Boiling Water – 21st Century Fascism

Kirsdarke Friday night, Policy Analysis, Political Observation,

From this article here: https://www.the-reframe.com/boiling-water/

Imagine you have a friend. Let’s call him Rick Reasonable.

Now imagine you have an enemy. Let’s call your enemy Bart B. Oilingwater.

Bart is a real piece of crap. Whenever he sees you, he throws boiling water at you. Usually you dodge it, but every once in a while, he catches you with a bit. You have some bad scarring on one arm, and a few places on your face and neck. And you have to constantly be on the lookout for Bart, because if you let your guard down, it’s scalding water time!

Rick is a good friend. He thinks it is really bad that Bart throws boiling water on you. He tells you this all the time. He’s written some letters to the newspaper about how bad Bart is for throwing boiling water on you. Sometimes he’ll even go out with you to watch your back. He’s got a popular TV show, and he’s gone on the record a few times that Bart is in the wrong for always trying to hit you in the face with boiling water.

Then one day you turn on the TV at the end of the day, and you see Rick has Bart on as a guest. Rick is arguing with Bart about whether or not it is good to douse you with boiling water at every available opportunity. Rick is … parsing things a little more than you’d like.

He wants to know if the water has to be boiling, if it can’t just be very hot. Bart says, no, no, it really does have to be boiling. But does it have to be water, Rick asks. Could it be something a bit easier to dodge, like molasses or tar? Bart thinks about this, and decides he isn’t sure. He’ll have to get back to Rick on that one—but really, he prefers water.

Rick wants to know if there can’t be days Bart could promise to not throw boiling water at you. Bart doesn’t really want to set that sort of precedent.

Rick would like to know why it needs to be you every time. Bart is shocked that Rick would suggest such a thing. He insists he doesn’t have a throwing-boiling-water-on-you-specifically bone in his body. He just believes in throwing boiling water, and you happen to be the one that’s there every time. He’d like to know why, if you apparently hate being struck with boiling water, you insist on being in areas where you know he will be throwing it. He suggests that Rick is really the one singling him, Bart, out, by being so intolerant of his rich cultural heritage of throwing boiling water on people. He hints that Rick’s constant scolding makes Bart want to seek you out specifically now, to throw boiling water on you, for daring to suppose such a thing of him.

Rick appears to have conceded that Bart absolutely does have a right to walk the streets carrying as much boiling water as he wants, in the long-standing tradition of our country. Bart appreciates Rick’s stance on the matter, and compliments him on his willingness to find common ground.

At the end of the segment, he and Bart agree to disagree on whether or not it is good to attempt to douse you with boiling water every day. Bart still thinks it is very good—though he insists it is not directed at you, but only at spaces that you happen to inhabit. He wonders, again, why you choose to inhabit those spaces. Rick continues to insist that throwing at the space that you inhabit is tantamount to throwing it at you, and that it is quite rude indeed. They shake hands. Then there is a commercial for Pepsi.

The next day, you confront Rick about this and he shrugs. “Man, I hate that bastard Bart,” he says, “but you have to hear both sides.”

How are we feeling about Rick?

344 thoughts on “Boiling Water – 21st Century Fascism”

  1. Chris Bowen
    Environment
    Chris Bowen’s defining climate moment is nigh. He wants to see ‘irreversible change’

    Right nearby it is ‘Mission Accomplished’ 😦

    Australia’s biggest gas project greenlit to 2070 

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/12/north-west-shelf-gas-project-extended-to-2070-with-partial-protection-for-indigenous-rock-art

    Revealed: the astonishing greenhouse gas emissions that will result from the North West Shelf project

    https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2025/jun/19/north-west-shelf-project-greenhouse-gas-emissions-burrup-peninsula-western-australia

  2. Opinion | I suspect Labor’s true believers would love Anthony Albanese to follow the lead of his former flatmate, Daniel Andrews, and try to stretch his political luck by getting shit done, writes Joel Deane.

    — Crikey (@crikey.com.au) 2025-09-12T04:54:16.296Z

    BREAKING from us at #4Corners: Former Morrison govt Health Minister Greg Hunt working for a Brethren company which received $54 million in COVID-19 contracts from Health Department while he was Minister. Mr Hunt says decisions made by his department, not him. #auspol http://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

    — Louise Milligan (@milliganreports.bsky.social) 2025-09-12T20:44:49.822Z

    Sushila Karki has been announced as the new interim prime minister of Nepal after deadly protests rocked the country.She garnered widespread support from many young Nepalese people, who have called for an end to political corruption.www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09…

    — Leroy (@leroylynch.bsky.social) 2025-09-13T00:56:44.496Z

    this is, somewhat surprisingly, a pretty good rundown of why kirk was so important to republicans (generally) and trump (specifically), from a tactical standpoint, and explains why elected republicans who aren't trump seem genuinely kind of devastated

    — GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) 2025-09-12T20:21:46.841Z

    this paragraph in particular hits the nail squarely on the head

    — GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) 2025-09-12T20:22:43.501Z

  3. A quote I came across today that fits the bill regarding Charlie Kirk.

    “Charlie Kirk killed no-one personally, but purveyed and celebrated and supported and called for and fought for the deaths of many people, very actively. And not for legitimate reasons, like Generals fighting in WW2, it was just wanton evil.”

  8. #Newspoll federal poll TPP: ALP 58 (+2) L/NP 42 (-2) Primary: ALP 36 (0) L/NP 27 (-3) GRN 13 (0) ON 10 (+1) OTH 14 (+1) Preferred PM: Albo 51 (0) Ley 31 (0) Albanese: Approve 45 (-4) Disapprove 50 (+4) Ley: Approve 32 (-3) Disapprove 49 (+5) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/polit... ($) #auspol

    — Leroy (@leroylynch.bsky.social) 2025-09-14T10:46:29.547Z

    #ResolvePM ALP 35 L-NP 27 Grn 11 ON 12 (!!) IND 9 others 6Their 2PP (respondent prefs) 55 to ALP (-4)My estimate (last election) 55.6 to ALP (-1.8)

    — Kevin Bonham (@kevinbonham.bsky.social) 2025-09-14T09:09:09.905Z

    #Redbridge ALP 35 L-NP 30 Grn 11 ON 11 (!) others 13Their 2PP 53.5 to ALP (-2)My 2PP estimate for these primaries 54.7 to ALP (-0.9)19 Aug – 8 Sep n=5326changes since June

    — Kevin Bonham (@kevinbonham.bsky.social) 2025-09-13T22:26:41.114Z

    https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/federal/as-coalition-slumps-to-new-low-poll-shows-minor-party-reaping-the-benefits-20250914-p5muuu.html

    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/liberal-party-risks-permanent-opposition-without-youth-vote-20250911-p5mueg

  9. 3 Australian federal polls released today.

    Newspoll: 58-42 to Labor (+2 ALP)

    Labor: 36% (=)

    Coalition: 27% (-3)

    Greens: 13% (+1)

    One Nation: 10% (+1)

    Other: 14% (+1)

    Resolve: 55-45 to Labor (-4 ALP)

    Labor: 35% (-2)

    Coalition: 27% (-2)

    Greens: 11% (-1)

    One Nation: 12% (+3)

    Independent: 9% (+1)

    Other: 6% (=)

    Redbridge: 53.5-46.5 to Labor (-2 ALP)

    Labor: 35% (-2)

    Coalition: 30% (-1)

    Greens: 11% (=)

    One Nation: 11% (+2)

    Other: 13% (+1)

  10. The #Newspoll federal poll was taken between 8 – 11 September 2025, sample of 1264, online survey. Here is the table graphic as it appears on page 5 of The Australian, 15 September, including voting, approval ratings, better Prime Minister, and three climate change issue questions. #auspol

    — Leroy (@leroylynch.bsky.social) 2025-09-14T21:29:33.906Z

    Resolve federal poll TPP: ALP 55 (-1) L/NP 45 (+1) Primary: ALP 35 (-2) L/NP 27 (-2) GRN 11 (-1) ON 12 (+3) IND 9 (+1) OTH 6 (0) http://www.theage.com.au/politics/fed... #auspol

    — Leroy (@leroylynch.bsky.social) 2025-09-14T22:13:39.821Z

    When Jacinta Nampijinpa Price asked for money to fight a defamation case, Gina Rinehart was happy to oblige.

    — Crikey (@crikey.com.au) 2025-09-15T01:09:32.904Z

    Yeah man they ain’t coming back. This is going to be one of the biggest foreign policy blunders of my lifetime, and it’s entirely possible that some guy at ICE ordered it not having any clue what he was doing. This is why we used to leave foreign affairs to sensitive nerds.

    — Cooper Lund (@cooperlund.online) 2025-09-14T18:25:06.883Z

    Expeditioners at Australia's Antarctic stations are taking part in a research project to better understand the cognitive and physiological impacts of extended deployments — which can include actual "brain shrinkage".

    — ABC News Bot (unofficial) (@abcnewsbot.bsky.social) 2025-09-14T19:58:27.718Z

  13. TLBD, the Coalition may need a few fridge magnets themselves………….

    Coalition records its worst ever primary vote in Newspoll history

    The Coalition’s primary vote has plummeted to an all-time low of 27 per cent

  15. Resolve NSW state level poll Primary: ALP 38 (0) L/NP 28 (-4) GRN 10 (-3) IND 11 (+3) OTH 12 (+2)www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw… #nswpol poll done 9-13 Sep, TPP not given

    — Leroy (@leroylynch.bsky.social) 2025-09-15T09:23:51.732Z

    The National Climate Risk Assessment is now live:www.acs.gov.au/pages/nation…

    — Andrew B. Watkins (@windjunky.bsky.social) 2025-09-15T00:09:03.373Z

    Plymouth Brethren attempted to silence alleged rape victim with a million dollars and a non-disclosure agreement http://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09... #auslaw #4corners

    — Leroy (@leroylynch.bsky.social) 2025-09-15T01:25:18.439Z

    Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie indicates he will quit or be dumped if the Coalition does not abandon the target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

    — ABC News Bot (unofficial) (@abcnewsbot.bsky.social) 2025-09-15T08:58:26.033Z

    Hastie said more in the 12 minute interview (mostly rubbish), start at 1 hour 5 minutes in the below link.

    https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/perth-drive/drive/105765130

  21. Court records confirm the new charges were formally laid against veteran broadcaster Alan Jones on Monday.

    — ABC News Bot (unofficial) (@abcnewsbot.bsky.social) 2025-09-16T11:08:28.001Z

    Robert Redford, Oscar winner and generational icon, dies at 89 http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/s...

    — Leroy (@leroylynch.bsky.social) 2025-09-16T13:13:39.457Z

    AI is the wrong tool to tackle complex societal & systemic problems. AI4SG is more about PR victories, boosting AI adoption (regardless of merit/usefulness) & laundering accountability for harmful tech, extractive practices, abetting atrocities. yours truly http://www.project-syndicate.org/magazine/ai-...

    — Dr Abeba Birhane (@abeba.bsky.social) 2025-09-15T20:10:34.543Z

  22. From the Dept of Water is Wet & Big Bird is Yellow ………..

    Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN commission of inquiry

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/16/israel-committed-genocide-in-gaza-says-un-inquir1 Samuel 15:3

    Not that anyone should be surprised. Netanyahu, among others, referred to the biblical people the Amaleks very early on..

    South Africa reminds ICJ of Netanyahu’s Amalek rhetoric to invoke genocide against Palestinians

    Now lets see what that nice chap Yahweh told the Israelites to do with them thar Amaleks ?

    Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

  23. From @kossamaras.bsky.social at the other place on the new Victorian state level #Redbridge poll.TPP: ALP 52 L/NP 48Primary: ALP 32 L/NP 37 GRN 13 OTH 18 #springst

    — Leroy (@leroylynch.bsky.social) 2025-09-17T02:44:04.821Z

    #Redbridge Vic (state) 52-48 to ALPALP 32 L-NP 37 Green 13 others 18I concur with the 2PP. Labor would win easily off these numbers, Coalition probably need a substantial 2PP lead. #springst

    — Kevin Bonham (@kevinbonham.bsky.social) 2025-09-17T01:20:46.723Z

    Crikey was on the ground in Melbourne to paint a picture of Australia's far right — and it's quite the confusing rabble.

    — Crikey (@crikey.com.au) 2025-09-16T02:24:45.562Z

    kevinbonham.blogspot.com/2025/09/poll… Poll Roundup: Liberal Crisis As Honeymoon 2.0 Rumbles OnMy cross-poll estimate 56.3 to ALP (+1 since election and not changing quickly)

    — Kevin Bonham (@kevinbonham.bsky.social) 2025-09-17T01:11:06.881Z

  24. First 2032 Olympics contractor picked, but no location nor timeline

    Queensland’s deputy premier has announced the first successful contractor for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics – but there’s not yet a location or timeline for the project.

    Jarrod Bleijie announced that international engineering consultancy firm Arup had won the bid to become principal contractor for the Victoria Park precinct master plan on Wednesday – planning how people get to and from venues, a process that will take about 12 months, he said. But despite announcing in July that geotechnical work on the project was already underway, he admitted it hadn’t yet begun.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/sep/17/australia-news-live-liberal-sussan-ley-net-zero-target-climate-crisis-anthony-albanese-donald-trump-trade-tariffs-politics-ntwnfb#top-of-blog

    Arup is obviously the best contractor for that particular job, at that specific place, at that specific time.

    Anyone remember Russ Hinze?

  27. A LOL but true way to put it 🙂

    The Liberal Party has finally unlocked the secret that has puzzled scientists for centuries: the precise method by which the dinosaurs became extinct.

    The lantern-jawed West Australian MP Andrew Hastie’s threat to quit the party if it doesn’t abandon the 2050 “net zero” carbon emissions target, followed by approving noises from various colleagues, confirms the Liberal researchers’ work on the final days of the Cretaceous period is all but complete.

    https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/federal/the-liberal-party-is-proving-why-the-dinosaurs-became-extinct-20250916-p5mver.html

  31. Bernie Sanders becomes first US senator to say Israel committing genocide in Gaza

    The Fox News newsroom reacts.

    A Rupert media outlet calling Bernie a ‘self loathing jew’* in 5,4,3…………………………….

    *One of their go to phrases when they cant scream ‘Antisemite’

  32. ABC [US] says late night show will not air for foreseeable future after Kimmel accused Republicans of ‘doing everything they can to score political points’ from Kirk’s killing

    https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/18/jimmy-kimmel-live-suspended-indefinitely-after-hosts-charlie-kirk-comments?utm_term=68cb45480bccd2a75f65c0e95491f90e&utm_campaign=BreakingNewsAustralia&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=breakingnewsaustralia_email

    Seems Jesus didn’t get it quite right: “the truth will set you free”

  33. Not only but also

    The ABC has been barred from attending Donald Trump’s press conference near London this week following a clash between the broadcaster’s Americas editor, John Lyons, and the president in Washington DC over his business dealings.

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/sep/18/abc-barred-from-trumps-uk-press-conference-after-clash-with-australian-journalist-john-lyons?utm_term=68cb5c65f5803c24b84f3ce93cdb2335&utm_campaign=BreakingNewsAustralia&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=breakingnewsaustralia_email

    • Albo admitted it was with his use of the word ‘responsible’ . One of the favorite bullshit words used by pollies. Very versatile it is too , can be a weasel, it can be lipstick or just a ye olde undergrad debating trick, after all only the irresponsible argue against being ‘responsible’ .

  35. Suss An pulled this one out of the second drawer

    Under this government we’re seeing a trifecta of energy failures. Costs are up. Reliability is down. And emissions are flatlining.

    … You cannot trust a single thing this government says.

    If the government wants to have an honest conversation with Australians, they need to be upfront about announcements they make in critical areas of energy. Energy is the economy. They need to be upfront about what it will actually cost. Australians deserve to know this.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/sep/18/australia-news-live-santos-takeover-2035-emissions-target-chris-bowen-anthony-albanese-sussan-ley-environment-climate-crisis-ntwnfb#top-of-blog

  36. In the statement, the representative organisations of Jewish communities in Australia, Canada and the UK call on their governments to “keep central to their diplomatic efforts to end the devastating conflict in Gaza, the following priorities”:

    • the return of all remaining hostages taken on or before 7 October 2023, living and dead;

    • the disarming of Hamas and its removal from power;

    • the need for unrestricted aid to reach civilians in Gaza, whilst ensuring it is not diverted to serve Hamas’s interests;

    • the obligation of all parties to adhere to international law.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/sep/18/australia-news-live-santos-takeover-2035-emissions-target-chris-bowen-anthony-albanese-sussan-ley-environment-climate-crisis-ntwnfb#top-of-blog

    They missed one.

  37. My how the media lizards have changed since Hunter S Thompson wrote this LOL

    Journalism is not a profession or a trade. It is a cheap catch-all for fuckoffs and misfits—a false doorway to the backside of life, a filthy piss-ridden little hole nailed off by the building inspector, but just deep enough for a wino to curl up from the sidewalk and masturbate like a chimp in a zoo-cage.”
    ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas:

  40. Mr Crace reports on ‘Agent Orange’

    The Sunbed King stifles a yawn at Chequers while Keir twitches at the press
    John Crace

    You could see the anxiety in Starmer’s eyes as he and the Sunbed King entered the Great Hall in Chequers. A room of wood panels and countless mediocre portraits. The US press corps all stood and applauded. Seriously? The UK pack remained seated.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/18/trump-sunbed-king-stifles-yawn-chequers-keir-twitches-the-press

  41. Tired of his Maggie T in drag routine Starmerbot tries a bit of Enoch. Can’t seem to get the picture of the Labour Party advert on its ownbut check out the link.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DN0fRkw5CxG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    uklabour

    3w
    Whilst Nigel Farage moans from the sidelines, Labour is getting on with the job of delivering for Britain

    emily.

    3w
    Imagine being a human rights lawyer, and leaving this as your legacy

    Like

    Try X

    —————————————————————–

    Peter Mitchell
    @_bezpilotnik
    I genuinely cannot imagine a worse response. This is a moral catastrophe

    https://x.com/_bezpilotnik/status/1960362478409252919

    • The entire media team for UK Labour needs to be sacked. They have no idea what they’re doing. At this rate they’ll be down to single digits by the time the next election is due in 2029.

    • “No. 10” has issued so many conflicting statements since the election.

      Lots of milestones with no specifics about how to achieve them.

      The way they have handled “Gaza” and “Mandy” are insane.

      Then they had to have the convicted criminal come cross the pond to meet CIII.

      Jailing pro-Palestine demonstrators and outlawing their organization (!). And ignoring the firebrands organizing the Uniting the Kingdom lot.

  45. TLBD

    One of these two were arrested under ‘terrorism’ laws. Was it the 84 year old priest ?

    Or was it one of these chaps ?

    Should be easy peasy but hey, welcome to Starmerland. 😦

  49. ‘Don’t mention Hitler and you’re sweet’: The great March for Australia deception http://www.theage.com.au/politics/vic... #auspol

    — Leroy (@leroylynch.bsky.social) 2025-09-20T00:33:11.782Z

    “Hunt is long gone, and these days the object of Sheridan’s besottedness seems to be Matt Canavan, the coal-revering Queensland LNP senator”Sez meinsidestory.org.au/toxic-emissi…

    — Peter Brent (@peterbrent.bsky.social) 2025-09-19T03:36:59.868Z

    My newest article for Crikey!This one's about the constant political violence against trans people in America, and the hypocrisy of leaders calling out "political violence" against Kirk, but staying silence about violence against my community.A hard read so stay safe 💗💖

    — natalie feliks 🐿 (@nataliesqrl.bsky.social) 2025-09-18T07:00:03.326Z

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