Everyone knows politics is a dirty business. But the dirtiest business is usually kept behind closed doors so politicians can continue with the public lie that they are deeply virtuous and not subject to the same failings as you and I. So I really love it when the facade collapses and politicians are shown to be as two-face, disloyal and spiteful as anyone.
We're getting a real sideshow in Australia this week, specifically in the state of Victoria where I reside. The conservative party (known as the Liberal Party, which I know is confusing to Americans) has been in opposition for ages here and I think they're starting to crack under the pressure. Too long in opposition makes political types crazy.
The current Liberal leader (they've churned through a few), Ted Baillieu, is seen as too much of a lefty by the staunchly conservative wing of his own party. He's even derided as "Red Ted" (yes, the Red Menace is alive and well for some). So some party members started up an anonymous blog dedicated to attacking him and undermining his leadership to the point he would be replaced.
All well and good. I fully support anonymous blogging. If you don't like your parliamentary leader, go to town white-anting him. But here's what you don't do. You don't run the blog from your work PC that has a fixed IP address. Guess what these morons did?
Yes, they wrote their attacks on their boss while at work. Work, in this case, was the state headquarters for the Liberal Party. As the saying goes, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. These clowns were net-savvy enough to start up an anonymous blog but too fucking stupid to know how easy it was to trace them if they ran the blog from work.
But sacking the two blamed for writing the blog was jut the start of the problems for the Liberal Party. The boil of discontent had been lanced and now the icky pus of revenge was spraying everywhere. The sacked opponents of the leader had some dirt on one of his supporters so they let fly with some payback.
One of the leader's supporter had called another party member a "greedy f---ing jew" in an email (I'm not being coy, the email actually said "f---ing" not fucking). Of course, once they made that public she had to resign. This article covers in loving detail how fucked up the Victorian Liberal party actually is. The stuff they say about their own party is astonishing. I expect politicians to say things like that about their opponents but about their own "team"?
My guess is the bloodletting isn't over yet. I for one can't wait for the next round of payback and counter-payback. I'm a big fan of politics as bloodsport.
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