redneck-a-dope williams vs rudd

I've watched this develop and it is interesting. Firstly I am not a fan of either of these two. Williams creeps me out and I don't trust rudd - but that is just me.

From The Australian

"Williams has been in the spotlight for saying Australians are just "English rednecks" on David Letterman's US talk show.

Mr Rudd took offence, telling a radio show: "I think Robin Williams should go and spend a bit of time in Alabama before he frames comments about anyone being particularly redneck."

Robin Willaims retorted

"Nice comeback, way to go K-Rudd. How's the food on the plane? Good day," Williams said, speaking on Australian radio.

"Please let me come back to Australia without a cavity search, and if not I'd love to go to a strip club with you in New York."

Meanwhile

Mr Rudd's reference to Alabama and rednecks generated a terse response from Alabama governor Bob Riley.

"I'm not sure if Prime Minister Rudd has ever been to Alabama," Mr Riley responded in a statement. "If he has, he would know that Alabamians are decent, hard-working, creative people.

and the various Alabamian news webs and blogs ran red hot with this

"They did not hold back, with one accusing Rudd of making a "racial epithet" while another wrote "if it weren't for some Alabamians fighting in the war, the Australians would be speaking Japanese".

"I'm going to go to the zoo and punch a kangaroo in protest," another wrote on the Birmingham News site.

and the really interesting one

"Calling someone a redneck is the equivalent of a racial epithet," a reader wrote.

Rudd made the stupid error of be the big man with williams he should have used the classic line of "williams should stick with acting..." rather than go on the silly attack and bringing another group into it - namely the Alabamians.

Now that particular part of the world has seen disgusting behaviour against indigenous people, people of colour, immigrants and other disadvantaged groups, and that is a legacy that they live with. The people who have suffered because of redneckism are still there, still suffering and that cannot be pushed under the carpet. And rudd is way out of line defending the racism and treatment in australia of indigenous people, people of colour, immigrants and other disadvantaged groups, and that is a legacy that they live with. The people who have suffered because of redneckism are still there, still suffering and that cannot be pushed under the carpet.

Anyway, an interesting clash of the ...