The Aussies that Andrew Bolt wanted Rudd to throw to the dogs

Over the last week or so Andrew Bolt has repeatedly savaged Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd for his reluctance to publicly condemn and call for Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak to stand down.

In a typical rant, Bolt ridiculed “in their miserable entirety [Rudd’s] comments today on human rights in Egypt”, selectively quoting some of Rudd’s remarks in an interview on Sky News.

But by glaring omission, Bolt failed to give any weight to a crucial consideration in Rudd’s approach to the Egyptian crisis.

Part of what Rudd said, but what Bolt did not report, was the following:

Well my more immediate concern is to the well being of Australians in Cairo... we are in a difficult security situation and our first and foremost concern is the well being of Australians in the country.

The title Bolt gave to his post was: “Why won’t Rudd condemn Mubarak? Still chasing your UN votes, Kevin?”

Well, if Bolt chooses to see, he may find his answer in the following:

Australia has protested to Egypt over the targeting of foreigners, including its diplomats and journalists, by pro-government protesters in the capital Cairo.

Attacks and raids on journalists and a confrontation involving Australian diplomats came as the Mubarak regime tries to stifle international scrutiny of political upheavals across the country. ...

Mr Rudd said he had protested to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit this morning about the treatment of foreigners in the country.

“I raised the problems that we have seen with the maltreatment of journalists on the ground from networks around the world,” he said.

“This is not acceptable and that message was delivered very clearly.”

One has to ask how clearly that message might have been delivered had Rudd stuck the boot into the Mubarak regime with the reckless abandon Bolt had been demanding. Does Bolt suppose the regime would have been at all receptive to our diplomacy?

In his hate-driven frenzies, Bolt tears apart anything to hand that represents restraint, order or the related discipline of reason.

UPDATE: Bolt in his latest post quotes from the same news item above, and wonders: “Were our people attacked on the orders of the Mubarak regime?” And he notes that “it’s getting ugly for our own.”

Will the penny ever ƒυςќing drop?

Probably not so far as his readers are concerned, since Bolt has chosen not to quote the part about Rudd’s efforts at diplomacy.

I’ve submitted a comment summarising my concerns as set out above. I conclude with the suggestion that he “try doing some journalism before it's too late for you.” The latter may tend to further limit its chances of getting by moderation, but hey, that’s life.