In a recent outburst of compassion and sensitivity, apparently Chuck Todd wondered if calling a war criminal committing massive war crimes was the right thing to do, because the war criminal might get upset at being called a war criminal and having attention paid to his war crimes ...
It was the old "lots of people say" routine ... "President Biden called Putin a war criminal this week," Todd told Murphy. "There are a lot of people who agree with that assessment but question whether the president himself should have personalized it. Where are you in this?" (C and L)
Gee, Todd, wouldn't want to personalise it by calling a war criminal a war criminal committing atrocious war crimes ... where would it all end, what next, someone proposing that Adolf also committed war crimes? That'd be a tad too personal, wouldn't it ...
But the pond guesses we all go a little crazy sometimes, which is why the pond must apologise for featuring a little actual news from the top and bottom of the planet late yesterday.
Meanwhile on another planet, far from the reptiles or their ken ...
There's the Graudian here, and The Conversation here...
... despite these effects of La Niña, climate change meant 2021 was one of the hottest years on record. Now, at the tail end of Australia’s summer, the reef is experiencing another marine heatwave and is tipping over the bleaching threshold.
There’s not enough time for coral to recover between events. Even the most robust corals require nearly a decade to recover. There is also no clear evidence corals are adapting to the new conditions.
To make matters worse, climate change is supercharging the atmosphere and making even the natural variations of La Niña and its counterpart El Niño more variable and less predictable. This means Australia will not only endure more intense heatwaves, but also flooding, droughts and storms.
Oh sheesh, that's unfortunate, best ignore all that, and blather on about mean girls ... or perhaps flash back to 2005 and the yarn about The tycoon, the missing husband and the millions ...
It's wonderful what a little amnesia can do for memory, and meanwhile, the infallible Pope was back, with an eerie jellyfish lurking in the water ...
But enough of all that, because the pond must turn in the usual way to the reptiles, and to the bromancer having yet another breakdown ...
The pond was immediately reminded of those party bores who have to make the party and the story all about them.
Real shit is currently going down in Ukraine, and all the bromancer can do is blather about Pine Gap and North West Cape and nukes?
It's probably a sign of impotence in the face of a war criminal carrying out atrocious war crimes ... a bit the way the pond feels whenever the reptiles indulge in yet another bout of climate science denialism ... but surely we could focus on the main game here?
Too hard? Apparently so ... bugger Ukraine, let's make it all about us ...
And there you go ...sorry, Ukraine, while blathering on about Australia's situation, the bromancer just wiped you off as a strategic loser ...
Yep, best look after ourselves in the reptile manner, rather than pay heed to an actual war criminal carrying out atrocious war crimes in real time ...
And now, to match Todd, we must play the loser "what if?" game, and declare the war criminal the winner ...
Oh a space force ... why that's up there with the mango Mussolini's grand vision.
In the meantime, Ukaine doesn't have missiles in strategic numbers, which Australia could help them in the getting of right now ...
But instead we have a distracted bromancer already waving the white flag and blathering on about pitiful poor us, oh the woe, the sorrow and the pity ...
The pond could sense that the war criminal's war on Ukraine and the reptiles war on the planet was starting to fray the nerves, so it was time to relax with a good groaning ...
It should go without saying, but the pond will say it, that the crow eaters have got the reptiles in a panic, and so any hint of anything that can be used against Albo must be dragged out of the state closet, dusted off and paraded about ...
That noted, the pond admits that Dame Groan is truly aware of the infinite capacity for human suffering ...
Ah, that consternated and confused look ... sublime, really.
The pond can still hear the distant sound of the gnashing of teeth and the wailing ... but fear not. The good Dame will have stashed away a hefty whack of super, thanks to supping on the teat of taxpayer funded universities for many a year ...
Yes, don't you go worrying about the Groaner. Back in the old days taxpayer-funded universities had very tidy super schemes ...and there's still a very tidy living to be made sticking it to the less fortunate, with a consultancy here and a directorship there ...
Indeed, indeed, and it can be said with some assurance that Dame Groan's job satisfaction doing casual gigs for Chairman Rupert is pretty high ... because, after all, she's alright Jill (and Jack) and don't you worry about that ...
Indeed, indeed, and the closest thing to secure employment is an academic sucking on the taxpayer's teat, and exuding such an enormous cloud of complacency, it's impossible to know how or where to penetrate the thick hide ...
Waiter, please, a reminder of Dame Groan's greatest hits ...
And now, as we're talking about casual, insecure, temporary employment, why not end with an immortal Rowe featuring one such insecure employee?
Second thoughts, don't worry about that lot. The parliamentary super scheme remains super for those who get retrenched or made redundant ...
" we all go a little crazy sometimes, which is why the pond must apologise for featuring a little actual news from the top and bottom of the planet late yesterday. "
ReplyDeleteWell, we could recall Mark Twain: "When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained". And there's a lot of that around. Or maybe Don Haider-Markel (U Kansas) "Those who have spent more time educating themselves tend to think they know better than other people.” And I guess that people like the Major and the Lance Corp who have spent absolutely no time being educated in any way at all think they know everything.
Or, as I said to a mate just yesterday: "If I haven't heard of it, then it doesn't exist." and we remember MLK: "sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity". But also Robert Collier: "constant repetition carries conviction."
So repeat away at will, DP, we'll all be convicted right alongside you.
Jodie and Scott (no, not that one): " ...the reef is experiencing another marine heatwave and is tipping over the bleaching threshold."
ReplyDeleteAnd where's Peter the Riddance just when we need him most to tell us how fit and healthy the reef is ?
While on professorial pay as Director of the National Institute of Labour Studies at Flinders University, South Australia - which most of us would think of as a reasonably demanding job, if done properly - our Dame also managed to squeeze in
ReplyDeleteChairman of Santos Ltd.
Chairman of the South Australian Ports Corporation
Chairman of Mayne Nickless Ltd.
Chairman of SGIO Holdings Ltd.
or so we are told in the ‘Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation’, Published by the Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology (which doesn’t ‘do’ ligatures). Will leave for another time discussion of just what ‘science or innovation’ our Dame has brought to the nation.
Oh - the Encyclopedia also lists other semi-government gigs during that time, which often attract sitting fees. We might assume that she drew the regular fees for the time she gave to Santos, Ports Corp., Mayne Nickless and SGIO. To attend to those boards properly (and write the newspaper columns) she must have been working a remarkable number of hours each day - all in the national interest, of course.
No wonder she's never learned how to draw a graph, Chad; none of the jobs you've listed there would require any.
DeleteAnd anyway, she'd have lots of minions to draw them for her.
It's obvious that's all she's paid for: the sitting.
DeleteThanks Mercurial - tied that theme off nicely.
Delete"Oh a space force ..." We've all been watching Brian Cox explaining 'The Planets' haven't we ? Just what we need a "space force" for. And was a 5th 'giant planet' expelled from the solar system once upon a time ?
ReplyDeleteWas a Fifth Giant Planet Expelled from Our Solar System?
https://www.universetoday.com/90857/was-a-fifth-giant-planet-expelled-from-our-solar-system/
So the Bro tells us that "...we do not need nuclear weapons ourselves to enjoy nuclear deterrence. If a nation used a nuclear weapon against Australia, the US would attack it with a nuclear weapon." Well sure it would ... unless, of course, the nuclear using nation was China or Russia ... or unless the MAD defying nation was headed by someone who is a madman already. Like Russia, maybe. Because I can't see places like India, Pakistan (who would visit them to play test cricket ?), Israel, the UK or France - or even North Korea - sending a nuke our way.
ReplyDeleteBut here's the thing about 'nuclear deterrence': what if Russia has already lobbed some nukes at the US; if it then lobs a few at us, who's going to notice ? Not the Bromancer, that's for sure. He'd be too busy explaining how we are protected by the Americans.
Hi Dorothy,
ReplyDeleteLet me try and overcome my strange squeamishness and try to understand the Sheridan Protocol.
The main reason Australia would be a high-priority nuclear target is due to the fact it hosts US communication bases.
The reason Australia hosts US communication bases is because it is a US Treaty Ally.
The reason Australia is a US Treaty Ally is in order to be provided protection from a nuclear attack by being part of America’s extended nuclear deterrence.
The reason Australia would need protection from a nuclear attack is because it hosts US communication bases.
There seems to be something oddly circular in the Bromancer logic there.
DiddyWrote
It's all down to Churchill, DW. His appalling mismanagement of WWII and dislike of ex-colonial Australia forced John Curtin to get us into bed with the Yanks. And we just never got out again.
DeleteActually, I recall an after dinner comment attributed to Churchill about Australian wine and how there must be "no bitterness" (but I can't find the exact quote anywhere). However, there was plenty, especially after the English surrender of Singapore. So of course we could never rely on Britain for nuclear deterrence.
According to the classics, war criminals like being recognised: https://youtu.be/I58CAdlItho?t=24
ReplyDelete