Comments on: “I, for one, welcome our new Queensland overlords.”

By: Ambigulous

Ambigulous — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:05:04 +0000

small virgins, I trust; or that of near extinct species; served by wenches whose beauty would take one’s breath away

By: David Rubie

David Rubie — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:32:18 +0000

The blood of small children I think.

By: David

David — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:31:23 +0000

I drink beer, Ambigulous, and cheap red wine when I can get it.

I have no idea what they drink in the Adelaide Club.

By: Ambigulous

Ambigulous — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:36:28 +0000

Sorry, old chap. What’s your poison?

By: David

David — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:14:14 +0000

I doubt they’d drink anything as down-market as Chivas in the Adelaide Club.

By: Ambigulous

Ambigulous — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:55:31 +0000

David, I stand corrected. Waiter? Another Chivas for young David here, please!

By: David

David — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:58:23 +0000

South Australia may be largely _populated_ with German and Italian winemakers and fruitgrowers, but it’s still run from the Adelaide Club.

By: Ambigulous

Ambigulous — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:45:17 +0000

The Rum Corps, eh?
As a working hypothesis it explains much.

And Victoria run by Presbyterian Bankers with pastoral properties?
South Australia: German & Italian winemakers & fruitgrowers??
Tassie: still the Apple Isle??? run by bushrangers and snarling Tasmanian Devils; a whole island as sea-girt penitentiary….

how far can a handy cliche stretch in modern Australia?

By: David Rubie

David Rubie — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:39:44 +0000

David wrote:

My theory is that, no matter the flavour of government, NSW is still run by the Rum Corps.

That’s an interesting idea. Perhaps we should plot the political and economic fortunes of our country against the influence of NSW.

By: wpd

wpd — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:19:40 +0000

What Kim at 4 said.

By: Jane

Jane — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:31:38 +0000

Right on Pavlov’s Cat, unless of course they were warning us about evil foreigners slinging their ankle biters off sinking ships and had the doctored photos to prove it.

By: Jangari

Jangari — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:35:36 +0000

The post title is an example of a ’snowclone’ and was described at Language Log four years ago, when the template I, for one, welcome our new * overlords yielded some 2600 google hits. Today’s figure is closer to 100,000.
This is an excellent use though.
(Just thought you might like to know.)

By: David

David — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:21:34 +0000

David Rubie, the corruption in NSW isn’t just a post 1980 thing, it was ever thus. (Askin’s government made the current bunch look like choirboys.) My theory is that, no matter the flavour of government, NSW is still run by the Rum Corps.

By: Raye

Raye — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:11:13 +0000

Given the state of the Labor party in NSW Rudd is very sensible in choosing luminaries from other states. He would be wise to let NSW players know that they will have to clean up their acts if they wish to get anywhere

By: wilful

wilful — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:29:30 +0000

I like most people I suspect don’t give a shit about what state she comes from, as long as she’s up to the job.

How insecure would you have to be to be worried that the new GG is a Queenslander?

By: Pavlov's Cat

Pavlov's Cat — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:18:16 +0000

What’s the point of all this, Eliot? … Your take makes no sense whatever.

Perhaps he’s implying that the current government’s noble predecessors were above gaming the news cycle to the hilt.

By: steve at the pub

steve at the pub — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:17:45 +0000

But most of these “Queenslanders” come from the part which is known elsewhere in the state as “northern NSW”.

Bring on the day when a big chainsaw cuts inland from the sunshine coast & makes a crescent down to Stanthorpe. Norfolk Island, NSW, somebody can have the surplus.

This should do no end of good to Qld’s financial situation.

By: Carl

Carl — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:23:18 +0000

“Whether they wish to enslave or simply consume us, remains to be seen”

By: David Rubie

David Rubie — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:19:21 +0000

My personal pet theory about Queenslandification overtaking NSWification in Labor circles is the end of the Neville Wran era and a rebirth with Wayne Goss. In contrast, the ossification of the Liberal party started when the Victorians gave way to the Howard NSW push. NSW politics in the post 1980 era has been a sad, slow decline into quasi corruption, poisonous factionalism and the dead cat bounceon both sides.

On that kind of long view, Rudd is a product of that era of Queensland politics: unafraid of change, out of step (perhaps half a step ahead) of the rest of the country, unashamedly urban in outlook, aided no end by an opposition mired in division, desperately clinging to fringe death beast ideals of bucolic white agrarian mythology. Modern Australia was born in Brisbane, and y’all ought to be proud of it.

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:59:29 +0000

Everything else about it was carefully weighed for its PR potential, too.

What’s the point of all this, Eliot? Governments want to send messages and get messages across. What are you arguing for? A roneoed notice on the board of Old Parliament House or something? Are you implying that Bryce won’t do the job well? If so, that’s wrong. Are you suggesting that there’s no symbolism in a symbolic office? Or there’s no legitimate public and media interest?

Your take makes no sense whatever.