July 07, 2003
FISKLESS ADELAIDE
South Australian lefties are in mourning:
The Adelaide Festival of Ideas, which begins this Thursday, will be without one of its most controversial speakers.
Outspoken author and Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk has sent a
message to organisers saying he can not attend because of the worsening
situation in Iraq.Mr Fisk said his editor at the London Independent is anxious to get him back to Iraq as soon as possible.
Entirely understandable. His editor is probably as tired of Fisk as are the rest of us. Not to worry, Adelaide; George Monbiot is still turning up for your “festival”.
Posted by Tim Blair at July 7, 2003 02:42 PMI still remember Fisk's article about the impenetrable Iraqi defenses surrounding Baghdad that turned out to be a speed bump for the 3rd Infantry Division about 24 hours later. I figure if Fisk goes back and declares a never-ending quagmire for the coalition then things will shape right up.
Posted by: Randy R. at July 7, 2003 at 03:02 PM"Worsening situation?" Sorry, did I miss something? I KNOW I've been busy recently, but I would have thought I'd've heard SOMETHING about a "worsening situation" in Iraq.
Tim, were you planning on showing up to talk to Mr. Fiskie? If so, maybe he heard you were coming and cancelled his flight.
Posted by: Wonderduck (formerly just Eric) at July 7, 2003 at 03:05 PMNah, Fisk was worried about being stuck on some street as a speed bump. Heh, heh.
Posted by: d at July 7, 2003 at 03:09 PMWe have one of these idiotfests in Brisbane next month- we are obviously too stupid to come up with our own ideas, so the Brisbane City Council is bringing the Phat Phuck, Dale Spender and Rod Quontock up here to bore the strides off the assembled thirty-two dickheads who will turn up.
Looking forward to Rod's wacky John Howard gags- if they're anything like the ones he writes for "The Glass House", they date back to when Howard was treasurer to Malcolm Fraser.
We yokels in the deep north are lucky there are all these clever southerners who are prepared (for a modest fee) to travel up and inform we bumpkins where we are going wrong.
I plan on a quick stop at a feather warehouse and a bitumen plant on my way to this must-see event.
I hope Wickstein goes to this. I heard he had an idea once ;)
Posted by: Caz at July 7, 2003 at 04:28 PMPaul, I'll bring the tar, you bring the feathers, and we'll run these bastards out of town on a rail. Dickheads like these make me pine for the days of Joh. Isn't that a frightening thought.
Posted by: Todd at July 7, 2003 at 05:53 PMOf course we have a fair quota of our own home-grown tree pixies; it would be a non-event without the usual suspects such as Drew Hutton giving us the benefit of his peurile undergraduate wisdom. (Drew is 60).
Posted by: paul bickford at July 7, 2003 at 05:57 PMUgh! This festival of ideas sounds deadly...one big, long exercise in intellectual onanism...If I lived in Adelaide, I think I would pass on this wankfest.
Not that I'd be invited, what with being an ignorant American who loves her country, supports the president, honors the military, believes in God.....
Posted by: debbie at July 8, 2003 at 01:44 AMDunno about a worsening situation in Iraq, but it certainly isn't getting any better: organised guerilla warfare is not any occupying army's idea of fun.
Posted by: Bon Scott at July 8, 2003 at 12:02 PMMy idea was 'Let's go to the footy, drink lots of beer and then hit the stripclubs'.
Was a bloody good idea too. All the lads I went out with agreed.
Probably a better idea then anything else Monbiot can come up with.
Posted by: Scott Wickstein at July 8, 2003 at 02:11 PMWhat in the depths is an `Ideas Festival ' any way, propose and discuss. Is that what you are proposing Scott, put your idea to the floor or however it is they propose to do.With enough support, should be bloody funny: let's face, the twats having to discuss an `idea' which, one suspects, will be brilliant compared to the `ideas' they will bang on and on and on and.... crickets chirrup in the setting noonb.
I'm not sure to weep, laugh. Nah, I'll just puke over the puritans in festive mode. Please, with your mates, Scott, turn the natterers' convention into something worth respecting.