Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Abbott auditions for the role of Captain Rambo Mainwaring

My God there has been an absolute Everest of who-gives-a-stuff blather about Abbott’s visit to Afghanistan. Seriously, politicians being political? Please get me a feather with which to knock me down.

Let’s cut the crap. Abbott got in trouble because he lied about why he didn’t go to Afghanistan with Gillard. The truth was he didn’t want to go with her, and he was going to go on his own. But instead of saying that he came up with some bull about not wanting to be jetlagged for his 15 minute meeting with David Cameron (a meeting so comical that all that was missing was for Cameron to say “… I’ll have mine with two sugars... oh sorry I thought you were the waiter”).

The Libs of course needed to cover up Abbott’s idiocy, and thus they adopted their standard operating procedure – dig their way out the hole. And so we had Christopher Pyne on Monday coming out with this:

"Trying to create the impression that Tony Abbott didn't want to visit the diggers in the field was not just an act of political bastardry, but also back-alley bitchiness from the person who is portraying all the signs of someone who is not fit to be Prime Minister of Australia,"

This caused the ABC to run with this headline:

Afghan row shows Gillard 'not fit to be PM'

Oh geez, so Pyne thinks Gillard isn’t fit to be Prime Minister? Well hold the front page.

And then to make sure everyone in the country knew that he was deeply embarrassed by the foot in the mouth shuffle he did in London, Abbott went on Alan Jones to say:

“It was, I think, a carefully laid political ambush, that's essentially what it was. There is no doubt about it, when it comes to Machiavellian bastardry, the Labor Party are world champions”

You can imagine Jones telling him, “There there Tony, come here, Alan’ll make it better”.

And of course The Oz went along for the ride, slapping on the headline of:

Tony Abbott says he's a victim of a 'political ambush' over Afghanistan

Do any editors ever stop and think “well, what did you expect him to say?”. 

I swear if some in the media we have now had been around Casablanca in 1942 they would have been running banner headlines announcing that Captain Renault was “Shocked to find gambling” going on in Rick's Café Américain.

But you have to credit Abbott for hide. He is suggesting that Gillard is so Machiavellian that she let it be known she had invited Abbott to go with her to Afghanistan (something not denied), but she did so knowing Abbott would then make a huge gaffe by saying he didn’t want to be jetlagged, which would mean a non-story would blow up into something big! Wow, she is good.

Seriously, Abbott is like a man who has tripped over his shoelaces and is now looking around demanding to know who pushed him.

And then you could almost hear Alan Jones say “dig up, Tony!” when Abbott began going in boots first, studs up over the three commandos who face charges over a night-time raid in Afghanistan last year in which six civilians were killed, including five children. Jones and 2GB may think it is a great cause to fight, but what the hell was Abbott thinking when he said:

“I suspect there has been a deep failure by this government to provide these soldiers with the defence that they are entitled to. We should assume that they were doing their best for our country.”

Here’s a tip Tony, how about we assume due process should be adhered to without politicians getting involved? He also said:

"Why is the Prime Minister not standing up and explaining this, defending this, justifying this or changing it? It's her job as Prime Minister to explain all of this and she's got to be made accountable for it.”

Defence Minister Stephen Smith must have wondered what he had done to deserve such a free hit, and today came out with this lovely work:

Well, I think these are unfortunate comments from Mr Abbott.

We have a system that was introduced by the Howard government with the support of the Labor Party, which ensured that, if prosecutions were brought against members of the Defence Forces, that it would be done by an independent, objective, impartial military prosecutor.

The legislation was introduced by the Howard government, of which Mr Abbott was a cabinet minister. The Military Prosecutor was appointed by the Howard government.

But the best line (sadly buried right at the end of the article) was reserved for the Executive Director of the Australia Defence Association, Neil James, who said:

"We think it's best that some things are tested in court. We're accountable and the Taliban are not."

Ouch.

For what it is worth, with regards to Abbott’s whole Afghanistan trip, my view is Abbott should have gone with Gillard. Going together does not imply the two are in any greater agreement on how the war should be fought than it does when they both attend the funeral of a soldier killed in action. If it is good enough for them to be bipartisan when paying respects to a dead soldier, it sure as hell should be good enough for them to do so when paying respects to the live ones.

But forget the Liberals pathetic attempts to cover up Abbott’s inability to think on his feet, for mine Abbott did himself the greatest disservice when he showed up in Afghanistan and promptly went off to shoot a few rounds with an automatic rifle.175816873-9d5d1c2cd03977cde619384dbb47f48d.4cb2ee30-scaled

As I often do, I rang up my Dad to talk about events. As a bloke whom a Liberal Government in 1968 decided should go off and fight in a war, I knew he’d have a few things to say about Abbott’s little army jaunt, especially as he always hates politicians playing at soldiers. I also knew he would have seen Monday’s front page of The Advertiser.

“I wanted to vomit,” was his reaction.

It wasn’t just the carefree nature of Abbott shooting a rifle as though doing so was just a bit of fun that got my Dad riled, it was also this pretty much ignored bit in the story:

Mr Abbott told the troops he would have liked to have patrolled with them over several days.

In fact we discovered this wasn’t just some throwaway line:

Mr Abbott's request to embed with the troops and go on patrol with them was overruled by Defence for security reasons.

Seriously, what kind of a fool thinks he has any right to go on patrol with the troops? Does he think the whole thing is a game? Does he not realise people are dying? Did he not grasp the seriousness of the patrols when he attended the funerals of the soldiers?

Going on patrol in Afghanistan is not like walking the Kokoda Trek, or getting in a big truck out in a mine in Kalgoorlie. People are dying. It is not a photo-op.

How dangerous are the patrols? Well let’s hear from the bloke in charge over there, Major General John Cantwell (from by the way a great piece by Paul Toohey, that deserves a much larger audience than it will get on “The Punch”):

“Frankly, the people of Australia and the government of Australia owe it to the soldiers who are stepping outside of these patrol bases, every day, risking their lives, not ever knowing if they’re going to get home from Afghanistan or even back to their patrol base that night.”

“But this is an IED [Improvised Explosives Devise] fight,” Cantwell says. The things can be found in walls, in trees, in fields, on donkeys. “Every single day there is an IED event of some sort.”Arthur_Lowe

And Abbott thought he could go out on patrol?

Here’s the thing about Abbott doing this – he would have be surrounded by soldiers with machine guns, or stuck as deep as possible inside a truck or armoured personal carrier, and the soldiers would be doing all they could to go through the motions of going on a real patrol without actually doing anything that might get him killed – in other words not actually doing their jobs.

It would not be real, because the patrol would contain a man not trained to be there. A man not trained to hold a weapon, let alone fire one. A man who if things got hot would be a liability and likely increase the chances that someone would get killed.

This was what Abbott was suggesting he could do.

Geez, you have got to wonder. My Dad certainly was shaking his head – saying if Abbott wanted to go on patrol, tell him, “Ok, you take point”. And then see how excited he is about it. 

Abbott’s visit to the troops in Afghanistan showed for all to see why he didn’t want to go with Gillard. The trip was not about showing support for the troops, it was about showing off action man Abbott (you know as opposed to the woman Gillard). 

Now sure such trips always are photo ops – for both sides. But shooting a weapon? Asking to go on patrol (for several days no less)? There are lines you don’t cross if you want to show yourself as a leader to be taken seriously.

Someone needs to tell Abbott that his job when in Afghanistan is to chat to some soldiers, get information from the men on the ground on how things are going, tell the men he’s behind them, and then get behind them – about 10,000 km behind.

90 comments:

Senexx said...

First of all Welcome back.

Next, I love how the media tells us that Abbott's trip was approved 14 days, was it - before Gillard made her request.

That's fine but it makes no mention of when he is/will/was to make the trip and I imagine there would have been a range of dates.

So this recent political to and fro in the media does not necessarily make either of them liars on this particular subject.

lapuntadelfin said...

Well, it looks like any wounds you may have sustained are healing up well.

And your aim has been unaffected by the percussion bombs that have been going off.

You lowered the crosshairs on the issue nicely.

Welcome back, soldier

Anonymous said...

Grog, Abbott is not Spartacus, i am Spartacus - The Finnigans

Anonymous said...

i haven't even read the article yet, but i want to say welcome back!

as a fellow aps employee i had feared you may have been hung out to dry, so glad this is not the case.

thank you for returning, now for the article...

nutra

ScreendoorSlams said...

For a 'conviction' politician Abbott seems to do a lot of 'yeah, what that nice bloke I just met said"

and welcome back, I hope it wasn't too much of an ordeal.

Anonymous said...

Hey Grog - welcome back. You've been missed.

Pure Abbott. Pure pugnacious, picked on, action man without a friggin brain Abbott.

Why couldn't they send him with the SAS and acede to a requesgt for a HALO jump. I would have loved to have packed his chute for him.

As for that whiney bloody Pyne. I'm with your dad; wanting to vomit.

BernardK

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

Welcome back, you were missed.

Lis Petersen (aka externallylaws) said...

I knew that as soon as you saw Abbott with a gun you'd have to blog.. just knew it...!

*wipes brow in relief...

Welcome back.

Fiona said...

The pic with Abbott and the bulletbroof vert and helmet makes me think either of Fielding, or the Singing beer bottle in that ad.

Noodle36 said...

I'm delighted Abbott got roundly slapped over this, because it was his spokesmen Johnston who decided to politicise Afghanistan by pretending not to have any understanding of the operation, calling for mortars, air support and tanks. Gillard showed him that it wasn't ground he wanted to fight her on, and has risen several notches in my estimation as a result.

Also, welcome back :-)

Red Bakersen said...

Tony Abbott is taking the whole "iron man" bit a little too seriously. I'm not sure if he's just stupid, or living in a fantasy world.

Welcome back.

Ashraf Ghebranious said...

Whole storm in a teacup. Except the teacup kept being pointed at by the same people saying it was a storm in a teacup and before you knew, the media got what it wanted.

A story.

Real story came after. The difference in 'missions' between Abbott and Gillard was strongly mentioned by Abbott's camp as was this idea to embed himself somewhere.

Then when he couldn't find a story over there to rattle the sabre over, he got back home and he rattled it over the soldiers on trial.

Rambo had more sense.

Anonymous said...

My first thought about Abbott and his request to be "embedded" was that he was channelling Churchill and his often commented upon desire to die in action. Some sort of Norse sacrifice fetish.

Welcome back.This article encapsulates just what we have missed during your unfortunate absence.

Best regards
MJC

ernmalleyscat said...

God, all that time off and you still haven't finished War and Peace.

Good to see the Public Service rules don't restrict the free expression of citizens' views.

I'm not surprised Abbott made a goose of himself, but am surprised that he and the party think the way out is to get more and more aggressive. Julia will 'rope a dope' him.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Grog! Glad to see you haven't been cowed by those who think integrity is to be found in a cereal box.

Agree about Abbott and his attempt to look like he-man. He appears to have no idea about the gravity of the work done there.

His attempt to meddle in the justice system over the three charged soldiers also shows his lack of forethought.

He continually attempts to apportion blame where it doesn't belong, then jumps up and down when he is called on it. He needs to wake up to himself instead of behaving like a spoiled child.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back. I had only just found this blog when you were outed. I have been checking everyday hoping you would start to write again. Thanks.

As for Abbott - I just keep thinking we are watching a Monty Python skit...

Gweneth

Noodle36 said...

On the Steyr photo op: it's actually pretty routine for visiting... well, everyone, to be given a bit of a blast on the firing range. I don't think it's harmful, and in fact I think it's a really good thing for pollies to know that the thing bucks, blasts hot carbon over your face in the desert sun, and will smash you in the eye if you're not careful.

Anonymous said...

Welcome Back !
After looking at Tony Abbott"s body language over the past few weeks I think there is something going on....he is looking stranger than ever....when did you last see him even smile ???

Rick said...

So you think Abbott made "a huge gaffe by saying he didn’t want to be jetlagged"? What flavour of media hysteria kool-ade have you been sipping?

Seriously, anyone who suggests that Abbott made a huge faux pas by admitting that he wanted to be fresh and rested for a meeting (brief as it may have been) with the Prime Minister of the Mother Country is pretty close to teetering right off the edge of common decency and respect for one's opponent.

Which might explain why Abbott made his harsh retort about Gillard in return. If you don't treat your noble adversary with respect, don't be surprised when he comes back swinging.

@blackbobs said...

bloggers never die for their spirits just float past the bones of main stream journos

Diogenes said...

Welcome back Grog.

Are you still reading War and Peace!! I read the Edmonds translation (that was about 25 years ago). The Pevear and Volokhonsky version is meant to be the best now.

groverjones said...

I lost what little respect I had for Abbott a few years ago when he was Health Minister. I had the opportunity to discuss the difficulties faced by remote & rural GPs, dealing with critically ill patients, when retrieval services were poorly coordinated or absent, and we were left dealing with patients who were too ill for our facilities for much longer than was good for them. I mentioned that we then were at times required to ride in the ambulance with the patient to the nearest base hospital when adequately trained ambulance crews could not be found, again working outside our competencies and putting the lives of patients at risk.
His response was basically that it 'must be exciting though, just like riding in the back of a tank on patrol in a combat zone', and that surely the adrenaline rush made it (ie patient's lives at risk, doctors burning out etc) worthwhile.

I also mentioned that it wasn't much fun being on call 24/7 several nights a week with limited resources and back up in a rural hospital. His response was that he understood because politicians were always on call for their constituents.

Looks like he's still a macho dickhead with no grasp of what it is like to be responsible for the life of another human being!

Andrew Elder said...

Welcome back.

This is not a storm-in-a-teacup like the Assistant Deputy Speaker thing was. First, it's a war, with real people dying and real consequences at stake beyond even that.

Second, it's instructive to see how Abbott deals with issues that are bigger than himself. He and Pyne gave Gillard everything they had, but it all bounced off her. So now they've gone after the head of military prosecutions - a woman, who can't speak out, and who's tougher and more substantial than Abbott, Pyne and Alan Jones put together.

Anonymous said...

By god it's good to see you back Grog. Ever so happy they didn't succeed in shutting you down.

Greg Jericho said...

Yes I am still reading War and Peace!!! (stuck on page 1050 - started reading Beevor's D-Day and kept reading!)

Twozwo2 said...

Wahoo.. welcome back.
When is your dad gonna start a blog!
I'll read that too.
Like the little dig at The Punch... ouch!

Anonymous said...

As an employee of the other supposed broadsheet feeding this ridiculous non-story more oxygen than a climber on Everest, let me say well said.

There's nothing to see here people...move along.

And here I was thinking that the media and the two major parties might use this new paradigm to discuss policy rather than distract with politics. Ah the naiveté of idealism.

Distractor said...

Seems you have spent some time sharpening your pen - well done !

And I go spare when even the ABC opens national news bulletins with some political statement or claim of some sort - as IF IT IS REAL NEWS !!

'Politics' should be covered in the same way sport is - not as actual news ...

P.M.Newton said...

Joining in with the welcome backs!

And so glad you're back today.

Hearing Abbott trotting out the line about the troops being stabbed in the back was a lovely little reference to the Dolchstoßlegende. From the same party that brought us "The Pacific Solution".

And after hearing grabs of Alan Jones on PM, hissing repeatedly about "that woman", directed no, not at Julia, but at the Director of Military Prosecution with Abbott enabling him and agreeing with him, I nearly tossed the radio out the window. Haven't heard such a rabid bit of sexism in quite a while.

Wondering how the almost half of the Liberal party who didn't vote for Tony are feeling about him now?

Hope you enjoyed a few good movies on the break.

Anonymous said...

Small correction: Neil James is from the Australia Defence Association, not the Australian Defence Association.

Diana said...

Glad you're back - I've been checking regularly, hoping things were OK with you.

Greg Jericho said...

Cheers anon will make the change re Neil James.

Actually twozwo2 it wasn't meant to be a dig at The Punch - more a wish Toheey's piece had made it in one of the dailies - (if it did I didn't see it)

SM said...

Welcome back.
You have been missed.

I think Abbott and Alan Jones are going to get this thing exploding on them.

The idea of wanting a independent military tribunal up until it has something that is of interest to do, is a lot stupid. It confuses the short term politicking with credibility over the longer term.

Maestromo said...

Just like to add a "welcome back". Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I'm just so glad you're back. I've been waiting with bated breath watching Google Reader. Ahh, great political analysis - like a cup of coffee - ever stimulating and slightly bitter. Welcome back Grog.

rkjobling said...

Something that has been missed in all this is that somebody in the coalition (I can't remember who) actually announced that Tony Abbott would be visiting Afghanistan on the way back from his overseas trip, when trying to justify his not going with Julia Gillard. I think this was actually prior to TA using the need for secrecy as his reason for "jet-lagged" gaffe.

Anonymous said...

So good to have you back Grog and a special mention to our PS who obviously have more nous than parts of our MSM.

I await a novel from you one day.

Slim said...

Glad to have you back and thank you for taking Abbott to task.

He has been intent on politicising our Afghanistan involvement for what he hopes is his own benefit. No-one in the media speaks of his earlier thought bubble about the adequacy of our provisions, thus breaking the usual bipartisan protocols when evaluating military operations.

I was thinking Guillard might 'do him slowly', but it looks like he will self-destruct soon enough now that Real Tony is back.

Anonymous said...

Like others, Welcome Back - great to have the opportunity again to read your fine blogs

The other aspect of all this is why Abbott et al keep on banging on and on and on about it when the cause looks so bad. The most plausible rational reason I have heard is to avoid scrutiny, again, of the lies from Abbott, Hockey and Robb on the costings (which this appears to have successfully achieved).

Perhaps more likely though is that there is no rational reason

Cheers, Laocoon

tredlgt said...

Grog
This is what the bastards wanted to stop, great entertaining informative writing . With luck the pretend journalists will read this and see how it can be done. Well done ,iced water in a desert.

lyn said...

Hi Greg

You have got no idea how fantastic it is to have you back Greg, we have all missed you very much.

Thankyou for the column you have written tonight, your thoughts, and genuine, sincere opinion on the latest Abbott gaffe is appreciated very much.

Wow! Greg thanks so very much for coming back.

I guess you have read the furore that has been going on, I collected an amazing amount of links. You will find them all on the Political Sword, most recent being 2 days or so ago.

Did you read Ad's piece on 10th Oct.

Grog, do come back - we need you, October 10, 2010, Ad Astra, The Political Sword
We earnestly hope that you have not been subject to intimidation. We do not presume to know your circumstances or feelings but I’m sure you will understand our motivation for saying:
Grog, do come back – we need you.
http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2010/10/10/Grog-do-come-back-e28093-we-need-you.aspx

Cheers
Lyn

Anonymous said...

Woooohoooo! Great to see you in action again Grog.

Anonymous said...

That ABC headline was so incredible I sent a formal complaint.

Welcome back.....not that you went anywhere.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Grog. Bloody good post.

And now if Abboot can just STFU about the soldiers before the tribunal and let due process happen instead of trying to make political points. :(

Way2fargone said...

Hello,
I am a first-timer here.

I have started reading your blog after following a link from Poll Bludger, and being particularly angry over your treatment by those not worthy of mention.

Please keep writing.

Anonymous said...

Adding another voice to the 'welcome back' chorus - you have been very much missed.

Rowan said...

10,000km behind, lols!

Ah, Abbott. More foreskin than forethought.

Thomas King said...

I kid you not I squealed "He's back, he's back, he's back, he's back" :)

Looking forward to your insights!

Anonymous said...

Welcome back,
Your blog was way better than any press

Welcome back,
To that same old place you exposed their mess

Well the press hasn’t changed since you ticked them off
But your fans have remained and they're well pissed off

We were scared we wouldn’t see ya (Scared we wouldn’t see ya )
Back here where we need ya (Here where we need ya)

Yeah we read Grog a lot cause he’s got them on the spot, welcome back
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back

Cheers,
Ro

NormanK said...

Welcome back Grog.
Abbott is showing many of the characteristics of PTSD.
Question is, will he flame out or will he turn up to QT with a Steyr under his arm?

Gravel said...

Welcome back, Grog.

Thank heavens the powers that be have seen it is important in our democracy to let each person have their say.

You have summed up the Abbott/Afghanistan situation nicely.

I look forward to many more of your posts and hope you are able to continue to do your roundup of question time again.

Anonymous said...

Hi Grog, and allow me to join the chorus - it's great to read your blog again.

Loved your Dad's "Ok, you take point" comment too.

JudgeG said...

Extremely happy that you are back writing your blog and sending in tweets.

This is a great post - I look forward to more of your unique take on things.

Thanks for everything you've done, and for surviving everything you've been through recently.

Jaime said...

Welcome back Grog! You've been sorely missed.

It's fantastic to read something with some actual insight rather than the drivel we're subjected to on an almost daily basis.
Glad you weren't scared off permanently mate.

Hillbilly Skeleton said...

Grog,
I bet your Dad knows exactly where Abbott should be embedded, as far up Christopher Pyne as he can go.
Yeah, Abbott has a hide as thick as Jessie, and a brain that matches to boot.
Jeez, what does he think it would be like if he went on patrol? An episode of 'Survivor Afghanistan', where all the drama and thrills and spills are managed by the production team?

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Grog.
Good to see you haven't let the bastards from news ltd grind you down.
I hope those intellectual pygmies at the Oz like Maiden, Massola and Franklin read this and get an insight into what real journalism can be.
Henry

Anonymous said...

So happy to see you back, Grog.

A Great Wrong on the internets has been righted.

Kymbos

Amos Keeto said...

Nice to see you back Grog.

tandah said...

Abbott's testosteroney photo opps remind me a little of Putin! Welcome back, hope it wasn't too uncomfortable in the mine.

Political Animal said...

Welcome back Grog! Stick it to Massola and the Opposition Orifice!

Cracking post to come back with too!

Anonymous said...

I only discovered your blog during the election campaign - the second week, I think - and was addicted in about two days. So I have been suffering addiction withdrawal. I have been longing to read your take on Abbott's latest antics, so finding your most recent post was a joy.
You write beautifully. No wonder professional journalists want to shut you down!
Apologies for the Anon. I will try to work out how to register a name when I get a few moments. Many, many thanks. You and (most of) your bloggers assure me that I am not alone in a world that seems increasingly bizarre.

emjar said...

A very big "Welcome Back" Grog.
Thanks for the comments exposing Abbot for the idiot he is. Does he not realise that his actions are observed all over the world? And that once again Australia is being defined by an idiot. His pathetic and rude bleatings have done him no credit and exposed him for the the gentleman he is (NOT!!)

Sanchez said...

Hi Grog, just wanted to say it's great to see you posting again, as I only found out about this blog after you went on hiatus, because of the furore in the media.

Just wanted you to know that the Streisand Effect is alive and kicking, and I expect you'll see a boost in your readership from now on. All thanks to The Australian!

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Grog.

I've been reading you for a while and although I don't normally comment I felt moved to say I have really missed your incisive analysis and have been checking in daily hoping you would be back.

All the best.
Lil

debbiep said...

the pièce de résistance of articles .

I thank grog for coming back and giving me / us the availablility to being able to read this article.

Thumbs UP :)

han said...

I like your analogy of tripping on his shoelaces and blame imaginary others that pushed him. i think the right word is "Chutzpah". It maybe just the Coalition bullshitting their way, or deliberately muddying the water in the belief that if the bullshit comes frequently some will stick in MSM's narrative (it works).

Michael said...

You've been away??? Come to think of it, I have noticed a distinct lack of commonsense in the 'political air' lately.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back mate
I couldn't agree more with your dad's thoughts ,taking up the Forward Scout would be a good spot for Tony Rambo you wouldn't want the bastard as Tail End Charlie

Min said...

Grog, consider yourself 'linked'..to Miglo's Café Whispers at: http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/

As I mentioned at the Café, Abbott's wish to go on patrol is but pure balderdash. The only mention that I can find about civilians being embedded was some journalists who had to undergo crisis training. Has Abbott done this? Did any journo bother to asked him if he had?

P.M.Newton said...

Hmmmm, TAbbott as Cpt Mainwaring - he does have his very own Cpl Jones dashing about the airwaves yelling "panic, panic".

CrocodileChuck said...

its great to have you back!

Mr Wombat said...

Good to see you still in action, Mr Not-Anon Grog.

Also like to add another vote of support for linking to Paul Toohey's piece. He is, IMHO, the most under rated journo in this country.

My first thought about Abbott and his request to be "embedded" was that he was channelling Churchill and his often commented upon desire to die in action.

At least Churchill did actually serve on the front line of a war (in WW 1), so had some idea of what he was talking about. Abbott is just an arrogant obnoxious pseudo-macho man fuckwit. And don't get me going on that prancing prat Pyne.

2353 said...

Whether it was a photo of Abbott with a army rifle or there's nothing worth watching on TV that is the reason for you getting the laptop out again Grog - welcome back.

I theorised elsewhere that Abbott's "jetlagged" comment may in 10 years time be seen as having the same relevance as Latham's handshake with Howard outside a radio studio (potentially with the same results too!)

Catalyst said...

mciDelighted that you are back- at last a bit of sanity returns..

Abbott is a do anything, say anything politico who is still behaving petulantly because he did not get to be PM. Worst fo all he was bested by ( gasp!) a woman.And we know how much respect he holds for women- it is displayed in all those sexist comments.


Abbot is about Abbott - and a bipartisan visit would not have suited his purpose as you so astutely point out.

Anonymous said...

Pure Machiavelli is phoney Tony not having to answer any questions on the phoney audit , doesn't the buck stop with him ? Did he setup this sideshow ?

jane said...

jane

Great post, Grog. Am glad you have resumed posting.

I'd like to know how come Capn Mainwaring and the rest of Dad's Army took a week to remember that he'd had the alleged meeting with Gillard to advise her of his travel plans?

Does that not strike anyone else as odd?

CALLIGULA said...

By golly Greg Jericho,
Your old man is a truthful old card and said really all that needed to be said in four short words.
Despite that may I add my few cents worth?
I apologise for copying here what I’d already sent to other blogs but I reckon your dad will agree with me.

politicaltarot.com/2010/10/ real-trigger-action - “I wonder what the Coalition and the public would have said if it was Gillard caught pulling the trigger?”

AAW – There are so many ways of answering your question. I’d put it to you this way –

Firstly, most girls are better shots than blokes and usually considerably safer with weapons.
Then Jules does seem, publicly at least, to have a better control of her temper and more situational awareness than the pretender could muster.

Now, though I’m a bit of a past expert you don’t have to take my word for it but I noticed that TA was only firing the Steyr on self-loading mode.
Probably a fair indication that the range officer had the same opinion as I do about Mr. Abbot’s
Attitudinal approach. (please note that I didn’t say bull at a gate)

As to the public opinion?
I believe you’d find that those of us who remain entrusted to bear arms would, like me, be less than impressed with any elitist wasting the defence budget and expensive ammo on ill considered publicity.
I don’t believe it worthwhile straining my brain considering the opinion of the rest of the nation since they’ve already said enough to convince me that for once gun owners and gun haters are in agreement.

PS.. That Steyr; some points –
I note that it has a sight that was supposedly phased out in about 1997.
It is also fitted with the 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher. Single shot and probably ineffective in Afghani conditions.
The troops may be right that some new equipment is needed.
Whatever the equipment effectiveness, if Mr. Abbott was spotted playing with it on Australian soil he’d be arrested, locked up, and the keys’d be thrown away.

Some more -
It would be easy to assume that TA went to Afghanistan in order ‘to come to some understanding’ with our ‘Officer Class’.
Mein Fuhrer, sie sind der grosste feldherr aller Zeiten – said General Keitel to AH.
Which does no more than prove that even sober sided pragmatists go into lickspittle mode when they’re talking to the fruitcake who has their pension plan stashed away in his hip pocket.
But sorry, I reckon our people of Star Rank are a cut well above that sort of thing – amply demonstrated today by their public statements defining their insistence on maintaining justice and the rule of law.

Valli said...

It sounds like "roid rage" to me, and FAR too much testosterone. Pathetic.

Unknown said...

Belated welcome back indeed!

Incisive as ever - and more on the moronic comments regarding the completely independent actions of the Director of Military Prosecutions. This latest trashing by the oppositionistas and the oo (aka the Orstrayan) is one of the nastiest bits of work that I've seen in a long time.

On a lighter note, I am intrigued by the Dad's Army allusions. I think we could probably kit the whole opposition bench out in appropriate attire. My offering is Sophie Mirabella as Mrs Mavis Pike. The next question is - who is Ian Lavendar's avatar?

Anonymous said...

Dear Grog

I agree with Mr Jericho (Snr). People have fought for this country in the hope that future generations will never need to go to war; not so that future generations of politicians can have a better photo-op.

Imagine if Abbott got his way. Can you imagine the poor troops who drew the short straw and were given the task of baby-sitting him for a week?

Welcome back,
A
p.s. I don’t wish to sound nasty, but I do hope you get more hits on your blog than Massola gets for anything that he has written this week. If only the Oz had a hit counter.

Casablanca said...

Calligula said, "I note that [the rifle] has a sight that was supposedly phased out in about 1997.
It is also fitted with the 40mm under barrel grenade launcher. Single shot and probably ineffective in Afghani conditions.
The troops may be right that some new equipment is needed."

I suspect that the rifle comes from the props department and is only brought out for photo shoots with certain rambo adolescents.

A very big welcome back Grog. You have lost none of your touch during the lay-off.

Unknown said...

Hi Grog, I became aware of you because of the publicity generated by your outing. I have since read many of your past blogs - fantastic read, full of sharp wit and observation. This blog about Abbott was hilarious! I am so glad you can keep on blogging, I am a fan now.

Patricia WA said...

Dear Grog,
I love your blog
And how you flog
Pollies when irrational.
You clear the fog
Of 'dialogue'
In our daily nationals.
The way you dog
The demagogue
Is truly inspirational

Patricia WA said...

Free-born men must speak free.

Those few words above
Paraphrase what’s best
In Milton’s Areopagitica.
Crying freedom for the press,
In 17th century England
Against monarchy’s excess,
His tract was a mighty weapon
In democracy’s progress.
Modern beneficiaries
Of his eloquent address
Now use that hard won freedom
As a weapon to oppress.
‘Freedom’ is their ’license’
To name and to suppress
A writer who dares question
How one man can possess,
World wide, as private property,
The power of the press.

Anonymous said...

Great to have you back,Grog, and so spot as always.

I'm not so sure about the Captain Mainwaring analogy. I thought that was Howard, and that Abbott was Pike ('You Stupid Boy!').

I'm wondering if Sideshow Bob of The Simpsons might be a better fit. Especially his capacity to trip into lying rakes.
"I was worried about Jetlag" Klunk!

"Gillard's was an act of Low Bastardry." Klunk!

And so on.

Don

MissHeliotrope said...

Yay Grog's back (does dance, a bit late, but there you go).

To try to be a bit more intellectual now: this is clear, simple analysis of the Big Gun meme of the week. Didn't we used to buy newspapers for this sort of thing? No wonder they don't like you...

Anonymous said...

Nicely put!

Anonymous said...

Glad to see you haven't stopped blogging due to the outting you received from Opinion (News Ha!) Ltd via The Australian. I know whose interests they were concerned with when they decided to make you the news. It sure wasn't the public's.
Love your piece on Tony Putin. Now where can we find some bears for him to wrestle with.

laritza said...

Found your site on development of frou ha ha over your "outing" So happy happy you have not been gagged. You are back!! I reread every word you had written while I waited. I think you are the only sane,rational writer even your fans replying are rational, I read comments posted on other sites I am surprised that a nationwide rabid dog alert hasn't been called. Keep the articles comming!Thankyou

Anonymous said...

Welcome back. I became a fan of your blog after your outing and will return again and again!
The use of the term political bastardry is one thing but why hasn't anyone taken the poodle to task for, essentially, calling the PM a bitch?!?! Unf77k'nbelievable!