A familiar face
Sep. 30th, 2012 10:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lederhosenSo if you don't know Australian politics, we have a talkback radio host by the name of Alan Jones. If you think 'Rush Limbaugh in Oz' you'll have a pretty good approximation: a roughly human-shaped lump of hatred and bile.
He's said and done any number of odious things over the years, but he has a special hate for our current Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and indeed for women in general. A while back he made reference to sewing Gillard into a "chaff bag" (remember that expression), taking her out in a boat, and dropping her into the sea. More recently he complained about female politicians "destroying the joint".
Three weeks ago, Gillard's father died. By all accounts she was close to him, and she received condolences from both sides of politics; even the Leader of the Opposition, who's known for his pugnacious style, managed to say something appropriate by way of condolences.
Last week, as guest speaker at a Young Liberals fund-raiser/dinner, Alan Jones told an approving audience that John Gillard had "died of shame". He's been under heavy fire for that ever since, some of it from his own side (kudos to Malcolm Turnbull for denouncing Jones in no uncertain terms; lily-livered kudos to Barry O'Farrell for criticising the behaviour in oblique terms without having the spine to call Jones out by name).
There's a lot more to be said about the "died of shame" incident, and I'm not going to attempt to say it here. But amidst the coverage, it was mentioned that the event included a fund-raising auction with various humorous items: Speedos signed by Tony Abbott, a pair of fishnets signed by Alexander Downer*, and a chaff-bag jacket signed by Alan Jones.
The jacket is donated by one "Simon Berger", a name which you probably don't recognise. He's a "community and government relations manager" for Woolworths, former adviser to an Opposition leader, former volunteer on Bob Dole's presidential campaign, and a would-be Liberal Party candidate.
I went to school with him. I've forgotten a lot of my classmates, but I remember Simon well. He was always outspokenly conservative - enough to stand out even at an expensive private school where Canberra politicians sent their kids - but despite the gulf between our political positions, I liked him and thought he was a decent sort of guy - we weren't close friends, but I'd certainly have called him a friend.
Now I'm watching the Twittersphere rip into him, calling for Woolies to sack him over this incident, and I wish I could defend him. I'd like to say "you don't know him, he's not all bad".
But I just can't. I'm sick to death of Jones' penchant for inciting violence, and this last week has left me with even less patience for the woman-hating bile spewed by Jones and his ilk. I can't call Simon Berger a friend after this; endorsing misogyny is a hard boundary.
Yesterday somebody on Twitter mentioned that they were at the AFL final and found themselves standing in line for the toilets next to the Prime Minister - I have my issues with Australia and indeed with Gillard, but I'm immensely proud that we still have a country where that can happen. I don't want to lose that.
*If anybody knows how one signs a pair of fishnets, please enlighten me.
He's said and done any number of odious things over the years, but he has a special hate for our current Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and indeed for women in general. A while back he made reference to sewing Gillard into a "chaff bag" (remember that expression), taking her out in a boat, and dropping her into the sea. More recently he complained about female politicians "destroying the joint".
Three weeks ago, Gillard's father died. By all accounts she was close to him, and she received condolences from both sides of politics; even the Leader of the Opposition, who's known for his pugnacious style, managed to say something appropriate by way of condolences.
Last week, as guest speaker at a Young Liberals fund-raiser/dinner, Alan Jones told an approving audience that John Gillard had "died of shame". He's been under heavy fire for that ever since, some of it from his own side (kudos to Malcolm Turnbull for denouncing Jones in no uncertain terms; lily-livered kudos to Barry O'Farrell for criticising the behaviour in oblique terms without having the spine to call Jones out by name).
There's a lot more to be said about the "died of shame" incident, and I'm not going to attempt to say it here. But amidst the coverage, it was mentioned that the event included a fund-raising auction with various humorous items: Speedos signed by Tony Abbott, a pair of fishnets signed by Alexander Downer*, and a chaff-bag jacket signed by Alan Jones.
The jacket is donated by one "Simon Berger", a name which you probably don't recognise. He's a "community and government relations manager" for Woolworths, former adviser to an Opposition leader, former volunteer on Bob Dole's presidential campaign, and a would-be Liberal Party candidate.
I went to school with him. I've forgotten a lot of my classmates, but I remember Simon well. He was always outspokenly conservative - enough to stand out even at an expensive private school where Canberra politicians sent their kids - but despite the gulf between our political positions, I liked him and thought he was a decent sort of guy - we weren't close friends, but I'd certainly have called him a friend.
Now I'm watching the Twittersphere rip into him, calling for Woolies to sack him over this incident, and I wish I could defend him. I'd like to say "you don't know him, he's not all bad".
But I just can't. I'm sick to death of Jones' penchant for inciting violence, and this last week has left me with even less patience for the woman-hating bile spewed by Jones and his ilk. I can't call Simon Berger a friend after this; endorsing misogyny is a hard boundary.
Yesterday somebody on Twitter mentioned that they were at the AFL final and found themselves standing in line for the toilets next to the Prime Minister - I have my issues with Australia and indeed with Gillard, but I'm immensely proud that we still have a country where that can happen. I don't want to lose that.
*If anybody knows how one signs a pair of fishnets, please enlighten me.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-30 03:17 am (UTC)One suspects he just signed the packet. A bit of a cop-out, but still kudos for the fishnets in the first place...
I'm sorry to hear about your former friend. That would be painful.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-30 09:50 am (UTC)