You will get people electing governments that do want just to walk away from Iraq
Alexander Downer tells the Iraqi government that if they don’t try harder there will be consequences for the Australian coalition and the US Republicans at the polls.
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Damn those Iraqis. They were supposed to welcome us with open arms and rose petal strewn streets. Not get all huffy over some doctrinal differences.
Arrogance unlimited, shame invisible.
I’m reminded of the words of the bloke who stopped McCarthy in his tracks at a Un -American activities investigation when he asked “Sir, have you no shame?” [Or similar.]
Shaun
Quelle surprise yet another theo-Leftist who prays for the very worst outcome for the Iraqi people.
The shorter Alex. “But enough about you, what about us?”
If only we had listen to Cheney!
too late, dolly, too late
you should have worried about this in 2003 when the occupation was being stuffed up ignorant arrogant idiots. oh wait, that was you.
The not so finely nuanced Iraqi cut and run operation by the Govt continues with Mr Howard musing upon a metaphor.
Funnily enough I actually agree with this, but the point still remains that we should never have been there in the first place. Of course as the PM says, he’s not for turning……until he is.
Somehow though I don’t think the Iraqis would be worrying too much about the John and Alex pincer movement on Baghdad.
Well it is good to see our political leadership delivering important political messages to the Levant. It is crystal clear that what the oil producing regions of the world need more than anything else, is a dose of the kind of ‘practical’ wisdom that has served our government so well for so long. Perhaps Mr Maliki could invite Crosby/Textor over later this year some time, to advise on exactly the kind of ‘messages’ a successful regime needs in order to ensure unity and progress eh?
Still, good to see Dolly up ‘there’ with Dear Leader, telling it like it is, to a clearly incompetent, albeit, democratically elected, leader.
I mean compared to the struggle at home, Iraq should be a piece of piss no?
The lack of horde posting here suggests LF bloggers knew what Downer was really saying.
That an elected Labor centralised government will abandon the people of Iraq, with no strong forces of protection left in the country.
Downer was simply re-interpretating Labors tal-spek so that Iraq would understand in full, the implications of looming Labor.
That’s overstating our commitment in Iraq just a tiny bit.
Gadget maybe folks are working?
Agreed Zoot, not to denigrate our contribution of course but the evening news always seem to show happy diggers playing cricket and volleyball…..our work there is clearly done…..or is that just a bit of viral gap year marketing by our armed forces?
This is just typical Howard. Promote an invasion of someones elses country that unleashes wholesale the forces that were supposed to be eliminated, justified by imaginary danger, achieve the exact opposite of what was intended, then blame the people of that country for the failure. If I was black and lived in the northern territory I would be nervously waiting for the certain to come guilt trip laden letter from Canberra.
Classic blame the victim stuff.
A bit like traumatised Aborigines on a backblock somewhere, or white bluecollars being breached for some nameless petty social security infringement. Incapacitated by depression and poverty anf subjected to the intellectualnsult of being lectured and morally upbraided by buffoons like Howard, Brough, or Julie Bishop.
Straight out of Bronte or Dickens.
Moralistic posturing, saturated with loaded class and race cliques and in the end just the same old populist dog whistling to the Hansonites.
The brown folks are such a burden on the white man aren’t they?
The US Democrats don’t seem to be in any hurry to get the troops out of that quagmire.
Well said, Paul Walter (1:48pm).
Greenfield (could you change your name to something like ‘blasted heath?). Could you think of a (realistic) ‘worst outcome for the Iraqi peopel’?
If the Coalition of the Killing leave, yesterday if not sooner, (better that they’d stayed at West Point & Duntroon playing blackboard games but that’s ancient history)the Iraqis (a dubious entity but let’s use it as shorthand)would take all of 5 minutes to deide the Sunni/Shia equilibrium and give a stern admonition to foreign jihadis.
End of discussion, no more car bombs in markets, maybe even the oil (remember that black sticky stuff that we in the West are so dependent upon)would start to approach pre invasion levels and little things like electricity, water supply, sewage would approach 1989 levels.
Just a thjought for when when go on our next great Imperial adventure… and there WLL be another, whether it is Krudd or Hillary or whatever facade is put up by the ruling class.
Every time Mr Clowner makes comment, its inherently more offensive than his last, and this is no exception. I couldn’t imagine, nearly 15 years ago, how he might be more insensitive than his “Things that batter” speech. Now I look back with fondness at such benign indifference.
To suggest that the government of Iraq could in some way halt the apocalypse of that nation if only it was of strong will, and that the threat of the Howard Government being removed is a more important reason to do so than the slaughter of hundreds and thousands since 2003, is more than arrogance unlimited, it makes me ashamed to be associated in the same species as him.
“It makes me ashamed to be associated in the same species as him.”
What plankton Sid?
I wonder what Downer and Howard think of this.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22238540-1702,00.html
Another one down. The COW is starting to thin out with Blair gone, Howard about to go, Bush definately going, who’s next. Downer?
Oh Oh, it looks like another one of Howard’s invasion plans is coming unstuck.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Indigenous-plan-worries-Senate-committee/2007/08/13/1186857417105.html
Probably not as much “widespread fear and dispair” that the people of Iraq have been experiencing for the past 4 years. Lucky there’s no oil in the NT, but there IS a bit of Uranium I believe.
Downer thinks it is the responsibility of the Iraqi government to get it reelected because we went in there and made a dog’s breakfast of the country. Ungrateful Iraqis. Can’t they appreciate their brand new free country?
Downer makes less and less sense every time he opens his mouth but at least this time there wasnt as much of his schoolboy taunts.
I am sure the Iraqi government will be shattered if Howard doesn’t get reelected.
Speaking of Quotes, things ain’t so rosy for one Victorian Liberal Candidate.
Hamish Jones made the offensive outburst against Victorian minister and senior female politician Lynne Kosky on his internet blog site.
Labor, which is running union leader Bill Shorten as its candidate for Maribyrnong, in Melbourne’s western suburbs, had been preparing to publicly call on John Howard today to disown Mr Jones.
But, alerted to Labor plans by The Australian, the Liberal Party dumped him last night as its candidate.
Liberal Party Victorian state director Julian Sheezel said last night Mr Jones had “withdrawn his candidature” for Maribyrnong. “He has published a very indiscreet and improper blog site, which makes his candidacy untenable,” Mr Sheezel said.
It is unclear who the Liberal Party, which feared it would be embarrassed by the revelations during question time in federal parliament today, will now run against Mr Shorten in the safe Labor seat.
Kim Anna or anothe Mod online,
I may have posted the last comment in the wrong thread - if so, can you please move it to a more appropriate one ?
Hilker, you are person of rare discernment, intelligence and taste.
Can you explain to me why the people who run Galloping Grub are suddenly taken to rabbiting frenziedly over something called “faceache”, or whatever it is?