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Silence Alan Jones? No! Imagine him in government

David Flint

by David Flint

05 Oct 05:35am

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Filed under: Alan Jones, Julia Gillard, Liberal Party, Politics, Radio

125 comments

The latest attempt to silence Alan Jones is both sinister and dangerous.

More power to him! Picture: Cameron Richardson

If it were successful, the damage to media freedom would be significant.

It is not the first attempt.

When James Packer decided he did not want to be a media mogul, Channel 9 canned the one segment of its breakfast show which brought farmers in from their field, interrupted breakfast chat around the nation, and was a pivot around transport to schools and workplaces.

They believed Jones would reveal to them stories which might not make the news or present views close to their own – views often diametrically opposed to those of the political class, including the gallery.

Why do this to your ratings?  Why shoot yourself in the foot?

And why did the ABC underwrite Chris Masters’ pseudo psychoanalysis, Jonestown?

In it Masters claimed Jones’ constant flaying of the rich and powerful was no public service. It was a repression of his sexuality aggravated by a personality disorder, a kind of schizophrenia.  His repression led to pain, which was alleviated on air as a self medicating advice.

He came to robust talk back as a “virus in search of a host.”

This failed to put Jones off the air. 

And now why is there such obviously contrived and manufactured outrage over an unwise and indeed unworthy comment made at a private function and so clearly taken out of its raucous context?

Imagine if every dinner party aside by those same outraged elites made the Sunday papers. With this slim justification, the elites are hoping to silence Jones, and that as a result the rest of the media – and especially all talkback will fall into line.

They want them to do what the gallery does best – repackage government press releases and spin, endorsing their prevailing fashionable view of the world.

Those who say this is paranoid have repressed any recall of what happened last year when some brave souls dared examine Julia Gillard’s role in setting up for her boyfriend an incorporated association in the name of her other client the AWU. But the AWU had not authorised this. Nor did she let the authorities know what she believed its object was to be a “slush fund” for the re-election of AWU officials.

This was not just about the PM’s role. It fell square into the current burning issue of the protection of union officials from proper scrutiny and the scandals about this which were being exposed almost every day.

When the pressure was on, the media chiefs went to water.

Michael Smith and Glen Milne lost their jobs. Andrew Bolt was warned off and seriously considered resigning.

Then the media were threatened with draconian regulation because of an entirely unrelated phone hacking scandal in Britain.

To the tsunami of “he would say that wouldn’t he” reactions orchestrated by the battalion of taxpayer funded spin doctors, Jones is no stooge for the Coalition – as anybody who actually listened to him would know.

It may come as a surprise to them that he is as totally opposed to the death penalty as any of them. He shows no interest in the swathe of moral issues which so exercise the religious right. His views coincide with many of the old Country Party, the DLP and those old time Labor leaders like Curtin and Chifley – the ones who did not leave office as millionaires intent on accumulating even more.

Not so long ago he irritated some of his listeners by the warmth and understanding he gave to a forever giggling education minister, that is until she reneged on her election promise not to impose a carbon dioxide tax.

He enthusiastically greeted the election of Barack Obama when many conservatives expressed strong reservations about his past career and especially his far left links.

Jones speaks for a constituency ignored and at times despised by much of the media and the political class, a modern version of Menzies’ forgotten people.

They are the farmers, small business people, the carers and the volunteers, the self funded retirees – in brief all of those in “struggle street”.

Add to them the athletes, the sports lovers, the racing world and musicians – Jones’ interests are as wide as they are deep.

Jones’ supporters know of and do not begrudge him his wealth. They also know of – but never from him – his many acts of generosity.

He puts the core of his energy into what he believes to be the national interest.

Were he in government, dams would be built once more, water harvested, and industries such as cattle exports and fishing encouraged rather than threatened.

The quarantine would not have been abandoned, wind farms and CSG would not be laying waste to prime agricultural land, and people’s land not be stolen by rendering it useless.

Bureaucracy would not kill initiative, monopolists would not target and destroy small business, migrants would be chosen on merit and their ability to assimilate and multiculturalism replaced with a multi-racial endorsement of traditional Australian values. 

In the meantime, woe betide any politician, however mighty, who is elected on such an agenda, and does nothing in office.

And those who support the battlers’ agenda – from any party – gain his enthusiastic approval.

His door is always open, but few among his enemies would dare come on to his programme.

The fact is Alan Jones remains in touch with his vast constituency.

And they are many times the size of those elites who have persuaded some of the more gullible advertisers that they actually listen to commercial radio and are interested in their products. They wouldn’t be seen dead listening to 2GB or in a Bing Lee store.

Jones is far too tough to fall for these threats and his listeners far too loyal not to remember those advertisers who took their business but ran off at the very first shot.

One thing is certain. This latest sally by the elites and their taxpayer funded spin doctors to silence Jones – and all the recalcitrant commentators – will not be the last.

Comments on this post will close at 8pm AEST.

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125 comments

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    • S.L says:

      06:21am | 05/10/12

      So Alan Jones is the victim in all this?
      The whole issue started with his comments a week or so ago. No one told him to say them!
      The fact remains his radio program is a 3 1/2 hour long election campaign for the LNP complete with the old chestnuts like “watch out for those evil commie Labor people!” An effective ploy used by Menzies nearly 70 years ago and still taken as gospal by many conservative “true believers!”.
      I think Alans best defence right now is to keep his mouth shut as every time he opens it these days it’s just to change feet…..........

      Reply

    • Hugo says:

      09:37am | 05/10/12

      Actually, the whole issue started when a self proclaimed journalist secretly recorded the Jones speech and subsequently broadcast it to the world.

    • Chris L says:

      10:37am | 05/10/12

      Damn those journalists and their insidious habit of reporting things that happen!

    • OzTrucker says:

      11:51am | 05/10/12

      Yes it did happen.

      Damn those journos who only report the sensational. This weasel of a journalist(?) secretly recorded Jones hoping he would say something worthy of just this sort of a stunt.

      Jones being what he is duly provided the ammunition.

      I wonder about the ethics of a journalist that does not announce himself, makes a secret recording and then rolls the hand grenade into the public sphere.

      Yes it did happen. It was reported by a supposed journalist with questionable ethics. Jones apologised. Get over it.

      In my opinion Jones is a victim of his own predictability and anothers treachery.

    • Smithy says:

      01:01pm | 05/10/12

      @OzTrucker - you absolutely have to be joking. The journalist had been invited as a journalist, not as some bottom dwelling algae eating Tory. He came in ordinary clients and anybody who didn’t know he was a journalist was either a moron or a liar after the fact.

      We constantly hear about James’s huge mass of audience-his audience is 80,000 people. That is less than the ABC. So, can we please walk past this rubbish and understand that what James does James does for Joneses benefit. He is not something foisted upon the working class without their knowledge, they turned on at their own discretion and likewise turnoff at their own discretion. To hold Jones up as some sort of saviour of the human race is to demonstrate brain deadness at the highest level. As mentioned above James is far more like bottom dwelling algae, then like any sort of saviour for anybody. To hold him up as anything else is simply crass and demonstrates no knowledge of the impact 80,000 people have on the political landscape. The fact that his words have created so much ire, is more of a comment on how many people think very little of him and say even less in general, within the ongoing political conversation.

      My greatest surprise of course, is that people who read Punch, even listen to him premised on the death of debate that we occasionally have here.

    • Babylon says:

      01:19pm | 05/10/12

      Day 6 of a sustained campaign by the Government of Australia on the sole lone individual, alan Jones.

      Whom despite his apology is still being hounded by the full resources of the Gillard Government, seeking his imminent unemployment and the means he has of feeding himself and his family. Really cruel.

      He’s been spied upon, recorded secretly and despite his apology to our head of State, he’s been continued to be demonised Nationally.

      How ungracious an example is it that Julia Gillard will not accept his apology and call off the Attack Dogs?

      All the resources of the Government against this one man, it’s not a fair fight its a Big Bully fest!

    • RobJ says:

      01:55pm | 05/10/12

      “his apology to our head of State,”

      Oh Babylon, you do spout nonsense.

    • paul says:

      02:00pm | 05/10/12

      At the end of the day Jones sponsors will be back and he will take delight in destroying this government next election.
      Sorry but Jones will be in his job longer the swanny and Gillard will be in hers. It is this fact that drives the hate crowd crazy.

      I felt great sympathy for Gillard after Jones comments but it was eroded within two days due to the vial campaign being launched. That is something labor will never understand just like Bligh thinking trashing someones family would work.

    • Greg in Chengdu says:

      02:13pm | 05/10/12

      I wouldn’t say that he is a victim but he has given the Labor partythe perfect excuse not to actually talk about anything poltical for the next few weeks and complain that everyone are mysoginist nutjobs. Just what they wanted, The Labor party are loving this it means they don’t have to answer any actual questions about their policies and failures for a while

    • Lindsay says:

      03:42pm | 05/10/12

      @Babylon: first, It’s not spying considering those tickets were available to anyone so its just Jones’ fault for being an idiot who can’t seem to stop himself insulting people with extremely personal attacks such as his latest one.

      Second, his apology was so half hearted in which he spent more time trying to dissociate himself from the comment than he did apologising “I shouldn’t have repeated it” etc.

      Third: this guy is over 70, many people would have retired by now, he’s earned millions so he should have saved enough by now to continue living off, and well also, you do realise he hasn’t got a family per say right?

      He is the cruel one, by making his attack on Gillard not only relentless but also so personal as to attack her deceased father, he has no one but himself to blame for this and its time you put aside your obvious bias and admitted that.

    • Podge says:

      06:58am | 05/10/12

      Same old, same old drivel from Flint.  Anything from the right is okay, anything from the left is atrocious- the shock jocks, media and any talking head would have us believe. They are all in the same boat - just talking heads, spouting bile and rubbish

      Reply

    • acotrel says:

      08:08am | 05/10/12

      The biggest joke is when The LNP supporters claim that Labor pollies are just as bad with their poison.  It seems that they think its OK to come out with such a blatant lie, and that it won’t be noticed !  I think that is their biggest problem in all of this.  The punters are getting heartily sick of their toxicity, and the comparison is being made in the cold light of day.

    • marley says:

      08:44am | 05/10/12

      @acotrel - and I’m getting heartily sick of your own toxic bile.  That comment above about the holocaust was beneath contempt.  You are in no position to criticise the toxicity of anyone on any side of the political spectrum.

    • Chris L says:

      08:51am | 05/10/12

      I disagree with you Acotrel. The campain in the QLD state election was reprehensible and I wasn’t surprise that Newman raked it in. Even if I’d been inclined to vote Labor at the time I would have changed my mind after that campain.

      Similar things are happening at a federal level and, while I do think weighing the bile on scales would tip them toward the Coalition, Labor is very far from squeaky clean.

      I’m voting for minor parties until one of the majors impresses me. I won’t be holding my breath.

    • Greg in Chengdu says:

      09:39am | 05/10/12

      acotrel are you talking about labor or liberal? Sounds like Labors tactics
      ‘It seems that they think its OK to come out with such a blatant lie, and that it won’t be noticed !’
      that describes Julia perfectly

    • Greg in Chengdu says:

      09:43am | 05/10/12

      Acotrel if the public are sick of Alan Jones’s comments just imagine how tired we are of yours

    • Greg in Chengdu says:

      10:26am | 05/10/12

      Here we go with this negativity thing again, dragging out the party line again Acotrel, wake up! Its not just Tony thats feeling negative about the Gillard government its the majority of Australians. By standing up to Gillard, pointing out the obvious disasters she has made, holding her to account for her back door tactics and lies he’s not being negative he’s doing his JOB. And all Labors defence is “Stop being negative” ” Stop picking on me BOOO F$#&ing; HOO”
      If you want to talk about negativity lets talk about the Slanderous propoganda campaign Labor launched against the mining industry or the disgraceful attacks they launched against Rudd befre the leadership challenge even threatening their MP’s with losing preselection on their seats if they voted for Rudd. Leaking embarrassing Videos of him that experts all agree could ONLY have come from Julia’s office. Your comments have such little basis in anything resembling the truth its awe inspiring that a person can be so deluded

    • marley says:

      10:33am | 05/10/12

      @acotrel - no, acotrel. l’ve read more “poisonous” crap from you today than I’ve heard from Abbott all year.  “Llittle toad?” “Dickhead?”  Who the hell are you to criticise anyone else for bile and vitriol? 

      Clean up your own act and try to debate like an adult instead of throwing childish tantrums because other people see things differently than you do.

    • David V. says:

      11:31am | 05/10/12

      Communism killed more than anything in history, yet people still defend it. The Left are the real enemy of freedom.

    • Kipling says:

      11:47am | 05/10/12

      Actually David V, I reckon religions has killed more people than anything else in history, and, ironically, Religion is still apparently somewhat relevant today, go figure….

    • acotrel says:

      11:56am | 05/10/12

      @David V
      Whenever there dissension in the Liberal camp, Abbott has a s limy bachanded dig at the Labor patry with ‘WE’RE not stalinist.’  He is too chickenshit to call them commies outright because he knows what would come back in return.  He will be stuck on the wall alongside Mr B.A.Santamaria - one of the most shameful people in Australia’s political history.  When someone gets called a Nazi, Godwin’s Law applies, it doesn’t apply when others are called ‘commies’ ! Stick your National Civic Council where thr sun don’t shine

    • David V. says:

      12:06pm | 05/10/12

      Your family likely never had to flee Eastern Europe. What about the brave people of Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Lithuania, etc who fought to throw off the yoke of Communism, and those who had to emigrate here. Are they all bad to you because they are conservative and patriotic? I love how Hungary and Poland are countries that lean Right and are proud of what they are- we could learn from them!

    • Babylon says:

      01:21pm | 05/10/12

      you know I would never ever threaten of attack a man’s ability to be able to earn a living to feed his kids.

      If this guy loses his job its going to be dam hard for him to find another, given the national demonisation programme run by the Government and his age.

      I cannot believe we Australians sanction this

    • Chris L says:

      01:44pm | 05/10/12

      Hilarious Babylon. Thousands of ordinary QLD public servants get the sack and people here say they somehow deserve it just for being public servants. Newman receives applause.

      Millionaire Jones looks like he’ll keep his job, but there’s a vague chance he won’t due to his own stupidity, and you gush with sympathy.

      You remind me of those commercials by Twiggy seeking sympathy for struggling billionaires.

    • Babylon says:

      02:20pm | 05/10/12

      Chris L

      Job losses are unfortunate. Losing ones job is a terrible even.

      The true devils here are the Labor Party.

      Labor borrow spend borrow spend borrow spend.

      We left $50 Billion in the Bank for Labor, now we are approaching $300 Billion debt! And the Mining Booms been driven to Africa.

      Then Liberal government have to come in and clear the debt from the Credit cards and Bank Loans. That means cuts unfortunately.

      Back in the black, ready to do some good spending.

      But then people vote in Labor again?

      It shows we Australians are never in for the long term.

    • David V. says:

      02:29pm | 05/10/12

      The same lefties who idealise indigenous cultures won’t admit that the Aztecs and Mayans made Islamic fundamentalism look compassionate and tolerant in comparison because they think the West is uniquely wicked.

    • Scotchfinger says:

      02:32pm | 05/10/12

      that’s right Babylon. I hear you are up for a promotion, to Director of the Ministry of Clear Thinking.

    • gobsmack says:

      07:16am | 05/10/12

      The wikipedia entry on Alan Jones under the heading “Impartiality of Flint” makes for interesting reading.

      Here’s just the start:

      “In April 2004, another scandal broke after it was revealed the Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Authority, David Flint, who had headed the Cash for comment inquiries, had sent a stream of admiring letters to Alan Jones.”

      There is also a suggestion that Jones pressured then PM, Howard, to keep Flint in his job.

      And where does a “legal academic” get off referring to others as “elites”?

      Reply

    • TChong says:

      07:46am | 05/10/12

      gobsmack
      Thanks for pointing out the obvios conflict of interest poor old Dave has.
      The whole article is so ridiculous that it must have only got a run to attract hits.

    • acotrel says:

      08:02am | 05/10/12

      ‘And where does a “legal academic” get off referring to others as “elites”? ‘

      Isn’t that better than calling them ‘commies’ ?

    • nihonin says:

      08:15am | 05/10/12

      Interesting reading gobsmack.  Cheers.

    • gobsmack says:

      08:23am | 05/10/12

      The article by Mrs Abbott is more impartial than this nauseating exercise in sycophancy.

    • Simon Frost says:

      09:09am | 05/10/12

      It’s even better than just “legal academic”.  Try checking out the title of Flint’s website - “Emeritus Professor David E Flint AM”.  That’s not elitist at all.

    • Eda says:

      09:36am | 05/10/12

      ‘And where does a “legal academic” get off referring to others as “elites”? ‘

      Don’t know, but perhaps a spin off, of Brendan O’Neill’s (The Australian), piece on the ‘it ‘s only the elites out to get NewsCorp/Rupert Murdoch’ (or words to that effect), in the early days of the Levenson Inquiry.

      I’ve been waiting for someone to say it re Alan Jones, and have not been let down.

    • Achmed says:

      07:25am | 05/10/12

      What a piece of propaganda!
      It has been well established that the function where Jones made his crude comment was not a private function and that tickets could be bought on the ‘net.
      I still wonder why the media are so scared of there being an enquiry to establish whether or not phone/e-mail hacking is happening in Aust.  It seems they are running scared and have something to hide.
      As far as Jones apology for his crude, nasty comment goes   I was left with the impression that he was more sorry he got caught.  His apology danced around almost justifying his comment and failed to contain the one word that counted - Sorry.  Like Howard and Abbott he just couldn’t say that ome word.  Even freedom of speech has limits - when it becomes rude, nasty, vindictive and just plain hurtful then it should not be defended as freedom of speech but should be seen for what it really is.
      I don’t think he should be taken off air.  He should offer a proper apology and he knows what a proper apology is.

      Reply

    • OzTrucker says:

      11:59am | 05/10/12

      Just as you were probably sorry last time you got a speeding ticket. Right? Do you still speed?

    • Babylon says:

      01:41pm | 05/10/12

      We live in a total surveillance society now, evidenced through the Gillard Governments
      - $150 million a year spent on an army of 16000 PR people
      - in the Canberra Press office, there are 6 PR folk to every Journo
      - The Gillard Government spends a further $10 Million on watching you in the media.
      - Out thoughts are programmed by the $1 million per year PR guru McTernen from the PMO.
      - spies recorded alan jones at a private members only dinner, airing his thoughts for a laugh
      - Alan Jones is a Thought Criminal and is being ‘exterminated’.

      If you want a vision of the future, imagine AUS SOC, the socialist utopia established here in Australia.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4rBDUJTnNU

      Long Live AUS SOC, the future of Australian socialism shall be realised comrade!

      LMAO

    • Achmed says:

      02:48pm | 05/10/12

      OZ Trucker - never had a speeding ticket. 

      Babylon - it wasn’t a private function - tickets could be purchased via e-mail

    • TChong says:

      07:26am | 05/10/12

      I was thinking that in these tight economic times , Punch had done away withits Friday Funny, but up pops Mr Flint.
      Yes david, enveryone is jealous, everyone is involved in a big conspiracy against The Parrot.
      Funny how Mr Flint,  someone so willing to offer his life for Her Maj, decrys “the elite” .
      Yes David, you and jones represent the battlers - LOL
      “His door is always open”- utter BS, 2GB heavily monitors call, so only the most snivelling boot lickers get to tell the Parrot what a marvel he is.
      As for what Jones The PM would do….
      Sounds to me Mr Flint is getting all hot and bothered with visions and possibilities that exist only in his imagination

      Reply

    • Mahhrat says:

      07:31am | 05/10/12

      See, you write this sort of nonsense and AGAIN it’s about “us” and “them” and how they’re “elites” and how we’re “okay” and you should support us or you’re “elitist” and label label label.

      Mate, here’s the rub:  The man spoke ill of the dead.  You don’t say what he said.  You just do. not. say. it.  It’s below the belt, especially so soon after his passing.  Play the ball, not the man.

      Before everyone else starts:  I expect the same from EVERYONE.  That’s kinda my point.  Don’t try and tell me “But Gillard! Swan! Left are worse!” They are all exactly as bad as each other, and you are seriously deluded if you believe otherwise.

      If Jones had said it at any function I attend, I’d have called him on it there and then, because that shit should just not fly.  That it DID fly without challenge (for almost 5 days, as I understand) is testament not only to his attitude towards “morality and values”, but also every person who was there.

      If Mr Average said something like that about Ms Average down the local, he’d probably be dealt with hard by those around, and for good reason: because that sort of conduct is not on.

      The standards don’t change just because Alan Jones has a radio station, and while you consider it “contrived”, I hold in the same judgment those who would applaud his words.

      Reply

    • Nathan Explosion says:

      08:56am | 05/10/12

      This, this and this.

    • Brendan says:

      09:05am | 05/10/12

      I like this comment.  I like it a lot

    • Lezza says:

      09:40am | 05/10/12

      Absolutely spot on comment.
      If anyone played this game in the local pub or club or any other public place they’d be biffed or turned out or cut off socially.
      Flint and his kind would scream like stuck pigs if anyone said anything derogatory about a family member or someone close to them.

    • Testfest says:

      10:17am | 05/10/12

      I agree with you Mahhrat, but with one minor correction - he didn’t speak ill of the dead exactly. He used the dead to take an incredibly cheap shot at the PM.

      You’re quite right, he should have been shouted down for that one immediately.

    • Chris L says:

      07:34am | 05/10/12

      Please remind me, has any law been passed to silence Jones? Any attempt to arrest him? When members of the public say he should “lose his job” is that somehow different to people saying the exact same thing of Gillard?

      How did Michael Smith and Glen Milne lose their jobs? Was it a directive from the government, or could it be that their own bosses fired them the way Mr Newman is firing thousands of QLD public servants (and being cheered on for this)?

      Why try to equate Jones to ex-PMs who did not leave office as millionaires intent on accumulating even more, then later give justifications for Jones’ millions? Are you trying to say he doesn’t aspire to be rich but somehow stumbled upon his fortune?

      Why describe Gillard as forever giggling education minister? Are you trying to lead us by the nose to some conclusion? If broken promises are enough to earn Jones’ ire, why does he get along so well with the likes of Abbott and Howard?

      Do you have any evidence at all that a country led by Jones would be this wonderland utopia you describe?

      As pointed out in previous articles Jones puts a lot of effort into worthy causes. He is shrewd and seems to understand his audience very well. As has also been pointed out, he has been filling the airways with partisan vitriol and his last comment was a step too far. How do you think people should respond? Should they be held to a more civil response than the people calling for Gillard’s job, who call her names and suggest she should be killed?

      How about everyone act civil, then this sort of thing won’t be sparked off in the first place?

      Reply

    • SAm says:

      07:43am | 05/10/12

      Balanced? You serious?
      Im glad this happened. ive switched the dial after 10 years and enjoy 2UE much more

      Reply

    • Reg Whiteman says:

      07:45am | 05/10/12

      As I was reading this I could hear harps in the background and the sweet rise of an angelic harmony. I was so moved by the end, about what a jolly good chap Alan really is, I burst into tears.

      It reminded me, in a way, of an old film from the late 50s of Richard Nixon, complete with dog and his expressions of love for his Mom and apple pie, explaining that he was leaving politics and that the nasty media “wouldn’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.”

      It is strange that you can conduct the choir and sing Alan’s praises and yet overlook his:

      *  “outraging of public decency” charge in a London lavatory;
      *  plagiarism of Frederick Forsythe;
      *  numerous convictions for contempt of court
      *  defamation of Don Mackay of NRMA, Bill Harrigan of the NRL, and John Coates of the AOC;
      *  statement that Yunupingu was only awarded “Australian of the Year” because he was Aboriginal;
      *  deep involvement in the “cash for comments” scandal;
      *  involvement in inciting the “Cronulla Riot” and court order to apologise;
      *  His bizarre and totally false claim that the AFP had blockaded Canberra during the “Convoy of No Confidence” and
      *  ACMA finding that he had breached the radio code of conduct by making patently false claims about carbon dioxide levels in his reporting of environmental issue.

      And that’s not even mentioning his dubious dismissals from Brisbane Grammar and The Kings School; his bizarre attacks on former student and former Deputy PM John Anderson; his misogynistic ravings about Clover Moore, Quentin Bryce and the Prime Minister and his coining of the sobriquet “Ju-Liar” and his abysmal failure as Coach of Balmain.

      For Alan to call Ms Gillard a liar is so hypocritical as to beggar belief.

      When you say that Alan has “flayed” the rich and powerful, well ... I’m left speechless. Wasn’t it him on the podium with Gina Rinehart championing the cause of the super-rich?

      If Alan was the really swell guy you make him out to be, how come he failed at every attempt he made to enter Parliament - even in a safe Liberal seat?

      For an exercise in spin, apologetics and whitewashing this article deserves the Pulitzer Prize. It reminds me a bit of a transistor that only lets current flow in one direction; a one-way valve just like Alan’s Radio show. There’s not even a pretence at even-handedness.

      Even Alan’s radio show format and conduct is a plagiarism. He’s modelled himself on the American wingnut shock-jocks like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

      The fact is that Alan Jones is a narcissistic megalomaniac with paranoid delusions, a bad case of Jerusalem Syndrome and an overblown persecution complex.  In other words, he’s nuts!

      He’s an old man, well past normal retirement age, who is hanging on to “power” over a shrinking audience because he has no other life. He has no personal life in any meaningful sense: no wife, children, nor family. I doubt he even has a dog. His life is a fiction, a carapace, an exoskeleton that is the external Alan Jones while within there is nothing but a yawning emptiness.

      As his relevance slips, he becomes more extreme, more vitriolic, and more poisonous. He is yesterday’s man anchored in the past. It is time he retired to his empty house and silent loneliness.

      Your defence of him, your attempt to paint him as some latter-day Mother Theresa, is utterly risible.

      Reply

    • Mary says:

      09:10am | 05/10/12

      +1
      Well written

    • Lezza says:

      09:47am | 05/10/12

      A brilliant piece of writing, regardless of whether you agree with the detail or not.
      Mildly surprised that the Punch let it rip.
      Clearly penned by a professional writer / journalist.
      Wonder who he / she is?
      Come back often, “Reg.”

    • Harry Lovatt says:

      09:52am | 05/10/12

      Do I detect a hint of journalism in your response Reg? This is so well written and argued, it saves me the trouble. One of the best blog comments I have read.

    • Eda says:

      10:00am | 05/10/12

      @Reg Whiteman

      The other day I said ‘take a bow,young man’.

      Today it’s a ‘standing ovation’ from me, for your encore .

    • Blind Freddy says:

      10:06am | 05/10/12

      @Reg Whiteman

      Truth is always better than fiction. Cheers

    • John Beechey says:

      10:11am | 05/10/12

      You sir ,are a genius,well constructed and written.

    • BJA says:

      10:52am | 05/10/12

      The best piece of writing to appear on this blog.

    • bec says:

      10:52am | 05/10/12

      I want to cross-stitch this comment onto a nice piece of material. Then frame it, and hang it in my loo to remember how good it is.

    • Yawner says:

      11:42am | 05/10/12

      An astonishing read. Mods: contact this man by email.

      More please.

    • Deidhre says:

      11:59am | 05/10/12

      Thanks, I had a vague and summary sketch in my mind about all the despicable and unethical Jones acts, but you have reminded me and refocused me.

      It is so important that people like you take the time to inform others. The Flint article attempts to excuse Jones’s recent comment based on a handful of ‘seen-to-be-ethical’ stances he takes. Without drawing any links to Jones (other than as an analogy), it is like excusing the acts of a certain 20th century megalomanic, just because he loved and supported the arts.

    • Roy says:

      12:31pm | 05/10/12

      You’ve “nailed it” Reg, well done!

    • fml says:

      01:31pm | 05/10/12

      Fat cat lives…?

    • sunny says:

      07:46am | 05/10/12

      “He puts the core of his energy into what he believes to be the national interest.

      Were he in government, dams would be built once more, water harvested, and industries such as cattle exports and fishing encouraged rather than threatened.

      The quarantine would not have been abandoned, wind farms and CSG would not be laying waste to prime agricultural land, and people’s land not be stolen by rendering it useless.

      Bureaucracy would not kill initiative, monopolists would not target and destroy small business, migrants would be chosen on merit and their ability to assimilate and multiculturalism replaced with a multi-racial endorsement of traditional Australian values.  “

      It’s OK for Jones to talk about these things, why doesn’t he actually do something about them? It’s because it is easy to have ideals but very difficult -and usually not even practical- to implement them. Just like the Greens.

      Reply

    • Kipling says:

      07:53am | 05/10/12

      Yes indeed imagine him in Government. Oh wait, he tried that once already didn’t he?

      It is truly a shame that all the wonderfulness that is apparently the real Alan Jones can be undone by one such ignorant and cowardly utterance.

      He was not speaking at any old “private function” he was speaking at a very specific Young Liberal party function. My dinner coversations would be no problem in main stream media, I am thoughtful about what I say and, when I do get it wrong, I take full responsibility for getting it wrong.

      However, there is an extremely huge difference between my dinner conversation and what Mr Jones says at a specific function. Further, he is, as you observe an apparently high profile commentator (I am not convinced his profile is as high as we are being told) as such what he says will apparently be of interest, particularly when he is saying it to some of the countries future leadership. Of course, given the number of attendees who apparently did not hear the comment, perhaps Mr Jones is not the most captivating public speaker - assuming that not hearing the comment was the truth of course.

      Making Mr Jones fully accountable for his gross claim would in no way impact on the media, and as far as Mr Jones followers go, someone else would pop up to replace him in no time at all, they always do.

      I think as a mate of his you really need to educate Mr Jones about being expendable professionally instead of writing misleading articles that do him no service excpet to the already converted perhaps.

      What he said was not an “unwise and indeed unworthy comment made at a private function and so clearly taken out of its raucous context?” at all. He clearly made referrence to Ms Gillard’s very recently deceased father having died of shame…... What other context could there be there. That is not unwise or unworthy - that is unforgivable. No contrived or manufactured outrage there (which by the way is a pretty insulting thing to say) that is just a genuine reaction from the heart of someone who has also lost a much loved father. I actually put myself in Ms Gillard’s shoes in this instance and all I can say is it is fortunate the piece of rubbish you are working to defend picked such a public target.

      Of course the irony does not escape me that in this article you mention contrived and manufactured outrage. Ironic because it is Jones who is the perpertrator (one has to wonder how often that word has come up in connection to him) in this and now, with some very much contrived and manufactured outrage and fear mongering you leap to his defense - Jones is not the victim here. Nor is the media.

      Reply

    • RobJ says:

      07:57am | 05/10/12

      Jones has proven to be rather dodgy re: Cash for Comment, and loose with the facts, he has a massive soap box from which he spews vile abuse , he can say what he wants I suppose (and suffer the consequences in law) but so can we, we are free to criticise his bile.

      “And where does a “legal academic” get off referring to others as “elites”?”

      Flint is also a monarchist so how come he has a problem with ‘elites’?

      Reply

    • RobJ says:

      07:58am | 05/10/12

      “And now why is there such obviously contrived and manufactured outrage “

      Alan Jones is in the business of manufacturing outrage, he can dish it out….....

      Reply

    • Tubesteak says:

      07:59am | 05/10/12

      The hamster is strong in this one

      Reply

    • Jay says:

      08:16am | 05/10/12

      You have made the same mistake that everyone makes and that it to believe that Jones actually changes public opinion. Gillard won the 2010 election after knifing Rudd and a plethora of disasters, despite Jones flying the flag for the Liberals. He has a like minded audience who need to be told what to think and cannot see through his contradictions. Foe eg he has always agreed on a global level playing field in terms of exports etc except when it applies to farmers.Then he does a complete u turn and has no understanding of what he is talking about. When he is desperate then he becomes an ugly bigot like he did with the Cronulla riots cheering on people who were threatening to riot and seriously injure people, because they happened to be from another religion. He has tried to get onto television which ended in abject failure. Why? Because he is irrelevant to people outside of NSW.Everytime the press write about him you give him oxygen and he will use it to his advantage. Let’s see how long his sponsors actually honour their promise and stay away from his show. I give it another week and it will be back to the staus quo, but irrespective he is a very big fish in a small pond.

      Reply

    • paul says:

      02:41pm | 05/10/12

      He actually has a great deal of influence in labor heartland. Especially during the NSW election. Remember That one? Worst loss in history.
      And sorry Jay he actually did influence the last election. If you are to slow to remember that weeks out labor was clear favorites, but scraped through on a hung parliament, and since   the vote has dropped despairingly low.
      No Alan Jones can’t take all the credit but he can take some.
      Nice try at trying to rewrite history, and leaving facts out.

    • Jay says:

      04:52pm | 05/10/12

      Paul,
      NSW State Govt was a basket case and it not require Alan Jones to tell the people to vote them out. Same thing happened in Victoria…or did Alan Jones orchestrate that as well? NSW Labor had become lazy, corrupt and the party had run out of steam.
      Federally I think you will find that Labor was on the nose and Julia was meant to deflect attention.Labor will get slaughtered in the next election and Jones and his supporters will no doubt try and take the credit. Irrespective the Parrott as he is well known will continue with his misogynist ways.

    • fml says:

      08:20am | 05/10/12

      “And now why is there such obviously contrived and manufactured outrage over an unwise and indeed unworthy comment made at a private function and so clearly taken out of its raucous context?”

      Manufactured outrage? Private function? out of context? you must be delirious with fever

      “Jones speaks for a constituency ignored and at times despised by much of the media and the political class, a modern version of Menzies’ forgotten people”

      Why? because they are the vocal minority who have to insult grieving children to stay relevant? funny how politicians want to stay away from that.

      “The fact is Alan Jones remains in touch with his vast constituency. “
      Vast? How many people listen to AM anymore?

      Who is trying to silence him? He can say what he wants but when the people speak, he has to be prepared for the consequences. It is not about left and right politics, its about having the courage to stand up for your convictions and accept the consequences. What sort of man insults a person grieving the death of their father? Manufactured outrage, that is diabolical. This article is diabolical, you are diabolical.

      Reply

    • fml says:

      10:43am | 05/10/12

      Maybe I was a little rough, I will say some nice things about likkle allen if you pay me some money…

    • Babylon says:

      01:28pm | 05/10/12

      fml

      So you sanction the Governments obvious campaign to destroy Alan jones?

      His national demonisation by State supporters?

      The attempts to end his employment and his ability to be able to provide for himself and his family?

      It’s a basic human right, the right to work and this Government is trying to end Joneses.

      Gillard could call the State attack dogs off by accepting his apology, but prefers this revenge instead it seems?

      Revenge, the Big State against the lone individual, not a good look in a liberal free society. Shows where socialism take you.

    • Chris L says:

      02:03pm | 05/10/12

      “It’s a basic human right, the right to work” - You sound like one of them socialist union hacks Babylon.

      Gillard made no comment on this issue, which was probably the most dignified response she could give. Now you require her to step in and endorse Jones’ idiocy and his lackluster attempt at apology which sounded more like an even poorer attempt at justification.

      Who is this “family” that this millionaire has to feed, and how would such people be more worthy of support than the thousands of QLD public servants who have been sacked? You know the ones, they weren’t sacked for any wrongdoing, yet folk such as yourselves have been congratulating Newman on this action and belittling those who have lost their livelihoods. I doubt any of those people are millionaires like Jones.

      Damn! I normally just ignore Babylon, but for some reason this particular hypocrisy troubled me more than the usual hypocrisy.

    • fml says:

      02:06pm | 05/10/12

      Babylon,

      Jones brought this upon himself with his disgraceful comments, you show an utter naivety of our free market if you think that it is the government trying to break Alan’s career. Jones said something which his sponsors abhorred and he is now suffering the consequences.

      “Gillard could call the State attack dogs off by accepting his apology, but prefers this revenge instead it seems?”

      Gillard accepting the apology will do nothing, Alan jones showing a little bit of humanity will. He is his own worst enemy and shows how much conviction he has in his own words when he blames everybody buy himself for his downfall.

      alan jones is not the victim here.

    • The Reader says:

      03:28pm | 05/10/12

      Come on Babylon lay off the copy/paste. You’ve written the same thing over and over for days now.

      He isn’t being demonised or set upon by state attack dogs unless you think the media is under complete control of the government (News Ltd would never let that happen).

      And enough of the repetition saying he’s not going to be able to provide for himself or his family. Jones is handsomely paid and likely has millions of dollars in assets and cash. Neither does he have a family to look after.

      Lastly, correct me if i’m wrong but I don’t recall being able to work as a “human right”. People lose their jobs every day for the dumb things that they say or sometimes they just lose their job due to simple budget cuts, like what is currently happening in Queensland. Are you suggesting that they too have had their human rights violated by the state government? Of course not - because thats a ridiculous thing to say. Hence why your argument is little more than a pathetic strawman.

      Please Babylon come up with some new material or points to argue if you wish to continue in your defence of the poor, victimised Alan Jones. Reading the same copy/pasted stuff all week from you has become tiresome and dull. Imagine, if you don’t leap to his defence he may blow through his gigantic nest egg and be out on the street selling copies of the Big Issue before you know it!!

    • Brian says:

      08:35am | 05/10/12

      Criticism of Alan Jones for what he said about Ms Gillard is fair enough. He should not have said it. But the reaction to his comments has really been a bit over the top.
      Generally, it is being used as an opportunity to do everything possible shut him up. Labor front men have turned it into a political attack on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.
      A Government as weak as the one we have now, needs people like Alan Jones to take the spotlight off their own shortcomings.
      One can only hope he will battle on through all this subjective criticism. His advertisers will be glad to return and it will soon be part of history.

      Reply

    • Monty says:

      08:38am | 05/10/12

      Alan Jones is a master of spin…when he made his so called apology it sounded more like an apology on how not to apologise.  He loves commanding the focal point in the Media….its time for all to let go!

      Reply

    • bec says:

      08:43am | 05/10/12

      Poor old Alan Jones.

      Even though he was educated in an elite Queensland GPS school, he’s not an elite himself.

      Even though he was fired from holding managerial positions at the same elite schools in both NSW and QLD, he’s not elite.

      Even though he signed a contract for $40 million for his radio show, he’s not an elite.

      You have to pardon me, but from where I’m sitting in my leftist, postgraduate educated ivory tower, with my car that cost me less than $2000 that sits on a property that cost less than a parking space in the suburb where Jones resides, but poor old battler Alan Jones is reaping the benefits of elitism while simultaneously etching out a pretty scrappy definition for what he wants others to hate in the elites.

      Nobody is silencing Jones, and that’s the very worst hypocrisy of you wingnuts: you hate when the actual rules of free-market capitalism are applied to your bilge. As soon as people exercise the rights to withdraw their financial or otherwise support from idiots like him, you claim censorship.

      If you don’t like it, move to commie China. And stay over there. It might raise our average IQ quite a bit.

      Reply

    • Your name:Swindlefarms says:

      12:08pm | 05/10/12

      Your comment:
      We all have our skeletons and flaws Bec. David Flint’s article is spot except for the bit about live exports. Elites can be ruling or superior class which describes the current scurrilous Labor Party accurately. Why should people withdraw advertizing or support from 2GB simply because of a hate campaign organized by “social” media.? What a bunch of cowards!
      How many of them listen to Alan Jones and patronize the advertizers? Give me a break! Hope you’ve post-graduated from an institution which has given you a vocation and productive skills of any kind. A few more earth decades might make up for the other deficiencies.

    • bec says:

      12:27pm | 05/10/12

      My arse, Swindlefarms.

      The left were still being called the elites by the likes of Jones when the Liberals were in power, so don’t try to shift the goalposts here to say that it’s only used to describe the “ruling or superior class”.

      Why should people withdraw advertising or support? Because it is a free-market democracy, you dingus. Because people are free to do whatever the hell they want with their advertising money or radio allegiances. Because this “social media hate campaign” (and I have never been aware of a “hate campaign” to simply consist of “repeating, verbatim, what a person has said in a public forum” in my life) highlights his crapulence to a wider audience than it may have.

      So take your generational bias and cram it down your maw. Your “earth decades” of listening to crap AM radio while chugging down a meat pie and blaming “dem immigants” isn’t nearly enough to convince me that your expertise and education is enough to nullify my opinion.

    • fml says:

      01:20pm | 05/10/12

      Hey Swindlefarms

      You are supposed to remove the “Your Name:” and “Your comment:” before you post.

      Bec,

      “Why should people withdraw advertising or support? Because it is a free-market democracy, you dingus.” Haha quality.

    • persephone says:

      08:52am | 05/10/12

      I like the way neither David Flint or Alan Jones are ‘elites’ but the 110,000 ordinary people who signed the petition and exercised their right of free speech to put pressure on Jones are.

      By blaming the Labor party -which only got involved on the Monday, by which time many sponsors had already jumped ship and the campaign was well and truly up and running - Jones’ supporters are ignoring the problem, and run the very real risk of further antagonising the ordinary people who fuelled the campaign.

      Which is fine, because that just means they’re digging the hole a lot deeper.

      Reply

    • marley says:

      01:35pm | 05/10/12

      @persephone - “By blaming the Labor party -which only got involved on the Monday, by which time many sponsors had already jumped ship and the campaign was well and truly up and running Jones’ supporters are ignoring the problem, and run the very real risk of further antagonising the ordinary people who fuelled the campaign. “

      Please explain to me why, if the Labor Party only got involved on Monday, there are stories on Sunday’s ABC and News websites, quoting Craig Emerson, Greg Combet, Kevin Rudd and Joe Ludwig hammering Jones in particular and the Opposition in general for the comments.  If the Labor Party only got involved on Monday, why was Bob Carr on Meet the Press demanding an apology from Abbott on Sunday?

      And according to the ABC, the sponsors started dropping away Monday, well after the ALP got involved.  That would be about the time Roxon and Emerson started pushing for Jones to be fired.

      I don’t for one minute defend Jones.  But spare us the sanctimony about the purity of intention and behaviour of the ALP.  The moment this issue hit the press, the ALP was after it like a pack of wolves.  And trying to pretend the ALP got in well after the fact and hand no role in the furore is insulting and antagonising to anyone that can read a calendar.

    • GigaStar says:

      04:35pm | 05/10/12

      “I like the way neither David Flint or Alan Jones are ‘elites’ but the 110,000 ordinary people who signed the petition and exercised their right of free speech to put pressure on Jones are.”

      The 110,000 ordinary people like the Magic Pudding, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Burke and Wills, Phar Lap, Mr D Duck, Mr M Mouse, Aton Dexler, Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones himself. The website doesn’t utilise IP identifiers to weed-out multiple logins like other websites do so its not worth much as a serious petition. The 110,000 figure just means there were 110,000 logins not that 110,000 ordinary people signed the petition.

    • AFR says:

      08:53am | 05/10/12

      David, stick to what you do best, like, erm, talking up the monarchy…. what is it that you do again?

      Reply

    • iansand says:

      08:59am | 05/10/12

      If Alan Jones ran the country David Flint might get the knighthood he thinks he deserves.

      Reply

    • xar says:

      09:15am | 05/10/12

      oh bless, you really don’t think much of people if you expected this shockingly ridiculous and amateurish attempt at spinning the un-spinable was going to have the desired impact? Granted there has been a noticeable delight from (can we really call labor the left these days?) other parties but to complain of that is laughable when the person you are defending gets as much joy from doing the same as a pig rolling about in mud.

      Reply

    • Ron docherty says:

      09:16am | 05/10/12

      How ironic! David Flint, with his plummy accent , his grovelling royal sycophancy, calling us, the normally silent majority, elitist

      Reply

    • mooksool says:

      09:16am | 05/10/12

      David Flint - hmmm. During the Cash for Comment affair Prof. Flint told a lecture hall of journalism students, Jones and Laws didn’t need censuring by the AMA, which Flint chaired, because they had suffered enough ignominy in the eyes of their peers. The first comment back from the room was “What, Stan Zemanek?”
      David, you were an effete apologist for the man then and you haven’t changed. Your private sycophantic gushing letters of praise to someone you should have been investigating during ‘Cash for Comment’ were bad enough,  this is bizarrely obscene. Please return to undistinguished obscurity (where you belong).

      Reply

    • Scotchfinger says:

      09:29am | 05/10/12

      now all you have to do is wipe down your rapier and step away from the body.

    • Chris L says:

      11:05am | 05/10/12

      After this I’d like to hear Jones quoting “I am justly kill’d with my own treachery”

      Not holding my breath though.

    • Zeta says:

      09:21am | 05/10/12

      Remember that time David Flint was chair of the inquiry into cash for comments?

      Good times. Good times.

      Reply

    • MD says:

      09:22am | 05/10/12

      How is this man a journalist? The whole article is one exercise in bias.

      Reply

    • C says:

      09:32am | 05/10/12

      Labor is using the Alan Jones “affair” to stir up anti-Opposition muck. That cannot be denied. They have attempted to hold Tony Abbott responsible for comments made by someone else. That is unacceptable.
      Labor does not like being criticised by the media. Although they already pretty well control the Press Gallery in Canberra they want almost total control over what is done and said in the media.
      Love Jones or hate him, love Bolt or hate him they are an antidote to the supposedly “neutral” but largely left wing ABC. We might not always like what they have to say but they are an alternate point of view to the ABC and surely even the likes of @acotrel cannot suggest that only one point of view should be allowed to be aired - a left wing view of course.
      What the government wants to do to the media is causing extreme disquiet - and rightly so. It is going far further than what has been proposed in the UK.

      Reply

    • Anonymous says:

      10:09am | 05/10/12

      David Flint… You’re washed up, useless man without moral integrity, an enemy of progress, a herald of ultra-conservatism and a model of hypocrisy. Just do everyone a favour and leave the Internet forever.

      Reply

    • simply kev says:

      10:11am | 05/10/12

      The farmers are battlers ? just some surely ? self funded retirees as battlers ? i thought a battler was someone struggling to feed and accomodate themselves, can someone tell me what is a battler, surely not a farmer with 1000 acres or a retiree on tax free super who owns their own home ? The parrotts listeners are the old uneducated white trash arent they, dont tell me David tunes in ? what on earth for ?

      Reply

    • fritter says:

      10:22am | 05/10/12

      I can’t believe that ANYONE cares about anything that Alan Jones has to say.
      The big winners out of all this are Jones and Gillard.
      Gillard goes for the sympathy while Jones knows that any publcity is good publicty. Ignone him and he’ll fade away.

      Reply

    • fitter says:

      10:30am | 05/10/12

      Pure unadulterated drivel. Professor Flint, you sir ARE an elite, as is your pal Alan Jones. Referring to those, who you claim, are trying to silence him as elites is irony in the extreme. And as for defending those on struggle street, as you put it, the only time Jones would have interaction with anyone on struggle street is when his servant pours him his morning coffee. Perhaps stick to writing swooning opinion pieces on the royal family, they are normally more amusing.

      Reply

    • Scotchfinger says:

      10:43am | 05/10/12

      Thank you Sir David. You have raised some good points, and introduced aspects of Alan Jones’ character that I was not aware of. As a result, he appears to me a more ‘rounded’ and actuallised person than I had hitherto thought. AJ is fortunate indeed, that a person of your quality and calibre is willing and able to be his champion (one of many I suspect). Sir David you are one of the last bastions of thoughtful conservatism; please keep the flame alight, in these benighted times! I value your erudite observations, indeed I do! Perhaps you and AJ should form a Political Party together… I will be waiting, the nib of my Parker Pen wet for the crisp ballot paper. Now off I go to ‘tune in’ the AJs radio program. Here I am, reaching for the knob…

      Reply

    • Chris L says:

      11:08am | 05/10/12

      Bravo sir! Bravo indeed!

    • London Calling says:

      11:57am | 05/10/12

      ’ I will be waiting, the nib of my Parker Pen wet for the crisp ballot paper.’

      Oh my word, tis such a good line.

    • bec says:

      12:29pm | 05/10/12

      All this talk of wetness and reaching for knobs is thoroughly disgusting. I certainly hope the good Sally and Joan have not seen such scurrilous filth, being how family-minded they are. Their monocles will fall off, clean into their breakfast gin.

    • Scotchfinger says:

      01:37pm | 05/10/12

      @bec I fail to see how your unkind ejaculations concerning Joan and Sally will serve any purpose, other than to demonstrate that a post-graduate degree is a degree too far! And to suggest my post contains ‘double-entendres’ is beyond the pale. Perhaps if your Father had taken a sterner line in your upbringing, you wouldn’t be such a Socialist. *gulps a gin to recover*

    • bec says:

      01:59pm | 05/10/12

      Unkind ejaculations are the least fun of all ejaculations.

    • Chris L says:

      03:41pm | 05/10/12

      @Bec - Are you saying you don’t enjoy angry inter… discourse?

    • Yawner says:

      10:48am | 05/10/12

      So, white anglo, conservative, monarchy loving, baby boomer, member of the wealthy elite supports his man crush, also a white anglo conservative, monarchy loving, baby boomer member of the wealthy elite.

      Both probably share a Grange ‘74 and bemoan the death of the white Australia policy and drunkenly rant about what a disgrace it was that the imperial honours system was dismantled in Australia.

      Both are incredibly committed to preserving the status quo which made these odious men lives very easy.

      Both will of course claim to be 100% behind the battlers/serfs/pawns they so deftly use for their own ends and have never met in their cosseted lives.

      A Professor of Law and former Chairman of the Press Council in defence of Alan Jones, a ‘broadcaster’ on a station he practically owns is the sort of comedy hegemony perfected in the 50’s England men of their ilk admire so much.

      Reply

    • David V. says:

      02:19pm | 05/10/12

      Hey growing up in 50s England, it was a pretty lovely place to live. We had full employment, happy families, actual industry and prospects for people. There was little crime, no family violence, none of the PC we put up with today. I sometimes regret moving to Australia but returning home isn’t any better.

    • egg says:

      10:57am | 05/10/12

      “Jones speaks for a constituency ignored and at times despised by much of the media and the political class, a modern version of Menzies’ forgotten people. They are the farmers, small business people, the carers and the volunteers, the self funded retirees – in brief all of those in “struggle street”.
      Add to them the athletes, the sports lovers, the racing world and musicians.”

      The tinker, the tailor, the candlestick maker, Harold from Neighbours, problem gamblers, cartoon characters… what I don’t get though, why do they all live on the same street?

      Reply

    • Craig says:

      11:09am | 05/10/12

      I think Flint misses the point… the “elites” as the writer says may be trying to silence Alan Jones. However there is a large push from people who would not be classed as elites also upset over his comments.

      For years Alan has pushed his views over the airwaves, totally bigoted and scaremongering as they are, to a limited audience in Sydney and regional centres. Remember the Cronulla riots? Alan played a huge hand in drumming up the mob mentality in that.

      However Alan’s insensitive and rude comments recorded last week made it out to a national audience, and after looking back into what he has said over the years, chaff bag and all, I truly believe that people finally realised what a racist, misogynistic, biassed on air bully Alan really is and decided that he shouldn’t be on air. 100K + signatures on a petition to boycott Alan’s sponsors cannot be denied or ignored. There were less signatures on the petition to ban the super trawler.

      Alan shouldn’t be allowed to be on air. He lowers the level of conversation in this country. People’s outrage over his comments is real. The sooner he is sacked, the better.

      Reply

    • Anjuli says:

      11:19am | 05/10/12

      Can’t we move on or is it the ALP milking this ,I am so over this bit of nonsense,Every one knows it should not have been said ,so get over it and move on,there are soldiers getting killed and maimed and the public are squabbling over this article!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

      Reply

    • jonesy says:

      03:23pm | 05/10/12

      as this article was written by a Jones supporter I fail to see how it is Labor milking it

    • Phil Needham says:

      11:22am | 05/10/12

      I see even this site is infested with socialist/greens/communist trolls. Why don’t you bunch of wankers piss off to your own utopian sites where you can adore the Welsh Witch at your leisure.

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      11:27am | 05/10/12

      The lefty grandees and Labor aristocrats hate Alan Jones because he always seems better able to engage with the plebian dalits (like you and me) whom said grandees and aristocrats presume to represent.

      It is quite funny, actually. Jones’ problem, however, is he gives his avowed critics among the elite so much ammunition!

      Reply

    • David V. says:

      11:32am | 05/10/12

      It amazes me how the Lebanese Muslim community are seen as victims while Alan Jones represents some kind of evil “oppression”. What about the members of that community who show no respect to Australians, commit atrocious crimes, and have little regard for anyone but themselves?

      Reply

    • OzTrucker says:

      12:35pm | 05/10/12

      No now hang on we can’t have this!

      They are oppressed. Besides they ALL have an excuse for what they do.

    • David V. says:

      01:39pm | 05/10/12

      Yes, so oppressed they have cars, phones, computers, whatnot, at our expense. So oppressed they have lavish welfare payments to live off. Plus their buddies back home helped kill our Christian friends in Lebanon.

    • Craig says:

      06:57pm | 05/10/12

      I see that racism is alive and well here…

      Now if I was to paint all Alan Jones supporters with the same brush would I be correct in saying that they are all geriatric geezers who yell at kids who cross their lawn, would like to turn back the clock to 1950 and lynch anyone who don;t subscribe to their views? Does that describe you David? It certainly describes some Alan Jones listeners I know, and so must also describe you since you support him and his views?

      If this doesn’t describe you David then perhaps you shouldn’t paint all people with a particular ethnicity with the same brush.

    • Keith Mac says:

      11:52am | 05/10/12

      It would be nice to introduce David Flint (and his friend Mr Jones) to reality one day - he’s obviously not acquainted with it….

      Reply

    • William Burrell says:

      12:28pm | 05/10/12

      ...lots of people on here with not much productivity but plenty of vitriol…lets see which way the cookie crumbles at the next election…

      Reply

    • vox says:

      12:42pm | 05/10/12

      “Be quiet sweet curse, and let the folly pass;  there’s much more good in listening to the farce. On their words they hoist our cause, yet not their own—
      and that’s for good for we will stand alone the more they speak.
      They are our better soldiers, unbeknown,  those sorry critics crying on their own.”
      Keep talking Tony. Keep talking Jones. And please do keep on writing Mr Flint.  S’wonderful!

      Reply

    • SAm says:

      02:46pm | 05/10/12

      Heres a great example of Jones’s balance and how it affects things..
      NSW elections. Barry O’Farrell WALKED in after the rediculous stuffups of previous Labor goverments. Change was needed.
      Did Jones ACTUALLY scrutinize Barry at all? NO. He’d get him on the program, let him talk about how bad Labor was, let him pop off a few hairbrained, unquestioned policies, praise the guy and be on your way.
      And look at the mess we have now in NSW.

      This is what I fear on the national level. TA is not facing scrutiny (especially from the ‘Jones’ in the media), expects to chat about what Labors doing wrong, and move on in to the lodge without us really knowing what he wants. Anyone that cant see the risk in this has political blinkers. Scrutiny is absolutely essential, and is not reserved for government only, or only when an election campaign is on. We want costings, and detail. i dont base my vote on ‘anger’ which is all the opposition are running on. Give us policy and detail and you might actually deserve to win.
      Cant be hard given the detail of labors plans shows them for what they are

      Reply

    • marley says:

      07:06pm | 05/10/12

      @Sam - the mess in NSW?  What exactly?  It ain’t great, but a lot of that has to do with the failures of the previous governments.  I see roads being built, hospitals being built.  What do you see?

    • Swamp Thing says:

      02:50pm | 05/10/12

      Tear it all down and burn it - everyone is too smug, cosy and comfy - on both sides… let us have rivers of blood in the streets for a generation & see what those who remain can rebuild after…. maybe something better?
      To sleep perchance to dream on more likely!

      Reply

    • David V. says:

      03:03pm | 05/10/12

      I’d like people to prove to me, that we really do have a problem with misogyny in our culture as is alleged.

      How many girls have suffered physical or emotional abuse by their husbands or boyfriends? In “Anglo” families or “ethnic” families? How many celebrities, pop stars, etc do you know have actually hurt their loved ones. Australia has one of the LOWEST rates in the developed world, along with the UK, Netherlands, Germany and Austria.

      How many fathers and husbands do you know have failed to take care of their children, failed to provide for them, abandoning them?

      I can’t find any of it in our newspapers anywhere!

      Reply

    • Jason says:

      03:55pm | 05/10/12

      @David

      Its just a term sexist females use to mask their own chauvanistic ways or in short their misandry. The difference between mysogyny and misandry is that women refuse to believe misandry exists. Its so engrained in their thinking and culture that they are blinded by how much a victim they think they are.

      How else would you explain them laughing at mens rights issues?

    • David V. says:

      04:21pm | 05/10/12

      Let’s look at some cold, hard facts here:

      - multiculturalism doesn’t and will never work. It’s failing in Europe, it failed in the Balkans, it has failed everywhere else, when decidedly monocultural Asian countries have been far more successful.

      - our British civic culture and traditions make this country successful, and make it attractive to immigrants. People who respect that are welcomed, people who subvert that are not.

      - accusations of misogyny are baseless in a country where violence against women is so rare among the local population as to be nonexistent, misogyny being a largely imported problem utterly nonexistent in Anglo-Saxon culture.

      - conservatives are the only ones who provide freedom and justice for everyone and favouritism for nobody. If you dont’ see that, the you should go to Eastern Europe where a solidly right-wing population has defied the Europen Union.

      Reply
 
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