Watching the decline of the Right, part 223. For Greg “simulator” Sheridan, Australia’s boycott of the Durban II conference was the finest foreign policy move the Rudd government has undertaken. In the National Review Jay Nordlinger notes that Dubya never “mentioned Hugo Chavez by name — I think that bothered Chavez.”

This is the movement that was going to remake the world in the image of Western society — now judging its successes by the same standards that apply in an episode of Gossip Girl.

The terrorist/freedom fighter follies continue in the media across the world. The UK Daily Telegraph has a piece on a memorial for the 400 UK soldiers killed in Cyprus in the 50s by Greek Cypriot …”terrorists”. Say what? The Greek Cypriot EOKA group were fighting for their independence from colonial rule. They attacked the uniformed soldiers of the occupying power, often while the latter (poorly trained conscripts) were off-guard. That’s not terrorism, it’s tactics. But how dare they maximise their advantage. Not cricket old boy.

Meanwhile in The Age, Zionist terror still gets a free pass with Jason Koutsoukis describing the Irgun as “a militant group”. The Irgun rolled bombs into markets and machine-gunned Arab civilians. Everyone called the Irgun terrorists. Hell, even the Irgun called the Irgun “terrorists”. About time the Age did. The editor who would have insisted on that fig leaf is long gone.

Bolt. Of late Andrew Bolt has taken to budding off versions of the left (“angry left, violent left, treacherous left…”) like he was creating new spice girls. He is now officially taking the piss having enrolled into our ranks … John Birmingham.

Birmingham, who has a blog on the Brisbane Times site (Really? Scratch that blockbuster writing plan then if you’ve still got be doing, well, this, after all that work) called Blunt Instrument (which, being the Bris Times, it would be called even if was about chakra healing), wrote a piece in the “modest proposal” style arguing that we should kill people smugglers, not lock up their wretched cargo — indeed we should allow the smuggled to kill the smugglers.

At least I think it’s in the modest proposal style. One never knows with Burmo, whose dinkus looks like he’s about to ask the whole of Brisbane to step outside and settle this like men.

In any case, his compassion for the smuggled was sufficient to get a red guernsey from Bolt (also he called Bolt a “worthless blood clot”). Like reports a few years ago that Robert Manne was now the head of the left, this news is going to be a shock to both parties.

But Bolt’s enemies are many. How long before we find out that in the form of John Howard (“short, baldy left”) we was running the joint all along?

FOX News’s Sean Hannity, the only adult man who chooses to have his hair cut like a Vienna choir boy, has offered to be waterboarded for torture. That’s not really going to prove any point about the practice. What Hannity needs to do is agree to be waterboarded until he hands over his banking PIN numbers and online passwords — and sign a prior legal agreement that all money thus taken from him will constitute a legal transfer. Would he last the full 180 times?

Looks like the American people haven’t checked out of the honeymoon suite just yet. According to an AP report, Obama’s approval rating remains in the mid-sixties, and a greater number of Americans — 48% — believe the country is going in the right direction. If that looks lowish (those who believe the opposite is 40%) remember that the number who believed so at the end of Dubya’s tenure was 17%. It’s only the second time since 2003 that more people have said “right” rather than “wrong” direction, and the only previous time in that period was a blip in 2004.

Looks like the honeymoon might evolve into a strong marriage. Leaving the Republicans to howl at the moon and please themselves.

Ahhh the Kiwis. The New Zealand government has realised that the two islands of which the country is substantially composed have never been officially named, and is holding a competition to do so.

Some suggestions:

  • North Island: Nuth Island, South Island: Suth Island
  • North Island: Nowheresville, South Island: Sheep Brothel
  • North Island: South Fiji, South Island: North Ice
  • North Island: Dom, South Island: Femme
  • North Island: East Bondi, South Island: South-east Bondi
  • North Island: The Big Rubber Gloved Hand Helping Round The S-Bend A, South Island: Post-Six Guinnesses Turd (sounds better in Maori)
  • North Island: The Island North of the more Southerly of the Two Islands, South Island: Sheep Brothel
  • North Island: Luctor, South Island: Emergo
  • North Island: Landmass East of Australia No.1, South Island: Landmass East of Australia No.2
  • North Island: Z-z-z land, South Island: Shee- you’re way ahead of me

Other suggestions welcome, send them to boss@crikey.com.au

Best wins a First Dog On The Moon t-shirt.