Lefties and other decent folk are wetting their pants at the prospect of that beacon of excellence Barack Obama and his telegenic family visiting our shores next month.

C'mon. No one can really be this perfect? Picture: AFP.

Since coming onto the public radar, Obama has achieved pop-star status as the great hope for our shared dreams of equality.

But is this really what he represents?

Check out his impressive bio, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.

His attractive wife, with her gym-toned arms and classic taste in clothes, is also an overachiever. Wiki her and you get:

Michelle was inspired to follow her brother to Princeton University…At Princeton, she challenged the teaching methodology for French because she felt that it should be more conversational. As part of her requirements for graduation, she wrote a thesis entitled, “Princeton Educated Blacks and the Black Community”…Robinson [ Obama’s maiden name] majored in sociology and minored in African American studies and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985. She earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School in 1988.’

Even their kids are good-looking and, one suspects, superior students with bright futures.

But does any of this really add up to equality between blacks and whites?

Remember Obama’s white predecessor? He got away with being as dumb as dog shit, making a virtue of getting poor marks at the university his powerful daddy got him into, running a couple of companies into the ground, and still achieving the highest office in the ‘free’ world.

In light of all this, the question becomes: when will white people grasp that minorities will only achieve equality when they can get away with our levels of mediocrity and still succeed?

Take music to cite just one example. The Backstreet Boys ain’t no Jackson 5. And where are the black Matchbox 20s and Eskimo Joes? Think about it. Ok, you’re right, Lionel Ritchie is pretty lame but I challenge you to name a black equivalent of Billy Ray Cyrus.

Personally, I blame Oprah. She encourages ‘her people’ by banging on about being the best person you can be. Why can’t she just rest on her billion dollar laurels? Where are the black Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s?

If you are one of those good people that champion racial equality and you’re a whitey, why not really do your bit for the cause and employ a really average black person with a really average CV. And once they’re in your employ, why not give them a raise just for not being a total stuff-up.

As for you minorities, in preparation for this utopian future where you’ll be given an equality opportunity to be as unimpressive as the rest of us, I want you to toss out those inspirational books Oprah suggested and stop those mantras about striving for excellence.

Now look in the mirror and repeat after me: ‘Every day I’m getting more and more mediocre.’

74 comments

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    • stephen says:

      05:14am | 05/02/10

      Oprah doesn’t want her people to be more black , she wants them to be more human. Her regard for excellence is not arbitrary ; what is common to us is common ‘wants’. (or desires.)
      And as for the Obamas, well,  you can be an ‘equal’ parachutist, or an ‘equal’ astronaut.
      (I think if you want to argue for a true proletariat, you should change your terms.)

    • watty says:

      06:43am | 05/02/10

      Comedy Club material. Australia’s John Stewart

      “Lefties and OTHER decent people wetting themselves”

      Killer opening line Carrie.

      I suggest many ‘“decent people”  don’t give a stuff about the Leader of the “Progressive” world coming to meet one of his grovelling deputies in ” Progressive” politics…our Kev and certainly won’t be “wetting themselves”

    • T.Chong says:

      08:19am | 05/02/10

      Watty old pal, we concur. As someone “of The Left” (said with due reverance) and therefore by definition “decent”, I dont give a rats about Obama, particularly since he has picked up where GW left off , in regards to US Neo Con imperialism and militarism.
      He has betrayed the Palestinians, escalated unofficial wars in Yemen and Pakistan/Afghanistan, goading Iran into war via economic blockades, (most recently with petrol), pardonned war criminals of GWs administration, and Wall street is back to business as usual,(multi million dollar bonuses for execs) despite multi billion tax payer bailots, etc etc etc. US Dems are to the right of Oz LNP coalition.
      The fact he is not a Republican doesnt automatically make him a darling of the Left.
      As for “grovelling deputies” you seem to have forgotten Johnny “Man of Steel” Howard was booted out of office in ‘07.

    • Jack Thomas says:

      10:09am | 05/02/10

      Once little Kevin 07 was in power he was happy to salute George W Bush across the room (Howard always made me cringe because he’s like your Dad, but Rudd is like some pervy try hard uncle). Quickly forgotten by the old Howard haters that one.

      Chai Latte drinking Pruis driving inner city socialists will be wetting themselves when Obama visits Kevin (in an election year funnily enough). They will forget about their sudden unbalanced hatred of Americans under Bush, just like they will forget about their Climate Change principals and not ask Obama about them.

      Obama is their ideal black guy, middle class well educated and went to the right schools. Kind of like the asian or indian friends they have cultivated at Uni to make themselves feel better, but he makes up about 1% of the demographic for black people in the USA actually.

      The ABC Leftards will ramp up the hypocrisy to record levels when they gush over what Michele Obama is wearing, her shoes, etc. The double standards will be bigger than Kevin Rudd’s team for the Copenhagen farce. Again, she is their version of an acceptable black person, she wears Chanel for God’s sake how can she not be.

      It’s funny too, that Obama has a white mother but claims (and is claimed) as black. Why is that?

    • H of SA says:

      11:16am | 05/02/10

      Jack, I reckon the reason Obama is considered black is that he is black…..just guessing

    • Perry White says:

      12:39pm | 05/02/10

      @Jack Thomas;
      What’s with the ‘little Kevin ‘07’ schtick? Has Howard’s statue been so distorted under the effects of the Myth of the Fuehrer… I’m sorry, ‘Leader’ that he’s actually now taller than Rudd? I think you’ll discover that Rudd acknowledged Bush (knowing he wasn’t long for this world… well, actually even ‘of’ this world, but I digress) because Kevin is a trained diplomat and understands protocol. Statesmanlike, don’t you think?Perhaps the single biggest reason Kevin spent so much time out of the country in the early days was to restore our international reputation, left in tatters by your small, suburban solicitor and his ilk. I’m not aware of any ‘American hatred’ towards the end of Howard’s term under the desk in the oval office; just hatred of the Republican administration, it’s president and it’s war crimes in the middle east. Anyway, I’m sure I’ve kept you from your important filing tasks with your neo-fascist…I’m sorry, Neo-Conservative ‘think’-tank more than long enough.

    • fluffy says:

      03:22pm | 05/02/10

      t chong perry white .... thumbs up.

    • Slim says:

      07:15am | 05/02/10

      If this piece was submitted for Year 11 English as a persuasive essay it would receive an N. I’m not sure what the contention is - the Obamas represent minoroties and they have failed to bring equality to the US because, um.. the author assumes he hasn’t been a good president?? Reasons? Please resubmit.

    • JJJ says:

      07:23am | 05/02/10

      Hip, hip hoorah that Obama is a black man who is also President of the USA. Hoorah for Tiger Woods who is clearly living HIS life of choice also. I am also happy for the guy I saw last week, passed out on the church steps in the middle of the city at 11am. Why should I be anything but happy for these people? They are living the life they have chosen.

      (Black) people who blame society for not allowing them to ‘be all they can be’ are like (white) people in therapy who blame their childhood for all their problems now. Rubbish. ‘Equality’ and ‘mediocrity’ are pathetic terms because we are all individuals. Why compare your success based on what others have done? They are not you. Be the best version of you you can be - no excuses.

    • Perry White says:

      02:31pm | 05/02/10

      Astounding!... Stupedous!...Colossal!...And these are just a few of the terms that come very readily to hand to describe your breath-taking stupidity and intellectual hubris! While you may be entitled to your own opinions, you are NOT entitled to your own facts. As you are clearly in a position to dismiss more than a century of actual academic research into the factors effecting the formation of personality as ‘rubbish’, I for one eagerly await your finely-crafted, impeccably argued and intellectually rigourous altenative account. I’m particularly interested in your account of the ‘missing years’; between birth and adulthood and your elaboration on the inconsequential nature of the first 25 years of life. Please post it as soon as your hectic schedule of academic conferences and seminars allows.

      Of course you are no doubt familiar with the historical notions of ‘rugged individualism’ and ‘manifest destiny’? In tandem these concepts were used as justification for the colonisation, exploitation and eventual genocide of indigenous populations all over the world… but of course this is just more inconsequential piffle… Far more importantly they offer a sort of historical quasi-intellectual underpining for the sort of the ‘pulp-fiction-pop-psychology-free-choice’ claptrap that people like you espouse as though it had crdeible explanatory power in the real world.

      I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in our galaxy,

    • JJJ says:

      04:37pm | 05/02/10

      Perry - if you don’t think it is possible or even feasible for people to move on and up past bad experiences in their history and be the best version of themselves, then I am sorry for you and those you associate with. My personal experiences tell me it is possible and that is my ‘fact’.

      If you don’t think that people have a choice to be what they want to be, regardless of what they have been through, then you don’t have enough faith in human-kind and it’s genuinely sad. Perhaps you should travel more and spend less time in academia and you will meet people, who despite all odds, have made their own happiness in this world.

      Have a little faith in the capability of your fellow humans, don’t hold them back with stats and academic talk.

    • Jack Thomas says:

      08:36pm | 06/02/10

      Perry is the poster boy for the middle class white guilt fraternity.

      A whole industry now “needs” the aboriginals to live in shit, from the literally tens of thousands ‘living’ off black Australia via their jobs, to these bleeding heart wankers looking for a cause.

      The suggestion that people take responsibility for their own lives is abbhorrent to them.

      If aboriginals were able to move on and up, these white wankers would have to find new jobs, new causes, new stickers, new reasons to hate themselves.

      The likes of Perry love their public services job, and glorify the ‘uber’ bureaucrat Kevin 07, for his ability to talk in their language, spin 24/7 and never actually achieve anything. Why would these muppets want to see change, they know that the longer black Australians stay ‘down’ the more they have to rail about at their inner city dinner parties, in between talking about house prices and the new Prius they bought.

      These muppets want excuses JJJ.

      I give you Rabbit Proof Fence, the fantasy dreamed up by the likes of Perry and his ilk, with not a skerrick of truth apart from a few names.

      In the most ironic of twists (though not for the rest of us, who see it as a sad truth of the sheer hypocrisy of these twats) Director Phil Noyce took the lead girl actor from her home in WA because he thought she was in danger and would be better off schooled privately in Perth. A movie about the ‘stolen generation’ myth that has a real life twist.

      Thumbs up Perry. I know you just discovered the word hubris, but that’s three times you’ve used it.

    • Rowan says:

      07:32am | 05/02/10

      Very well written, agree with part of “watty says:07:43am | 05/02/10”, in respect to decent folk not caring.

      And reference to equality. I equally don’t give a hoot about Obama just as I equally don’t give one about Bush, or Clinton, or Bush… so on and so forth. I would rather meet Kevin Rudd (I am centre-right) than meet Barack.

    • Toddzilla says:

      07:36am | 05/02/10

      Actually, in terms of attributes for the job, Barack Obama is the least well-equipped and least experienced person to have ever applied for the job of President. He was elected as a sort of positive discrimination effort by people who thought it was better to have an articulate, though incredibly inexperienced, black man than any white man. His win was, in short, a victory for colour over common sense (even at the pre-selection statge). It had nothing to do with equality and everything to do with giving a brother a crack. Is it any wonder, he has thus far been an epic failure as President.

    • JJJ says:

      07:51am | 05/02/10

      You are probably right (I don’t know much about American politics because I don’t care). I assume though, in light of racial issues that seem to still be a big issue in America, that having a black president was important for them. So good on them - it’s a apparent step forward.

      Plus, after Bush, they could have hired a squirrel and it would have done a better job.

    • Captain Moonlight says:

      08:38am | 05/02/10

      ‘Epic failure’? What would that make Dubbya then, in your estimation? Exactly what ‘previous experience’ do you think George Washington brought to the presidency? You’re certainly proof that a lack of opposable thumbs is no hinderance to operating a keyboard! Have you ever considered leading the Liberal party?

    • Gavin says:

      11:06am | 05/02/10

      “His win was, in short, a victory for colour over common sense “, you say? Does that mean it would have been common sense to elect an old ex-army vet in his 70’s with a complete warfare “shoot first ask later” mentality after 2 terms of laughable republican administration?

    • Toddzilla says:

      11:44am | 05/02/10

      No, I’m not suggesting that, Gavin. I’m suggesting he shouldn’t have got past pre-selections

    • Bill says:

      07:55am | 05/02/10

      Michelle Obama…attractive???

      I really, really don’t see it.

    • TheBigMicka says:

      08:20am | 05/02/10

      Compared to Laura and Barbara Bush, to Hilary, to Nancy Reagan.  Yeah she’s hot.

    • Kelly says:

      08:45am | 05/02/10

      Don’t worry Bill, I am sure she thinks you’re hot.

    • Tim says:

      08:16am | 05/02/10

      Hilarious Piece Carrie.
      It might make a little more sense however if Obama wasn’t the most unexperienced person to ever become president.
      Sure he looks like he might end up being a OK president (maybe?) but if he was white, he never would have made it through the primaries.

    • Beau Brummell says:

      08:20am | 05/02/10

      Really dumb Ms Miller. The approach you advocate was introduced in the States years ago. It’s called quotas.

    • Perry White says:

      08:21am | 05/02/10

      Oh dear, dear me. I guess the responses here really give lie to that ‘humourless Left’ fabrication of the neo-fascists… I’m sorry, Neo-Conservatives. You people REALLY just don’t ‘get’ satire, do you? Is that because everytime John Howard heard someone laughing, he assumed they were laughing at him, especially when he wore that tracksuit? No wonder he tried to ban comedy!
      Excellent work! “Australia’s John Stewart”... I couldn’t agree more!

    • Jack Thomas says:

      10:28am | 05/02/10

      On the contrary Perry, I would argue that all those ‘comedians’ are now back waiting tables because I can’t see any of them on TV etc anymore. Is it through their inability to find anything funny about Rudd, ior just their inability?

      With the exception of Good News Week (and we all know 10 programmers are garage sale bottom feeders who will punt on anything so long as it’s cheap) there’s not one ‘comedian’ on TV or out and about, let alone one trotting out any political edged work.

      Under Howard, all a Leftard had to do was say “George Bush is so dum..” and he’d be handed an award. Good News Week did that for an entire season. The ABC would throw their cheque book over the head of the Festival Directors at the ‘comedian’ while pushing over the Age journo doing a feature on them.

      Under Rudd, we now have Two and a Half Men.

    • Perry White says:

      12:59pm | 05/02/10

      @Jack Thomas;
      Dubbya ‘did it’ for two entire terms…Well, a lifetime, really. And your small, suburban solicitor joined his ‘coalition of the gullible’, against all the advice in the reasonable world.  Howard TRIED to ban comedy… and critique… and dissent… and alternative perspectives… and ‘sedition’... because he couldn’t countenance criticism, of any sort, from anyone, ever. He’s what happens when the kid picked last for every sporting team or social group a school attains power beyond their capacity… extreme hubris ending in just plain disaster. Compared to him NOTHING is funny… except Tony Abbott… and Barnaby Joyce… and Julie Bishop… and Chris Pyne… and Phil Ruddock… If you can’t find anything funny with a political-edge on television, try watching less (or no) commercial stations… or you could just turn up to a Liberal party branch meeting.

    • Jack Thomas says:

      03:13pm | 05/02/10

      Perry, that is Gold.

      You just made my weekend, except for the fact that my taxes probably paid for you to type that. You hanging on to the war crimes stuff makes it better.

      Gold.

      Knowing there are people like you, rehashing and dribbling that rubbish that you do, and obviously passionately believing it, makes me laugh endlessly.

    • Perry White says:

      05:00pm | 05/02/10

      @JJJ;
      OK, you’ve asked for it… How old were you, when both your parents died? I was 20 months old when my father died and two years and nine days old when my mother died. Do you still want to pursue your ‘move on and up past bad experiences in their history’ tack? Cut ‘n’ paste from my post where I indicate that my position is that transcendence of circumstances isn’t possible… and an example of ‘holding people back with stats and academic talk’ would be nice, too. Do you have any idea what ‘vacuous’ means? Could you try to be a less vacuous verson of you?

    • Perry White says:

      06:35pm | 05/02/10

      @Jack Thomas;
      I think the laughing ‘endlessly’ is probably more attributable to you being a congenital idiot. That’s why you’re a neo-fascist… I’m SO sorry, Neo-Conservative, and why people give you those strange looks on public transport. Clinging on so dearly to your shattered dreams, despite the overwhelming evidence… so, so sad. Do you know what a ‘Trummelfrau’ is, Jack? That’s what you are… but probably a little more feminine, if Chris Pyne is anything to go by…

    • Perry White says:

      06:51pm | 05/02/10

      @JJJ;
      OK, you’ve asked for it… How old were you, when both your parents died? I was 20 months when my father died and 2 years, 9 days when my mother died. Do you still want to pursue your ‘move on and up past bad experiences in their history’ tack, or are things moving a bit too quickly for your smarmy, lower north shore sensibilities now? I’d like you to cut ‘n’ paste the sections of my post(s) where I say, or suggest, or even hint that my position is in any way ‘anti-transcendence’. I’m also extremely eager for you to prove your claim that I ‘hold them (humans, sic) back with stats and academic talk.’ I hope this isn’t too ‘intellectual’ for you; but do you know what the word ‘vacuous’ means? Have you ever considered, or would you even consider trying or even consider considering, being a much, much, much less vacuous version of you? Robert Hughes once described Pablo Picasso toward the end of his life as’ condemned to speak, with nothing to say’. You have received no such sentence; you could simply be quiet. As a friend of mine’s father was fond of saying; ‘It’s far better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt’. ‘Howard’s Australia’ actually begins to make some sense, in the light of contributions to public debate by people like you. I’m assuming, of course, that you vote, when you remember to?

    • Charles says:

      08:27am | 05/02/10

      Good article Carrie, although I think about 50% of the population won’t get it.

      I have this theory that those on the Left lack a sense of humour, and are completely unable to detect such things as self-deprecation, wry humour, sarcasm, wit, etc, in conversation and writings.  It is only a theory at this stage, but as I scour the Punch comments lines, I am getting strong confirmation that much of my theory is holding true.

      I await further results in this particular post, which should draw out an excellent number of responses that will test this hypothesis to its full extent.

    • T.Chong says:

      08:47am | 05/02/10

      Funny thing Chuckles, I often get that feeling about Right Punchers.
      Maybe we are both correct (hope not), or maybe we all view articles and response thru our varios colored monocles.
      Anyhoo (see the inbuilt hilarity. ) D’oh has already monopolised one source of humor. Time to dust off old copies of Matilda , DAAS KAPITAL and LNP policies for a larf, plus my favorite icon: Mrs B.Bishop dressed in footy gear trying to kick a ball in her “Bronny for PM ” campaign. Now that was funny.

    • formersnag says:

      09:10am | 05/02/10

      As the old joke goes, How do you know when you are in a loony, left, radical, extremist, feman-nazi book shop? there is no humour section, AT ALL!

    • bec says:

      11:03am | 06/02/10

      It’s not an old joke, formersnag, it’s just a crummy one. That many qualifiers for such a crap punchline? Talk about a let-down.

    • Glen says:

      08:55am | 05/02/10

      Geez, lumping Eskimo Joe in with that lot was harsh

    • H of SA says:

      08:59am | 05/02/10

      TWICE! Twice Carrie has put up a great piece of comedy and TWICE! Punchers on the right have actually taken it as literal!

    • Jamers Hunter says:

      10:38am | 05/02/10

      Seem like Carrrie you just have to do a third comedy piece. That way the unright right get a chance to be third time lucky ?

    • A of WA says:

      10:55am | 05/02/10

      Smug and sanctimonious, hypocritical to the extreme, serious and abusive when it suits you, then pointing to a lack of humour or the abuse of your opponents later.

      All the calling cards of the Leftard.

      Rudd ‘writes’ a children’s book about his cat and it’s reported as another giant step in Ruddy’s “Education revolution” (whatever did happen to that anyway?).

      Waddya mean George Bush Snr did it first with a book about his dog?

      Waddya mean “Yes we can” is lifted directly from Bob the Builder?

      Suggest you actually read the content of the posts with both eyes open H. Joke’s on you.

      There are a few comments here that will make you very edgy when you turn out to see Obama mate. Me, I laugh everytime I see him and his phoney family, almost as much as I do when my son yells “Bob the Builder” at him.

    • Tim says:

      11:20am | 05/02/10

      Isn’t comedy supposed to be funny?

    • H of SA says:

      11:42am | 05/02/10

      A of WA,

      “Smug and sanctimonious, hypocritical to the extreme, serious and abusive when it suits you, then pointing to a lack of humour or the abuse of your opponents later. All calling cards of the Leftard”

      Actually A I would suggest these are calling cards of the hack on either side of the political spectrum. Heck this comments thread itself contains examples of the right accusing the left of lack of humour, and not much could be more smug than using the label “Leftard” (not so much offensive because of it being critical of the left, but because of the reference to a disability).

      FYI A of WA, I have changed which party I voted for at every state and federal election I have participated in so far - but I find it amusing in the extreme that I get the ad hominem of being a leftie lover when I point out the foibles of style of right punchers (note not right voters, punchers, my Dad is a right voter and I admire his style of argument and his intelligence even when I disagree with him).

      But hey, point of that some particular right punchers have missed the point, almost unbelievably twice and (though there is absolutely no evidence of this in my post) - I must be an Obama lover.

      This despite the fact that if I were a U.S. Citizen I would probably have to vote against Obama on the grounds that I’m pro-life.

      I do enjoy the distinction of being regularly responded to with the ad-hominem AND the straw man though. Its almost comforting when people argue against things you never said…..

    • Carrie Miller says:

      05:16am | 06/02/10

      @H of SA

      After reading these comments I was beginning to lose the will to live, and then I find that somebody gets me. As Sally Field once blubbered “You like me, you really, really like me”. Thank you.

    • Realist says:

      09:00am | 05/02/10

      It is interesting to note also that all white people were once black people 60,000 years ago as discussed by Charles Darwin’s great-grandson on the radio yesterday.  Makes racist jokes interesting and kind of self-depricating then doesn’t it??

    • Tim says:

      11:56am | 05/02/10

      Wow, all white people used to be black?
      I don’t remember being a black person in Africa 60 000 years ago but if Charles Darwin’s great grandson says it, hey who am I to argue?
      Does this mean I have to like rap music now?

    • Robert Smissen says:

      02:15pm | 05/02/10

      Realist 10:00am. FYI Charles Darwin only had a “THEORY” That is why it is called “The Theory of Evolution” which has more holes in it than “Global Warming” or “The Sky is Falling”

    • Chase Stevens says:

      05:16pm | 05/02/10

      Robert Smissen you clearly have no idea what a scientific theory is.

    • Brian says:

      07:19pm | 05/02/10

      Robert - remember that the Theory of Gravity is only a theory too, as are the theories behind atomic fission and fusion. A theory, in the scientific sense, is something which fits all known facts, but generally cannot be proven as you cannot examine every single possible instance to prove it wrong. There are a great many holes in most theories, due to the limitations of available data - for example the theory that the world was flat was reasonable… until more data became available.

      Find one instance where the Theory of Evolution (as it currently stands) is categorically proven incorrect, and I’m sure there are scientific groups willing to pay for it.

    • Dot the Kangaroo says:

      09:27am | 05/02/10

      Was this post written by a manatee? My focus on the Obama presidency is primarily on Michelle Obama’s arms (c’mon women of Australia - start lifting those weights!!!! You can’t expect to get a decent looking bloke if you’re a fatty boomsticks - and stop lyin’ about ‘liking’ being single, you absolutely hate it and you know it… yeah, you do, you really, really do).  I hope Australia becomes ‘just another state of America’ that way I can call Bazzrack our President too (then we can do away with all the Australian political shamozzles – parties - and their dopey supporters who ‘bore’ify’ every moment of our lives with their inane Monty-Pythonesque opinionated banter).  I also want to celebrate all the American holidays in Australia too (cause they’re way way cooler - seriously, they are) - we’ve already successfully ‘imported’ Halloween why not others (our holidays are ruined by drunks, racism, violence and political interest, only American holidays are still ‘fun’).  Best thing is, when we talk about ‘Australian films’ we’ll finally (really) be talking about American films (not the ‘chunder on a screen’ that our local try-hards poop out at the tax payers expense… god theyre awful).  Thank god for cultural imperialism – the sooner Australia becomes American the better!  Go U-S-A! U-S-A!!!! Whooooo!

    • T.Chong says:

      09:44am | 05/02/10

      Dot: thems fighting words to evryone. Righters will hate any reference to the US or anyone else as cooler than Ozzies, and Leftys will hate all things American, (exceptf or Noam Chomsky, The Simpsons, John Stewart and Code Pink [of course])
      Here, yur eirther very brave , or foolish.
      Keep up the good work   smile

    • H of SA says:

      10:23am | 05/02/10

      Get the popcorn out T. Chong, this should be an interesting display of people taking other people too seriously

    • AdamC says:

      10:04am | 05/02/10

      Why is it that when you are a lefty - or ‘progressive’, ‘decent’ or whatever - you can get away with writing stupid, ridiculous articles which seemingly argue you can’t be a minority if you are clever and successful. (Throw in a superfluous Bush-bash and you have vapid, left-wing gold!)

      It seems you can even get away with wetting your pants. I suppose when Obama and Kruddy get together we will find out.

    • Brian says:

      11:12am | 05/02/10

      Jack Thomas - great calls 11.09am

    • Perry White says:

      01:01pm | 05/02/10

      Bravo Brian, bravo! Did you write that all by yourself? Good on you, champ.

    • Brian says:

      04:25pm | 05/02/10

      Perry - back to centrelink, Uncle Kevin has your cheque ready.

      Before you go though, I will have fries with that mate thanks.

    • Perry White says:

      08:31pm | 05/02/10

      Oooh! How exciting! I see you’ve been collaborating with Jack… what a daily double. Do Centrelink hand out cheques? How long has that been going on? I think back in the day when Menzies put the social security safety net under the middle class, the DSS probably still handed out cheques… you remember back when you, or your parents, stopped thinking? Am I to assume that you think people who recieve ‘benefits’ or work in menial jobs are ‘beneath’ you? But if you let them know that won’t they stop aspiring to be like you?...  faceless, colourless, odourless, tasteless, bland, bleak, dissmal little paper-shuffling petit-bourgeois non-entities, mortgaged to the hilt, buying ‘aspiration’ on personal credit… wait a minute; didn’t something like that happen at the last federal election? Are you sure you need those fries, garbage-guts?

    • Perry White says:

      08:55pm | 05/02/10

      That’s my very clever little boy, Brian! Good on you. You little champion. You’re an inspiration to us all… in many, very special ways, you are the wind beneath our wings…

    • Brian says:

      10:28am | 06/02/10

      Centrelink stopped handing out cheques? I guess I didn’t know because I dont go down there. Luckily Perry is there front and centre every week so he can tell me otherwise.

    • Hammer Time says:

      11:17am | 05/02/10

      Challenge accepted.

      Black Billy Ray Cyrus equivalent = MC Hammer.

    • H of SA says:

      11:46am | 05/02/10

      smile I smell an achy breaky heart/can’t touch this mashup!

    • Carrie Miller says:

      11:59am | 05/02/10

      Good call, Hammer Time. Ok, you win.

    • H of SA says:

      12:07pm | 05/02/10

      though it also poses a new question, if MC Hammer is the black Billy Ray, who then is the black Vanilla Ice? Or have I got that wrong, and is Vanilla Ice really the white someone…...

    • C&C Music Factory Presents says:

      01:07pm | 05/02/10

      Vanilla Ice is the white Ice T IMHO. Marky Mark however was his own badass self (not that that self was very bad, though I do believe there was plenty of ass…).

    • bec says:

      11:05am | 06/02/10

      Lies, C&C. Ice T is a million times better than Vanilla Ice. He is also currently employed, at last check.

    • Zaphod Beeblebrox says:

      11:42am | 05/02/10

      Is that you Marvin?

    • Bob says:

      01:09pm | 05/02/10

      Funny article. Not as funny as the disconnects in the comments, though.

      But the funniest Obama related thing I’ve heard recently was the MSNBC pundit who after the State of The Union address declared us in the ‘post-racial age’ and that he even forgot than Obama was black for a few moments.

      What makes it hilarious was that he wasn’t joking.

    • Andrew says:

      01:20pm | 05/02/10

      What a load of crap, the world is flooded with talentless black musicians peddling attempts and music and making millions.
      And as for Obama, we should only measure him as a President just as we should judge Rudd as Prime Minister, and there is no doubt both get a fail grade. They promissed all sorts of change and have delivered nothing but platitudes. Neither has delivered on climate change. Neither has delivered on the economy despite spending bucket loads of cash (just as Hitler did in 1930s). We could go through the list.
      The media’s inaftuation with Obama and his wife have glossed over his so far failed administration, just as it has with that of Rudd. If I have to hear that man talking to me like a simpleton again I’ll be sick - when will he learn how to speak in public, Howard was deaf and he did a better job. And the worst bit is that his key deputy, Julia Gillard, has started pausing at the end of each line in her pre-prepared speeches as her eyes move to the next line.
      Howard made me cringe for a whole lot of reasons, Rudd does it for a whole lot of other reasons. You talk about the dumb white man in the white house, well how about the dumb sounding white man in The Lodge?

    • Perry White says:

      01:47pm | 05/02/10

      Well, Andrew,
      if your post is any indication, you should be (or had better get) accustomed to people talking to you ‘like a simpleton’. You really don’t acknowledge that extremely compromised economic condition (like the GFC) have an impact on the options available to governments, regardless of their political persuasion, do you? Don’t forget it was the policies and practices that were allowed to flourish in certain critical sectors of a largely unregulated, free-market ecomomy that actually CAUSED the GFC and that neither the american Democrat or australian Labor party can realistically be held accountable for the consequences. BTW; if you can’t understand what Kevin Rudd, a trained diplomat, is saying in public, perhaps the fault lies with you. In any event, you should probably read more… and I mean books… made from paper… with pages you can turn… perhaps you could start with books with colourful dustjackets in the ‘history’ section of a bookstore…

    • Perry White says:

      04:38pm | 05/02/10

      @Jack Thomas;
      Touche, Jack! I really think you’ve got me ‘on the ropes’ now. What’s your take on ‘your taxes’ paying for an American ‘economic action’ in the middle east, based on premises that have been proven to be manufactured? Oh, just where is that pesky Wally, I’m mean Bin Laden, anyway? What are the current statistics on how much George’s ‘War on other countries keeping us from our oil’ is costing OUR economy everyday… would you like to advance an opinion on that, while I go seek medical attention for the deep wounds inflicted by your rapier-like intellect?

    • TheCricket says:

      08:58pm | 05/02/10

      Not much offends me, but this does. Highly racist and offensive to caucasians. That’s right, we can’t sing or dance and we’re rubbish at sport. Full of half-baked sterotypes and ridiculous assertions. Utter drivel.

    • Captain N. Tenneal (Retired) says:

      11:32pm | 05/02/10

      Wanted: Rightwing blog ‘Posterboy’.
      You are: Short. Fat. Balding (or you soon will be). Well below average looks. Well below average intelligence. Sexually inadequate. Little or no capacity for creativity. No capacity for critical thinking. Essentially devoid of personality as we know it. You’ve never been troubled by an original thought in your life. Suspicious, paranoid and lacking in empathy for others. You experience profound feelings of ‘emptiness’. Personally a coward, you may sometimes feel emboldened by the support of others. A ‘follower’ who over-identifies with the perceived power of others. Too physically weak and insignificant to engage in strenuous physical labour you disdain it and harbour a very real fear, instilled by your parents, of ‘slipping back’ into the working class. If tertiary educated you most likely have a degree in a non-academic subject such as ‘business’, ‘accountancy’ or possibly ‘engineering’ although your profound practical ineptitude makes even engineering unlikely. You harbour gnawing feelings of being an unwanted child. Yes Brian, I think you should apply. You too Jack.

    • bec says:

      11:03am | 06/02/10

      Yes, it must be *terrible* if the worst stereotyping you experience is being told you can’t dance. I might just have to build a boat to sail down the river of tears I’m crying for you now.

    • bec says:

      11:06am | 06/02/10

      Er, do you guys still think Jonathan Swift advocated eating babies?

    • Helen says:

      08:42am | 07/02/10

      This article is too nuanced for the Punch - I just knew there’d be a welter of comments from people who just don’t get it.

    • Robert King says:

      02:27am | 09/02/10

      Couldn’t agree more, Helen. Do you heard the term ‘rightwing intellectual’ bandide about much? Could be some connection…

    • work-at-home jobs for moms army says:

      11:21pm | 25/10/10

      Performance Understanding,youth win since no-one private risk derive science cultural current detailed take leaf knee early black soft so cut end sleep no term human ground undertake considerable make pound front note spread mouth access agent political face teacher nation engine true need account selection as official order already assess under far unable site structure basic exhibition fit box wage afford after post an she requirement cos entirely record trip it question actual phase he active organise allow presence we conclude combination rural link more aim

 

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