Humble servant of the Nation

Leave our statues alone, pigeons need them

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It is often said that Australia is a cultural clone of the United States, albeit ten years behind. That seems to have been whittled down to a neat two days as we furrow our brows and wring our hands over our historical simulacra as the Americans squabble over theirs.

That’s progress, right there.

In the midst of angry debate in the US about whether statues of confederate generals should stay or go, ABC journalist, Stan Grant, wanted the wording of a plaque below a huge image of Captain James Cook amended. Grant’s argument was almost as pointless and futile as actually standing in front of Cook’s statue and quibbling with it.

Before you knew it there was a hail of angry Op-Eds amid visions of tow ropes attached to utes pulling down statues across the nation.

Full column here.

169 Comments

  • Dismayed says:

    Good to see old SOK on his way to Bangladesh. Again we see Warner, Smithy and Maxi making runs and none of the other “recognised batsmen. Agar may move to 6 in comes Bird and SOK.

    • Gryzly says:

      CA have no idea. How can a guy who is currently suspended by his State get called up to play for his country? He didn’t go to Darwin for the warm up where as JH did. Cheaper air fares from Sydney. Meanwhile the bowling coach is somewhere in Australia.

      • Dismayed says:

        Holland was unlucky all season over 50 shield wickets. Ease up on old SOK he had few drinks and spoke his mind ( you never done that?) and apologised immediately for any offence anyone took. a lot of the youth of today find it easier to be offended than actually look in the mirror.

  • Dismayed says:

    The Government has told the High Court the $120 Billion ++ postal survey “will have NO direct consequence for future reform of the Marriage Act”.
    Why the F are we spending the money and allowing bigoted conservative religious freaks to lie and as usual expect to be able to judge everyone. FN disgrace. High hopes the High court removes Barnaby, the guy with the conflict of interest from income, the lying Canavan and the rest of them.

  • Bill Grieve says:

    Did Australia just lose at cricket again …..

    • Milton says:

      It wasn’t a loss to just anyone, Bill. Bangladesh aren’t Zimbabwe or the Faroe Islands.
      To be honest I thought Bangladesh was under water at the moment.

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    The first ad aired on TV last night in the Gay Marriage debate, Mr Insider, here it is and its a “Vote No” one. Lots more to come am sure.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBAw7UzdXZ0

    • John O'Hagan says:

      It seems to be standard tabloid fabricated hysteria about Safe Schools-type programs, nothing to do with SSM at all. As they say, if you don’t like question, change the subject.

  • Rhys Needham says:

    Nice to see Bangladesh and West Indies win in the Test cricket. It’d just be nicer if the former happened against, say, the Poms as well and not us.

    Shakib Al Hasan underlining his status as one of the world’s premier all-rounders.

    • Jack The Insider says:

      Good Test match, Rhys. Good performances from Warner, Lyon and Cummins but Shakib was the stand out. The Bangladeshis bowled well and fielded well. They deserved the win. It was actually quite moving to see how much it meant to the country. The Prime Minister was there, big crowd in. Well done.

      • jack says:

        yes it was good to see,

        contrast with india where the tests are played in front of nobody,

        • Jack The Insider says:

          A lot of noise here about Australia’s failure. Why can’t we just congratulate the winners and move on? Does the Australian public expect the Australian XI to win every Test? Australia struggles in Asia. Sure. Of the non Asian teams, only South Africa wins more Tests on the sub continent than it loses. Much sound and fury over nothing IMO.

          • Mack the Knife says:

            Hear, hear. Banglas did good. Good for cricket in general too. Wicket looked a bit dusty but hey, c’est la guerre.

          • Lou oTOD says:

            Totally agree Jack. Out of 23 Tests Australia has played in Asia (two against Pakistan were in the UAE) since 2008 they have won 2 and lost 16. If you can’t see a pattern there you’re blind Freddie.

            No surprise that Bangladesh turned out a spinning dustbowl, and our batsmen can’t handle it, despite Warner’s ton. Good on Bangladesh for coming of age in Test cricket, given the paltry pay they play for compared to the Aussies.

          • Gryzly says:

            Not all of us struggle in Asia.

          • JackSprat says:

            When you get paid $1 million a year it is reasonable to expect that a person can handle all conditions Jack.
            There have been people in the past who have recognized their weakness and did something about it -Hayden comes to mind.
            There is something wrong with sports administration in this country – far too many snouts in a highly paid trough.

            • Jack The Insider says:

              This is precisely what has annoyed me about the result. Australian arm chair critics throwing the toys out of the cot, spitting the dummy over some perceived personal slight because the national cricket team lost. I bet you didn’t watch more than a highlights package over the last five days. And on that skinny basis you are prepared to say let’s sack people, let’s destroy careers, let’s tear up contracts, let’s kick the ground and have a tantrum because we lost. Of course that sort of dismal reaction is a complete and utter betrayal of how athletes should compete — win with generosity and lose with dignity. This was a great Test match and the result is tremendous for the game. Grow up.

          • Rhys Needham says:

            Truth be told, we were very lucky to win the first Test on our last tour there in 2006, but for Ricky Ponting and Jason Gillespie. Then Gillespie and Mike Hussey batted Bangladesh out of the game in the second Test.

          • JackSprat says:

            JTI
            If the above tirade was directed at me, then you read it wrongly.
            I watched far more than the highlights. Many players did not get past double figures. They could not handle the conditions – nor can the majority handle the conditions in India.
            As pros they should be able to – simple as that.
            I was not advocating mass sackings – merely pointing out that as professionals they should be able to do better on the sub-continent because more and more cricket is going to be played there.
            The same goes when they go to England – can’t handle the swinging Duke ball blah blah blah.
            Excuses all around instead of doing a Mattie Hayden and going to India and learning how to handle the conditions..
            We are almost to the stage where India was a few years ago and find it very difficult to play in other countries.
            I think the mass sackings should be in that bloated organization called CA.
            I made no comment on the end result.

          • Trivalve says:

            A mate of mine went to the Dhaka test last time around when we were working there. I missed out by a couple of weeks. When they saw he was Australian they gave him his own bay and security guards.

  • Perentie says:

    Nice work by the GOAT. Now 2nd on the Australian spinner’s wicket tally, still improving and at 29 has plenty of wickets ahead.
    Very rare that a team batting last makes the highest innings total to win a test on the subcontinent but we’re a chance. Would be a great win.

  • John O'Hagan says:

    Quick question for our current PM and his fellow-travellers: is it Stalinist to pull down statues of Stalin?

    https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/exhibit/PwLCVMHQ62gYLg

    • jack says:

      a related question, is it cool to have Maoist or Soviet memorabilia?

      to feature it as works of art in your home?

      • Milton says:

        There are none so obsessed with the past as the “progressives”, jack.

        • John O'Hagan says:

          That could well be a valid point, if it weren’t for the fact that the opposite is true by definition.

        • JackSprat says:

          I was thinking about this – the “progressives” always need a cause.
          The rest of us just want a better life for our kids and the past is to be learned from and the worst aspects not repeated.

      • John O'Hagan says:

        Funny, I was just saying how if you don’t like the question, change the subject!

        Probably not cool in my opinion, but personal decor choices are altogether different from decisions about the types of personages and achievements that are publicly celebrated.

  • Huger Unson says:

    Jack, I’m concerned our reps in Canberra may not be getting enough allowance for personal detailing. Sure, the eyebrow sculpture on some is superb, but aren’t the others entitled to the same quality of work?

  • Failed Comic says:

    Nanny Roxon tried to ban ciggies. Now, Turnbull starts pushing Snowy Hydro.

    • Henry Blofeld says:

      Turnbull is obsessed with the Snowy Hydro, Failed Comic. What an unseemly look on last nights news of this wally having a day Helicoptering around the Snowy Mountains, touting a long shot idea, while Mr and Mrs Joe Average battled to keep there heads afloat in this ever costly world. Turnbull, I put it too you is in “Voyager” territory now, heading to another Solar System!

      • Bella says:

        His leather jacket look is tragic isn’t it Henry?
        With his polls on the slippery slope he gets to choose between spruiking terror or pushing Snowy Hydro but either way he’s a loser & a fake.

        • Razor says:

          He doesn’t need to spruik terror Bella it is very real.

          • Bella says:

            Then I wish he’d stop with the fearmongering every chance he gets. Most of us are not living under a rock Razor so we don’t need to be ‘reminded’ every second day about global terrorism. It seems Turnbull wants us to be afraid so he can be the big brave leader. Blind freddy knows he wouldn’t know courage if it rose up & hit him in the face.

          • Dismayed says:

            Yes the majority of the Nation are terrified of the government lasting much longer. Worst Government in history of he Nation. NO Surprises.

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    Fat Kimmie Jong un appears to be going rogue, Mr Insider, after he fired a missile that passed over Japan. If this type of stupidity continues POTUS Trump may have to initiate Kimmies “redundancy package” and what a HOT “package” it will be! I am informed its quite “warm” at the epicentre of a Nuclear Blast!
    http://tinyurl.com/yb87ghb9

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