I’ve never understood trolls, and humour where you demean the other has never worked for me. My response has been to ignore them and hope they work out I’m not interested and sometimes to aim a death stare at them as well (I’m a teacher)😉 But it’s time to do more. To reclaim the discussion and to make a case loudly that we can’t have this garbage rule our lives. It’s a dead-end ideology where nobody is ever happy and everyone is furious at everything. Keep writing, Tim - your words help me each time
Yes, ignoring them is not an option. It's bully syndrome, as you suggest, and you have to fight back. Australia is reasonably well placed to do that, but we are going to need real political leadership.
I feel a surge of positive hope every time I read one of your posts, TD - which you probably already understand. Kathy Skidmore articulates my feelings, too! I was driving from Newcastle to Tamworth this morning - listening to a dreadful female from the LNP who repeated ad infinitum the same talking points she been clearly been told to repeat (the Goebbels principle of repeating a lie over and over) almost screaming at the ABC journalist and only giving way when the journalist was forced to break in to her river of drivel - while also attacking the ABC in her leader's fashion. And as well as that - endless rehashing of the Dutton nonsense arising from the ANZAC Day Dawn Service heckling and worrying the bone of "Welcome to Country/Acknowledgement of Country" as if it were a policy announcement as part of the election - and not a matter of misinformation. Trying to escape it - after Craig Reucassell and then Hamish McDonald had spent half the morning (so it seemed) on teasing out all the possibilities - I switched Radio Stations to alight on a commercial radio station where a full-throated racist attack on Welcome to Country was proceeding without interruption. At this moment I found ABC Classic FM - the Prussian King Frederick IV (?) a composer of around 120 pieces for the flute - he himself an accomplished flautist - and my blood pressure settled back to normal. (Actually I have no blood pressure problems - this was just a piece of hyperbole as emphasis.)
As i've said before, most people on both sides have massively misread the NO vote in the referendum. The outcome was entirely predictable given that NO is the default result of any Australian referendum*. The No campaign ran on the generic negative "if you don't know, vote No" and Albanese helped this along by refusing to present a preferred model (the famous "details"). His excuse, that this would be up to the Parliament was a nonsense, given that he controls a majority in the lower house where any model would have been introduced.
The effect of this was to drive support from 70 per cent down to 40 per cent. But rather than looking at the initial 70 per cent as an indication of vague goodwill, political actors on both sides interpreted the outcome as showing a hidden racist majority. The far-right is appealing to this supposed majority, but the election outcome is likely to shatter their illusions.
* The equal marriage ballot was an exception because it was a clear choice, rather than the status quo vs the unknown.
Yes, I never understood Albanese's approach, having put it on the agenda himself on election night. Especially as he had the "teals" delivering him the advantage of support in seats that would've routinely backed the LNP position in the past, most likely.
Just adding, re the Equal Marriage ballot, that that also had the advantage of a generation of advocacy behind it and enough proof of concept for people to have basically already accepted the proposition (so to speak).
I suspect that the problem was that any actual implementation of the Voice would necessarily resemble ATSIC, and Albanese wasn't prepared to make the case that ATSIC should never have been abolished, although it certainly needed some reform.
Thanks Tim. The reaction to the neo-Nazis and their disruption of Welcome's to Country is horrifying. What sort of sick, sad person is mortally offended by being welcomed?
It is a perfect instrument for a tiny minority to make an outsized noise, partly because it lends itself perfectly to the media model of controversy. They will lap it up, doing what they did with climate change: turning that tiny majority of variously motivated deniers into a legimated "alternative argument". A classic "both sides" argument where the 90% for and the 10% against are treated as somehow equal.
TD: These are powerful words you end with 'Unless the progressive minorities band together and devise a prosperous future for the majority, our politics will be riven with the sort of tribalism that is currently making the US increasingly ungovernable in any sane, democratic sense.'
Just what in the blazes is one meant to do at time like this when the country is suffering through the most cynical, confected, performative and carefully choreographed election campaign that I can remember with duopoly career politicians baying for their job renewal.
It is in these moments I really can't help descending into a nihilistic mindset. Just what is the point?
My point:
John Long; Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University writes in the Conversation a response to ' The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire: Why Our Species Is on the Edge of Extinction – Henry Gee (Picador)
Could humanity be extinct within 10,000 years? A new book is the wake up call our species needs
Nothing says that this won't be the case - the universe owes us nothing.
However Long finishes with this:
'While the topic of this book might seem a little depressing, it is really a powerful wake up call to all of us, based on the very latest scientific research.
The stoics say if we can’t do anything about a problem, we shouldn’t worry about it. But in this case there is a lot we can all do. Voting for the right people who will enact change is the first step. This book should be mandatory reading for all politicians.'
What you (and Long) write gives me some optimism and presents us with a (simple) course of action to take. I'm going to do my best to get us the right politicians until the day I die or riven with dementia to do so.
Thanks, Gavin. I don't always feel optimisitic, but for various reasons, my temperament tends to bend in that direction. Sometimes I think I write the way I do to keep my own chin up. And thanks for the tip about the book, which I hadn't heard of.
The Liberal Party local members, parliamentarians and party office members must be thick as a brick. Yes they ‘won’ the battle over the Voice Referendum but lost the war. Any hope they had in winning back the ‘Teal’ seats was lost in that moment. And any moderate liberal supporters lost all hope that the Party could change.
I’ve never understood trolls, and humour where you demean the other has never worked for me. My response has been to ignore them and hope they work out I’m not interested and sometimes to aim a death stare at them as well (I’m a teacher)😉 But it’s time to do more. To reclaim the discussion and to make a case loudly that we can’t have this garbage rule our lives. It’s a dead-end ideology where nobody is ever happy and everyone is furious at everything. Keep writing, Tim - your words help me each time
Yes, ignoring them is not an option. It's bully syndrome, as you suggest, and you have to fight back. Australia is reasonably well placed to do that, but we are going to need real political leadership.
I did a section of this to Billy Joel’s “we didn’t start the fire”
Sing it, Kimber, as I said to Mr Denmore the other day!
I feel a surge of positive hope every time I read one of your posts, TD - which you probably already understand. Kathy Skidmore articulates my feelings, too! I was driving from Newcastle to Tamworth this morning - listening to a dreadful female from the LNP who repeated ad infinitum the same talking points she been clearly been told to repeat (the Goebbels principle of repeating a lie over and over) almost screaming at the ABC journalist and only giving way when the journalist was forced to break in to her river of drivel - while also attacking the ABC in her leader's fashion. And as well as that - endless rehashing of the Dutton nonsense arising from the ANZAC Day Dawn Service heckling and worrying the bone of "Welcome to Country/Acknowledgement of Country" as if it were a policy announcement as part of the election - and not a matter of misinformation. Trying to escape it - after Craig Reucassell and then Hamish McDonald had spent half the morning (so it seemed) on teasing out all the possibilities - I switched Radio Stations to alight on a commercial radio station where a full-throated racist attack on Welcome to Country was proceeding without interruption. At this moment I found ABC Classic FM - the Prussian King Frederick IV (?) a composer of around 120 pieces for the flute - he himself an accomplished flautist - and my blood pressure settled back to normal. (Actually I have no blood pressure problems - this was just a piece of hyperbole as emphasis.)
That's depressing about the radio discussion, Jim. But I am pleased to learn of Frederik IV! Am googling now.
As i've said before, most people on both sides have massively misread the NO vote in the referendum. The outcome was entirely predictable given that NO is the default result of any Australian referendum*. The No campaign ran on the generic negative "if you don't know, vote No" and Albanese helped this along by refusing to present a preferred model (the famous "details"). His excuse, that this would be up to the Parliament was a nonsense, given that he controls a majority in the lower house where any model would have been introduced.
The effect of this was to drive support from 70 per cent down to 40 per cent. But rather than looking at the initial 70 per cent as an indication of vague goodwill, political actors on both sides interpreted the outcome as showing a hidden racist majority. The far-right is appealing to this supposed majority, but the election outcome is likely to shatter their illusions.
* The equal marriage ballot was an exception because it was a clear choice, rather than the status quo vs the unknown.
Yes, I never understood Albanese's approach, having put it on the agenda himself on election night. Especially as he had the "teals" delivering him the advantage of support in seats that would've routinely backed the LNP position in the past, most likely.
Just adding, re the Equal Marriage ballot, that that also had the advantage of a generation of advocacy behind it and enough proof of concept for people to have basically already accepted the proposition (so to speak).
I suspect that the problem was that any actual implementation of the Voice would necessarily resemble ATSIC, and Albanese wasn't prepared to make the case that ATSIC should never have been abolished, although it certainly needed some reform.
Thanks Tim. The reaction to the neo-Nazis and their disruption of Welcome's to Country is horrifying. What sort of sick, sad person is mortally offended by being welcomed?
It is a perfect instrument for a tiny minority to make an outsized noise, partly because it lends itself perfectly to the media model of controversy. They will lap it up, doing what they did with climate change: turning that tiny majority of variously motivated deniers into a legimated "alternative argument". A classic "both sides" argument where the 90% for and the 10% against are treated as somehow equal.
TD: These are powerful words you end with 'Unless the progressive minorities band together and devise a prosperous future for the majority, our politics will be riven with the sort of tribalism that is currently making the US increasingly ungovernable in any sane, democratic sense.'
Just what in the blazes is one meant to do at time like this when the country is suffering through the most cynical, confected, performative and carefully choreographed election campaign that I can remember with duopoly career politicians baying for their job renewal.
It is in these moments I really can't help descending into a nihilistic mindset. Just what is the point?
My point:
John Long; Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University writes in the Conversation a response to ' The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire: Why Our Species Is on the Edge of Extinction – Henry Gee (Picador)
Could humanity be extinct within 10,000 years? A new book is the wake up call our species needs
Published: April 17, 2025 12.39pm AEST
https://theconversation.com/could-humanity-be-extinct-within-10-000-years-a-new-book-is-the-wake-up-call-our-species-needs-249495
Nothing says that this won't be the case - the universe owes us nothing.
However Long finishes with this:
'While the topic of this book might seem a little depressing, it is really a powerful wake up call to all of us, based on the very latest scientific research.
The stoics say if we can’t do anything about a problem, we shouldn’t worry about it. But in this case there is a lot we can all do. Voting for the right people who will enact change is the first step. This book should be mandatory reading for all politicians.'
What you (and Long) write gives me some optimism and presents us with a (simple) course of action to take. I'm going to do my best to get us the right politicians until the day I die or riven with dementia to do so.
Thank you, keep writing.
Thanks, Gavin. I don't always feel optimisitic, but for various reasons, my temperament tends to bend in that direction. Sometimes I think I write the way I do to keep my own chin up. And thanks for the tip about the book, which I hadn't heard of.
The Liberal Party local members, parliamentarians and party office members must be thick as a brick. Yes they ‘won’ the battle over the Voice Referendum but lost the war. Any hope they had in winning back the ‘Teal’ seats was lost in that moment. And any moderate liberal supporters lost all hope that the Party could change.