Politics Editorial

Jim's Mowing and Karen's Bunnings dangerous adventures

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Cartoon by Mark David / @MDavidCartoons

It’s time we called out Karen, Jim et al for what they are: dangerously irresponsible individuals, flouting the law in a way that literally threatens our health and safety.

JIM KNOWS ALL

First, there’s Jim Penman, better known as the "Jim" in Jim’s Group. Jim is a self-proclaimed expert in lots of areas. His franchises cover almost 50 service industries including Jim’s Mowing, Jim’s Cleaning, Jim’s Fencing, “Jim’s Deep Sea Diving” and “Jim’s Lunar Landings”.

Jim, like so many “experts”, happily appeared on every possible media outlet to announce that, as Victoria battles the pandemic, he intends to ignore stage four lockdown restrictions and will pay any fines his employees may cop.

Jim told Sky News he was not defying the law because:

“We just need leadership and it’s not helpful when we get completely contradictory mixed messages … The problem is we aren’t disobeying the law, the problem is the law is unclear.”

And here the rest of us were thinking that the meaning behind the state-imposed directive of "obey stage four lockdowns or face fines of at least $1600” was abundantly clear. (Please refer to “Jim’s Statutory Interpretations” for more clarity here.)

As obvious, in fact, as the motivation behind just a few of Jim’s choice earlier remarks about the law and Black people, in general:

Black sexual behaviour is freer, on average, than that of whites. Unemployment is higher and occupational success lower, reflecting, alongside racial oppression, a lack of high-restraint work ethic and commercial skills. Rates of crime are higher, because of the reduced respect for law and authority in lower-restraint groups.

And about Indigenous Australians, in particular:

“Unsuited in general to the discipline of academic study and of many jobs, they have become a poor-underclass.”

That’s just a little bit of Jim’s racism.

Don’t be like Jim.

KAREN HARASSES RETAIL WORKERS

Then there’s “Karen”, whose real name is Kerry Nash, letting loose at Bunnings staff who asked her – with, it needs to be said, infinite patience and saintly self-control – to put on a mask.

Karen likes to let all within hearing distance – plus anyone as far and wide as the radius of the internet permits – know that she is not only irritating and full of her own self-importance but also, according to her, an expert in the Magna Carta.

All highly amusing, perhaps, unless you take into account that this idiocy of refusing to follow a law, introduced to protect our safety, has spawned a copycat movement of self-proclaimed “rebels”, wandering around the neighbourhood, refusing to wear masks or heed the law and choosing instead to spread their COVID germs to all and sundry.

Don’t be like Karen.

CRAIG GIVES MEDICAL ADVICE

Liberal Member for Hughes Craig Kelly, that entertaining expert in climate change denial, has crawled out from under his tinfoil hat once again. This time, to share his incredible (literally) knowledge of medicine.

According to Craig, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews should face the (strangely specific) term of 25 years gaol for “workplace manslaughter” for not promoting Trump’s coronavirus “cure” of hydroxychloroquine ingestion. It is perplexing that Craig chose only one state premier at random since the other state premiers and even the PM have also steered clear of this widely discredited – most significantly by the TGA – “treatment” (poison).

Unlike Andrews’ leadership, Kelly’s promotion of a drug for which there is no medical evidence to suggest it can cure COVID-19, but which may kill people if used incorrectly, can actually be termed criminal reckless endangerment.

IA takes this stance despite not being a franchisee or employee of "Jim’s General Practitioners".

Don’t be like Craig.

TIMMY RANTS

In Victoria, Liberal Member for Kew Tim Smith has made a name for himself ranting endlessly about Dan Andrews.

According to Tim, the Victorian Premier is a  "schmuck”, a “loser”, a “dictator" and a "loony".

In Tim’s ill-considered opinion, Andrews was firstly a dictator for imposing the strictest measures of all the states by maintaining lockdown measures, such as not permitting pubs and other businesses to open, longer than the other states.

Now, Tim laments, Andrews is not dictating enough, blaming the Premier for Victoria’s coronavirus predicament because he should have employed stricter measures sooner.

Please don't be like Tim.

SCOTTY MARKETS HIMSELF

For his part, the PM has stopped short of promoting Craig Kelly’s more fatuous claims or Tim Smith’s more bizarre attacks on Andrews. But he has not publicly condemned them as any responsible leader should, choosing instead the “no comment” defence.

This is unsurprising, given that it was Morrison who fixed the rubberstamping of Kelly’s preselection, against the better judgement of the NSW Liberal Party branch. The current PM, of course, won Kelly’s undying love in return.

And Smith has further provided the perfect avenue for Morrison to maintain a safe distance from negative commentary on Dan Andrews — allowing others, such as Smith, to be the face of the hate campaign.

The actions of Jim, Karen, Craig, Tim and Scotty, given high profile airtime by the usual mainstream media enablers, are putting us all at risk. They are not doing so for altruistic reasons but for their own ideological, financial and/or political benefit.

Welcome to Australia serviced by "Jim’s Ideology".

This is only half the story! Read the rest of this editorial in the IA members-only area. It takes less than a minute to subscribe to IA and costs as little as $5 a month, or $50 a year — a small sum for superb journalism and lots of extras.

Follow managing editor Michelle Pini on Twitter @vmp9. Follow Independent Australia on Twitter at @independentaus and on Facebook HERE.

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