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21
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by Thryleon -
So turn the heat down we can do what vicpol did and buy some machete bins?  :P

Shawny and I have gone head to head on a few football related matters, but none of it is personal.  Political tends to be a bit more personal, because frankly, government action (or inaction) impacts everyone a little differently depending on what walk of life you and your loved ones are in.

Personally, a major government failing, is spending a lot of money, and effort to give the appearance of doing something, without actually achieving anything.  Lots of it motivated by optics, and less about outcomes.  The machete bins are a fan favourite of mine, because they represent my previous argument better than I can make it.  A lot of money pilfered away reactively to a couple of incidents, and an exercise in tokenism at best. 

Not to enforce change, not to enforce any sort of law enforcement.  Whats the difference between a machete, an axe and a meat cleaver?  Hell, it could be a golf club or a cricket bat too.  Degrees of injury for each item, and also deadliness, but ultimatley the person wielding it is the issue (yes that applies to guns, but guns are a little more regulated than any other item ive mentioned here).

This is government agnostic too and event agnostic.  There were degrees of stupidity regarding all things government, but lately things have gotten a bit ridiculous.
22
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by Lods -
Quote from: northernblue – on
And as for tolerance, you, me and everyone else, maybe not Lods… but the rest of us have all been intolerant boofheads at least once… some are BoG in that space.

Nah...Me too!

I was listening to Parliament last week and Albanese was asked a question by a Greens member regarding the Israeli PM's visit and the Police response to the protests. It generated a heated exchange between two other members. "Rip her apart" was the term used.

Now you might not like Albanese or agree with much of what he stands for in terms of policy.
But what he said has relevance to what we've seen here over the off-season.
We've had a number of heated debates over everything from 'list mangement' to this, and other political threads.

What Albanese said was..."We need to turn the temperature down"....and I've been guilty of that as well.

He also used a football analogy that applies to politics...stating that folks see political situations much like supporting a football team.
We become a little one eyed and wear our Blue, Red, Green, and now more often Orange glasses.

We've had a tough year in 2025.
People have been angry about a range of issues and lack of success on field has fuelled that.
That's flowed over into many of our non-football threads.
People's intelligence and beliefs are being questioned basically because we see the club or the world a little (quite) differently.

I visit quite  few other Carlton and other clubs sites and facebook pages.
I have a fair bit of time in retirement.
I still reckon we stack up pretty well in terms of tolerance and debate.
(You should read the social/ political threads on other football sites that run them).

Difference of opinion and debate is the core business of sites like ours.
Without that difference, the site would be a pretty, boring empty place.
It's also tied to a large extent to 'down' times, whether that be in football terms or social and political times.
Losing is good for site business, as are troubled social times.
When we're truly successful again as a football club we won't have a lot to talk about after the euphoria dies down.

Posts are a bit like a football.
Make that the objective, and argue against things you don't believe in with all your effort.
But let's try and keep the personal stuff (of which I've also been guilty at times) out of the debates.
It's an old footy saying.
Play the post (ball), not the poster (man, woman ;)
23
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by ElwoodBlues1 -
Quote from: LP – on
Quote from: madbluboy – on
How are you and others being tolerant of Shawny's views? This thread was created to mock him.
I understand this thread was created to enable @shawny to post his political views here without cross posting on pretty much every thread. No different to the RedTrump thread, of the EV thread, they are nothing more than a filing cabinet? But even so, that doesn't give license to anyone to post fake news or false claims without opportunity for others to redress.

So how are we being intolerant?
Its a football forum where fake news, rumours and innuendo reside comfortably and multiply in number because its all part of the landscape of public forums. It seems we can all agree and disagree on football matters and none of it is taken too seriously and posters move on but Politics seems to be a sensitive topic that is extra divisive.
FWIW I enjoy Shawny postings and see nothing fake about what he draws attention too and Political Parties do get elected in many cases imo based on the personalities/leadership/selling of rather than the policies.
eg How many people could tell you what One Nations major Policies were? but I bet they could tell you who is their leader and what was his/her previous employment...
Jacinta Allan was democratically elected to Parliament as the member for Bendigo East but became Premier as she was chosen unopposed as Leader of the Labor Party after Andrews stepped down. She wasnt elected as Premier Elect initially which I think is the point Shawny was trying to make.
24
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by dodge -
Shawny raised a perfectly legitimate about the kwality (sic) of the current Vic Labor government.  This has actually prompted some interesting commentary and discussion, however, it is a turn off when personal accusations fly.

It is interesting I don't really see a hammering of the Vic government - there should be a greater scrutiny, but everything seems to get shut down pretty quickly, or just run out of steam.  It is there, but not as loud as it could be considering there is an election this year.

The major thing that I would disagree with Shawny about is that the current government wasn't legitimately elected as Jacinta wasn't the leader at election time.  We all have a dilemma at times about whether to vote for a good local member, or a party that you may be more aligned with.  Yes, the 'known' leader at the time may attract/deflect votes, but everyone knows that outside of the leaders' electorate we're not voting directly for them.

It is going to be hard for a lot of people this election - it is hard to argue that the current gov is good, but the LNP or PHON?  Yes, we typically throw out a government rather than vote the opposition in - could be anyone's game.

Saw an interesting article that it could be hard for VEC to determine who the 2 party's are - Labor & LNP or PHON, which could then delay the results.
25
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by LP -
Quote from: madbluboy – on
How are you and others being tolerant of Shawny's views? This thread was created to mock him.
I understand this thread was created to enable @shawny to post his political views here without cross posting on pretty much every thread. No different to the RedTrump thread, or the EV thread, they are nothing more than a filing cabinet? But even so, that doesn't give license to anyone to post fake news or false claims without opportunity for others to redress.

So how are we being intolerant?
26
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by northernblue -
Quote from: madbluboy – on
Quote from: LP – on
@madbluboy So you think there are other football forums that are more open and tolerant, can you offer some examples?


How are you and others being tolerant of Shawny's views? This thread was created to mock him.

It would seem to have been created for him to voice his thoughts and project some possible solutions but respectfully to Shawny, it reads more as I’m not happy raging/venting.
His articulation of his understanding of our voting system for eg.

And as for tolerance, you, me and everyone else, maybe not Lods… but the rest of us have all been intolerant boofheads at least once… some are BoG in that space.
Overall this place is very tolerant and respectful to thoughts and opinions *backed up with data* as opposed to trumpian fact devoid outrage.
Thats why I like this place.

Speaking of facts and data based thought and analysis, has anyone here tripped over Carrick Ryan and Mr Cucumber ?
They’re accessible through the fb platform, intelligent, thoughtful analysis of world and Australian politics and debunking social media ragebait.
27
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by madbluboy -
Quote from: LP – on
Quote from: madbluboy – on
Are you taking the piss? Seriously?
@madbluboy So you think there are other football forums that are more open and tolerant, can you offer some examples?


How are you and others being tolerant of Shawny's views? This thread was created to mock him.
30
The Sports Desk / Re: Track and Field
Last post by Lods -
It's a judgement thing.
There are probably advantages to competing in either competition.

Gout's best event is arguably the 200.
He takes a bit of time to get going.

In 2025 he was the 9th fastest 200 metre runner in the Commonwealth over that distance.
In the U/20 200 metres he was the equal fastest (with an American) in the 'world'.

The Comm games and the U/20 championships run basically back to back at the end of July early August.
Very difficult to do both, so a choice has to be made.

It probably comes down to making a decision between possibly making a Commonwealth games final or winning an u/20 Gold medal.