Democracy upgraded from “dead” to “dying”

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Last updated on June 10th, 2017 at 08:32 am

In an interview with Eric Beecher’s fact-challenged The Reader magazine, Margo Kingston explains her philosophy of participatory collapsible bipartisan democratic enhancement, or something:

I once saw my role in traditional terms – to get the truth as far as I was able and ask questions until I got an answer. But participatory journalism is my thing now, whereby the reader and the journalist work together to break and develop political stories and document abuses of power. The Webdiary readers’ role in pressuring the Australian Electoral Commission to come clean on Tony Abbott’s Honest Politics trust is an example. I’m now working on a website provisionally called yourdemocracy.net.au to develop this idea, which I feel is important given the collapse of formerly bipartisan liberal democratic values and the end of newspapers as journals of record. I believe that unless Australians of all political stripes get together to defend and enhance our democracy, it will die.

I thought it was already dead. From the same interview:

I’m happy to be tagged a Howard-hater, because I am.

Could Margo’s hatred for the Prime Minister incite similar feelings in others? If so, she’s in breach of her own code of ethics:

I won’t publish any material which incites hatred.

UPDATE. Uh-oh. Here’s Webdiary reader Michael de Angelos:

Margo, you’ve inspired me to stand and be counted as a ‘Howard Hater’ and I do so. Why not!

Margo has clearly incited hatred. What’s the punishment for defying Webdiary Ethics?

UPDATE II. The Australian sensibly editorialises on the need for ongoing economic deregulation:

Another wave of reforms is urgently needed to improve Australia’s capacity for growth.

This inspires Webdiarist Jack Robertson to suffer the world’s first cerebral hemorrhage broadcast live on the Internet. Central to Jack’s complaint, so far as anyone can tell: Webdiary’s expert economists were way ahead of The Australian, having built up “five years’ worth of detailed and wide-ranging Webdiary debate over the future of Australia’s economy”. The Australian, he writes, “knows very well that much of what we’ve been consistently attacking here has been exactly what The Oz has finally decided to start criticizing only now, too: JH’s short-sighted economic mismanagement.”

Er, yes. Except that The Australian is urging reform; precisely that which Margonomics opposes.

Posted by Tim B. on 03/13/2005 at 10:22 PM
    1. Arrrrghhh!

      Margo and the rest of her ‘cabal’ dont get it. Their pressure didn’t amount to squat. there WAS a real vote, in a real democracy, that showed that their opinions are in the minority.

      Her own bias and the agenda of her followers show her for the sham that they are. Its no good skulking under the agenda of democracy and free speeche, when in fact, you want the exact opposite. Wankers!

      Posted by Nic on 2005 03 13 at 11:43 PM • permalink

 

    1. formerly bipartisan liberal democratic values

      I’d like some details of these.

      Name six – that would help me understand what the fuck she’s on about

      Posted by Jack from Montreal on 2005 03 13 at 11:52 PM • permalink

 

    1. I hate Margo, no incitement needed.

      Posted by Honkie Hammer on 2005 03 14 at 12:18 AM • permalink

 

    1. What the hell is that crazy woman on about?
      Democracy is a process – how have our democratic processes changed in recent years?

      Why doesn’t she admit that she dislikes our democracy because it delivers democratic outcomes that she doesn’t like.

      Get used to it witcheepoo!

      Posted by matt on 2005 03 14 at 12:30 AM • permalink

 

    1. “Farewell, brave Democracy!  I shall avenge your untimely dea—”

      “I’m not dead yet, sir.”

      “… Farewell, brave Democracy!  I shall avenge your surely mortal wounding— “

      “No, I’m feeling much better…”

      Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 03 14 at 12:34 AM • permalink

 

    1. If you laugh at Margo, then you had better be prepared to laugh at millions of people who think like her around the world.

      Thank goodness for the 24/7 Internet, which lets us do the laughing in shifts.

      Posted by ForNow on 2005 03 14 at 12:36 AM • permalink

 

    1. Democracy is always dead for losers.

      Some of us who actually believe in it when we aren’t winning find this annoying.

      Posted by Dean Esmay on 2005 03 14 at 12:47 AM • permalink

 

    1. Love the alternate post titles in the URL, tim.

      Posted by Sortelli on 2005 03 14 at 12:52 AM • permalink

 

    1. I’m now working on a website provisionally called yourdemocracy.net.au

      Working?

      Posted by Hanyu on 2005 03 14 at 01:23 AM • permalink

 

    1. Hey, at least she didn’t name it youredemocray.net.au

      Posted by Sortelli on 2005 03 14 at 01:37 AM • permalink

 

    1. Jack R spent five hours to produce a barely literate piece telling us, “I thought of it before you did.” He should now take a Bex and have a good lie down. Before Margo returns and finds he’s raided her stash of ludes…

      Posted by Hanyu on 2005 03 14 at 01:42 AM • permalink

 

    1. Still chortling, Sortelli. Very funny.

      Posted by Hanyu on 2005 03 14 at 01:44 AM • permalink

 

    1. Jeez Hanyu,

      has Jack got a few issues or what? Enough for a whole conference on psychiatry it would seem.

      Its funny how the left having whined about refugees and welfare payments for so long are now interested in research and development and Australia’s overall productive capacity. Funny they never asked Latho’ his policies on those areas when he was running for the job. Not that the issue is not without merit, though after Iraq its suddenly become the lefts’ ‘issue du jour’.

      Posted by Nic on 2005 03 14 at 01:58 AM • permalink

 

    1. I’m starting to think that Webdiary is Australia’s answer to the Daily Kos.

      Posted by Evil Pundit on 2005 03 14 at 02:04 AM • permalink

 

    1. Thank you, Hanyu!  You are a gentleman and a scholar.

      What’s the punishment for defying Webdiary Ethics?

      I’m guessing that it’s continuing to read/post to Webdiary.  It seems diabolically fitting.

      Posted by Sortelli on 2005 03 14 at 02:15 AM • permalink

 

    1. You’re right, ForNow. There’s a lot of laughing to be done and we’re just not going to get through it unless we pull 24 hour shifts.

      Posted by Henry boy on 2005 03 14 at 02:28 AM • permalink

 

    1. Underscore — I recommend methamphetamine.  Gives the laugter that perfect manic tone…

      Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 03 14 at 02:35 AM • permalink

 

    1. Well, I have heard from personal contacts that when Margo makes a comment at any Fairfax Staff meeting, that a collective “groan” or “sigh” occurs….

      Does she actually think when she says these things, or does Bob Ellis program her each week at some secret recharging station?

      Posted by Louis on 2005 03 14 at 02:55 AM • permalink

 

    1. I wonder, is margonomics the same as katternomics?
      Never forget a statement Bob Katter jnr made when the wool reserve price scheme collapsed in the early nineties –
      “the woolgrowers in my electorate are the engine drivers of the economy – its just that none of them are making any money”  LOL
      Of course, these days none of these same producers in his electorate grow wool, they are too busy making a motza out of cattle- even during a drought.  Bob is still pedaling the same old crap, first off with tobacco growers (now gone too), and the latest, sugar cane producers.  Here’s a conspiracy theory – the reason north queensland farmers are always doing it tough, is bad karma for voting for bob katter jnr.

      Posted by entropy on 2005 03 14 at 03:15 AM • permalink

 

    1. And another thing.
      I am sure all this carry on about “infrastructure capacity” and ‘skills training needs” (if I had to have a problem, I would pick these)suits the big HG (Howard Government BTW)as a platform for debate.
      Just think, if these are the most important things that need doing, and these things are going to cost a lot of money the HG doesn’t have- well, have I got a telecommunications company to sell to you!

      Posted by entropy on 2005 03 14 at 03:22 AM • permalink

 

    1. Evil Pundit: Except that Daily Kos is, for better or worse, popular. Even the Lefties don’t like particularly like Webdiary – well, except for the Webdiarrhetics themselves, of course .

      Posted by avocadia on 2005 03 14 at 04:42 AM • permalink

 

    1. Was that Webdiarhhoeacs or Webdiuretics?
      A lot of Sound and Fury signifying nothing, anyway.

      Posted by blogstrop on 2005 03 14 at 05:47 AM • permalink

 

    1. collapsible enhancement perhaps comes from e.e.cummings’s She being brand new :

      internalexpanding & externalcontracting brakes Bothatonce

      one of his finest automobile poems

      [url=http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6666/Fancy/ee_shebeing.html]http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6666/Fancy/ee_shebeing.html [/url]

      Posted by rhhardin on 2005 03 14 at 05:50 AM • permalink

 

    1. Why is it we philistines have no difficulty coming up with concise, pithy, pointed and accurate comments while the objects of our criticism waffle off to lexical tangents and other intellectual vagaries, and yet they are in charge, we not.

      Jaysus (in a Dave Allen’ish way) 🙂

      Posted by Louis on 2005 03 14 at 06:24 AM • permalink

 

    1. Economic mismanagement? Let me give you a mining prospective – right now there are too many jobs and not enough people. Tough times indeed. I guess the other side is not enough jobs too many people. Which one do you think is preferrable? Which one did labor deliver consistently? You cant blame Howard for the current situation without playing the same game for labor in the past.

      Posted by rbresca on 2005 03 14 at 07:02 AM • permalink

 

    1. …Margo Kingston explains her philosophy of participatory collapsible bipartisan democratic enhancement…

      Is that meant to read “bipartisan”, or “bipolar”?

      Posted by Craig Mc on 2005 03 14 at 07:18 AM • permalink

 

    1. …which I feel is important given the collapse of formerly bipartisan liberal democratic values and the end of newspapers as journals of record.

      At long last Margo says something everyone can agree with completely.

      Posted by Jim Geones on 2005 03 14 at 07:19 AM • permalink

 

    1. Thank god for the lifting of the Margo Embargo!

      It’s like watching an expert matador thrust a spear into the side of a lumbering old milker. You laugh as you look on, at the same time you can’t help but look through your fingers as the horribly unbalanced and cruel spectacle unfolds.

      Posted by taspundit on 2005 03 14 at 07:53 AM • permalink

 

    1. Margonomics Is that just another name for Dribble Down (your chin) Economics?

      Posted by taspundit on 2005 03 14 at 08:06 AM • permalink

 

    1. You’re right about relative levels of popularity, Avocadia. I suspect most of Margo’s readers come via this blog.

      Posted by Evil Pundit on 2005 03 14 at 09:34 AM • permalink

 

    1. BTW, has anyone else clicked on Tim’s link in this sentence?

      I thought it was already dead.

      It’s a video of Margo telling Australians that electing Howard is a vote for authoritarianism. I suggest you fast for 24 hours prior to taking the plunge on this one, or have a large bucket at hand. If you thought Margo showed signs of madness in her writing, you’re about to discover that you aint seen nothing yet.

      And Tim, if they sell cigarettes with warning labels, then I think you should do likewise with Margo videos. That pretty strong stuff you’re pedaling there, mate.

      Posted by Hanyu on 2005 03 14 at 10:44 AM • permalink

 

    1. I once saw my role in traditional terms – to get the truth as far as I was able and ask questions until I got an answer…

      …that conformed to my ridiculous opinions.

      Posted by Dave S. on 2005 03 14 at 11:10 AM • permalink

 

    1. “But participatory journalism is my thing now, whereby the reader and the journalist (both me) work together to break and develop political stories and document abuses of power”… or rather, to cobble together idiotic leftist political ideas that are then thrust at the public in the vain hope that they will be swallowed whole.

      Am I reading it right, or am I just reading into it?  What is “participatory” journalism, anyway?

      Posted by RebeccaH on 2005 03 14 at 03:09 PM • permalink

 

    1. I’m now working on a website….which I feel is important given the collapse of formerly bipartisan liberal democratic values and the end of newspapers as journals of record.

      Gees, Margo’s bosses at Fairfax must love hearing that, coming from one of their staffers.

      Meanwhile over a News Ltd., staffers are soon to be cab-pooling in order to reduce the number of Cabcharge vouchers being issued. Faifax may just follow suit and reduce some more costs….lookout Margo.

      Posted by JAFA on 2005 03 14 at 03:17 PM • permalink

 

    1. You bastard Hanyu. I was just about to have lunch when I read your post and clicked the link.
      That was ugly, I’m still heaving.
      And I voted for Howard, does that mean by exercising my democratic right I have now murdered democracy?

      Posted by Harold on 2005 03 14 at 09:57 PM • permalink

 

    1. I also noticed in that interview that she said she was a big fan of Latham’s.
      Not a big enough fan to vote for him though – she stated on her site during the Rau row that comments by Kerry Nettle made her “proud to have voted Green”.
      And they still can’t figure out why they lost.
      I guess it goes like this ‘Democracy will be dead if you vote for Howard so I’ll waste my vote by voting for a fringe party’.

      Posted by Harold on 2005 03 14 at 10:04 PM • permalink

 

  1. I only know Margo Kingston from Tim Blair’s website.  Does she really exist or is Tim Blair pulling an Iowahawk or Roger Simon and inventing such an absurd character?  If she really exists, does someone really pay her to put finger to keyboard?  If someone actually pays her for this and not as a comedy writer, do real people actually read what she writes?I won’t believe it.  “Margo” has to been a long-running contrived joke by Tim Blair, right?

    Posted by Jabba the Tutt on 2005 03 15 at 09:16 AM • permalink