Danger - out of control

[scoob]

The important point is that Abbott was polite and civil.
[As are my ALP school friends and I when we discuss political issues.]

The problem lies with groups - all groups have their extremists who act outside the limits their leaders would prefer.
How would I get on if I asked unpopular questions at an ALP or Green organised and dominated function?
[As a larger male I admit probably better than the woman - the intolerant tend to be cowards.]

Pop along to the next union protest and protest against them - see what reception you will get... the media and politcs in this country are going down the drain very rapidly

[redandblack]

That doesn't excuse totally nasty and inappropriate behaviour though, scoob.

[southee]

The important point is that Abbott was polite and civil.
[As are my ALP school friends and I when we discuss political issues.]

The problem lies with groups - all groups have their extremists who act outside the limits their leaders would prefer.
How would I get on if I asked unpopular questions at an ALP or Green organised and dominated function?
[As a larger male I admit probably better than the woman - the intolerant tend to be cowards.]

Pop along to the next union protest and protest against them - see what reception you will get... the media and politcs in this country are going down the drain very rapidly

Bingo !!!!! I don't think you would leave a union meeting alive !!!

[scoob]

That doesn't excuse totally nasty and inappropriate behaviour though, scoob.

Never said it did excuse any sort of inapropiate behaviour - just saying that unions have been using inappropriate behaviour and intimidation for as long as I can remember - they are very lucky none of it is recorded.

But sensationalism sells and it suits someones agenda. By the way where was this reported?

Anyway, im outta here, waste of my time defending any side of politics - they are all stinking at the moment! Some just more so than others.

[redandblack]

I'm sure many of your fellow travellers will scold you for talking about union meetings.

The discussion was about Tony Abbott's meeting.

Your posts are therefore irrelevant

(I don't think that, of course, just following the new paradigm )

[Psyber]

The important point is that Abbott was polite and civil.
[As are my ALP school friends and I when we discuss political issues.]

The problem lies with groups - all groups have their extremists who act outside the limits their leaders would prefer.
How would I get on if I asked unpopular questions at an ALP or Green organised and dominated function?
[As a larger male I admit probably better than the woman - the intolerant tend to be cowards.]

Pop along to the next union protest and protest against them - see what reception you will get... the media and politics in this country are going down the drain very rapidly

I remember having a few beers with a mate at the Port Dock Hotel in 2007 and being warned not to mention that I was a Norwood supporter..
The problem is tribal behaviour, not what the actual issues are...
[People may intellectualise but it is really all about emotion and identification with your group for most.]

[redandblack]

Laurie Oakes today

When it comes to misleading voters Howard, Keating and Gillard are peas in a pod.

Howard failed to give voters notice of his draconian WorkChoices laws at the 2004 election, Keating broke his "L-A-W law" tax-cut promise after the 1993 poll, and Gillard notoriously pledged there would be no carbon tax under a government she led.

Understandably, all three provoked an angry reaction.

The irrational, frothing-at-the-mouth rage that is being directed at Gillard from some quarters, however, has a special quality.

Take right-wing radio talkback king Alan Jones, who on Tuesday said of Gillard: "I'm putting her into a chaff bag and hoisting her into the Tasman Sea."

On Wednesday Jones claimed that her behaviour in imposing the carbon price "borders on the treasonous". And here he was agreeing with one of his more feral callers on Thursday: "Yeah, that's it. Bring back the guillotine!"

It is one thing to criticise, protest and advocate an anti-Labor vote, but this extremist nonsense is beyond the pale.

Jones' mate Joe Hockey - who looked suitably aghast when a questioner at a rally spoke of "the people of Australia taking up arms against this government"- should tell him so.


I'll leave it at that.

[redandblack]

Ten people have been shot dead at a Labor Party Youth Camp in Oslo.

It is alleged the gunman is a Norwegian with right-wing views.

While nothing is proven about motive at this stage, it comes after the shooting of an American Congresswoman that I've referred to.

When I read transcripts of what passes for comment by Sydney 'shock-jocks' against the Prime Minister, I'm not only totally appalled, but extremely worried.

The level of hysteria has just got out of hand. Whatever people's views about the Government, there's no excuse for this sort of over-the-top, ridiculous ranting.

[Psyber]

The level of hysteria has just got out of hand. Whatever people's views about the Government, there's no excuse for this sort of over-the-top, ridiculous ranting.

I agree R&B.
Media sensationalism, for ratings or to drive an agenda, is a bad thing, no matter what slant they are pushing.
The end does not justify the means...

[redandblack]

Thanks Psyber.

Further:

THE PUBLIC and media onslaught upon Julia Gillard goes way beyond the political and personal. It has lunged into vicious misogyny.

You see it with the Ditch the Witch and Ju-Liar placards at public rallies and the snarling front pages of the Murdoch tabloids. It festers on talk radio where, as Media Watch reported on Monday, she's been called a lying bitch, a piece of crap and a menopausal monster. This airborne filth gets only the occasional tut-tut from the rogues' gallery of woman-haters, closet wife-beaters and assorted sleaze-bags who host commercial talkback these days.

Unsurprisingly, it is Alan Jones who leads the charge. The lecture on punctuality he gave the prime minister back in February - ''we're all busy'' - was the height of insolence.

The diatribe is endless. ''The woman's off her tree … they should shove her and Bob Brown in a chaff bag and take them as far out to sea as they can and tell them to swim home,'' Jones hissed the other day.

He does seem to have a problem with powerful females. Clover Moore is ''a dyed- in- the-wool dope … Clover, you haven't got a clue what you're talking about.'' Note the condescending use of the Christian name.

Not that it's party political. When she was a cabinet minister, the Liberals' Amanda Vanstone also copped the full-on Jones loathing: ''What an awful woman she is … should be run out of government'' and the killer: ''What sort of woman is this? Is she a woman?'' Alan, there is help available for this condition.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-a ... z1SstxSrM4

[redandblack]

More disturbing articles:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/hate-f ... 6100462930

[southee]

More disturbing articles:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/hate-f ... 6100462930

Its going to get worse too R&B......disturbing stuff.

[redandblack]

Yes, southee, it's getting worse.

Did you read that Glenn Beck described those killed on the island as being akin to Hitler Youth

It's frightening that people can think like that and this bloke has a wide audience.

[Psyber]

More disturbing articles: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/hate-f ... 6100462930

Very disturbing indeed!

[redandblack]

An English conservative newspaper's take on our shock-jock attitude to politics:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... llard.html

I don't think I've read anthing in Australia about this?

I started this topic out of fear of what might happen and nothing since has changed my mind, unfortunately.

I hope we wake up to how dangerous all this disrespect of the office of PM is.

[Q.]

The current climate of political discourse is utterly depressing.

I thought the Seppo's were stupid, but we must be the dumbest ****s going around. We let self-interested billionares tell us the RSPT was no good for us and swallowed it whole. It's happening again with the Carbon Tax. Despite all evidence to the contrary we let an opposition leader promote consumer uncertainty in an attempt to stifle economic growth so he can win an election. And if all that wasn't enough, we let the concentrated media ownership tell us we don't need an inquiry into media regulation.

The best quote I've seen in weeks:

"Let’s stop being a nation of bogan trash that the spivs take to the cleaners time after time."

Here, here. Too bad it's wishful thinking.

[redandblack]

Totally agree, Q.

Mike Carlton puts it well.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-a ... 1i44k.html

[redandblack]

The Liberal Party's official website has published and left calls to assassinate Bob Brown.

This whole thing is getting out of hand and Tony Abbott is taking the Liberal Party down the Tea Party road.

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2 ... /#comments

[Psyber]

Jeez, I didn't even know the federal Liberal Party site had a blog section and reader comments.
I had trouble finding it even after being alerted by the post above.
I'm obviously not involved enough in politics..

I guess there is a danger in starting such things - the extremists find them first.

[Squawk]

Did anyone see Q and A last night?

That guest from the British media was a real piece of work - to describe him as lacking cultural fit with the Australian way, would be the kindest I could be.

I must admit, that after watching the US debt debate unfold, I found myself starting to wonder if the Coalition will soon be re-named "Tony's Tea Party".

On another note, I had an interesting convesation with my old man after the Parliamentary questioning of the Murdochs and, the following day, the PM's question time in the House of Commons. He pointed out to me that the British system of dedicated PM's question time is arguably very good and notably absent of political diatribe and long-winded point scoring and rambling responses to limit the amount of questions that could be asked. Interesting. Then a few days later, I saw an article on the Drum IIRC that compared the three parliaments - US (the debt debate), UK (the Murdoch affair) and Australia (the Carbon tax), and pointed out we could all learn a few things from one another.