Blatter raised bar for victimhood
AS the countdown to 2016 begins in earnest, let’s pause for a moment and think about some of the things we learned in the year that’s been. There’s no doubt that terror dominated the news cycle and continued to impact on events around the world, from Europe’s refugee crisis to increased security measures in Australia.
The knifing of another first-term prime minister showed the increasingly fickle nature of Australian politics and politicians as we changed leaders for the fourth time in five years. But let’s look back at some of 2015’s trends. PITY PARTY: FIFA buffoon Sepp Blatter joins the ranks of privileged Western feminists, entitled university student activists and other assorted social justice warriors whose sense of victimhood is as acute as their delusions of relevance.
You would think that empowered Western feminists would be celebrating their progress and fighting worthy battles for their oppressed sisters around the globe, but sadly modern feminism has been hijacked by unprincipled wasters obsessed with trivial nonsense.
The subjugation of women in the Muslim world is not a priority when there are gendered toys to rail against.
There was again a concerted effort this year by perpetually perturbed progressives to wrap the warm cloak of victimhood around the Muslim community.
Supposed Islamophobia was the weapon of choice to silence debate and to whip up fears of religious and racial intolerance.
Meanwhile, former FIFA boss Blatter gave us the most spectacular embrace of victimhood seen in some time. His post-retirement rant was straight from the modern victimhood manual.
TERROR: Jihadi-inspired attacks against Western targets from Paris to Sousse to San Bernardino have sent a chill up the spines of many Australians.
In Sydney, much respected and loved police accountant Curtis Cheng was gunned down outside NSW police headquarters in Parramatta. Multiple terror raids and arrests throughout the year have alarmed Australians disturbed that there are those among us who so loathe this country and its people that they are willing to commit atrocities and take innocent lives.
But by far the biggest victims of Islamic exopinion tremism continue to be Muslims. Terrorist attacks in the Middle East and parts of Africa are so commonplace that they’re no longer deemed newsworthy.
We know 130 people died as a result of the Paris attacks, that 30 Britons died during a terrorist attack on a Tunisian beach and that 224 died when Islamic State brought down a Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Thousands died in 2015 in places like Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Afghanistan but it’s the attacks against Western targets that receive the greatest coverage.
SPIRIT: We may be alert to the increased terror threats, but Australians are a resilient lot and we won’t allow our idyllic way of life to be affected by wannabe jihadis.
Sure there is a fence around the MCG but Australians still turned out for the Boxing Day Test despite the possibility of showers and mediocre cricket.
Indeed any drop in crowd numbers had more to do with the West Indies’ form rather than fears of a terrorist attack.
It’s a testament to the carefree Australian attitude that we won’t allow a “probable” terror alert to affect our way of life.
NEW LEAF: There is something wonderfully cathartic about wiping the slate clean and boldly declaring that the new year will be different; that the mistakes, bad habits and unfulfilled potential of yesteryear will be remedied.
So, here’s to a happy, safe and prosperous 2016, a year in which I will conquer my cheese addiction and finally get around to clearing out the crap amassed in my garage.