Danby v Bishop Round 3
The dispute developing between Labor Member of Parliament Michael Danby and the nation’s Liberal Foreign Minister Julie Bishop over Australia’s Iran policy is heating up.
Julie Bishop responded to Danby’s demand that Australia’s Iran policy be reversed by describing his comments as “juvenile”.
Danby had also said that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull could be a friend of Israel or a friend of a dangerous Iranian regime but he could not be both.”
Round One: Michel Danby demands the reversal of the Iranian policy.
Round Two: Julie Bishop responds.
Michael Danby and the St Kilda Junction billboard
In Round Three Danby, the Labor Member for Melbourne Ports has escalated his campaign placing an enormous ad on a billboard situated at Melbourne’s St Kilda Junction, one of the city’s busiest intersections and gateway to the suburbs of East St Kilda and Caulfield home to most of Melbourne’s Jewish community.
Danby told J-Wire: “Julie Bishop’s responses to the story about the media campaign I have launched were ‘laughable’ and ’embarrassing”.'”
“Ms Bishop has completely avoided the Iranian issue” added Mr Danby. “Instead of attempting to defend her Iranian policy, Ms Bishop attacked Labor on unrelated issues. Having organised hot chocolate sit-ins across Australia to support Max Brenner against BDS, it is shameful that the foreign minister is divisive on an issue we all agree on. At its July National Conference, the ALP passed a resolution that specifically rejected the BDS campaign against Israel.”
Australian Foreign Minister Bishop meets Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in New York Photo supplied
Mr Danby accused Ms Bishop of not having the courage of her convictions, and challenged her to defend her Iran policy, rather than making barely related attacks. “That is why I have asked for a Parliamentary debate before any decision is taken about weakening Australian sanctions against Iran. Sadly, based on her comments on ABC Rural, it sounds like Ms Bishop has already made that decision.”
On 23 September, Bishop tweeted about meeting the Iranian Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. An Iranian journalist reported that Bishop invited her counterpart to visit Australia.
“The Jewish community justly fears the setting up of Iranian consulates in Woollahra (Sydney) and Toorak (Melbourne),” said Mr Danby, “given that the role Iranian diplomats played in the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and the AMIA Jewish centre two years later is beyond doubt.
Mr Danby reiterated that, “Together with the Labor leadership, I am going to demand Parliamentary debate and public scrutiny of Bishop’s slide towards Iran. If she thinks the issue will go away, then she’s wrong.”
“I’ve only just begun”, said Mr Danby.
Danby’s campaign is on line at www.nolibirandeal.com
Dear Geoff,
Methinks you are a scholar and a gentleman. Thank you for your comments. We should all be able to have different political views and discuss and argue without harsh assumptions and condescension, I think. There’s a lot of strength in that. I look forward to seeing your views whenever they appear.
Shana tovah and good health and life to you,
Liat
Dear Otto,
Capitalism in the past has indeed been altered to allow better, fairer systems within which people can live. It can be done. However, it has now been allowed to go too far without modification, and with ‘free trade’as excuse for what is now inequity (most especially in the last twenty years). Corporate power is King, entrenched to a degree that it has as much influence as government. I guess if one is rich enough not to be bothered about this, indeed become richer as a result of it, that will only be an issue insofar as safeguarding it, viz. the likes of Gina Rineheart and CEOs of various companies, including those such as the CEO of Australia Post, would you believe! Yes, I would. This is a phenomenon that has come more and more into play over the past twenty years. It is the responsibility of government to change the dynamics, not become intertwined in areas outside its brief. And it is not happening thus far. There are talk fests about it, due to the unrest that can be felt at root level, but no real action. In the meantime government privatises more and more that they were once responsible for (I remember the good old days of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria – efficient, professional service and reasonable utility bills, ceasing somewhere in the mid 1990s.), ignoring the expensive inefficiency this has caused in the UK across so many areas, which could have been good guidance, all for short-term gain. However, in this country we are not interested in the lessons of history, further back or more recent, or for the real good of the societies we represent. We mouth how wonderful we are as a nation, this Australia of plenty, as we hold on greedily to what we have at the top and ignore those in different circumstances (mere fodder to the ECONOMY), as well as refugees, ignore the realities of so many.
Have you ever heard of anything so ludicrous as forking out 4 billion to Cambodia to take refugees who volunteer to go from Manus Island or Nauru, and parroting on about such a fine agreement with our neighbour?! Cambodia – so poor, so blatantly corrupt (our corruption is much more veiled), so totally unequipped to give even one refugee the hope of a better life. So far, we have flown four people to Cambodia to take advantage of this wonderful idea – four: that’s 1 billion each. Well, this is another matter altogether, I do realise. But one thing leads to another. And I’m a highly associative creature. It must have been that word ‘refugee’ and that other word ‘government’. From there we can loosely throw in the notion of how power and money can blunt the intellect and the soul. Etc. etc.
I know there are billionaires in Scandinavia, Otto. There are also billionaires in China. It’s not billionaires as such that bother me; it’s the broader canvas, with so much of a country’s wealth resting with such a small percentage of people, while people with less are ripped off and not given enough in the way of constructive and meaningful opportunities to improve their lot (because the system is now against them), and while poverty and poorer education and health facilities widen at that other lower of the spectrum. What used to be lower-middle class has become part of the poorer sector, and those slightly more comfortable in the middle are now straining to survive well. It’s this that must be attended to. And it can be, through changes to the taxation system primarily, which also must involve corporate tax and their shifty evasions offshore; as well, taxes must be used effectively by government, with real vision for the future, which State and Federal governments have not done for many years.
Give me a break, Otto, from mouthing easy Joe Hockey type statements (do you have a cigar in your mouth?) … you’re better than that, I’m sure. If you walked in the shoes of the ‘bludgers’ you view, you would no longer consider many of them bludgers. (There is something somewhere in the tomes of Jewish lore and law that tells us to walk in another’s shoes before judgement – I’ll try to locate it; with your knowledge, you might find it before me.) And know this, to pull your weight you need hope – without hope there is no striving for anything – for so many of these people the situation is such that hope departed a long time ago.
Dear Liat
I am about an hour from going to my Bucharest (only one of 2 ) Shule functioning to celebrate Simchat Torah. In keeping the right perspective for the occasion and ever, I celebrate, among so many things, while lstening/watching the finale of Mahler’s 9th symphony , the harmony of thought I find in these pages of J-wire.
Serenity of the spirit, the purity of affection for human values, the adoration of Jewish neshama carried with our comments allow for convergence of respect for what we must all respect.
I should be numbed by the last cords yet I find in me torrents of passion for the beauty in the suffering at the sight of torment in arriving at the right words, right answers to those essentials in our existence.
Having said that, I cannot escape the rationale demanded by those tangibles we encounter with necessary fortitude outside the generous perimeter of our ethics.
THE GREAT MAJORITY OF HUMANITY IS AL BEST INDIFFERENT TO NOBLE MUSINGS, TO PRINCIPLES THAT BRING US TOGETHER TONIGHT AND ALWAYS IN FRONT OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARD WHAT WE PROFESS TO BELIEVE IN.
I cannot extend my willingness to help to all who claim deprivation, lack of means and wld cries of oppression.
All people have the same responsibilities and mine has always been to fight for improvement, improvement in my own condition as well as, at large, for my fellow humans. The larger segment of bludgers are also those who partake in “philosophies” of abuse of others’ kindness and strive for justice. If we invite “victims” to enjoy our commitments we see oceans of those who reckon we have the RESPONSIBILITY to act on their behalf. Well, as Cicero once said…quousque tandem abutere patientia (et clementa) nostra…
Must run but will continue….
A gitte Yom Tev to all of yourse….
Dear Geoff,
Re your comments to Otto (which included comments about me and to me),I agree with you that Otto can be generous, although his reference to there being ‘NO way of eliminating the said community(ies) in practical terms’ and having to necessarily accept other demographic/religious of the electorate, would suggest other more sinister aspects of his nature. I say this with respect for Otto, and a degree of affection for him, for we have mercilessly shredded one another with our arguments on a number of occasions, yet often ended up, strangely, in a kind of like mind. That can be the beauty of sincere hearts and good use of words – a very Jewish thing.
I am quite open to suggestions, however yours to me are without relevance, and would be offensive if not for the obvious ignorance and sincerity they show. I am almost never careless with words and I do not use my ‘life experiences’ often. If you bother to read the hundreds of lines I have now contributed to J-Wire postings, you will find the few personal revelations are always in context with the opinions proferred. (I wonder that you do not find Otto’s remarks of a personal nature irrelevant in any way, and suggest to you that it’s your sense of personal affiliation and the gender factor coming into it that makes the difference.) Yes, of course, my sons will be reading my works ‘forever’, including my published works of poetry – I stand by all of them, and my sons, and others can make of them what they will. My sons know my thoughts and published words well and are proud of me, as well as love and respect me. Thank you for your concern in this quarter. I won’t engage with your further suggestions re socialist skills, as you yourself are not equipped to have an opinion on that due your extreme bias.
I want to commend you on your courage to change your mind in print about Michael Danby’s comments and the Julie Bishop/Malcolm Turnbull take on Iran. I’m impressed with this, not because the opinion accords with mine, but because you have the integrity and sincerity to voice it. Otto’s response to it, so forgiving and understanding of the Liberal politics behind the situation, is a whitewash and wishful thinking – the retort of a died-in-the-wool supporter. He’s not completely wrong, but in avoiding the core of the problem the Liberal thinking makes manifest, he is shutting his eyes to the truth. Amongst other things, we most definitely do not want Iranian embassies in Melbourne and Sydney, and it is completely unnecessary for Julie Bishop to fawn over Iranian politicos in her dealings with them – courtesy by itself is more than enough.
One thing, Geoff, pointing out that Andrew Bolt agrees with you is not something one should broadcast. He is not exactly the epitome of intellectual excellence.
Thank you for your good wishes (Kol Tov); I appreciate the cordiality and generosity that comes with them. I do enjoy the interaction in JWire, and it does us, and the Jewish community a great service in allowing that. There are many diverse views, and that’s the stuff of life. Politics aside, most of us agree on the need to support Israel, especially in such dangerous times.
Dear Liat
Thank you for your generous comment to my changing my mind – clearly moving closer to you.If only to the extent that Michael Danby was correct. I did indeed shift the subject to a comparitive study of friens of friends / e=nemies et al/
This has become far to prolix for any blog.
My regrets for what were surely not complimentary comments concerning you.
Who knows where political events leads us and how history will view socialism.
Surely it is not my intention to further comment on this theme: preferring to write a major essay which will contain it all – and not have to be multi – repeated …..to wit – there are too many subjects here for now – and I will drop out for now: it is not my intention to comment for now on the viccicitudinous matters relating to so many semi – related themes.
THAT IS:
THE AUSTRALIAN AND THEIR STRANGE WRITTNGS MAINLY OCT 2
The Turnbull / Bishop government’s recent actions re Iran.
And of course the eternal paradox arising from friend of our friend is our friend and the strange contradictions from the obverses and corrolaries.
I will henceforth leave it to you and the talented Otto to have your friendly debates.
Perhaps people will be generous to what I have scribbled here and elsewhere?
By the way people I will respond to matters as my time and commitments allow.
IN RUSH/
Shalom Otto et al
Shana tova
Dear Otto,
I am not so ill-informed, or unimaginative, as to think for a moment that the kind of socialist/communist system you endured for 23 years in Romania is good or preferable – it is not. However, that doesn’t mean that what capitalism has now morphed into is worth keeping as it is – it’s just gone too far with the ramifications of its unfair, out of control paradigm in favour of the rich, well-off and greedy, who couldn’t in the main give a stuff about anything except their own comfort balloon. I am sure a man of your intellect, and heart, could think of something between the two extremes that might be more equitable without too much threat to those who are reaping such benefits. Although my guess is they’d have to be dragged screaming to the party – we saw that with the likes of Gina Rinehart, resorting to her megaphones out in the street when her world seemed threatened.
Scandinavian countries impose high personal income tax on their people, but spend it wisely with the whole of society in mind. Why must we go backwards and forwards between the idea of the old socialism/communism and the current capitalism, in argument and favour, as if nothing else could or should be devised?
Dear Liat, we are not really digressing but refining points. The system under which we function – called capitalist – is not unalterable, is supports and can endure changes. The main quality is precisely the possibilities afforded by the system itself for improvements while maintaining more or less the same denomination. .
The most important feature of this system is the freedom of action according to belief preferences. Wealth polarisation does not concern the one who is satisfied that the same society can intervene – by virtue of democracy – and regulate the wealth distribution. Your Scandinavian example is the best. I can assure you that there are plenty billionaires in Scandinavia….
In Australia, if everyone or at least MORE people would pull their weight, all of us would fare much better. I cringe at the knowledge – and view – of the number of bludgers in our midst.
I have changed my mind after reading the main headline of this morning’s The Australian!
Not only is Michael Danby more or less correct in what he claims against the BISHOP / TURNBULL DUOPOLY – but the Justice Minister Michael Keenan has also joined the appeasers!
Look merely at the classical verbiage in The Oz this morning – essentially quoting the troika! – The excuses – the outrageous inversions in failing to allocate responsibility for the classicist buzzword de jour: the’RADICALIZATION’ of Muslims.
APPARENTLY – ”….the relations with the Islamic community have sunk to their lowest ebb.” And it is all the fault blunt and often divisive language …alienating many in the Islamic community….undermined agencies to win the trust and help to combat radicalization.”
Read the extended shorthand of the tripe for yourself: the rest is worse.
Look. IT IS ASTONISHING HUMBUG.
The front pages of the Oz has so frequently over the years shown Islam’s leaders failing to take responsibility for their ‘radicalized’ ones!
Sadly this is so understated.
And now we have again the same outrageous waffle used in The OZ:
”ALIENATED; DIVISIVE; MORE INCLUSIVE; FRESH APPROACH; WORK COOPERATIVELY; ROUT EXTREMISTS;MUSLIM COMMUNITY ELATED WITH TURNBUL; ABBOTT RELATIONS WERE EXTREMELY TENSE AND HURTFUL;MUSLIMS WERE POWERLESS;FIGHTING RADICALIZATION OUR HANDS WERE TIED BEHIND OUR BACKS; HOPE SHACKLES ARE NOW OFF;ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES TO WORK WITH PRESENT GOVERNMENT HELP PROTECT AUSTRALIA; PROTECTION [NEEDED] FOR BOYS AND GIRLS / NOT TO FALL FOR ISLAMIC STATE….;”HARDER FOR AUTHORITIES [UNDER ABBOTT]
MUSLIMS WILL NOW ALERT AGENCIES FOR THREATS; GROWING MISTRUST …
And much more!
So I tell you this.
We arrived in this country in 1957; my father worked 18 hour days IN HIS BUTCHER SHOP – my mother washed dishes in restaurants.
My brother and I came home from school to an empty house!
WE WERE NEVER IN DANGER OF RADICALIZATION!!
FURTHERMORE TAKE THIS MESSAGE FROM A NON – RADICALIZED BUTCHER’S SON:
THIS IS A WONDERFUL COUNTRY. WITH OR WITHOUT THE TRITE VERBIAGE>
TONY ABBOTT DID NOTHING EXCEPT PROTECT THESE TROGLODYTES OFTHIS NEW LEADERSHIP.
Which enabled those seizing of power from a great man – TONY ABBOTT.
THEY THINK WE HAVE NO BRAINS OR MEMORY or an awareness of history
MAY THESE PEOPLE DEVELOP A CONSCIENCE!
Geoff, I trust you to be able to go well beyond the “codified” terms used by both the political sources and the seemingly enthusiastic muslims in regards to what `Turnbull is perceived to change and generally to represent.
It is quite safe to believe that the Libs. are not about to change what has been termed as the “Abbott line” in regards to muslims and alike.The statement put out by the muslim leaders is a decoy, a farcical tactic of inducing – they think – a radical change by the new Liberal leadership in their attitude to the islamic radicalisation and its pervasiveness alongside the implicit responsibilities of the muslim leadership. Anyone familiar with political rhetoric and the concrete structure of a certain Party will be satisfied that , in the case of our Libs., there are no reasons for the Liberal Party to alter its known/current policies on the same. Malcolm talks the way he does, but Malcolm NEVER stated that he was/is about changing ANY policies within his party. All we got is JUST A COSMETIC image slight alteration, nothing of substance. Otherwise, wishing for a political transgender at ANY political formation within the same socio-economic parameters is simply unrealistic.
Shalom, Otto
You demonstrate in your writings a generosity of spirit: and I thank you for your comments herein and ex Sept 27 and Oct 1.
This generosity of yours extends to your responses to ‘Liat’ – with whom you plainly do not agree.
And I suggest to Liat that instead of carelessly posting her life experiences and postulations, she realize soon that her no doubt loving children will be reading her works ‘forever’. She should get some socialist with skills to advise her.
THERE MUST BE SOME SOCIALIST WITH SKILLS: I KNOW AT LEAST 2 from the Hawke – Keating governments!
You may be right in your comments of Oct 2. Certainly I hope so.
The purpose of this is to draw your attention to various things as follows.
1
The Australian has published much material over the years that is commendable. It is also fair to say that whenever they publish material not deemed ‘commendable’ – they allow reasonable space for the contrary view.
It is also fair to say they published cartoons that were FAR FROM COMMENDABLE: I WILL ON DAY …….
2
However what they published on Friday Oct 2 on pages 1 – 2 was outrageous and was written by their OWN journalists. It remains untenable. The comments were untenable basis The Oz’s own documentation over recent years. I have no time for prolix analysis.
3
As it turned out this style was continued on Saturday Oct 3 – yesterday.
Note their editorial yesterday and much more! [However Greg Sheridan is, as always a must – read. Greg has often demonstrated courage under pressure]]
It is irrelevant of course that I did not know this when I made my comments of Oct 2.
4
But please note that one could only comment at any point in time on what was in front of me. Thus it is not for me to be over – generous with respect to what may indeed happen with coalition policy in the future.
5
But it is reasonable to question the blame put on Tony Abbott in the way it was ‘writ’! Given that the Libs may not change much in future???
IT ALSO SEEMED TO ME THAT TURNBULL AND BISHOP WERE KEEN TO GET A PERCENTAGE OF THE MUSLIM VOTE – THUS EVENTS DESCRIBED HERE.NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE MUSLIM VOTES> SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS…..
6
May I point out that Andrew Bolt this morning [TV CH 10] from 10 am to merely 10 05 am – completely agreed with me. He also gave merely 3 video examples of the duplicity of comments in The Oz over the past 2 days per above.
7
Kindly note that there must be over 100 quotes available in THE OZ over the recent years that could be easily discovered that contradicts Rupert’s paper of the past 2 days.
KoL Tov
GS
To you as well, Liat: may you find much happiness in your contributions in JWIRE
E &OE
and a worthy Shalom to you too, Geoff. Impossible not to notice that you are engaged on a sincere and dedicated mission to disect minutely what a certain newspaper smudges on on a daily and arrogant basis. I, for one , leave professional newstwisters to their own devices and, as you’ll also notice, devote my concerns to realities and concepts thereof.
To mine, the strategy of appeasing a fairly numerous and potentially unruly , NOT a valuable electoral, demographic/religious segment, implies the regular tactic of addressing THEM, the unruly ones, as necessarily accepted members of our society. The idea is being practiced everywhere we see muslims “at it”. It is used in France, USA etc.
There are NO ways of eliminating the said community(ies) in practical terms, but only the use of various and seemingly conflicting means of keeping them under constant attention/control are now the norm. I agree with what Malcolm is doing and he must know that, after all I live and vote in Wentworth and he knows that without me he’s gurnischt…..
Children, children, this rhetorical mess and inevitable abandon of digressions is beginning to look like a veritable October Fest of festering headbuts and associated philosophical invectives….
1st – stretching the Labor legacy of, what (!!!!) ideological substance back to eras long putrified (Whitlam for someone’s sake ) and/or introducing in the mix a certain unknown/forgotten Gareth who Evans is beyond redundancy and relevance. Bob Carr I agree and all his pupils into political imbecility makes sense but all these relics and their prodigies make for what I’d venture “incongruous opportunism” based on the need to have a modicum of interest in foreign policies by a coterie of semi-illiterate MPs, devoid of any agenda beyond dependancy on some rigged bloody BUDGET. It is only the so called economics that would justify the pretence to the Govt. Loggia. This does not mean that we cannot rely on pollies to further their stated and unwanted foreign policies, but allowing them the aura of some ideological mantra is totally not on. To wit, Israel is NOT on the political map of Labor any more than the Murray River scheme, another battered handicapped electoral case struggling to move forward in a wheelchair with the wheels fallen off at conception.
Best examples is Ms Tania Plibescek – who cares abt spelling – who has been seen/heard being nice to the bloody Yidds on specific occasions and even contradicting Broyges Bob (Carr, of course ).
Incidentally, pigeon boxing all manner of Jews based on what they utter when they feel like it, is intellectually infantile. Next someone will call me “neolib”, neofascia”, “neonatal” and thus starting the rounds of rhetorical riots.
Last, I cannot ignore Liat. I have been longing for an alternative to the capitalist system, as we see it still in dialectical traction , as to please my ancestral marxian genes, but the socialist cum commie versions of a regular society has been excluded as viable once I left that “paradise” itself already properly extinguished. 23 years living in communist/socialist Romania was a solid lesson which I would not need repeated, not that it would have a chance in hell, anyway.
Finally – following” last” – OUR Libs. have been so far the darlings of my Zionist passions and, as explained before , the forays into Iranian diplomacy must be seen as a necessary presence on a scene which is still functioning on a scenario of politeness and modicum of business possibilities while NOT abandoning a most reliable pro Zionist platform. I, for one, find this little game useful and intelligent.
Geoff Seidner,
Do you realise how pompous you sound? Also how convoluted your prose is …
I am not saying this to attack you personally, more to allow you to see that you do not stand on the high ground insofar as communication is concerned.
At this time, when CEOs earn salaries that are obscene in proportion to the society they live in, milking the system dry, and every decision made by company boards has to do with ‘economising’ – read sacking workers or making jobs redundant by policy decisions – in order to shore up their profits, as much as you might scorn socialism, these very actions will ensure its inevitable return in some form or another. Capitalism is evolving into something more negative than positive for society and, due to the greed and avarice associated with it now, to the almost total exclusion of human considerations of any kind, will in time take the consequences of the actions perpetrated on its behalf.
Take as many words from this as you like to make a dictionary.
The stupidity of the right is that the major supporters of the Iranian deal are from the left. But don’t let reality get in the way of Labor bashing by the neo-cons and tea party supporters in our community.
H Herzog should be made aware that the term ‘NEOCON’ is an anti – Jewish term for JEW!!Google will verify.
I know he does not know this: there are lots he fails.
This diatribe – based stream is boring; nothing original except for that GS!
How about adding a few Labor pollies who have attacked Jews and Israel? Socialism should be buried: Communism has been cremated.Original ideas are rare.
Well; neocon, an anti-Jewish term for Jew – just brilliant. And if the hat fits, Mr Seidner, wear it.
Dear Mr Herzog
Kindly note the free advice I gave you: TO WIT THAT YOU – AGAIN —– YOU should not use the NEOCON PHRASE GIVEN THAT YOU PLAINLY DO NOT / DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT WAS SURELY APPLIED TO JEWISH PEOPLE AND ISRAEL AS A TERM OF ABUSE.ORPLAINLY WORSE!!
About 20 years ago.
It was applied to PAUL Wolfowitz and Bill Kristol initially as I recall.
You Sir could also search ‘NEOCON ZIONIST THREAT ‘ for example.
JUST ONE EXAMPLE SIR!
Kindly note with extreme respect SIR HENRY HERZOG – that your comments to which my words herein are appended fail to relate to what I wrote earlier and what I herein merely expand on.
TO WIT – YOUR COMMENTS ARE A NON SEQUTEUR.
OR – DOES NOT FOLLOW FOR THE PROLETARIANS.
OR DOES NOT MAKE SENSE FOR PLEIBIANS – AS YOU ARE SIMPLYCLAIMING THAT IT WAS MY PERSON WHO USED THE NEOCON TERM .
Whereas it was plainly YOU SIR HERZOG WHO USED IT on Sept 30 above:
”…….. Labor bashing by the neo-cons and tea party supporters in our community.”
I further hate to tell you Sir – that same post fails to make sense either in the macro or micro form.
May I humbly beseech you Mr Herzog that it is necessary to take a lesson when you are wrong – and not invert the commentary of my person?
I do not really wish to spend more time on this tangent.
However maybe Henry you could get together with someone and make a dictionary of leftist / socialist words and phrases and compare same with basic excellent English?
I THINK THE CONSERVATIVES WOULD LOOK BETTER!
How is economic rationalism, welcome country for a start?
Sorry: I referred to the left in these comments quoted below:
”…… nothing original except for that GS!”
JWire has great conservative contributors!
Henry Herzog is right. Get off your political bandwagon and take a look at reality. To hide behind dislike of Labor and carry on solely about its policy on Israel, which in fact does not reflect the ideas of some of its more rabid anti-Israel members, is to avoid seeing any fault in the Coalition take on Iran. Why on earth can’t you voice opposition to any stance that’s bad for Israel, no matter Labor or Liberal? Where does your real interest lay … that’s something that perhaps needs examining in the light of such staunch defence of the Libs. in this regard?
‘Business opportunities’ and ‘job creation’, Leon. Ho hum. How many times have we heard these two utterances in the last two years. Under the Coalition aim, the first does not necessarily beget the second. The employment scenario in Australia is truly bad, and getting worse – look further than percentage statistics. More and more jobs going off-shore, from tele-responses to travel enquiries to maintenance and manufacturing. Then you have the exploited workers on 457 visas, suffering themselves as Australian workers who can’t get the jobs they have also suffer (see the latest Australian business rort of the 7/11 stores exposed by investigative ABC tv journalism, and the Australia Post fiasco). You have that lovely fly-in/fly-out system in regard to mining jobs, and other areas, where rents in nearby small towns rocket and communities are destroyed, oh, and lots and lots of casual work available, with absolutely no security involved – even in the land of academia. Have you ever thought about what happens to the academic staff employed as casual year in year out (and there are many), who don’t know from one year to the next whether they have a job to go back to, and who don’t earn any money for the lengthy periods of ‘holiday’ time between terms, especially at the end of the academic year? How do those people ever get to satisfy bank approval criteria for a home mortgage? Please give me relief from the Liberal Party having anything at all to say about job creation. Think while you’re at it of the Job Employment agencies where government responsibility is fobbed off and the JE agencies earn their subsidies for people they see, but don’t in real terms help them to get work. The whole thing is a disgraceful shemozzle. And all political parties need to be aware of it, and Labor when it gains office next, needs to do something about it. Because the Libs. certainly won’t.
Geoff Seidner says:
THE PREV VERSION HAS BEEN Corrected HENRY!
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
September 27, 2015 12:33 pm at 12:33 pm
PEOPLE!
Understand reality: Michael Danby is surely acting reasonably and this writer is also correct in pointing out in earlier incantations of JWIRE / this stream that much antisemitism / Jew / Israel hatred emanates from DANBY’S party!! And of course over the decades!!! Danby is massively outnumbered by enemies of the Jewish state!
AND FURTHERMORE – IT IS REASONABLE TO GENERALIZE In SAYING THAT ISRAEL HAS REAL FRIENDS and no enemies IN THE LIBERAL PARTY. I DO NOT KNOW ANY MEMBERS OF THE ‘CONSERVATIVES’ WHO HAVE SO PLAINLY LACERATED THE MIDDLE EAST’S ONLY DEMOCRACY -AS LABOR ENTITIES HAVE.
SADLY – ALL ARE / WERE MAJOR PLAYERS – AND HAVE BEEN SO IN REGULARLY DEMONSTRATING LOATHING FOR ISRAEL.
OVER MANY, MANY DECADES.
It is doubtful if any would want to debate the above – except of course the wilfully blind – Labored supporters.
AND WORSE: LABOR SUPPORTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE GREEN PROLETARIAT ARE REDUCED SADLY TO STILL WAX LYRICAL OVER JUSTICE EVATT ET AL – IGNORING WHITLAM’S DIATRIBES AND SO CALLED ”EVEN HANDED APPROACH” – LIONEL EVANS’ MULTIPLE OUTRAGES, TANYA PLIBERSEK WAITING IN THE WINGS FOR SHORTEN’S DECIMATION AT THE NEXT ELECTION – OH – AND LET US NOT FORGET ANTHONY ALBANESE …. WHO ALSO HAS ‘FORM’ !!
THE PAGES OF A CERTAIN JEWISH MAGAZINE ARE FULL OF HIS AA’S ATTACKS ON ISRAEL OVER THE YEARS!
USE YOUR VOTE WISELY PEOPLE WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE NEXT YEAR – AND REMEMBER BOB CARR CONTINUES TO WIELD INFLUENCE FAR GREATER THAN DANBY!
DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON HIS BOOBNESS CARR!IT IS NOT DEBATABLE.
INSTEAD DO A SEARCH OF MY NAME AND BOB CARR TO SEE WHAT EXISTS ON GOOGLE!
MERELY in this realm!Merely my humble efforts!
NOTE – after the Nazis Jews maybe our parents and grandparents reasonably thought it a good idea to support communism even if they knew that so much evil emanated from uncle Joe and all those Ruskies who welcomed the useful idiots!
They ignored the pigs [no offence intended] of Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Indeed it is about time that it was widely accepted that socialist troglodytes are simply defacto communists and communism is a fraud – and socialism only works when intelligent leaders like Hawke and arguably Keating ignore largely the socialist values/ communist ethic / manifesto!
Why not read the raison d’etre of Labored parties?
IT AIN’T a pretty thing to behold!
I HAVE A SUCAH TO COMPLETE: but I verily ask – how many regimes of the left – any regimes of any leftist entities anywhere -any era – have ever supported ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO LIVE IN PEACE? This sort of indictment of socialists of the inner glow is possibly also original.
That is it: I am out of here for several days at least.
E & OE
Concise, comprehensive, correct !! These tripple C’s deserve a tripple “A”.
In any event, as the former Labor Foreign Minister, Gareth Evans, pointed out explicitly, the Australian Jewish community’s political influence is minuscule.
One of his (Labor) successors’ undisguised contempt for us is confirmation of that.
Evans is wedded to the United Nations apparatus. Former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who denounced Israel’s defensive maritime blockade of Hamastan, also seems to have ambitions to become associated with an organisation where the head of the Human Rights Council is that great defender of human rights and dignity, Saudi Arabia.
“Friend of Israel”, “Friend of Iran”???????
It’s not a matter of friendship.
Governments do not act out of sentiment, but out of their perceptions of the self-interest of their own states or the narrower interests of their political parties.
To support Israel in its defence against aggressive Arab diplomacy is in Australia’s interests because it is a force for stability in the Middle East.
To oppose the whitewashing of Iran’s ayatollah regime and to oppose their nuclearisation is an Australian interest which a sane government will pursue.
Even Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states agree.
Without a firm commitment from Iran to the peaceful co-existence with Israel, this deal risks legitimising Iran’s aggressive and hostile stance towards Israel. This government is doing more than just risking our relationship with Israel; it’s risking the safety and lives of Israeli citizens.
One would have to say that FM Julie Bishops enthusiastic embrace of the Iranian Leadership was somewhat grating in view of Iranian threats to Israel the Jewish Security State .Post WW2 Australia has been fair to the Jewish people although preWW2 escape from Genocide was strictly limited in relation to Australias Immense Land mass .
Certainly the USA thermonuclear umbrella and missile shield gives the Australian people a security .
The British Foreign Secretary has welcomed “the business opportunities “that will be created for Britain in Iran.
Will Australia’s Coalition government follow suit?
What they have announced so far does tend to contribute to a perception that they, too, will take the same path….as has the rest of “the international community.”
What is the ALP’s approach? No prizes for guessing.
Mr Danby sits among colleagues, some of whom tend to shout at him in Parliament that he’s “the Memebr for Likud.” (They don’t seem to recognise their members for Hamas..)They will do their best to portray any one who opposes the lifting of sanctions as someone who is undermining Australia’s economy and ruining potential job prospects.
Sorry Liat, wrong, sorry Lynne, wrong, sorry Joseph, wrong.
The essential is found in Australia’s – Coalition’s – unswerving support for the Jewish State and the diplomatic strategies applied to Iran by the same government must be seen in light of Australia’s genuine attempts to aid Israel’s position through diplomatic means. Australia may not engage in any military actions against the open anti-Israel attitude of Iran – just geographically impossible -, but through diplomatic-political channels it can. If – G-d forbid – Australia/Coalition abandons her support for Israel, then and only then, all criticism and PR circus by Labor will gain credibility. Until then, this Government is, by far, the best fried Israel has EVER had !!!
Danby may well be 100% but his party is far from it.
What are you talking about. The australian government is making all these deals with a country that wants to wipe Israel off the map, and you’re making a hallabaloo about Labor policy? Get off your political bandwagon and take a look at reality.
Firstly, what are these deals you are talking about?
Secondly, I highly recommend you take your own advice as most if not all the anti Israel and pro Palestinian commentary is from the left.
I thought AIPAC is active in America, did not realise it has a branch in Australia.
Go for it, Michael Danby! It’s more than easy for Coalition supporters to continue to upbraid and scorn Labor policy on Israel while turning a blind eye to cracks in the solidity of Liberal thinking. Those members of Labor who have done the damage to a fuller Party support are obvious in their transparency. The Libs are not. And it’s a given they will follow the party line of the USA.
You, obviously. as your comments show, do not “follow the party line.”
Mr Danby has every right to take this on and I’m sure the Prime Minister will work on it.
We aren’t dealing with Abbott now although it appears he’s going make his presence known on the backbench behind the scenes if he can get away with it.
Lynne, if you think that any Australian government will forgo the perceived short-term benefits of getting on board the economic bonanza bandwagon of pretending that the Iranian regime is “respectable” or acceptable, you have a lot of faith.
Moreover, they will tear strips off any one who objects, labelling them as underminers of “business opportunities” and “job creation”, and maybe even “disloyal.”
An Iranian smirk in Australia has a negative cost factor. That regime needs a trial, not negotiations and a red carpet. Danby is 100%.
I agree with Danby keep fighting you have the support from all the friends of Israel. Miss Bishop has shown that she can’t be trusted. To keep her position she will swing where it suits. She needs to be stopped.
I think we are being too precious on this. The liberal government has proved its Israel supporting credentials to the extent of referring to ‘Jerusalem’ rather than East or West Jerusalem or Occupied Jerusalem. There may be real intelligence positives for Australia in sharing some info with Iran. Also, Australia fully briefed Israel about this situation and Israel did not protest. Danby’s protest is purely a way of trying to minimise the Labour Party moving away from support of Israel. It’s a gimmick which is certain to fail.
Your analysis is very persuasive, Rami.
When the Labor Party referred disingenuously to “illegal settlements,” Julie Bishop challenged them to back up their mendacious claim.
A former senior minister of the pro-Arab lobby in Australia (otherwise known as the ALP) knows full well that, while it is debatable if Israel should retain any or all of them, they are not illegal, and that slander in the mouths of Labor is a rationalisation for their bankrupt policy of supporting Arab extremism and intransigence.