A tribute to Charles Krauthammer - and Australia

I mentioned the other day that I had purchased a book entitled "The Point of it All" which is a tribute to the late, great Charles Krauthammer made up of many of his mostly 'WaPo' columns and compiled by his son.  I have started to read it and already I am captivated (again!) by his wit and intelligence and clarity of thought.  The last essay I read is entitled "Why I love Australia" which took me somewhat by surprise.  I have decided to copy part of it out here as my tribute both to him and to Australia.

In the Australian House of Representatives last month, opposition member Julia Gillard interrupted a speech by the minister of health thusly: "I move that that snivelling grub over there be not further heard."

For that, the good woman was ordered removed from the House, if only for a day.  She might have escaped that little time-out if she had responded to the speaker's demand for an apology with something other than "If I have offended grubs, I withdraw unconditionally."

God, I love Australia.  Where else do you have a shadow health minister with such, er, starch?  Of course I'm prejudiced, having married an Australian, but how not to like a country, in this age of snivelling grubs worldwide, whose treasurer suggests to any person who "wants to live under sharia law" to try Saudi Arabia and Iran, "but not Australia."  He was elaborating on an earlier suggestion that "people who … don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well they can basically clear off."  Contrast this with Canada, historically and culturally Australia's commonwealth twin, where last year Ontario actually gave serious consideration to allowing its Muslims to live under sharia.

Such things do not happen in Australia.  This is a place where, when the remains of a fallen soldier are accidentally switched with those of a Bosnian, the enraged widow picks up the phone late at night, calls the prime minister at home in bed and delivers a furious , unedited rant - which he publicly and graciously accepts as fully deserved.  Where Americans today sue, Australians slash and skewer.

And so on . . . and I urge you to buy the book.  Dammit, I miss that man!

 

 

 

Comments

[Tony from Adelaide]

Unfortunately more and more we are moving away from some of those attitudes. There are suburbs of sydney where Sharia law is more respected than Australian law and the Police do not enter.

[Glesga]

Jihad next then!