Reference:- President Trump has negotiated a peace deal with the Houthis in Yemen .

 Reference :- President Trump's peace deal with the Houthis appears to exclude a clause protecting Israel . 

Dear Mr Trump Sir , 

                                  Well done securing a peace deal with those Houthis . They are fierce fighters , not easily intimidated , but you have succeeded in presenting the deal as a win for the US Military , rather than a capitulation .  Not much is being said about whether peace with Israel is included in the deal , which clearly indicates that Israel does not feature in the contract .  The Zionists are fairly spitting chips about being left out of the negotiations , but I think you have done the right thing Mr President . 

Those Zionists never abide by peace deals , so you could hardly be expected to be taken seriously if you approached the deal with a ranting raving Zionist as a partner . Far better to go it alone . 

I hear that Zionist , Mariam Adelson , who flicked 100 million bucks your way to help finance your election campaign feels betrayed . But honestly , she must have no idea what the cost of running a genocide is these days . You have already lost 3 fighter jets trying to defeat the Houthis .  Sure , they may have had a few miles on their odometers , and had probably been depreciated down to their residual value , but you still have to replace them at 70 million  each.  That puts you 110 million behind the 8 ball already , so she has well and truly had her money's worth .   And look what has happened to your bottom line . 

Besides that , it's obvious that you are not really a genocide kind of guy , so why should you allow yourself to go down in history misrepresented as one ? 

Maybe the time has come to cut Israel's apron strings ?   Other countries in the Middle East , brimming as they are with useful hydrocarbons and minerals ..... not to mention cash ... are rushing to do deals with China .  Rightly or wrongly , they are turning away from the USA over this Gaza genocide thing . 

We are both of mature years , so perhaps you also might recall a quote from the historian John Sheehan from the previous millennium  ? 

" Every time anyone says that Israel is our only friend in the Middle East , I can't help but think that before Israel we had no enemies in the Middle East " . 

That may be a tad overstated , but I reckon it should give pause for thought . 

The Saudis , and the Arabs generally ,  are getting very techy about Israel . Perhaps if you withdraw support for Mr Netanyahu , who shows you no respect  ( that liar ) , the Saudis and Co might be more inclined to defend the dominance of the Petrodollar ? "

Anyway , I don't pretend to be an expert in geopolitics like that young Douglas Murray chap with the fake accent and an undergraduate degree in the love life of Oscar Wilde .   But you don't need to be an expert to realize that gifting unlimited support to a lying criminal ( both domestic and international ) so that he can wage a genocide is unlikely to win a bloke many friends . 

Your comrade , 

Ken 

 

                                    

Reference :- President of the USA , Donald Trump , posted an AI generated picture of himself dressed as the Pope on his web site .

 Reference :-    The White House approved of the image , and reposted it on the official web site . 

Dear Mr Trump Sir ,

                                       That was a great idea , showing your respect for the dead by posting an image of yourself dressed as the deceased .   You may have started a new fad .   The plebs , especially the ones who flaunt their percipience by wearing MAGA baseball caps and T shirts and strapping little boxes to their ears , are sure to start emulating you .    Doubtless people will soon be arriving at funerals dressed as their dead friend or relative .  

As one of the world's most admired social influencers ,  have you considered impersonating leaders who have not yet expired ?   You have just won the hearts of 1.4 billion Catholics around the globe with your tasteful tribute , why not masquerade as the Ayatolla Khamenei  ?  That is sure to delight 2 billion Muslims .  You could then deck yourself out in the garb of the Dalai Lama , which is guaranteed to enchant 500 million Buddhists.    That would make you the darling of half the world's population . 

But do it as soon as possible . You are a trend setter , not a follower .

Oh , I almost forgot the Archbishop of Canterbury .   There are not as many Anglicans , but it all adds up .

 Ken junior notes that the Dalai Lama and the Ayatolla dress very humbly compared with the Christian leaders , so they should be easy to simulate .  If you decide to include the evangelicals in the USA, that would be easy too.  Just put on a 10,000 dollar suit , flaunt a 200,000 dollar watch , and post an image of yourself boarding a private Learjet with a condescending sneer . 

Your comrade , Ken . 

 

Reference :- Which voters did Mr Dutton fail to attract during the recent election camapaign ?

 Reference :-   Are their certain demographics that Mr Dutton's campaign managers overlooked in the lead up to the election ?

Australia now boasts a more complex society than it could during the halcyon post -war decades .  Ken junior , recently puzzled when he encountered the term " culture wars " for the first time , has been researching the composition of Australian society .  He claims to have found that quite a few folk belong to  demographics who may have had reason to fear that Mr Dutton did not support their best interests.   He has listed them below .  

                       DEMOGRAPHIC                 NUMBER     MAIN REASON

1.  Folk who do not identify as Christian .   20 million .    Discrimination

2.  Women .                                                 13 million       Discrimination

3.  Public servants .                                       2.5 million     Fear of job loss

4.  Folk from non-European cultures.          7.1.million      Racism

5.  Professionals with tertiary education .    1.2 million     They are clever

 6. Young folk of voting age                         3.5 million.    Housing costs 

7.  Inner city progressives .                          4.0 million .    Everything .

I questioned Ken junior about this . 

" That's ridiculous . For starters , if you total those numbers , they come to almost twice the population of Australia . " , I said . 

" Obviously most people belong to more than one of those demographics . " , Ken junior said . 

"  Well who has ever met a non-European woman with a University degree who lives in the inner city and works as a public servant ? " , I said . 

Ken junior just sighed and rolled his eyes . 

" The trouble with you is that you don't understand statistics . " , I explained 

Ken junior started to walk away . 

"   Can't talk now , I have to clean the toilet . ", Ken junior said .

  Election time debates can become tiresome , but at least we always end up with a very clean toilet . 

Your comrade , Ken 

 

                                                            

Reference :- We asked Sky Reply deputy editor , Gabbo , to give a simplified report on the Australian federal election result .

 Reference :-   The conservative media are having difficulty comprehending the reason for the election results 

Here is Gabbo's report :-

In the broadest of terms , 1/3 of voters chose Labor , 1/3 chose the LNP , and 1/3 chose one of the minor parties or an Independent .  Most of the Independent / minor party votes went to Labor as preferences .  That gave Labor a very big win .

Those who voted for Labor or the LNP comprised two cohorts . Those who unthinkingly vote for the same party and will never change . Those who thought about the policies before making their choice . 

Those who have turned to the Independents and minor parties have mostly thought about their choice . 

Those folk would be well aware that their candidate was unlikely to be elected , and would know where the preferences would go .  Most were sending a message that they were unhappy with the major parties , but preferred Labor . 

Most folk viewed the tax cuts and the petrol excise holiday as bribes that diminished the integrity of both parties .

Most folk could not give a hoot about annoying and unnecessary " culture wars " , which only serve as a marketing tool for the media , clickbait , and a distraction from serious issues . 

This is a simple explanation  , but as Occam's Razor reveals , the simplest explanation is usually the best . 

The banks appear to be very happy with the result , judging by their forecasts for interest rates and the economy at large .  

This has been a non-partisan public service announcement . 

If this has raised any issues for you , please phone one or another of the many 1800 helplines . 

Your comrade , Gabbo

 

Reference:- The Labor Party has achieved an historic landslide victory in Australia's federal election .

 Reference :-   Matron of Sky News , Peta Credlin , and doyen of the Murdoch empire, Andrew Bolt , have given us the benefit of their election result analyses . 

Here at the Sky Reply we felt obliged to watch the most respected of the Sky News political commentators as they presented their astute analyses of the election result . 

Some folk might view their presentations and simply dismiss them as two bitter and twisted warriors of the far right who hated watching their party lose the culture wars .  But not everybody . Others may dismiss them as two bitter and twisted warriors of the far right who hated watching their party lose the culture wars without bothering to view their presentations . 

For those who have better things to do , here is quick precis of their opinions .

Peta Credlin could be summarised as follows :- 

The Labor party told lies and bought votes with cynical cash handouts . Most people did not vote for Labor and they only won on preferences .   She admitted that the LNP should shoulder a great deal of the blame for such a catastrophic loss , especially since they had failed to fight the " culture wars " more vigorously .

Andrew Bolt could be summarised as follows :- 

 In the past , when the LNP won , young Andy Bolt was quick to say that the Australian voter can be relied upon to make the right decision  . On this occasion ,  young Andy tells us that the Australian voter made the wrong decision .  According to Andy , the LNP only lost because the voters are fools . 

Today I asked Ken junior to cast his eyes over this post before publishing it .  He had nothing  to say , except this  :-

" What are culture wars ? " , Ken junior said . 

" That is a complicated question . Disruptive battles fought in the media  over race , gender,  ethnicity , religion , social class ..... that sort of thing . " , I said. 

" Never heard of them . " , Ken junior said . 

" Well you will if Peta Credlin gets her way as she fights for the return of her beloved LNP .", I said . 

" That sounds like something the country really needs . " , Ken junior said. 

  Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit , but on this occasion I decided to let Ken junior's remark go through to the keeper . 

Your comrade ,  Ken

 

Reference:- Today Australians will vote in the 2025 Federal Election .

 Reference : -  Do you know enough about the policies of the two major parties to make an informed decision when you vote ? 

We all have a responsibility to cast our vote with a full understanding of the policies we will be supporting . Answer this short questionnaire to uncover any weaknesses in your understanding of how the two major parties intend to address today's most important issues .

For each issue  , circle the response , either A or B , which best describes your comprehension of the policies on offer . 

1.   Thinking of the cost of living crisis and inflation which have been forefront in the news . 

A .  I have decided which party , Labor or the LNP will better address the cost of living crisis. 

B.   I do not know what plan Labor or the LNP have to address the cost of living crisis . 

2.    Rising income inequality is seen by many as a threat to the nation's prosperity . 

A.   I understand how each party plans to reduce income inequality . 

B.  I do not know what each party will do to reduce income inequality . 

3.  Relations with China and the USA  are precarious , with claims there is the threat of war .

A.  I know where each party stands with regards to our relationship with those powerful countries . 

B.  I have no idea where each party stands with regards to our relationships with China and the USA . 

4.   Energy ,  and the transition to green energy must be affordable as we move towards net zero . 

A.   I know how each party has budgeted realistically to make the transition to net zero . 

B.   I do not know how each party will finance the transition to zero carbon emissions . 

5.   Home ownership has become impossible for most young people .  

A.  I know the policies of each party that will restore the opportunity of home ownership for millions . 

B.  I have not seen any policies that will solve the problem of home affordability . 

6.  Corruption has been identified as a growing problem at all levels of government . 

A.  I am familiar with how each party intends to deal with corruption . 

B.  I have no idea how each party intends to deal with corruption . 

7.   Immigration and rapid population growth have stretched services and overwhelmed infrastructure . 

A.  I am familiar with the plans of each party that address this issue . 

B .  I do not know of any plans each party has that will address this issue . 

And lastly , since even at election time we should not ignore a humanitarian crisis  ....

Palestinians are being slaughtered daily and deprived of humanitarian aid in blatant contravention of International Law . 

A .   I know what efforts have been made by the current Australian Government to enforce adherence to International Law , and know how these will be continued if the opposition is elected . 

B.   I have not heard of any efforts to enforce adherence to International Law  

You have now completed the questionnaire .  For each " A " circled , score one point . For each "B " circled , score zero points .  The maximum score is 7 points . 

  If you scored 7 points , you have no understanding of current politics and should cast an informal vote . 

The lower your score , the better your understanding , and you may have time to do some research before voting 

If you scored 0 points you have an excellent understanding of current politics . Feel free to vote for anybody , it won't make much difference .  ( But don't vote for the LNP .  Those fascist bully- boys  will wreck the country . ) 

 This has been another non-partisan independent  survey by The Sky Reply .    The results are always made available for research and public debate free of charge .    

Your comrade , Ken .                                                        

Reference :- A quick postscript to the previous Sky Reply .

Reference :-   The Sky Reply Team was curious about the content of Israel's retracted message of condolence following the death of Pope Francis .  

 Ken junior found the now retracted message on the interweb .  It was brief , and mainly expressed the sentiment  " Rest in Peace " .   Since it has been retracted, one gets the impression that  Israeli government does not wish for him to rest in peace . 

At least they didn't say " May he rot in hell " ...... I guess.   

The team here at the Sky Reply has been discussing the ethical aspects of how one should respond to the death of somebody one does not like . Including somebody one does not like who was also dreadful , a dictator for example .   

The results of this discussion will appear on these pages soon  . 

Meanwhile , folk might find interesting a recent photo of young Douglas Murray sitting in the chair that the wounded " terrorist " Sinwar occupied when he was found and then killed by the IDF.  

Ken junior says it is easily found on the interweb .  He also says he would like to know what brand of sunglasses young Douglas is wearing . He says they look  "wicked " , which I think is the new word for " cool " . 

Your comrade , Ken