Thread: Australia Newspaper responds to ALIPAC supporters

Satire raises ire

Reflux has been taken aback over suggestions it is a "satirical humour" column, "which is not taken seriously" by Australians.

After this column suggested last week that Foster's could take advantage of a boycott of SABMiller beer in the US by anti-illegal immigrationists, Minutemen and rednecks, it has been a busy week in the Reflux letter department.

"This reporter is missing the point altogether," noted one supporter of the Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee (ALIPAC).

At the time, it only seemed prudent to bring up the idea of Foster's making a crack at the xenophobe market in the US, given some people there are upset Miller has apparently funded Mexican pro-immigrant rallies.

One concerned reader from Kalamazoo, Michigan, asked if Reflux knew "anything about the real side effects of illegal immigrants in the USA or do you just listen to politically correct, sanitised news?".

The reader kindly explained that most illegal immigrants used false or stolen identities and that about 90 per cent of outstanding warrants for murder in Los Angeles "are for illegal aliens, again mostly Mexican illegal aliens".

"I could go on with many more statistics but I think you wouldn't believe me anyway," he concluded.

"Now that I've showed you up to be only a fool concerned about the profit for beer and liquor sales, what have you got to say for yourself?"

Reflux was also accused of being a "hypocrit", a dimwit, a jerk, clueless, unscrupulous, unethical, twisted, a moron and a bad reporter.

All true. But it was the bit about not being taken seriously that really hurt.

'Biter barking

Reflux was upset to find that some ALIPAC members got the idea it was labelling them rednecks. It only seemed logical that any fun-loving redneck or xenophobe - while unrelated to ALIPAC - would love to join a boycott of a beer that supports Mexicans streaming across the US border.

One concerned ALIPAC member, a Ms Porgie Tirebiter (we're not kidding), thought this column had misquoted the committee's president, William Gheen, who calls Miller "invasion beer". "I've always held Australia in high esteem here, have numerous friends I've met through Rotary who are Australian citizens. Sadly, this article has me re-examining my views," Tirebiter wrote.

In an open letter to this paper, Tirebiter called for an apology. "More appalling is that your paper printed his diatribe of anger-filled drivel," she wrote.

Reflux is sad it has distressed some American anti-illegal immigrationists and would like to assure American readers and ALIPAC members that Australia too has a thriving anti-illegal immigration scene.

Scott Rochfort
September 16, 2006

http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/in- ... tml?page=2

So a libelous piece, is suddenly satire...huh?

Reflux is sad it has distressed some American anti-illegal immigrationists and would like to assure American readers and ALIPAC members that Australia too has a thriving anti-illegal immigration scene

You would think so, given this:

A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on national television.

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... =australia

Seems to me, given Australian news re the riots, etc, and the above...that they have problems with immigration, also.

"I've always held Australia in high esteem here...

So have I, but I've also always held reporters in complete and utter contempt.

Looks like my views have been reinforced by more journalistic stupidity.