Life & times of Alexander (Downer)... A continuing saga.

Nothing like a good hostage story to take the pressure of the Oz government's internal woes.

.. & that's Alexander in the fishnets & lippy.
He's our Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Another Wood comment. That's Alexander with Oz prime minister, John Howard, leading the victory parade. Everybody & their dog has been falling over themselves here, taking credit for Wood's rescue from his Iraqi hostage takers. It's been a wonderfully diverting story for the government which has been in all sorts of strife over dissent in it's own ranks over detention of asylum seekers. The thing is, Wood (whose been living in the US for yonks) seems to think he was rescued by US forces. "God bless America" was reportedly one of his first comments on gaining his freedom. :lol: :

Alexander's delicate dealings with the Chinese government over the extremely embarrassing defection of a Chinese diplomat from the Chinese embassy in Canberra. The poor man was in hiding last we heard. (The diplomat, that is.):

Alexander, the champion of freedom & Chinese democracy, freedom anywhere, in fact :

That's all for now, but there'll be more soon, without a doubt. He's a natural & the cartoonists love him!

Lol!!!

I thought it was Iraqi forces in the front taking the credit and making their credibility look good for propaganda purposes, bless 'm, and the Americans doing the real work?

You hafta laugh, really you do.

Great outcome for the poor fella himself, though.

Yeah, it was the Iraqis that found him, but we should never let facts get in the way of a good bit of spin, Deb. And Mr Wood has two very nice, level-headed Oz brothers, too! Actually, I was more impressed by them (on TV last night) than I was by him. Sounds like a bit of an adventurer in Iraq to make some quick $$$$$. But we've got to see him as an Oz hero & every Oz person who was even remotely involved as heroes, too! Hooray for us!

Rather like the cartoon book dlowan sent me years ago. Leuig? or something like that. You really had to have the right background.

Yeah, you do, Roger. Like I said, a bit of an indulgence. But hey, there's so much US stuff here about nitty gritty aspects of issues that I don't really get, so why not? :wink:

Ah, Leunig. He's still around & I post his stuff here, often. I liked his old cartoons, which were often quite rude & wicked, a lot better than much of his current stuff, though. Leunig got religion & became a lot more serious, sadly.

Really?

I see him as very universalist.

Lots of overseas friends love him.


You have me puzzled - but nemmind.

Leunig - I heard an interview with him on local radio here a couple of weeks ago. Call me stupid but whenever I get a bit depressed I find his cartoons inspiring. And the interview came at just the right time as well. He's a fine man.

It's just a matter of taste & preference, goodfielder. My preference is for the wonderful, biting stuff that Leunig used to do in his Nation Review days. Often wickedly funny. I still like some of his work, but really miss the "old" Leunig, that's all.

Yeah, I'd reckon much of Leunig's work would be universally understood, Deb. Spirituality, love, fulfillment, emptiness, what does it all mean, etc ... human condition stuff, much of it. The political stuff, of course, is much more for the local audience.

Ah Nation Review I think I still have some (probably yellowing) copies in some of my boxes (I've moved house quite a number of times in the last ten years and cart much of my past lives around with me).

I suppose Leunig, like many of us, mellowed with age. But your point is taken.

Yes, Nation Review, goodfielder! <sigh> It sustained me through many bad, bad political moments. But hey, I never, ever thought that things could get as poisonous politically as they are now in Oz. Where is our Nation Review of 2005? We need it! In some ways I wish I could be like Leunig & take a little refuge in religion, but I'm certain I couldn't carry it off with any real conviction. So good for him, but I do notice he has his moments of overwhelming Howard-inspired anger & fury. And hooray for that! It certainly beats a lot of the "political analysis" that's coming out of Canberra. But it's the wickedness & rudeness that I sorely miss. <sigh> We should have more of that in our lives to stay sane in these ugly times.

another great Alexander moment! :


Foreign Minister Alexander Downer sings at the ASEAN annual conference in Laos. ABC TV
http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/featureitems/s1426537.htm

I have to admit - I was inspired. I nearly took myself to a karaoke club to pay homage to Alexander, but I held myself back. And I have to say the patrons of a small karaoke club in Adelaide don't know how close they came to disaster

I will say one thing for Alexander - he seems like a good sport.

And we can't STOP undesirables from entering our nation!!