It might be nice if the radio shock-jocks refrain, if only for a little while, from suggesting the Prime Minister should be pushed into a bag and thrown into the sea.
It might be nice if people stopped referring to the Prime Minister as a ‘bitch”, “witch” and “liar”.
It might be nice if people realise words have power. Words can kill.
It might be nice if more people responded to claims that "Muslims are ruining our way of life, muslim immigration is out of control" with "that's fucking bullshit".
It might be nice. But I’m not holding my breath.
“I'm proud to live in a country that has managed to stand together in the face of tragedy. I am impressed over how much dignity, care and strength we have. We're a little country but a proud people. We are shaken but we will not give up our values. Our response is more freedom, more democracy but not naivety.”
Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg.
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Hmmm. I agree that people shouldn't go around making threats and inciting violence; but...
It might be nice if the radio shock-jocks refrain [...] from suggesting the Prime Minister should be pushed into a bag and thrown into the sea. [...] Words can kill.
Look, I think I know what you're getting at, but personally, I'm more inclined to blame the extremists, psychos and impressionable fuckwits who do these things. You could take Alan Jones and his rotten ilk off the air entirely (and ban all the violent movies and video games while you're at it), but it wouldn't stop monsters like Martin Bryant, Josef Fritzl and Anders Breivik.
It might be nice if people stopped referring to the Prime Minister as a ‘bitch”, “witch” and “liar”.
I seem to recall just about everyone here, at some point, calling Abbott a cunt (and the next time I hear him lobbying against access to abortion, I shall not hesitate to do so again). Even though I agree with her current course of action, I think Gillard has probably earned the "liar" tag, and there's no way I could tell people not to call her a bitch without looking like a total hypocrite.
Hope you don't mind if I share that with an anti carbon tax protester friend on her facebook memorial to those lost in Norway. Can't think of a better place to stick it.
Go for your life, Patchie.
Alex, the Norwegian fascist was not just a random crazy like Bryant.
He targeted the Norwegian Labour Party because he believed they were "race traitors" for supporting immigration and multi-culturalism.
What we have now in Australia is a constant campaign from some quarters that the Gillard Government is somehow "illegitimate" and needs to be removed.
My concern is that this language will normalise political violence for some people.
There is a history of para-military activity from the far-right in this country. Michael Cathcart's Defending the national tuckshop is very good on this.
I seem to recall just about everyone here, at some point, calling Abbott a cunt That's different though
Right, so, I'm up to page 40 of his manifesto (1540 pages to go), and here's my early tip: self-hating repressed homosexual. He's mentioned homosexuals (negatively) about 50 times already. '...doth protest too much', you know.
Oh, he also says, "...ladies should be wives and homemakers, not cops or soldiers... children should not be born out of wedlock... glorification of homosexuality should be shunned."
For someone who hates Muslims, he kinda sounds like a Muslim fundy.
You really have too much time on your hands, Pers.
I've noticed, after a time, the nutters all start to sound like each other.
Interesting, my first thought when I saw the pictures of him in his deeply phoney "mason costume" was "Gay!".
My concern is that this language will normalise political violence for some people.
I've heard that clip of the bloke asking Hockey (I think) why we shouldn't be taking up arms against the government, and I've personally heard a number of people say that Gillard "needs shooting". Now, I can see how fear-mongering bullshit-artistry helps focus the attention and intensity of such arseholes, but realistically, these tend to be people who talk about solving every problem (both real and imagined) by shooting people -- and unless commentators endorse violence*, I don't see how they could be responsible for that.
*Admittedly, I'm not sure they're not. Talking about drowning someone in a sack sounds pretty full-on.
Michael Cathcart's Defending the national tuckshop is very good on this.
Not the easiest book to track down. Besides The National Library, I've been able to find precisely one copy online.
Perseus: I've been contemplating having a look at that. Is it structured and coherent or just a mess of bullshit ramblings? Did he write it in English, or has it been translated (or can you read Norwegian)?
For someone who hates Muslims, he kinda sounds like a Muslim fundy.
I've noticed that particular irony amongst fundies. From what I can tell, the more similar they are, the more they tend to hate each other.
I think I've reached the stage, Alex, where I'm just sick of shouty idiots.
Not you, of course.
I've noticed, after a time, the nutters all start to sound like each other.
True Ramon, true.
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