I watched QANDA the other night. Germaine has never lost her sense of humour and her approach to the subject of rape while being somewhat flippant, really deserves some serious attention, particularly by those who would censor her. For too long, this aspect of domestic violence has been denied, not something to be discussed in the best of circles, and she should be commended for her part in bring it to the attention of the unwashed multitude.

David

I thought the skinny, lilly-white girl was off with the fairies throughout the show.

Agree!

All human progress has been achieved via the contest of ideas.

To ban someone as influential educated and erudite as Greer is tantamount to Idealogically applied censorship.

We don't need to agree with folk to hear them out!

We need to hear what other folks think and believe if only to refute them if they offend logic's rationale, or known irrefutable facts!
Alan B.

Tampering with , misusing and changing language, is a tactic used my social engineers to control us. We 'powerless' individuals can protect ourselves by ignoring and not using the bastardised lingo. Unfortunately, there are many people, not brilliant thinkers, who jump on the bandwagon because they think it makes them wise and 'educated' because their favourite wacko made it up. These 'carriers of the disease' are the real problem. They spread nonsense like the great plague was spread. Anyway, I don't think Greer would care too much about being banned by a bunch of third rate scribblers most of us have never heard of. She probably hasn't heard of them either, whereas there are not too many civilised people who have not heard of Germaine Greer.

Liz Duck-Chong? Gawd help us!

In a democracy, everyone is entitled to express their opinions on everything, provided they can cop counter-opinion.

Probably no two people in the world really have identical views on everything. So disagreement is inevitable, and most of us have the good sense to go easy when we 'discuss' issues with close friends and relatives and employers.

But there are bound to be people A offended by a free and frank airing of opinion by person B. As a corollary, of course, their opinions may be offensive to person B. Grown-ups usually take all that on-board.

But there some intolerant people who can't bear any difference of opinion, and who will take offence: perhaps we can call these people 'snowflake fascists', the sorts who will use a megaphone a few inches from someone body's face to drown them out (wow, is that offensive or what ?) or shout them down, or use threats and/or violence to silence or intimidate somebody whose opinion they disagree with.

After all, throughout history, fascism typically has tried to silence alternative opinion. In a democracy, it flowers, or at least it should. As it happens, I don't think much of Germaine Greer's rather shallow opinions, but I'd support her right to express them any time.

Discuss :)

Joe

Joe in the dark tunnel of denial again. Reverse it all Joe and you'll come closer the truth!

It's actually left wing hooligans and a freed up assortment of fags, which Trump is doing well at silencing. And more!

I think even Germaine is shocked at how nasty and mean the new feminist movement is with many of its false metoo claims. She can see how some lowlives are using lies to destroy good mens reputation. Maybe she is feeling a little guilty having helped birth such poison which now on steriods as shown by the accusation against Kavanough. Just a thought.

What I'd give for a fame boosting deplatforming like Greer, but as a bloke could never say:

what Greer told ABC's Q&A in 2012 ie. "Women are fat-arsed creatures," and then "Go right ahead Julia, wave that arse!" see http://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/greer-defends-fat-arse-pm-comment-20120828-24x5i.html

I can't help but observe that if the Brisbane Writer's Festival had never taken the step of very loudly and publicly not inviting Greer, I probably never would have never heard of the Brisbane Writer's Festival.

Seems like a shrewd PR move on their part.

Being called fat-arsed by an elephant scrotum lookalike must be rather infuriating for Julia.

Diver Dan,

I didn't understand your comment:

//Joe in the dark tunnel of denial again. Reverse it all Joe and you'll come closer the truth!//

Sorry, denying what ? That free speech should be suppressed ? That intimidation and violence are okay to use against differing opinions ? That anybody who disagrees with you should be, one way or another, silenced ?

Check your oxygen tank next time, Dan. Sounds like someone's been tampering with yours.

Joe

Well I watched that episode of Q$A with Germaine Greer
and I wasn't impressed. I thought she waffled on and
had simply lost the plot at times. Not the Germaine
Greer of old that I remember. But each to their own.
I got the distinct impression she's living off her
old reputation - and isn't what she used to be - but then
I guess who is? I was more impressed with the black
writer and even the young girl. They held their own.
Germaine floundered. Still I shall be checking out her
booklet on rape from my local library - just to be fair.

As a woman Greer reckons she can say anything.

Greer, in 2012, on "big, arse" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFtww1D3ss

Greer on selling her 2018 book "On Rape"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEuNBcW6FnI
see especially 1 minute 45 seconds in.

This should go some way towards understanding what's going on especially with the likes of Q&A.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/01/what-explains-the-idiocy-of-the-liberal-elite-its-their-education/

Foxy,

I have to disagree. I saw the Q&A program that evening and thought the discussion from Germaine Greer was well put. In fact the author you refer to agreed with some of Germaine's comments including her discussion in terms of rape and how such an activity had not been properly defined, and how the matter was aiming to being defined by an international and very specific signed agreement, but this has not happened as of yet.

In terms of Germaine Greer being denied access to the Brisbane Writers festival, at a previous Q&A screening, one person (an author I believe), said how it wasn't really an issue that she was not included in the program, as many other authors are not included in the program (for various reasons) and these people get no attention at all, simply because they are not well known - and I felt that was a valid point.

In terms of the article, regarding the Brisbane Writers Festival, I agree that all of these types of Writers events (in most cases), are really dull, uninspiring and lifeless. The authors don't want to give out too much information about their books (as they want you to buy them), the questions asked of authors can be all over the place and the discussion can be so general, you no nothing at all about what someone has written. So I don't think Germaine has lost anything there, as per the article is trying to get across - these writers events don't provide much really at all.

I think Germaine Greer has a lot to offer (in terms of discussion) and she is willing to express her views and should not be shut down, which is what is happening in some universities, in the U.S and now in Australia when speakers are invited, but then have to leave after some peoples objections and protests.