I have had a go at the vacuous nature of Amanda Vanstone’s Sydney Morning Herald diatribes before1,2,3, and now she has come out with another, in which she has a go at Greta Thunberg. Like many of her conservative colleagues, Vanstone has made it personal, as they know they do not have either the knowledge, or the cogent arguments, to take issue with what Thunberg says4.
Vanstone whines about how ‘accepting different opinions’ seems to be disappearing4. I am sick of this abject equine ordure of ‘both sides of the debate’. You can have a differing opinion on climate change if you have evidence to support your conclusions. These conservative halfwits never seen to have any evidence for their denial of climate change. They just don’t accept the reality uncovered by science. Using her logic, Vanstone presumably would be relaxed about giving equal time to creationists (such as Andrew Hastie and Scott Morrison), flat-earthers and anti-vaxxers. After all, numerous conservative halfwits support these views, despite there being no evidence against the real science, which explains why creationism is for religious nutters, flat-earthers are simple, and anti-vaxxers are crazy.
Vanstone states that nobody likes being chastised for their views. I suspect this is the case, but then again, I don’t have views which contradict an enormous amount of evidence. This is because I am not an idiot. If idiots have views which contradict science, while lacking any evidence, then they deserve to be ridiculed, and Vanstone deserves it just as much as any of them. She thinks that climate change is a “complex political issue”. It isn’t a political issue, it is an existential threat. The only politics involved is used by the denialism industry to obfuscate and delay; to manufacture doubt. Vanstone, in her gullibility, has asserted that global warming has been over-dramatised4. This is not the case. The problem is so severe that almost all of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports since the 1990s have underestimated the speed of change, and the danger we face. The latest IPCC report has demonstrated this, and even that may be too conservative in its predictions5. Indeed, the pace of change is increasing, and that is extremely dangerous.
Vanstone casts aspersions upon Thunberg’s motives in starting her ‘school strike for climate’ in asking why it is she most often featured in the media, after all there are ‘other kids who care as much, are just as articulate, just as concerned.”4 Either Vanstone is attempting to draw a very long bow, or is too obtuse to understand why Thunberg has such a high profile. It is because she, a young girl, on her own, started the strike for climate movement which now has strikers numbering in the millions (of which I am one). This scares the bejesus out of conservatives, and why this does was perfectly articulated by Jennifer O’Connell in the Irish Times when she wrote: “Why is Greta Thunberg so triggering? Because of what she represents. In an age when democracy is under assault, she hints at the emergence of a new kind of power, a convergence of youth, popular protest and irrefutable science. And for her loudest detractors, she also represents something else: the sight of their impending obsolescence hurtling towards them.”6
Vanstone then reverts to the same old drivel that Prime Minister Scott Morrison and sundry other has-beens, such as Alan Jones7, use regularly. They’d be more impressed if students bunked off school in their own time (?), and planted trees, turned off their electronic devices, air-conditioning etc. Then Vanstone has the gall to say that “skipping school gives you no skin in the game”. This is a disgusting thing to say. These children don’t just have skin in the game; they have their futures on the line. For Vanstone to insinuate that they are simply being frivolous is a disgrace. She should be ashamed of herself, but she won’t, because she is a shameless liar. It is baffling why the Sydney Morning Herald would publish such drivel as Vanstone’s.
Sources
- http://www.blotreport.com/australian-politics/vanstones-hypocrisy/
- http://www.blotreport.com/australian-politics/vanstone-reimagines-history-again/
- http://www.blotreport.com/australian-politics/more-vanstone-equine-ordure/
- https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/the-greta-thunberg-circus-has-become-a-complete-farce-20190926-p52v38.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1569462117
- https://theconversation.com/ipcc-report-paints-catastrophic-picture-of-melting-ice-and-rising-sea-levels-and-reality-may-be-even-worse-124193
- https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/why-is-greta-thunberg-so-triggering-for-certain-men-1.4002264
- http://www.blotreport.com/media/child-abuse/
I completely agree with you, and with Arthur. Vanstone is supposed to be one of the “moderate” liberals. This is surely a joke. People like John Hewson, Oliver Yates, and no less a person than Malcolm Turnbull, know that there is no different opinion here. They, I am sure, would think her views pretty stupid. But by and large they can’t really be regarded as Liberal Party any more (and two of them definitely aren’t). Yes, you can have an opinion about what to do, and how to do it, but to basically ignore it, as our flaccid PM does, or to outright deny it, is not having an opinion. It is being obtuse, and probably evil. To also have ago at Thunberg is downright petty and also very, very childish. Thunberg, and so many of the school strikers, are such mature people in comparison to Vanstone and the other idiots it makes you realise how many people under 18 we are disenfranchising at the moment. Vanstone also makes you realise just how rabid and moronic the immoderate Libs are, and then there are the Nats and No Notion. As a nation all I can think is “Where the bloody hell are we?”.
Mark,
The Liberal Party has been taken over by the religious right, and they also happen to be the religious types who have jettisoned any semblance of adherence to the supposed teachings of Jesus. In addition to that, they are so venal that they will sacrifice anything as long as their donations are up and, to do so, they promote neoliberalism, including privatisation and tax cuts for the wealthy. It is no accident that many of the independents with a chance of knocking over people like Frydenberg, Abbott and others were either former members of the Liberal and National parties or were people who would have been a natural fit for the party of Menzies. In Vanstone’s case; I think she is such a political lightweight that she has simply stuck with the Liberal Party and would do so even if they adopted military-style uniforms.
Your September posts have have left me particularly depressed and angry. Why is Australia and indeed the world run by lying nut jobs? When asked my view of climate change I use to politely reply that, on the the balance of probability, the vast majority of HIGHLY QUALIFIED scientist are onto something. I’ve given up being polite and now reply that my kids and their kids will most likely inherit a very damaged world. They have much skin in the game. The lying nut jobs are criminals.
And then there is hope. Along come people like Greta Thunberg. But of course the criminal, lying nut jobs come after her. Including a French billionaire. It’s a sick world.
I have a friend who claims his kids are being indoctrinated about climate change by their private, religious school. He was appalled that their recent school performance contained climate change themes!! He also complains that the school encouraged one of his kids to become vegan, but that’s another story. I suggested he listen to his kids concerns and encouraged him to understand some of the science, starting with your posts. I further suggested he never again fly, drive his car, turn on his TV and that he ditch his mobile. Scientists, engineers, etc. after all know stuff all. Interestingly, he claims to be an atheist. I fully respect that belief. It’s a funny world.
Warren,
I get bloody angry too. When you have the likes of parliamentarians, and all sorts of Murdoch ‘ruperters’, who have all the available science at their fingertips (it is the age of information after all), and choose to ignore it, I can only assume that they are quite happy to commit a crime against humanity. I just want to make sure these bastards face justice for it. The aim of any parent who takes their ‘job’ seriously, wants to give their kids a better life than they had. My parents gave me a better life than they had, and I want to give my kids a better life than I had (it’s a big ask; my life has been a charmed one). However, with climate change happening at an increasingly alarming rate, I fear that may be impossible. Like Greta Thunberg, I can never forgive these bastards, and I will spend the rest of my life attempting to make sure they face justice.
Tubs Vanstone presided over the ugly case of the awfully treated Cornelia Rau, if one thinks back to the Horrid Howard Decade. That did her reputation no good, nor did much of her career in Canberra. She’s a self-adoring windbag, and the bag is very inflated. One way it got inflated was that she got a plum post to Italy after leaving – at long last – the mess behind her whoppingly ample behind in Canberra. There in Rome she no doubt spent most of her time ramming loads of mamma Maria’s home made pasta down her ravening gullet, and repulsively pigging out on piles of cream-laden “dolci”. Vanstone’s a piggish, priggish member of the old snooty Adelaide bourgeoisie, like Downer, that foul gutter rat who tried to cheat East Timor out of its rightful ownership of gas resources off its own shores. Not to mention the wheat-for-oil scandal and the filthy low act of the Libs in spying on private talks of Timor’s government elite. Ablanda Stonytits is just one thing, one alone: a loudmouthed gross overweight sow, past its use-by date. She should shut her crap-spewing gob, or maybe someone will do what’s needed to “bring home the bacon”. Just another oxygen-stealing Lib m********. I realise this can’t be put up as a comment, but if you dare….!
Russell,
Don’t forget the Madafferi scandal, where Vanstone reversed the Madafferi deportation despite warnings from the police. I cannot but agree with your extreme disdain for Vanstone. She is as shifty as a dunny rat. The following is from my piece on ‘Corporatocracy’.
“The first Howard government Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock, ordered Frank Madafferi’s deportation in 2000 because of his criminal record, which included gaol sentences in Italy for extortion, conspiracy, two stabbings and possession of drugs and guns. Madafferi’s brother Tony organised a Liberal Party fundraiser in the runup to the 2004 Federal election, which raised $51,000, including $15,000 from Tony Madafferi himself. In attendance at the fundraiser was Ruddock’s successor as Immigration Minister, Amanda Vanstone. The following year, Frank Madafferi’s deportation order was overturned by Vanstone, despite police warnings that he posed a risk to the community.”
I’m getting the impression that Russell is not keen on Vanstone.
Warren,
It is a bloody long queue.
If Vanstone was as wealthy as Gina, she would be sexy.
Warren,
There is not enough money on the planet.
Whatever gives anyone the impression that I don’t absolutely adore Ms Bland Stonemammaries? It’s just that yesterday, in a semi-psychotic fit, after the last few months of nauseating revelations re politicians on the trog moronic churchy right, I’ve reached saturation point. There’s a furious, accurate article now on the AIM (Independent media) website, by Kathryn, which amply sums up the utter rage we on this site all feel towards Donald Morrison’s mob of rank, stinking louses, the L-OONEY N-ITWIT P-IGS… COAL-ITION. Look the item up; dated Sept 25, a featured article. The author wonders why in hell there isn’t a revolution happening as in Hong Kong. Sorry my dear, Scomo the Arsewipe of Trump would literally have to be using the Army to execute people for nothing (- or maybe killing Christians who actually follow Jesus’ teachings!!) before most slobby, overfed, unaware citizens here would get their grossly unfit bodies off their couches, stop watching commercial TV garbage, and go out and rebel. Australia is seen by foreigners for what it largely is: an unreflective, timid, parochial, gormless nation of semi-educated – at best – suckers for punishment.
Russell,
I’ll check that out immediately. I have been wondering the same thing. I think it is coming, it is just that this country has had it so good for so long, many people are in disbelief that anything seriously wrong could happen. Then comes climate change and the excrement is exceptionally deep, and the government has sold all the snorkels to their mates.
Russell,
Just read it. It is a tirade alright, but there was nothing with which I could really disagree.