Disgust at Beazely comment re Pasing of Belinda Emmett

[Peter 14.7]

Originally I thought, poor Kim, he has my problem with remembering names. But my partner gave me a different perspective. By commenting on the funeral of Belinda and sending condolences to Rove he was going for a cheap political gain. But he wasnt even briefed properly about it. So it serves him right!

No wonder Howard scores so well in the elections, we have no alternative!

Hello Pushka

Your partner understands my point exactly.

It is bad enough when Pollies go to such things as school fetes or football matches to support "thier" team/school only when the media or finals are on but to comment on a person's funeral for political gain is unacceptable for any party.

Peter 14.7

 

[Peter 14.7]

Oh what a crock.. he couldnt NOT comment on it.. the whole damn country was engaged in one enormous ******* ************ session.. yes, very tragic, sniffle sniffle.. It happens to normal families every day of the week, but because she was some two-bit soapie star and he was a not-very-funny late night chat show host the entire country wanted to get invovled in the grief. Failing to comment would have been as damaging as commenting and getting it wrong.

For the record.. I don't like Beazley, Rudd, Howard or anyone else in the mainstream political system.. its badly flawed.. the twin pillars of our society, democracy and capitalism are driving us into extinction.. they're drunk on their own egos and utterly disinterested in long-term strategies to improve our happiness and survival...

Duncan,

I agree with one aspect I deduct from above, I also don’t watch Rove Live or Soapies.

But I know many others do or they would not be on the air. So I respect those persons right to feel sympathy for those persons whom they associate with as actors.

So your comments above denigrate their rights. Can’t you see that?

Can you also not see that is my point?

That politicians should be held to accountable for not respecting person’s privacy at such a sensitive time? And even worst demonstrating a total lack of remorse when calling his error a “slip up”.

Why not a mistake or error. Don’t offer half an aplogy.

I don’t expect perfection and I am not naive about pollies, quite the reverse.

But I expect common courtesy from someone who expects to lead my Country.

Whether it is Labour or Liberal or Green or etc. is irrelevant.

Lastly, calling someone you don’t know as you don’t watch the shows a “two bit soapie star” demonstrates I may well be wasting my words here. Your point about adulation of celebrities has merit but there was no need to insult her memory with the adjective.

Peter 14.7

 

[duncan_m]

But I know many others do or they would not be on the air. So I respect those persons right to feel sympathy for those persons whom they associate with as actors.

So your comments above denigrate their rights. Can’t you see that?

Can you also not see that is my point?

That politicians should be held to accountable for not respecting person’s privacy at such a sensitive time? And even worst demonstrating a total lack of remorse when calling his error a “slip up”.

Dunno Pete..

Your point is all over the place.. it started out as a rant against Fat Kim.. now its sort of drifted to any politician who dares offer some public commentary or condolence on a Funeral day?

Really, our entire society has become so vapid and shallow.. this whole episode, the funeral, the coverage, this thread, its all just the pus thats boiling over from the fetid infection we've created.. A veritable overdose of New Idea, Womens Day and Dancing with the Stars.. It makes me want to puke..

 

[see_change]

Dunno Pete..

Your point is all over the place.. it started out as a rant against Fat Kim.. now its sort of drifted to any politician who dares offer some public commentary or condolence on a Funeral day?

Really, our entire society has become so vapid and shallow.. this whole episode, the funeral, the coverage, this thread, its all just the pus thats boiling over from the fetid infection we've created.. A veritable overdose of New Idea, Womens Day and Dancing with the Stars.. It makes me want to puke..

Duncs

If it makes you want to puke , why don't you P ... off elsewhere.

Obviously some people agree with Peter. Personally I could understand his comments , and agree with them .

Fine . You don't like " the system " . Why don't you stand for politics !!!

I think when people start making comments about people who have died or are seriously ill a different set of standards apply and Kim and you have over stepped the mark . For Kim it could be a career changing comment . For you I don't think it changes anything .

See Change

 

[duncan_m]

I think when people start making comments about people who have died or are seriously ill a different set of standards apply and Kim and you have over stepped the mark .

He was offering condolences (not making comments about people) and he got the name wrong.. geez.. how many times have you uttered a "spoonerism" where you transpose the first letters of two words.. ? I do it at least a few times a year.. Kim has a funny problem with names..

Suddenly he should resign? Do we keep forcing every politician who has some perculiar or funny foible to resign.. a tic in his left eye.. resign!! A bent nose.. resign!!! A predilection for mixing metaphors.. resign!! The ability to stuff up punchlines on jokes? Resign!!! Chews his nails? Resign! Seen picking his nose in public.. resign!!!

Guess what.. we'll end up being led by a bunch of super slick, sacharine sweetened, charismatic nothings.. They get names right, they look a million dollars, they never misquote, have memories like a steel trap.. but they have no qualities that we SHOULD seek out in a leader..

 

[Rolf Latham]

Hiya Dunc

Sacharine is old hat

Its Nutra sweet these days

ta
rolf

 

[sailor]

There's also the possibility that Beazley is showing signs of early dimentia...he seems to be having these memory probs more and more lately.

 

[Brenda Irwin]

There's also the possibility that Beazley is showing signs of early dimentia...he seems to be having these memory probs more and more lately.

That's what I was thinking too.

 

[Glebe]

Not my joke

Beazley denies leadership challenge from “Xavier Rudd”

Tuesday, 21 November 2006

Beazley addresses the Greens party faithful

Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has rebuffed claims that his leadership might be under challenge, following his embarrassing confusion of Rove McManus and Karl Rove. "I can assure you that I will be leading the ABC to the next election," Beazley announced. "Both Xavier Rudd and I are utterly devoted to unseating John Howard's government and its extreme agenda."



Beazley later apologised for accidentally thinking of actor John Howard when making his earlier statement. Offering his condolences to Karl Rove rather than the newly widowed Rove McManus is the latest in a long line of mental errors for Beazley, the most damaging being in January 2005 when he erroneously contested for the Labor leadership again.



Beazley immediately put out an apology for his gaffe, claiming that he had "misspoken". However, after further discussions with his caucus colleagues he issued a clarification, instead apologising for having "spoken". However, Rove McManus took the gaffe in good spirit, simply mugging, "What the?" to polite but unenthusiastic laughter.



For his part, Karl Rove was delighted to have ended yet another Bush adversary's career, this time without even having to do anything. However, he said he would have been far more pleased had the politician he had destroyed actually been a left-winger. In the latest Newspoll, blues roots musician Xavier Rudd currently enjoys a 68% approval as preferred Labor leader over Kim Beazley and Kevin Rudd, by virtue of his not being either one of them.

 

[duncan_m]

Beazley denies leadership challenge from “Xavier Rudd”

Source : http://www.chaser.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3309&Itemid=26

 

[Tizzy]

Brenda & Sailor I tend to agree with you.

It's usually a very slow process thank goodness, but I'm personally convinced we're going to be seeing so much more dementia around us as the population ages. I feel sorry for politicians because their memory slip ups are so public and they do get crucified for it.

Probably most of us have a relative effected by dementia. I'm not as quick or as accurate with off the cuff responses as I was ten years ago either. I rely on resource material now to prompt me with names and dates and I don't remember every theorist that informs my discipline anymore.

If anyone is looking for a cause to donate to then Alzheimers can make good use of funds. A lot of people assume that dementia is a normal part of the aging process but it isn't. A slight dulling of the memory is normal as we age but dementia is a disease of the brain for which we haven't got a cure yet. It effects 1 in 4, 80 year olds and costs the country a fortune in lost productivity. Hopefully we will find a cure soon. Frightening to think that the Alzheimers process actually starts in your twenties!!

 

[Glebe]

Cheers Dunc, I like to provide sources but that one was emailed to me.

 

[Pushka]

Oh what a crock.. he couldnt NOT comment on it.. the whole damn country was engaged in one enormous ******* ************ session..

Thanks for that Duncan!

Why did Beasley have to comment on it? He is only a political leader, he didnt know either Rove or Belinda personally, he wasnt invited to the funeral -and was there to make a statement about something entirely unrelated to her death. By commenting on it (even forgetting the mistake) he was entering into the session you just described! And why did he do that?.........so he could look good, wasnt it! So, Peter's point precisely!

As an aside the thing for women and Belinda's death is that all the preventive messages for breast screening is that they really concentrate on women over the age of 50! Oh yeah, and being overweight and smoking. The problem is that when young women get breast cancer, it is far more aggressive, more difficult to treat and has the more likely chance of recurring. Of the 7 (YES - 7!) women I know personally who have had breast cancer, all have been in their thirties or early forties, all but one has had a recurrence (and she was the one in her forties) and sadly five of them have died. They were all very fit, and very thin. So much for risk factors - they had none of them!

Then you look wider at Olivia Newton John, Kylie Minogue, Jane McGrath, Beyonce (I think it was her) and Belinda Emmett and well, it is truly frightening.

While you suggest that Kym should not resign or we will "end up being led by a bunch of super slick, sacharine sweetened, charismatic nothings.. They get names right, they look a million dollars, they never misquote, have memories like a steel trap.. but they have no qualities that we SHOULD seek out in a leader." - it isnt like Beasley possesses those qualities, is it! Short straw and all that!

I do agree that far too much is made of people who die in large "public happenings", while those who lose loved ones quietly and in isolation get no support. Not that they should get public support but it is a comparison point.

Peter, will let partner know you are on common ground here

 

[MarkB]

Why did Beasley have to comment on it? He is only a political leader

He isn't even really a leader (I know that he is the "Leader of the Opposition" [LOTO]) - but he's not part of the Government and he doesn't make Government policy. The LOTO has always been just "Mr Alternative" (or Mr Wannabe).

Yet, in our silly system of government, everywhere the PM goes to make a speech as the PM, the Leader of the Opposition seems to always be there to make his speech too (and, of course, to take pot-shots at the real PM). After all, we're all desperate to hear from from the LOTO.

To me it is totally bizarre, the accomodation afforded to someone who really doesn't matter much politically save for during election campaigns.

M

ps. Working in Canberra (Govt) you're told that you're meant to be "apolitical", but in reality you're not. Staffers in opposition advisory posts (even though they may have been your colleague Departmentally the week before) are treated like lepers. And if two requests came through at the same time - one from the Minister and one from the Shadow Minister, well the Minister's the one who butters your bread, so they get what they need pronto and as for the opposition - they can wait (and they wont get anywhere near the same detail as the Minister).

It sounds cruel, but imho that's how it ought to be. The Government of the day have been elected to govern and run the country, not the opposition.

Sorry that is completely off thread (it just annoys me).

 

[Nicholas H]

I really dislike what howard does at times and think he needs to be kicked out to stop him getting more arrogrant. But Beazely would be so much worse, I think there is so many people that are unhappy with the political system, would love to see change, just no idea how to real do it.

I wonder how much you could change things with using the internet more, get a lot more information out to the public, a lot more public debates. Maybe have a govenment elected for a long time, so longer thinking then 4 years and have to have voting on different policies. Just cause you vote some one in does not mean you agree with all there thoughts.

 

[see_change]

....I think there is so many people that are unhappy with the political system, would love to see change, just no idea how to real do it.

mmm


See Change

 

[Kevin Hockey]

. ....yes, very tragic, sniffle sniffle.. It happens to normal families every day of the week, but because she was some two-bit soapie star and he was a not-very-funny late night chat show......

Sometimes it just takes one word or one sentence to really get to know someone. Even arch enemies who have just a semblence of decency know that in death it is time to show respect.

Kev

 

[MarkB]

I think you're missing Duncan's point, Kevin.

The much better half was living in the US (Amarillo, Texas) when the Space Shuttle Columbia went down in 2003. I'm sure you remember it from the blaze of lights across the skies over the United States.

Well, one of those on board Columbia (Astronaut Rick D. Husband) was an Amarillo boy.

She tells me that on the same day that the Columbia went down, a local prison guard was killed in a riot at a prison.

Two local men dying at work on the same day....

Guess what happened next?

One of these men died a hero and was celebrated by the press and even the President, he now has an airport named after him and a bronze statue of him stands now stands in front of the Amarillo Civic Center.

The other was just some poor ba$tard killed at work.

Think about that Kevin.

M

 

[duncan_m]

I think you're missing Duncan's point, Kevin.

Hey Mark,

I'm not ENTIRELY sure thats my exact point.. for fear of having words cut again I've outlined my point of view as best I can here:

http://www.duncanmargetts.com/blog/?p=1576

 

[lizzie]

do you really think rove gave a stuff?

he has much more important things on his mind at the moment ... he would probably have a good laugh to know how lively a debt such an insignificatnt comment is making.

p.s. labour will never win power while beazley is leader - neither will liberal in the states for the same reasons.