Donald Trump's arbitrary antics are driving Bazza up the wall.
Bazza closed his iPad, shook his head and nodded at the offered schooner as Mick approached.
"G’day Mick. Bloody news is still full of Donald Trump. Some pretty crazy appointments being proposed by the big fella. It seems to me your chances of scoring a top job in the incoming Administration is to hold extreme counter-views to the mainstream."
Bazza went on.
An anti-vaccinator in Robert F Kennedy is looking after health and he seems to be drawing names out of a hat for an attorney general. There is an emerging love-in with Putin and some good ole Tony Abbott shirt-fronting to look forward to with Xi Jinping. You know, I reckon I will have a headache for the next four years and I should send that bloke a bill for the Panadol.
Mick took a measured sip and clicked his tongue.
I told you before, Bazza, you should get off those newspapers and get your news from social media — in particular, Elon Musk’s X. Social media feeds you what you are interested in, so there’s no stress in keeping up to date.
There is a whole side to Donald Trump that you are missing out on. The mainstream media just doesn’t give the full picture. I get links all the time on social media that put the real information in front of me. You know… the truth. No headaches over here, Bazza.
They both took a long sip of their beers.
I don’t know about that Mick. I just hope Trump doesn't have the attention span to go ahead with some of the hair-brained ideas the Americans have swallowed.
My only optimism is that, come January, he will be like a naughty kitten that finds a bag full of different coloured balls of wool. The kitten rolls out one ball for a bit, gets bored, and chooses a different coloured ball and so on. There is lots of wool everywhere, but no one ball is completely unwound and can be tidied up in four years' time.
They both stared into their beers before taking another sip.
"Now come on Bazza, be a bit fair. Trump’s hardline on migration is needed. Over here, we've kept them out by turning back the boats. It’s worked a bloody treat for us, so good on Donald for his idea of building a wall."
Mick rewarded himself with a generous drink as Bazza pulled on an earlobe.
“Yep, the wall is a good thing, Mick. In fact, they should make it bigger, add razor wire and electrify it to make sure it works even better.”
Mick frothed slightly at the mouth and leaned forward.
“Geez, Bazza, that’s getting a bit extreme… but it’s good to see you are coming round to my way of thinking.”
Bazza raised an eyebrow and leaned back.
“Yep, we need a bloody good wall to stop Donald Trump from getting out.”
John Longhurst is a former industrial advocate and political adviser. He currently works as an English and History teacher on the South Coast of NSW.
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