With the US-Israel attacks on Iran taking over our screens there's been no shortage of provocative, dehumanising and/or utterly befuddling hot takes published by Australian media outlets.
Opinions published within 24 to 48 hours of a global calamity tend to establish a certain narrative and set the tone for the type of conversation to come and boy does that conversation seem ... bad.
We've done the grunt (and mentally destabilising) work of sifting through a bunch of editorials on Iran to rate each one against Antoinette's What-The-Fuck-O-Meter. Ranked from least worst to "what the fuck am I reading", enjoy this deep-dive into the Australian media's opinion section — and don't say we didn't warn you of what's to come.
Least Worst
Anthony Albanese’s transformation into Deputy Sheriff John Howard is complete, Crikey.
Crikey's political editor Bernard Keane says what we are all thinking: that Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong are regurgitating the same talking points we saw used to justify the illegal and devastating Iraq invasion.
He writes:
In dismissing international law and supporting yet another Western military attack on a Middle Eastern country, Anthony Albanese has completed his transformation into John Howard.
Jan notes that Crikey also published a piece from an Iranian eye doctor from Perth in the 24-48 aftermath of the attack on Iran, titled: US intervention in Iran is not benevolent. But Iranians do not have the privilege of choice. It helped explain why foreign intervention might be welcomed by some who despise the oppressive regime.
