Culture catcher: 24

The Overland magazine bloggers were predictably miserable at the elevation of Julia Gillard.

Jacinda Woodhead: For anyone who thinks under Gillard’s leadership Labor will be more progressive, pro-environment, pro-union, anti-war, pro-human rights, I say, that’s trick photography. 

Benjamin Laird: This seems like a cynical move. Rather than making their policies more progressive, they think they can win voters back by changing their image. All to stop a stop a haemorrhage to the Greens.

Clare: what a debacle it all is – i hate them all for being so selfish, gutless and disappointing and how depressing that Julia should be such a weak-as-piss first woman of Australian politics to have a shot at PM they should all be ashamed – I know I am

Mark William Jackson: Unfortunately federal politics was dragged so far to the right by the Howard-Costello Comedy Troupe that Labor had to step into the middle to drag it back, that said they have now stared too long into the abyss. I don’t think we’ll see an Abbott administration but we’re certainly in for a shake up.

jeff: It will be interesting to see how the Left responds. Are we still all in thrall to symbolism over substance, even after the apology led to nothing and the hopey, changey Obama stuff meant only more war in Afghanistan?

Rohan Cahill: Train wreck it is; and business as usual. Make it easy for big business to get its way, lock up the militants, shed more tears for the agents of mayhem in foreign wars, shed an equal amount for flying entrepreneurs doing strange things in The Heart of Darkness, lay on the Orwellian spin, lock up and hide the refugees, preferably sink them, put the environment in the too hard basket, and pretend it is all ethical and moral, all the while feeding the ego with an assured ‘place in history’ and a hugely generous after-life with taxpayer funded retirement package. For the good of the nation? Don’t make me laugh.

Stephen Wright: How very, very odd. I found myself in agreement with Tony Abbott (Australian PM’s should not be dumped in mid-term coups by their parties) and very much disagreeing with Bob Brown (This is a day for raising champagne glasses.)

Stephen Wright: ‘Most peculiar momma’. Vote-wise it seems there is much talk of Labor voters voting Green. Whoopee. I see the Gillard takeover as a straightforward coup made with the encouragement of the mining lobby. Which is why it is so bizarre to hear Brown speaking of a ‘champagne day.’ He appears to have lost his mind.

Stephen Wright: He [Bob Brown] has lost his mind. Since last year it’s become increasingly obvious that its corporate interests that decide what happens. Make no mistake: this was a coup organised by the sinister nexus of capital and power politics. Its puts 1975 in the shade.

Trish Bolton: To Jacinda and bloggers thanks for excellent analysis lacking in mainstream media.

will: in my view the scariest thing about Australia is how far to the right, as a country, our views are becoming. and does anyone know why Bob Brown celebrates the leadership change?

Jeff: In summation, we’re watching the most conservative Labor administration in recent history — in fact, probably of all time — make a substantial lurch to the Right. And it’s doing so with the enthusiastic support of most of the liberal Left.

Jacinda: I agree.

Jeff Sparrow: Well, I just heard from a friend who works for an aid agency, the kind of NGO that deals with refugees. They are, apparently, having champagne to celebrate this great feminist victory, even as it becomes increasingly clear what Gillard’s about to do to refugees. Of course, a lot of people on those boats are women, too — but, hey, whatev.

Steven Wright: The media commentary is absurd, appalling and bizarre all at the same time. The gap between the commentary and the reality is bigger than I ever could have believed. Have a nice weekend everyone.

Source: Overland

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