:: Wog Blog ::

:: WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT? ::

:: Saturday, 18 October 2003 ::

Jeebus Mary and Joseph, This Bush visit is getting out the loons

Matt Price and Annabelle Kiddybody on The Insiders are just appalled that security measures will be put in place around Parliament House Canberra when George Bush attends next week.

Apparently Committee rooms won't be open for business.

Except they are open for business and meetings will go ahead.

And 20 school groups will be prohibited from visiting Parliament that day.

Except they can before 1 p.m.

Oh, and there is going to be an unprecedented 'lock down' never before in the history of Oz. Except the same security arrangements are in place as for every visiting head of state, just heightened this time from Clinton's visit, for example, but only in the closing of Parliament from the Bush address.

Such a beat up by these journos. Ackerman's there and they are making him look like a voice of reason. As if he isn't partisan himself. Sheesh.

Matt Price reckons Howard went to Bali and was hugging folks, and that sort of easy security should be the deal for Bush. Oh yeah. No one wants to hurt the President. That whole burning effigy thing and flag burning stuff and violent protests everywhere with the signs and the big puppets, well they are completely non-violent, there is no violent element at all in any of that...willful idiot.

And Annabelle reckons that there should at least be some public seats available in Parliament because it's the public, you know. As if the public is wholly civilised when it comes to Bush and can be relied on to be courteous and kind. No violent idiots with a hate-Bush thing going on.

And they both reckon that it is just awful that politicians and members of the public are not going to be able to act how they like because they do disagree with Bush.

Do they both want some shouting, some back turning, some heckling, maybe some flag burning? What do they want?

Standing up and turning your back on a speaker is a selfish and impotent gesture, inarticulate except as a statement of the self-importance felt by the back-turner for his or her own world view.

Protesting by heckling, or, as Bob Brown, Green, is going to do, bringing as his guest the wife of Mamdouh the guy in Guantanamo Bay with Hicks, is gesturing only. Makes the folks feel good about themselves. Changes life not one bit because the focus is so internalised - it's all about Bob and the back-turners - nothing will come of it. Not a thing. It is, literally, a wank. Spilled seed for nothing more than the wanker's pleasure.

Wankers.

The Speaker was on the show pricking the hot air balloons of Price Matt and Annabelle, and he ended with a nice line on civilised behaviour and politeness:

If Bob Brown was coming into my home I wouldn't put a chainsaw into the middle of the loungeroom as some sort of protest. I would greet him courteously.

He has got it in one.

Courtesy. Civility. A Parliament that is not treated by its participants as some sort of student hall.

Tanya Plibersek, Labour, was just on saying the whole standing sitting thing is irrelevant and the issues are more important - pre-emptive strikes, dictatorship etc etc. She is quite right the issues are important. But Bush is not here to debate the issues with her. He is here to address Parliament and meet with Oz's elected leadership and GG.

Showing her backside to the US President is as articulate as Tanya will be on those crucial topics while Bush is here.

If she thinks that's addressing the issues then we know exactly how hard she works. Exactly enough to make her feel like she has moved her arse.

No actual results.

Tanya Plibersek and Bob Brown will never free Hicks or Mamdouh from Guantanamo. Too busy worrying about how they feel, to bother getting down and working for an actual outcomes.

They are, I reckon, all hat, no cattle, as they might say in Texas.

Listening politely, standing to applaude is not selling your soul. Bush is not the heart of the matter. The role of President is the heart of the matter. But as you see from Matt and Annabelle and Tanya and Bob, he is the heart of the matter.

They are none of them good at their jobs if they cannot see the difference.

And they can't see the difference.

:: WB 4:53 pm [link+] ::