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How trolls are setting the bar, or the barre, impossibly high for our leaders

It’s OK, Scomo. I didn’t know what it was either. Barre. Pronounced “Barr” or “Barra” or “Barr-eh” or “Who-really-gives-a-rats”.

Mar 27, 2020, updated Mar 27, 2020
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is showing few signs of weakening his stance on our borders. (Photo: AAP Image/Getty Pool, Sam Mooy)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is showing few signs of weakening his stance on our borders. (Photo: AAP Image/Getty Pool, Sam Mooy)

According to Dr Google, we’re led to believe it stems from the Old French “barre”, meaning “beam, bar, gate, or barrier”.

Reading a little further down the page, “Barre is a “hybrid workout class, combining ballet-inspired moves with elements of Pilates, dance, yoga and strength training”.

So there you go. And our esteemed national leader didn’t know this? Why in Hillsong-God’s name did we vote him in in the first place?

Tricky time being a politician, isn’t it? The country knee-deep in chaos, those at the helm, continually gathering and deciphering information, making decisions on the run, fronting press conferences hourly, to update the populous on what’s going on – what we can and cannot do.

And in the background, we’ve got the largely toxic wasteland that is social media, the trolls sniping away, drawing attention to this faux pas and that mispronunciation, the inconsistency here and policy backflip over there.

But worst of all, the bloke’s never heard of Barre. How out of touch, how late 20th century can a politician be?

“Our nation’s sports stars”, as very selectively reported by News “Limited”, pile in, heaping scorn on the PM for the delivery and lack of clarity in his “address to the nation”.  Why do they need to do that?  Cheap laughs for their hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers? Bravo.

Warnie even told us he was confused.  From a safe distance, I’m guessing that wouldn’t take a lot.

Does anybody really understand the pressure that these people are under? How many hours a day they are working? Not just Scomo but every state premier and front-line health authority in the country. Is it 16 or 17? Or more? And how many days in a row now?

When was the last time they had a quiet moment to themselves?  Perhaps get in a Barre class to help clear their heads?

I’m not suggesting we don’t scrutinise or at times question the decisions that are being made on our behalf, but we should be mindful – what’s going to help and what’s going to hinder? Nitpicking helps nobody.

As an aside, full marks to Albo and any other opposition leader who’s resisted the temptation to criticise, instead just politely staying out of the way, even offering an occasional “nod of approval” when they think it’s warranted.

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The easiest thing to do in times like this is sit on the sidelines and throw rocks at imperfect solutions and illogical thinking. Wait – we can have 10 people at the funeral but only five at a wedding. WTF? What about a housewarming? How many can we have there? An uneven seven? It’s in a gazebo. Is that indoor or outdoor? Bahahahaha.

The closing of the state border between Queensland and NSW is another far-from-perfect decision, when Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, are in every respect but name, one community. It makes next to no sense. None. Inconvenient? Horribly. But the message is still pretty clear. ALL OF YOUSE – STAY AT HOME!  Help save yourself, help save your country.

There are a lot of “captain’s calls” being made right now that history will not treat kindly. We’ll look back in bewilderment at some of the decisions that were taken.

But in week three or four or wherever we’re up to with this bloody thing, there’s no benefit of hindsight. No “if only I’d known that”. That’ll come later, and wow, won’t the trolls have a field day.

Right now what we have to do is trust that the people who are steering the ship (blindfolded, through uncharted waters in the pitch black of night) are doing so to the best of their ability, in a way that mirrors the best interests of the country.

We don’t need them to be perfect. We need them to be authentic and courageous.

And if that means garbled press conferences and slightly mixed messages, then so be it. I’m happy to stay at home, watch, listen and obey.

All while patiently waiting for the Barre classes to resume, and the borders to reopen.

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