The Australian’s War on Australia

Initial disclaimer: I’m providing no links here as I’m working on the assumption that all three people who bother to read this have already read most – if not all – of the posts referenced. Also I simply don’t have the time to compile a post that would be over 50% hyperlinks if it were to be fully representative. If you want a link to anything mentioned feel free to ask.

I’ve been trying to get this post out for nigh on a fortnight now.  It hasn’t been easy, and not just because I’m incredibly lazy. What has made it practically impossible is that every time I start a fresh draft  someone on the intermess says part or most of what I intended to say – and generally with an eloquence which is well beyond the fumbling grasp of this humble and utterly amateur scribe.

The Australian has been waging war on Labor for some time. Everybody knows this. Well beyond the honourable journalistic endeavour of holding government to account, the Oz  took editorial affront at the existence of Kevin Rudd and his attempted management of the media. It is to the eternal shame of the Labor party that its members scurried like cockroaches  under a false light to do the bidding of a marginally relevant broadsheet’s will. The people let out a collective cry of WTF, and punished both major parties at the polls. The result? Possibly the most democratic lower house we’ve ever had. Certainly in my lifetime. The Oz should be happy, right? Hell no.

We, the people are wrong. We have been judged so by the sole voice of reason, as it will undoubtedly inform us once its through with it’s blog war with Grog. That most of the Oz comment condemning Grog has been anonymous is something small folk like me are not meant to understand. A fool would consider it blatant hypocrisy. The Oz knows better than that. It has told you. Anonymously.

Likewise we have been told that anyone who voted for the Greens (like I and another 14% of voters did ) is an enemy of democracy. My vote is invalid and I am an idiot for having wasted it. Fortunately the Oz is there to save me by pointing out my errors, and doing everything possible to correct my folly and installing the government I would have wanted if I’d been paying attention.

Enough. Jonathon Green struck a chord with me when he posted a picture of ‘Zulu’ to describe the war we’re facing. He didn’t go far enough.  We are at war, and the redcoats are a great pictorial description of the oz. We’re not savages, however. This fight only came about because we are smarter than those who would seek to remind us of our place.

I consistently hear ‘don’t read what they write’ posts. I completely disagree. Read them. Note the advertising. Write to  the advertiser and tell them that you think the Oz is against democracy, and you are withdrawing your custom, then actually do it. The Oz is waging war against us. It is time to fight back.