The Sucker Punch - NSW Style

[Greynomad]

Well, I reckon no matter your political persuasion, you'd have to agree that penning a thank-you note for what was clearly the opening gambit in a long game of reciprocal back-scratching was either stupid or incredibly naive.

No-one in Australia could 'forget' that they were given a bottle of Australia's best wine - particularly from the same vintage as the receiver. I was given a bottle of (excellent quality) port from my birth year, and 16 years later I clearly remember who gave it to me and the occasion (my 50th).

The only alternative conclusion one can draw from such 'forgetfulness' is that Mr O'Farrell must have been showered with so many such gifts in his time as State Premier that one piddling bottle of Grange Hermitage was lost in the fog.

The proof that this was a classic Sucker Punch is the sudden appearance of not only the hand-written note itself but also the postmarked envelope... both in remarkably good condition.

This clearly infers that the donor of said bottle, playing the long game, carefully filed the note against a time when it would either
(a) be used to 'persaude' O'Farrell to grant special favours or
(b) ensure that if Di-whatsizname was going down, he would not be the only sacrifice.

As someone on this forum observes in their signature panel:
Everyone has the right to act stupidly.
It's just that some people abuse the privilege.

[Kelvin12]

Ditto the above.

Dirk

[Izabarack]

No-one in Australia could 'forget' that they were given a bottle of Australia's best wine ....

Going out on a limb there. Not to give any pollie a "Get out of Jail card" but there are any number of explanations, based in memory research, to support Bazza's failure of memory. Memory formation and retrieval is a complex process that include things like apprehension, processing, context, state, cues for retrieval, access, and proposition. Does anyone disbelieve student's stories of not being about to remember oft studied information while sitting in the exam hall? If Bazza did really remember getting the wine, I suspect he would also remember writing the smoking gun note. I am, and would be, quick to stick it up any pollie but I am willing to give this guy a 50/50.

Iza

[Greynomad]

I think he was given a couple of weeks notice that he was to be questioned on this matter.
Sufficient time to either search his memory or investigate "what happened to the Grange?"

Now, if I - suffering a combination of chemo-brain and age-related memory loss - can still recall a $30-odd bottle of Port being given to me after the chemotherapy affected my memory, I reckon a pollie who still has all his marbles should be able to recall a gift of a bottle of Grange from the year of his birth - even if he was not aware of its $3,000 price tag. He would be aware that Grange is top-drawer stuff, and one from his birth-year of 1959 would not be found in the $5.00-a-bottle rack at Coles Liquorland!

If he still 'can't recall' the gift, that's what he should have told the ICAC inquiry. Flatly denying it was his downfall. In this case the 'Watergate' response is the safest:
"I have no recollection of that incident, Senator."

I suspect O'Farrell was hoping Di-whatsizname would do what most people do with a thank-you note: read it, then consign it to the paper recycling bin.

Too bad for O'Farrell that it was carefully filed for future use...

[Izabarack]

Now, if I - suffering a combination of chemo-brain and age-related memory loss - can still recall a $30-odd bottle of Port being given to me after the chemotherapy affected my memory, I reckon a pollie who still has all his marbles should be able to recall a gift of a bottle of Grange......

And you are perfectly entitled to that opinion. How will you ever know if you are right? In this case you are trying to support a judgement of another through introspection; a recognised failure of the early attempts at Psychology. You are also applying the outcome of a specific experience to a generalisation and trying to apply that generalisation inappropriately. In logic, that is called an Ecological Fallacy and is a common failure of Inductive Logic. Age-related memory loss is also quite particular. Some older adults have very clear memories of some things and alsolutely no memory for some other important events in their life. One client of mine could report a clear memory of his first day to school but did not remember that he had been married for more than 40 years. The circumstances and context under which you received the port are quite different to his receiving of the wine. Did Olde Bazza actually hold the wine? What prompted him to write the note? Does he remember writing the note? Is he telling the truth? I am simply saying he may be telling a truth. There is plenty of precedent and research into memory and memory processes to prevent any absolute judgement that he does not remember.

Iza

[Greynomad]

If Bazza is telling the truth, and he really can't remember such a significant gift, doesn't that make him unfit to hold the position of State Premier on the grounds of mental impairment?

I reckon a pollie who still has all his marbles should be able to recall a gift

[Kelvin12]

Exactly, he was hoping it would all blow over but the bubble burst right over his head. This is the bloke that touted he was the anti corruption premier... Just another bit of polie talk for "as long as I am not sprung its OK". Same on both sides of the fence, what chance as the average punter got for an honest government...... stuff all. A vote for Mrs. Brown would be a way better option.

Dirk

[Izabarack]

If Bazza is telling the truth, and he really can't remember such a significant gift, doesn't that make him unfit to hold the position of State Premier on the grounds of mental impairment?

Of course not. I have already explained that there are any number of plausible explanations as to how and why an organically healthy brain might have a lapse in memory. There is a shed load of research material on memory. Shall I tell all about how to beat the old Lie Detector using one method to disrupt access to a memory? A lot of research into how to implant false memories has given us much information on memory lapses and why someone can be convinced that they do not have a memory for some things that they did experience.

I don't really give a toss as to whether or not Barry is telling a porky or not, the moment has passed. If you have a real need to find out if Barry fibbed or not, I reckon a mind reader might be the go. But then, how would you ever know if the mind reader is telling the truth?

Iza

[Izabarack]

.... he was hoping it would all blow....

I suspect Ray is looking for you right now. Mind reader perhaps, but clearly not clairvoyant.

Iza

[Barry Powell]

I thought politics was off limits over here.
However I do enjoy these exchanges.
I am with Iza.
I can even give a conservative the benefit of the doubt sometimes and they do need all the help they can get.
Now where did I put my glasses and the mouse?