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Gray Connolly

@GrayConnolly

Apr 16

@ABCthedrum

Small thread on the Federal ICAC/public integrity body debate, noting that I ranted when it was unfashionable & at some length on @ABCthedrum about political insiders & corruption when a former Defence Minister got a job with a Defence consulting firm.

At the Federal level, corrupt acts and defrauding the Commonwealth etc are already crimes that are investigated by the AFP and, where evidence supports a prosecution, brought to trial. Having a separate 'public integrity' body will not alter this or improve this, per se.

If the issue is former politicians "cashing in" after holding a public office (esp lobbying) then there are straightforward legislative barriers that can be easily erected against former MPs and Senators performing relevant private sector work, consistent with our Constitution.

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Gray Connolly

@GrayConnolly

Apr 16

Anthony Albanese giving a good response on the trans issue - asked about saying he is not woke - he respects every person as they are. Then cuts it off. Albo now to the Right of Matt Kean. The old Left was many things but pretty normal on these issues.

Am a contrarian by nature (have contempt for people too sure of themselves ... you can be somewhat sure...) but I am not sure Albanese is doing as badly as everyone here says. All elections are referenda on incumbents. As John Howard said, you cannot fatten the pig on market day

If you are a Right of centre political party and you have not - in a parliamentary system - ruthlesly expanded home ownership esp among younger demographics in key seats, you run into trouble, electorally. You are relying on your opponent making too many mistakes.

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Gray Connolly

@GrayConnolly

Apr 16

@Quillette

I saw this in @Quillette by Ron Radosh (a very good historian) on new @compactmag_ - I read this less about @SohrabAhmari 's magazine itself than so much of the political Right's failure to accept it is not 1985 anymore ie the Right needs 'regime change'

quillette.com/2022/04/12/poi…

You do not need to be a political anthropologist to see the Right has its divides - but esp they exist around age (do you remember Thatcher/Reagan?) and wealth (do you have secure work? do you somewhat/own your home?). If both "No", you probably do not care about Ukraine. Sorry

The major problem the Right has is it is meant to be founded in "conservatism". The question asked by many is what is being conserved? The breakdown of family? The indenture of young people so they can never own a home & form a family? The conservative inc people have no answers

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Gray Connolly

@GrayConnolly

Apr 14

Holy Thursday good wishes to all celebrating Easter:

"Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved His own in the world and He loved them to the end" (John 13:1)

Good morning to all on this #GoodFriday :

"But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

It is interesting the number of people who find Good Friday hard - the betrayal, the disloyalty, the widowed Virgin Mary watches her son’s brutal, public death, with the women of Jerusalem & only John the youngest apostle who goes to the trial & Calvary (too young to know better)

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Gray Connolly

@GrayConnolly

Apr 13

As one of the few who was critical of the Germans & their energy dependency on the Russians long before it was fashionable here, it is amazing to see blue chekists here - who had lauded Merkel - now pretending to be critical of long established German, indeed European, policy

At the same time, the Germans are the 'human shield' for most Europeans, who want business as usual restored with Russia as soon as is reasonably possible, especially cheap energy. The further you are from the continent's Russian frontier, the less you care about Ukraine.

All of the Europeans who really want a confrontation with Russia are here tweeting away - in English! - on Twitter. Europe is an old place full of people whose ancestors were survivors and who care only as much as they have to do so about 'the current thing'.

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Gray Connolly

@GrayConnolly

Apr 13

@RWApodcast

Given how much pro Ukraine propaganda is allowed here of the “Ghost of Kiev” - which even the most credulous American neocons gave up believing in - am curious what @RWApodcast did here to get suspended as it was often very critical of Kremlin policy

Much of the reason the absurd ghosts of Kiev / Azov Nazis lines get traction is mainstream media do not have their own journalists in Ukraine. I get media do not want journos killed etc but the job done properly has risks & getting killed in a war you are covering is one of them

The fact the Blue Chekists media here retweet and promote obviously nonsense stories about Ukrainian successes in the war (the same Russian tank being destroyed each day etc but weirdly without Russian markings) shows a sheer lack of much needed understanding & scepticism.

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