Open Thread – Mon 13 Nov 2023


Paris Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, Eugène Galien-Laloue, mid-20th C

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thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 13, 2023 12:10 am

In like Flynn

Nelson_Kidd-Players
November 13, 2023 12:16 am
Zafiro
Zafiro
November 13, 2023 1:12 am

Turd once more

calli
calli
November 13, 2023 1:23 am

Good afternoon. It’s snowing here.

I’ve just been to see the Kon Tiki and Ra boats, and the Flam.

The Norwegians were certainly busy in the exploration stakes. Amundsen went to both South and North poles and pioneered the use of aircraft (fixed wing and dirigible) in the north. The Flam is complete and I walked on her deck.

The two Heyerdahl craft are housed in a different museum and you can get up really close to them. Fun fact – they would wake up some mornings and find breakfast already delivered. Flying fish would land on deck and perish there overnight. Next stop the frying pan.

Zafiro
Zafiro
November 13, 2023 1:33 am

Was waiting behind in a car wash bay on Friday to wash the bird shit off my Hyundai i30.

Dude in the bay had this badass HG Monaro that he had driven over from South Aus. Washing the bugs off etc. Charcoal colour. Sick mags with Mickey Thomsons. 308 engine.

What’s going on over here? HK HT HG club having a get together at Queenscliff this weekend.

Man, I have wasted my life.

Zafiro
Zafiro
November 13, 2023 1:47 am

All I know about Norway is the fjords, and the brunette chick from ABBA was born there.

calli
calli
November 13, 2023 2:44 am

Something amusing about those Norwegian explorers…Fridtjof Nansen and Lord Flashheart </a.

Uncanny! 😀

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 13, 2023 3:54 am

Fridtjof?
No, if you open the door the light comes on.

Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:00 am
Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:01 am
Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:02 am
Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:03 am
Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:04 am
Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:05 am
Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:06 am
Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:07 am
Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:08 am
Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 4:08 am
Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 13, 2023 4:18 am

Tom.
I think your Leak link is Tina Norton?

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
November 13, 2023 4:38 am

Thanks Tom, but you screwed up the leak link.

Gabor
Gabor
November 13, 2023 5:03 am

DrBeauGan
Nov 13, 2023 4:38 AM

Thanks Tom, but you screwed up the leak link.

Yes.
Didn’t look like his style at all, confused.

Beertruk
November 13, 2023 5:20 am

Today’s Tele.
The Wong Chap is out of it’s depth and is as useless as ever.

HOSPITAL BOMBINGS JUST WRONG SAYS WONG
Mon 13 Nov 2023
ANGIRA BHARADWAJ

The Israeli Defence Force has doubled down on its claim that it is not breaching international law, as Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong blasted the nation’s attacks on hospitals and medical facilities.
In an IDF briefing held at the Israeli embassy, officials said a hospital was a legal target under international law if it housed militants. In a document from the briefing, the IDF claimed Hamas used hospitals as “strongholds” and claimed “ambulances are used for transportation for terror operatives and weapons”.
However, in calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing war, Senator Wong highlighted Israeli attacks on hospitals as a breach of international law.
“We need steps towards a ceasefire. It cannot be one-sided. We know that Hamas is still holding hostages and we know that a ceasefire must be agreed between the parties,” Ms Wong said on the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday.
“But we can also say that Israel should do everything it can to observe international humanitarian law.
“We have seen a harrowing number of civilians – including children – killed.
“This has to end. And I am, we are, particularly concerned with what is happening with medical facilities.
“I would make this point in relation to hospitals and medical facilities, that international humanitarian law does require the protection of hospitals, of patients and of medical staff.” Senator Wong called for attacks on hospitals to stop.
“We do call on Israel to cease the attacking of hospitals. We understand the argument that Hamas is burrowed into civilian infrastructure.
“But, you know, I think the international community, looking at what is occurring in hospitals, would say to Israel, ‘these are facilities protected under international law and we want you to do so’.”
Jewish community leaders condemned Senator Wong’s comments and reiterated the justifications from the IDF.
“We remind the government that Article 19 of the Geneva Convention explicitly states that hospitals lose their protection if they are used for military purposes,” a joint statement from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the Zionist Federation of Australia said.
“It is incontrovertible that Hamas uses Shifa and other hospitals for military purposes.
“The government of Australia should not be lending any credibility to this false and harmful narrative.

“The libel that any Israeli attack on Gazan hospitals from which Hamas operates would amount to war crimes only serve to demonise the state of Israel and its supporters.
“These libels are central to Hamas’ objectives as a terrorist organisation and are reverberating across the world in a new wave of anti-semitism.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
November 13, 2023 5:33 am

The government of Australia should not be lending any credibility to this false and harmful narrative.

If there is a constituency for Jew hatred, and there is, alas, then some scrofulous politicians will cater to it. It’s up to the populace to identify and mark this conduct. I certainly have.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 5:45 am

Leak.

Beertruk
November 13, 2023 5:48 am

Tim Blair in today’s Tele:

POSTER TRIAL REVEALS HOW HUMAN YOU REALLY ARE

TIM BLAIR
13 Nov 2023

Personality tests are a feature of our narcissistic age.
Google turns up some 25 million options for various personality tests, allowing self-centred folk to investigate themselves at ridiculous length.
They’re not exactly scientific, of course, or often even vaguely accurate. One such click-baity test asks: “Which Beatle are you?” Ringo Starr, a Beatle himself, is said to have taken it (or so internet lore suggests).
The test’s unexpected diagnosis: “You are John.” To which Ringo, who ought to know, replied online: “Well, this is bullshit!”
Seems Ringo and his examiners will just have to agree to disagree.
But there’s no need to waste time on faked-up personality assessments.
An easier and far more precise test is readily available to anyone living in any major Western capital city.
It’s a basic two-step process.
Firstly, simply go outside and walk around until you see posters calling attention to the plight of Israeli citizens held hostage by Hamas.
Secondly, do not deface, shred, remove or otherwise damage the posters – which, after all, only exist to remind us about innocent lives at risk.
Leaving the posters as they are should not be a difficult task. They cause no offence. They insult nobody.
They are deeply compassionate in intent and heartbreakingly poignant in presentation.
So if you can repress the urge to rip down those posters, congratulations: you have a personality.
Or at least a personality that indicates you’re a person.
A human being. An entity capable of concern and empathy.
Perhaps you might even stop for a time in the presence of those posters to think about the men, women, grandparents, children and infants captured by murderous Hamas psychopaths, including:
Erez Dan Kalderon, 12 Hannah Katzir, 77 Kfir Bibas, 10 months Amit Shani, 16
Vivian Silver, 74
Twins Emma and Yuni Cunio, 3
And so on, for nearly 200 additional names, all of them currently prisoners and playthings of subterranean Hamas mole men – themselves willing agents of death commanded by Hamas’s billionaire bosses, usually found whoring it up 1700km from Gaza in friendly and secure Qatar.
On the other hand, maybe you’re the type of individual who can’t resist slicing posters to pieces. Maybe there’s something about terrified babies and teenagers that gets on your nerves for some reason.
Indeed, they enrage you so much that you can’t even bear the idea of other people looking at them.
So down those posters must come – in Sydney, New York, London and elsewhere (incidentally, many of the people caught removing or defacing posters appear to be middle or upper class. Being nice, they’d be appalled if anyone tore down a sign pleading for information about a missing puppy, but missing humans are a different matter. These people, if they can be so described, have some perverse priorities).
The act of poster removal doesn’t involve much creativity, although your various anti-Semites have their different ways. Some laboriously peel the posters away. Others carve at them furiously, as though fearing an imminent Israeli manifestation.
Still others scribble anti-Jewish messages because that seems a normal way for these Hamas endorsers to cope with images of kidnapped youngsters – accuse them of being part of a genocidal tyranny.
But the real creativity begins when the poster-rippers get caught. A lawyer for Miami dentist and busted poster deleter Dr Ahmed ElKoussa told reporters: “His personal opinion was that posters from either side may potentially incite conflict and he did not want there to be any conflict escalation.”
That line about “from either side” is absolutely precious. As if there were images of kidnapped junior Hamas members waiting to be trashed.
Some in Sydney have described the posters as “propaganda”, a claim echoed by a confessed but carefully unnamed poster remover who told The New York Times that the posters “amounted to anti-Islamic war propaganda”.
Propaganda, however, is generally dishonest, or at least exaggerated.
These posters present nothing but the basic facts. The people named and depicted in them are indeed held captive by Hamas – except, of course, for the unknown number of hostages who have already been killed.
Still, if the friends of Hamas want to go down that path, let’s strike a deal.
How about this: We on the civilised side of humanity get to keep our so-called “propaganda” posters.
In return you on the Hamas side get to keep your own propaganda via the ABC, the BBC, The New York Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, Melbourne’s The Age, CNN, Amnesty International, universities throughout Australia, Europe, the US and Britain, the United Nations, the Greens …

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 5:54 am

Twiggy is still at it.

Fortescue faces fresh headache in green ammonia chase (Paywallian)

Fortescue supplier Plug Power has warned its needs cash or it faces financial collapse, throwing up another hurdle to Andrew Forrest’s green ambitions.

Green ammonia is even stupider than green hydrogen. A tanker crashed recently causing 5 people to die horribly from the gaseous anhydrous ammonia. It would’ve been agonizing.

Beertruk
November 13, 2023 6:14 am

Bruce of Newcastle
Nov 13, 2023 5:54 AM

Green ammonia is even stupider than green hydrogen. A tanker crashed recently causing 5 people to die horribly from the gaseous anhydrous ammonia. It would’ve been agonizing.

Let’s fight climate change/global warming with poison.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 6:17 am

Galaxies are racist.

Galaxies named after ‘violent colonialist’ in our night sky ‘should be renamed’ (12 Nov)

Astronomers are calling for two galaxies to be renamed due to the “violent colonialism” of the explorer they are named after.

Two satellite galaxies of the Milky Way have for centuries been named after Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese sailor who is most known for leading the 1519 Spanish expedition to the East Indies, in the first European trip to Asia across the Pacific Ocean.

They want to rename the Magellanic Clouds? When are they going to call for the Milky Way to be renamed because it isn’t vegan? Sheesh.

Black Ball
Black Ball
November 13, 2023 6:39 am

Tom Minear:

For the man in charge of Australia’s net zero mission, you wouldn’t think the cancellation of a groundbreaking clean energy project would be good news.

But Chris Bowen gleefully tweeted up a storm last week when the company behind the most advanced small nuclear reactor in the US scrapped its first plant amid soaring costs. It was proof, the Energy Minister boasted, that Peter Dutton’s pro-nuclear plan is “more hot air”.

A few days earlier, the world’s largest offshore wind farm developer pulled the plug on two American projects because rising costs also meant they were no longer profitable, while BP’s renewables boss declared the sector was “fundamentally broken”.

We can only wonder what Bowen – a self-professed offshore wind nerd who wants Australia to be a world leader – thought about that, because he had nothing to say on social media.

He was similarly silent as Tritium, Australia’s leading producer of electric vehicle fast-chargers, closed its Brisbane factory and consolidated its operations in the US to stay afloat.

Anthony Albanese had regularly visited Tritium, hailing it as a “great success story”, while Joe Biden announced their US plant and sent his Secretary of State to check them out down under. The company epitomised their green dream – spurring a manufacturing revolution through the net zero transition – until it became a nightmare in Australia.

To be fair to Bowen, his basic criticism of Dutton’s nuclear advocacy is not wrong. Small modular reactors are expensive and unproven, and will be no help in this critical decade.

But he doth protest too much. His tweets came after he co-opted bureaucrats to produce a $387bn costing of Dutton’s plan, which a respected expert slammed as dodgy. (Ironic too, given Bowen’s fury during the election over government modelling of his policies.)

Bowen is promising to produce 82 per cent of our energy from renewables by 2030 which, as he likes to say, is now 74 months away. In his 18 months in charge, investment in new wind and solar farms has stalled, NSW has moved to extend the life of Australia’s biggest coal-fired plant, and the market operator has sounded the alarm about grid upgrade delays.

While not all of this is necessarily Bowen’s fault, the election of a Labor government has not been the climate panacea he made it out to be. So here’s some free advice for the minister: if you’re really worried about hot air, stop tweeting and start putting out these fires.

Add that wave energy bollocks off Port Kembla (?) which is rusting away. Tim Flannery’s geothermal project which burnt $90 million.
Bowen is a dickhead, but you knew that.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
November 13, 2023 6:42 am

Galaxies are racist.

Galaxies named after ‘violent colonialist’ in our night sky ‘should be renamed’ (12 Nov)

I used to encourage students to think for themselves. I’ve come to realise that most don’t have the equipment to do it. If astronomers are this stupid they should give it away and take up something less intellectually
demanding. Extreme sneezing, perhaps.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
November 13, 2023 6:43 am

Thanks for the Leak!

Black Ball
Black Ball
November 13, 2023 6:45 am

Andrew Bolt:

The weirdest thing about Gregory Andrews is that he was made an Australian ambassador. Weird, because he’s now threatening to kill himself in front of Parliament House to save us from global warming.

This kind of drama queen represents our country these days? Then again, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s last climate craziness – agreeing to take in climate refugees from a Pacific island that’s actually growing – this idiocy seems a national trait and Andrews the perfect ambassador.

Andrews is on a hunger strike in Canberra (Monday will be day 12) until Albanese gives in to demands no sane leader could accept.

“Stop coal and gas exports, stop fossil fuel subsidies … until those demands are met I will be here every day at Parliament House and I will not eat anything,” Andrews declared on day one.

That gives him just over a month to live, unless Albanese really does promise Andrews he will ruin Australia by banning exports currently worth $200bn a year.

Andrews is on this path to an early grave because he’s deluded enough to believe, he told me, global warming is so deadly that his daughter can’t expect to live as long as, say, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher.

“My daughter is with me 110 per cent. She wants a future.”

Behold the voice of the true global warming megalomaniac. Here’s a man trying to blackmail the country into surrendering to his apocalyptic delusions, which have terrified his daughter into thinking she’ll die early, when statistically we’ve never been less likely to die from a climate disaster.

What a father: if Andrews dies, he’ll not only leave his daughter without a father but with the guilt of having encouraged his suicide mission.

But Albanese, also blinded by the warming cult, has encouraged such delusions, too.

Take his stunt last week, when he flew to the Pacific Islands Forum in the Cook Islands as the great white chief of the latest cargo cult.

Albanese announced he was there to help tackle global warming, which he absurdly claimed was “the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific”.

Pacific Islands leaders love such talk, because global warming is brilliant for guilting Western nations into handing them free cash.

And sure enough, after dancing at the formal gift-giving ceremony, Albanese announced he’d give them $350m for climate schemes, on top of the $2bn he’s promised for climate financing around the world.

But Albanese’s most farcical promise was to let up to 280 Tuvaluans a year to move to Australia because “Tuvalu is extremely vulnerable to the impact of climate change, especially rising sea levels”.

Pardon? In fact, the latest study, by Professor Paul Kench of Auckland University, shows Tuvalu has grown, not shrunk, and is 2.9 per cent bigger than it was 40 years ago.

Our Bureau of Meteorology also shows fewer cyclones over the past 50 years.

So how does Albanese justify bringing in Tuvaluans as climate refugees where there’s no climate catastrophe to flee?

But Albanese is playing the same ludicrous game here of fake fixes for a fake crisis. He’s spending tens of billions to carpet the country with wind and solar factories and 10,000km of transmission wires to hook them all up – but for what?

In fact, the Australian Government Solicitor has now admitted in a stunning court document that it’s all for nothing.

The AGS has filed the government’s response to a try-on claim in the Federal Court by two Torres Strait Islanders who are suing it for allegedly helping to drown their own islands and make them “climate refugees in our own country”.

These islanders want the court to force Albanese’s government to slash our emissions even harder, but the AGS has now admitted what Albanese won’t: that cutting our greenhouse gas emissions won’t actually make much difference to the climate, because we’re just too small.

As it says in a defence filed in court documents, Australia “lacks the necessary control to prevent or materially mitigate climate change or its impacts”.

Yes, “because the Respondent (Australia) contributes a very small proportion of global GHG emissions, it is not reasonably foreseeable that the Respondent’s … emissions reductions targets would cause the Applicants and Group Members (Torres Strait Islanders) harm …”

Hear that? Despite Albanese’s massive spending here to cut emissions, the government’s own solicitor admits it doesn’t actually have “the necessary control to prevent or materially mitigate climate change”.

Someone should tell starving Gregory Andrews. You’re dying for nothing.

132andBush
132andBush
November 13, 2023 6:46 am

Half way through harvest around here. Great yields considering the drier than average winter.
7-14 day GFS model looks horrendous, particularly for Victoria’s harvest.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
November 13, 2023 6:52 am

Large scale nuclear works just fine.
Dutton an Co are caught in their own political can kicking game.
They know compact nuclear is decades away and simply a diversion from making a real decision of investing and siting proper grid sustaining nuclear systems.
Play dumb games – win dumb prizes.

Cassie of Sydney
November 13, 2023 6:54 am

Just reading through the old fred, and it seems it became a late night forum for those two rather unsavoury birdlike trolls, Bolton and Zafira, to turn it into a Leni Riefenstahl fan site.

No thank you. I think when those two unsavoury trolls appear here, I’ll disappear. I don’t think either bathe this site in any glory

Cassie of Sydney
November 13, 2023 7:02 am

By the way, I’ll take the legendary stoushes on this forum any day over the Leni Riefenstahl bird droppings of last night.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 7:02 am

C3I in action.

Exact intelligence helps IDF ground forces kill 7 terrorists in 10 minutes (12 Nov)

The IDF has opened a window into its intelligence operations that maximize the ground forces’ work in the war against Hamas.

The Center for Defense and Operational Maneuvers is an integrative organization in the Intelligence Directorate tasked with producing, researching, and making tactical intelligence accessible to the operational front in order to improve the operational effectiveness of the forces in the field in both defense and offense and lead to quick coordination of firepower combining accurate intelligence and effective firepower. During times of routine, the center focuses on force-building for emergencies, and now, for the first time, it is supporting IDF operational activity.

Each division and operating brigade has a back office named ADAN (Deployable-level intel) to integrate and use the variety of sources of gathering and analysis in the Intelligence Directorate and the intelligence community, making the intel accessible to forces in the field.

The operational demand comes from the division and the brigade to ADAN, where a complete response is given.

The IDF explains, “In one office, signal monitors, network intelligence officers, analysts, and researchers sit together with the goal of protecting our forces and eliminating Hamas terrorists.”

In one instance, thanks to the quick coordination with ADAN, soldiers from the Golani Brigade eliminated seven terrorists within ten minutes.

The close coordination between the infantry, intelligence and supporting forces, like a tank in this case, plus abundant air support shows what is possible. IDF casualties have been remarkably light considering they’re fighting in a Gazan version of Stalingrad.

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 13, 2023 7:03 am

Jc made this comment on the old thread:

In fact, I recall the first time I was ever cautioned about Islam being by my very first boss, who also happened to be an Indian Hindu. He cautioned me to be very wary of Islam. I had no freaking idea what he was talking about, as I’d barely heard of this thing, Islam

In about 1996 an elderly Hindu man of my acquaintance said these exact word to me: “Wherever there is a Muslim there is trouble.” those words are seared in my memory.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
November 13, 2023 7:05 am

Rainfall amounts and location over ten days out are usually dodgy but you never know.
We could get quite a bit of barley done in the time available but nothing else is ready. Canola goes down in a couple of days and the wheat is still very soft. Hay is all finished and stored.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
November 13, 2023 7:07 am

Someone should tell starving Gregory Andrews. You’re dying for nothing.

Oh I dunno. He’ll be improving the gene pool. It’s not as if we’re short of loonies.

Cassie of Sydney
November 13, 2023 7:08 am

Having witnessed the Leni Riefenstahl style Nazi march in the Sydney CBD yesterday by rabid Jew hating Hamas apologists yesterday, I don’t want to read a site that becomes a forum for Leni Riefenstahl apologists.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
November 13, 2023 7:14 am

Gregory Andrews should be nicknamed ‘Koala’ – they’re dying to help stop climate change as well.

bespoke
bespoke
November 13, 2023 7:15 am

Don’t let them chase you away, Cassie.

Black Ball
Black Ball
November 13, 2023 7:23 am

Daily Telegraph:

A shocked Barnaby Joyce said to himself, “what’s this dipstick up to?” when he first saw then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announcing a “bonk ban” for ministers in his government, according to a new Sky News Australia documentary, Liberals in Power.

The second and final part of the series, airing Tuesday night, presents never before seen reactions from those closest to the events that saw Turnbull publicly slam Joyce for his relationship with media adviser Vikki Campion.

According to Chris Kenny, Sky News presenter and host of the documentary, the scandal was “manna from Heaven” for Labor, who brutally used the revelations against the government as they mounted a broader campaign accusing the Coalition of having a “woman problem”.

“I went straight around and confronted him about it,” Joyce recalls of the day Turnbull introduced the new policy, which barred cabinet ministers whether married or single from having relationships with staffers in their office.

The bonk ban, says Joyce, was an effort to force him out of government.

“And I remember saying to Peter Dutton look, the moment I’m going as deputy prime minister Malcolm Turnbull will be gone in three months.

“It sounds like an incredibly egotistical statement, but when he lost me he lost.”

Joyce’s prediction was not far off the mark.

The “bonk ban” was imposed in February 2018, and Turnbull would be rolled by his party room in August of that same year.

Kenny, who also served as Malcolm Turnbull’s chief of staff in opposition, also dives into the treacherousness of the now former prime minister and his efforts to topple Tony Abbott.

Even some of Turnbull’s former backers concede that backing the former Wentworth MP into the leadership was a mistake.

Queensland senator James McGrath, who helped organise Turnbull’s push to lead the party room, told Kenny, “I do regret backing Malcolm Turnbull and I feel sorry for Malcolm Turnbull that he fails to understand that the trust that was put in him by the party membership, not just in Queensland, but across Australia.

“He has actually returned that trust with his continuing acts of disloyalty to the party and more importantly to the members of the party.”

Former defence minister Linda Reynolds said Turnbull’s contribution to the Liberal Party was “Underwhelming.”

“And he certainly didn’t fulfil his potential as Prime Minister,” she said.

Asked if he thought Turnbull was being treacherous in organising party room spills against Tony Abbott in 2015, fellow former prime minister Scott Morrison said, “If you challenge a leader, obviously you’re not being supportive of them.”

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
November 13, 2023 7:27 am

Bonking the staff is a terrible thing according to ScoMo, betraying your spouse seemingly not as big an issue.
Morality in a woke world.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 7:29 am

All together now: awww.

Europe’s Largest Wind Farm Facing Bankruptcy (12 Nov)


Simon Wakter@simonwakter · 11h

Europe’s largest onshore wind farm is facing bancruptcy and has filed for reconstruction with Swedish court.

Markbygden ETT, the first phase of the Markbygden 1101 project, is facing difficulties after signing a baseload PPA with Norwegian Hydro Energi.

8:49 PM · Nov 12, 2023

Hey Mr Bowen why is this happening? Could it be that the electricity they produce is actually much more expensive than historical sources? I’m not seeing coal or nuclear power plants going bankrupt. But wind farm operators are seemingly dying like birds hit by turbine blades.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
November 13, 2023 7:47 am

Newspapers demonstrating yet again that mastery of the written word has gone out the window (the Tele):

New York cold case detectives believe the body of a woman found 40 years ago may have travelled from Australia with one of the country‘s most prolific serial killers, Sydney-born photographer Christopher Wilder, before he killed her.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
November 13, 2023 7:59 am

All together now: awww.

Europe’s Largest Wind Farm Facing Bankruptcy (12 Nov)

I remember being assured by some rather stupid people that wind and sunlight are free.

The propensity of the hopelessly uninformed to pontificate needs to be restrained. I blame the educational system for sedulously concealing the incompetence of fatheads from the fatheads themselves. So as to build a self-esteem to which they are not entitled.

Stupid ignorant people should find out that they are stupid and ignorant as soon as possible, so they can take steps to mitigate the consequences. I didn’t find out I was stupid and ignorant until I was thirty, which is leaving it far too late.

Indolent
Indolent
November 13, 2023 8:03 am

Victor Davis Hanson
@VDHanson

The Legal Circus of Letitia James

Letitia James’s farcical prosecution of Donald Trump might win a conviction, given the known temperament and biases of the partisan presiding judge Arthur Engoron. And things are now escalating well beyond the facts of the indictment for purportedly overvaluing real estate assets—an alleged “crime” that had apparently never been prosecuted in New York’s dog-eat-dog real-estate world.

The unprecedented nature of the alleged crime is nothing compared to James’s choice of defendant — not just the current leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, but also an ex-president polling increasingly ahead of incumbent president (and James’s and Engoron’s fellow Democrat) Joe Biden.

Old, resurfacing videos of James’s now well-documented long vendettas and rants against Donald Trump, her own confirmation of Trump’s charges of her racism (she once smeared the Trump administration “as too pale, too male and too stale”), the judge’s gag orders, the new polls, the simultaneous efforts of state lawsuits to take Trump off the ballot—all add up to a judicial absurdity unprecedented in U.S. history that is beginning to convince the majority of Americans of an extra-legal attempt to warp an American election.

Judge Engoron is in a similar fix.

He is slowly creating an O.J.-like courtroom farce. The more Trump and his team understandably conduct the defense as aloud—and successful—political statement, the more transparently partisan an exasperated Engoron appears. His gag orders may well be unconstitutional and thus are for now largely ignored by Trump, putting Engoron in an even more embarrassing dilemma.

Will he jail Trump for violating his likely-to-be-successfully-appealed order. That is, will he try to put an ex-president and possible future presidential candidate of the opposing party behind bars in an election year for decrying an obvious politicized miscarriage of justice—and thus only end up empowering Trump?

Or in his doom-loop will he not fully enforce his own orders, and instead seek to disguise his mounting impotence by more desk-pounding, sermonizing, grimaces, and snideness?

We’ve seen nothing quite like this judicial mess in recent American history.

lotocoti
lotocoti
November 13, 2023 8:04 am
The Bungonia Bee
The Bungonia Bee
November 13, 2023 8:06 am

I don’t lament the resignation of any Green politician anywhere, but the latest example makes me think that it’s indicative of a vast leftwing fantasy to castrate white males. You have been warned, don’t do anything “sexual in nature”.
From AAP:
“ACT Greens backbencher Johnathan Davis will resign from the party and the parliament after he was stood down over misconduct allegations.

Mr Davis was stood down indefinitely last week after two complaints described by an ACT Greens spokesperson as “sexual in nature” were made against him.”

Gabor
Gabor
November 13, 2023 8:06 am

wind and sunlight are free.

True.
Harvesting and distributing it what makes it expensive, that fact should be pushed more forcefully.
Not to mention the backup needed when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 8:16 am

We’ve seen nothing quite like this judicial mess in recent American history.

The next one is Jack Smith’s try on over J6. Trump has loudly called for complete television coverage of the proceedings.

That’s a nice bit of trolling since Jack would be fearful that Trump will submit abundant evidence that the election was stolen. But if he rejects that he shows he has something to hide. Which he does, since no court has yet tested the evidence – they all run away screaming in terror. Watching it all live on video would cause immediate worldwide popcorn shortages.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
November 13, 2023 8:18 am

Australia will be losing someone quite special when Gregory Andrews passes away on the lawn in front of Parliament.

Just ask him:

Meet Gregory Andrews, the driving force behind Lyrebird Dreaming. With a background in policy, governance, and cross-cultural communication, Gregory brings his experience from remote Indigenous Australia to international diplomacy. As an Adjunct Associate Professor and D’harawal man, his commitment to Indigenous empowerment and the environment shines through.

It turns out that he is an experienced marriage and funeral celebrant too.

And possibly a kurdaitcha man.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 8:30 am

Green Nazi news.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was briefly interrupted Sunday by a man who approached her on stage after she invited a Palestinian and an Afghan woman to speak at a climate protest in the Dutch capital.

Thunberg was speaking to a crowd of tens of thousands when she invited the women onto the stage.

“As a climate justice movement, we have to listen to the voices of those who are being oppressed and those who are fighting for freedom and for justice. Otherwise, there can be no climate justice without international solidarity,” Thunberg said.

After the Palestinian and Afghan women spoke and Thunberg resumed her speech, a man came onto the stage and told her: “I have come here for a climate demonstration, not a political view,” before he was ushered off the stage.

The man’s identity was not immediately clear. He was wearing a jacket with the name of a group called Water Natuurlijk that has elected members in Dutch water boards.

The Afghan woman, Sahar Shirzad, told The Associated Press that Thunberg allowed them to take the stage with her.

“Basically, she gave her time to us,” she said.

Funny how the same old Jew-hate-plus-mystical-environment thing of Adolf’s bunch has reincarnated 80 years later. All we need is some eugenics and it will be complete. Oops, sorry that was last month’s news. As you were.

Crossie
Crossie
November 13, 2023 8:35 am

Reporters on TV are intoning that we are heading for the hottest summer on record which means that it will be a normal summer that they will simply hype up every temp above 30 degrees.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
November 13, 2023 8:36 am

That Wong Chap really is the epitome of the know-it-all left. Convinced through habit that they already know all that needs to be known they consider things they don’t know to be life’s minutiae.

Medicine, for example, is a sort of car mechanics except the ‘car’ (i.e. the human body) does not come out with new models. But as soon as a conversation turns to a particular injury, or a particular disease and treatment (*waves* Hello, Covid) they instantly transform into experts who will brook no dissent.

One of their favourite pulpits to preach from is International Law. It is, in essence, a label attached to make their opinions binding upon every first-world government on the planet.

Remember how adamant they were that we had to accept the boaties as legitimate asylum seekers? There was just no convincing they were so only until they arrived in a country where they were not prosecuted. If they went into another country afterward they were not asylum seekers as they were no longer fleeing persecution. They were shopping, and no matter where else they had been they were coming to us from Malaysia.

All That Wong Chap knows is that she wants the Israelis to stop. International law must therefore mandate that. That Hamas uses hospitals and schools as bases can’t undo the international illegality. It will not matter how much and how often people explain it to her, she will just bark her original opinion louder.

Like most in the government, she is low-to-middling intellect matched with an overpowering ambition. She just ‘knows’ she is destined for something great -,just no idea what yet. But the universe is somewhere, and somewhen, patiently waiting for her.

mem
mem
November 13, 2023 8:39 am

The “Heil Hitlary” cartoon shown up thread by Tom, depicted Hillary with one shoe off and a big hairy bare foot. Her discarded shoe was shown close to Soros. Any thoughts on what this meant?

Crossie
Crossie
November 13, 2023 8:43 am

Funny how the same old Jew-hate-plus-mystical-environment thing of Adolf’s bunch has reincarnated 80 years later. All we need is some eugenics and it will be complete. Oops, sorry that was last month’s news. As you were.

Hubris was the other feature that characterised 1930s when the smart people thought they were absolutely correct about everything and nobody else rated a mention. Hubris is eventually undone by nemesis but sadly millions of innocents get caught in the catastrophe.

Rufus T Firefly
Rufus T Firefly
November 13, 2023 8:44 am

At last some good news from Ukraine.
The puzzle of the destruction of the Nordstream pipeline has been solved!
This comes from the Washington Post, so, it must be true!

Roman Chervinsky, an ex Ukraine SF Operative, was found to be the “Co-ordinator” of the operation. As it happens, he is already in custody in Kiev. What luck!
Naturally, he reported to, ……, Gen Zaluznhy, BUT, St Volodymyr the Pure, was out of the loop, ……, somehow. (Remember, this is from the WP, so is impeccable intel.)

Chervinsky has evidently passed on the names of all involved, so that justice can be served.
They include:
Gilligan,
the skipper too,
a millionaire and his wife,
a movie star,
the Professor and
Mary Anne.

This now provides a problem for NATO, because, as we all know, “an attack on one, is an attack on all!”
Given the “fact” that Ukraine’s military was used to attack German infrastructure, is NATO compelled to act, against Ukraine under Article 5?

This all proves that Biden’s televised threat to blow up Nordstream, whilst standing next to that chump Scholz at a press briefing, was simply the ramblings of a deranged f*ckwit, ….., right?

Johnny Rotten
November 13, 2023 8:44 am

DrBeauGan
Nov 13, 2023 7:59 AM

All together now: awww.

Europe’s Largest Wind Farm Facing Bankruptcy (12 Nov)

I remember being assured by some rather stupid people that wind and sunlight are free.

As Viv Forbes says it so well – Green, Powerless and Defenceless

“We are losing the resources, skills and machinery needed for our own security. And we fritter our declining resources on green energy white elephants like Snowy 2, green hydrogen, dream-time extension cables to transmit “green” electricity from Darwin to Singapore, hydrogen electrolyser magic in Gladstone, a Pioneer Valley pumped hydro scheme (Snowy 3?), massive new power lines to collect piddling energy everywhere and many other green dreams with net consumption of energy and metals.

Green Admirals hope to run our destroyers on recycled cooking oil and Green Generals are wasting energy designing electric bushmasters (with long extension cords?). These foolish green energy policies and the suicidal war on carbon fuels are killing real industry leaving us unskilled and defenceless – like a fat toothless walrus basking on a warm sunny beach.

And imagine the mental and physical capacity of the flabby WOKE recruits that an urgent conscription would produce today. And which toilet would they use? Hopefully a few bikie gangs would sign up? At least they know how to fight and could bring their own guns.”

https://saltbushclub.com/2023/11/02/green-powerless-and-defenceless/#more-2612

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 8:46 am

#illstoushwithcassie

I’d rather be the black sheep and be put down constantly than put up with Bird’s insane ranting.

Bird has been pulling some real shyte lately.

Leni wasn’t political.
Hamas have claims to justice!
Stop it, you’re bullying my cockamamie life story!

Had a quick look on the Freedom Furniture Forums.

It seems they did a WTF with kaysee too. Even MV was pointing out how Bird will just blow up every site he reads once the e Safety nonsense is in full swing. Then he got banned for whinging about being banned when he wasn’t banned.

Apart from the stoushing, they should come back but it require struth admitting he was wrong.

It’s only really NFA, chilli and struth now.

Bird on the other hand, can suck on a block of pink Himalayan salt.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 13, 2023 8:48 am

IDF casualties have been remarkably light considering they’re fighting in a Gazan version of Stalingrad.

If that’s true it means they have not gotten very far into the rubble or the tunnels. In order to clear the tunnels and the buildings they need boots on the ground, which are vulnerable to IEDs, ambushes etc. Flying an F15 over, or parking your tank on top of, an anthill does not mean you have cleared it.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 8:49 am

Misconduct allegations?

If he was straight or not a leftist they’d already be making art to incite others to murder him.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 8:51 am

World Kindness Day?

I’ll try.

Imagine being a eugenics sympathiser and hanging on every word that agrees Thunberg says.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 13, 2023 8:51 am

mem.

I think the shoe reference was from when she was Ïm perfectly healthy” then had a collapse in the street leaving a she behind when she was bundled into the car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhf1HGaAFfg

Crossie
Crossie
November 13, 2023 8:52 am

All That Wong Chap knows is that she wants the Israelis to stop. International law must therefore mandate that. That Hamas uses hospitals and schools as bases can’t undo the international illegality. It will not matter how much and how often people explain it to her, she will just bark her original opinion louder.

She is not unique but merely in the spotlight at the moment due to the events being related to her portfolio. The rest of them are the same including many on the nominal conservative side. In times past the politicians had sane senior public servants to put them straight and give them good advice, today’s public servants seem to be nuttier than the politicians and that’s why we are in deep doodoo.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 8:52 am

GRETA

That was pretty wild for an autocorrection, Siri!

lotocoti
lotocoti
November 13, 2023 8:55 am

Green Nazi news.

We’re occupied land too, aren’t we?
Shouldn’t that mean we get a pass on the Nordic Doom Goblin’s
climate justice too?

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 13, 2023 8:55 am

The more I look at it the more Im convinced that the fix was in on the new ‘fugee case.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-13/80-asylum-seekers-in-immigration-detention-released-high-court/103096934
Precedent overturned in 4 minutes of deliberation.
The ruling overturned a 20-year precedent that allowed for asylum seekers who had failed character assessments to be held in detention indefinitely if they could not be deported because they were deemed genuine refugees, were stateless or would not be accepted by their home country.
….
The Commonwealth, in its submissions to the High Court, flagged that 92 people were being held in similar circumstances, with more than 300 in total whose cases may be affected by the decision.

Most of those being kept in detention had failed character tests, while some had also been deemed a risk to national security.


Immigration Minister Andrew Giles confirmed the releases on ABC Radio National, saying the Commonwealth had argued against the outcome but was prepared for it, and those people were now in the community with appropriate visas.

Boambee John
Boambee John
November 13, 2023 9:01 am

Calli

Is Jansen’s craft Flam or Fram? I recall a book on the voyage that I read decades ago giving the name as Fram. That name also features in one of the Swallows and Amazon’s books, Winter Holiday.

Chris
Chris
November 13, 2023 9:02 am

The “Heil Hitlary” cartoon shown up thread by Tom, depicted Hillary with one shoe off and a big hairy bare foot. Her discarded shoe was shown close to Soros. Any thoughts on what this meant?

Its a pretty gross cartoon. And I know Hillary is gross, but still. One of the standard insults of the wine-drenched resentment fountain is ‘cankles’, and they put that in.

I think the shoe carries several implications.
1) Wine Karen is sloppy, so sloppy she cant dress herself properly.
2) Whoever is/was funding her, knows what she is; the smell of her nasty history doesn’t hold them back one bit.

Boambee John
Boambee John
November 13, 2023 9:02 am

Bruce of N

“IDF casualties have been remarkably light considering they’re fighting in a Gazan version of Stalingrad.”

I doubt that Hamarse has the fortitude of the Red Army at Stalingrad.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:07 am

At least no one thinks we’re going to get drafted anymore.

Those who said US Civil War and WWIIII were imminent probably need a well earnt break.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:11 am

The only brickbat for the freedom furniture forums was the disgusting rambling of USSR about how she “hates fake Catholics”, despite being born into an orthodox family and being a happy clapper or some other Johnny come lately thing like Kenja.

struth reckons she passed away though.

Tom
Tom
November 13, 2023 9:12 am

Reporters on TV are intoning that we are heading for the hottest summer on record which means that it will be a normal summer that they will simply hype up every temp above 30 degrees.

Southern Victoria has just had five summers without a single summer day of 40C or more — a first in my lifetime.

Despite the political hysteria about the climate, I wouldn’t be betting that pattern will be broken this summer.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 9:14 am

NEW: Nigel Farage has just landed in Australia after signing a £1.5 MILLION deal to appear on I’m A Celeb – the highest fee ever paid

Hopefully he’ll be even richer soon.

Nigel Farage to Seek Millions in Damages over NatWest Debanking, Leaks to Press (12 Nov)

Seeing they lied about the reason for doing it, and the real reason was completely political, I’d say he has a fair chance. But the Pommy court system is like ours and the US’s: two tiered.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 13, 2023 9:15 am

I doubt that Hamarse has the fortitude of the Red Army at Stalingrad.

If you really want to use the Stalingrad analogy, you might care to note:

– the battle took the best part of 6 months – I wouldn’t be judging the outcome in Gaza just yet
– the defenders won, not the attackers, despite their technological inferiority

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 9:16 am

Bruce of Newcastle
Nov 13, 2023 7:29 AM

All together now: awww.

Europe’s Largest Wind Farm Facing Bankruptcy (12 Nov)

BON.

the most important point for Labor Blackout Bowen & Labor PM Albosleezy, was the Bleeding Obvious Bolded below

More bad news for the wind industry:.

https://twitter.com/IntermittentNRG/status/1723692080801710475

What is different about this one is that the PPA forces the wind farm to buy power on the spot market, when the wind does not provide enough:

In other words, the wind farm is obliged to pay the costs of its own intermittency. And, of course, when wind power is low, spot market prices rise.

This highlights the worthlessness of wind power, as when there is plenty of wind, the value of the product is low.

In this country it is energy consumers who have to pay the costs of intermittency, something which needs changing.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 13, 2023 9:17 am

Crossie

Nov 13, 2023 8:35 AM

Reporters on TV are intoning that we are heading for the hottest summer on record which means that it will be a normal summer that they will simply hype up every forecasttemp above 30 degrees.

Slight adjustment.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:18 am

Southern Victoria has just had five summers without a single summer day of 40C or more — a first in my lifetime.

That’s astonishing. I think there really is another trend of early warm and wet weather though. That’s being chalked up to global warming.

In the preceding 10 years I’ve seen some of the worst frosts in my life and despite repeated early ramp ups of temperatures, summers were mild, along with some very cold winters there was a mild one too.

I think the climate is getting less variable if anything and mildly colder.

The climate was probably always a matter of mild discomfort or idyll until there was a volcano eruption here or there. 536, the 1990s etc are good examples of short term cooling that can be devastating or mild and pleasant.

Rosie
Rosie
November 13, 2023 9:18 am

If that’s true it means they have not gotten very far into the rubble or the tunnels

No, they’ve been levelling the rubble with bulldozers and cranes, locating tunnels, drilling into them and blowing them up.
Considering everyone is shrieking about how they have now surrounded shifa hospital that’s a a really hot take.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 13, 2023 9:20 am

Southern Victoria has just had five summers without a single summer day of 40C or more — a first in my lifetime.

Despite the political hysteria about the climate, I wouldn’t be betting that pattern will be broken this summer.

Are we talking actual temperatures, adjusted temperatures or media reported predicted temperatures this summer?

Crossie
Crossie
November 13, 2023 9:20 am

Indolent
Nov 13, 2023 9:09 AM
New York Times Claims ‘Economic Turmoil’ if Trump Enforces Border Laws

Just imagine drug traffickers, people smugglers and child sex traffickers will no longer be able to make a living. Oh, the humanity!

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 13, 2023 9:21 am

A usual Gruinaid whine about how everyone is doing sex wrong comes with this highlight of female oppression…

There’s nothing new about these riotous holidays. Some might recall the 2014 “Mamade” incident in Magaluf, where, cheered by crowds, an intoxicated young woman was tricked into fellating 24 young men for a free “holiday” (which turned out to be the name of a cocktail).

Well played patriarchy, well played.

Plus old and busted: Verbal consent, new and hot: Eyeball reading.
They could also not realise that the other person may be an evolved manipulator who’s learned how to parrot the consent narrative (ask the question, bank the reply) but is effectively ambiguity-proof; who doesn’t much care if the eyes say “No”, so long as the mouth says “Yes”

Rosie
Rosie
November 13, 2023 9:21 am

Whoever Bolton and Zafiro are, it is probably not bird because he has so little self control and Israel’s invasion of Gaza would have him whirling like a dervish.
It’s someone else who’s intention is to drive Cassie and others away.
Same as it ever was.

bespoke
bespoke
November 13, 2023 9:22 am

I couldn’t care less about what the fruits of the freedom furniture forums say.

bespoke
bespoke
November 13, 2023 9:24 am

Bolt is Bird.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:24 am

Crossie

There will be no more gardeners on Martha’s Vineyard.

Think of the Begonias.

Crossie
Crossie
November 13, 2023 9:25 am

The summer forecast has been further clarified to include low intensity heatwaves. I decode that to mean no heatwaves.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:26 am

Bolt is Bird.

For sure.

He needs to be restricted at a hardware level.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:27 am

I couldn’t care less about what the fruits of the freedom furniture forums say.

I was surprised how sane their posts were, save for Bird and USSR.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 13, 2023 9:27 am

flyingduk

I think the Stalingrad analogy still holds, but only if you remember it was the encirclement of the 6th Army that caused the defeat not the actual fighting in the city.

Israel would be acutely aware they are surrounded, if, in a fit of madness the surrounding countries were to attack then Gaza is Stalingrad.
(plus they dont have Romanians and Italians guarding their flanks, just Joe Biden and Elbow..)

Boambee John
Boambee John
November 13, 2023 9:27 am

“Adjunct Associate Professor”

LOL. Is that the same as a tutor or as a junior lecturer?

JC
JC
November 13, 2023 9:28 am

Crossie

Closing the border would do little to stop the drug trade. Eventually, if the US wants to stop say the fentanyl trade, it will have to send in the military and hit the cartels. This would likely happen under Trump.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:28 am

probably not bird because he has so little self control

New meds.

His tells however are still very characteristic.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 9:29 am

Tom
Nov 13, 2023 9:12 AM

Reporters on TV are intoning that we are heading for the hottest summer on record which means that it will be a normal summer that they will simply hype up every temp above 30 degrees.

Southern Victoria has just had five summers without a single summer day of 40C or more — a first in my lifetime.

Despite the political hysteria about the climate, I wouldn’t be betting that pattern will be broken this summer.

Tom.

as I keep repeating from, as I arrived in Melbourne with New Wife in February 1968

Station 086071 MEL

Jan 1968 Days over 30C = 11
Feb 1968 Days over 30C = 13
Mar 1968 Days over 30C = 6

Jan 1968 Days over 35C = 7
Feb 1968 Days over 35C = 9
Mar 1968 Days over 35C = 3

Jan 1968 Days over 40C = 2
Feb 1968 Days over 40C = 2
Mar 1968 Days over 40C = 0

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=122&p_display_type=dailyDataFile&p_startYear=1968&p_c=-1481816547&p_stn_num=086071

Makka
Makka
November 13, 2023 9:30 am

Israel would be acutely aware they are surrounded, if, in a fit of madness the surrounding countries were to attack then Gaza is Stalingrad.

Netanyahu: I say to the Arab leaders, if you want to preserve your interests, you must do one thing… Remain silent!

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 13, 2023 9:31 am

No, they’ve been levelling the rubble with bulldozers and cranes, locating tunnels, drilling into them and blowing them up.

Stalingrad and Gaza were about the same size. The Wermacht lost 800,000 troops trying to take it, and the Soviets over a million defending it.

Unless the IDF clears every building and tunnel in Gaza, not just of ‘fighters’ but of Palestinians, and keeps them out forever, the grass will grow back. There is no way Israel can win this and Hamas knew that at the start. Like all irregulars, they knew their provocation would provoke a massive response – it is that response that benefits them in the end, by building support for their cause. They are prepared to take the pain because thats how they win.

JC
JC
November 13, 2023 9:34 am

struth reckons she passed away though.

Really, USSR is gonesky? Wow. Imagine the turmoil up in the sky she’s causing.

The pizzagate stories were legendary. I think it was pizzagate that set her off.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:35 am

There is no way Israel can win this and Hamas knew that at the start.

False.

They can clear every tunnel, kill or arrest all of Hamas (and try them for their crimes which they have ample evidence of) – and either treat Gaza like a biohazard zone from now on OR bribe them all, kick out anyone who doesn’t want to be an Israeli and deport the rest to a Muslim country of their choice, then annex Gaza as the 11th Israeli province.

There is no reason at all why the tunnels cannot be cleared.

Makka
Makka
November 13, 2023 9:35 am

There is no way Israel can win this and Hamas knew that at the start.

What does winning look like? I’d say that after this operation Israel will set out to take full control of Gaza in a security sense. Total control. To neutralize the strip as a platform from which to launch attacks. Given what has taken place in Gaza , that looks like a win to me. Yes, it means more expenditure for the policy, which I’m sure Israelis will be willing o fund.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:38 am

Israel must also retaliate effectively against the Iranian leadership who are behind all of this.

Boambee John
Boambee John
November 13, 2023 9:39 am

“JC
Nov 13, 2023 9:28 AM
Crossie

Closing the border would do little to stop the drug trade. Eventually, if the US wants to stop say the fentanyl trade, it will have to send in the military and hit the cartels. This would likely happen under Trump.”

Another Tom Clancy book (Clear and Present Danger) proving prophetic?

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 13, 2023 9:41 am

Totally rational vegan makes the case for stopping meat production NOW!!!

onKeast

It is only a “huge cultural challenge” if you are still living in the past and have not yet realised that our situation is genuinely existential.
Once you accept that collapse is real and indeed imminent, the consequences are motivational. We all face being raped then murdered by groups of well armed, frightened young men desperate for food when the supermarkets run out.
Think about that next time you feel it is “too difficult” to go vegan. This is so very nearly the endgame

You will be getting raped and murdered because you noodly weak and anaemic arms are incapable of defending you and the attackers will be able to easily find you by shouting “Anyone want a nice steak” and then following the sound of you whining “Ïm a vegan, meat is murder”.

alwaysright
alwaysright
November 13, 2023 9:43 am

67/68 was a brute of a summer.

bespoke
bespoke
November 13, 2023 9:43 am

They are prepared to take the pain because thats how they win.

I dout they are gaining eny support with the average Western citizens. All these armature geopolitical ‘experts’ squawking at a safe distance should just shut up and let the the Israeli’s decide what is there best interests.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:43 am

We all face being raped then murdered by groups of well armed, frightened young men desperate for food when the supermarkets run out.

The looters won’t be afraid. The dickless vegans will be.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
November 13, 2023 9:43 am

Bespoke
What’s the best value Agricultural field day in SA?

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 9:44 am

While it is poor form to comment on private matters, congratulations are due to the Beetrooter on his weekend marriage. He is a beacon to the modern political class.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:44 am

I dout they are gaining eny support with the average Western citizens. All these armature geopolitical ‘experts’ squawking at a safe distance should just shut up and let the the Israeli’s decide what is there best interests.

Ironically, I totally agree.

I think the IDF know what they are doing.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 13, 2023 9:49 am

There is no reason at all why the tunnels cannot be cleared.

Its not just the tunnels that need to be cleared, they have to remove all 2 million residents of gaza or the problem will grow back.

Vicki
Vicki
November 13, 2023 9:50 am

What will “winning” look like for Israel? We don’t know this, of course. Middle Eastern parallels are probably more realistic than WWII analogies. The more recent purging of Islamic State in major cities like Mosul is a propos.

The thing to understand is that this is an existential struggle for Israel. The atrocities of 7/10 laid bare the reality of their future survival. No doubt Hamas & their fellow travellers calculated that despite a ferocious Israeli response, many Israelis may well decide that their lives & those if their children will never be safe in Israel. Emigration may well be considered by many. This would weaken Israel if only in the visuals.

Israelis must know this. They are very smart people. That is why this struggle is for survival. Nothing will deter them from destroying Hamas.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
November 13, 2023 9:50 am

We all face being raped then murdered by groups of well armed, frightened young men desperate for food when the supermarkets run out.

Think about that next time you feel it is “too difficult” to go vegan. This is so very nearly the endgame

I’ve thought about it.

It seems to me the central argument is that vegan food is so undesirable that in the post-apocalypse world, well-armed, frightened, desperate young men are not going to be prepared to rape and murder you for a feed of it.

I think that’s it.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 9:51 am

Tom at 4:02
While you get a lot of chaff with Broelman, nice to see Sam Sheepdog make an appearance. Lot of Wile E Coyote behaviour in the world at the moment.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 13, 2023 9:52 am

Piers “dickless” Morgan being cluebatted again.

MORGAN: Well, there is, but I don’t think that all of these protesters are pro-Hamas. I think you’re making…

MURRAY: Right, and the difference is whether you have a large artillery behind you.

MORGAN: You don’t honestly think they’re all pro-Hamas, these people.

MURRAY: Well, well, I think that anyone who for instance chants things like From the River to the Sea is, in fact, what I described and is criminally ignorant. Oh, well they are, there were masses of idiots marching past Westminster Abbey last week saying exactly that.

MORGAN: Yeah, but they’re not all doing it (crosstalk) I’ve watched the videos. There are some who are chanting and some who aren’t.

MURRAY: Okay, well here’s a challenge, Piers. If you decided to go on some kind of march and in week one you discovered that you had the BMP calling, for instance, for the murder of all black people, would you not wonder whether or not you should go on week two? Would you not drop out by week three? I would have thought so, I would.

MORGAN: That’s a good question…yes, I would.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:53 am

Let’s those who want to leave, leave. Make the rest Israelis.

In 20 years time, without Nahoul and Farfour, the children have a better chance.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 13, 2023 9:54 am

What does winning look like? I’d say that after this operation Israel will set out to take full control of Gaza in a security sense. Total control. To neutralize the strip as a platform from which to launch attacks.

Gaza alone has 2 million residents, even if Israel and the IDF had no other problems (they do – they are surrounded by them) a country of 5 million cant afford to occupy it long term.

Thats how irregulars win – by absorbing the losses whilst bleeding the regulars white, economically speaking.

Vicki
Vicki
November 13, 2023 9:54 am

I agree with you, Duk, that the Gazan population will be a continuing security risk. But it has always been so. Israel had lived with enemies on every side of their small country & has continued to develop a prosperous society.

New solutions will be explored. I feel more confidant in their ability than in the dismal security prospects in Oz!!!!

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 13, 2023 9:56 am

I think the IDF know what they are doing.

The IDF are doing what the Israeli politicians tell them – now do you see the problem?

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:57 am

“Oh no we can’t win in Gaza, whatever shall we do…”

Get the fainting couch.
Set JC up with a HotDesk.
Get Nancy’s canine Bex and doggy holiday bed.
Get Tim Pool to make a click bait title about WWIII.

Makka
Makka
November 13, 2023 9:57 am

Its not just the tunnels that need to be cleared, they have to remove all 2 million residents of gaza or the problem will grow back.

“Israel estimates that more than 850,000 of the 1.1 million people in northern Gaza have left, according to military spokesman Jonathan Conricus”

Israel has already partitioned Gaza – north from south. Israel has to neutralize the threat. This is what they are setting about now. After the IDF wraps up in Gaza it will be a completely different place, I’m sure of it. The US is “concerned” about Israel’s plan for Gaza post the Hamas war. A very good sign.

Gabor
Gabor
November 13, 2023 9:57 am

I’m losing respect for some of the posters here, whom I regarded as valuable contributors before.
Sorry about that, but their true nature comes out in time.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 9:58 am

So Israel just needs to be a military dictatorship that constantly loses wars because they expect to lose?

What an insane idea.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 9:58 am

kd wrong drawing plenty of well deserved opprobrium this morning. Truly a creature of the Liar Left at home among the Mean Girls.

cohenite
November 13, 2023 10:02 am

Meet Gregory Andrews, the driving force behind Lyrebird Dreaming. With a background in policy, governance, and cross-cultural communication, Gregory brings his experience from remote Indigenous Australia to international diplomacy. As an Adjunct Associate Professor and D’harawal man, his commitment to Indigenous empowerment and the environment shines through.

It turns out that he is an experienced marriage and funeral celebrant too.

Bolta interviewed him. Bolta was momentarily speechless when the dickhead said his young daughter supports him starving himself to death. By the look of the bastard though it will be a few months.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
November 13, 2023 10:02 am

In 20 years time, without Nahoul and Farfour, the children have a better chance.

That would be true, of course.

The problem is going to be digging Nahoul and Farfour out of the dark tunnels of the minds of 2 million haters.

Vicki
Vicki
November 13, 2023 10:02 am

Re Israeli politicians:

Bibi has no future as a leader after the crisis eases. That is a given. But the IDF in Israel have status that has no real equivalent (in my humble opinion) in western societies. I do not have any particular contact within Israel, but my reading of events & understanding of past Israeli history suggests that the extent of this crisis changes the political/military equation.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 10:03 am

I’m losing respect for some of the posters here

A lot of “muh red pilling” leads to dumb stuff like The Protocols and being sympatico with the far left on the absurd “JQ”.

That’s why I said in 2016 to not trust the “alt right” (although now it just means someone who isn’t an establishment conservative politician).

If only they had the requisite IQ to be red pilled about the ugliness and stupidity of antisemitism.

bespoke
bespoke
November 13, 2023 10:04 am

Wally Dalí
Nov 13, 2023 9:43 AM
Bespoke
What’s the best value Agricultural field day in SA?

Iv only been to the same one twice so I wouldn’t know. It had graders.

Vicki
Vicki
November 13, 2023 10:05 am

Not sure what your point is, Dot. But I think Makka is “ on the money”.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 10:06 am

Chris at 9:02

It’s a pretty gross cartoon. And I know Hillary is gross, but still. One of the standard insults of the wine-drenched resentment fountain is ‘cankles’, and they put that in.

US cartooning can lack the subtlety of Australian and particularly UK cartooning. I am not a fan of their labelling of everything. I think it can be excused on cultural grounds but it not great cartooning IMO.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 13, 2023 10:09 am

Someone here the other day suggesting that enviro-immigrants from Tuvalu might be solid citizens, and there isn’t a huge number of them.
Just back the truck up a minute and consider the consequences.
How much of a stretch would it be to imagine the High Court extending this policy decision to cover all people living in low lying countries.
Nek minnit, we are over-run with Cloimate Refugees from Bangladesh or, perish the thought, Holland.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 10:10 am

Garrison’s cartoons with the excessive and obvious labelling really does feed into a stereotype of dumb Fatmuricans.

Why not just draw a diagram of how Congress works too? Maybe a 700 word wall boomer tier meme while we’re at it?

Makka
Makka
November 13, 2023 10:10 am

But the IDF in Israel have status that has no real equivalent

While Israeli politicians are a varied bunch, the IDF is very close to the US Military. And the US has a big say in what happens re: Israel and her relations external. This is another on-going challenge for Israel; keeping on side with the US. Which I suspect in future will mean some kind of attack on Iran.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 10:10 am

Well played patriarchy, well played.

Thank you linesmen and ummm … thank you ballboys.

MatrixTransform
November 13, 2023 10:11 am

I didn’t find out I was stupid and ignorant until I was thirty

you’re an early starter mate

I got two kids in their 30’s and they’re both absolutely convinced that everything worth thinking has already been thunk

there’s still hope for number 3

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 13, 2023 10:14 am

That Wong Chap really is the epitome of the know-it-all left. Convinced through habit that they already know all that needs to be known they consider things they don’t know to be life’s minutiae.

Ultracrepidaria — it’s a brain disease of the leftists – academia, politicians, GenX-ers and millennials – sample of Thomas Sowell’s views of the non-productive class:

Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good.

The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive.

shatterzzz
November 13, 2023 10:15 am

IDF casualties have been remarkably light considering they’re fighting in a Gazan version of Stalingrad.

The IDF is demonstrating the difference between serious military planning and execution and a bunch of religious crazed fanatics who think lotza media attention and ad hoc street fighting beats thought thru tactics …!

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 10:16 am

“Adjunct Associate Professor”

LOL. Is that the same as a tutor or as a junior lecturer?

It’s the academic equivalent of ALPBC Special Projects. Best not to put it on your CV and stick to Welcome to Country ceremonies.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 10:17 am

Couple of interesting sites to play BOM Satistics

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=40&p_display_type=dataFile&p_startYear=&p_c=&p_stn_num=048013

and

BOM Weather Stations by Name with Station Number & with Start/End Date & Number of years

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/lists_by_element/alphaAUS_139.txt

Highest Temperature Every Month Melbourne 086071 from 1855 to 2015

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=40&p_display_type=dataFile&p_startYear=&p_c=&p_stn_num=086071

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/lists_by_element/alphaAUS_139.txt

and

BOM Weather Stations by Number with Start/End Date & Number of years

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/lists_by_element/numAUS_139.txt

PS Drop http:// from address if BOM shows error – juts use http://www.bom.gov.au as start

bespoke
bespoke
November 13, 2023 10:18 am

I got two kids in their 30’s and they’re both absolutely convinced that everything worth thinking has already been thunk

Showing the quote from Charles Holland Duell is a good starting point in countering that rubbish Matrix.

Iv done it myself with some success.

Makka
Makka
November 13, 2023 10:19 am

Look at what Israel put in place for years after the Munich massacre. Hunting down and eliminating the perps and planners.

After the butchering of of some 1400 Israeli innocents and hostages, Israel will devote all necessary resources to eliminating the designers of that massacre. That means the Iranians.

MatrixTransform
November 13, 2023 10:22 am

I’d rather be the black sheep and be put down constantly than put up with Bird’s insane ranting

Dotty,

Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster …

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 10:23 am

Couple of interesting sites to play BOM Satistics

BOM Weather Stations by Name with Station Number & with Start/End Date & Number of years

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/lists_by_element/alphaAUS_139.txt

Highest Temperature Every Month Melbourne 086071 from 1855 to 2015

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=40&p_display_type=dataFile&p_startYear=&p_c=&p_stn_num=086071

and

BOM Weather Stations by Number with Start/End Date & Number of years

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/lists_by_element/numAUS_139.txt

PS Drop http:// from address if BOM shows error – just use http://www.bom.gov.au as start

JC
JC
November 13, 2023 10:24 am

Sage advice from an expert.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 10:25 am

The Japanese or the Germans might be a better historical analogy for Gaza. That does not account for Islam though.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 10:25 am

Another interesting site to play BOM Satistics

Monthly Highest Temperture Bourke Post Office
Number: 48013
Opened: 1871
Now: Closed 15 Aug 1996

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=40&p_display_type=dataFile&p_startYear=&p_c=&p_stn_num=048013

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
November 13, 2023 10:28 am

I think this Gregory Andrews fellow should have his progress recorded.

It can then be shown to kids in year 7 and up as a warning against the lethality of fanaticism. As his flesh wastes away, his skin greys and sags, his energy fades like an uncoiling watch spring, they can see his insane zealotry consuming him like an invisible beast of prey.

We just tell him that we are recording his slow demise as a testament to his dedication. He will believe that. If he has demonstrated one human capacity in spades it is gullibility.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 10:28 am

Bolton and Zafiro have certainly made scrolling through the Night Shift more entertaining. It’s as if Groogs is still here with us.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 10:28 am

Its not just the tunnels that need to be cleared, they have to remove all 2 million residents of gaza or the problem will grow back.

This:

Israeli defense official says Gaza will be reduced to a ‘city of tents’ (11 Oct)

The unnamed defense official told Israel’s Channel 13 that the Palestinian territory, home to more than 2 million residents, would be reduced to rubble.

“Gaza will eventually turn into a city of tents. There will be no buildings.

Given the footage Rosie put up of the IDF tearing down buildings with a heavy duty backhoe it seems more and more likely this wasn’t just rhetoric.

It makes sense: demolish the place, roll the rumble into a flat plain, then let the population back to live in tents on the plain. Fed by donors and UNRWA. If they try to construct a masonry building bomb it flat again. Not much you can do in a tent, especially with drones overhead watching all the time.

Having said that the war cabinet is having a barny among themselves at the moment about whether Israel will maintain security over Gaza whilst allowing the denizens to rule themselves, or get out entirely. I would prefer to see the latter.

We’ll see. Netanyahu said this weekend he expected the war to last a year. It is a serious engineering job to completely demolish a city the size of Brisbane.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 13, 2023 10:29 am

Chilling threat sent to Australia’s peak Jewish body: ‘We are coming for you’
exclusive
By cameron stewart
Chief International Correspondent
@camstewarttheoz
10:05AM November 13, 2023

The image of an Islamic State ­terrorist with a knife in his hand about to behead a hostage in Syria was sent to Australia’s peak Jewish body with the words “We are coming for you soon, from western Sydney”.

The nation’s peak Jewish body, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies ­received the image via direct message on Instagram on October 12, less than a week after Hamas terrorists slaughtered 1200 Israeli citizens in southern Israel.

NSW Police investigated the incident and on November 1, a 33-year-old man from the southern Sydney suburb of Wolli Creek was arrested.
Read Next

A NSW Police spokesperson said the man was charged with ­behaving in an offensive manner in a public place, using a carriage service to threaten to kill and three counts of using a carriage service to menace and offend. He was refused bail and was remanded in custody to appear in court on January 10.

The shocking incident is just one of a nationwide surge in death threats, abuse on the streets and incitement to violence against Jewish Australians that accelerated across the country over the weekend.

In the Jewish Melbourne suburb of Caulfield, where Palestinian demonstrators attacked pro-Israel supporters on Friday, two young Jewish men were assaulted by a group of men of Middle Eastern appearance just after midnight on Saturday who told the victims they had come to Caulfield because of the “protests”.

In the NSW city of Newcastle, the home of a Jewish Rabbi was defaced with graffiti urging people to “Kill the Jews this morning” while in Sydney’s Surry Hills the Shaffa restaurant was subjected to a graffiti attack with “child murder” written on its walls.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Melbourne’s CBD on Sunday, calling for Israel to stop its attacks in Gaza, but the rally also included anti-Semitic signs.

One included a depiction of a man throwing the Jewish Star of David into a bin with “Let’s clean the world from Rubbish”, while another compared Gaza with the Auschwitz concentration camp where more than a million Jews were murdered.

Another sign said: “Gaza = Gas Chamber.”

“Enough is enough,” David Ossip, president of the NSW ­Jewish Board of Deputies, told The Australian.

“The Jewish ­community is experiencing levels of anti-Semitism we never previously thought possible. All people of goodwill need to join with the Jewish community to draw a line in the sand and say clearly and without equivocation – no more.”

In Caulfield three 22-year-old Jewish men were driving home just after midnight on Saturday when they encountered about 10 men of “Middle Eastern appearance” near the Caulfield Town Hall.

The Jewish men stopped at a house nearby to drop their friend home when their parked car was blocked by two cars carrying the group of men.

When one of the Jewish men asked what the group were doing in Caulfield, they told them they were here “for the protests” and demanded that they hand over their phones to check if they had taken photographs of them.

Two of the three Jewish men were then punched in the face by the group, before they the group jumped back into their cars and fled the scene.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this ugly and violent attack on these young Jewish individuals, and our thoughts are with the victims,” said Dvir Abramovich, Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, a civil rights organisation fighting anti-Semitism.

“No one should ever be targeted and singled out for violence, and if police determine that this assault, which is shocking on many levels, was driven by anti-Semitism and anti-Israel motivations, it should be treated as a hate-crime.

Isn’t it time some of this fooking rabble had their Australian citizenship’s revoked, and were deported to whatever Third World sh!thole they came from?

shatterzzz
November 13, 2023 10:31 am

There is no way Israel can win this and Hamas knew that at the start. Like all irregulars, they knew their provocation would provoke a massive response

HAMAS went into this expecting their arab & media maaates to bail them out .. didn’t happen! ..
If Israel continue on with their safety first & steady advance they will win .. The “neighbours” will get the msg as will the Hezzies (who haven’t got the freedom to do as they like as Hamas has/had) ..
Iran will, as they usually do, get excited and overreach thus providing the excuse for some much needed ‘surgical” treatment …….
Israel is, this time, playing the long game with a specific aim .. arabs & terrorists are more into short term plays for maximum publicityand sympathy the longer it goes the faster their enthusiasm (and numbers) wains …….

Top Ender
Top Ender
November 13, 2023 10:34 am

The Wong Chap is taking a hammering over the at the Oz, with two articles criticising Labor.

This one is Penny Wong’s ceasefire push raises new questions on Middle East policy. My comment got up:

I served in the Iraq war in 2006 in Baghdad. We were fired at constantly with missiles and mortars, emanating from hospital roofs; school playgrounds, and even shopping centre car parks. All of those spots were chosen by Al-Quada because it allowed them to fire without fire of retaliation.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 10:35 am

Isn’t it time some of this fooking rabble had their Australian citizenship’s revoked, and were deported to whatever Third World sh!thole they came from?

Clearly you’re not on the High Court.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 13, 2023 10:37 am

Bev
24 minutes ago
Reported in this paper the IDF delivered 300 litres of fuel for use at the hospital so it would have power. Hamas stopped the hospitals from using the fuel.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
November 13, 2023 10:39 am

Chilling threat sent to Australia’s peak Jewish body: ‘We are coming for you’

In light of the above I think we should all be on the look out for outbreaks of Islamophobia.

Anders
Anders
November 13, 2023 10:41 am

The unnamed defense official told Israel’s Channel 13 that the Palestinian territory, home to more than 2 million residents, would be reduced to rubble.

“Gaza will eventually turn into a city of tents. There will be no buildings.

In other words: hundreds of thousands of Gazans are heading to a city near you, Westerners. Oh goodie.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
November 13, 2023 10:42 am

On Wong Thought:

She’s not stating Handsome Boy’s international position (not that he seems to have one), Wong is simply playing retail politics and trying to walk both sides of the domestic barbed wire fence.

She obviously knows that Hamas is using Gazan hospitals as military infrastructure:

Wong said while she understood that Hamas was “burrowed into civilian infrastructure”, international humanitarian law required the protection of hospitals.

And also that Article 19 of the Geneva convention is fairly straightforward to parse:

Article 19 – Wounded and sick IV. Discontinuance of protection of hospitals

The protection to which civilian hospitals are entitled shall not cease unless they are used to commit, outside their humanitarian duties, acts harmful to the enemy. Protection may, however, cease only after due warning has been given, naming, in all appropriate cases, a reasonable time limit, and after such warning has remained unheeded.

Those words were deliberately written to prevent arseholes holing up in hospitals and claiming ‘Safe’. On face value then, Australia’s position (per Wong) would appear to be against the expressed intent of the Geneva Convention.

She’s not that stupid: but she hopes enough Labor voters and the denizens of Western Sydney are.

Will be ignored internationally; but still providing a flicker of comfort and support to Hamas.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 13, 2023 10:43 am

Boambee John

Nov 13, 2023 9:27 AM

“Adjunct Associate Professor”

LOL. Is that the same as a tutor or as a junior lecturer?

Not even.
A junior lecturer or tutor would be expected to have achieved some level of academic qualifications as a pre-requisite.
Adjunct Associate Perfesser* is simply an academic honorific title.
As the term “honorific” might suggest, it is bestowed unencumbered by the weight of any academic rigour or effort.
Initially these were awarded to those deemed worthy by dint of their achievements outside academia. These days it would seem they are awarded based on trace genetics (as low as 1/1024 or, in Bruce Pascoe’s case, 0.00000%).
Also, in bygone days, one was restricted in the use of these honorifics except for ceremonial occasions at the University. Now it seems that Universities see them as some sort of promotional tool and are happy to see their Alumni of Adjunct Associates bandy the title around with gay abandon.
Which is strange, considering that this chap’s best form of academic argument is to starve himself to death.

* See also:- Prize; Every Child Wins a,

Diogenes
Diogenes
November 13, 2023 10:43 am

perish the thought, Holland.

Oh the humanity!

JC
JC
November 13, 2023 10:45 am

Mother Lode
Nov 13, 2023 10:39 AM

Chilling threat sent to Australia’s peak Jewish body: ‘We are coming for you’

If it’s the same story, the cops tracked him down and he’s facing serious charges.

Despite the evenhanded appearance of the cops etc , which I think is the wrong strategy and will end up backfiring, I suspect they know where the risk resides and they’re focused on it as much as any state bureaucracy can be.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 10:45 am

Australia’s record high autism rates ‘plausibly’ linked to NDIS

Tom Burton

Australia’s prevalence of autism in children is among the highest in the world, and a leading researcher argues it’s “plausible” this is due to the financial incentives created by the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The ANU doctoral research found the growth in estimates of autism in children is steeper in Australia than in other countries, including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

It also showed Australia has some of the highest prevalence rates in the world, among various studies.

The studies involved different age groups looked at over time, but collated together it suggested Australia’s prevalence is around double that of Canada, 1.6 times the US and around 2.5 times higher than the United Kingdom.

“Incentives in government policy, specifically the NDIS, is the key factor unique to the Australian context and potentially explains the additional growth in Australian prevalence,” writes the study’s author, actuary Maathu Ranjan.

Autism constitutes a spectrum of neurodevelopmental conditions. It involves persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviour, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

People with autism and developmental delay, which can often precede an autism diagnosis, account for 45 per cent of all NDIS participants.

The average autism NDIS participant receives $33,800 a year, according to NDIS data.

The ballooning number of autism cases has been a key driver in the explosion of the cost of the $41 billion scheme.

“This study provides further evidence to what is reasonably well established, which is that having a diagnosis as entry criteria and into the NDIS incentivised that diagnosis,” said Telethon Kids professor of autism research Andrew Whitehouse.

He said because the NDIS was the “lifeboat in the sea, families will do anything to receive that support and so will clinicians”.

“We need to build our support systems outside of the NDIS and absolutely those systems should be designed based on the need of a child, not necessarily their diagnosis.”

This was echoed by other experts. “If there is only one source of that support, then there has to be gravitational pull all of its own,” said Jim Mullan, the CEO of Amaze, a leading autism organisation, based in Victoria.

“The NDIS is like the sun at the centre of the disability universe, it’s pulling everything towards it.”

The shift to clinical diagnosis as a gateway to NDIS autism support occurred in 2017. A review of the NDIS is currently being shared with the States. It is expected to recommend a return to the functional impairment needs test, as well as a significant step-up in State government education support.

‘Considerable controversy’ over driver

Global studies of autism prevalence show an increasing trend over the past 50 years and a marked increase over the past decade, especially in more developed economies.

Studies report prevalence ranges from 2 per cent to 4 per cent, but there is considerable controversy over what is driving the increases.

Several studies have suggested the higher rates are due to non-biological factors, including changes in definition, improved services, and greater awareness in both the lay and professional public.

The ANU research looked at autism prevalence studies over 20 years and found the Australian growth rate for children was the highest among surveyed countries.

The growth rate was similar to that in Japan, where a community-oriented system of early detection and early intervention has been in place since the 1990s. A separate analysis of 2023 NDIS participant data suggested similar Australian prevalence rates.

The ANU research was undertaken by Ms Ranjan, a senior NDIS actuary, who is on study leave, and undertaking a PhD at the Crawford School of Public Policy looking at the impact of autism on the NDIS.

Her paper does not represent the views of the National Disability Insurance Agency and has not been peer-reviewed.

It is being presented to an Actuaries Institute disability seminar in Hobart Monday.

Ms Ranjan said understanding why the largest cohort in the NDIS is rapidly increasing would help in the redesign of the scheme.

She said reforms to the scheme should consider the insurability of “high frequency” case conditions like autism, which have high rates of incidence.

“There is considerable controversy as to what is driving this trend,” she writes in her paper.

“With the rise in autism prevalence being steeper in Australia than other countries with comparable economic and health systems, it is plausible that the growth of prevalence rates above the global average in Australia can be attributed to the financial incentives created by government policy, specifically the implementation of the NDIS,” Ms Ranjan said.

She said further work could be done through the NDIS itself, by studying the rollout of the NDIS by region and age group to see the impact of the scheme on autism prevalence rates.

Prevalence rising before NDIS started

Professor Cheryl Dissanayake says it’s “unlikely” NDIS is driving autism numbers. Jason South

A leading autism researcher, La Trobe University professor Cheryl Dissanayake, questioned if the NDIS was driving the higher numbers.

She said the ANU study showed the sharply rising prevalence was occurring well before the NDIS scheme had been fully rolled out in 2019.

She also pointed to a 2022 Victorian study she had co-authored of 13,000 children. It found prevalence rates similar to those reported in the US this year, where there is no central disability program.

“I would say that it’s unlikely that the NDIS is driving those numbers”, she said, but conceded the NDIS could be having “some impact”.

“Australia needs to do a proper epidemiological study. Using government data and so on is OK, but you need to do both,” Professor Dissanayake said.

“You need to use the government data, but you actually need to do a robust study and collect the case data and then compare it to government data and see what it tells you.”

Ms Ranjan said the Victorian study used 2018 data and that later data from the National Disability Insurance Agency confirmed the higher levels of autism.

“2023 data from the NDIA suggests 1 in 25 [4 per cent], seven- to 14-year-olds have a primary diagnosis of autism. The total prevalence – not just those eligible for NDIA – will be higher,” Ms Ranjan said in response.

Professor Whitehouse attributed Australia’s higher prevalence rates to a more informed population.

“Autism awareness in Australia is very high, most people in the general community would have an understanding about autism.

Professor Andrew Whitehouse calls for NDIS to be rebuilt around concept of functional needs.

He called for the scheme to be rebuilt around its original concept of functional needs, rather than clinical diagnosis, which was too broad and not necessarily an indicator of impairment.

“We’re inadvertently asking them to go and seek an autism diagnosis, even when it might not be appropriate for them to receive that support. We just need to take that out of the system.”

Professor Dissanayake agreed early intervention was the key.

“Children in Australia aren’t diagnosed early enough. That’s basically been my soapbox, for the last 15 years or so. We’re diagnosing children too late.”

Labor will withhold forecasts showing the escalating cost of the NDIS, as Treasury’s head actuary warns of a material risk the program will blow out.

Vicki
Vicki
November 13, 2023 10:46 am

Well done Top Ender! I would like to see more of this personal testimony to counter the naive rubbish that the luvvies come up with. Their naivety puts us all in danger.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 13, 2023 10:48 am

In other words: hundreds of thousands of Gazans are heading to a city near you, Westerners. Oh goodie.

Certainly the US.

Anti-Israel Democrats ‘Horrified’ of GOP Plans to Stop Palestinian Immigration to U.S. (11 Nov)

As Republicans aim to keep potential terrorists out of the U.S., Democrats urged President Joe Biden to provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to Palestinians in the U.S.— which would ensure Palestinians in the country cannot be deported.

They like Hamas so much they want them to move to America. Wow.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 10:49 am

Prof Phatty Adams numerous adjunct degrees significantly lowered their status long before they were given out for ochre grinding.

Makka
Makka
November 13, 2023 10:51 am

Isn’t it time some of this fooking rabble had their Australian citizenship’s revoked, and were deported to whatever Third World sh!thole they came from?

According to our ASIO chief nerd, Australia’s biggest threat to security is from Right Wing extremists.

I’m reminded of the insurance advert, wifey with a towel over hear head staggering blindly around the back yard; “Boat? What boat?”.

Bruce
Bruce
November 13, 2023 10:53 am

“IDF casualties have been remarkably light considering they’re fighting in a Gazan version of Stalingrad.”

Stalingrad was a non-discriminatory ‘meat grinder”.

However:

The Germans were a LONG way from home.

The Red army was on their own turf, with intact and growing supply lines.

This enabled them to effectively lay siege to the besieging Germans.

They were able to do this for two reasons:

The provision of a prodigious amount of materiel, food and medical supplies via the US / Brit convoys on the Murmansk suicide run.

Their spook-work (Sorge) in Japan that enabled numerous Siberian Divisions to be sent westwards to fall upon the over-stretched Germans.

In Gaza, the situation is a little different; Hamas cannot rely on “General Winter” to come to their aid. The LSM (General Treason) is working very hard, though.

Diogenes
Diogenes
November 13, 2023 10:54 am

The IDF is demonstrating the difference between serious military planning and execution and

6th Army going into Stalingrad was at the end of its collective physical and logistical tether.

Dunny Brush
Dunny Brush
November 13, 2023 10:54 am

Albo is trotting out the ‘no place for hatred’ line’ can somebody dig out the Smash Her vid. Or the Pally Ralky one.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 13, 2023 10:55 am

She obviously knows that Hamas is using Gazan hospitals as military infrastructure:

I know you will be horrified by this Faustus, but the butcher’s paper has been dragged out of retirement.
Gaza has a population of around 2.4 million I think, and Gaza City about 600,000.
I saw a figure for the number of hospitals cited the other day which I thought was nearly 100. The best figure I can come up with today is 36. It is possible the figure of 100 included large clinics or somesuch.
I was looking at similar third world benchmarks and thought Perth might serve as a good comparison.
How many large hospitals does Perf have for a similar population?
I doubt it is 36.
Are Gazans are particularly sickly lot?
It’s a mystery.
So many hospitals for a society wracked by poverty.

JC
JC
November 13, 2023 10:56 am

We should let in a few Pali families. Spread them out across the zoos in the capital cities. Give them accommodation next to the ape cages and let the school kids throw food at them. It would be a great attraction and entice visitors.

alwaysright
alwaysright
November 13, 2023 10:56 am

their true nature comes out in time.

Declaring my hand.
I’m in this group.

demolish the place, roll the rumble into a flat plain, then let the population back to live in tents on the plain. Fed by donors and UNRWA. If they try to construct a masonry building bomb it flat again

Jorge
Jorge
November 13, 2023 10:57 am

After the butchering of of some 1400 Israeli innocents and hostages, Israel will devote all necessary resources to eliminating the designers of that massacre. That means the Iranians.

I think that depends on who replaces Bibi. The CIA/US will try to install somebody open to dealing with the Iranians and their nuclear ambitions. Bibi stood in the way of that fantasy.

Getting rid of Bibi would have been the long term objective of 7/10. For that reason alone I hope it doesn’t happen, but it’s probable.

shatterzzz
November 13, 2023 10:59 am

Did Luigi & mum ever have “houso” life problems ..?
This morning opened up an email from “houso” , “your new 3 monthly water charge commencing 27 November will be $17.85 per week” ..
cup of coffee .. wasted .. FFS!
here am I, a “houso” OAP living alone who’s usual water charge is around $2 a week being told he’s suddenly using sooo much bloody water, near, 8 times as much water as he has been .. a week .,………!
So armed with the figure(s) the bill is quoting out I go to the meter (which is located at the base of the mail box in full & clear view of anyone who wants to read it!) and check …… the bill states the last reading period was (it’s a digital screen, straightforward numbers on view) 675 dated 23 July 2023 yet here am I on 13 November staring at a reading of 651 ………FFS!
How hard can it be to collect your $umpteen a week public servant pay for reading numbers and get it so bloody wrong ……!
No idea what meter whoever read it used but fired off a comnplaint to both Housing & my local member ……
Cost of living for OAPs is high enuf without HO Chi Minns trying for a bit extra, probably, to help offset his latest whine about plod costs for plodding his, approved, RoP demos …….

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 10:59 am

Thanks New High Court of Australia – What you get with a High Court Woke Chief Justice – Screw The Australian Taxpayer whislt I get to pay a Fortune for a New Chief Administrator – it is just more of your TaxPayer Money for me

Read the Background on the New Australian Chief Justice of the Link above

Opposition slams Albanese govt’s response after child abusers and murderers among 80 asylum seekers released from detention

Video of Peta Credlin interviewing Chris Merrit The Australian Legal on Thoughts on High Court Decision

The Opposition has called on the Albanese government to clarify how it will protect the community after 80 asylum seekers, including some child abusers and murderers, were released from indefinite detention.

The Opposition has slammed the Albanese government’s lack of transparency after dozens of asylum seekers were released from indefinite detention following a landmark court ruling.

The High Court set a precedent when it found a prisoner – reportedly from Myanmar and in detention after being jailed for child sex offences – had been unlawfully held and ordered their release on Wednesday.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles on Monday confirmed 80 asylum seekers had since been released and about 90 more could also be freed.

His counterpart, Dan Tehan, said the government had failed to be transparent on how it would keep the community safe and needed to front up.

“The type of people who are being released into the community are child sex abusers, people who have been murderers, hit-men, other people who have had aggravated violence against other people,” the shadow immigration minister told Sky News Australia on Monday.

“We don’t know what visas they’re on, we don’t know what interactions are being undertaken by local, state police.

In Western Australia, it seems 30 were dumped in a motel.

“Andrew Giles needs to hold a press conference today… We’re hearing nothing from the government. We should be very, very concerned.”

Mr Giles has said federal and border police and states and territories will have a coordinated approach to manage the influx and ensure community safety.

He added the released prisoners were on “appropriate visa conditions” which would require them to check in with authorities but was unable to clarify the exact protections in place.

“Depending on the nature of the offending, depending on the circumstances of the individual, there will be appropriate responses under state and federal regimes,” he told ABC RN Breakfast on Monday.

“But we are also ensuring that we have both visa requirements and others requirements put in place that ensure community safety.”

In an earlier statement, Mr Giles said the government was working to establish further protections.

“The government is considering other measures that may be appropriate to ensure community safety as we work through the implications of the High Court’s decision and await the court’s reasons being handed down,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

But Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie said the government was “too late” in its response and should have had protections in place in anticipation of the High Court’s ruling.

“This has happened really quickly, you’ve now got all these people floating around out in society,” she told Sky News Australia on Monday.

“They’re already out there, this is really, really worrying for the community.”

The Human Rights Law Centre said there are currently 124 people in detention who have been held for more than five years. The average time a person is held in immigration detention is 708 days.

“Many of those people are stateless or owed protection by Australia, meaning that they cannot be returned to their countries of origin as a matter of international law,”

The Human Rights Law Centre said in a statement.

JC
JC
November 13, 2023 11:01 am

Bibi needs to go, when the hard part is done. Ultimately he’s a politician and this shit show happened on his watch. He was too focused on the Israel internals and although important he wasn’t watching the highway. As much as I’ve admired him, he’s been in too long and someone younger has to take his place.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 11:03 am

Benjamin Netanyahu claims Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry refused fuel from Israel to keep Al Shifa hospital running

Benjamin Netanyahu said Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry refused fuel from Israel to keep Al Shifa hospital running, amid reports the last generator has run out and 12 people, including three premature babies, have died.

The Israeli Prime Minister claimed the Palestinian militant group did not want fuel for Gaza’s hospitals and instead want it for their “war machine”.

“We just offered Shifa hospital the fuel, they refused it,” Netanyahu told NBC’s Meet the Press.

“We offered to give them enough fuel to operate the hospital and the incubators because obviously we have no battle with patients or with civilians at all.

IDF says it supplied 300 liters of fuel for “urgent medical purposes” at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, but Hamas prevented the medical center from receiving it.

Early this morning troops placed the jerrycans near the hospital, as had been coordinated in advance with officials at… pic.twitter.com/W5VYeJW2y8

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 12, 2023
“Hamas, (which) is hiding in the hospitals and placing itself there, doesn’t want the fuel for the hospital… they want to get fuel that they’ll take from the hospitals to their tunnels, to their war machine.”

The Israel military has released footage reportedly showing its soldiers delivering jerrycans of fuel to a location near the hospital on Sunday morning, a spot it said was agreed upon in advance with Al Shifa officials.

However, the IDF claimed Gaza’s deputy health minister Yousef Abu-Al Rish forbade the hospital from receiving the fuel.

It also shared an audio clip on X of what it said was a phone call between an Israeli military officer and a senior Gaza health ministry official confirming the allegations.

“There has been a lot of misinformation from Gaza today. So I want to clarify the facts. There is no siege, I repeat no siege, on Shifa Hospital,” IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters.

“We are fighting terrorists who are choosing to fight from close to Shifa Hospital.”

On Saturday, Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on rejecting growing international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza -unless Hamas releases the around 240 Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7.

Makka
Makka
November 13, 2023 11:05 am

“They’re already out there, this is really, really worrying for the community.”

Well yes, of course it is.

Much more worrying is that our own courts hate Australian’s so much they are happily releasing these vermin into the community while collecting exorbitant salaries from the same people they so obviously hate.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 11:05 am

Jewish groups ‘highly concerned’ by Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s calls for Israel to ‘cease the attacking of hospitals’

Two prominent Jewish organisations have put out a joint statement calling out Foreign Minister Penny Wong for allegedly helping support “false and harmful” narratives about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Zionist Federation of Australia and Executive Council of Australian Jewry have published a joint statement saying they were “highly concerned” by Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s call for Israel to stop striking hospitals in Gaza.

Speaking to the ABC on Sunday, Senator Wong had urged the Israel Defence Forces to “cease the attacking of hospitals,” amid reports of fighting around Al-Shifa Medical Complex over the past week.

While the Foreign Minister reaffirmed Australia’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself from militant attacks, she also repeated past statements about the need to minimise civilian casualties.

Senator Wong also highlighted the fact that “international humanitarian law does require the protection of hospitals, of patients and of medical staff,” although she acknowledged the difficulty faced by the IDF in fighting Hamas in close proximity to those sites.

However, in their statement the ZFA and ECAJ pushed back against the Foreign Minister’s remarks, claiming there was “no evidence” Israel was not abiding by the rules of armed conflict.

“We refer to the Minister’s assertion that the hospitals and medical facilities that Hamas burrows itself into are protected under international law and her call for Israel to ‘cease the attacking of hospitals’,” they wrote.

“We remind the Government that Article 19 of the Geneva Convention explicitly states that hospitals lose their protection if they are used for military purposes. It is incontrovertible that Hamas uses Shifa and other hospitals for military purposes.

“There is no evidence that Israel is not observing the laws of armed conflict.

“The libel that any Israeli attack on Gazan hospitals from which Hamas operates would amount to war crimes only serve to demonise the state of Israel and its supporters.”

Both groups added that Senator Wong’s statements risked providing “credibility to this false and harmful narrative,” and repeated calls for the government to unequivocally state Hamas bore sole legal and moral responsibility for the death of civilians.

The statement echoed comments from the IDF, which on Sunday posted to Twitter, now X, a video explaining the actions it had been taking to “mitigate harm to the people of Gaza.”

Another point of contention for the two Jewish groups was Senator Wong’s declaration that Australia wanted to see both sides “take the next steps towards a ceasefire,” and an end to the violence.

While the ZFA and ECAJ noted the Foreign Minister’s acknowledgement that any such agreement could not be “one-sided,” they nonetheless hit out at the push, saying the complete removal of Hamas from power was the only way to prevent “more war and human suffering.”

“Unless and until Hamas is removed from power, a ceasefire will inevitably further endanger Israel,” they wrote.

“Hamas leaders have publicly stated that Hamas will continue to repeat its 7 October massacres until Israel is eventually annihilated. Hamas being in power in Gaza is an intolerable threat to Israel, as world leaders – including in Australia – recognised in the wake of 7 October.

“Any ceasefire that does not involve the return of the hostages and the removal of Hamas from power will only entrench Hamas and embolden Israel’s other genocidal enemies, like Hezbollah.

“It will guarantee more war and human suffering for all.”

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
November 13, 2023 11:06 am

I suspect they know where the risk resides and they’re focused on it as much as any state bureaucracy can be.

I was actually thinking not so long ago (but before 7 October) that the imminent threat of Islamism (as in aggressive Islam) had substantially subsided – certainly from public discourse.

Hamas has scuppered that now, and it has been a disheartening revelation to see how much support they were able to draw upon so fast.

Dot
Dot
November 13, 2023 11:10 am

The CIA/US will try to install somebody open to dealing with the Iranians and their nuclear ambitions. Bibi stood in the way of that fantasy.

Enough of this nonsense. Israel is a not-so-secret nuclear power and you think Mossad and Shin Bet will let the CIA run Israel? You’re just playing into the hands of fantasists.

There are enough idiots in Israel to vote in left-wing lunacy.

I didn’t know Gilead was Israel and the US.

Makka
Makka
November 13, 2023 11:12 am

that the imminent threat of Islamism (as in aggressive Islam) had substantially subsided – certainly from public discourse.

It NEVER goes away, just goes quiet. The followers of Islam are always ready and available to agitate and act if called apon. It never changes, despite whatever the perception may be.

Chris
Chris
November 13, 2023 11:13 am

Much more worrying is that our own courts hate Australian’s so much they are happily releasing these vermin into the community while collecting exorbitant salaries from the same people they so obviously hate.

Is this real? I think when you look into it even sh*theaded ideas like releasing pedos are grounded in the actual failure to have a legal basis for what they did up to now.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 13, 2023 11:14 am

A left-wing editor and Jew despairs over his industry

Former Age editor-in-chief Michael Gawenda wants journalists to give claims by Israel more credence than those of Hamas.

Aaron Patrick – Senior correspondent

Michael Gawenda, who chronicled history, finds himself caught by it. From 1997 to 2004, as editor-in-chief of The Age newspaper, he was among the most-influential Jews in a city that produced many, including General John Monash and governors-general Isaac Isaacs and Zelman Cowen.

Today, in retirement, a war in the Middle East has left Gawenda strangely isolated in the state that appears to have reached a natural end point of the progressive politics that he championed as editor.

“The left is rejecting people like me who are on the left, but support Israel’s right to exist,” he says. “All of that has been amplified in recent weeks.”

With counting in the Voice referendum barely finished, there may be no event that divides this generation of journalists more than the Hamas-Israel war.

Last week, more than 500 journalists in the US signed an open letter criticising what they said was the industry’s pro-Israel bias. On Thursday (Friday AEDT), dozens of protesters, led by media-industry workers, gathered in The New York Times’ foyer to complain about its “complicity in the ongoing genocide of Gaza”.

In Australia, the ABC held a war-coverage meeting with staff, some of whom said the broadcaster uncritically repeats assertions by the Israel Defence Force, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Demographic bias

Like broader society, newsrooms represent the political spectrum.

They also skew young, and attitudinal surveys show younger people are more likely to lean left, a position likely to make them more empathetic to the Palestinians’ plight.

The demographic bias challenges media managers, especially at the ABC, where they are caught between opposing forces: a staff and audience more progressive than conservative, and right-wing politicians and media outlets vigilant for examples of favouritism.

The pressure comes from the left too. Last Monday, independent journalist Michael West, an ex-Herald and Australian columnist, predicted that the media would over-cover Scott Morrison’s “genocide propaganda for Benjamin Netanyahu’s government”.

The former prime minister went to Israel last weekend, in a trip arranged at the last minute with ex-British leader Boris Johnson, to participate in what he calls the “information war”.

Every war-torn image – a dead child held up for television cameras at a Gaza hospital has been seen at least 18 million times on X – has the power to influence Western public opinion, which can translate into more or fewer weapons for Israel.

“I think undoubtedly it is having an effect,” Morrison says. “It is one of the key reasons Boris and I were keen to go – to highlight how this all began.”

Lobbying

In a sense, Australia’s Israeli lobby has been preparing for the war for decades. Every year Jewish groups, funded by donors, send journalists, politicians and public servants to Israel for tightly scheduled trips that present Israel’s perspective. I went on one in 2015. The most exciting moment was when an alert told us a rocket had been fired from the Gaza Strip.

Israel has been accused by critics such as John Lyons, the ABC’s global affairs editor, of manipulating public opinion through the media tours.

Gawenda accuses Lyons of being unfair to Israel, and being part of a culture that promotes a moral equivalence between Hamas (which Australia has designated a terrorist group) and the Israeli government (which Australia has friendly relations with).

“I think on any reckoning the ABC has bent over backwards to not offend those members of staff who have strong feelings about what Israel is doing in Gaza,” Gawenda says.

Two weeks ago, while in southern Israel to help with the ABC’s coverage, Lyons challenged the legitimacy of Israel’s retaliation against Hamas. “Is the killing of almost 1000 children a week self-defence?” he wrote on the ABC website.

To be fair on Lyons, he has always said the conflict is tragedy for both sides. Last week he was praised by Australian columnist Janet Albrechtsen as a “journalistic adult” for his coverage.

“Nothing comes ‘easily’ in the Middle East,” Lyons says. “Rather than Michael ‘reckoning’ stuff about my coverage, I’ve had extraordinarily positive reaction to the way I’ve tried to report and analyse this complicated story in the Middle East.”

(Both men have written books expressing their views on Israel.)

Gawenda offers a solution: give more weight to assertions from one side than the other. The Israeli government, he argues, has more credibility because it operates in a vibrant democracy.

Hamas does not permit a free press in the Gaza Strip, and it would not be surprising for Palestinian journalists, photographers and videographers to see the war from the side of their government, friends and families.

The Israeli government last week complained that Gaza-based photographers used by the Associated Press, CNN, Reuters and the New York Times were present with Hamas fighters when they began the October 7 attack, and therefore may have been warned in advance.

One AP photographer, Hassan Eslaiah, crossed into Israel and photographed a burning Israeli tank, according to a pro-Israel lobby group called Honest Reporting.

The group found a photo on social media of Eslaiah being kissed on the cheek by the Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

“Part of the problem is Western journalists have no access to Gaza,” Gawenda says. “There is no independent reporting from Gaza. The result of that is if you look at the coverage, what the Israeli authorities say [and] what is reported out of Gaza [are] treated as though they are equal.

“When it comes to Israel, they have more credibility in the sense they can be interrogated. Journalists can go to other sources, even in the Israeli media, that can tell them if what they are saying in the IDF is true or not.”

Fairness is one of four principles of the journalist union’s code of ethics, and giving one side more credence would be extremely uncomfortable for many journalists.

But the code has a carve-out clause: “Ethical journalism requires conscientious decision-making in context.”

Real Deal
Real Deal
November 13, 2023 11:15 am

ML at 8.36.

Top shelf stuff. Remember too that Wong was one of the original mean girls. Never challenged, convinced of their own intellectual superiority, vain, mendacious and thoroughly charmless. Yet their entire career is one of complete non-achievement and ineptitude.

Does she ever lay awake at night and in a Jim Hacker-like moment of reality think; “what have I actually achieved?”

I think not.

Makka
Makka
November 13, 2023 11:17 am

Is this real?

It is to these a*sehole’s next victim.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 13, 2023 11:20 am

Did Luigi & mum ever have “houso” life problems ..?

You suspect Albo the Houso is just more Liar mythology from the likes of Mavis et al. In many Italian families getting banged up by a waiter out of wedlock would see you on the plastic chairs for the rest of the match. Now we are all being punished.

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  1. http://www.transterrestrial.com/2024/10/06/sending-humans-into-space/#comments Seems some outer space anthropologist has decided that sending humans into space is “imperialist”. This Devon Erikson X post…

  2. Wonder if by some chance the LNP get in, will they will swap Labour Day from May to October and…

  3. Was Japan undefeated because there were some holdouts on Pacific islands? In August 1945 the Japanese had millions of members…

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