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Last updated on March 6th, 2018 at 12:30 am
Margo Kingston is moved to Tennyson-level sadness by Mark Latham’s departure:
Mark Latham gave a doorstop in his Western Sydney electorate today. He read a statement and took no questions. His hair seemed to tell the story. Best of luck, Mark. Tis harder, and maybe more noble, to seek a goal with determination and fail than to make the same commitment and succeed. It is a tragedy for Australia as well as for Mark Latham that his health has forced his departure from public life.
In 2002, Kingston condemned Latham as the “antithesis of the progressive vision”. She would have been quite happy, three years ago, to see him forced from public life. Latham subsequently won Kingston over by pandering to idiot anti-US prejudices.
But let’s not focus on Margo’s easily-earned endorsement. Let’s look instead at this line:
Tis harder, and maybe more noble, to seek a goal with determination and fail than to make the same commitment and succeed.
Given that the “same commitment” of “determination” was exercised regardless of success or failure, we may erase those terms. Which leaves us with:
Tis harder, and maybe more noble, to seek a goal and fail than to succeed.
It’s harder to fail than succeed. Mark Latham is a winner!
UPDATE. Margo continues grieving:
Mark Latham’s first life dream has gone. Australia has lost one of its finest and most idealistic politicians, the bloke who took on the system and broke the rules and lost. Labor has lost it’s high stakes gamble and seems to be freefalling – into what? Noone knows.
Reader guinsPen points to the man who knows. Maybe he knows how apostrophes work. As for Latham taking on the system and breaking the rules … what rules did he break? The taxi driver arm rule? Which system did he take on? His digestive system?
UPDATE II. In comments to readers, Margo lashes out:
Howard is the biggest hater is politics. Just ask his colleagues over the years.
How about you ask them, Margo? And then tell us all about it. Next, she smears General Peter Cosgrove:
My speculation is that he couldn’t handle the politics of the job. There’s also the possibility that he is close to being exposed on something, eg the Abu Grahib coverup, or the coverup of the cutting of intelligence links to our soldiers on the ground in East Timor.
Couldn’t handle the politics of the job, eh Margo? You can’t handle a lame three-day-per-week website.
UPDATE III. A Margo scoop:
Julia Gillard is not a lesbian.
UPDATE IV. The Wogblogger offers her view on Latham’s exit:
If I had tits that bad I’d kill myself.
- “Tis harder, and maybe more noble, to seek a goal with determination and fail than to make the same commitment and succeed.”
Nobody gets paid to write like this, right? I’ve seen better from junior high school girls writing about failed crushes.
Posted by Gary from Jersey on 01/19 at 05:26 AM • permalink
- Webdiary is back. You beauty. There is nothing better than sitting back and reading those lefty merry lunatics that paw to Margo’s Gem du Jour.Posted by Karl Fidel Adams-Kingston on 01/19 at 06:07 AM • permalink
- “His hair seemed to tell the whole story”.
What, that he needs a new barber or that getting a little grey on top would make anyone want to resign from public life?
Posted by Darlene Taylor on 01/19 at 07:20 AM • permalink
- Let MoDo help out: Tis harder, … more … to seek … and fail … to succeed.
Cheers
JMHPosted by J.M. Heinrichs on 01/19 at 07:24 AM • permalink
- It’s the “more noble” bit that got me. Why is it “more noble” to fail?
That’s what turns me off the leftist ideal anymore: somewhere they’ve dredged up the idea that it’s “more noble” to be poor (Third World), “more noble” to be ignorant (Middle East), “more noble” to fail (ghetto dwellers who don’t have a clue how to go about succeeding). What she means is, it’s wonderful to have all these little, dark, “noble” people to feel sorry for and superior to.
- In Margo’s blog, there, she wrote a grand total of 85 words; and nine of those were a citation of an article title. She gets paid for this? I think I’ve written more than that in this thread.
And, what’s up with Webdiary (webdiary, Web Diary; whatever) not being able to be cut and pasted? At least not on my Mac on OS X, which can cut and paste timblair.net and the NYT just fine. Is this some latent Rathergate effect?
- From Lathams speach yesterday:
I have had a well-publicised problem with pancreatitis that has been hard to overcome. This condition and the uncertain timing of the attacks are incompatible with the demands and stresses of a parliamentary life.
When I was hospitalised in August, for instance, the media frenzy was over the top, with photographers shooting through my hospital window. Accordingly, I have done everything I could to keep subsequent episodes as private as possible.
“episodes” ????
Sounds to me like this might be the 3rd or 4th time rather than the 2nd.
I feel sorry for ML—Labour needs to re-invent itself and people like ML are going to be the ones who have to do it. Under our system we need a strong opposition.
Posted by BattlestarGallactica on 01/19 at 11:36 AM • permalink
- Failure might have something to do with choosing the wrong goal. Then to fail would certainly be noble, and I thank them for their efforts.
They are certainly making a lot of effort, which they also call noise, apparently. I still haven’t figured out what they are actually saying, and neither have they.
There is a really funny movie in here somewhere, but Peter Sellars or The Three Stooges might have already made it. Any other candidates?
- If we are going to elevate Latham’s departure to a Tennysonian level, then this may be appropriate:
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.
- The Australian did a nice job on Alan Ramsey’s “love affair with Mark Latham” today:
A veteran political reporter wipes the egg off his face
Posted by ArtVandelay on 01/19 at 03:30 PM • permalink
- Perhaps Margo � and Latham � are better served by Dryden:
– All, all of a piece throughout;
Thy chase had a beast in view;
Thy wars brought nothing about;
Thy lovers were all untrue.
And time to begin a new.Posted by richard mcenroe on 01/19 at 03:33 PM • permalink
- In today’s Webdiary I was occused of being “myopic” because I attacked Margo for being a representative of the extreme left. Ironic isn’t it.Posted by Karl Fidel Adams-Kingston on 01/19 at 03:49 PM • permalink
- So, whom has the energy uponst him or herself nowst?Posted by Evil Pundit on 01/19 at 04:07 PM • permalink
- Dis is duh valley of my fodduh, and yonder lies his castle….Posted by richard mcenroe on 01/19 at 04:44 PM • permalink
- I don’t know, didn’t Tennyson also write:
“Into the Valley of Death rode the five hundred…”
Sounds a bit like the ALP…
Posted by Quentin George on 01/19 at 05:27 PM • permalink
- Quentin � Actually, it was supposed to be six hundred, but Gordon Brown had already reconsolidated the regiments…Posted by richard mcenroe on 01/19 at 05:57 PM • permalink
- Looks like Margo Kingston (just perfect with that cuppa, mind the crumbs dear) has started an Eng Lit comp.
Well personally for myself I’m rooting for Shakespeare;
Latho:
I am vanquished; these naughty words of Margo
Have battered me like roaring cannon-shot,
And made me almost yield upon my knees.Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen,
And, comrades, accept this hearty kind embrace:My forces and my power of men are yours:
So, farewell, Whitlam; I ‘ll no longer trust thee.
- Alan Ramsey (on Latham)—I did but see him passing by, but I will love him ‘til I die.Posted by Richard_of_Oz on 01/19 at 07:33 PM • permalink
- In amongst the comments about Latham Mago (silent T) had a swipe at General Cosgrove. I gave her a spray but I doubt it will make online after her “Dont publish anything critical of me” censorship regime give my message the once over.
How dare she even comment at all on the great man.Posted by Bill Calvin on 01/19 at 09:31 PM • permalink
In 2002, Kingston condemned Latham as the “antithesis of the progressive vision”. She would have been quite happy, three years ago, to see him forced from public life. Latham subsequently won Kingston over by pandering to idiot anti-US prejudices.
I think George Orwell, with his inside-out understanding of leftist ideology, put it best:
The speech had been proceeding for perhaps twenty minutes when a messenger hurried on to the platform and a scrap of paper was slipped into the speaker’s hand. He unrolled and read it without pausing in his speech. Nothing altered in his voice or manner, or in the content of what he was saying, but suddenly the names were different. Without words said, a wave of understanding rippled through the crowd. Oceania was at war with Eastasia! The next moment there was a tremendous commotion. The banners and posters with which the square was decorated were all wrong! Quite half of them had the wrong faces on them. It was sabotage! The agents of Goldstein had been at work! There was a riotous interlude while posters were ripped from the walls, banners torn to shreds and trampled underfoot. The Spies performed prodigies of activity in clambering over the rooftops and cutting the streamers that fluttered from the chimneys. But within two or three minutes it was all over. The orator, still gripping the neck of the microphone, his shoulders hunched forward, his free hand clawing at the air, had gone straight on with his speech. One minute more, and the feral roars of rage were again bursting from the crowd. The Hate continued exactly as before, except that the target had been changed. The thing that impressed Winston in looking back was that the speaker had switched from one line to the other actually in midsentence, not only without a pause, but without even breaking the syntax.
Posted by Jim Geones on 01/20 at 01:30 AM • permalink
- Of course had Orwell been familiar with Margo’s effusions, that last sentence would have read “without even fixing the syntax”.Posted by Jim Geones on 01/20 at 01:36 AM • permalink
- Ideally Margo should quit her job and then herself and Mark Latham could host a show on breakfast television. “Good morning Australia with Margo and Mark.”
This ratings powerhouse would ensure labour stays out of power until the cows come home.But seriously, I think the following quote is now more appropriate than ever for the likes of the Margo and Mark
“As you travel the path of life, whatever be your goal.
Always focus on the doughnut and not upon the hole.”
- Love that Margo feels the need to deny rumours about Julia’s sexuality. How very Woman’s Day. Since Labor is a bloody big bingo hall full of gossip, some of us were aware of Julie and Craig prior to the 2001 election. By the way, since I am reverting to women’s magazine terrority here, Emerson has got the worst dye job on the planet. Have seen it up close (not that close).Posted by Darlene Taylor on 01/20 at 07:11 AM • permalink
- Julia Gillard is not a lesbian
Homer Paxton will vouch for that
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I particularly like the “Tis”. Clearly this meaningless drivel was supposed to be an aphorism, perhaps along the lines of Dr Johnson’s: “‘Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.”, which, come to think of it, might be a good lesson for Margo.