Tim Blair

Nerida, Penny, Josh and Miranda? Is this the wimmin's collective, workshopping the SMH's foreign policy?

Why is it that left-wingers have such a problem with the concept of sequential time?

Because they can't read clocks, digital or analog. Something to do with having their heads up their butts, I understand.

I think Josh might be a man. But hey it's a girlie name just the same.

I wonder how the four of them share the keyboard?

"I wonder how the four of them share the keyboard?"

One finger each?

I know this is a little away from the topic but it bugs me to no end that people like Bin Laden are called "masterminds".

It implies "highly intelligent" and I don't think that is proven in the case of Bin Laden or in the case of the Madrid bombers.

I am not sure what alternate term could be used (perhaps architect, planner or director) but surely people should shy away from using complimentary terms when talking about mass murderers.

I think people, especially reporters, say stuff like that because they've watched too many movies, and they envision Osama sitting in a futuristic chair, pinky to mouth, issuing orders to various uniformed henchmen as he plans his next attempt to extort...one million dollars from the UN.

err, so why do they think AQ are blowing up Moslems in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq, etc?

I think I'm as confused by Nerida and friends as they are about, well, everything.

Where's the bunyip btw? Don't tell me Phil sat on him or something.

The original article wasn't an Opinion Piece - therefore the comment shouldn't be there.It wasn't "revealed" that British support for the US was the reason for the intended attack except by Fray.
Combining opinion and fact masquerading as "news" is bad enough. The inability to see the difference between the two is worse.

> I know this is a little away from the topic but it bugs me to no end that people like Bin Laden are called "masterminds".

I understand your frustration but at the same time it pays not to underestimate your enemy... that sort of underestimation has the danger of being seen as a justification for doing nothing about them. Also if you over estimate him and are over prepared at least you can say you are prepared enough.

Of course I hope no one sees it as complimentary. for example comparing to hitler is one of the worst insults but Hitler was smarter than, for example, Mugabe (probably) and that is a key reason why Mugabe is just a hazard to himself and his own country (no matter how insane he is) and Hitler was a danger to the whole world.

Hey, didn't anyone see Osama on Mastermind with Huw Evans:
"Your topic is the wicked capitalist Crusaders and your questions start ....NOW:

"Q. Which leader of the evil capitalist West wishes to destroy Islam?
A. Could be any of them.
That answer is...correct.

Q. Why does Al Quaeda hate Spain?
A. Because they haven't forgiven Christopher Columbus for discovering America.
That answer is ....correct.
You scored 2 out of 2 and are our Mastermind winner for the week! Congratulations! "

,

I share the frustrations mentioned here.

However, another thing that frustrates me is that between them neither Nerida, Penny, Josh nor Miranda know the difference in meaning between "principle" and "principal". But this skill would seem out of place at a newspaper reader desk.

No Marky you got it wrong, he was on Weakest Link... and he got knocked out in the first round.

Ahhh. Nothing more satisfying than knowing that the trusty, diligent and sincere folk in the newsroom are really concerned about the public's questions and assuring the quality of their own output.

What lovely manners they have! Their grasp of the facts, dates and details of current events and foreign affairs is as comprehensive as you would expect from people working for a world-class news agency - and they even take the time to explain/clarify these facts to their benighted readership.

In light of this, we should certainly forgive them for a minor mistake with principal/principle. Furthermore, we are in no position to question their judgement when it comes to either 1) Islamic terrorists' objectives and motives, 2) reportarial guidelines or 3) the timeline of 9/11, the alleged airport attack plans, Iraq, 3/11, etc.

Now stop pestering the good, enlightened folk in the newsroom you ignorant okas! They have a job to do, so let them get on with it: manipulating...er, I mean informing us and telling us what to thi...ahhhhh, I mean providing us with a diversity of views and perspectives.

Dear SMH,
Is your explanation related to a hope some twoel headed terrorist won't bomb the crap out of your building.?

Dear writer: are you calling as both liars and gultess turds.

Dear SMH,
Yes, you pack of commie fuckwits.

It seems that to Fairfax (SMH, Age, etc), news is just the stuff they print on the back of the 'rivers of gold' classifieds - its real focus - hence its recent thwarted attempt to buy the Trading Post.

I wouldn't be surprised if Fairfax executives regard the news department as being on another planet.

Goddammit, leave your "towelhead" remarks somewhere else. Jackass.

Now, now, Screamapillar, by d's spelling it's difficult to tell what he really meant.

And thank God Penny & Friends can blame Bush!

towelhead towelhead towelhead towelhead
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Goddammit, leave your "towelhead" remarks somewhere else. Jackass.

Goddammit, leave your stupid comments made worse by your fake email address someplace else, OK, loser?

What impresses me here is that the SMH staff are so... well, DUMB. Tim, do journos make good money? With insight like that there must be a few children who could write for their paper.

It must be thrilling to be able to get people to kill themselves so that you can mete out justice in the form of slaughter upon the unclean. I sense that Fray in the SMH article felt a bit of vicarious, sadistic righteousness in appending his notion that Blair needed to be "punished" for his ex post facto collaboration with the U.S.. Might there be somewhat of a mindmeld going on between the Liberals [U.S. def.] at SMH and the terrorists, though their motives for attacks upon Britian would be slightly different?
In addition, it looks like Fray wishes to make a distinction that support of the U.S. has nothing to do with a war on terror which threatens the world.

You know, I've got to say... I'm completely behind everything the US and Britain and the rest of the Coalition has accomplished. There is no doubt in my mind we are doing what is necessary to enact REAL change and fight terrorism.

I see the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world and I feel like I'm going to burst with pride and admiration for what they are doing.

BUT. Honestly this Anti-American attitude is wearing on me. From the left here in the US, to the European left to everywhere that feels the need to point out they feel the US is to blame for all the world's problems.

Someone please tell me there is a good amount of right-headed people around the world. I know there are plenty here in the US, but I'm in New York... which is Democrat/Left/Socialist Mecca (ok maybe California is worse).

Is the whole world full of socialist appeasing doves who think change will come from doing nothing? Are they just a vocal minority that happen to own news agencies? *sigh*

Well, an al-Qaeda web site recently issued a statement calling for Canadians to be killed. Indeed, Canada ranks fifth on their country hit list. Note to SMH: Canada was opposed to the Iraq war.

As I've mentioned before, to the post-modernists causality is bi-directional.

It's only partly a joke. Well, all of post-modernism is a joke, just not a very funny one.

Is the whole world full of socialist appeasing doves who think change will come from doing nothing?

In Britain, the majority of the Labour party (socialists) supported the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan.

Since the end of the war there has been an interesting line of development. Appeasing "leave the Fuzzy-wuzzies to themselves and it will all work out for the best - arn't Americans dreadfully crass"-type people on the right have started to raise their heads, who I find as disturbing as those on the left. They criticise the Blair government on Iraq and the war on terror, thinking they can make capital out of it: "Blair lied don't you know?" "The War on Terror is overblown". Even the Conservative leader in the UK who supported the war, can't stop himself grubbing for votes by not co-operating with the Butler report on the intelligence reports leading up to the Iraq war.

This isn't primarily a left-right split, it is split between those who have come to terms with reality and those struggling to deal with a changed world. Many are still mired in their old thought processes, unable to get a clear view of the threats.

Regards, Nerida, Penny, Josh & Miranda ReaderLink

Its good to see our resident troll Miranda Divide has found a new hobby.

I can only expand upon Murph's remarks, Screamapillar by saying:

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`Sreamapillar' reads like a typo for, pillow biter.

'towelhead' is a silly word because nobody where's towels on there head's. i think the word's 'cameljockey' or 'brownsandmonkey'is muchs better and more despriptive.

But guys, d didn't even say "towelheaded" he said twoel headed. What's a "twoel"?

By gum, what is a twoel, good question that, Andrea.

First time I've come across those twon names Bilal, and succinct they are.

I suspect towel is over tea towel which doesn't have the same pleasing ring to it as towel head.

On Burqas - is the right word, for example, burqa blob.

Maybe Bin Laden ordered the attacks on the U.S. because of past U.S. support for the U.K.! How come SMH's editors didn't think of that? After all, the Brits were the main western colonialists in the Middle East.