21 February 2009

Liberals and Lefty Scum

| johnboy
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[First filed: February 20, 2009 @ 14:21]

The new Labor back bencher Joy Burch is up in arms that her Liberal colleague Alistair Coe has been distributing stickers at O-week featuring the slogan “Rack off lefty scum”.

She’d like to know if he and his leader Zed Seselja think she’s scum.

    The Leader of the Opposition must come clean on whether he believes Canberrans who voted for Labor (or the Greens) at the last election are “lefty scum” who should “Rack off”, Member for Brindabella, Joy Burch MLA said today.

    Ms Burch said she was shocked to see Liberal MLA Alistair Coe distributing unauthorised Liberal Party stickers reading “Rack off lefty scum” to ANU students at this week’s O-Week celebrations.

    Ms Burch said the slogan was insulting to Canberra voters and showed contempt for the intelligence of the ACT’s student community.

Young men tempted to apply these stickers in a high spirited bout of champagne charlie-ism are advised that most of the women they’ll ever want to sleep with are lefties.

Alistair probably needs to remember that since his election he’s supposed to be a grown-up now.

UPDATED: It’s claim and counter claim with this statement from Alistair and more offensive material from the other side. Here’s what Alistair had to say:

    Alistair Coe MLA, denies categorically that he handed out stickers as claimed by Joy Burch. “I did not hand out anything to anyone. Wherever the stickers came from, they did not come from me.”

    “I am, however, extremely surprised by this attack by Ms Burch, as the stand she attended for the Labor party was handing out promotional items with the headline: “Don’t get F***ed at work.” [below]

    “Clearly, this opportunistic attack by Ms Burch has backfired.

    “I think we should leave the Uni political stunts alone and get on with the job of being MLAs.”

[Image blurred by me to protect delicate sensibilities]

ANOTHER UPDATE: Joy Burch’s office have sent in this additional note:

    “It is disappointing to see Alistair Coe and the Liberals attempting to lie their way out of an embarassing situation.

    “The flyer that Alistair refers to has nothing to do with the Labor Party, nor was it at the Labor stall which I attended.

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Well, Palin s Lovechild certainly walked off the street with guns blazing. Perhaps they went to your high school, jakez?

*chuckle*

I’m sorry you’ve been shot through the heart and all, but I daresay “it’s just a flesh wound” ….

; )

Palin s Lovechild said :

Junkett and Jakez have no clue! Probably little tikes at uni on mummy and daddy’s $$$!

ANU is the perfect place for politics and you kiddies grow up a little you will see politics is every and you need to know how to play the game.

Don’t cry its not that bad. Sticks and stones remember….

I have been shot through the heart.

For the record I went to uni on your $$$, not my mum’s.

neanderthalsis said :

It is rather unfortunate that those members of the Liberal Party here in the ACT with the highest visability are christian conservatives rather than your classic libertarian who believes in the freedom of the individual, small government and open markets.

It is rather unfortunate that they don’t really exist.

neanderthalsis5:21 pm 23 Feb 09

It is rather unfortunate that those members of the Liberal Party here in the ACT with the highest visability are christian conservatives rather than your classic libertarian who believes in the freedom of the individual, small government and open markets.

Clown Killer5:07 pm 23 Feb 09

ANU is the perfect place for politics and you kiddies grow up a little you will see politics is every and you need to know how to play the game.

… but it would appear, not such a perfect place to learn how to write coherently

Palin s Lovechild4:15 pm 23 Feb 09

Junkett and Jakez have no clue! Probably little tikes at uni on mummy and daddy’s $$$!

ANU is the perfect place for politics and you kiddies grow up a little you will see politics is every and you need to know how to play the game.

Don’t cry its not that bad. Sticks and stones remember….

unitedwestand1:22 am 23 Feb 09

Well they certainly have been effective at raising awareness, thank you Alastair!

Just for the record, the Condoms were not endorsed by ACTU but provided by UnionsACT and YOUACT (a young unionist group) to raise young people’s awareness of Unions. This have been re-produced from the your rights at work campaign and I would expect to be seeing a lot more of them around in the coming months, no pun intended.

tom-tom said :

i’m quite sceptical of mr coe’s story here because a.) the f&@$%ed at work thing is ACTU not ALP material and b.)there weren’t many of those things in the first place.

the dont get f%$&ed things were from the your rights at work campaign and were handed out in nightclubs etc (ie places people are less likely to be offended) and they came with a condom (hence why the don’t get effed thing is funny). on the reverse of them they had contact info for unions and had some info about basic work entitlements etc.
my point being they had some useful information and actually addressed an issue, as opposed to the lib one which just insults those who disagree, instead of opening up a debate.

if coe was handing them out well then, thats just a bit sad isn’t it? its one thing for some uni students to make a joke like that but quite another for an elected representative to do it.

Passy said :

BTW, as someone who manned the Socialist Alternative stall on Market Day at the ANU on Wednesday I’d say there is a more questioning attitude among some students about capitalism, and a greater openness to socialist ideas, or at least to hear and debate socialist explanations of the crisis and other issues.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS YOU! I recognised you from your blog photo. I was going to come over and have a chinwag but it was brutally hot and brutally crowded and I had to get back to work.

Passy said :

And you might even end up having a real political conversation rather than the usual lightweight nonsense that passes for analysis from the Young Liberals and their twins, the ALP.

The Young Liberals and the Australian Liberal’ Students Federation are two different organisations. However I have to say I pretty much agree with you sentiment above. Especially in the ACT.

Another example of why the ACT should be completely devoid of politics, it’s just not the right place for it.

who really gives a sht?

waste of breath from the beginning.

And who can honestly say they haven’t wanted to hurl abuse at Tony Abbott?

Tetranitrate6:12 pm 21 Feb 09

My own introduction to left wing student politics at ANU was watching from the top of the steps at union court as a whole bunch of trots were screaming “ANTI WOMEN ANTI QUEER, LIBERAL SCUM GET OUT OF HERE” at Tony Abbott down bellow.

Tetranitrate6:08 pm 21 Feb 09

arescarti42 said :

Passy said :

Arescarti42 says:

“…but i wouldn’t be hesitant in calling any socialist alternative member lefty scum. There were a bunch of shoeless, smelly, bearded men and women at O week preaching the horrors of capitalism in the name of Marxism, which I think the stickers apply to far more than the lovely pretty girl sitting at the ALP desk.”

Ah, so it was me the Liberal Club stickers were aimed at? Oh well, we must be a real threat to the wanna be merchant bankers.

Shoeless, smelly bearded men and women? For those who want to meet us we’ll have a stall on Thursday from around noon in Union Court at the ANU. You can judge the veracity of Arescarti42’s puerile comments then. And you might even end up having a real political conversation rather than the usual lightweight nonsense that passes for analysis from the Young Liberals and their twins, the ALP.

Passy,

I’ll admit that my ad hominem remark about the physical presentation of the Socialist Alternative members present on Wednesday was not particularly gracious. However, from what I observed on Wednesday, the percentage of bearded, shoeless people at the Socialist Alternative stand was MUCH higher than the percentage of bearded, shoeless people in the general population. Not that that means anything really…

I suppose the abuse that Tony Abbott endured during O Week 2006 is what passes as a “real political conversation” over at the Socialist Alternative camp. I’d rather Liberal/ALP lightweight nonsense any day.

Oh yay! an opportunity to post my favorite link:
http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/notes/mp3s/silencetony.mp3

Passy said :

Arescarti42 says:

“…but i wouldn’t be hesitant in calling any socialist alternative member lefty scum. There were a bunch of shoeless, smelly, bearded men and women at O week preaching the horrors of capitalism in the name of Marxism, which I think the stickers apply to far more than the lovely pretty girl sitting at the ALP desk.”

Ah, so it was me the Liberal Club stickers were aimed at? Oh well, we must be a real threat to the wanna be merchant bankers.

Shoeless, smelly bearded men and women? For those who want to meet us we’ll have a stall on Thursday from around noon in Union Court at the ANU. You can judge the veracity of Arescarti42’s puerile comments then. And you might even end up having a real political conversation rather than the usual lightweight nonsense that passes for analysis from the Young Liberals and their twins, the ALP.

Passy,

I’ll admit that my ad hominem remark about the physical presentation of the Socialist Alternative members present on Wednesday was not particularly gracious. However, from what I observed on Wednesday, the percentage of bearded, shoeless people at the Socialist Alternative stand was MUCH higher than the percentage of bearded, shoeless people in the general population. Not that that means anything really…

I suppose the abuse that Tony Abbott endured during O Week 2006 is what passes as a “real political conversation” over at the Socialist Alternative camp. I’d rather Liberal/ALP lightweight nonsense any day.

Are there any of them left(stickers, not lefty scum)? I wouldn’t mind 50 or so.

Honestly, Joy and Alistair should listen to Question Time occasionally. Their own, and Federal Parliament’s.

Arescarti42 says:

“…but i wouldn’t be hesitant in calling any socialist alternative member lefty scum. There were a bunch of shoeless, smelly, bearded men and women at O week preaching the horrors of capitalism in the name of Marxism, which I think the stickers apply to far more than the lovely pretty girl sitting at the ALP desk.”

Ah, so it was me the Liberal Club stickers were aimed at? Oh well, we must be a real threat to the wanna be merchant bankers.

Shoeless, smelly bearded men and women? For those who want to meet us we’ll have a stall on Thursday from around noon in Union Court at the ANU. You can judge the veracity of Arescarti42’s puerile comments then. And you might even end up having a real political conversation rather than the usual lightweight nonsense that passes for analysis from the Young Liberals and their twins, the ALP.

Being told to rack off and called lefty scum by Young Liberals is a badge of honour.

Honestly, Joy and Alistair should listen to Question Time occasionally. Theor own, andFedal parliaments.

I don’t mind the occasional insult if it is witty and makes a valid political point.

Unfortunately it is an indication of the shallowness of political debate in our society that childish insults are the stock in trade of politicians rather than real political and intellectual considerations like putting philosophies into action and having real policy discussion and debate.

BTW, as someone who manned the Socialist Alternative stall on Market Day at the ANU on Wednesday I’d say there is a more questioning attitude among some students about capitalism, and a greater openness to socialist ideas, or at least to hear and debate socialist explanations of the crisis and other issues.

I went to high school with Alistair Coe, and the idea that he would do something like this is hilarious.

I am exceedingly fond of the term “Rack off”. It kind of gives me nice warm fuzzies to see it again.

Although the “Rack off, Normie” song is a tad disappointing these days.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy9:35 am 21 Feb 09

I actually thought “Rack off lefty scum” meant that if you were a lefty scum chick you should get a mastectomy.

Clown Killer8:59 pm 20 Feb 09

Yawn.

shiny flu said :

Just one question, if I have to rack off and I’m of asian origin… does this mean the Liberal party is racist again?

You shouldn’t have said that. Your amazing leap in logic has revealed your secret identity Superman.

Deadmandrinking said :

I personally find ‘don’t get f-ked at work’ a bit more intellectual than ‘rack off lefty scum’. I mean, both are silly, but the former is what I’d pick if they were the only ones to choose from.

Me too. I got f-ked at work this week. Luckily I have a great left wing union and will be able to royally f-k the person who tried to f-k with me, in a fabulous way that is most often only seen in all male prisons.

Tetranitrate8:24 pm 20 Feb 09

shiny flu said :

Just one question, if I have to rack off and I’m of asian origin… does this mean the Liberal party is racist again?

What do you mean ‘again’?
did they ever actually stop?

*totally joking here

Tetranitrate8:23 pm 20 Feb 09

astrojax said :

the sort of lads who indulge in such ‘charlie-ism’ surely want to sleep with each other, not girls??

Indeed.
It’s actually incredible how many gay guys there are in the ANU liberal club.
I’m not at all joking here either, you’d be quite surprised. Totally disproportionate, not only compared to other political clubs but also compared the general population. I’m not pretending to know why this is the case, but I’m totally serious about the observation.

If you thought there would be more gays in the Labor club or Labor left club than in the Liberal club, you thought wrong.

Just one question, if I have to rack off and I’m of asian origin… does this mean the Liberal party is racist again?

jakez said :

Incidentally, the Rack off Lefty Scum phrase is the Liberal response to Socialist Alternative’s ‘F*** Off Liberal Scum’ which they chant to drown out any Liberal on Campus. Like I said above, they are too pussy to say F*** off themselves.

So these ones aren’t actually even about the ALP. You find that student politics is very insular. What’s that old saying? It’s so vicious because the stakes are so low?

Too true about the Socialist Alternative group. As something of a Liberal supporter, I don’t know that I’d go as far as labeling Joy Burch lefty scum (I might go as far as labeling her a stupid twat), but i wouldn’t be hesitant in calling any socialist alternative member lefty scum. There were a bunch of shoeless, smelly, bearded men and women at O week preaching the horrors of capitalism in the name of Marxism, which I think the stickers apply to far more than the lovely pretty girl sitting at the ALP desk

Pommy bastard6:17 pm 20 Feb 09

Talk about “handbags at dawn”, dear oh dear…

“Rack Off”? Watch out, it’ll be “Get Knotted” next…

Incidentally, the Rack off Lefty Scum phrase is the Liberal response to Socialist Alternative’s ‘F*** Off Liberal Scum’ which they chant to drown out any Liberal on Campus. Like I said above, they are too pussy to say F*** off themselves.

So these ones aren’t actually even about the ALP. You find that student politics is very insular. What’s that old saying? It’s so vicious because the stakes are so low?

tom-tom said :

i’m quite sceptical of mr coe’s story here because a.) the f&@$%ed at work thing is ACTU not ALP material and b.)there weren’t many of those things in the first place.

Mate, you take whatever you can get. Yes they were there by the way because I took one myself. I think I also joined Resistance.

Spam Box said :

***scum should rack off! As should scum of any nature!***

Don’t let the door hit you in the arse on the way out

It’s frightening how much you want me.

i quite enjoy a good lefty woman with hairy legs and armpits 😉

but otherwise, i agree with the sentiments of the sticker….

i’m quite sceptical of mr coe’s story here because a.) the f&@$%ed at work thing is ACTU not ALP material and b.)there weren’t many of those things in the first place.

the dont get f%$&ed things were from the your rights at work campaign and were handed out in nightclubs etc (ie places people are less likely to be offended) and they came with a condom (hence why the don’t get effed thing is funny). on the reverse of them they had contact info for unions and had some info about basic work entitlements etc.
my point being they had some useful information and actually addressed an issue, as opposed to the lib one which just insults those who disagree, instead of opening up a debate.

if coe was handing them out well then, thats just a bit sad isn’t it? its one thing for some uni students to make a joke like that but quite another for an elected representative to do it.

***scum should rack off! As should scum of any nature!***

Don’t let the door hit you in the arse on the way out

I quite like some kinds of lefty . . . just not the Stanhope variety! *Quandary* should I get a sticker, or not??? Am I scum if I’m a lefty, or not? How do I tell??? Aaargh!

(I feel a thesis coming on)

Deadmandrinking4:58 pm 20 Feb 09

I personally find ‘don’t get f-ked at work’ a bit more intellectual than ‘rack off lefty scum’. I mean, both are silly, but the former is what I’d pick if they were the only ones to choose from.

proofpositive4:42 pm 20 Feb 09

Jakez the ALP lefty apologist!

G-Fresh said :

astrojax said :

the sort of lads who indulge in such ‘charlie-ism’ surely want to sleep with each other, not girls??

Pfft it’s not ‘charlie-ism’ it’s downright serious. Left scum should rack off! As should scum of any nature!

That’s a good point actually. The sticker really only asks that lefty ‘scum’ rack off. Lefty non scum are more than welcome to hang around. It’s really only Joy Burch who has put herself and Canberrans in the scum category.

FOR SHAME!

astrojax said :

the sort of lads who indulge in such ‘charlie-ism’ surely want to sleep with each other, not girls??

Pfft it’s not ‘charlie-ism’ it’s downright serious. Left scum should rack off! As should scum of any nature!

johnboy said :

mumsy wouldn’t pay for that one…

Certainly not after all that hoo-ha with the regatta down at the lake, she’s been absolutely ropable ever since that altercation with that nasty cyclist.

the sort of lads who indulge in such ‘charlie-ism’ surely want to sleep with each other, not girls??

Depends on who your boss is. I would prefer a syphillitic bear than my manager.

To be honest, getting f#(ked at work was something of a highlight

mumsy wouldn’t pay for that one…

Squil said :

Typical conservatives… I haven’t heard “rack off” said by anyone born after 1962.

It’s because they are too pussy to say f*** off lefty scum.

Squil said :

Typical conservatives… I haven’t heard “rack off” said by anyone born after 1962.

Hearbreak High used it…

I remeber the phrase ‘rack off Drazic’ quite fondly.

Typical conservatives… I haven’t heard “rack off” said by anyone born after 1962.

Tetranitrate said :

jakez said :

The stickers were distributed by the ANU Liberal Club which is not a part of the Liberal Party.

This is probably the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Liberal Clubs have been distributing stickers of this nature for donkeys years, and the Left and Right Labor Clubs have done the same. Students manage to see the good humour in it all and usually we get on fantastically with each other.

Even if Alistair did hand them out, frankly who gives a toss. Joy Burch is acting like a twit.

It WAS however a part of the Liberal party until last year wasn’t it?

Yes it was as you well know tetranitrate considering you were intimately involved in that issue. Don’t get me wrong, I’m perfectly comfortable with the Liberal Party being a party to such things (hypothetically of course, as I said above I find that particular sticker to be the lamest of the ones that I’ve seen).

Tetranitrate said :

Also I can’t help but think that the Labor promo items would be particularly offensive to members of the Scarlet Alliance and sex industry workers in general.

Funny! :o)

I prefer to be made love to at work!

Tetranitrate4:02 pm 20 Feb 09

Also I can’t help but think that the Labor promo items would be particularly offensive to members of the Scarlet Alliance and sex industry workers in general.

Tetranitrate4:00 pm 20 Feb 09

jakez said :

The stickers were distributed by the ANU Liberal Club which is not a part of the Liberal Party.

This is probably the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Liberal Clubs have been distributing stickers of this nature for donkeys years, and the Left and Right Labor Clubs have done the same. Students manage to see the good humour in it all and usually we get on fantastically with each other.

Even if Alistair did hand them out, frankly who gives a toss. Joy Burch is acting like a twit.

It WAS however a part of the Liberal party until last year wasn’t it?

They’re both acting like twits. Our local government runs more like a three ring circus at the best of times.

The attempts from both sides at trying to make themselves relevant and appeal to normal intelligent people are laughable. I’m ashamed of the lot of them.

Out of touch wankers.

This is a classic case of glass houses. Some ALP backbencher blockhead screams outrage over nothing more than silly uni stunts. And what happens? She walks right into a propellar! Of course, this comes on the back of a fake press release from Mary Porter, another talented Labor backbencher. Really kicking goals.

frontrow said :

Politics suffers when humour is sacrificed. The problem here is that the humour is stale and boring.

I’ll agree with that. Personally I think that is the least humorous of the stickers I’ve seen.

The stickers were distributed by the ANU Liberal Club which is not a part of the Liberal Party.

This is probably the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Liberal Clubs have been distributing stickers of this nature for donkeys years, and the Left and Right Labor Clubs have done the same. Students manage to see the good humour in it all and usually we get on fantastically with each other.

Even if Alistair did hand them out, frankly who gives a toss. Joy Burch is acting like a twit.

frontrow said :

Maybe I should read Hansard more often.

Would I find “pissant swamp” in there or is that something different, too?

Maybe if they updated the hansard within months of the relevant sitting many more of us would read it.

Maybe I should read Hansard more often.

Would I find “pissant swamp” in there or is that something different, too?

frontrow said :

My all time favourite was “conger line of suckholes”.

Hah, I like your more surreal version, but for the record, conger = type of eel, conga = weird dance done at houseparties in the 70s and what Latham said.

Deadmandrinking3:27 pm 20 Feb 09

That’s because the left in this country actually has some smart cookies among them 🙂

Politics suffers when humour is sacrificed. The problem here is that the humour is stale and boring.

The left in this country (as far as the ALP can be described as the left) has always been more interesting with it’s invective. My all time favourite was “conger line of suckholes”.

the right wing behaving like children? what a surprise.

Slang One, such as a person or an element of society, that is regarded as despicable or worthless.

Joy if the sticker said “Joy Burch is Scrum” then maybe you should take offence and contribute some of your tax funded time.

Deadmandrinking3:14 pm 20 Feb 09

I think they should be distributed more. Typical toddler tactics from the just plain ignorant factions of the Liberals. Even less people would want to be associated with them!

And the Liberals wonder why they keep losing in the ACT…

It would be good if the Labor party were a little left… or, at least a little left of the Liberal party.

It’s a shame that “lefty scum” Joy Burch doesn’t concentrate on something a bit more relevant and important for the ACT; like our finances and deteriorating services rather than student politics.

Of course the “left scum” students groups would never get up to such political mud racking!

The Canberra Liberals figureheads seem to be very much candidates for the Children’s Table at Liberal Party events, so this isn’t really a change of form.

Also: Joy should obey the Rule #1 of the internet (especially when reporting that she saw someone do something)…
Pics or it didn’t happen.

The issue isn’t who was making the stickers, it’s who was distributing them.

As should narrow-minded, right-wing conservatives.

Those stickers verge on hate mongering.

Is that a mooseheads privilege card there too? Very grown up lol

Woody Mann-Caruso2:35 pm 20 Feb 09

Alistair Coe: “I have stickers! And marbles! Let’s play yo-yos! No, I’m Monkey Magic and you’re Pigsy!”

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:34 pm 20 Feb 09

And yet, lefty scum really should rack off…

Isn’t that the Federal Liberal logo all over these things, instead of the ACT Divisional crap?

(so isn’t it a Secretariat activity that Joy is complaining about, instead of Deadhead Zed & co stunt?)

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