Men, including, Jim Molan and Craig Kelly are eager to demonstrate that tantrums, recriminations, emotional outbursts and expletives are not the exclusive domain of women. They are the preferred outlets for a number of men too.
According to Fairfax Media reports Liberal MP Craig Kelly marched into a gymnastics hall in Sydney on Sunday night and greeted the mayor with this: “You’re a f—ing prick! Are you f—ing kidding me? You’re not going to f—ing shake my hand?”
https://twitter.com/BevanShields/status/1069329617301856257
What a treat for the children who were reportedly waiting to be handed out their awards!
Admittedly Kelly’s fury wasn’t unprovoked: the local mayor had put his hands behind his back to avoid shaking Kelly’s hand. Presumably in part because the mayor was keen on ensuring women, toddlers or tweens, aren’t incorrectly deemed the only ones capable of petty conduct. Push a man far enough and voila! Emotions as far as the eye can see!
Or as far as the ear can hear, in the case of retired army-general and Liberal MP Jim Molan. Molan is unhappy about having been relegated to an un-winnable spot on the NSW senate ticket, and warned the Prime Minister on radio on Sunday that he won’t go quietly.
“Let’s see what he does, but I’m not here to be taken for granted,” Molan told Perth’s 6PR. “The Liberal Party is too important to this country for me to walk out of this party, but every option is open to me.”
Just another bloke who knows only one way to operate. If I don’t get my way I’ll destroy you. https://t.co/AhYr35krRY
— Barrie Cassidy (@barriecassidy) December 2, 2018
There is no end to the public spectacle of the Liberal party falling apart. It was barely 9am on Monday and between Craig Kelly’s colourful contribution and the former PM Malcolm Turnbull on Radio National suggesting a snap election ought to be called, there were fires blazing everywhere.
The pressure is immense and in response the boys are flinging their toys from the cot so fast toddlers everywhere ought to be ashamed. The men running the country are outdoing them at their own game.
https://twitter.com/danilic/status/1069362038785302528
Tensions are running high because of the increasingly tight spot the PM Scott Morrison – and the Liberal party – is in. The rout in Victoria has spooked many and there is all out war in and between the party’s various factions.
Morrison had already lost his majority in the House of Representatives thanks to the election of independent Dr Kerryn Phelps, and he lost another last week when Julia Banks quit the party in favour of the cross bench.
If he was blind-sided by Banks’ decision he only has himself to blame: a hugely revealing column by Peter Hartcher in the Fairfax Media papers on Saturday suggest he had absolutely no interest in engaging with her in any meaningful sense.
The PM's woman problem: https://t.co/hb8U9uFQN3 By Peter Hartcher @smh pic.twitter.com/K7dm2bRVah
— john shakespeare (@johnshakespeare) November 30, 2018
And even after announcing her decision to quit the PM was apparently surprised she wouldn’t come to his office.
The famous quote that when you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression – springs to mind in every instance. When the entitled feel their grip on power is slipping they come out swinging. Logic and reason are dismissed in favour of lashing out at whomever crosses their path.
What we are seeing in Canberra right now is a case in point: a tale of male politicians so desperate they will destroy their own party. It would be funny if it wasn’t so desperately familiar.