Matsuo Basho

We both know it wasn’t. Nothing you say upsets me. But it is tedious. Thinly disguised baiting.

Clarry was interviewed by Ch7 for nightly news as he was leaving the medical rooms. Said he’s fine and will play.

You’re just being silly now. Following me into each thread and deliberately antagonising, then complaining about threads “going to sh...”. Give it a rest or put me on ignore.

Different context.

Bring people together. Don’t push them apart. And certainly don’t throw imaginary spears at them with your war face on. More Barack, less bonehead. This kind of vibe:

Why?

I brought your opinion crashing down with logic. All you can do is scream ‘racist’. Pathetic and embarrassing. I am well aware of the plight of many indigenous Australians. And clearly a lot more aware than you about realities and trends in US politics.

I’ve said nothing about myself other than indicate I am of white Anglo-Saxon heritage. That you believe all white people are “privileged” and have been dealt a “swell hand” underlines your own prejudices, not mine. Go spend a few days observing people come and go at Centrelink to see just how wrong you are. Compassion is wonderful thing, but not blind compassion. It is right and fair to remember the past and acknowledge tragedy. If some redressment is possible in the form of affirmative action policies then enact those. But to fixate upon the misery the way some people do, defining their whole personhood on events which happened two centuries ago, runs the very real risk of that individual or group developing a VICTIM MENTALITY. When that type of attitude is adopted, as any psychologist will tell you, the softer side of compassion can easily devolve into something altogether unhelpful. That kind of ‘compassion’ is not really compassion at all. It’s ignorance.

That is a terrible article. It cites an innocuous although obviously partisan quote by Sean Hannity and another tweet by Newt Gingrich to then go off on a wild political diatribe about racial discrimination. The fact that tens of millions of American voters, the majority of whom were white, swung Left to vote Obama in TWICE as President is evidence that an overwhelming majority of people in that country are NOT racist. That being the case, you've just inadvertently made the exact opposite case to the one you so want to believe in your mind.

If blaming the media and online criticism for one's poor performances is the new mental toughness in professional sport then society has well and truly jumped the shark. Rest assured the scrutiny is not going to change. Unless the AFL begins petitioning the government to patrol and censor the internet China-style. Or starts cancelling accreditations for footy journos who write anything perceived to be negative. Then again, they've already started booting punters for potting the umpires so you never know.

No. Nor my parents, grandparents, great grandparents or great great grandparents as far as I know. Maybe if I trace my roots back to 1600’s Scotland I could find an instance where a genetic family member withstood an incursion by English soldiers of King James XI. I don’t know however and I really don’t care. I choose to accept the reality of the conditions I meet today and play the hand I was dealt with. Believe it or not there are other non-indigenous people out there who face struggles in life. No group is special in experiencing the sufferings of existence. And I’m guessing you the individual have never been invaded or had ‘your land’ declared terra nullius, either. Unless you are a 230yo indigenous yogi living in a secret cave under Uluru.

https://www.zerohanger.com/adam-goodes-australia-day-speech-1282/amp/ “There was a lot of anger, a lot of sorrow, for this day and very much the feeling of invasion day,” he said.

A speech is as much about what you don’t say as what you actually say. I remember the speech and just re-read it. It was hard hitting which is fine but not particularly conciliatory. It was certainly not a unifying, positive minded speech of the kind you’d hear say a Barack Obama make. He also chose to use the term “Invasion Day” on Australia Day as well which is clearly politically charged and was so obviously going to stoke more animosity in the nuff-nuffs. Unnecessary and unwise. Just like the simulated spear throwing at the crowd. These things might’ve given some satisfaction to militant Far Leftists but they did nothing for race relations in this country. Anger and hysteria wins no friends. As far as (let’s call it) Middle Australia was concerned, I think a lot of people saw a healthy, wealthy, well spoken young man and, although very understanding regarding the welfare of many indigenous Aussies, couldn’t cop why he wasn’t just a little more grateful to live in a country, a free and egalitarian country, which has provided him with such wonderful opportunities in life. Barely a word proffered about that. I thought it was a poor speech. An opportunity missed.

It’s sort of akin to a tennis pro tapping their racquet head when an opponent pulls off a miraculous winner, or wins a epic rally. Sometimes you just have to acknowledge the greatness. Some years ago the Brazilian maestro Ronaldinho, playing for arch rival Barcelona, torched Real Madrid at the Santiago de Bernabeu, putting on a virtuoso display of skill and goal scoring that was simply too brilliant not to appreciate. The Madrid fans gave him a standing ovation as he left the field. Unheard of!

Agree DemonOx. Running with Weid against Roughead, Moore, Maynard and Co. They will maul him. Too much pressure for a developing tall and we know by his own admission he doesn’t cope with it well (yet). Why recruit Preuss if not for these types of occasions? Crazy stuff.

On a scale of 1 to beating Collingwood this QBDay by a point after a controversial last minute score review disallows them a goal ... just how satisfying was the coat hanger on Wallace?

I enjoyed reading the article Sue but not that much!

“Alt-Right” “Racist” “Redneck” “Nazi” The game of puerile extremes works both ways.

A bit like blanket labelling everyone “racist”.

I knew you would appear to post that as I wrote my comment. Not the same at all. Rocky is one of scores of films exploring that particular theme. Not to mention all the books, studies and so on which cover mental strength and success in sport. As far as I know there's only been one film so far about the Adam Goodes story.

Tend to agree but why? You don't get jeered just for being awarded an AOTY gong, regardless of your racial background. If I recall correctly Goodes' comments surrounding that award at the time were perceived as somewhere along the spectrum of confronting and divisive. I think there was a sense by many that this was a great opportunity for an indigenous sporting icon to both bring up the challenges faced by his community at the same time as extending an olive branch to wider Australia. I think a lot people were hoping for a little less Malcolm X 'agitator' and a little more Nelson Mandela 'unifier'. We didn't really get that - which was his right - but it certainly didn't go down well with large sections of the community who don't see themselves as racist or engage in any racist behavior. LittleGoffy's comment about the notion of the "uppity Aborigine" probably also has some merit here, although I'm not sure it tells the full story.

Appreciate the reply LittleGoffy. Very well written and persuasive.

Answers 1 and 2 are opinions which may or may not have validity. Not enough empirical data to say definitively. As for answer 3 - by that logic, any situations or demographical trends which indicate an ability for Australians of different races to get along and live harmoniously with one another, are pointers to the absolute opposite. That this is indeed a tolerant country. So which is it? My point is obvious. Reality in it's totality can't captured through the lens of one perspective only. No matter how emotive or 'right' that view may be presented as. Unfortunately we live in an age where we just can't deal with that degree of nuance. We need our information wrapped in neat little bows. In black and white, literally.

All valid questions. But in asking them you also have to field questions which fit don’t fit the narrative. Why were/are other indigenous players not bood? What percentage of those booing Goodes were genuinely racist and what percentage were booing for football related reasons? What effect did the actions of Goodes himself, both in terms of his off field style of communication and in his decision to engage in the mock spear throwing etc, have in terms of fanning the flames of the situation? Is Australia the ‘racist nation’ that the narrative of this film would have viewers believe, or is it an astoundingly tolerant nation albeit with a checkered and troubled past? Unfortunately no amount of belated, forced sorry’s and mea culpas from the Gillon and his ilk are ever going to adequately address any of those queries. Nor the questions you ask. What I do know is that reality is far more complex than that seen through one film director’s prism of story telling. Rare indeed is the documentary which gets at an issue from an array of angles and standpoints.

Yes I remember the Hogan photo well. Did wonders for the sense that he really bought in to being a Demon. Sacking offence, no. But I certainly wouldn’t be putting her in any leadership group.