Comments on: Manne relishes controversy, Warhaft does not

By: Rob Gerrand

Rob Gerrand — Wed, 06 May 2009 04:43:42 +0000

An irony is that if Haigh had not spoken to Jonathan Green, then Crikey’s story would not have contained the personal attacks on Manne that appeared to spark Manne into writing his pieces. So Haigh set in train the stuff that has really only hurt Wharhaft. He may have had good intentions … .

By: Mike Smith

Mike Smith — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:35:22 +0000

TO those that complain about Crikey covering this: This is an internet publication, it isn’t like a dead-tree publication, where inclusion of one article must force another out. If you don’t like the article, FFS, just don’t read it!
In retrospect, I’m probably glad I didn’t subscribe to the Monthly when invited to, it was a close thing.

By: mark hipgrave

mark hipgrave — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:01:44 +0000

I agree with Carey and Happell. This story reminds me of the hoax on Quadrant(???) which was mildly amusing for a couple of paragraphs but on which Crikey bestowed way too much importance. I love you guys (and am a Monthly subscriber too) but sometimes you all take yourselves far too seriously.

Get back to the job you do so well - kicking Peter Costello. It’s much more interesting.

By: Frank Campbell

Frank Campbell — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:04:44 +0000

Ryan, thanks for pointing out my stupid mistake. I should never have assumed that Manne’s account last week in Crikey was the full story. Chastened.

By: bruce haigh

bruce haigh — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:40:25 +0000

Well said Gideon. Prior to Manne publicly coming out, I had considered not renewing my membership of The Monthly. That decision has now been made easy. It was somewhat of a dificult decision because from time to time there were interesting and well written articles; but not often enough and Rudd’s was not one of them. In any case Rudd has plenty of opportinities to get his ’ thoughts’ across.
Robert Manne has one serious deficiency he lacks toughness of mind. That is not to say he cannot be tough. Weak people make tough decisions when it comes to the lives of others.
And who can forget Manne sitting on the fence in the run up to the Iraq war.
Manne wields a feather duster believing it to be a penn.
Bruce Haigh

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:25:53 +0000

@Frank Campbell

The March 2009 edition of The Monthly carried articles on the recent Victorian bushfires by both Richard Flanagan and John van Tiggelen, along with the image of a fire fighter on the cover. Printing would undoubtedly have been well under way by the time you emailed Ms Warhaft on the 23rd of February.

By: Frank Campbell

Frank Campbell — Tue, 05 May 2009 07:06:34 +0000

Reminds me of academia. The endless bitching of the impotent. The lack of a sense of proportion. The preening self-importance. No wonder these tiny intellectual “elites” are regarded as cafes full of tossers. Why should anyone care if Haigh pillories Manne as a bore brimming with ersatz gravitas? Should we prefer Haigh’s pretentious verbosity?

I emailed Warhaft on 23rd Feb. suggesting I write an article on the bushfires. Remember them? 173 incinerated. The abysmal failure of the state, of fire science etc etc. Rednecks and green zealots ripping each others’ throats out afterwards while Germaine Greer farted in the background. I expected to hear nothing back from Warhaft and I didn’t. Then Manne says (Crikey last week) someone should do a piece on the fires- how about Richard Flanagan? Nope, he’s canoeing for a week. How about David Marr then? Warhaft hits roof…Manne didn’t consult. Marr prevented by SMH from retailing his deep knowledge of schizoid rural Australia. Washup? The Monthly (great title by the way) does nothing at all about Black Saturday.

By: Sean Carmody

Sean Carmody — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:41:32 +0000

These exchanges get longer and more tedious with every iteration. Please stop!

By: David Christie

David Christie — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:35:43 +0000

Yeah. Well after 40 years in Universities I have had my share of internecine conflict and I really don’t need to read about another of them.
David

By: Peter Kington

Peter Kington — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:02:53 +0000

Well, I’m a monthly subscriber - and a Crikey subscriber.

Who really cares, except for those with a vested interest, in any of this nonsense?

The reailty is that what has happened at The Monthly is nothing more than an office stoush; a clash of egos. There is nothing earth-shattering in this. It happens in offices all across the world, every day.

In this instance, however, it strikes me that we are really dealing with a group of small fish in an equally small pond - all clammering for breath.

I implore the Eds at Crikey and The Monthly to spend my subscription money on stories of interest to the wider community and not just a group of media hacks caught up in a very small-minded war of wills!!!

By: Charlie Happell

Charlie Happell — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:49:22 +0000

Good grief. That’s enough Monthly. Ed.

By: Steve Carey

Steve Carey — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:45:43 +0000

Zzzzzz…

By: John james

John james — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:12:52 +0000

How come Morry asked Sally not to speak to the media and then , together with Robert, backgrounds the media ad nauseam?
It’s a rhetorical question! Leave Keith Windshuttle out of it. If this reveals anything, it demonstrates how unreasonable Manne has and can be. Windshuttle did no more that Sally. Just challenged the Manne orthodoxy.

By: Mary Garden

Mary Garden — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:48:23 +0000

Thanks, Gideon. Amazing how bullies can portray themselves as victims, which I suppose they are underneath all those clever words. Robert Manne has in some respects become like Keith Windschuttle: intellectual bullies who cause unnecessary pain, because they won’t deal with their own.

By: Michael Veitch

Michael Veitch — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:35:49 +0000

Go Gids!