Operation Fortitude F***ed Up Farce Friday

Fiona Uncategorized

The press release, then the Twitter storm.

(Image Credit: Police will have ‘particular focus on people travelling to, from and around the CBD’. Photograph: Julian Smith/AAP)

From Formidable Fortitude to Farcical Force

(Image Credit: About 200 people protesting against the Australian Border Force operation block the intersection of Flinders Street and Swanston Street in Melbourne on Friday. Photograph: Melissa Davey for the Guardian)

has me wondering how soon it will be before a few “leaders” – you know, the ones whose family names start with a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a, *duh1*, and quis quaed – become

(Image Credit: Okokchina )

Most annoying – moi was really looking forward to being dragged into the paddy wagon dressed something like this:

(Image Credit: Styloss)

(and I would, too.)

What’s (and who’s) next for this flock of imbeciles?

(Image Credit: Pinterest)

505 thoughts on “Operation Fortitude F***ed Up Farce Friday”

  2. gigilene
    No, we will never know. Just as we will never know how many innocent refugees drowned at sea or died or are locked up in Vietnamese and Sri Lankan gaols thanks to Abbott’s turn back the boats policies.

  4. Some more dot joining –

    just watched the video of Dave Oliver on Insiders today. They showed a clip of Abbott raving on about the need for Labor to allow ChAFTA, saying ‘good Labor people’ Bob Carr, Martin Ferguson and Bob Hawke were all for it and Labor had to listen to these ‘good people.

    ‘Good’ Labor men? Bob Carr has now moved so far right he must be about to fall off the right hand side of that political compass diagram. Martin Ferguson has almost been expelled from the Labor Party. Bob Hawke is now a has-been, a sad old man who seems to barely know who he is or where he is. He will say anything if he thinks it will get him a now rare few seconds on the evening news.

    Abbott mentioned the CFMEU a lot and that’s where the dots come in.

    You can see how it was all supposed to play out. TURC was meant to announce some unfavourable findings on unions and especially the CFMEU just as ChAFTA goes to the senate for a vote, allowing government senators to rant on and on about corrupt union influence on Labor senators. If the enabling legislation is knocked back by the senate, as it well may be, it will all be the fault of Labor and the unions. Stage set for more union bashing ahead of the election.

    What a shame Heydon had to stuff it all up. The dots don’t join up as well now as Abbott hoped they might. No wonder Abbott is so insistent on TURC going ahead.

  10. BK
    probable running order.

    Thursday. lunch. winery.

    confirming tomorrow. just picking out a winery.

  16. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/31/science/oliver-sacks-dies-at-82-neurologist-and-author-explored-the-brains-quirks.html

    http://www.lrb.co.uk/v03/n05/oliver-sacks/witty-ticcy-ray

    http://www.theage.com.au/world/plan-to-resettle-refugees-in-cambodia-collapses-20150830-gjavdv.html

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/rebekah-brooks-return-to-news-uk-described-as-a-massive-two-fingers-to-phonehacking-victims-10478299.html

    https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/a/29372887/is-this-the-solution-to-violence-in-the-home/

  17. jaycee423

    I was too young ( just 😉 ) in the 60s but got into them in the 70s. The video of their ’69 concert in Hyde Park is up there with the Woodstock film in capturing the “vibe”. It is strange to think of all those “long hairs” in the clips are now pretty much OAPs and lordy knows how many will now ‘Vote 1 David Cameron’.

    Sympathy for the Devil followed by the full doco. Gawd don’t they look in their prime back then . No Strolling Bones that’s for sure.

  18. Vale Oliver Sacks.

    He wrote one of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read – Uncle Tungsten – which also contains the most lucid explanation of the relationship between physics and chemistry I’ve ever come across.

    His neurological writings are also right up there in lights. One in particular, A Leg to Stand On, helped me at a difficult part of my life.

    Leaving aside the eulogies, my closest colleague once described Sachs (whom he know fairly well) as one of the most unpleasant people he had ever met.

  19. Despite detesting Abbott I was somewhat prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt re his yearly trip to a remote indigenous community.

    My suspicion has always been that it was far more about PR but a small part of me kept saying that it does at least create some publicity about indigenous issues and overall does no harm (cant see any good out of it either) which for this PM and govt. is probably the best we can hope for.

    However during insiders this morning my girlfriend who has next to no interest in politics made a telling point.

    As someone who has worked in a very remote aboriginal community she questioned why Abbotts trips have been to pristine beach side communities full of palm trees, beaches and beaming smiles from wide eyed kiddies? Torres Straits, Cape York.

    She suggested that if he really wants a taste of what life is like for the vast majority of remote living aborigines he spends a week in somewhere like Halls Creek or Roebourne.

    Where far from living a life of fishing, song and dance as we’ve seen recently, the inhabitants of these communities face a life full of violence, alcohol, sexual abuse, mangy stray dogs and dilapidated housing.

    I think she has a point.

    Wonder how many of our fawning and sycophantic media would follow the PM if he actually ventured into one of these communities?

  20. Barmaga isn’t exactly beaches and palm trees but it has lots of facilities that must be foreign to most remote communities.

  22. toddraff77

    …..spends a week in somewhere like Halls Creek or Roebourne.

    Working up north for the first time in the 1980s and seeing Roebourne was horrifying. Lots of stuff about the Seffas and Soweto living conditions at the time but what I saw was worse than anything I’d seen on Soweto when it came to shit living conditions.

    It even extended to the schools. Whitey school footy oval a sea of reticulated green amongst the “Pilbara pink” of the area. Aboriginal school footy oval no reticulation so sfa grass and bloody lumps of gravel/rocks strewn about.

  23. Animal stories?

    Wrote this one a month or so ago, true happening:

    While I was in the Riverland I was sitting in the big shed after dinner, dog on my lap my great nephew comes in, comes to me and, shouting, energetic, hand held high and tries to pet my dog who reacted by biting him.

    To a dog, a stranger trying to pat it on the head is not the stranger being friendly but an interloper trying to impose dominance over the dog and to a dog who is settled into a hierarchy with the people it lives with dominance is something to be resisted and teeth are a dog’s only way of doing so.

    Not a good idea to approach a dog, especially with hand held high! Let the dog come to you, sniff you—dog instinct—and it will signal it wanting a pat, still not on he top of its head by rearing up and putting its front legs on you. A couple treats, dry biscuit will do biggrin.gif dogs value quantity over quality!

    A dog’s tail is also very useful: there are two separate wags!

    A nervous or aggressive dog will have its tail straight out behind it and wag it slowly. Best to slowly move out of its vicinity! No eye contact!

    A happy dog has its tail straight up and curled forward and it will wag this quickly. Still don’t pat it on the top of its head!

    A children’s birthday party? Put your dog in a boarding kennel for the day! Screaming, running kids—some kid will get bitten for sure!

    How to punish a dog? MUST be done immediately, they have such short short–term memories. Smacking etc is not the way. Demi was punished by being put in my car for an hour.

    I REALLY wanted to punish my great nephew! Dog had spent quite a bit of time alone in the car already, was rewarding her with a nice session of petting etc. (Went to Clare for 2 nights, dog in car while we visited wineries and ate lovely long lunches, slept in the car etc and my niece (or her hubby) not wanting marks on his carpet she had to sleep in the car another two nights in the Riverland. Fuck the carpet I reckon!

  24. Fiona

    Re…

    also contains the most lucid explanation of the relationship between physics and chemistry I’ve ever come across.

    It has always tickled my funny bone how pissed, indeed embarrassed, Ernest Rutherford felt about getting a Nobel Prize ……………………. in “mere” Chemistry rather than Physics.

  27. This little black duck

    It is a true gift for Labor. Applied Hockeynomics effect on job security will put the fear of Dog into people when they hear this.

  28. Not exactly the sort of animal story we want to hear – Shenhua can bugger off and leave the koalas alone.

    Liverpool Plains koalas at centre of court battle over plans for Chinese coal mine development
    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/liverpool-plains-koalas-at-centre-of-court-battle-seeking-review-of-chinese-coal-miner-development-20150828-gja9dn.html

    Fingers crossed for a good court decision.

    Justice Brian Preaton sounds OK, going by this –
    http://www.smh.com.au/environment/lunch-with-justice-brian-preston-20150812-gixcdb.html

    I hope he has heard about this and takes it into consideration.

  30. Leone,

    Those were pretty much my mother’s words when the “children overboard” false flag was waved. She put herself in the shoes of those mothers and had no hesitation in saying she’d put her child and herself into a boat if there was a chance of safety at the other end.

  34. leonetwo

    Ever heard anyone say ‘Why would you put your kids on a boat to try to get to Australia’

    It was a nice heads I win tails you lose angle used by the bigots and the Howard Liberals. In the early days it was mainly men so they made a fuss about these “cowards’ leaving their women and children behind. When laws were changed re family reunification they came along. At which point Howard and the 2GB set started with the “won’t somebody think of the children” bulldust.

  35. I managed 3 minutes, Perhaps steely 2GB listener Bushfire Bill has the steely fortitude to manage the whole video. Hadley and Jones would be great preparation.

  36. Gotta go to bed. Things are a bit tense in studentland, and I’ve promised to be on deck at 6:30am tomorrow.

  38. Blimey! You gotta like this!

    I seem to recall that Dyson Heydon overlooked the bit about “Liberal fundraiser” when he received it … just to mention one other example … I’m sure there are plenty more out there.
    How can this be explained ? …
    1 There’s something in the water or
    2 a They really are incompetent 2b their staff are incompetent or
    3 They’re fibbing. or
    4 Other
    If this keeps up, politicians will be getting a bad name !
    (I bet most politicians go for 2b !)

    You be the judge … no, not you, Dyson

    https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/border-farce-austasi-police-gangs-rumble-into-melbourne,8110

  39. Good morning Dawn Patrollers.

    It’s leaking, it’s crumbling, it’s panicking, It’s our government!
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-being-urged-to-consider-dumping-joe-hockey-and-calling-a-march-election-cabinet-ministers-20150830-gjaysw.html
    And Abbott’s blindness when it comes to loyalty is hurting him.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/farewell-joe-hello-scomo-abbotts-loyalty-to-be-tested-again-20150830-gjazl7.html
    Adele Fergusson and 4 Corners may have found a ripper of a story here that will not do any harm to Labor’s chances. Looks like 7-Eleven is blaming +low level officers”. Now where have we heard that one before?
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/7eleven-wage-fraud-coverup-from-head-office-20150828-gjahrc.html
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/7eleven-allan-fels-says-model-dooms-franchisees-and-workers-20150830-gjb0pu.html
    I shopped in a 7-Eleven store once many years ago and vowed to never do so again. It is little wonder they are in strife.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/well-paid-men-hijacktax-reform-20150829-gjaogm.html
    John Brogden writes on mental health, the national emergency we can no longer ignore. He gives a very personal account of his own experiences.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-national-emergency-we-can-no-longer-ignore-20150829-gjavc0.html
    Shit team and shit supporters!
    http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/top-four-looks-set-as-sydney-obliterate-st-kilda-20150830-gjb6o2.html
    Labor asks the Auditor-General to investigate the ABF over the circumstances of the Melbourne debacle.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/labor-calls-on-auditorgeneral-to-investigate-australian-border-force-20150830-gjb1gt.html
    Lenore Taylor has the goods on Dutton and the Melbourne outing.
    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/30/border-force-announcement-went-to-peter-duttons-office-first-official-says
    “View from the Street” wonders if all the Border Farce headline opportunities have been exhausted. It’s a brilliant parody of Abbott’s political thought process.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/view-from-the-street/view-from-the-street-have-all-the-border-farce-headlines-been-used-up-yet-20150830-gjaynm.html

  40. Section 2 . . . including a very small Cartoon Corner

    The Independent Australia introduces Austasi.
    https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/border-farce-austasi-police-gangs-rumble-into-melbourne,8110
    The unions are now setting their sights on Stoljar in anticipation of a Heydon departure.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/unions-set-sights-on-jeremy-stoljar-counsel-assisting-royal-commision-20150830-gjavpm.html
    Paul Sheehan digs in for Heydon.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/life-imitates-art-as-the-royal-commissioner-goes-to-the-wire-20150830-gjb1h5.html
    This is beyond belief and beyond comment! And to think that this mob of primitives is in possession of nuclear weapons.
    http://www.theage.com.au/world/two-indian-sisters-to-be-raped-as-punishment-after-brother-eloped-20150829-gjauvn.html
    Ross Gittins goes the some fundamental problems with what our taxation system has evolved into.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/well-paid-men-hijacktax-reform-20150829-gjaogm.html
    Here’s a bit of fun with the inaugural Golden Snoutie Awards.
    http://theaimn.com/christopher-pynes-greatest-hits-of-2015-winner-of-the-peoples-choice-snoutie/

    I can’t find any new Fairfax cartoons this morning.
    Mark Knight with an “upstairs” welcome for Bart Cummings.

    OUCH! David Rowe cuts to the quick here.

  42. What a sickening, suck-up piece from James Massola on Abbott’s ‘loyalty’. Mr Massola has clearly shown his bias with his gushing about Scrott and has also revealed the government line, to be used constantly should HoJo get the boot.’Scrott is so good at explaining’. Massola is already following orders.

    As the byelection looms, cabinet members are discussing a contingency plan which would see Hockey dumped and one of the government’s best communicators, Scott Morrison, promoted to explain the government’s economic message and restore its political fortunes

    Best communicator? All Scrott ever says is ‘No comment’. Wouldn’t comment on operational or ‘on water’ matters while minister for monstering asylum seekers, won’t comment on anything to do with his current portfolio, runs the place under strict secrecy. Like this –
    http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/scott-morrison-exercises-tight-media-control-in-department-of-social-services-20150827-gj9001.html

    Even in his past life in advertising his attempts at communication failed miserably. Remember the awful ‘Where the bloody hell are you’ ad? Scrott’s work. Are we really supposed to believe this turkey will suddenly transform the government’s polling by telling us a few glib lies?

    Will Scrott run Treasury along the lines he gets drummed into him every Sunday at Shirelive Property Limited – oops – I mean Shirelive Church – telling us that God wants us all to be rich so all us low-income plebs have to do is pay a bit more tax and all will be wonderful? The rich, of course, just like the pastors at Shirelive and Hillsong, won’t have to pay anything, it’s the duty of the poor and the average wage earners to support their glorious leaders,
    http://www.manta.com/ic/mvttfq4/au/shirelive-property-limited

    Massola is also sure Abbott will manage to overtake Bill Shorten during the election campaign, whenever that may be. Really? I’m not so sure. The voters haven’t really seen Bill in action yet, unless they are among the few who watch Question Time. Abbott (and Massola) might be in for a shock.

    Regardless of who is treasurer in three weeks time that early March election idea is wonderful. Bring it on, Tony, please. Six months less of this rotten farce of a government? What a brilliant plan!

  44. ” and one of the government’s best communicators, Scott Morrison,…”…: Translated : “Hey guys!…the Press- Gallery’s drinks are on me!….Scotty.”

  45. If a March election is called at the end of January parliament will have a very, very long break, returning just in time to rush into work on next year’s budget.

    There are just 28 sitting days left for the House of Representatives this year, 24 for the Senate. Parliament’s last sitting day this year, unless there is a late change, will be 3 December. Not much sitting time left before parliament heads into what might be a four or five month break.
    http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Sitting_Calendar/2015_Sitting_Calendar

    This gives a minimum and maximum timeframe for an election, you can work out yourself how long we might be without a parliament.
    http://www.aec.gov.au/elections/australian_electoral_system/electoral_procedures/Federal_Election_Timetable.htm

    It looks like this government has just about given up. They have no agenda, they have no policies, they have nothing left to legislate. The last sitting fortnight consisted of lengthy condolence motion debates, a bit of housekeeping and little more. An election before the next budget seems like a smart move, better than another six months wasted with parliament doing very little. We already know next year’s budget is likely to contain an increase in the GST, no matter what lies Abbott might tell about that, plus all the same old nasties from the 2014 and 2015 budgets that the government still hasn’t been able to get past the senate. No chance of being re-elected after a budget like that. Better to get the election out of the way first, before we all get kicked to the kerb.

  46. I want to know why the MSM are not talking up an election loss for Abbott. By this stage in the Gillard government, with polling not as bad as Abbott’s now is, and with parliament pumping out legislation at warp speed, AND successfully negotiating it all through both houses in a very difficult parliament, the MSM were telling us Labor had lost and were referring to Abbott as the Prime Minister elect. Now – nothing. It’s all about ‘How can we save Tony’, they assume Abbott will be re-elected, they write about how the government will move ministries to allow better communication, because that will fix everything. They ignore the chaos, the corruption, the incompetence, the lack of policy, the inability to get key legislation passed, they just tell us all will be well if HoJo gets the sack. Deluded is not a strong enough word for this lot of sycophants.

  47. The LNP are deliberately wrecking the economy. They are doing this to create unemployment, they are doing this bit right, then have the unemployed looking for work, will take any job for any pay. It is also visible in the so called China Free Trade agreement, where they are allowing the Chinese companies to bring their own employees from China, without proper credentials.

  48. Have any of the so-called political journalists linked up today’s two big stories, the alleged looming promotion of Scott Morrison to treasurer and the collapse of the Cambodia asylum seeker deal engineered by the very same Scott Morrison?

    An always questionable and now failed deal that will end up costing us $55 million with no outcome other than four hapless people brow-beaten into accepting a move to Cambodia isn’t exactly the sort of economic genius that will make for a competent treasurer.

    Waiting…..waiting…..waiting…..for the penny to drop……..

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-27/unhcr-deeply-concerned-by-australia-cambodia-refugee-relocation/5773242

  49. leonetwo

    Yes and another “that was then” bit of crap from the journos. The Coalition have been unable to budge from about 47-53 for an eternity, even unicorns and beating the war/terror drum has failed. So where the bloody hell are all the journalists shouting “The voters have stopped listening” as they did to Labor ?

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