‘This explains it all … no accountability in a woke state’
Welcome to the column where you provide the content. Recently returned US correspondent Cameron Stewart wondered if an entire city could suffer from PTSD: “Maybe not, but something is sadly amiss in my hometown of Melbourne seven months after the city suffered a long Covid lockdown. My beloved Melbourne now resembles a poorly run police state.” Evan agreed:
“This explains it all and why lightning has struck more than once in the same place – no accountability in a woke state: ‘And the families of the 768 people who lost their lives after the hotel quarantine fiasco continue to grieve quietly, having never got a satisfactory answer as to who was responsible for the tragedy.’”
Comment of the week goes to Tori:
“I am utterly defeated. I had my first baby last August at the height of the second lockdown. We were pulled over by police for breaking curfew, as we headed to hospital for her imminent birth. She met her grandparents in a random car park, swinging about in her car seat in the open in the depths of winter. I think even that was illegal.
“Our Greek neighbour died of loneliness and sadness after missing church immeasurably. She would have had a funeral of thousands but none of us got to say goodbye to her and celebrate her incredible life, journeying from a small Greek village as a young girl to set up family here in Melbourne.
“If life on earth as humans isn’t about celebrating lives and our loved ones, then why are we here?”
Marilyn approved:
“This is an excellent piece. I found it interesting that Victorians seem to have cowed to the inept bureaucracy. If that’s true that is extremely worrying. In fact I have noticed this trait in family members in Victoria and when we heard this as a family we were very disturbed. I’m thinking of the gentle people of Russia. Victorians should wake up before it’s too late.”
Matthew remarked:
“Unfortunately this is the stark reality of what happens when your population prefers government power to people power. Those that vote for powerful governments that then make these decisions forget that it is humans making the decisions, not a an omnipotent god.”
Too long, said John:
“There is an issue that Victorians don’t speak about, that being the inadvertent consequences of a four year parliamentary term. In a three-year term, the Andrews government would be facing the voters later this year instead of late next year, thus Victorians have a sense of resignation that there is nothing that can be done until then.”
Don’tknowdon’tremember was underwhelmed:
“4 new cases in Victoria today. Catastrophe. We are doomed. Covid moves at light speed. And is evil, cunning and wicked.”
Bruce Curry stirred the pot:
“I’ve never really bought the ‘world’s most liveable city’ stuff, it always seemed like something Melbourne’s needed to tell themselves to feel relevant. But regardless, perhaps they could take their grievance and chuck out Labor at the next election.”
Chris’s take:
“There are still ‘progressive’ people who think Dan Andrews did a great job. These are the sort of people who see Joe Biden as a savant and Anthony Albanese as a knockabout lad from the bush. They would say the ABC gets it right most of the time and that we should not be so harsh on China.”
Margaret reminisced:
“I remember visiting Melbourne in pre-Kennet time: empty shops, restaurateurs grovelling at the flash of northern money, Toorak matrons being gracious to bogan Queenslanders. All they need is a decent fiscally and socially responsible government.”
According to J.W.:
“The simple fact is that Australia has evolved into a nation of wimps. It’s sad to see that the durable, persistent larrikinism that typified people like my grandparents is no longer. When faced with adversity, it seems that the first reaction now is to wilt with fear, and then start playing the blame game.”
Guilty, said Gavin:
“I don’t understand why the Victorian governments poor performance surprises anybody. Throughout Australia and around the world, left wing governments are almost uniformly ineffective and chaotic: California, New York (state and city), Seattle, San Fransisco … South … London, UK Blair / Brown government. The list goes on.
“All have one thing in common. They all left, or will leave, their jurisdiction in far worse shape than when they took office. It is one of the constants of left wing governments. Organisations which specialise in grievance promotion and protest are unequipped to run effective administrations. Victoria is simply proving that point again.”
Exaggeration, said Andrew:
“In the age of hyperbole the imperative is to scream louder and louder. Annoyed, depressed, confused, stoic, passive, angry, or simply willing to look at every situation on its merits and apply the above accordingly?
“Melbourne is a great place to live and work, but it certainly is not the place it is was 18 months ago. Our NSW cousins have done a far better job, and that’s not based on my political leanings, simple facts. Pundits, posters and even credible journalists lose me immediately though when they pull out the lazy ‘police state’ analogy. Myanmar is a police state, China the biggest, North Korea. Try posting your average daily whine in these countries and you will certainly find out how real police states operate.”
Garry’s riposte:
“Tell that to the young mum from Ballarat in her pyjamas and handcuffs.”
Pat was a pessimist:
“It is almost surreal, the lack of opposition to this train wreck of a government as it hurtles over the coming financial abyss. I have been quite critical of the lack of opposition from the coalition but recently stopped and thought about it logically from a historical context and have actually garnered some sympathy.
“In the past after the various disasters of the socialists had been repaired they were tossed out to result back to square one again. As we saw with the Kennett government after the mad hatters’ tea party of Cain and Kirner … you could probably sum up the inaction, apathy and despair of the coalition parties at the apathy (I would say stupidity) of the average voter, by a few simple words: ‘what’s the point?’”
Cliffo commiserated:
“This time around, I don’t see any anger and spirit of rebellion that Victorians were once famous for. We’re like beaten dogs whimpering in the corner. This incompetent Andrews government, displaying the most appalling arrogance, has taken the soul out of Victoria. But, instead of wielding baseball bats at them at the next election, this beaten and compliant populace will no doubt just roll over and take it.”
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ABC’s Media Watch host Paul Barry and Covid king Norman Swan were late to the party over the growing school of thought that Covid-19 escaped from a virology lab in Wuhan. Vincent had sympathy:
“As John Maynard Keynes wrote: ‘When my information changes, I alter my conclusions. What do you do, sir?’ To change one mind when better information come to hand is a sign of intelligence and strength not ignorance and weakness.”
Chris’s theory:
“Why not be honest? The principal reason the virus could not have originated in a lab is because Donald Trump said it did. Once he said it the academic scientific community lined up on one side, predictable as clockwork. Now that he’s out of the way the evidence is allowed to surface. How unlikely is it that a virus is going to originate from wet market in a province where there is a virology lab. Thank you Sharri Markson for lighting the way, for having the courage to bring us the evidence before it was fashionable to do so.”
Not fair, said Steven marooned in Istanbul:
“The compelling issue is that the relevant comments were made a year ago, when little evidence was available. It is hardly a backflip when new and validated information is available. One would like to think back a year and dwell on everything said and written then as ‘fact’.”
Robert’s view:
“Amazing what a real journalist, not blinded by ideology, but looking for, and unearthing facts, can produce. ABC, look and learn.”
Sensible Conservative said:
“It has been my experience that Dr Swan reports what other people, typically very well credentialed experts, are saying and tries to explain what the experts are saying in ways a layperson can understand.”
Bill’s belief:
“The left wing narrative supporting Chinese propaganda started with Trump said this, Trump conspiracy. And the partisan media and big tech promptly censored the Trump conspiracy. Now when millions of lives have been lost the narrative has now changed. The evidence from experts and plain common sense always pointed to the research lab. This left wing nonsense should be held to account. Honest investigative journalism would have called this out long ago but was silenced.”
From Tony:
“Where it came from is probably just a matter of whether someone was negligent or not. Relevant if someone was seriously thinking of suing but everyone knows that would just be for show. But if culpability is the issue, it is certain that when the officials knew the virus was in the Wuhan community they stopped Wuhan people travelling in China but did not stop them flying abroad. Draw your own conclusions between rank indifference and aggravated intention.”
Mark remarked:
“Norman Swan’s opinion, be it on, the wearing of masks, lockdowns, the effectiveness of different vaccines and now the source of Covid-19, changes like the weather.”
Peter’s peeve:
“The issue for me is NOT whether the allegation is true, it was the way in which Barry and Swan dismissed Markson’s line of enquiry. Barry will never apologise because I doubt whether it will even be conclusively proven (beyond reasonable doubt), that the allegation is true.
“Sharri, I subscribed to The Australian so people like you … understand there are people like me, prepared to pay for investigative journalism of the quality you provide. Time to purchase a book.”
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Sydney’s Catholic Archbishop launched an attack on the Berejiklian government over its decision to overhaul the state’s cemeteries management, accusing Gladys Berejiklian of deceiving the Church and marginalising its role in burials. Muslim leaders weren’t thrilled either. Gordon was pro-government:
“The church should be ashamed at the disgraceful conditions that plague many older cemeteries. Having visited many in search of relatives the best maintained are the civil authority ones. If it wasn’t for the Roman Catholic Church we wouldn’t be in such a mess with funding independent schools. Why shouldn’t the church seek permission from some civil authority to visit their dead? Does the church think it above secular authority? The church is simply resisting loss of power, as always, instead of focusing more on spiritual salvation.”
Pat’s worse half’s proposal:
“About time the churches did what they profess to do, saving living souls, definitely not mine I guarantee that, instead of worrying about the dead. When you’re dead, you’re dead, either cremated or buried to decompose. The only thing the church is worried about is money – if you don’t believe ring the council for the cost of a plot and then ring the church for one in their special area.”
Ermie’s answer:
“With land shortages becoming more acute I cannot see why burials still happen. Cremation is a lot more practical and allows more efficient use of cemetery space.”
From John:
“Cemeteries are albums of memories. Our preserving and holding of them dear is to revere and honour our heritage and traces of our own life stories. They are a visible, fitting and worthy recognition of the value of human life itself. They are a people’s statement of appreciation of and gratitude for those whose headstones though brief, tell much. Archbishop Fisher serves us all well to remind the Premier that she can indeed honour and uphold the trust that seems to have been displaced, perhaps betrayed. May it be strengthened, not contested, for the good of all.”
Alexis went to ground:
“I personally like the way of burial where ideally the body is covered in cloth and buried in the earth so that it touches the earth. Going and giving back to the earth. Unfortunately our lives have become much more complicated and it is a fact that eventually a cemetery will be outstripped by time and other community needs.
“I would prefer not the be cremated but it appears to be the most responsible way to depart this blue planet. We can’t always have what we want.”
Melanie mused:
“From the earliest period, i.e the Roman period, Christians buried the dead with respect. The Catholic Church has been assisting the grieved in this way for two Millennia. The archbishop has a fair point.”
Last word to BytheRiver:
“There is nothing wrong with burying the dead with dignity. Even Jesus was given the grave of a rich man to borrow. He didn’t need it for long, but still, it would have been a nice one.”
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