Something Wonky
Imagine opening the morning papers to read the startling revelation that the government’s prime objectives are to decrease services to the poor by decreasing taxes for the rich.
Imagine the papers telling us that the government’s treatment of asylum seekers is cruel and inhumane, at the same time questioning whether the boats have really stopped. And that its disregard for services offered to victims of domestic violence is appalling.
Imagine them telling us that we were never going to be $550 a year better off once Labor’s ‘carbon tax’ was scrapped, and suggest that we were being lied to all along. Imagine if the Liberal Party’s hypocrisy and double standards were being called out.
Imagine being told something else we already know: that our Parliament is composed of some complete idiots, such as Tony Abbott, David Leyonhjelm or Cory Bernardi, and our media too has its fair share, with Andrew Bolt heading the list.
Imagine them telling us that climate change isn’t crap, but the government’s NBN is. And that the government are economic pygmies and that under them our democracy has taken a battering.
Imagine the papers telling us that the government – and the opposition for that matter – are out of touch with mainstream Australians and that both are bending over backwards to win the rednecks’ votes.
Imagine them telling us that Aboriginal Australians are treated like third world citizens. Imagine them telling us that people on welfare are also treated unfairly and poorly.
Imagine them supporting calls for the end of negative gearing and for the government to stop subsidising the mining companies. Imagine them telling us that ordinary Australians will be better off for it, as more money would be available for essential services.
Imagine, in summary, that the media starting talking like us here at The AIMN. Making the same fair and obvious demands that we do.
It’s never going to happen.
Imagine too, how good it would be to sit down and have a chin wag with people like Kaye Lee, Victoria Rollison, John Lord, John Kelly, Michael Taylor, Rossleigh or Jennifer Wilson, or for that matter any of the regular or guest authors here, as well as any number of the hundreds of great commenters that frequent The AIMN. It’d be awesome, in my opinion, but the opportunity is unlikely present itself.
We won’t see the papers talk some sense, and we probably won’t have the chance to sit down with the people that do talk it.
So what’s the next best thing?
Listening to Something Wonky . . . a podcast featuring two forthright and entertaining lefties; Dave Gaukroger and Jeremy Sear, who give us a weekly wrap on what’s been happening in politics, media, and current affairs. Here is their website.
Listening to Something Wonky is just like it would be having that chat with Kaye Lee, Victoria Rollison, John Lord, John Kelly, Michael Taylor, Rossleigh or Jennifer Wilson et al. And it’s great to know there are people out there like us, people who fill the integrity void left by our mainstream media. It’s hard-hitting honesty at its finest.
I’ve been listing to Something Wonky for over a year and not an episode goes by without me inspired to want to grab a segment to write about. I could have written dozens of them, but instead I thought I’ll unashamedly give Something Wonky a plug.
What can you expect to hear then? Just the same as what we discuss here as well as the ‘imaginings’ we want from our media.
Here’s just one example of their rationale: Some of our feral right-wing politicians have been putting the fear of God into us about Muslim asylum seekers since the Paris attacks, and the media has been giving them plenty, if not too much oxygen. “Terrorists are on the boats”, they scream in fear. But as the boys point out, why would a terrorist hop on a leaky boat when they know the only place they are likely to end up (if they don’t drown) is some hell hole on Nauru or Manus Island? It’s oh so obvious, but who in the mainstream media has bothered to point that out to us?
That’s the sort of logic that is delivered in spades by this podcast. One and a half hours of it a week. It’s the best thing I know to counter the right-wing shock jocks who get regular and undeserved exposure.
The AIMN has over four million visitors a year. Even if a small percentage of those tuned into Something Wonky each week then not only will the boys appreciate it, but more and more people will get the REAL news.
Download an episode via iTunes (or whatever you use) and take a listen. I’d be interested in your views.
For me Something Wonky is a must, just like the articles here on The AIMN.
15 comments
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Dave Gaukroger
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Michael Taylor
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Michael Taylor
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Carol Taylor
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Roswell
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jim
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Roswell
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Roswell
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Michael Taylor
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stephentardrew
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Roswell
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Sen Nearly Ile
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Adrianne Haddow
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mmc1949
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John Lord
Return to home pageThanks for the plug. Glad that you enjoy the show.
I love the podcast. I’ve been listening to it since Day 1 – a couple of years ago now. From what I know, they used to be ‘Pure Poison’ on Crikey (and have a podcast of the same name) that wrote about the hypocrisy of Andrew Bolt. Would highly recommend it.
By the way, Roswell, you had a small typo. You said The AIMN has over 4 visitors a year – I think you meant 4 million. I fixed it for ya. 🙂
I have to give Michael credit for introducing me to Something Wonky. Both Dave and Jeremy put into words what seems obvious to everyone except the msm. Their Australia Versus Humanity segment is a must. And unlike the msm they are not going to allow these issues to just ‘go away’.
Well, silly me. But I was still right though – this site gets over 4 visitors a year.
Carol, I almost gave that segment a special mention. It highlights Australia’s shame.
A very good rap for us left wingers though why are we called “left wing” at all as this only plays IMO, into their Westminster system and IMO sort of degrades us for being rebellious against their ‘SYSTEM’ but then again it is their system that we’re up against, so maybe I’m just ranting, maybe we should be called Aussies for democracy or something,just my own thoughts hey.
Jim, I don’t think the guys would mind me calling them lefties. Being of the left, however, hasn’t stopped them from being critical of the left if that criticism is deserved.
No worries, Dave. It’s a great show. Keep up the good work.
Believe it or not Victoria Rollison and I were being interviewed Saturday mornings on a political podcast (now in recess due to technical woes). Victoria was mainly doing it, with yours truly standing in when she was on maternity leave. It was fun. We gave a wrap of the week in politics and what was being talked about on The AIMN.
Dr Anthony Horton also appeared on the show.
I hear too that Tim Dunlop has also entered the world of podcasting.
Not too long ago I saw a BBC article that predicted the demise of talk back radio and podcasts were the way of the future.
Great read Roswell. We still live by our ‘if only’ wishes based upon hard facts and that is the way to bring about change. Meanwhile the powers that be pursue counter-factual ‘if only’ statements to destroy facts for rabid opinion. If only we stopped refugees you would be safe from harm. Meanwhile they are driving people into poverty and inequality.
You all know by now how I feel about AIMN and thank you all for helping to keep me sane.
The facts are so glaringly obvious yet I struggle day by day to find out how to bring people closer to logic and consequential thinking. Meanwhile political orthodoxy drives the machinery of corporate greed and irrationality convincing people that black is white by literally owning and controlling the means of thought production. The drive to control others minds for self-interest is the complete antithesis of democracy. We must stop referring to this nation as a democracy until the scientific and logical facts are made available in coherent and accessible manner to all.
Nevertheless I dream of the day the media embraces the facts rather than be guided like dumbed down automatons spewing the corporate lies in the name of journalism. Without a free and honest press conversant with the facts we are doomed to live in a land of lies and deceits peddled as truths. No democracy here.
Thanks Stephen.
a good read ros, good to see taylor doing a pyne.
religion – logic seem as mutually exclusive as black and white or dumbed down and consequential thinking.
Another ‘imagine’ is the government giving its lowest paid workers $1000 to spend on education.
Thank you Roswell.
For both the article and the link.
Just had my first hour listening to Something Wonky. Great stuff.
The podcast left me feeling angry, powerless, amazed that more people can’t see through this travesty of a government, amazed that we can’t seem to get rid of the IPA’s minions sooner than the next election, and amazed that the revolution hasn’t happened already.
And in spite of those feelings, they still made me laugh.
A gift to share with friends.
As an aside re Andrew Bolt …… I saw him when I linked through to see his interview with Richard di Natale, so admittedly not much to judge by but ….. he was “awful”, and I’m not talking about his politics. If I were a rabid Liberal, I’d want someone with more skills than Bolt has to be presenting my views. However did he get a job on television?!
A tick from me.