A guest in the Nest

My previous post, the first in many months, was not meant to signify a return to blogging: it was just one of those itches I had to scratch, and frankly, I hoped nobody would notice it. Imagine my astonishment when it attracted a comment from none other than Mr. Julian Burnside QC. Without irony, I welcome Mr. Burnside as an honoured guest of the Nest, and sincerely thank him for taking the time to read and respond.

We will still have to differ on the points of commentary. I won't attempt to answer Mr. Burnside's comment, partly because it wouldn't be polite to a guest, partly because I suspect his worldview and my own are so divergent that no real dialogue is possible. But I stand by my original point, based as it was on a subjective reading of the mood and character of public comment on the Hicks verdict. That point was, and remains, that the supposed popular support for Hicks within the broader Australian community was a complete fiction. Philip K. Dick used to treasure the following definition of 'reality': "Reality is that which, when you stop thinking about it, doesn't go away." The popular support for David Hicks was precisely the kind of chimera which, the moment newspapers stopped talking about it, ceased to exist.

The carnival is over

Surprising though the verdict is, it's equally surprising how, even a mere 24 hours later, one can feel all the energy draining out of the David Hicks carnival. The tents are folding and the clowns are moving on. I have a feeling that, from now on, Julian Burnside, Marilyn Shepherd, Robert Richter, etc., will all suddenly find they have something more important to do when the subject of David Hicks comes up. They sure won't be returning his calls. Maybe he and Mamdouh Habib can get a spot on Celebrity Squares, but that'll be about it. Get Jihad Thomas in, and they can fill a row.

In any of the great causes espoused by the Left, there is always a tiny core that will hold on, literally to death. (I don't know if there are still any Grand Prix protesters at Albert Park, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were.) But because these great causes are mostly delusory, their supporters never last, and when the end comes, it tends to come very suddenly.