Musical Dispatch from the Front – Charlie Who? - September 2025
Frank Baarda
Good news for you fans of English literature,
I saw Donald Trump on YouTube read out some notes he was holding. It was clearly unrehearsed and I suspect came as a surprise to himself. I have transcribed the speech for your delectation
We’re joined by history and fate
By love and language
we’re like two notes in one chord
or two verses of the same poem
each beautiful on its own
but really meant to be played together
At this point Agent Orange abandoned his notes and as well as being a poet proved himself to be an expert exponent of the narcissistic non-sequitur.
We had a very sick country one year ago, and today I believe we’ve the hottest country anywhere in the world. In fact, nobody’s even questioning it
King Charles III who’d maintained a stunned mullet expression throughout the poetic rendition, proved he’d come a long way from his youthful careless tampon comment. He didn’t even flinch and gave no hint of questioning the last phrase.
Trump in full flight soldiered on, once again referring to his notes …
And fifth of all of humanity speaks, writes, thinks and prays in the language born of these Isles and perfected in the pages of Shakespeare and Dickens and Tolkien, Lewis, Orwell and Kipling … incredible … people …
All of this enhanced by unexpected random pauses and hesitations. It left me wondering if Trump had ever heard of these incredible … people.
Is it just me? I find the inclusion of Orwell to be ironic.
Meanwhile my daily search to find out what is happening around the world was suddenly interrupted by the zone being flooded by the worst tragedy to befall humanity, The assassination of Charlie Kirk. My reaction? Charlie who?
Had the ever tightening algorithms and bots so isolated me from my fellow earth inhabitants, that I was the only person who had never heard of this incredible … person …
Not one to be left behind I immediately searched the internet for enlightenment. One of the first items I came across was Pauline Hanson crying crocodile tears for Charlie Kirk on Sky News. I’m devastated she declared. This devastation couldn’t happen to a nicer person. An incredible … person … In fact.
In my search I did find an item to warm the cockles of anyone’s heart. Donald Trump announced that he’d resolved the conflict between Aber-Baijian and Albania.
I recall when in the Australian Parliament someone arguing for the privatisation of Telecom mentioned that “Even Albania has privatised its telecommunications.’ At the time isolationist Albania was the last country in the world to officially endorse Maoism.
The fact that Azerbaijan and Albania are two and a half thousand kilometres apart doesn’t seem to bother peacemaker Trump. He so deserves to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Why not? Kissinger got one.
Meanwhile in the Northern Territory a group of do-gooders (church leaders and outreach services) wrote to CLP Minister Burgoyne decrying the inhumane conditions in the overcrowded and understaffed Alice Springs Correctional Centre. Of particular concern was the lack of air conditioning.
In the summer of 2024-25, Alice Springs recorded 100 days over 40 degrees Celsius, with the hottest March day ever recorded when the mercury tipped 44.5C.
The CLP government has always maintained that the purpose of incarceration is to punish bad behaviour and to keep the community safe. Hot conditions they regard as part and parcel of punishment.
They seem to overlook the fact that half of the record prison population are on remand and therefore innocent until proven guilty.
Mr Burgoyne says there is no funding to install air conditioning at the prison
I suggest they air condition half the prison.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rmzXH45f-k&t=1s
Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Three • “Folsom Prison Blues” • 1968
See y’all,
Frank