Broggers bites the dust

Note: For the benefit of non-aussie readers, John Brogden is (was) the leader of opposition in the NSW State Government.

Well, it had to happen. When a person runs his mouth as much as John "Broggers" Brogden does, you know something idiotic will come out of it sooner or later. This guys idea of political debate is to disagree with everything the state government says, even if disagreeing means being completely wrong.

It came to a head today and he resigned. Why? Was it because he could not stand the State government's policies and failure to stick to its election promises? No. Was it because he was suffering from a physical ailment, a la Mark Latham and more recently deputy PM Anderson? He wishes.

Broggers resigned because his stupidity caught up with him. The (former) Leader of Opposition got tanked at a function, pinched the bottom of a journalist, propositioned another and made a racial slur against the wife of former NSW premier Bob Carr. Then, ironically, he denied it all blaming the ruling Labour party of a "grubby" personal attack. This from the master of grubby personal attacks.

Couple of weeks later, this:

"Clearly, in retrospect, I should have - from the outset when the questions were put directly to me - been honest and indicated that my behaviour was completely unacceptable, and I apologise," he said on a radio broadcast (Southern Cross
Broadcasting)

So, when lying didn't work, Broggers admitted to calling Helena Carr a "mail order bride" and misbehaving with the two journos. (Helena Carr is of Malaysian ancestry, the journos are female). He didn't blame the alcohol, which is a good thing. He probably is racist, sexist and up himself when sober. If there is any doubt, then factor in the following: the Liberals are confident of winning the next state election on the back of the current Labour government's inability to fix public utilities especially the rail network. In two years, Broggers would have been the Premier.

Lesson learnt from this: never pinch a journalist's bottom.

For more on this story go here

NB: A few days after resigning, Brogden tried to commit suicide. The media was blamed for taking things too far and there was a surge in sympathy for Broggers. In my humble opinion, the media did go over the top. So did Broggers. The game was played and some PR executive is having the last laugh.

Cosmetic procedure could change English language

Saw an interesting infomercial the other night. It’s the latest fad in cosmetic …er beautification. Anal bleaching.

According to the infomercial, this non-evasive procedure lightens the skin around the anus, giving it a clean and hygienic look. Apparently it started out as a must have for actors in the porn industry but made the jump to everyday people because of the ‘’aesthetic’’ appeal. Too many people with too much time on their hands I say.

You must be wondering about the title then. Well, I realized that this procedure will have a profound effect on the English language if it becomes commonplace. Here are a few examples:

• The word ‘’asshole’’ will no longer be a derogatory term. Colloquially, ‘’asshole’’ can have a range of meaning, from being disgusting to being full of crap. Either way, there is an innuendo of faecal matter, of being dirty. In the future, if the recipient of your abuse has been bleached or A-B’d, they’ll probably take being called an asshole as a compliment!
• ‘’Shove it where the sun don’t shine’’ meaning its dark down there. After a dose of A-B, these words will have no meaning.
• “The sun doesn’t shine out of your ass”. With enough A-B, it probably will.
• Because of the above ‘’mooning’’ will become passé. “Sunning” someone will become the new rage.

Anyone got any other suggestions?

Racism rears its ugly head

Anyone remember Pauline Hanson? Yes, the Pauline Hanson who almost won Dancing with the Stars. Oh and she also was a politician some years back. She wanted fewer immigrants coming into Australia because “they” were supposedly eroding Australian culture etc. Just Google her, you’ll get the picture.

Well, in the trend of what’s-old-is-new-again, here’s a story that has been doing the rounds with a similar theme. Only this time, I get to comment.

An associate professor in law at a reputable Sydney university wrote a letter to the editor of the Parramatta Sun (a local rag), saying that a high number of black immigrants would invariably lead to increased crime in Parramatta.

His letter was a reaction to the front-page news article a week earlier, where a Sudanese family had gained Australian citizenship.

Ipso facto?

Prof. Genius didn’t back his claim with any hard evidence, studies or surveys. When questioned, he referred to data on black-on-white crime. This data was collected in the USA and none of the “hard” current affairs programs on TV have verified this data to date. But they have done surveys in regards to whether the general public agrees / disagrees with his sentiments. And the result?

80 percent of those who called in agreed that black immigrants were the cause of increased crime. Take a bow Prof. Andrew Fraser. Just like the flared pants, platform boots, afros and fluorescent coloured shirts, you have single-handedly revived Hansonism (Hanson the politician / dancer not the teenybopper pop group). At least Pauline Hanson had an agenda to get into Parliament unlike Mr. Fraser who is currently unable to teach his law classes because the university has shut him down. Tsk! tsk! should have thought of the consequences before writing that letter and signing it with your credentials, which included the name of the university. Moron!

Roll up! Roll up!

So, while he fights to teach his classes, the university is in damage control, offering a scholarship to Sudanese students and assuring its overseas and non-white student populace (that bring in a fair amount of revenue) that they don’t have a Nazi in their faculty.

Meanwhile, the media have done their part as usual. Sensationalized the entire issue by making the contents of the letter front-page news (well done Parramatta Sun, a free newspaper with all the hallmarks of gutter journalism), while the ‘’reputable’’ current affairs programs (A Current Affair, Today Tonight) took to the streets and ran the emotional angle. Not a fact in sight. Anyone remember the 5 Ws and H (who, what, where, when, why and how)?

This just in, the African Communities Council is considering legal action against Prof. Fraser for breaking racial vilification laws. ACC president, Lamaz Bah reckons Prof. Fraser ''has incited hate.''

''I can’t understand how this man can vilify people and then expect to hide behind academia,’’ he said in the Parramatta Sun.

Psynical thoughts

Having lived in Australia and western Sydney for almost five years, I can say that racism exists here, just like it exists everywhere else around the world. Its not a big deal until it is made a big deal. Like with Prof. Fraser’s letter, which, if left on the Letters to the Editor section on page 6, would have been a racist rant and nothing more.

I’m not denying the fact that a problem exists, but being non-white has taught me that this problem will always exist. Hell, in the country I was born in, we had people of the same damn colour being racist to each other, so go figure!

But the holier than thou attitudes of those who support Prof Fraser has irked me somewhat. Here’s an example:

Well done Professor Fraser.
You have the spirit that is needed in this country. But, alas, you are outnumbered by the over-populous migrants who unfortunately now call this once-great country home.
They bring with them trouble and have intention of blending in to our way of life.
Australia has to face the facts: there are some people that just cannot fit or live in a Western country.
Name withheld, Parramatta
(Your Say, Parramatta Sun, August 10, 2005)

Name withheld might want to consider the following question:
Who were the very first migrants to settle in Australia en masse? Something about a penal colony, oh that’s right, they were from Great Britain.
You are a migrant as much as I am then, no?
Prof. Fraser’s claim that Australia’s rising ruling class of Asians ( he reckons because they do so well in the Higher School Certificates) is also an exercise in irony. What Asian ruling class? Last time I looked, Mr. Sheen was still running the country. How many Asians are there in Parliament? The only time you hear about Asians is when a radio talk-show host complains about his / her bank customer service query being answered in India or Malaysia.

Maybe, if the big corporations stop outsourcing work to Asia and invest in the knowledge base here in Australia, Australian graduates of all ethnicities would be able to bring prosperity to the country rather than opting for the first opportunity off the island.
 
Enough ranting. The bottom line is that there is a need for people to be colour- blind. If empathy and tolerance is too hard, try some courtesy. At the end of the day, it’s about giving a fair go. Not because its about being Australian, but because its about being human.