The Ghost of Wars Past.

 

Australian media are doing a remarkable effort to cover the war in the Ukraine.

The ABC, for example, has at least two correspondents reporting directly from within the Ukraine (Isabella Higgins and Nick Dole). Steve Cannane – ABC Europe bureau chief – and Linton Besser seem to be covering the war from London, while Jade Macmillan – Washington bureau chief – and Barbara Miller follow the reaction in the US.

At home,  Stan Grant – International Affairs Analyst – contributes both written pieces and TV segments. At least two veteran former foreign correspondents with experience in Russia, Philip Williams and Norman Hermant, joined him, providing comment to ABC News24. As I started writing this on Saturday, James Maasdorp was hosting a live blog (a new development in Aussie online journalism) on the war. On top, other journalists are chipping in as required in areas they cover regularly: Andrew Greene (defence correspondent) and David Chau (financial markets) and Matthew Doran (national politics), for example.

Operation Iraqui Freedom version 2.

 

(source)

Two versions of the Operation Iraqui Freedom: obliteration of a country on false pretences. At the time, the bien pensant in the rich nations almost to the last man defended one version – ours. Now, the same rabble of sanctimonious pseudo-intellectual prostitutes condemn the other version – the other guy’s – also almost to the last man.

The Big Sydney Trains Meltdown: Twenty Four Little Hours Later.

(source)

Although in reduced timetables, this Tuesday Sydney trains are running again. So far, no underground station collapsed, no train caught fire or exploded or derailed. Nobody has died, gotten injured or locked inside trains for hours on end. Indeed, nobody got locked inside trains. Period, full stop.

Nothing happened. The network is working safely, if with delays.

Who’s to Blame for the Sydney Rail Meltdown?

 

These workers turned up to work, but were
told they could not by management. They
are not on strike #LiarFromTheShire (source)

This morning Sydneysiders found they could not take their trains. Caught by surprise, commuters feel frustrated: neither early-starters could go to work nor kids could go to school, night-shift workers couldn’t return home. Those taking a cab or an Uber were left out-of-pocket.

So, who’s to blame?  –  is what everyone’s asking.

Fake it Till you Make it.

 
It’s becoming de rigueur among COALition pollies to pretend they are workers.

That’s Scotty from Marketing cosplaying as a welder:

(source)

While making a stop at Alice Springs Scotty decided that posing like a welder would make for a good photo opportunity.

Australia’s Weird Summer.

[A]

Australia is a big, big place. A plane flying from coast to coast in a straight line (Perth to Sydney, say) covers a distance of some 3,288 km (2,043 miles). By comparison, the distance between London and Moscow is about 2,499 km (1,553 miles).

So far, Summer 2021-22 over this vast land has been varied: mild and rainy in the east – Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and eastern Tasmania; hot and fiery in south-west Western Australia; decidedly humid from the Northern Territory down to northern South Australia, by a combination of a unusually strong monsoon and La Niña.