An interesting article by Roger Kimball picked up via Instapundit. Here is the money quote:
Why do they tend to be dour people with no laughter in their hearts? Because they regard life as a zero-sum game. . . . Leftists are supposed to be the caring, sharing part of the political fraternity. In point of historical fact, it is an easy thing to demonstrate that their caring has always been more a rhetorical than an actual strategy and that their sharing has been accomplished overwhelmingly with other people’s goods. That said, however, there is still the fact that Leftists are hailed by their enablers as the non-crabby politicians, the people who come into office promising two things: More and Free.
Because, as the Ayatollah said, “There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious…”?
Just change Islam to Climate Change, Socialism, whatever. After all, you’re saving the world.
True; however they do provide a wonderful source of unintended humour.
Jason used to have a name for them…. Sad lefty.
Most of them seem so sad. I think it’s the envy thing that really gets to them.
Lavatory pronto was always a fun read for that. These days I’ve subbed it out by reading pieces and comments at Da Drum. Seriously, the place seems to be populated by mentally disturbed bi-polar sufferers at the low point.
Ayn Rand vs John Stewart – I know who gives me bigger belly laughs and its not the distinguished grey-haired one.
So who are the comedians in the Parliament at the moment – Greg Combet?
Bob Katter I sometimes think does self-parodies – but is is difficult to be sure. Scott Morrison is pretty droll. Then there is Otto Abetz and his twin George Brandis – laugh a minute those two.
Don’t know if its envy -
J. Burnside, david Marr are very well off with high profile higly esteemed careers.
W. swan, A.albanese make around $350,000 per year, nothing to be worried about, better off than most Aussies.
Yet sadly they seem to have some hate in their hearts.
All right here is the Labor Laughmeister Combet in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyQ1CR50KwU
What is the best nomination for the Coalition.
It is kind of interesting who laughs or smiles on the Coalition side and who doesn’t
Tony Abbott – half smile
Malcolm Turnball – laughter
Scott Morrison – smile
Julie Bishop and Sophie Mirabella – stony faced.
For pure slapstick, what about the song and dance man?
Greys
You fucking idiot…
Costello has possibly been the funniest person in the parliament.
The thing leftwingers hate is to be mocked and he mocked them incessantly and without mercy.
Anyways, stick to you conspiracy theories about JFK, you nutball. At least you’re one of the funny ones even if not deliberate.
I agree, Mr Smirk could be quite good, almost as good as Keating, – although it may have escaped your attention but Costello hasn’t been in Parliament for 5 years or so.
Are the coalition living off the memory of comedians past?
Keating? Lol
You mean with his rehearse and plagiarized abuse.
You’re pathetic in so many ways.
oops rehearsed…
Face it you nutball, there are countless sad and envy ridden leftwhiners out there.
The envy just eats at them.
All tip and no iceberg – fairly or not, that is how Peter Costello will be defined by history.
You lot love myths and bullshit, Greys.
I guess it’s why you’re so enamored with the crap conspiracy theories about JFK, you nutcase.
Johnson did it, right?
it’s why you all think the Australian carbonic tax is going to a difference to da climate.
Go away you’re pathetic.
Errr, no, I already told you what happened. For someone who seems so sure his side of politics is full of laughter you seem enormously bitter.
You are just the sort of person who having been loudest in derision will, the next time you are down the RSL with some ex-ADF mates, first looking around to see no one is looking, say: “Hey, wanna know why JFK was rubbed out……no sh*t, I got it straight from this former ASIS guy.”
It is kind of sad, you so much want to be part of something bigger but you are always left cut out.
Lighten up, if you want to pretend Oswald acted alone, I am not going to laugh at you.
To sum up then, Keating was funny but Costello possibly funnier. But that’s in Australia. Jon Stewart gives you belly-laughs Grey? Lucky you. His gotchas are usually as accurate as 1930s fascist propaganda, which is what his humour resembles at its worst.
Australia may be the exception, with a few funny leftists (I enjoy Keating myself). British and American leftists are a dour lot almost without exception. I’ll see your Ayn Rand and raise you James Delingpole, whose WWII novels I own and can recommend as brilliantly entertaining, but free of politics.
I like a good rant – I’ll give you James Delingpole. I like Rod Liddle too, although he says he votes or at least used to vote Labor – even if that was so I would hesitate to call him a leftist.
Alan Ramsay could mix a good line of withering sarcasm and political comment – probably more left than anything.
I’m no psychologist but I know passive-aggressive when I see it.
Grey is a dour name but. Manalive sounds much more exciting!
It’s interesting these Greenies like Grey always make a thread about themselves. Can’t stick to a topic; attention-seeking whores.
“I….I….Me…I….I”
Of course it’s probably Grey’s real name so I shouldn’t said that, sorry, Grey.
Joker?
Now
Lets hope her wish is granted.
What a rant.LOL You bubblehead, Greys.
Grey – you are going down the wrong road attempting to fight lefty righty wars.
The left right wars are bullshit.
Quiggin and Sinc – ate both an anachronism now and old fashioned to boot. You think the younger gen is in here fighting old wars? I’d hazard a guess and say more of them are on facebook and twitter.
Whilst I nappreciate the arguments of the left and right hosted by our hosts, the truth is I am bored with both sides and think the existing problems in our politics cannot be changed by me switching my vote.
Grey’s like a less intelligent, less talented Bird. He’s not even up to Tillman’s standard. Lame.
hahahahahahahaaaaa….
Grey’s a JFK conspiracy theorist. That’s hilarious.
Jenny Macklin’s comment is absurd. From her parliamentary salary to $245 New Start per week and paying rent out of that. She’s in a world of her own …
Not really, I know what happened so I have no further interest in it.
I can imagine the subject is of endless interest for those like you out of the loop.
Knock me down with a feather Alice, do you pull cones and vote. Who woulda thought?
Saw the Macin thing on the ALPBC news. If she’s not belted senseless for that for the next fortnight there’s something wrong.
That would make a great reality TV show. Give Macklin $38 a day and make her live in a house with a couple of kids and pay rent and feed them.
Call it “Macklin’s dole show.”
You could include things like best recipes, fashionable vinnies finds etc
From what I understand of Macklin’s changes to the welfare system, she should be applauded, not ridiculed. This may be the only worthwhile legacy of this dishonest, incompetent and corrupt government.
We should support good policy regardless of who puts it in place. Let the Left do its’ on dirty work.
Agree, johno. These changes are a start to a change in the culture surrounding single-parenthood and welfare-dependent parenthood.
Just a start, though. Pride in looking after oneself has yet to emerge fully as a cultural meme again.
Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. -Mark Twain
And make her live in an Alice Springs town camp for a week.
Maclin’s changes are god policy. Unfortunately she tried to mislead by issuing a transcript of the interview with certain parts, that she knew would be picked up by some, missing. Typical of this government’s bullshit.
Well, you could live on $245.00 per week if you didn’t eat or pay rent, so perhaps that’s what the compassionate Ms Macklin was saying …
Candy
You can live on 245 bucks a week. IF you can’t then get a low paying job , even one that pays cash.
That’s around 12,000 bucks a year. $10,000 marks the boundary for entering the middle class around the world.
No, JC, rent is around $180 to $200 per week for very modest abodes in Brisbane a long way from the CBD.
Even for two months on the Dole or parent pension, there are many people who have to borrow/take from families and friends just to get by, just for those two months alone. Very difficult for the uneducated socially low information group.
Duh people.
Live off Newstart, Greens tell Macklin
Candy is right, rent is the killer for people on very low incomes.
Possible solutions are:
1. supplementing incomes – opportunities exist everywhere.
2. reducing expenditures – vinnies, grow vegies, eat cheaply, live simply – e.g. wash and dry nappies – all ideal for Greenies. Libraries are free.
3. moving – to somewhere rural and cheaper or sharing with others similarly positioned (but a risk of institutionalising this lifestyle if a ‘commune’ – erk).
4. marrying – with both of you having real commitment to the new spouse’s children, and to creating a new and stable family; best with jobs.
5. short-term re-training to become fully employed (this does not mean a PhD degree in women’s studies; think child-care or aged-care certificate 3, receptionist or hairdresser or office manager etc; I heard of a female financial analyst in the 2008 crash who spent four months working as a check-out chick – good on her).
5. public housing – if you have lots of kids; try to give this a miss otherwise as it is depressing and woeful but good people can cope there if they must.
Women in third world countries create employment opportunities for themselves if given half a chance and have no tabs on what they need for housing and ammenities beyond a simple roof over their heads – one room will do at a pinch (I did that on the first split of my marriage, drawing on my savings and some quickly whisked up part-time uni teaching, when I left in distress for two months with my first baby, only to be entreated back to have a second one).
Actually Steve, I laugh at virtually every post you write.
Nervously, I’d imagine.
Ummm okay, so you think it’s bad that family support someone out of work and that the state ie the taxpayer needs to so it?
Why?
“Not really, I know what happened so I have no further interest in it.
I can imagine the subject is of endless interest for those like you out of the loop”
Seriously @Grey JFK conspiracies? What particular CIA/NSA/etc loop is your esteemed self in that we aren’t? Were the moon landings fake too?
Maybe you should join the loop (and the real world) which has the JFK doco recreating the entire thing using only someone firing from Oswald’s book depository window.
It actually wasn’t difficult at all to recreate…
A longterm member here was speculated that there was union involvement due to JFK being involved in anti-union campaigns.
I was happy to sort it out for him. No one else seemed to mind except JC who went into immediate meltdown and has been throwing his toys out of the cot about it ever since.
Their ABC had a piece interviewing a middle-class middle-aged woman with a fifteen year old son. She was a trained teacher, but has apparently been on welfare for years, and was now worried about having to seek for a job to allow son to buy ‘some new clothes’ in Melbourne.
Well:
Where was dad?
What happened to the spoils of the restaurant they owned once? Presumably she has skills from this too?
Why should she not have to work when other mothers of teenagers do?
Why couldn’t the kid get an out-of-school-hours job?
Does she have assets and if so, what?
Oh tough love Lizzie. But one’s heart doesn’t exactly bleed.
If I am wrong about her circumstances, I apologize, because I know everyone has their story. But on face value, this looks like something of an entitlement tale.