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Another day, another caption
(by Ray Dixon, your o-so-deep and meaningful blog contributor)
Yes, I know … this makes it two ‘caption time’ posts in a row but, givemeabreak, how was I supposed to ignore this little gem from yesterday’s sitting of Federal Parliament?
The look on Christopher Pyne’s face says it all, as he sits mesmerised and fixated on the sight before him … being Julie Bishop in full and feisty flight. Pyne looks like he’s about to leap out of his seat and do the ‘manly thing’ – either that or he his about to, um, blow his load? Where are your hands, Chris?
According to the caption under the photo, Julie is saying something about going all the way with the U S of A in outer space, but I think we can do better than that.
What could Julie be saying?
And what is Pyne thinking?
Let’s try both:
Bishop: “I am so the hottest root in the House – just ask the drooling fool behind me.”
Pyne’s thoughts: “That arse is mine!”
Caption time
by Ray Dixon (not known as a great fan of the Liberal party)
It (almost) beggars belief that Tony Abbott’s chief of staff, Peta Credlin (the woman whose reputation as a ball cruncher precedes her), has the audacity to sit in Parliament and openly behave this way towards a Cabinet Minister, albeit the airheaded Julie Bishop.
We can’t know what she was saying but just look at that body language: Credlin scowling, sneering and pointing her finger at Bishop, who appears to be bowing and cowering in response (if her head were anymore pulled in she’d have no neck!).
No, we can’t know for sure what was said but we can sure put our own caption to this memorable photo. Here’s mine:
“Don’t try your death stare on me, you cross-eyed bitch!”
More Labor sins haunting the Abbott Government
The current crisis, courtesy of The Guardian newspaper and its source Edward Snowden, has brought out of the woodwork all sorts of advice to the new federal government. One of the more bizarre ideas came from former foreign minister Bob Carr. He suggested Julie Bishop should fly to Jakarta and apologise to the Indonesians. I hope she doesn’t. That’s an absurd suggestion. It would undermine once and for all the age-old policy of neither confirm nor deny. And if The Guardian publishes another allegation, does she apologise again? Or if the allegation is serious, but false, how does she start explaining why she won’t apologise? You see the point. The Carr formula is a formula that could unravel our intelligence capabilities. As Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten should dissociate himself from this nonsense. Instead, he seemed yesterday to endorse it.
What is more, neither Bishop nor Tony Abbott was in government at the time of the alleged phone interception. The prime minister was then Kevin Rudd and the foreign and defence ministers were Stephen Smith and John Faulkner, respectively. So if there was any apologising to do, they should do it. For the reasons I’ve mentioned they shouldn’t apologise. They should do nothing.
The Snowden affair is arguably the most serious breach of security in history. It’s certainly a sad indictment of America’s capacity to hang on to its own secrets as well as those of its allies. All this comes so soon after the huge WikiLeaks embarrassment. But it says something about the ideological disposition of the left-wing Guardian that it has shamelessly dribbled out this material to maximise the pain and embarrassment to the Western alliance. That may suit The Guardian but the cost to the national interests of Western countries will be very high. As John Sawers, the head of MI6, told a parliamentary committee last week: “Our adversaries are rubbing their hands with glee, al-Qa’ida is lapping it up.” Perhaps Snowden could now tell us about the intelligence capabilities of his hosts, the Russians.
The anguished cries form the usual suspects insisting that Tony Abbott should “apologise” are about as sensible as they are sincere. Clearly its not really about our relationship with Indonesia as much as its about seeking vindication for their claims that Tony Abbott is not up to the top job of being our PM. Once again the current government is being saddled with a mess created on Labor’s watch and the chutzpah of leftist minions chiding Tony Abbott for sticking to the long standing convention about neither confirming or denying anything about intelligence gathering is breathtaking in its opportunistic hypocrisy. Frankly if minions of the left are so keen on an apology to Indonesia then they should be seeking one from Kevin Rudd and or the relevant former ministers from the class of 2009 when the phone tapping is alleged to have occurred.
Related articles
- Abbott’s defiant stand threatens ties (theage.com.au)
- Indon-Aust diplomatic tensions set to grow (news.theage.com.au)
- Indonesia Phone Taps: Bob Carr and Labor Should Say Sorry First (papundits.wordpress.com)
- Aust can’t be expected tp apologise-PM (news.theage.com.au)
- War of words: PM ignores pleas (smh.com.au)
- Abbott maintains silence on spy claims (skynews.com.au)
Socialist ruby slippers of high office
If there there is one virtue in the sacerdotal tradition of the Catholic Church that I really admire its the humility and piety that has been exhibited by the new pontiff in his refusal to take up the ostentatious trappings of his high office. not for him are the palatial apartments in the Vatican, not even the fancy red shoes are important to Francis. I was actually unsurprised that our new PM Tony Abbott is following the same example in his choice of digs while the lodge is being renovated and even more surprised that some media commemorators from the Left like Radio National‘s Fran Kelly should be tut tutting that (and I paraphrase) “Abbott should be seeking accommodation more in keeping with the dignity of his high office” .Call me an idealist but I would have thought that a true socialist would be applauding the simple workman like piety on show here. This along with Julie Bishop‘s decision to travel business class for her official duties as Foreign Minister really seems to be striking the right tone for an incoming Abbott Government.
The lesson of history has been that socialists like Fran Kelly, Gillard and Rudd are often the biggest fans of forelock tugging deference to our elected officials even though you would expect their ideology to be endorsing the clear humility of both the Holy Father and our New PM (elect), yet if they did then they would have to explain or justify the love of the good life exhibited by the last two and a half Labor PM’s…
Cheers Comrades
Wit, anticipation and confected fear
Cheers Comrades
Our political public image
you never listen to a word that I said, you only seen me for the clothes that I wear, or did the interest go so much deeper it must have been the colour of my hair…
The image that we each choose as our avatar is our public image in the internet and its one of the first things that I think about when interacting with people both here and elsewhere. So when someone chooses a particular avatar image I can’t help but wonder why. I think about the conscious reasons a particular image may have been chosen and I also think about how said image may have a deeper meaning . For instance consider what using this image may say about someone:
It could have been chosen for entirely innocuous reason like the user having a fondness for mushrooms (which I admit are delicious when sautéed in a little butter and garlic) It could be that they just liked the nice curved shape of the thing or even just the subtlety of its colouring. However if that user turns out to be a teller of many lies it should be entirely unsurprising that a recipient of their many falsehoods might find such an image a source of much merriment because it invoke the old aphorism about mushrooms “being kept in the dark and fed bullshit” and seems oh so apt for a purveyor of bovine excrement.
Now that all switched on politicians have a presence on the social media those of us who are interested in their use of the medium can’t help but notice the sort of images that they choose lets look at a few, from both the left and the right and consider just what they may say about the people who use them:
And opposition members as well:
Of course they are all trying to present themselves in the best possible light so each of them is presenting an image of themselves with a smile and in a way that says ” I’m an OK person”. Some like Scott Morrison go for informality and a candid shot which shows him involved in a charitable event. Craig Emerson likewise goes for the candid and informal and he is clearly alluding to our egalitarian traditions and our belief that every pollie is of the people. Wayne Swan on the other hand seems to be in search of gravitas with his very formal head-shot, Joe Hockey is likewise trying to suggest that he is both competent and business like Julie Bishop gives us a rather conventional formal portrait shot that exudes both warmth and professionalism to be frank I would describe the picture of Tony Abbott the same way. Which brings us to our current PM Julia Gillard. Readers will note that hers is the only picture here that includes another person, in the form of a little girl. Now knowing as we do that Gillard is both unmarried and deliberately childless I find this image choice rather contrived and I can’t help thinking that this is a deliberate attempt to suggest that her own lack of progeny does not make her unsympathetic to the issues of parenthood. Its not an unreasonable thing to suggest when it comes down to it but I can’t help feeling though that its laying the message on rather thick to use such an image as a twitter avatar.
Oh and finally a small disclaimer to explain that a few days ago I tweeted to our beloved leader asking about her choice of avatar image and sadly she, and her minders, have not answered my question.
Cheers Comrades
My own avatar is a self portrait painted a few years ago
Related articles
- ‘Stop the birthplace war’: Abbott (bigpondnews.com)
- Coalition takes aim at Gillard staffer on 457 visa (abc.net.au)
- End the ‘birthplace war’, Abbott says (news.theage.com.au)
- Brit spin doctor John McTernan is more famous down under than he was here. (blogs.independent.co.uk)
- All roads out west lead back to 2010 (crikey.com.au)
- Women turn from Gillard (theage.com.au)
- Women voters turning from Gillard (smh.com.au)
The protest
Is hes saying "Julie Julie Julie I wanna root you"?
It’s making news all over the Internet today so it might as well be here too Iain.
I know you will have a different opinion to Jeremy & Ray about this but I put it up as the INDEPENDENT POLITICAL POLIOEMICIST that I am.
Whatchya think about this little snap?
The right choice
It is vital that any opposition has the best possible person in their treasury portfolio, not only in terms of their economic credentials but also in terms of their ability to perform in the public eye and in the cut and thrust of the parliament. Malcolm Turnbull has chosen his deputy Julie Bishop for the job and I am personally pleased that he has.
JULIE Bishop will take the treasury portfolio in the new look Coalition front bench announced by federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull today.
Ms Bishop, who is also deputy Liberal leader, had been widely expected to take the high-profile position shadowing Treasurer Wayne Swan.
She is the first woman to hold the treasury portfolio in either the federal government or opposition.
Chris Pearce will be finance spokesman, while Tony Smith will be deputy treasury spokesman.
I make no secret of the fact that I like Julie bishop and I am well pleased that it is once again the conservative side of politics that is breaking new ground by choosing a woman for such an important role.
Cheers Comrades
😉
Iain Hall's SANDPIT 