It Is The Flag Of A Hostile Nation, If We Are To Believe Them

March 29, 2017 4:42 PM

The Australian Senator Eric Abetz, who is against same-sex marriage generally, recently raised an objection to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, in which he stated that the rainbow flag should not be flown in the foyer of the Finance Department, as it is the flag of a hostile nation.

Although, technically speaking, he is right, it should be noted that according to the nation in question the state of war lasted for only one week, and the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands (ninety percent of whose population consists of sex-switching fish) has been at peace with Australia ever since.

Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands on Metafilter previously. Note that if you are TBLG+, you are automatically eligible for citizenship, though there's not much there but a plaque and a weather station.

posted by Rush-That-Speaks (16 comments total)

From the "he is right" link:

On the 13th of September 2004, the Gay Kingdom declared war on the Commonwealth of Australia. Notification of acceptance and notification of the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, were given to the Prime Minister of Australia John Howard, both directly and through the Swiss Federal Government. This is a ratified Law of Australia, and conveys the responsibility to Govern to the Occupying Power. Therefore, by the Law of Australia, only the Gay Government is the Authority to Govern the Territory and the people of the Coral Sea Islands. The 1 week state of War, which was Officially declared, brought into effect the Law of War, under whose Sovereignty goes automatically to a State undefeated in a State of War. As Australia did not respond to the declaration The Gay & Lesbian Kingdoms independence was assured.

Isn't this basically how The Mouse That Roared started?
posted by zachlipton at 4:53 PM on March 29, 2017 [14 favorites]

Ultima ratio reginae.
posted by Sebmojo at 4:55 PM on March 29, 2017 [5 favorites]

There is really only one reason to think about gay people that much.
posted by schadenfrau at 5:10 PM on March 29, 2017 [28 favorites]

There is really only one reason to think about gay people that much.

A fondness for brunch?
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:16 PM on March 29, 2017 [4 favorites]

Praying the gay away.
posted by acb at 5:29 PM on March 29, 2017

His advisers tried to explain to him that a thing can mean two things, but he shut them down when they said "homonym".
posted by condour75 at 6:46 PM on March 29, 2017 [18 favorites]

Erica Betz, one of Australia's great arguments for post-partum abortion.

I kind of think mocking someone by calling them female is... Kinda gross and misogynist, regardless of irony and would be happy for it to die?

I dunno if jokes about killing someone as a baby are really cool either, tbh, and I despise abetz.
posted by smoke at 6:58 PM on March 29, 2017 [12 favorites]

I dunno if jokes about killing someone as a baby are really cool either, tbh, and I despise abetz.

To be fair, they didn't specify how long post-partum they thought he should have been aborted.

Though, for an "Erica Betz" joke to work, it should require the one delivering it to do so by adopting it as a drag persona whilst mocking Abetz' obsessions with other people's sex lives.
posted by acb at 7:54 PM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

Someone needs to agree with him and very seriously say they need to appoint an ambassador to the nation to apologize for the affront.
posted by corb at 8:10 PM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

I kind of think mocking someone by calling them female is... Kinda gross and misogynist, regardless of irony and would be happy for it to die?

Yes. Mods, do as you will.

Without defending it or my use of the joke, it's a common one. As smoke rightly points out, it's not really clever and it's not really funny.
posted by prismatic7 at 8:47 PM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

"I have just got a very quick brief topic, a matter that was brought to my attention by a staff member of Finance."

"Yes, they brought it to my attention after I pointed it out to them, told them my position on it, and asked if they didn't agree with me."
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:55 PM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

My favourite Eric Abetz story:

THE NEAREST PLANET outside our solar system potentially capable of supporting life is Gliese 581d, some 20 light-years away. During National Science Week in 2009, while the OzCar imbroglio was still making headlines, Abetz was invited to compose a message to be transmitted to the planet from the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. Labor's science minister, Kim Carr, had written: "Hello from Australia on the planet we call Earth. These messages express our people's dreams for the future. We want to share those dreams with you."

Abetz wrote: "The Coalition dreams that by the time you receive this message in 2029 Australia will be free of Labor debt. Sadly we're not holding our breath."

posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 12:54 AM on March 30, 2017 [4 favorites]

How is Abetz still in parliament? He's up there with Ruddock for Living Dead status isn't he?
posted by harriet vane at 7:01 AM on March 30, 2017

He controls the tas liberal factions with an iron fist. Many other libs down there hate him apparently, but have found themselves disendorsed etc
posted by smoke at 12:57 PM on March 30, 2017

As an Aussie, I can only apologise to the world for the piece of vile hate-filled idiocy that is Eric Abetz. :(
posted by Pouteria at 2:30 AM on March 31, 2017

I also apologise to Gliese 581d.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 3:16 AM on March 31, 2017 [3 favorites]