To all our pals Down Under, we hope you're having a terrific Australia Day weekend. As is now traditional, the occasion is marked by orgies of societal self-loathing. The big contretemps this year was the keynote address at the Australian Open "Inspirational Series" - and, if you're thinking, "Hang on, the Australian Open? Isn't that a tennis championship?" No, apparently, it's just the same-old-same-old dreary virtue-signaling dronefest as everything else (with a couple of sets of tennis on the side). This year's keynote speaker was Vogue honcho Dame Anna Wintour (seriously - for services to bangs, presumably), who savaged Prime Minister Scott Morrison for being insufficiently gung ho for gays, and demanded the Margaret Court Arena be renamed because Mrs Court, while quite good at thwacking the ball over the net, is unsound on LGBTQWERTY issues, which is the vital criterion for getting a sporting venue named after you.
Anyway, after all the jollity, I'll be joining Chris Kenny on his new Monday show at Sky Australia. If you can't contain your excitement till then, you can watch me with Natasha Stott Despoja, Amanda Vanstone et al on the ABC's "Q&A" a few years back. My appearance was well received:
Over the sauv. blanc after the ABC's Q&A, former senator Amanda Vanstone mentioned that a friend of hers had just emailed to say I was 'eminently shaggable', but that she'd hate herself in the morning.
Be that as it may, it remains my ambition to assist Australia in getting rid of Section 18C, as we succeeded in doing in Canada with Section 13 - a small victory for the cause of free speech. So here I am, in a special video for my friends at Australia's IPA, speaking on behalf of the outrageously treated Andrew Bolt some years ago:
Finally, if you missed it last Australia Day, click above for an hour of great music from the Lucky Country, including my conversations with the late Greg Ham of Men At Work about their massive hit "Down Under", and with the man who's been called the most technically accomplished classical guitarist in the world, Melbourne's John Williams. Retro pop, prog rock, reggae-meets-rock plus the inevitable Aussie opener (with a difference) β but not a showtune in sight. To listen to this special Australia Day edition of On the Town, simply click above.
I was very touched by the Aussie turnout of Mark Steyn Club members on last year's inaugural (and sold-out) Mark Steyn Cruise, and hope to see even more of you on this year's cruise, or failing that Down Under very soon. For more on The Mark Steyn Club, see here.
Comment on this item (members only)
Submission of reader comments is restricted to Mark Steyn Club members only. If you are not yet a member, please click here to join. If you are already a member, please log in here:
Member Login
25 Member Comments
Like Ken I also learned "Waltzing Matilda" and "Kukaburra" in grade school, and we also sang the latter in rounds during a period of the day when we sang and learned folk songs (blessed memory, blessed time). Mark's tribute to things Aussie brought to mind the stunningly good Australian movies I first saw in the eighties, notably "Breaker Morant" and "Gallipoli". The lovely "Morningtown" brought tears to my eyes and reminded me of the beautiful song in the same vein by Gordon Lightfoot, "The Ponyman". I didn't know at 6 years old that "Waltzing Matilda" was written by Banjo Patterson. But the movie "The Man From Snowy River", based on a poem by Banjo Patterson, drove me to delve deeper into his work where I discovered "A Bush Christening". Let me put in my request , Mark, that you read this one on your Sunday poems.
I agree that Trump was the only one who could have beaten the criminal Hillary Clinton
.
I was all for Cruz, but in hindsight, it's clear that had Cruz been the nominee, he would have lost.
The irony of the 2016 race is, in my opinion, that the Clinton Campaign wanted to run against Trump because they had that "Grab them by the pudendum" tape in their October Surprise Bag. The billion plus dollars worth of free publicity that the media cartel (including Fox and Hillary supporter Rupert Murdoch) gave to Trump was for more than just ratings, it was to put Trump up there for Hillary to defeat. That was the same game plan they used in '08 when they put up the aged and loathsome RINO, John McCain. Unfortunately for Hillary in '08, David Geffen, the Capo di tutti Capo of QHollywood, kicked her to the curb and replaced her with Barack Obama. Obama repaid Geffen by instituting same-sex weddings in the chapel at West Point and putting two stout and less than feminine looking Leftist women on the Supreme Court.
It should be noted that McCain would never have been the nominee had not the titular head of the GOP, President George W. Bush, assented to it.
What's wrong wiff ya mark? It's Straya day maaate..cmon..or as my 18 yo son and his mates were saying to everyone while larking around in the pool drinking beer and listening to dreadful south Central LA rap music, Happy Invasion Day..Lol..
I learned "Waltzing Matilda" and "Kukaboora" in grade school in California. We sang the latter in rounds. I've had a very high opinion of Australia ever since! No, it doesn't sound like "Down Under".
Yer right..your just trying to get a visa to come here then you'll bring your entire family on a reunion ticket. Who you trying to con?
Now that you mention it, I do so love deserts and dry air. Seriously though, long, long ago in the '60s, I recall reading that Australia was actively recruiting immigrants from the Commonwealth and the U.S., so I fear I missed my golden moment.
True story. By the 1850s My gg grandfather was becoming the most successful businessman in Australia. He went back to Britain in 1857 to 1859. He took out ads in the British papers and offered to pay the ship fare and give accommodation to anyone who desired to come to settle in the new colony. His businesses were growing and he needed skilled labour. By all account's my father's today me that not Manypeaks took him up on the offer. Haha my how things change.
Diversity. Multiculturalism. Politically correct. Where's the empirical proof these are good? When did we vote all this in? I was born in the USA and used to be a native. Now that has taken away. If I'm not a native, can I be indigenous? Call me euro-american and you might see some Kung Fu fighting. I'm beginning to think Mark is almost the last sane human on the planet.
Er no you can't be termed indigenous. I'm fifth generation Australian born and bred and I thought I could use the term but you as a yank well you definitely can't as it belongs to the aborigines of Australia..so forggettaboutit.!
Forgot to say, Mark: you've (deliberately?) missed *the* big story here, which is fashionista and former foreign minister, Julie Bishop - your "old pal" - taking sides with Anna Wintour.
That's one degree of separation, with photos to prove it. Your keenness to distance yourself on this occasion is understandable.
The Amanda Vanstone comment is a reminder of your more recent Q&A appearance alongside Terri Butler and Sarah Hanson Young. There's something about women parliamentarians - from right-of-centre through to Greens - and Mark Steyn!
Not only must Margaret Court's name be sandblasted out of existence, tennis "courts" themselves are an offense. I suggest tennis mannings or tennis jenners as an inclusive alternative. While looking for any famous Australian transgenders (not named Dame Edna), I came across an Australian study of gender dysphoria among men that suggests a genetic predisposition behind the condition (wait, can I say that?): "We propose these genetic variations could make some males less able to process androgen, causing the brain to develop differently β with areas that are less 'masculine' or more 'feminine' β which may contribute to gender dysphoria in transgender women." Wait, can they say that? My parietal lobe is as butch as they come, but how do they measure that? I don't want to offend Jason Lee Steorts, if he's reading, so no remarks about Cher or Lady Gaga, but what dipstick do they use to check our levels? Please don't answer that...
Huh. I was playing at my local tennis Jenner today actually and we had fun hitting these round bright spherical objects. There is simply no way I'm going on here and calling them 'balls'. Nah it ain't gonna happen.
Nice talk on free speech Mark. Made me think of a quote that I don't know where I heard it from. "The privileged few we seek to appease will always bring the masses to their knees." Not sure if anyone said that but it sounds good to me.
Animal Farm is the appropriate term to describe what is going on in the western world. All are equal but some are more equal than others is quite the correct assessment in the view of the progressives and globalists. You asked the question how we got from there to here in terms of allowing big tech to rule us Mark. The more and more technologically advanced we get, the more dependent on technology we get. We are losing our own innate abilities of survival in the real world. We've gotten used to the conveniences of modern society that we would be lost without them. Our survival instinct has been replaced by smartphones and tablets and the belief that big brother will rescue us if we're in danger.
Mark, it amazes me how you have a better handle on events down here, on the other side of your world, than any of our so-called journalists.
Alas, the disgraceful 18c is widely accepted ,we have no one of your abilities to go against it. Former P.M. Tony Abbott said he was going to modify it but gutlessed out completely to avoid offending the islamic community, he stated this quite openly.
In Britain recently he then had the gall to criticize the British government for refusing asylum to Asia Bibi for fear it would offend muslims.
Have watched the Australian Open keenly but gratefully have not seen the " Inspirational Series " and A.W. on the occasional celebrity close up only. Celebrity, OMG and LOL.
Doesn't the quest for asylum by Asia Bibi remind you of the MS St. Louis? It does me, especially so now that a review of Bibi's acquittal will take place on January 29. Her daughters were able to escape to Canada but I fear she is doomed.
"People have a right to be bigots, you know" (G Brandis). Which is absolutely true, but the worst possible way to pitch free speech to assorted grievance groups and a generation that doesn't even get it. It was Cryin' George who cruelled the repeal of 18C with that utterance.
Btw, Tony Abbott has always been very vocal about the "death to the infidel" message of Islam, and the need for reform. On multiple occasions he's pointed out that Western leaders refer to the Religion of Peace, in contrast to Muslim leaders who rarely do (and so called on them "... to say itβ and mean it"). TA never cried in parliament in a show of solidarity with the Muslim community, nor did he, as PM, invite their controversial "leaders" to celebrate the end of Ramadan at tax-payer expense.
Also, let's not forget that the RDA is originally Labor policy. As was the White Australia policy. The left is always trying to over-compensate for its codified, abject bigotry.
It would be hard to come up with a more potent nine minutes of video than the one above where Mark speaks up for Andrew Bolt.
I've heard Mark speak in-person twice. From that, I'm guessing that he was doing this nine-minute video without prompts/notes. Awesome ...
Thanks for always bringing a ray of sanity to the dark, oppressive and depressing prison of conformity....
Hey Mark, the long weekend celebrations down here are well and truly underway, with the sauv blanc flowing freely everywhere ahead of the big match tonight.
Re Dame Wintour's "Inspirational Series" sanctimony: Amongst other things, Scott Morrison and Margaret Court are on record as opposing the *Queer theory* so-called "Safe Schools" programme, where primary school children have been subject to government grooming. I won't elaborate too much, but pre-pubescent children being shown sex toys and myriad ways to use them is the least-controversial aspect of the "anti-bullying" state-sexualisation curriculum (highlighted brilliantly by the late great Bill Leak's BDSM kids' lessons).
Despite Tony Abbott hitting back with a superb smash following her initial comments, "Dame Wintour" has doubled-down on outright LIES to the effect that gay kids are being expelled from Australian schools.
A few years ago (in the aftermath of MH17) TA promised to shirtfront Vladimir Putin (but after a parliamentary and MSM drubbing was forced to cuddle Koalas at the G20 with him instead). So it would be great if Margaret Court - "one of the greatest tennis players of all time" (Wikipedia) - shirtfronted Anna Wintour at the women's final tonight. Better still, Germaine Greer - another septuagenarian who's far more "transphobic" than Margaret Court, albeit on the far left.
Look forward to listening to and watching the links, and seeing you with Chris Kenny... hopefully a regular slot?
PS. See Johannes Leak's cartoon today!
I reckons it's funny how it's backfired on those black arm band proponents. Everyone I ran into up here on the northern rivers was running round with a big grin on their face declaring happily, "happy invasion day"! haha.
On new years day I finally met my lovely tenants new boyfriend. A late age little pom. While I was doing cattle work in the yards We got talking..about historical stuff (I'm a shit stirrer). Well it quickly descended when he compared some of the aboriginals stuff in the 19th century to the nazi death camps. He got angry and stormed of in a hissy huff when I said that was utter lunacy an if he wants he can for himself go to the State library in Sydney and read the documents on my family's caring kind compassionate interaction with the aboriginals. Unfortunately I never got the chance to wish him happy invasion day as he avoids me attached allows costs now!
Golly, does that mean we cannot call the place the game is played a "tennis 'court'" any more? Maybe a tennis "QWERT"?
Wow! Wow! Wow! Love free or die, indeed!!! Thank you Mark!!!