Saturday Sanity Break, 4 May 2019 – defining issues of our time

Australia’s Federal election grinds on. Labor’s Bill Shorten keeps making promises he will not be able to keep. Mrs Thornton today said ‘It’s a Pork barrel election. Scott Morrison tries to hold the line on Pork and the virtues of modest government spending, paying down Labor’s Pork barrel debt and putting Australia into sustainable growth.

The Australia offers its readers a progress report of an election that is likely to produce lots of Pork, unless the coalition wins, and wins well.

Here is the link.

The Rugby fiasco

‘Israel Folau’s religious freedom the defining issue of our time’ says Alan Jones.

‘Just when you thought the administration of rugby could not get worse, it continues to be a sporting embarrassment.

‘Does no one in a position of leadership understand the damage that is being done to the game as a result of the Israel Folau ­affair?

‘Who is going to be brave enough to put their hand up, even on the eve of this “tribunal” meeting tomorrow; or do we just keep digging the hole and burying the game?

‘Let me say up front that Rugby Australia, the administration, can’t win.

‘They have the most expensive legal advisers that money can buy. Surely they are telling Rugby Australia that this is un winnable.

‘Well, I say, do your best. That strategy will not win.

Read on here.

Jennifer Oriel also speaks out for Folau. ‘All around the world, Christians are persecuted for their faith. Their houses of worship are destroyed. Their Bible is banned or revised beyond recognition. Their right to exercise religious freedom is denied. In the most publicised cases, they are imprisoned or murdered for their faith.

‘But in the West, the common forms of Christian persecution are cultural and financial. There are boycotts against Christian businesses, violent protests against Christian groups and a developing culture of complacency about hostility to Christian figureheads. Israel Folau is a test case for the tolerance of discrimination against Christians in Australia’.

Gor Blimey readers, how can we cop this situation, even if we do not subscribe to any religion, just the traditional democratic right of freedom to speak?

If you want more on this astoundingly foolish case, the list from the Oz is available below. Note the bias against Rugby Australia. As well as my protest on these pages, my position is with Israel Folau. I shall not watch or read about Rugby again, including its participation in the World Cup.

Come to think more, why does some rich person, like Twiggy Forrest, pay all Australian players with Pacific Island origins to play for Fiji, or any other island nation that will have them?

Here is the full list of The Australian’s coverage of the Israel Folau controversy

Kulture

Fiona Prior enjoys Pierre Salvadori’s ‘The Trouble with You’. Romance, axe murderers, gimps…it has the lot! More here.

Sporting life.

Last Sunday I was too disappointed to write about weekend sport. Caaaarlton! began with one of the best quarters I have seen them play. The second quarter they slightly our-scored a shell shocked Hawthorn. Then after half time with an injured Kruezer on the bench and many young players visibly tired they were slowly, relentlessly pegged back by the Hawks. But in the final quarter when Hawthorn hit the front the young men fought back. When the final siren signaled the end of the game Harry McKay took a wonderful mark straight in front of goal at an easy distance to goal, and give Caaaarlton! one of its great wins. Just too late but the game shows the Blues are back