With three pieces up about the banking royal commission yesterday, there was no shortage of people getting riled up over “shysters and charlatans” in the Crikey inbox. We saw a lot of debate about punishment for wrongdoers, tight-lipped Turnbull, and Guy Rundle’s plan to socialise the whole bloody system.

Also, Crikey readers are divided about how much Mark Latham they want in their lives. Do you want us deconstructing his renewed push for relevance? The odd pisstake? Or maybe you’d rather let him cook his tuna patties in peace. Let us know.

Re: Adam Schwab’s “Fans are the losers in Cricket Australia’s broadcasting deal”

Cara MacNish: Schwab is spot on. I’ve been watching cricket on and off for 50 years, but I certainly won’t be signing up to a Foxtel subscription to view it.

Luckily, when Di Natale’s proposal goes through, I’ll be able to faithfully simulate the test match watching experience, at a lower cost, by lying on the couch with a spliff.

Re: Greg Barns’ “Look at the evidence — Greens’ pot plan makes a whole lot of sense”

Ian Hill: Greg Barns is spot on with his article on the legislation of marijuana. How many times does it have to be shown that prohibition does not work? I would advocate extending decriminalisation to all drugs and allow them to be sold through pharmacies or other licensed outlets. This would take the supply out of the hands of the criminal gangs, reduce the cost to users and increase tax revenue as well as enabling accurate statistics on overall usage.

At the moment we spend most of our money in the “war on drugs” on police (is there a drug squad that hasn’t been implicated in corruption?) and prison services. Despite all the evidence of this failure of public policy, the politicians of both major parties insist on maintaining the status quo and express horror and dismay at the suggestion of an alternative approach.

Re: Bhakthi Puvanenthiran and Bernard Keane’s “Then and now: the pollies left red-faced over banking commission back-pedaling”

Pamela: Lovely sequencing of quotes old and now recent — as if Turnbull and co did not know what a mob of shysters and charlatans hold the purse strings of this country. No wonder they had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the royal commission.

Even with one of their own, namely Kenneth Hayne, running the show, it is impossible to perfume the stench emanating from the dock. Highly unlikely any one of these bastards will see inside a prison. After all, as Guy Rundle says, this is the system: screw the peasants and punters for all you can.

B. Barry: Scott Morrison has suggested that the crooks in charge of the banks, the insurance companies, and the superannuation rip-offs should be jailed. Does anyone really believe the government has the balls to put their mates in jail?

Prepare for a white-wash on who is to blame… Nobody will do time and just a handful of minor executives may lose their jobs. The main overpaid bludgers at the top of the ladder will get off scot-free.

Tim Howard: Turnbull silent. Well, he is a banker.

Re: Guy Rundle’s “The finance sector must be socialised”

Bozwell: You have never been so correct, mate. Banking and financial scandal and corruption is not a symptom, it IS the system. I am an old man and have never trusted the system or the banks, always preferring co-operative or publicly owned enterprises for health as well as finances. That is why I have never begrudged paying my taxes.

As you well conclude, it is a very exciting, interesting, and I would also add frightening time to be alive. I might also add, the tenor of your writing dovetails nicely (in my unlearned opinion) with the cracking address given by Richard Flanagan to The National Press Club yesterday.
With you also RL.

Re: Emily Watkins’ “Inside the bizarre, tuna patty-filled launch of Mark Latham’s new cookbook”

Niall Clugston: Crikey seems to have a twisted obsession with Mark Latham. Years ago, Crikey broke a “fake news” story about his bucks’ night and also publicised the fact that he is missing a testicle. When he published The Latham Diaries, he was invited to take part in a Q&A session. Some months back, Crikey made a big deal about Latham falling out of a chair. Now we have a whole article about his cookbook???

Brian Crooks: This isn’t a cook-out, it’s a love-in — an old political tart, Latham, and the queen of the shock jocks, Jones, canoodling on camera like a pair of old honeymooners. [They’re] both that far right that Genghis Khan wouldn’t talk to them, both desperate for political notice and relevance and with an ever-shrinking listener base of old rednecks and madly sucking up to the evil godfather Rupert. It’s more like a Shakespearean tragedy than real life.

Mike Carlton:

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