BoltWatch

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Where Andrew Bolt's Deranged Polemic ... Gets What's Coming To It

Friday, February 10, 2006

Andrew Bolt 8/2 "Fear is not funny"; 10/2 "A pig in a poke"
Obviously this has been a good month for those conservative bell-ringers who keep warning us that Those Damn Muslims Are Going To Destroy Us All. Around the world, large groups of people claiming to be adherents of Islam have been congregating together in BLOODTHIRSTY MOBS and setting fire to things. Because of some cartoons. Published in Denmark. Four months ago.

And our conservative friends have, to their credit, refrained from triumphantly crowing Ha Ha This Proves We Were Right All Along, and from taking the opportunity To Explain How This Proves That Stupid Lefties Are A Bunch Of Stupid Dullards Who Are Stupid.

Andrew Bolt, on Wednesday:

So, yes, let's not whip up more fury by publishing the cartoons. But let no one pretend the reason for this censorship isn't fear -- or that there isn't something to be scared of. A memo to Daring Dave: the name of that fear isn't Howard.


Yes, Andrew managed to link a protest by various actors and comedians against the new anti-sedition laws (and at least somewhat increased police-statey powers), to rioters objecting to some cartoons being published.

By Andrew's reasoning: hey, why are you complaining about John Howard? Has John Howard ever burned down an embassy just because of some cartoons? Ever? That's right! Our Prime Minister is NOT as bad as an enraged violent mob. So, you know, show him some respect.

Of course, if I were the Prime Minister, I probably wouldn't be too thrilled to have my legislative limits on free speech compared with what your hardcore embassy-burning rioter wants to do to free speech. I probably wouldn't even take too much solace in my laws being viewed as being BETTER THAN IRAN'S. Take that, Kim Beazley, it's widely accepted that living in Australia under me is better than living under Sharia law in Iran! I AM THE GREATEST PRIME MINISTER EVER!

No, I'd probably be keen for the two issues to be kept separate.

Even if it meant passing up a chance to bash the lefties.

Bolt's piece today isn't too bad, though. Yes, he has a go at The Age for not publishing the cartoons - whilst conceding that the Herald Sun also didn't publish the cartoons (OUR IDENTICAL REASON WAS SLIGHTLY BETTER-WORDED, DAMMIT!) - but, you know. It's kind of a subconscious tic for him now. He probably doesn't even realise he's doing it.

Otherwise, he makes the same fair points which have been made throughout the media over the last week. (And the blogosphere, and even by me.)

- posted by Jeremy @ 1:29 PM |


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Portions of any work of Andrew Bolt are taken from his webpage at http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/, are copyright Andrew Bolt, and are reproduced on the basis of the "fair dealing for purpose of criticism or review" section 41 of the Copyright Act 1968. Other material is copyright by its various authors, which sort of goes without saying really.