What our readers are saying about New Matilda.
Debate continues on many of last week’s stories. If you haven’t seen these, check them out and join the discussion:
Our editorial on religion, wealth and government:
‘I have said it before, but I’ll lay a bet that if He did come back He would say ‘ if those ……….’s call themselves Christians, I don’t want to be one.’ (Milton) ‘It ain’t what makes people terrific that I like about them, call me superficial, but it’s their weaknesses and their vulnerabilities I identify with. I don’t like you when you’re saved, give me a sinner (like me) any day.’ (Jane) ‘To keep focusing on Hillsong as representative of Australian Christianity is like mistaking the late Liberace as representative of concert piano.’ (Christopher) ‘Sure, Jesus was, on the whole, pretty scathing about the rich. But he can’t be forced to hold a left-wing flag on that count. I’m a left-winger and a Bible basher too. And my Bible tells me that if the Good Samaritan had been broke, he couldn’t have helped as much as he did.’ (Ivan)
John Hooker on a bland John Howard provoked passionate responses:
‘… his best trick is to present this reassuring face, whilst actually implementing policies and programs that will take this country places it hasn’t been since …oh well, the 1880s perhaps.’ (Linda) ‘Like “bonsai” Bush, JWH is a despicable little prick endorsed, as was Maggie Thatch, by the agencies of the Right because he/she espoused/es with mock ordinariness and amorality, the dictates of Saatchi, Rove and Corby ‘ (Nigel) ‘Howard succeeds so well because he reflects us back to ourselves. Solid, reliable, not too grand, nothing outrageous in dress or ideas (at least that is the impression.) (Vicky) ‘He is a liar; he is a traitor; he is (by empowering the invasion of the sovereign country, Iraq) a war criminal.’ (Barry)
Jane Caro asked what the next big thing could be and prompted the following suggestions:
Decline/demise of globalisation (Joanna) In gender politics – a breakdown in the distinction between the sexes (Graham F) What’s the next big thing? It’s what we make it. By “we” I mean people who organise to act for social change (Douglas) The recognition that progress in the first few years of life is a critical determinant for success across the lifecourse (Graham V)
Commenting on the New Matilda survey Anne-Marie wrote:
‘…Your ANOP survey was useful. Now I’d like someone to do a confidential survey of the alleged journalists who write for the Fairfax empire – the legions of entertainers who would have been AJA members in the olden days. Many of the bylines have bought a degree in journalism. How ridiculous is that? As if a two-year stint in some toy university can teach a person how to think. They ought to be asking for their money back. And on the matter of “hard” issues like education as opposed to “soft” issues like immigration, perhaps I should rest my case. But I won’t.
Your survey did not ask people whether they had children. I don’t want mine to be a bell-boy for American tourists, which is what the lugubrious Brendan Nelson will give us.
I like New Matilda. But you can’t write a good crit without a good education. And you don’t make a difference by cosying up to small-l liberal wannabes who can’t string a sentence together. That’s not illiterate, it’s post-literate. I welcome feedback. And yes, I’ll give you the money. Well done.’