A NYT editorial has slammed Goldman Sachs for its role in the financial crisis, Ten must work out what to do with Australian Idol in 2010, how the media downturn will affect higher education, newsreaders get emo, and more.
Steve Fielding is just a media torte. Sorry, tart.
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Like a number of other media outlets yesterday, we ran Steve Fielding’s assault on the English language. And some people weren’t impressed. “Crikey’s attack on Steve Fielding’s verbal slips is pathetic,” Miranda Devine tweeted. “Be honest about what you’re attacking, at least — climate change agnosticism.” I wrote the piece, Miranda, and I confess Fielding’s “climate change agnosticism” as you so amusingly term it, was entirely absent from my mind, but perhaps in some sub-conscious way I remain enraged, rather than merely bemused, by Fielding’s inability to grasp basic maths. Others pointed out there was a typo in my first sentence. There’s an ironclad rule, which I discovered during my blogging years, that whenever you bag someone else’s poor grammar or spelling you’re guaranteed to make your own howler while doing so. I’d only defend myself by noting that Crikey is run by, almost literally, three people and a dog (actually, a man who pretends to be a dog), and I’m the Canberra bureau in its entirety, and I reckon readers accept that Crikey will come with its fair share of typos each day. So I can guarantee you there will continue to be typos in my copy, at least. The mainstream media, alas, doesn’t have our excuse for typos, but that’s no reason why mine shouldn’t be mocked and jeered at along with everyone else’s. The most amusing reaction was from reactionary lightweight David Penberthy at The Punch. Penberthy, ex-editor of that journal of record the Daily Telegraph and Adelaide Uni’s On Dit, when he was a Trotskyite and a particularly anti-American and anti-Murdoch one at that, painted Fielding as a courageous, unfashionable senator being victimised by “the intelligentsia”. Today he ran Fielding’s own defence, where the good Senator declared he had a “specific learning disability”, which unfortunately remained specifically unspecified. While chuffed that I’ve been elevated to the ranks of intelligentsia, I’d suggest a couple of things have been ignored. I don’t know if Fielding has a “learning disability”. Since he managed to complete an engineering degree (despite his apparent inability to read basic climate change graphs) and an MBA, I don’t think the phrase “learning disability” can be an accurate description of whatever condition he reckons he has anyway. But what’s particularly offensive is Fielding’s insistence that criticising him is tantamount to attacking people with genuine disabilities. “It’s a bit like a hidden handicap. You can’t see it. You see someone in a wheelchair, you wouldn’t ridicule them, you wouldn’t put them down.” Sorry Senator, but being unable to spell is not the same as being confined to a wheelchair or, as you seem to be suggesting, somehow worse. And in any event, since when was confessing to a learning disability courageous? “Learning disabilities” have for years been trotted out by parents to explain the gross behaviour of their children, devaluing the term for the far smaller number of kids and their families who actually have to cope with them. It’s a bit like bravely admitting to sex addiction or confessing to a drinking problem — few celebrity resumes are complete without one. And if Fielding does have some sort of condition that effects his ability to read and communicate in English, perhaps he shouldn’t have put his hand up for a position that is almost entirely about reading and writing. And strange that, as a condition for his support for the Government’s second stimulus package, he insisted on being appointed to a board that would handle applications for local government grants, a job which one might go out on a limb and suggest would involve some reading and writing. The broader point is that, call me a grumpy old fascist, but I think there should be some basic standards in public life. Good use of the English language is one of them. Yes I’m a language snob, the sort of person who still gets angry about misused apostrophes (correction, apostrophe’s), incorrect usage of who and whom and the debauchery of words like “genocide” in public discourse (although I’ve given up trying to save decimate). Governing the country — and Fielding has a critical swing vote — calls for high standards, and not just in English. It is not a primary school sports carnival where everyone gets a “Good effort!” ribbon. An inability to spell fiscal — hardly the most taxing of words, ha ha — and Fielding’s insistence on spelling it out is only a small part of a pattern of behaviour showing Fielding’s lack of fitness for the position he holds, regardless of his views. It is part of a pattern of at-times incoherent policy positions, inconsistent voting and absurd stunts that involve dressing up or getting undressed. This is the senator, after all, who called a press conference earlier in the year to declare that he might have swine flu but he was going to continue coming to Parliament House anyway, so everyone around him should wear masks. Is Fielding the only senator unfit to hold his august position? I’d wager not, but he’s the one who regularly advertises the fact. Nick Xenophon, a man not unacquainted with the occasional stunt himself, has shown how to be an effective independent senator capable of offering his own policies and negotiating with the other parties. It is a tough job, and he handles it well, although he admits to the strain on his staff. True, Xenophon is able to draw on his experience in the South Australian Parliament, but Fielding has been around since 2005 and still looks utterly out of his depth four years later. I reckon the best take on F-I-S-K-A-Lgate (that’s a joke) came from Christian Kerr. “Steve Fielding admitted yesterday he has an embarrassing disability: he craves publicity.” Dead right. |
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74 Comments
Effect, Affect (para 12). Are you taking the piss or what??
Does anyone know where Steve got his engineering degree and MBA? If he is responsible for any bridge designs in this country I want to know where they are. I want to make sure I avoid them.
Sinator Felding culd jist be hevving a bet of a laff it us ell? Watcha thank?
Great writing Bernard, a pity a few more Journalists didn’t remind Fielding to stop acting like a circus clown and get on with the job he was sent by the few thousand, to do.
Sky News doesn’t do Fielding any favours by giving him 15 mins to bleed his soul. What a completely unprofessional performance by him and the interviewer. Not that either of them have a clue.
When has Bernard Keane become such a expert on learning disabilities?
Do we need to be experts on them to express opinions? It’s never deterred Miranda.
I thought we were talking about Bernard Keane’s article, I haven’t read any of Miranda Devine’s work
Typical grovelling comment by Murdoch glove-puppet Penberthy. He slobbers all over Fielding as a ‘common hero’ only because he’s conservative. We’re slowly seeing the end of the Murdoch bacterial tumor in our media, and the chemo can’t come quick enough!!
As for Miranda, well, now that her poor old Daddy snuffed it, it looks like her ‘writing’ career is going to go the same way. Time for a real job Miranda!
I don’t care if a senator can spell or not, but Fielding is frighteningly immature to hold the position. It was this story that convinced me no rational exchange is possible with him: http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/16/revealed-steve-fieldings-ets-amendment-proposal/
That’s not disability, that’s childishness. He might make a great clown for children’s birthday parties, but to weigh up such a person’s suitability for senator — where do you start?
When do we take the gloves off. Steve might or might not have a learning disability but whatever the case the Senate and therefore Australia has a democracy disability. His inane pronouncements on climate science or almost anything else leave me and many others speechless and wondering how long this is going to last.
On climate science Kevin Rudd has promiscd no double dissolution but also calls it the greatest moral issue of our time. Bring on the dissolution and lets clean up both houses,
Trevor my thoughts exactly. According to the wiki entry RMIT was responsible for Fielding’s engineering degree (not a lay down maizarre it’s a highly regarded course). His MBA from Monash. Both sandstone institutions who must be loathing the publicity for all the wrong reasons.
I am reminded of the West Wing quote ‘I don’t mind being held to a higher standard, I mind being held to a lower one’.
Shame on you, Bernard! This is a very un-politically correct article, and is contributing to cognitive dissonance anxiety in conservative circles.
Miranda Devine? David Penberthy? Yuk.
From one “grumpy old fascist” to another..
PLEASE!
“And if Fielding does have some sort of condition that effects his ability to read and communicate in English, perhaps he shouldn’t have put his hand up for a position that is almost entirely about reading and writing”
Hmmmnnnnnnnn…
One of my pet hates is ‘effects’ for ‘affects! That’s not a typo is it?
BTW: I think you will find that your initial use of the plural for apostrophe is correct. Your correction to apostrophe’s is not!
There!…I feel so much less grumpy now!!
I’m not copping to “e/affect”. It was fine when it left my keyboard.
How come he doesn’t have any problem reading the Bible and ramming that down everyone’s throat?
twitter.com/rossdog83
Blame Microsoft Word, it’s a convenient wiping buoy. :^)
must be a slow news day…..
As the ingenue Olivia Newton John once said, “Let’s get FISKAL!”
“…actually, a man who pretends to be a dog…”
Is that Toby or Jermey?
Oops, sorry J-E-R-E-M-Y.
My bad.
dyslexia rules KO?
Good point Sean Ross. I bet he would not have a problem quoting genesis to anyone who would listen.
Well, I suppose Fielding can claim to have a learning difficulty, after all so does Turnbull who displays supreme difficulty learning that politics is not for him.
However, neither of them gets a dollop of sympathy from me.
Is it just me or did Mr Fielding appear sickly like Mr Latham before he retired?
The scariest thing about Fielding is that he’s the best that Family First have to offer.
You’d never hit a guy with glasses would you, Bernard? ~:P
Such a silly argument for people to get sucked into
Don’t you mean tort?
“ex-editor of … Adelaide Uni’s On Dit”
Does anyone know what dave krantz is up to these days?
Moral car crash.
Hi Terry Reilly, if theirs anyone whom understands the rite what what to put them apostrophe’s I reckon Bernards’ our man
Other journalists stuffing up their words while trying to bag Senator Fielding’s verbal gaffes also included Paul Bongiorno on Ten and Nine’s Melbourne newsreader, Peter Hitchener.
Oh, the irony.
Another Bernard Keane gaffe in this column was to suggest that someone else was responsible for his own mistakes.
I’m told it’s quite common in print media nowadays for journalists to point accusingly at their production colleagues and say: “It’s your fault there’s a mistake in my copy, you should have picked it up.”
How about reading your copy very carefully before pressing the “send” button and in cases of giving critical attention to verbal gaffes by public figures, reread it even more carefully?
Just a suggestion.
Having said that, I think it’s outrageous that a grandstanding jackass like Senator Fielding can regularly hold Australia to ransom by blocking key legislation, although of course Labor preferences put him in this position in the first place.
The sooner this twerp disappears from public view after the next election the better.
I’m just wondering if the comments by Bernard Keane implying that having learning difficulties throws doubt on someone’s ability to receive a degree at university or other commenters’ suggestions such as Deccles that having learning disabilities says something about “his engineering degree and his MBA”are suggesting that people with dyslexia or any other learning difficulties for that matter shouldn’t go to or aspire to go university? Or is it another form of elitism on the crikey website perhaps?
Fuck off Susie Smith I manifestly wasn’t saying that and don’t pretend I was.
32 comments on this and 2 on ANZ and people complain “slow news day”?
You have to wonder how Fielding got his degrees?
Is he a professional victim who wields his disabilities like a weapon and passed because of his manipulation of the special consideration provisions.
His antics are devaluing every RMIT and Monash qualification.
I wasn’t saying you were I was just asking if you or other commenters were implying it. For example one could take the comment “if Fielding does have some sort of condition that effects his ability to read and communicate in English,” as well as “Fielding’s inability to grasp basic maths” (one of the characteristics associated with a having a learning disability) to assume that even with perseverance an individual probably shouldn’t undertake tertiary studies or even aspire to be a politician.
Billie’s comment above further adds to my puzzlement to how should universities keep undesirables such as people with learning disabilities out if some assume that individuals with conditions such as dyslexia devalue the qualifications of such tertiary institutions who do let those people in.
If the Canberra Press Gallery wants a bit of fun they can ask SF to comment on “fiscal rectitude” and see what happens
Susie Smith,
If anyone has done a disservice to people with learning disabilities - specific or non-specific - it is Mr Fielding. Not by his poor spelling (which can be symptomatic of a disability, but is not necessarily an indicator) but by his muppetry.
He should have kept his mouth shut and taken his lumps.
Perhaps it is time Crikey started another of its famous and successful lists. How about “Idiots who have been democratically voted into offices much higher than their abilities, thanks primarily to major parties playing smartypants with their preferences”?
It is, unfortunately, much too late to undo the damage which has been caused by the determining vote of this one man. Remember, though, that the remainder of those with whom he sides have voted along the same lines and must be subjected to the same scrutiny.
BTW, as an engineer with a masters’ degree in management, I am somewhat embarrassed by the lack of analytical ability of this bloke. Thankfully, his discipline is not structural, or the writer above who commented on bridge design would have cause for real fear.
Not your best article - or your best response, Bernard. Why not get back to attacking the arguments, not the man? And you lose the high ground by telling correspondents to fuck off. I’m with Susie Smith. But I find your report of Fielding’s proposed ETS amendments bizarre ( just read it- see what you miss when you don’t pay your subs on time!). His reasons for his climate change position seems to be largely based on the Flood! HOWEVER, he’s not solely responsible for what going on in Parliament re the disastrous climate change standoff - the whole F-K ing coalition are also backing it (maybe they’re all flat-earthers) - and our apparently literate ex-prime minister was a dedicated denier until he was kicked out of parliament. No-one questions his mathematical or scientific skills. Furthermore, the government’s performance is also pathetic - promoting coal, bringing in gas guzzling US cast-off cars, allowing Gorgon to happen on Barrow Island without any proven ability of the the company to provide CO2 sequestration. Why don’t you get stuck into them?
Is Steve Fielding more hated than the NSW government? I reckon Victorians will be just as keen to kick him out of parliament!
I was a little harsh on Susie Smith, yes, and I apologise to her, whilst wholly rejecting the suggestion I implied people with learning disabilities (the actual type, not Fielding’s claimed one) can’t get degrees.
you’ve heard the one about the dyslexic madam? she ran a very successful warehouse.
boom tish
Thanks Mr Keane, I appreciate advocating articulation and grammatical elegance from our pollies. However, I care not whether Senator Fielding has a learning disability and is a language mangler. Even our best and brightest sometimes show all the communication skills of a wooden plank (detailed programmatic specificity, anyone?).
More worrying is that the bloke directly “represents” a miniscule percentage of the population, yet ends up being influential beyond his constituency and his apparent abilities. Keating was right - the senate is unrepresentative swill, and Fielding is a very good reason why electoral reform should take place now.
Please don’t give up entirely trying to save “decimate”. Give it 90% effort and you may succeed.
I beg you to stop giving the undivine Miranda any oxygen at all. She doesn’t have an apparent learning disability, yet remains an agnostic, if not a complete denialist (its not a real word, I know), on human influenced climate change. Fielding may have an excuse, she does not. Who’s the real dummy?
Bernard Keane - you are the Kyle Sandilands of politics. There is no ‘below the belt’ if someone has a different political perspective to you. There is no intelligent discussion of ideas - just a disgraceful attack on a man’s disability designed to generate the left wing lemmings to excitedly follow you off the intellectual cliff. Well you have succeeded and you are a complete embarrassment because of it.
Thank God Albert Einstein is not around today - he was dyslexic. Guess that means he would not have been fit to hold office either???
And you know Fielding is dyslexic how?
Bernard. Hang on to the high moral ground mate. You’re getting as easy to bait as the Family First Senator from Victoria. If Fielding IS dyslexic then it would be simple as appearing at another doorstop and saying ‘My dyslexia lead to me mis speaking earlier, I wish to correct the record, I meant fiscal’.
The problem is that through Fielding and Fred Nile religion is getting in the road of the politics.
My original argument stands, Fielding doesn’t know how to do his job in the senate. He doesn’t understand standing senate orders or protocol. By trying to blame his appalling inability to do his job on his dyslexia or psuedo dyslexia he undermines those who succeed and achieve with dyslexia.
Apparently Fielding has denied it’s dyslexia. Maybe Christian was right after all.
Pedrowouldn’t it have been a different world if Einstein had written E=MK2
Like the righteous dog says ‘a dickhead in a wheel chair is still a dickhead’
“…Perhaps it is time Crikey started another of its famous and successful lists. How about “Idiots who have been democratically voted into offices much higher than their abilities, thanks primarily to major parties playing smartypants with their preferences”?…”
Fantastic idea.
I nominate Kevin Rudd.
Hmmm let’s see…add to that:
Wayne Swan
Penny Wong
Peter Garrett
Greg Combet
Belinda Neal
Maxine McKew
Malcolm Turnbull
and of course Bob Brown & Christine Milne
And if we’re including our international comrades: Barack Obama.
This will be a terrific list…thanks for the great idea ‘John’.
“…Like the righteous dog says ‘a dickhead in a wheel chair is still a dickhead’…”
Spoken with a degree of empathy there.
yes mama I often share First Dog’s pain when confronted by dickheads
We should all be asking why the f*ck ‘Forrest’ Fielding thinks he’s equipped to handle the role of Senator in a House of review. If, as he says “this is the highest level of lawmaking in Australia and the laws that we pass at a federal level impact Australian people significantly ’’ it’s no place for those with self-confessed communication disabilities. All well and good to do the best with what God gave us but Parliaments aren’t shelters for those struggling with IQ-EQ challenges or moral values either. I’d like to believe governments are where the virtuous, gifted and insightful assemble – not those with notions that their magic shoes will take them anywhere.
Why does JamesK post comments using the name ‘Most Peculiar Mama?’
Daniel you are too wicked
“…Daniel you are too wicked…”
Too stupid by half actually with less than no clue.
Stick to the collectivist witticisms that have become your stock-in-trade.
hehehe
Einstein was dyslexic? First I’ve heard of that. Anyone got some proof of this?
Bernard,
Maybe some of those christian principles Feilding subscribes too would ease your judgemental and self righteous justifications.
“Let he that is without sin throw the first stone”.
Sorry to go off topic to lighten the mood but did I actually hear Mr Albanese mistake Napoleon Solo from the man from U.N.C.L.E. and Han Solo from Star Wars?
Who was he trying to insult at the time?
Deccles, lead poisoning is said to produce learning disabilities as well.
Loveyasall:
What Christian principals does Fielding subscribe to, I wasn’t aware ignorance, stupidity, bimboism, resident of lala land, dork, were requirements?
Bernard - “32 comments on this and 2 on ANZ and people complain ‘slow news day’?”
I think you’ve made a discovery there, about Fielding’s long successful future in the Senate. His will be the most recognized name on the next polling paper, hands down. Only a handful of voters will remember why they recognize the name, the rest will just vote for him.
It’s all about brand recognition, you patsies.
And another typo……Only, not an accidental ‘typo’ but a spelling error.
If Keane has some sort of condition that EFFECTS his ability to read and communicate in English, perhaps he shouldn’t be in a position that is entirely about reading and writing.
I also think there should be some basic standards in public life; good use of the English language is one of them, Mr Keane.
But it’s very boring to nit-pick spelling and grammar, isn’t it?
For those of you who are not sure whether Einstein was dyslexic or not:
http://lucarinfo.com/inspire/deinstein.html (love the reference to mathematics by his siter
Re Einstein, there appears to be no proof that he was, there’s a googleanswers question discussing this.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=114700
So I’d say in the words of Wiki - [citation required] or it’s an urban legend, one of those invented to make those with dyslexia feel better.
sorry sister
RAYMONDCHURCH:
Thanks for the intellegent response………………….everything is so much clearer now!
lucarinfo.com don’t seen terribly authoritative - or is that your point?
My pleasure loveyuh….its a christians duty to assist the inflicted
To me Fielding is an embarrassment, particularly when he parades before the world as one of our Senators. Clearly he is out of his depth and should move to a clinic to treat his learning problems.
Raymonchurch I can hear the seven deadly sins-o -meter ticking over in your cab
Heavens above. Steve Fielding does NOT have dyslexia people - he has SPECIFICALLY denied it.