Outline
A widely circulated political diatribe that discusses perceived problems with modern Australian social and political life is attributed to conservative independent MP Bob Katter.
Brief Analysis
The piece was not penned by Bob Katter. In fact, the commentary is a revamped version of an earlier American piece that has been altered to suit Australian conditions. Various US versions have circulated since at least 2000 and have been falsely attributed to a number of well-known US commentators.
Example
Subject: Bob Katter – article
Comment by the initial sender:
I THINK THIS GUY HAS IT ALL COVERED. I COULDN’T SPOT ANYTHING HE LEFT OUT.
From Bob Katter
“I am the Labor Party’s Worst Nightmare. I am a White, Conservative, Tax-Paying, God fearing Australian. I am a hard working Australian and I work long hours to earn a living.
I believe in God and the freedom of religion, but I don’t push it on others. I drive Australian-made cars, and I believe in Australian products and buy them whenever I can.
I believe the money I make belongs to me and not some bloody governmental functionary, Labor/Greens or Liberal, that wants to share it with others who don’t work!
I’m in touch with my feelings and I like it that way!
I think owning a home doesn’t make you a capitalist; it makes you a smart Australian. I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimized, and does not entitle you to anything. Get over it!
I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac or any other item, you should do it in English. I believe there should be no other language option.
I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to.
My heroes are, fellow Australians like Don Bradman, Steve Waugh, Alan Langer, Slim Dusty, Fred Hollows and the Aussie scientists who invented the bionic ear – missed a few I know. I don’t hate the rich, but hate the way they always find ways to pay less taxes. I don’t pity the poor, I hate the way they are always crying that they are hard done by!!
I know wrestling is fake and I don’t waste my time watching or arguing about it.
I believe if you don’t like the way things are here, go back to where you came from and change your own country!
This is AUSTRALIA….We like it the way it is and more so the way it was…so stop trying to change it to look like some other socialist country! If you were born or legally migrated here and don’t like it… you are free to move to any Socialist country that will have you. (And take Julie Gillard and her group with you.) I believe it is time to really clean house, starting with the Lodge, the seat of our biggest problems.
I want to know exactly, where the “Do Gooder’s” get their money from, and why are they always part of the problem and not the solution?
Can I get an AMEN on that one?
I also think the cops have the right to pull you over if you’re breaking the law, regardless of what race, color or creed you are, but not just because you happen to be an illegal alien and scream that they are “RACISTS PIGS”. And, no, I don’t mind having my face shown on my driver’s license. I think it’s good….
I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making ‘donations’ to their cause….Get a job and do your part to support yourself and your family!
I believe that it doesn’t take all the intellectuals to raise a child, it takes two parents….
I believe ‘illegal’ is illegal no matter what the lawyers think!
I believe the Australian flag should be the only ones allowed to be flown in Australia !
If this makes me a BAD Australian, then yes, I’m a BAD Australian. If you are a BAD Australian too, please forward this to everyone you know….
We want our country back!
My Country…..
I hope this offends all illegal aliens.
My great, great, great grandfather watched as his friends died in the Boer War. My grandfather watched and bled as his friends died in World Wars 1&2. My grandfather watched as his friends & brothers died in the Depression of 32. My father watched as his friends died in Korea. I watched as my friends died in Vietnam, East Timor & Desert Storm. Our son’s and daughters watched & bled as their friends died in Afghanistan and Iraq . None of them died for the Afghanistan and Iraq Flag. Every Australian died for the Australian flag.
At a Victorian high school foreign students raised a Middle East flag on a school flag pole. Australian students took it down. Guess who was expelled…the students who took it down.
West Australian high school students were sent home, because they wore T-shirts with the Australian flag printed on them.
Enough is enough.
This message needs to be viewed by every Australian; and every Australian needs to stand up for Australia. We’ve bent over to appease the Aussie-haters long enough. I’m taking a stand.
I’m standing up because of the hundreds of thousands who died fighting in wars for this country, and for the Australian flag.
And shame on anyone who tries to make this a racist message.
AUSTRALIANS, stop giving away Your RIGHTS !
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY !
This statement DOES NOT mean I’m against immigration !
YOU ARE WELCOME HERE, IN MY COUNTRY, welcome to come legally:
1. Get a sponsor !
2. Learn the LANGUAGE, as immigrants have in the past!
3. Live by OUR rules ! Dress as we Australians Do
4. Get a job !
5. Pay YOUR Taxes !
6. No Social Security until you have earned it and Paid for it !
7. NOW find a place to lay your head !
If you don’t want to forward this for fear of offending someone, then YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM !
We’ve gone so far the other way…bent over backwards not to offend anyone.
Only AUSTRALIANS seem to care when Australian Citizens are being offended !
WAKE UP AUSTRALIA ! ! !
If you do not Pass this on, may your fingers cramp !
Made in AUSTRALIA & DAMN PROUD OF IT!!!!!”
AMEN
Detailed Analysis
This rather strident piece of political commentary on the Australian condition circulates via email and has also been posted to a great many blogs, forums and social media websites. One popular version of the piece that is currently circulating rapidly around Australia is attributed to the colourful and conservative Independent MP, Bob Katter.
Katter, who is currently the federal member for Kennedy in Queensland, is known for his outspoken and controversial views on many aspects of the Australian way of life. However, he did not write the “Bad Australian” article shown in the above example. The Australian version of the article has previously circulated without any attribution to Bob Katter.
In fact, the messages are dismissed as false on Katter’s offical website.
Moreover, the piece is nothing more than a revamped variant of an American political protest message that has circulated for a number of years. It seems that someone has simply used the earlier US version as a template and modified it to suit the Australian situation. Variants of the original US based, “Bad American” message have been circulating since at least the year 2000 and have been falsely attributed to a number of US commentators, including George Carlin, Ted Nugent, Andy Rooney and Denis Leary. Who originally penned the piece remains unclear. About Urban Legends suggests that a contributor to FreeRepublic.com who wrote under the name “Bootyist Monk” may have been responsible for penning the earliest version.
There is also an equally false British version that claimed that Nigel Farage one the one who penned the words.
Whether or not you agree with the opinions expressed in the piece is – of course – dependent on your own political, religious and social world view. But Australians inclined to send on the message should keep in mind that it was not written by Bob Katter or any other Australian and was not originally penned with Australia in mind.
Slavishly copying and adapting an article written by a citizen of another nation that comments on that other nation’s unique social and political landscape does not fit at all well with the fervent brand of patriotism so belligerently expressed in the piece. Nor does lying about the supposed authorship of the article.
Original Source : https://www.hoax-slayer.net/bob-katter-labor-partys-worst-nightmare-polemic/