour workdays, anybody ?).
And so another mindless reptile day fades into the quicksand of forgotten yesterdays, and the world turns.
Hi DP,
ReplyDeleteI do feel I’ve let the team down but I just couldn’t bring myself to comment on today’s Lobbecke except to say it’s about the most uninspired plop of mindless dreck he’s pooted out in a while – and that’s really saying something!
It’s raining very solidly here and I’ve got (mild) symptoms of some kind of lurgy. Consequently my mind has turned to deeper ponderings and found Chairman Miller’s article to be much more of a stimulus for sardonic commentary than its banal Cult Master graphic. So to cheer myself up I spent some time playing around with a great Aussie hit from the eighties, (a mutual favourite judging from my years of pond visiting). I offer it up as both a consolation piece and an anti-viral soap opera for these dreary days.
It’s All About Greed
See those News Corp papers
In their piles at the back of the shops
They’ve been thrown out there
At the end of each week
Their sales have been forever on the drop
Now they’re blowing around
All over the ground
Rupert leaps to his feet and he says
What about me?
It isn't fair
I’m really stuffed
Now the internet’s here
Can’t you see?
What Google’s done
They’ve taken it all
And left me none
Now there's a leggy model
Perched up on his lap
As he checks his stocks
She's been sitting on it
Begging for a raise
But her sugar daddy’s
In a state of shock
So she buttons her blouse
And pulls her skirt down
Then she drops to her knees
As she screams
What about me?
It isn't fair
I’m going back to Mick
Cos he’s got more hair
Can't you see?
I want to live
And I need more cash
Than you can give
…
Rupert chokes up
And sees his empire crumbling
He grabs his gun
The deed is done
Now he’s really
Blown his lid
Jerry listens
As he whispers
It's goodnight from me!
…
Now he’s hanging out in limbo and
St Peter’s on the phone
Even God is outraged
Rupert cannot be saved
Now he’s feeling cold and alone
He was born into money
He had such a lot
But he always wanted much more
Than he got
It’s all about greed
It isn’t fair
There is never enough
And the wealthy won’t share
Nothing’s free
That’s how they live
And they will always take more
Than they give
It’s all about greed…
Very dramatic indeed, Kez. And much more than they deserve.
DeleteBut here's something for you:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N_rNz2oAGA
Kez - thank you for two things today. First up - the succinct assessment of the Lobbecke, which saved the rest of us wasting time trying to untangle the sequence of the symbolism (time wasted in the period of isolation is still time that could be better spent with the work of great artists and writers). Second - the verse. I agree with GB to a point, but we probably can agree that some great verse has come off the doings of quite unworthy persons. It all goes to show the human condition in a way that we might not otherwise have seen it.
DeleteOther Anonymous
You mean like maybe Beowulf, OA. Actually, I'm not sure anybody 'deserves' to be poeticised, but yes, there's some fine insights (and inslights) to be had from good verse or thereabouts - like a great many of Shakespeare's characters for instance.
DeletePS: hope your lurgy is fading away, Kez.
DeleteIt’s All About Greed and Faithfull’s Working Class Hero.......where you have both hit the same pathos buttons.
DeleteNice. Cheers.
Hi Dorothy,
ReplyDeleteOh dear, somebody has been filling the Bromancer’s head with all sorts of shocking stories and saucy doubts and fears.
He’s always the same when he returns from meeting with military types or hawkish policy wonks. Full of buzz words and worries about unseen threats.
Sheridan has long been viewed as an ‘useful idiot’ by the ‘China is as much a threat to the West as the Soviet Union was during the Cold War’ brigade. It’s all part of the US (and to lesser extent Australian) addiction to preparing for war.
Addiction to preparing for war is a very virtuous circle. The Military want lavish funding and fancy new toys to play with. The Arms Manufacturers want unlimited contracts and a never ending pipeline of cash from the government. Politicians aspire to be seen as patriotic defenders of their country.
All that is needed is a Threat and if you haven’t got a credible Threat then create one.
The “two well-regarded US researchers” quoted by Sheridan for “Weaponising Biotech” are connected to the Center for New American Security.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_a_New_American_Security
Former US Central Command Commander, General (and lets not forget lothario) David Petraeus gushed “CNAS has, in a few years, established itself as a true force in think tank and policy-making circles."
It’s the usual rogues gallery with Richard Armitage (Shrub’s Deputy Secretary of State from the Iraq fiasco) making an appearance.
The real players at CNAS of course are those stumping up the cash and setting the agenda and of course it’s the Usual Suspects - Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raytheon, BAE systems weighing in for the Lords of War and BP and Exxon Mobil throwing in some loose change for the fossil fuel business.
Fun Fact: Which single organisation is the biggest sole consumer of oil in the world?
Answer: The US Military. Them tanks, destroyers and bombers don’t run on wind power don’t you know.
So Sheridan is recycling a load of talking points that he has been fed on how the yellow peril is poised to kill all the whities.
Sheridan of course is not a racist, just #1 with racists.
As for the bull shit that AI and gene technology could create an ethnic bio weapon - it’s a bad Tom Clancy trope. All Modern human beings are extremely similar genetically especially around the critical parts such as the immune system, lung function, blood and cell design. What killed off native populations in the past was exposure to diseases that westerners had herd immunity to from generations of living in close proximity to farm animals.
In a globalised world nearly everybody has that herd immunity except when a novel new virus arrives in the scene.
Oh!
DiddyWrote
A nicely detailed analysis, DW. Thanks.
DeleteBut re "kill[ing] all the whites" well, mammalian species (the very top of the synapsid tree) have a species lifetime of 1 million years (average) to 10 million years (top). So, let us say that homo sapiens sapiens, which has been around for about 200,000 years (or maybe 300,000 depending on who you believe) has therefore about 700,000 to 800,000 years to go.
Even if every last "whitey" was killed within, say, the next 50 years, what do you think the human race would look like in 500,000 years or so ? Would it be all "Chinese" ? Would the gluteal sulcus have disappeared ?
Chairthing! :))) Ouch!
ReplyDelete“Outdated media ownership rules must be abandoned”
Wau indeed.... from the mob that has had every Govt. dancing the tune for decades, helped establish a second rate broadband for their own ends and that will probably cost who knows how much down the track to be what it could and should of been, as well as missing the digital world by years, all while controlling nearly all the media space.
As to the closure of small regional rags, it’s sad in some respects, but like all our suburban Leader papers, many that were shut some years back, they were just subtle gaslighting screeds.
And probably saved some innocent new journalists from having their minds poisoned by Chairthing’s minions.
If I may stay on the Bro and extrapolate on reason 4, I present from his 15 rules on dealing with China.....Ta da!
RULE FOUR: Tone down your language anyway. Politicians often need to shout to be heard. Don’t shout about China. There’s no need to sound like a shock jock, a left or right-wing populist or even an opinion page columnist. This is advice against every instinct in your body — but if you speak a little more soberly you will be doing the nation a service.
Bonkers and tone deaf to his own scribbling. I actually traipsed off to the Ramsay Inst. for Western Civilisation (with watermarked pages) to read the Bro’s lecture on writing his book on why we need God in our lives, to save the world. The guy is seriously weird.....and bonkers
Warning......do not put sanitiser in your eyes!. Cheers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06a19-S77F4
Nor any soap that can actually 'kill' the virus, mate. Nasty 'basic' (as opposed to acidic) stuff.
DeleteI seriously think that something about the writing of his apologia, and then getting it published, seriously turned the Bromancer's brain. He really has just got sillier and sillier ever since.
But Steeley Dan, Anony ? I had enough trouble with Steeleye Span:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zzwbYyvWiU
Are they the long-range inheritors of The Weavers, and especially Maddy Prior of Ronnie Gilbert ?
Absolutely, I would presume. Each music epoch listened to their parents and friends music just like my girls listened to mine...and I now listen to there’s. Fagan and Becker were influenced by the Beat Generation who would of been influenced by Ronnie Gilbert and Maddie Prior and Pete Seegar because they sang from the heart and spoke to truth.....and their parents or friends would have played it to them. That’s how we never run out of amazing songwriters and musicians......many who go on to amazing achievements.
ReplyDeleteThanks GB....enjoyed the tour.
Anecdotes of weirdness, Chevy Chase played drums on one of Steele’s Dan’s early incarnations........and they took their name from the steam powered dildo from the Naked Lunch. Cheers
Now that I did not know. I know more about Edgar Rice than about William S.
Delete