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Why Are Those Ignorant, Ugly Trolls So Abusive?

Perhaps one of my favourite bits of irony is when journalists go on Twitter to complain about Twitter…

It’s true, of course, that there’s a lot of ignorant and abusive people on social media who spout opinions without evidence, attack defenceless people and generally lower the whole tone of debate. I can see why some journalists are upset by this because these amateurs are doing for free what journalists get paid to do.

I know, I know. When they ask Dan Andrews a question, ignore his answer and then ask the same question, they’re just holding politicians to account. When they ask politicians to prejudge the findings of an inquiry they’re just trying to get a scoop; they’re not attempting trial by media. And when they ask Andrews if he’ll resign, it’s a simple question. It’s not like those people asking for the government in Lebanon to resign. No, the people in Lebanon are seeking retribution when they talk about resignations…

So it seems to go something like this. Journalists are there to hold politicians to account, but it’s not the public’s job to hold journalists to account for anything whether the public feels that it’s an inappropriate line of questioning or a lack of balance in the holding of particular politicians to account. It’s up to journalists to make that decision and it’s quite frankly none of your business and if you should dare to comment on their decision-making processes, let alone their ethics, why you’re a troll whose putting at risk the whole democratic process. Why shouldn’t we let the Liberal Party write our questions for us? I mean, it saves the trouble of getting them to send them through via our editors. It’s the sort of efficiency that we need in these troubled times for the media. In fact, we should save a lot of time and just print the Coalition’s press releases verbatim…

It’s intrigued me for years the way that the media has gone along with the idea that the Labor party is omnipotent while the Liberals are largely a victim of circumstances. Think back at how various issues have been portrayed. The Liberals are still banging on about how Labor were responsible for the deaths under the Pink Batts scheme even though it was faulty work practices. “It was too rushed and they should have been better trained’, but when Robodebt deaths occur that was something that just couldn’t be helped because how is the government expected to know the consequences of putting people under pressure. Unemployment under Labor equals a weak economy while unemployment under the Gliberal party is because of all those work-shy people who’d rather live in poverty and take drugs.

And so Victorian Labor is at fault for the pandemic raising its head again because the security workers should have had better training and been told that when you’re in charge of a person under quarantine you’re not supposed to be exchanging bodily fluids with them. That’s the sort of specialised knowledge that could only come with an extensive and expensive TAFE course run by a Liberal donor.

And it’s thanks to Victorian Labor that the economy will take longer to recover. Josh Frydenberg told us so and he should know because he’s about to deliver his second budget and nothing in it is the fault of the government but the bringing forward of the tax cuts is all down to the superior economic management of the Glibs because the best way to bring the budget back into the black is to reduce your revenue stream.

Now I’m not saying that Labor are without fault or that the media have no right to criticise. I’m just suggesting that a little more even-handedness would be welcome. I mean, if they could just point out the irony of the party that spent so long talking about strong borders could even think of joining Clive Palmer’s High Court challenge to border closures, or at least ask the Federal government why they backed it and then withdrew, it might be a good start.

 

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17 comments

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  1. Jack Cade

    The classic is the creme de la arsehole creme Andrew Bolt, weeping on camera because somebody was rude to him…

  2. New England Cocky

    Why did you expect anything else from the COALition?

    The Labor state governments in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia are all doing a sterling job under extremely difficult circumstances of public stupidity. It is only the COALition states that are failing Australian voters.

    @Jack Cade: Is that A BLOT on the Newscape?

  3. DrakeN

    Rossleigh, you are becoming less and less humorous, even less satirical, with this kind of truthsaying.
    A bit like the Guardian’s ‘First Dog On The Moon’ cartoons.
    Both of you bitterly incisive – and accurate.

  4. Michael Taylor

    Brilliant, Rossleigh. Damn good. 😀

  5. Carina McNaughton

    Spot on Rossleigh.

  6. RomeoCharlie29

    Jack, please tell me where I can see Andrew Bolt weeping ..?

  7. leefe

    RomeoCharlie29:
    “Jack, please tell me where I can see Andrew Bolt weeping ..?”

    Only in your dreams.

  8. Michael Taylor

    I think he wept uncontrollably when Abbott lost his seat. But who didn’t? 😜

  9. Jack Cade

    RomeoCharlie29

    I can’t send you a link, but I remember it well, his lips trembling.

  10. DrakeN

    When Anthony J. Abbott lost his last election I was almost as overjoyed as when the “…lying little rodent.” got his cumuppance and lost his seat while still PM.

  11. RomeoCharlie29

    Jack, are you sure he hadn’t just overi bribed the whiskey? DrakeN, two of the great moments in history for us lefties.

  12. Henry Rodrigues

    When, if ever, are these precious ‘journos’ going to repent for not taking Scummo to task for his incompetance and arrogance during the bushfires? A slight pat on the wrists for being seen quaffing a cold beer on a beach in Hawaii, was the worst reprimand they could see fit. Why wasn’t there the crescendo of calls for his resignation ? They now want to appear that they are holding govt to account, but only when it is a Labor govt. Utter bastards, the lot of them. Every man, woman, and anything in between.The compost heap topped by the crinkled old bastard himself.

  13. wam

    Even handed is how the conservative sites describe the media except the ABC which is biased.
    The latter is becoming so true as old auntie lurches to the right to balance the perceived left which has only been a perception gained by it not being right so it must be left?
    Our ABC gives the only local coverage so to cater for the clp it makes sure the right get air time to talk without the need to answer when labor waits till the interviewer talks a right wing question expecting a one word answer.

    ps
    To find bolt blubbering over the rabbott is too difficult to wade through heaps of skypoop (insiders new host was chattering away)
    So romeo, try this with a cup of tea and a bex to recover from the still unbelievable situation as to how this man could have become a PM.
    https://www.magic.co.nz/11-of-Tony-Abbotts-most-cringeworthy-embarrassing-and-offensive-moments/tabid/615/articleID/100053/Default.aspx

    pps
    I cannot but be sad at the support for the rabbott and tlob amongst the golfers.

  14. Kronomex

    Michael @ August 10, 2020 at 7:37 pm.

    “I think he wept uncontrollably when Abbott lost his seat. But who didn’t? 😜”

    Now you’re telling us that he had a bad case of the Nadger Plague as well as copping a huge hobnail boot up the arse?

  15. Jack Cade

    Wam

    All of those examples show why the Rhodes Scholars don’t brag about it any more…
    One point about the 28 seconds silence in the ‘shit happens’ question needs to be made: Abbott was not ‘lost for words.’ Anyone who has ever been involved in, or watched, a heated altercation, knows that there comes a moment in which one of the arguers loses control and punches the other. Abbott was at that point but was struggling to control his instincts because he realised that his rancid career would be destroyed – not even the wrinkled Yankee cuckold and his serfs could have spun him out of the ‘shit’ that was close to happening.

  16. wam

    hahaha jack, I had forgotten he was a rhodes scholar. My enduring picture for his time as leader was for labor to set up a cartoon of the rabbott trying to enter the rhodes scholar building by pushing on a door labelled pull.
    But this was the rage when the union RC was established.
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-17/dyson-heydon-on-panel-approved-tony-abbott-rhodes-scholarship/6703188shows you the people he beat.

    ps how are the mighty crows going oops sorry for being so uncharitable

  17. Jack Cade

    Wam

    As I said to my son tonight, the Crows score about as many goals as the average Under 8 team.

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