Thanks to a link at John Naughton's usual piece for the Graudian, the pond ended up reading Cory Doctorow's Pluralistic: My McLuhan lecture on enshittification (30 Jan 2024), and once again the pond realised it had long been in a reptile rut ...
No doubt any correspondent could increase the pond's pleasure in the world by a good quintillion by providing links to more amusing reads than the vitamin-free, energy-sapping offerings of the lizard Oz ...
What's notable about this? Well last night the Major was perched in his favourite far right position at the top of the digital edition, and then he got bumped down a notch, so that the reptiles could pretend they cared a fig or a toss about the loss of an Aboriginal voice - given the attitude the reptiles took to the Voice, it's the sort of faux piety you'd normally find in a church ...
Meanwhile, there were the usual stories about tax, anti-Israel activists and more business about the Lehrmann matter ...
Down below the same dreary procession of predictable obsessions continued ...
There was "here no conflict of interest" simpleton Simon blathering about tax, while Dimitri was on hand to cut down on spending, and of course there was the Caterist, still on his crusade against renewable energy ...
These days the pond takes bets with itself as to whether such stories will start with a snap of Satanic windmills, though the odds are so short it's hardly worth the punt ...
Collect your five cent winnings and move to the gate. Meanwhile, the rest of the Caterist was just as predictable and as tedious ...
And so the Caterist is the country's mood? The Caterist can decipher the country's mood the way he deciphers the movement of floodwaters in quarries?
The long lost lord help the climate-science denialist country then, because there's bugger all help from the lizard Oz ...
And so to the Major, and a much diminished splash ...
The splash alone sent the pond off.
The wording is deliberately deceitful and tricky, but then the Major is a notorious liar, dissembler and distorter ... but at least the pond could provide these figures about middle east demographics, available here ...
And so on, but the pond knew its duty and carried on with the Major ...
What you saw Sunday wasn't "Startup Nation" Israel. It wasn't "13 Nobel Prizes" Israel. It wasn't "Weizmann Institute of Science" Israel, nor "Iron Dome technology" Israel. It was not liberal-democratic Israel.
What you saw was messianic ecstasy and religious fervor in a position of power.
What you saw was not merely a theocratic-fascist strain in Israeli society and politics but almost half of Mr. Netanyahu's coalition (27 lawmakers), including five ministers in his government.
Attendees at the conference calling for the resettlement of Gaza and North Samaria, in Jerusalem on Sunday, with a map of the Gaza Strip in the background.Credit: Olivier Fitoussi
This strain of religious-nationalistic Jewish supremacy has been normalized, legitimized, mainstreamed and encouraged by Netanyahu.
What you saw was not some wishful-thinking, abstract idea of resettling Gaza with Jews, but a cry for the expulsion and displacement of Palestinians. What you saw was more about the West Bank – biblical Judea and Samaria – than it is about Gaza.
Lastly, what you saw was not just the far-right elements in Netanyahu's government trying to make a point by demonstrating that they completely control him politically. This is him. Unadulterated, unhinged Netanyahu, trying to distance himself far from the debacle of the October 7 massacre.
This strain of religious-nationalistic Jewish supremacy has been normalized, legitimized, mainstreamed and encouraged by Netanyahu. So, President Biden, the next time you talk to him about "postwar Gaza," a "Palestinian state" or a "reconfigured Middle East," go back to the footage from Sunday's spectacle. Listen to the exultant, vociferous, rapturous delight there. And don't bother searching for Netanyahu's response. You won't find it. Israel is your ally; Mr. Netanyahu is a liability to your interests.
Now that the majority of Israelis have caught a clear glimpse of the future and realize what's in store, they may have to make a choice. The masks are off and the masquerade is over.
From the attendees' perspective, the timing of the event was impeccable. In fact, the issue of sensitivity to timing is not a concern or consideration for them at all. Two days after the International Court of Justice in the Hague rebuked Israel and recited incendiary Israeli rhetoric bordering on calls for genocide, some of the culprits were at it again with full force.
On the very day the head of the Mossad was meeting in Paris with the Qatari prime minister, Egyptian intelligence minister and director of the CIA to discuss a possible hostage deal, they were chanting "Return to Gaza." At a time when the United States – after the enormously generous aid it provided Israel, and encouraged by Saudi and Qatari overtures – is sketching and shaping an axis of stability and order, Netanyahu's coalition went on a road show to prove it is not a partner to a "postwar" anything.
But there's a flip side to this political horror show. Paradoxically, it is a necessary spectacle because maybe, just maybe, it will force Israel to decide. There is a liberal-democratic majority in Israel. The ultranationalists, extremist Orthodox Jews and settlers are the minority. Yes, Netanyahu put them in power because they serve his legal and political survival. Yes, they were and remain his willing partners in an obscene attempt to instigate a constitutional coup that would have turned Israel from a democracy into an undemocratic, illiberal semi-theocracy.
Now that the majority of Israelis have caught a clear glimpse of the future and realize what's in store, they may have to make a choice. The masks are off and the masquerade is over. The messianic eruption is inextricably linked to both the occupation and uncertainty over the future of the territories, and the constitutional coup Mr. Netanyahu has tried to impose on Israel. They are connected vessels and are conducive to each other's existence.
The strain of "atchalta de'geulah" – Aramaic for the beginning of the redemption, prior to the coming of the Messiah – is as old as religious Zionism. It was enhanced by Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook and nurtured after 1967's Six-Day War, which to a growing number of religious Zionists was a sign of the coming of the Messiah. From there, the settler movement evolved and had its outsize influence on the policies of right-wing governments. The settlers sought to create an irreversible reality and assumed that the Palestinians would either assent or flee. Religious Zionism sought to integrate into Israel's elites, partly succeeding, and gained limited political power.
This was the ideal airtight coalition Netanyahu needed to evade his legal problems and ongoing corruption trial. But with the constitutional coup and October 7 massacre (and subsequent war) exposing his weaknesses and vulnerability, the messianic bloc feels it needs to assert as much power as possible.
One hundred and fifteen days since 1,200 Israelis were killed, with some mutilated and raped, and while Israel Defense Forces soldiers are fighting in Gaza, a sect of religious zealots put on a carnival-style show complete with singing, dancing and chanting. So, President Biden, the next time you discuss the "Mideast security architecture" with the Israeli premier, bear in mind Sunday's scenes. Those weren't just messianic. That was Mr. Netanyahu himself.
The only amusing thing the pond can offer from all this is that in googling the Major's name, the pond came up with this site ... an ancient hit job on the Major ... which perhaps should now read "sick profile of a typical-ego driven reptile scribbler..."
It never gets old, even if Crickey isn't really a thing ...
One example. About 12 months after the original story, Steve Austin was filling in as presenter of ABC Local Radio's Morning Program and interviewed Steven Holt about fresh material he'd obtained from the National Archives that Holt believed discredited further The Courier-Mail's original story.
The next day, a brutal opinion piece by the paper's National Editor Peter Charlton (then based in Sydney so presumably taking his riding instructions from Mitchell) savaged Austin for the interview.
Interestingly, Mitchell refused an invitation to be part of the discussion, although it would have been difficult to cover some (of) a complex issue in three minutes. Nonetheless, Charlton tore into Austin, essentially for failing to adequately prosecute The Courier-Mail's line in his questions to Holt, which was neither true, nor of course was it Austin's role as an ABC presenter.
As usual on the weekend the pond overdid the cartoons, so there's just time to celebrate where Benji's mob and the other fundamentalist mob are taking the world ...
"...the pond takes bets with itself as to whether such stories will start with a snap of Satanic windmills..." Yes, but, BG, butt where are all the pictures of the hundreds of thousands of migratory birds killed by the rotating blades ? We were promised pictures of all those dead birds. And dead whales too - lots of dead whales killed somehow by the offshore windmills - where are they ?
ReplyDeleteI did read some of Cory's spiel, but it's just repeating an old theme: the sooner or later enshittification of all human group doings. I instance that once small Judaistic cult offshoot, now know by the name 'Catholic Christianity'. Initially it was indeed all about love: the love of God and our love for all of humanity. And how long did that last ? Now we have a mass cult full of George Pells.
So forgive me, a bit of FB is just trivial in the total of human activities.
NickC: "The authority of most of those once considered national living treasures has been eroded by their endorsement of the [small v] voice referendum." Oh but that's no problem, we'll just have to get Jacinta Nampijinpa to do the job: her "voice" has been significantly amplified by her triumphant opposition to the [capital V] Voice. And she can get 'Spud' Dutton to back her up. And there just won't be any opposition now that Lowitja has left us.
ReplyDeleteHmm: "...a century's time, the lifespan Monash anticipated for lignite". And indeed it has been a century since the 1920s. Good guess, John But then NickC goes on with "Cheap energy attracted productive capital from Britain and the US. The increase in domestic manufacturing was driven by the perceived need for power and industrial self-sufficiency...".
However, let's just check that out:
"But General Motors’ US president Alfred Sloan wasn’t keen. Australia was a small market and he might not see a return on his investment.
And he had grave reservations about doing business with what he thought was a socialist Labor government. It owned railways and a telephone network, something uncommon in the US.
When Prime Minister Ben Chifley arranged a government loan of A£2.5 million, he agreed."
https://theconversation.com/holden-was-never-really-australian-131994
Yep, there we go: all that American productive capital provided by Joe Ben Chifley. My word but NickC just knows his history, doesn't he. GM did pay the loan back though, I trust.
Of course Cater doesn’t do engagement; he prefers to lecture from the lofty heights of the Menzies Institute and The Australian.
ReplyDeleteThere are probably some Australians who still believe Harold Holt was taken by the Communists or that Howard was the most successful politician in living memory.
While pondering what Monash might have thought, why not ponder:
Would Thomas Eddison have approved of LEDs?
Would Sisyphus have approved of a winch?
As for those “some” in the regions, perhaps if they are next to be affected by multiple extreme weather events, it might change their minds. OK, these examples are from that cesspit of activists, the ABC, yet all avid followers of those promoting the two-R’s rally [Joanne Codling, aka JoNova, a climate change denialist, Sky News and the Coalition) may be shocked to hear what other farmers think about climate change:
‘“I think it’s just demonstrating that our climate is just changing before our eyes and we need to start doing things better so these weather patterns are not so severe so frequently,” said Caltowie farmer Ben Lehmann, who lost his barley and wheat crop to Saturday's storms.
“I think it’s just another sign that we’re living in a very cranky climate at the moment.”
Mr Lehmann said neither he nor his father had seen a storm this intense before.
"We have to accept that many things are out of our control … but today has been the hardest day of farming in my short career," he said. "Dad in his 60 years has not seen a storm like it."’
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-08/farmer-fed-up-with-climate-change-deniers-after-storm-damage/100602878
‘However, Fiona Davis from Farmers for Climate Action said the last year had shown the fragility of the country's supply.
"In the last 12 months we have seen floods wipe out key supply chains and crops, resulting in us paying $11 for lettuce. So while we will have enough food, getting that to people is difficult," she said.
Ms David said ultimately consumers would bear the brunt of climate change effects on agriculture.
"As Australia heats up these impacts will grow and consumers are ultimately going to pay more for food," she said.’
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-03-29/food-security-facing-threats-from-climate-change-farmers-say/102158222
‘Brett Jessop milks 300 cows on his farm at Cobargo, where he has introduced a few modifications to reduce heat stress.
"We've got sprinklers in our yards, [we use] the daytime paddocks with the trees in them for shade and I've recently put shade sails over my feed pad," he said.’
[not as demonic as wind turbines, but there were the early signs of evil with a pic of those dark shade sails as well a pic of those poor cows being inhumanely put under the sprinkler system]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2024-01-25/livestock-heat-stress-in-summer-weather-research/103222380
Cater’s claim that "The authority of most of those once considered national living treasures has been eroded by their endorsement of the voice referendum." Is the only interesting item in today’s turgid offering (for a bloke who’s unimpressed with renewables, he certainly does a lot of recycling). It’s a nice insight into Reptile thinking - being on the non-Reptile side of any issue instantly destroys any credibility that opponent may have, in any matter whatsoever. Similarly, any journalist who dares to make comments with which the Major disagrees isn’t just expressing a contrary view; they clearly lack any basic competence as journalists.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, it’s just more of the same from a couple of clapped-out squawkers.
Mitchell mentions Hawke yes Hawke did admire the kabuts but then he was freinds with the American diplomatic and undercover agencies in the CIA who told him how to work with America on their overthrowing of elected government when it does'nt suit their interests they have succeded in Pakistan have Imran Kahn jailed as they have Julian Assange jailed the who published the acts of criminality in Iraq by American troops. Americans have supported the invasion by Israel into Palestine who should still be in control of their country. So according to Mitchell it is OK for another country to let refugees from Europe to remove the residents of Palestine to be ousted from their homes and Israelies take possesion of the Palestians property that is some sort of justice the only a colonising power would seem to think that is acceptable.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the Cater can score an interview with Minister Bowen, so he - Nick - can direct his deeply probing questioning (always such a feature of his interviews) to finding out how Bowen has conned Aussies into believing that parts of the country receive more than 12 hours of sunlight in a day. It would be consistent with reptile/Marohasy alleged 'discovery' that temperature records have been retrospectively adjusted so we think we are experiencing more warmer days (and, mark of climate change, even warmer nights); for the Cater to ask Bowen if he, Bowen, has found a way to doctor all the national time clocks, so our days appear to offer more than 12 hours of sunlight. After all, as recently as December last, Nick was emphatic that that was our daily limit.
ReplyDeleteOh wiffle piffle, Chad. The day is only as long as NickC manages to get up and stay awake before retiring to bed again. And that is clearly never more than 12 hours at a stretch.
DeleteWith the outside temperature not encouraging work on the estate, I have granted my self a day indoors. GB - a sense of mischief from your 'wiffle piffle' lead me to observations on periods of sunshine in Billericay - where the young Nick was born to a couple of teachers. Easy enough to call up (unless you are a named writer for Rupert, when you have no need to check those difficult 'facts'). The official period of sunlight at Billericay for June 21 is 16 hours and 40 minutes. His 'Wiki' entry does not tell us when his parents moved to Hythe, but it, and the University of Exeter are all at much the same latitude, so he should have absorbed some sense of solstices and equinoxes and suchlike. I would concede that his innate awareness of anything other than the reptile meme for each week is of uncertain intensity now, but perhaps that is just down to age.
DeleteNow you're not relying on the Cater having developed, and retained, some kind of a sense of reality, are you Chad ? Such that he might just possibly remember how long 'daylight' was in his extreme youth ?
DeleteNow That Windmills Aren't A Crime
ReplyDeleteSee the Cater at his keyboard
Staring blankly into space
As he contemplates the future
Of the blighted reptile race
To his constant consternation
He sees windmills everywhere
Over hill and dale and paddock
Soon they'll be in Railway Square!
So he's trumping for the loonies
All the wackos, cranks, and kooks
And the paid-up Murdoch stooges
Pushing coal and gas and nukes
But his call to arms is futile
Since the market makes huge gains
From its shares in wind and solar
And it drives the greenie train
This leaves dinosaurs bewildered
Hear them rant and rave and fume
As a meteor called 'Renewables'
Seals the reptiles to their doom
Then there'll be so much rejoicing
When a thankful planet finds
It's all over for the reptiles
And their windmill-hating minds
Sadly never I think, Kez. But otherwise: ✅
DeleteCheers GB. I need to be optimistic these days!
Delete