If this is journalism, then no wonder there are sections of the community questioning whether or not Julian Assange is a journalist. After all, who could possibly blame the man for wanting to put as much distance as possible between his (Assange's) rather more noble (if perilous) modus operandi and irresponsible muck-racking like this?
I'm pleased that the Government has not weighed in on the attack on Abbott, but disappointed that it has not come more forcefully to his defence. Abbott might be a goose, but no one in their right mind could think he meant to cause offence, or that those to whom he was actually speaking took offence, either. And surely that counts, doesn't it? I mean, have we really reached the point where people can legitimately have context set aside in any assessment of what they've said or done? Lord, I hope not. Because if we have, then as a society we have finally and inexorably lost the plot. And if politicians can't see the necessity of defending their integrity as a whole, regardless of political allegiance, then you've got to wonder if, deep down, they really believe they possess any at all.
Leave Abbott alone. At least, leave him alone for this. There's plenty of other stuff for which he deserves a profound shellacking. Let's see if there are journalists actually prepared to call him on the deficiencies of his policies, rather than on the acceptability of his preferred turns of phrase. But then, if people are going to lay into the Prime Minister for crying when recounting one of the most tragic stories of parental loss I've ever heard, then perhaps it's time we as a society simply retired from the human race.
Let's face it, if stuff like this is news, then I'm well and truly over it.
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