MARGO MAIL. Some reaction to Margo's World of Wonder::
From Humphrey H., in Australia:
"Your unhealthy obsession with Webdiary tends to show your own insecurities. I have enjoyed Webdiary for some time. My only problem with Margo is that I cannot get published. She seems to think that my point of view, as a relatively uneducated building worker, has less value than some overeducated prick form the Eastern suburbs or Switzerland.
"If only people like Andrew Bolt, Piers Akerman, Alan Jones and yourself would spend less time slandering your opponents and more time finding creative solutions to our woes the happier I would be. Nobody likes a smart arse, Tim, and you strike me as one.
"I subscribe to Crikey, who take a more even-handed approach to our world.
"I look forward to your criticism next week of Howard, Ruddock and Reith and their cabal of compliant public servants."
From Richard P:
"I've been reading Margo's World of Wonder - magnificent! I haven't laughed so much in ages. Keep up the good work."
From Paul M., in Melbourne:
"I figure you've got too much time on your hands. Pointing out the idiocy of a lame duck like Margo Kingston is as necessary as explaining that water is wet. I agree she's fucked, but why shoot fish in a barrel? She damns herself with every word she writes.
"I think you should heap shit on George Bush. He is the world's most evil and most stupid man."
From Bill S., of Canada:
"I accidentally stumbled upon Margo's Webdiary last year. I read it a couple of times but could never make head nor tails of it and gave up. Naturally I immensely enjoyed your send up of it.
"What I found interesting and possibly disturbing was Margo's endorsement of Pauline Hanson's protectionist policies. In another forum I had noticed an ultra-lefty Australian endorsing Pauline and now I understand why.
"Let's wish Margo a speedy return from Africa so you can continue making fun of her. Now if only somebody could de-construct one of our Canadian lefty commentators like Judy Rebick ... "
From Jack R., in Sydney:
"What you neglected to mention to all your blog readers, in your curiously obsessed bitch pieces on Margo's Webdiary, is that her site is always generous with space for contrary opinions. She herself has run stuff ten times nastier than yours attacking her, on many occasions.
"She also happily gave you (very effective) rights-of-reply there when you sought it - another bit of Webdiary history you failed to advertise. It's called 'debate', mate (as opposed to one-way shit-flinging).
"Funnily enough, you're not the first 'fearless' iconoclast to damn Margo as a biased, hysterical fuckwit from the isolated safety of their own cyber-space niche. No doubt you won't be the last; targets which refuse to cower behind the easy, obvious defence of knowing irony invariably attract a long queue of cheap shooters.
"Never let it be said that you don't know which way the political wind is blowing, though; I can hear the government's spin doctors gratefully applauding your every word, Tim, you latter-day Eric Blair, you.
"You really do believe that you're operating in his grand tradition of sceptical intellectual analysis, don't you?
"Your obsession with Margo is dumb. This blog site is technically one of the best of its kind I've seen. As a journalist, you're clearly well-connected, experienced, capable of enviable intellectual precision and - usually - interesting, at the very least in a road accident kind of way.
"Which makes such a vicious hatchet-job so bizarre. You and Margo are two sides of the same journalistic coin.
"Instead of wasting time and spleen attacking Margo's approach to the trade, why not save your tougher deconstructions for the real targets...whether those targets be 'anti-market' bullshit-artists like Naomi Klein (who it's clearly your journalistic pleasure to attack), or 'pro-market' bullshit-artists like Ken Lay (who it should be your journalistic business to attack)?"
From new blogger Charles Austin:
"I have been enjoying your blog for about two months and it has inspired me to start my own, though like so many others, I don't expect to be able to keep up with the true stars of blogdom. After your treatment of Margo, I certainly don't want to get on your bad side.
"Nevertheless, I have posted my first long screed concerning the Olympics and the distinction between events in which winners are recognized and those in which winners are selected."
From Charles Q., of Mississippi:
"I think Margo blindly stumbled on to a new political process.
"Obviously newking is when a monarchy is imposed on a country.
"Would Afghanistan clamor for the old king or a newking? We still don't know. Although Karzai looks more vital and certainly has a better fashion sense than the old fellow in Rome, time will tell if he lasts more than the 6 months, or 2 years, before the certain future assassination attempts on his life from the erstwhile Taliban or a different wannabe newking."
"In the meantime, Tim, thanks for the laughs."
From Alex B., in Detroit:
"Margo Kingston's complaint seems to be that the Australian government is enforcing immigration laws enacted by a freely elected parliament.
"My favorite part is her discussing how she reacts to legislation and government acts she doesn't like. She cries and 'grieves.' And yet, for some strange reason, some people still take her seriously. As is hardly unusual among the left, she sees politics as a means of expressing her goodness and superiority. I can't say 'only idiots would take her seriously' but it's hard to see why anyone else would.
"Then again, Mr. Blair, I'm just a crass and crude American. My government won't even wait to take action until the French instruct us. I think we should be listening to the French prime minister more often ... what's his name? Petain? Laval? Something like that."
From Brian K., of the US:
"Now more than ever I want to visit Australia. It is the people like Margo that define living in a good place. Where you find people that are so crazy and still making money and out of a hospital while not in touch with public opinion or reality for that matter - now THAT is a free society.
"We have our share of wackos in the in the U.S., but from your resident Webdiarist, I can deduce that Australia must rock!"
From Frank R., in New York:
"You're a bad man. I've been going in and out of Margo’s World all day and not getting much work done. That's why I'm still going at 1 am. You should print up a desk calendar, with one of Margo's inspirational insights on very every tear-off page. It would be priceless."
From Mark M., of the US:
"Great work. 'Margo is a delusional hysteric' is rank opinion, but your analysis would tend to support this."
From Bob C., of the US:
"I have no idea who Margo Kingston is, but I suspect she might be our own Molly Ivins operating in your country under a second identity. Or a horribly ill-conceived cloning experiment."
From Mike R., of the US:
"I just had to write and congratulate you on your incredibly funny Margo commentary. I spent half an hour, snorting and laughing!
"I don't suppose Margo herself as dropped by to see you expose the goofiness and ill-logic in just about everything she's written (even the stuff she spelled correctly)? If so, her email to you would be a hoot to read ...
"I had always thought many journalists leaned a bit left, but Margo has let it hang out for the world to see. Incredible stuff. Most amazing were the pleas to sponsor Labor on a Sydney Morning Herald website.
"Great work. I hope many Australians (and other folks from around the world) had a chance to see your work and watch a 'great mind' of journalism being exposed."
