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DIE, OLD MEN!
Antony Loewenstein reviews, after a fashion, Mark Steyn’s recent CIS-sponsored Sydney speech:
Over 500 people packed a large hall in the city centre. The crowd largely consisted of old, white males (including historical revisionist Keith Windshuttle, the Australian’s Paul Kelly and monarchist tragic David Flint.)
Loewenstein’s heroes—John Pilger, Noam Chomsky, and Robert Fisk—might flinch at that “old white males” line.
It was also appropriate that former politician and bigot Pauline Hanson came to hear about the Muslim “threat”.
Here’s Pauline with Antony’s mentor. You just never know where she’ll turn up!
Steyn’s speech was peppered with jibes at Islam, Muslims and the West itself, but strangely devoid of any sense that he had actually spent time with any Muslims to form his prejudiced views.
I suspect Steyn has spent rather more time among Muslims than has Antony.
The Q&A session consisted primarily of old men railing against Islam, the West, immigrants, multiculturalism and the “elites.” One question, from Sydney lawyer, commentator and Muslim Irfan Yusuf, asked Steyn how much he actually knew about Islam and whether he’d simply updated The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, such was his belief in a Muslim conspiracy to take over the West and destroy it from within.
Ant doesn’t mention egomaniac Irfan’s subsequent announcement that he wished Steyn would drop dead. Seems Loewenstein shares Irfan’s wish:
Steyn and his fellow travellers speak eloquently about Western civilisation on the verge of collapse, but the kind of world they imagine is not one that I either recognise or want. Thankfully, his “vision” is likely to die with the Bush administration. Likewise the elderly types at last night’s event probably still fondly remember the White Australia policy. They’ll be dead soon enough.
Charming. In comments, Ant’s readers rail against Steyn’s “dernagement” and complain about his appointment to the ABC board; they’re a little confused.
(Via J.F. Beck, who has further views.)
UPDATE. Greg Lindsay:
Just so people will know who was at the Steyn function, I just did a count on the registration list (I am the Executive Director of the CIS). Of the 530 registered, about a third were female; students registered about 10%; and the under 40 population of the audience was about a third also. This was a public function and anybody who registered got a seat until we ran out of them, which we did. We figure that the way bookings were running the Tuesday before the function when we were sold out, almost a week before the event, we could have doubled the audience.
Yes, there were some pretty incoherent questions, but we did not have any control over that. We let people say what they wanted to. Lowenstein’s characterisation of the function could be added to the list of things incoherent. Still, people got to hear Mark Steyn and the other speakers and make up their own minds.
UPDATE II. Antony offers an example of his preferred reading matter.
UPDATE III. Reader Tony, who attended the event, isn’t sure Loewenstein was in the same room:
If he was, he is a remarkably inaccurate recorder of what was said. He paraphrases Mr Yusuf’s question of Mr Yusuf is a way that is rather kind. The only question that I can recall him asking was whether Steyn was simply updating the protocols of the order of Zion, which surely was rhetorical. The rest of his time was spent telling his life story and asking how you were going to deport third generation unassimilated Muslims - a policy proposed by a questioner, not Steyn.
He also subsequently denied that he said that he wished Steyn to drop dead, before conceding he had and then saying that he wasn’t serious.
UPDATE IV. Renate assures Tony that Loewenstein was there and in style:
It looked like he was wearing some sort of tracksuit cargo pants, purple sneakers, a man-bag and a khaki locomotive driver’s hat (worn for the duration).
UPDATE V. The Ant Hat revealed:
UPDATE VI. In a rewritten version of his post published in Crikey—Antony pretends he’s a moderate when in public—our brave locomotive fetishist tells an outright lie:
Around 500 largely old, white males (including historical revisionist Keith Windschuttle, The Australian’s Paul Kelly and monarchist tragic David Flint) packed a hall in Sydney’s CBD.
Wrong, and Antony knows it. About a third of the audience were female, and a third under 40. If Loewenstein can’t get this right, why should anyone trust him on more complex issues?
Bill Clinton is soon to turn 60 and hates it.
Posted by WeekByWeek on 2006 08 15 at 11:35 PM • permalinkThe baby-boomers’ cohort is edging closer and closer to extinction too.
Posted by David McBryde on 2006 08 15 at 11:40 PM • permalinkSo Steyn lectures us about other people’s bad behaviour - and it turns out he is a dernager!
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 08 15 at 11:43 PM • permalinkI notice Ant does not really say what Steyn’s reply to Irfan’s question was. Since Irfan mentioned the Protocols Steyn might have pointed out that it is one of the most popular books in the Muslim world, and gets translated into Arabic repeatedly. Considering that few books are translated into Arabic each year and that the Protocols was demonstrated to be a forgery and fake 85 years ago by the Times of London, Mr. Irfan might have chosen an exampole less damning to his side of the argument.
Posted by Michael Lonie on 2006 08 15 at 11:44 PM • permalinkMark Steyn on the ABC board, now that is a good idea.
Posted by Harry Buttle on 2006 08 15 at 11:47 PM • permalinkInteresting too see that many of Lowie’s readers went to teh Nick Dyrenfuth School of Engilsh.
And now I suppose richard mcenroe will show up and tell me to lay off the insluts.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2006 08 15 at 11:47 PM • permalinkIrfan’s own blog had a piece as well, now mysteriously removed although comments remain intact.
It’s remarkable how none of Loewenstein’s piece really says anything about the content, merely what he thought of the audence and speakers. He could have saved twenty bucks as nothing he saw affected his post. He would have carried on about old white men etc. and how Mark Steyn is a fascist, regardless.
Wasn’t Steyn also the one who sank the Tampa and threw the children overboard?
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 08 16 at 12:03 AM • permalinkI’ve just been browsing comments on some of Irfan’s blogs. I say “blogs” plural, as one of them notes:
Irfan already has all these blogs:
Planet Irf
Madhab al-Irfy
Ihsan
The Aussie Mossie
Qlub Qambakht
Media Mullah
Kainic Mercury
RamaDanUnda dezhen Ghaith
Ramadan of Jasmineshence Tim’s reference to an egomaniac.
Comments are hilarious and offensive. To Yusuf’s credit, he evidently lets them through, unlike Loewenstein who can’t handle the slightest criticism. It would seem Yusuf has more guts, an assumption which some of the comments, would certainly endorse. Yes, plenty of guts indeed…
He smears Steyn because Pauline was there - wtf??? I suppose he thinks Pauline is right-wing, therefore one of Steyn’s buddies. Shows how much Ant actually knows us; Pauline is a socialist redistributionist, anti-freetrader.
I laughed a couple of months ago when Pauline said “I tried to warn you all”, about Muslim terrorist cells in Australia. I replied (to the tv) “No, Pauline, you warned us that we’d all be slanty-eyed within 50 years!”
Posted by AlburyShifton on 2006 08 16 at 12:15 AM • permalinkSo what did Mark Steyn actually say? That is, apart from
jibes at Islam, Muslims and the West itself.
Posted by daddy dave on 2006 08 16 at 12:18 AM • permalinkDan Lewis:
He is a crank of the first order. Even Famsy got tired of his routine and gave him the flick. I wish I had gone now, it would have been worth it to see The Irfan (shaping up as a first grade comedic serial pest) in full flight.
Was he wearing his authentic Aussie identity conferring rugby jersey at the time? As per the 4 corners spot he did a few weeks back.
He should stick to writing his simpering articles arguing the joys of Sharia, and how we will all learnt to love it once we master relaxing the appropriate muscle groups.
Might go and lie down now for a bit.
Just so people will know who was at the Steyn function, I just did a count on the registration list (I am the Executive Director of the CIS). Of the 530 registered, about a third were female; students registered about 10%; and the under 40 population of the audience was about a third also. This was a public function and anybody who registered got a seat until we ran out of them, which we did. We figure that the way bookings were running the Tuesday before the function when we were sold out, almost a week before the event, we could have doubled the audience. Yes, there were some pretty incoherent questions, but we did not have any control over that. We let people say what they wanted to. Lowenstein’s characterisation of the function could be added to the list of things incoherent. Still, people got to hear Mark Steyn and the other speakers and make up their own minds.
Posted by Greg Lindsay on 2006 08 16 at 12:27 AM • permalink#12 Dan Lewis,
“I want to bash you to death with a large ham, then bury you with the ham so you don’t go to heaven”. I now have toast in my sinuses. Your links are always worth reading.Posted by Daniel San on 2006 08 16 at 12:28 AM • permalinkIn expanding on what he sees as an inherent problem within Islam which needed to be addressed by the ROP, I do remember Steyn asking Yusuf if he was really surprised that those arrested last week in the UK happened to be Muslims. Of course, Yusuf’s considered response was “drop dead”, which seems to be the modus operandi every time anyone dares to suggest that there’s any problem at all.
I missed Loewenstein (thankfully) at the event but did have the pleasure of sitting right near the very foxy Jana Wendt. Smokin’!
The comments over there are priceless:
Actually, the quote Tim puts up is actually tame and gets worse ”...prove fo Steyn’s derangement”. Wow, Ant must be offering English classes over there.
Addamo_01: “Heir Steyn, playing the Hitler card…” I think Herr Addamo meant Herr Hitler.Or these words of wisdom from Addamo “interesting listeing to peoepl liek Steyn explain theri way out of the dung heap”. You couldn’t make this up folks.
Ant obviously thinks he attracts an elite class of deep thinker over there. I disagree. I consider Loewenstein and his pea-brained bunch complete illiterate ignoramuses (or is that ignorami… just kidding).
PI Paco and the Case of the Presidential Stalker
It was late Monday morning and consciousness snuck up on me with a pair of clawhammers and played a Gene Krupa solo inside my head. It was always like that after a night at Machado’s, getting on the outside of a half dozen whiskey sours. I slid out of bed, showered and shaved, wondering idly if slitting my throat might relieve the pressure behind my eyes. I shook the idea off (the landlord would find it too messy).
Somehow I managed to pilot my canary-yellow 1938 Packard roadster down to the office without passing out and went upstairs. Shielding my eyes, I pulled the cord on the blinds, which opened with a resounding flap! (actually, it was more of a flappity-flappity-flappity!; I always did tug too hard on the cord).
What the doctor ordered was a piping hot cup of joe, but when I checked the coffee jar it was empty. Uttering an expletive of the kind that the newspapers usually delete, I decided to head down to the corner drugstore. I paused on the steps to take on some oxygen, when she walked by.
She had light brown hair, the kind Jeanie would have if you really did dream of her, and a prow that could cut through an iceberg and a perfect, heart-shaped derriere packed so snugly into a tight cotton dress that when she swung her hips the taut fabric tacked this way and that way across her international dateline in a going-away walk to make a PETA activist strangle a baby harp seal with his bare hands.
Since we were heading in the same direction I toddled along, determined to enjoy the view as long as I could. Suddenly, she stopped to look in a shop window. As I walked by, I heard a loud “Pssst!”. I halted, took a step in her direction and cocked an inqisitive eyebrow.
“You sibilated, ma’am?”
She gave me a puzzled look. “I ... what?”
“Skip it. Is there something I can do for you?”
She apoke in a low, smoky voice, like a cigarette from the devil’s tobacconist. “Are you by any chance Mr. Paco, the famous detective who solves cases while sitting in his chair?”
“In person.”
“Oh, Mr. Paco! I came to your office a while ago and you weren’t in so I’ve been pacing back and forth. Please, you’ve got to help me! Every night when I get off the subway, a big man follows me home, and later I keep getting phone calls from a guy with a Southern accent and he says dreadful things and . . . and . . . there he is!
I turned and looked and there he was indeed. He came shambling down the sidewalk with that well-known leer on his mug and approached my new friend. I stepped between them.
“Hello, Mr. President. Or Mr. Ex-President, isn’t it? I don’t recall anybody repealing the twenty-second amendment.”
“Long time, no see, Paco.” He recognized me instantly; you see, we had crossed paths before (ed. note: see, “The Case of the Pornographic Panatellas”). “Why don’t you mosey along while I talk to the little lady?”
I dug in my heels (not easy on a sidewalk). “Don’t you have some autographs to sign in Harlem?”
He smiled more broadly than ever. “Paco, you see those Secret service agents back there? All I have to do is snap my fingers and you’ll be wearing that silly hat around your shoulders.”
My reaction was instantaneous. I couldn’t control it. A second later, Clinton was sitting on the sidewalk, rubbing the back of his hand across his bleeding lips, the recipient of what is widely known in the underworld as “Paco’s line drive.” I can laugh off a kick in the shins or a slug from a .45, but threaten my hat and it’s lights out.
Any moment I expected to catch a hale of lead from the secret service boys, but when I glanced in their direction, they had their backs to me. One was pointing at some apparently invisible item of interest at the top of a telephone pole, while the other was whistling “Hail to the Chief.”
I reached down and jerked Clinton to his feet. “Better put some ice on that. Now, beat it!”
He staggered back to his bodyguards and began to chew them out, but one of them gave me a thumb’s up sign behind his back.
The doll was gazing at me almost with reverence. “Mr Paco! You knocked down Bill Clinton! To protect me!”
“He’s had it coming for a long time, lady. And if it hadn’t been me, it would have been some other two-fisted, red-blooded, All-American hero. Join me for a cup of java?”
Um..Mr Paco Sir…I have this manuscript…no, never mind…can I leave it on your desk?.
Posted by Daniel San on 2006 08 16 at 01:06 AM • permalinkSteyn and his fellow travellers speak eloquently about Western civilisation on the verge of collapse, but the kind of world they imagine is not one that I either recognise or want. Thankfully, his “vision” is likely to die with the Bush administration. Likewise the elderly types at last night’s event probably still fondly remember the White Australia policy. They’ll be dead soon enough.
I’ve read Mark Steyn’s articles and transcripts of radio interviews and saw him on television give a speech on the topic of demographics, declining European replacement birth rates, and the creeping Islamification of Western Civilization.
To me, Ant reads as if he actually agrees with Steyn even as he attempts to belittle him. I mean, arguing that advocates for a liberal secular humanist tradition are dying out is essentially what Steyn is saying. If Ant wants to dance on that grave, he’d better be prepared to accept Sharia.
orang is Ant’s sock puppet, eh, captain? Somehow, should that ever be confirmed, I won’t be surprised.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 08 16 at 01:25 AM • permalinkIf Ant wants to dance on that grave, he’d better be prepared to accept Sharia.
As long as he (and his fellow travellers) can see their “enemies” fail and suffer, they’ll accept anything. Living with shari’a is small potatoes, it appears.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2006 08 16 at 01:33 AM • permalink#24 Don’t run down orang captain. I sent in this compliment to orang’s well thought out post -
“Who the fuck made that the ABC take that c*nt on their board”
Good to see you’re on top of things orang. Who indeed made that decision? This sort of thing must stop. The bastard’s not even Australian
Strangely, it hasn’t yet appeared.
Posted by Whale Spinor on 2006 08 16 at 01:35 AM • permalinkAntony claimed referring to Mark Steyn “He did say, however, that he’d been told moderate Muslims do exist but they all seem to be weak and ineffective.”
Mark’s exact words were “I’ve been told for 5 years about moderate muslims and the reality is that most of them would appear to be quiescent muslims.” So by conflating weak and ineffective with quiescent I guess Ant really does agree with the thrust of what Mark Steyn said.
Naturally, when I tried to post to that effect on Loewenswine’s (would hat tip but sure friend would prefer to remain anonymous) blog I discovered my post would have to wait for moderation - and it still is waiting nearly 4 hours later.
I spent a long time amongst Moslems in the north of England long before 9/11 or the tube bombings or the recent attempted massacre of airline passengers, and way back then, boy howdy did they hate them some Yids. This was at the height of the Anglo-American intervention in the Balkans which saved God knows how many Moslems from the Serbs, and it was still all yada yada Jews. I’m starting to think we supported the wrong side in Bosnia.
Posted by David Gillies on 2006 08 16 at 01:56 AM • permalink#30
Naturally, when I tried to post to that effect on Loewenswine’s (would hat tip but sure friend would prefer to remain anonymous) blog I discovered my post would have to wait for moderation - and it still is waiting nearly 4 hours later.
Don’t hold your breath. If you’d simply posted how handsome Antony is and how horrible the Jeeeeews are on the other hand...
This is a bit O/T but it is about old men. The Aged has been running a blog thread called ”Stuck in management hell: welcome to the grey ceilingAre you stuck in management hell? Working your butt off and not getting promoted because the powers-that-be are too well-entrenched?”
I tried to post THREE COMMENTS there which was on topic - like why won’t The Aged give old fart Terry Lane the shove to make way for new blood. This would allow Tezza to move off to a dementia unit with dignity while opening up a spot on the op-ed pages for a bit of new talent, like say Antony Loewenstein for example.
Perfectly reasonable comment given the topic.
But no, three times The Aged DID NOT PUBLISH MY COMMENT.You don’t think they practice like, censorship over there and only run posts that like, only agree with them do you?
Anyway here’s the link - go bombard them!
Dan you are sooooo right but while I’m happy to tell fibs of exaggeration it’s difficult to lie through my teeth, even to Antony, although, if Paco were to guarantee me a promotion from the lowest minion in training rank, I might be persuaded.
I can assure Tony that Loewenswine was there. I am no fashion plate but Loewenswine had to be the worst dressed person in the room (including the handful of washed up old commies). It looked like he was wearing some sort of tracksuit cargo pants, purple sneakers, a man-bag and a khaki locomotive driver’s hat (worn for the duration).
I was there. It was fantastic. Whilst Irfan Yusuf was merely a pimple in the proceedings, for the record here is the lowdown.
1) After Irfan Yusuf’s question, Steyn made the point that he and Janet Albrechtsen can’t speak on behalf of Islam or be responsible for reforming Islam (as a Muslim such as Yusuf could).
I’m listening to a recording now and the following is a transcript of part of his response to Irfan Yusuf:
“I’ve been told for five years about moderate Muslims and the reality is that most of them would appear to be quiescent Muslims. I know you say I may be coming up with the update of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. I could get so apoplectic about… I could keel over from a massive coronary and be dead on the floor*... and there would be no problem with my “hate speech” any more. And tomorrow morning, the news would still go on exactly the same as before, with more terrorist plots, with more explosions, with more bombings. It’s nothing to do with me. It’s a problem inside Islam that Muslims have to confront honestly.”
[Applause]
*At the point in the above where Mark Steyn said “I could keel over from a massive coronary and be dead on the floor… ” Irfan interjected “Please do”.
The roving microphone had moved on by that stage, so it’s unlikely that part will appear in the official recording when it appears on the ABC - if they include question/answer time. However, plenty of others sitting up the back heard it.
If Reader Tony still isn’t sure Loewenstein was in the same room, I join Renate (#35) in noting that he was the most strangely dressed person in the joint. Amidst the predominantly business or smart attire you might expect at such a gathering, Loewenstein was there, resplendent in clothes he appeared to have slept in, and that hat as described above (like this one). He must have gone to considerable effort to look that awful.
Either that or in an act of disproportionate aggression, the Zionists had confiscated his hairbrush and shaver.
Posted by Nikki 2000 on 2006 08 16 at 03:39 AM • permalinkWhile attending the Steyn event, I sat next to someone who had all the hip adornments of your Paddington cappucinoid - cap, earring, designer stubble… I recall at the time thinking this guy seems to be outside his political comfort zone.
Suspicions deepened when during the proceedings, he took notes (not very detailed ones, I couldn’t help but notice) and clearly lacked appreciation of the proceedings.
Political newbie that I am, I wonder, just wonder, if my jovial neighbour was the Ant himself.
On my other side was a charming Romanian couple, who really knew the meaning of a left wing society and appreciated it so much that they are now enthusiastic members of the CIS…
I wish I had swapped seats now. Maybe the Ant might have listened to a different version of events. Probably not.
He was right about one thing, though. There were some excruciating contributions from some of the old farts in the audience. Ant neglected to mention that the worst of these was splendidly put down by Owen Harries.
A most enjoyable evening.#31 “I’m starting to think we supported the wrong side in Bosnia.”
Only starting?
Posted by Susan Norton on 2006 08 16 at 04:31 AM • permalinkHey Shato is there a transcript of the evening on the web?
I predict that Ant will be but a quaint memory in a year or two. (“Who was that Jew who was in the news a couple of times for dissing Israel?”). He’s far too intellectually limited, and too poor a writer, to have any serious impact. The real battle is with the cynics like that Pom Murray who know all too well that Islam is a major threat but who are prepared to form a tactical alliance with the RoP in their crusade to tear down western civilization.
Posted by Bearded Mullah on 2006 08 16 at 04:33 AM • permalink#41 Credit where credit is due. He may have the shortest dick, but he’s still a giant cock.
Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2006 08 16 at 04:41 AM • permalinkI took some notes of the evening too, although I hope I looked less ridiculous doing so
Harries was a great counterpoint to Steyn, giving us the “been there, done that” perspective on the topic. He made a great point about “the West” not really ever being united, except through a shared sense of danger. Except that even now this unity is being diminished as the West fragments, due to the development of multiculturalism and the continued shrinking of our core culture.
Harries cautioned against the excesses of the market economy and against conservatives overstating how drastic things are, with his final comment being along the lines of “to insist on the West as being anti-West is a betrayal of the West and its tradition, which dates back to Socrates”.
Whether you agree with that or not, it’s an important and provocative point, demanding deeper contemplation, which is why it’s no surprise Loewenswine went for the “Pauline and old bigots were there” line instead of addressing any of the issues actually raised. (Here’s a hint Antony, that would have been the toehold for the Left to enter the debate)
However, that would presume the Left in this country stands FOR something, rather than against things.
And yes, Harries’ putdown kicked arse!
Ive attended a few meetings, including one Waaaay back in the dreamtime against the Australian ID card. I went with my grandfather, and up until that moment had never known that world domination was a freemason plot. Or that it was the number of the beast, or any other of a dozen conspiracy theories going around in that meeting.
The diffrence between the right and the left is “righties” dont make the most radical wingnuts their leaders, or take the most outlandish conspiracy as the truth.
Im glad, as has been mentioned, at least one of the speakers was putting down the fruitier comments in public. It saves Lowassstein from tarring the broad right with the words of the mentaly ill and freaks.
Wish Id been there.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 08 16 at 05:25 AM • permalink#31 David,
You’re not the only one thinking that.Posted by Daniel San on 2006 08 16 at 05:57 AM • permalinkTim
The article you have cited is not the edited version published by Crikey today.
In that version, Loewenstein pretends he is a moderate. The content is nearly the same but he has failed to mention the old white men whom he wishes were all dead.
See Crikey version below:
Mark Steyn and the conservatives—a night to remember
Antony Loewenstein, journalist and author of My Israel Question, writes:
When a right-wing think tank like The Centre for Independent Studies hosts an event titled “It’s Not ‘Them’, It’s Us: The Need to Regain Confidence in Western Culture” – and invites conservative columnist Mark Steyn, Murdoch commentator and ABC board member Janet Albrechtsen and foreign policy “realist” Owen Harries to participate – proceedings are bound to follow a predictable path. Monday night’s “Big Ideas Forum” did not disappoint.
Around 500 largely old, white males (including historical revisionist Keith Windschuttle, The Australian’s Paul Kelly and monarchist tragic David Flint) packed a hall in Sydney’s CBD. Former politician Pauline Hanson was also among them to hear about the Muslim “threat”.
Albrechtsen started by asking whether “Western self-esteem is waning”. She included a story that Foreign Minister Alexander Downer had told her recently that when he gets home he does three things: drinks a whisky on the couch, turns on Fox News and downloads the latest Mark Steyn column.
Steyn’s speech was peppered with jibes at Islam, Muslims and the West itself, but strangely devoid of any sense that he actually knew Muslims to form his prejudiced views. For him, Islam is the enemy within, a religion that insidiously undermines Western “values” and must be stopped. Islam is the “ideology du jour”, he joked. Multiculturalism is “based on lies” and is a “suicide pact.” As he progressed his so-called insights became more ludicrous, but the ageing audience lapped it up.
He lovingly recalled English imperialism and its attitude towards the natives. They realised that some cultures were superior to others, Steyn said. “Islam hates other cultures”, he offered, without a whiff of evidence for such a claim. Perhaps he should have added that some Jews hate Arabs, but of course, militant Jews are now favoured with the Right.
Steyn rambled on about the West destroying fascism and communism, “but it will be much more difficult to combat multiculturalism.” He concluded his speech by arguing that “the freedoms we’ve enjoyed since 1945 will not continue unless we fight for them.” He had no problem with the West humiliating or exploiting others for his pleasure.
Nowhere in his speech did he define “Western values”. When later asked about George Bush and his mission to “democratise” the Middle East, Steyn said he preferred the term “liberation”. This is a man, of course, who recently stated on ABC’s Lateline that the Iraq war was a success.
Owen Harries was more considered. He claimed that “most conservatives are overly alarmist about the West” and that the US and Europe were becoming “less Western” due to growing Latino and Muslim populations and little pressure for assimilation.
The Q&A session consisted of rants against Islam and multiculturalism. Sydney Muslim lawyer, Irfan Yusuf, dissented and asked Steyn whether he’d updated The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, such was his belief in a Muslim conspiracy to take over the West and destroy it from within.
Pauline Hanson asked why many Western countries, including Australia, were changing beyond recognition. What she presumably meant was the arrival of non-white immigrants.
One audience member asked Albrechtsen what she thought of the media. She acknowledged the difficulty in speaking frankly due to her position on the ABC board, but thought the last five to ten years had seen steadily improving media, “such as Fox News.”
#44 Yes - you missed an excellent evening.
#40 - the event will be broadcast on Radio National. I phoned this morning for the time and was told that it would be broadcast on Background Briefing at 9 am on 17 September.
Also I was told that most probably audio transcripts would be made available for streaming / download on the basis that Radio National is granted the rights to make them available.
I cannot help but feel Antony ManBagstein will be running around repeating Albrechtsen’s introductory anecdote about Alexander Downer for no other reason than he has an axe to grind.
We have all heard of the “Chatam House rules”. I don’t expect anything said in a public meeting to be off the record and in reference to her role on the ABC, Janet was in no doubt as to her accountability for what she said.
However, it really seems that Antony is clutching at straws to and I wonder if he has demonstrated poor form. Can any budding journos advise?
All I can say, is that if Albrechtsen’s story is true, thank God our leaders are reading quality political writers (regardless of their political viewpoint) rather than the rambling screeds of man-bag carrying talentless hacks.
Irfan Yusuf has referred to his question in another review on one of his many blogs (see #12):
I then suggested Steyn’s arguments be collected into a book entitled “The Protocols of the Learned Mullahs of Tehran”. Visibly angry, Steyn demanded I answer for terror suspects in London. It wasn’t pretty, and at least one CIS person wasn’t a happy camper.
(Then again, another came up to me and congratulated me on having the guts to “challenge” Sten’s “racist rant”.)
I don’t suppose that person had a man bag?
Haha. Sounds like a brilliant time was had by all. Wish I was there.
I do wonder what’s in Dreamboat’s manbag, too.
Posted by James Waterton on 2006 08 16 at 07:14 AM • permalink35 Renate
I am no fashion plate but Loewenswine had to be the worst dressed person in the room (including the handful of washed up old commies).
This seems to be the attire for the unwashed new commies.
Does anyone know if Ant GreatLoeOzHitlerMcSelfHatingJew, book sales have finally exceeded triple digits, OR should I be slapped for even asking that question?
31 David Gillies
I’m starting to think we supported the wrong side in Bosnia and other places.
I hate it when my wife stereotypes people. She said, after Irfan’s question and interjection in the answer that he wished Steyn would drop dead, that the only invocation to violence or harm or ill will came from the only Muslim who spoke.
I found Steyn funny and informative delivering the humour that only the PC can provide with great comedic timing. I also noticed Stephen Loosely(sp?)former ALP big wig in the crowd as was Leigh (sp?) Sales from the ABC who I noticed laughing at the Steyn whitticisms ie the idiocy of the left. I am sure the Harris Street thought / fun police will be on to her now!
I also got called a Zionist Jew by my taxi driver becuase I didn’t accept his view on the Hezbo war. Apart from him lying I really enjoyed answering his question ‘what’s on tonight?’ with ‘I am going to listen to a Jew talk about Islamic facism.’ I can still picture him disinfecting my dirty Jew money. I told him I was Catholic but he told me I was wrong I am obviously Jewish Zionist. I suppose he would know.
Posted by platey mates on 2006 08 16 at 07:37 AM • permalink#58 platey mates,
Leigh Sales was there?. JILF!.Posted by Daniel San on 2006 08 16 at 07:51 AM • permalink#59 Dan Lewis,
That’s both disturbing and highly amusing, much like the Left.Posted by Daniel San on 2006 08 16 at 07:54 AM • permalink“Likewise the elderly types at last night’s event probably still fondly remember the White Australia policy. They’ll be dead soon enough.”
The Ant’s an ignorant fellow. If he knew anything about the history of the so-called White Australia Policy he’d know that it had its origins in the fear amongst socialists of competition from cheap Asian labour. Originally lining up against these racists were those of the Free Trade Party, whom we’d recognise as John Howard and George Bush supporters today.
The Labor Party and its ilk were always the great supporters of restricting ‘coloured’ immigration. It persists among them to this day - witness Beazley and his ACTU pals’ recent statements against bringing in cheap labour from overseas.#31, #39, #54, As i recall it was the liberals who were against slobbo, the leftists supported him, john pilger,fisk, tony benn and ramsey clark were slobbo supporters. At the time of the kosovo war i worked with a leftist frenchman and he was very pro serbian
Phillip
If Bill had decided to go with Slobbo, the same bunch of ponces you just named would have lined up on the side of the Kosovans.
#58 and #65
From his FAQ:
Q: How do you pronounce Mark’s name – Stine, Stain or Steen?
A: Mark Stain would be tautological. It’s Stine. The internal rhyme in SteynOnline is an easy way to remember.
Q: What is Mark?
A: Straight.Q: I meant his nationality.
A: Canadian.Q: Also his religion.
A: Mark is of Jewish descent, but was baptized a Catholic, confirmed an Anglican, and currently attends a small rural American Baptist Church. As John Podhoretz of The New York Post said, “You’re not Jewish or gay? But you wrote a book on musicals?”Did I read right in one of the J.F. Beck posts that this guy (Lowenstein) actually tries to claim Cynthia McKinney lost her seat because she’s pro-Palenstinian? Mis-citing or misunderstanding his source aside, that’s just hilarious. I guess things like changing demographics (district becoming more middle class, no thanks to her) or the fact that she’s nuttier than squirrel shit and just about as effective a representative are a little too deep for him to go into.
Posted by withcheese on 2006 08 16 at 09:07 AM • permalinkI know it’s futile, but I just couldn’t help myself and left his behind at Ant’s place:
Oh for crissakes, Addumbo, learn to spell (or type or proofread), will ya?! Trying to read one of your posts is actually painful, and I’m not just talking about content.
Old, white males, eh, Antony? From Greg Lindsay, CIS Executive Director:
Just so people will know who was at the Steyn function, I just did a count on the registration list (I am the Executive Director of the CIS). Of the 530 registered, about a third were female; students registered about 10%; and the under 40 population of the audience was about a third also.
Your powers of observation are about as reliable as your reasoning and judgement. Though I understand you were the very embodiment of sartorial splendor:
It looked like he was wearing some sort of tracksuit cargo pants, purple sneakers, a man-bag and a khaki locomotive driver’s hat (worn for the duration).
Is the man-bag the latest accoutrement of Che Chic?
Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 08 16 at 03:08 PM • permalinkwhy should anyone trust him on more complex issues?
You mean somebody does? :-0
Posted by Barbara Skolaut on 2006 08 16 at 04:07 PM • permalinkStay in touch claimed “Pauline Hanson received a rousing round of applause”.
Is it just me, or was there no such rousing round of applause?
Clinton hates that he’s turning 60?
Well, he doesn’t have to go to all that trouble for the rest of us…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 08 16 at 08:26 PM • permalink#71 dan lewis
The local Muslims don’t even want anything to do with him.
Is he the Muslim Community’s version of Loewenstein?
I don’t want to disclose my source dan, but he works within the Muslim community and from there has told me that “it is generally held that Irfan is nuts”. He also mentioned that he is believed to suffer from bipolar. I don’t think people with bipolar are generally “nuts”, but it appears that he may be “nuts” plus he suffers from that disorder. At any rate he is not well regarded by his own community. Plus Irfan and Loewenstein have a friendship that involves mutual wanking over each others Blogs. Ughh!
#68 withcheese
JF Beck has done some great work on examining the sources Loewenstein used in his book. And yes, I think he has discredited him from any academic standpoint.
It’s really time to start going for those media organisations that promote Loewenstein. It is ludicrous that MUP (a heavily subsidised university press) used other people’s money to promote the lying, distortion and unprofessionalism that occurs in My Israel Question. It is academically unsound and the publishing house’s role in the whole exercise needs to be exposed.
I think Loewenstein himself is coming undone. He cannot sustain his performance and people are realising that he is a thick, illiterate dud.
When I go into bookstores, which I do several times a week I speak with the owners about his book. It is not highly regarded by them. The only bookstore that I have found that is actively promoting it in Victoria is Readings. But they have a “special” relationship with MUP and often do a deal with remainder stock so it isn’t pulped. Plus they are the favourite bookstore of the Left. But the general consensus on the floor, or at the coalface of the industry is that the book is not selling well at all.
#77
Stay in touch claimed “Pauline Hanson received a rousing round of applause”.
In which case the SMH has printed an outright lie.
Questions were asked by numerous people. Some of them did receive a “rousing round of applause”. The applause at the end of Hanson’s question on the other hand could be described as apprehensive and tepid, at best.
Posted by Nikki 2000 on 2006 08 16 at 09:13 PM • permalink#79 Daphne,
Irfan and Loewenstein have a friendship that involves mutual wanking over each others Blogs
Irfan Yusuf reckons Loewenstein’s “laughing all the way to the bank” yet in the same post confesses even he didn’t buy a copy.
His post also notes “some 400 people” attended Loewenstein’s book launch. In this case, considering subsequent sales numbers noted here it seems even some of his biggest fans and friends didn’t buy a copy.
A few points for me here.
Greg Lindsay writes that
Just so people will know who was at the Steyn function, I just did a count on the registration list (I am the Executive Director of the CIS). Of the 530 registered, about a third were female; students registered about 10%; and the under 40 population of the audience was about a third also.
I registered and attended the event and don’t remember ever once mentioning my age. If you go to register for the upcoming Abbot speech at
https://www.sslcis.org/secure_policymakers_abbott_form.htm
there is no age question. So where is Mr Lindsay getting this one-third of under-40s? From eyeballing the crowd, the sons of the revolution were pretty old.
As to Steyn, pretty entertaining but a bit “light-on”. Obviously a stock piece, with very few references to Australia. His reference to Liberia and Charles Taylor was just wrong as well. I was a bit disappointed in that.
The questions got a bit more interesting as the loads of crazy old man type queries kept piling up - the guy on the stage who rambled on about the smell of shit in India was a born comic.Pauline Hanson was in attendance and asked a question that showed she was completely out of her depth and missed the argument. I don’t think Steyn recognised her either. Be interested to find out what others thought.
Final point is that when I saw Steyn speak about ten years ago in Ottawa he had the glasses and was very Canadian and very Jewish. He now looks like he spends his weekends at the hunt in Buckinghamshire, and dresses and sounds the same! Very bizarre.#50 Chatham House rules are widely misunderstood. You can quote what was said under Chatham House rules, but not who said it.
BTW I find Ant’s excessive use of ““s irksome. It’s such a lazy way of expressing skepticism in a nudge-nudge kind of way. Don’t take up the actual issue - you can’t if you don’t have the intellect for it - just use the good ol’ ““s to imply a deeper, half-understood meaning that you’re too stupid to spell out.
Posted by Bearded Mullah on 2006 08 16 at 10:40 PM • permalink#82 dan lewis
Loewenstein would have purchased a few of those books himself at wholesale price from the publisher (about 40% of RRP). Authors usually only get 6 copies then have to buy the rest, but publishers love it when authors sell their own books or purchase them to give away. I reckon at least 1/4 of the 318 first week sales would have been the author himself or his family.
His book will have a shelf life of 3 months. Then the stores send them all back to the publisher who will pulp them. If MUP are really doing a 2nd edition then it is not for profit. They would to have sold 3,000 to 5,000 of the first print run to even break even on a C trade paperback such as My Israel Question.
This exercise is about the CEO of MUP, Louise Adler pushing her own agenda, not about profit. Hell, it is now proved that it isn’t even about serious, legitimate scholarship.
How did I calculate the under 40s? Just a bit of rough statistical sampling, based on those we knew, the students who’d registered (I suppose there may have been some over 40) and what I could see from the stage when I was seated. Couldn’t see too much at the back from the lectern because of the lights, but a stage level it was fine. I can’t say that exactly 175 were under 40 and didn’t, but I did say that ‘about’ one third were and that seems pretty right. But anyway, when did we stop respecting people over 40? That two thirds of the audience, apart from the ones with the bizarre questions, were as intellectually engaged as anyone else and that seems to me to be a good thing.
Posted by Greg Lindsay on 2006 08 16 at 10:59 PM • permalinkInexplicably a high percentage of my posts get through (about 75%) and I am very critical of the whole Denialist moonie cult over there. Often AL deletes after they have been posted when two or three of his hot-buttons are pushed.
God knows why I seem to be OK when others far more reasonable than I am, are not!
Posted by viva peace on 2006 08 16 at 11:03 PM • permalink#82 viva peace
You are Loewenstein’s token Zionist or conservative or whatever else his tiny brain has decided you are good for.
He’s an arsehole. We all know he deletes posts from polite reasonable people, while claiming he, himself is silenced by the bully Zionists.
I wish he’d go and live with the Palestinans or Hezbollah. He needs a cult to sustain him.
Ant on Steyn: “His profound hatred of anything or anybody non-Western was revealed”
You have to love Luvviestain’s moderate thinking and subtle phrasing. He’s the undergraduate’s undergraduate, and doesn’t seem to know it.
The Ant’s only obvious and ‘profound’ prejudice is ageism.
He actually believes we should move aside for him?“Aaron Lane” has had a comment published on Loewenstein’s blog that I am amazed didn’t get deleted:
Why do you make repeated and derogatory references to the age of members of the audience? If being old (and white) automatically disqualifies you from having a valid opinion, I suggest you immediately stop promoting the work and ideologies of Robert Fisk, John Pilger, George Galloway, Fidel Castro, Phillip Adams, etc.
Perhaps old (and red) doesn’t count?
Dance Loewenstein Dance.
daphne
Oh I am well of the extraordinary censorship that happens there. I am being sincere when I say I find many of my posts being published as “inexplicable.”
Posted by viva peace on 2006 08 17 at 08:10 PM • permalink
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One would think a media identity of Lowenstein’s titanic international stature could be afford to be a little more charitable to a junior and novice like Mark Steyn. After all, we should be granted a few allowances at the beginning of our careers from those with greater experience, expertise and success.