Our cultural gatekeepers will tell you how to think

This grates with me. The State Library of New South Wales has been accused of smearing Joseph Banks (1743-1820), the famous botanist who was part of the first British expedition to Australia. The library has given a highly negative caption to a portrait of Banks in its collection, using words such as "invasion, cultural theft, and colonial violence."

This crosses the line. The Australian Library and Information Association, the peak professional body for librarians in Australia, has published guidelines instructing that librarians are to avoid imposing their personal biases. Librarians are also to help users evaluate and engage with historical documents for themselves, and not impose their own interpretations. 

The Library issued a media statement, that appears self contradictory. They claim that they want users to make their own conclusions about documents in their Banks collection, but they also state that they are interpreting these documents through a contemporary lens. 

https://www.2gb.com/exclusive-state-library-blasted-over-joseph-banks-painting/

Where were you?

A 9/11 Conspiracy Debunker’s Guide by Gerald Posner

Twenty-five years on, the truthers are still working. Here is what the evidence says — and what it doesn’t.

Read on Substack

A marvel and a wonder?

I've watched the South Park episode, seen the stage musical, read books about it, watched videos about it, listened to podcasts about it. Now it's time to read one of its core source texts. As an educational exercise, I am gradually working my way through The Book of Mormon. 

Mormons believe this to be an inspired religious text, equal in status to the Bible itself. Mainline Christians will hopefully feel differently about it, and at the very least, be aware of its problematic origins, but that is another story.
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Forget me not

More pedantry. This time, in an opinion article about the replacement of Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan with Ben Carroll, former Premier Jeff Kennett (1992-1999), gets important details about his own political career wrong. Kennett became Premier in 1992, defeating his predecessor, Joan Kirner, in that year's state election. Kirner became Premier in 1990 after the resignation of John Cain, and not 1991. 

 

Tin foil hats aplenty

Some brief thoughts about Queensland One Nation Senator, Malcolm Roberts. Senator Roberts isn’t the only conspiracy theorist in One Nation. It is disingenuous for him to claim, as he has, that the media is trying to make him look bad.

I can name at least two others. I know for a fact that a One Nation candidate in the 2017 WA state election, and is still involved in the party, runs an active anti vax group on Facebook. Without the permission of the relatives of the deceased, he posts stories of people who have died prematurely, and claims this was caused by the Covid vaccine.

Another one privately believes that the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre was a false flag operation to disarm the Australian people. This person is also adamant that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s real surname isn’t Albanese, and that he has created a fictional life story for political purposes. 

It concerns me that such people are already walking in Australia's corridors of power, and if opinion polls are accurate, there will be many more in future Parliaments. 

Scum of the earth

Against my better judgement, I attempted to engage with Corey Mahler, the excommunicated Lutheran pastor, and leader of the vile Stone Choir movement, who are, to put it bluntly, apologists for the 1933-1945 German regime, and claim that the leader of this regime was a model Christian believer, who should be admired and not reviled. Mahler blocked me, just as he does anyone who dares to challenge his abhorrent worldview. 

Single digit temperature

During the Southern Hemisphere Winter, some people like to celebrate Christmas in July. This is because that in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, Christmas is celebrated in the height of summer, and the weather is too warm to enjoy a traditional Christmas roast. 

This song, by the German schlager group, Die Flippers, is worthy of being added to your Christmas in July meal background music playlist.