In the news

I expect Djokovic will use his experience to become a relentless campaigner against the inhumane asylum laws and immigration procedures which have kept his fellow Park Hotel guests in limbo.

If, as his mum said, being asked to hang around for a weekend (or leave earlier if he wanted) was "torture", I expect he's aghast at what happens to those less fortunate.

Australian government getting a free pass on that then?

Just the bad unvaccinated guys job?

Well I doubt the Australian government are going to publicly denounce the inhumanity of their own system, because they've made that a global export and a non-negotiable policy.

(One which our own Nigel Farage, defender of Djokovic and freedom, has called for here).

My point is not that Djokovic is the main bad guy here (though I do think he's a twat).

More that he has a real platform now to understand and publicise something which his experience has shed more light on. Which I sadly expect he won't use.

Two LAPD officers were fired for ignoring a call regarding a robbery
in progress because they were playing Pokemon Go and had spotted a
Snorlax.

https://twitter.com/unioncounsel/status/1480648769305649157

I really don't understand why Farage, Fox et al are jumping on this bandwagon. For Fox I guess it's some sort of anti-establishment, anti-vax thing but for Farage? Seems an odd thing but I suppose that as long as Djokovic is rich and doesn't live in the UK, he's the "right" kind of Eastern European.

Maybe Hungarians and Serbs get a pass?

They might (nationalism too, see Brexit) but @jj72 is right.

There are reasons for this though - nationalist ideology in the former Yugoslavia politicised nationality and ethnicity which provided the moral, political and military impetus for war, violence and ethnic cleansing. And it's still pretty recent, so the countries involved are still fiercely nationalistic.

I've not been to Serbia but I've never seen so many flags as when I've been in Croatia/Bosnia/Montenegro. In Croatia even the little carts the street sweepers push have flags on.

Going to take a controversial (and brave) counterpoint....

There is no doubt that Australia has a pretty nasty immigration system, both past and present. But actually was Djokovic actually treated that unfairly?

As I understand it, immigration queried his right to enter, refused, and he got the right to appeal before a court. It's hardly on the scale of delaying someone's asylum hearing, then deporting then before they can attend - something we used to do regularly under Jacqui Smith, and for all I know probably still do.

ScoMo and the Australian immigration system in one corner, and Novax and Nigel in the other. Bit of a Hobson’s choice isn’t it?

I'm surprised that the No 10 party story leaked on a Monday, not Tuesday the day before PMQs.

Try Brazil.
Fucking flags everywhere.
Even on the flip-flops.

More dohyō than boxing ring.

Or Belfast, if you don't fancy a long flight

Not sure what this has to do with their love for Djoko. They do have a saying 'Serbia to the sea' although they have no sea, if you get my meaning :)

Arise Sir Lewis, resident of Monaco....

Love that....

Gives a full day for more to come out and public/press outrage to build?

True to extent. One of the main reasons is not about belonging to one nation(ality), but more about NOT belonging to the other one. Becomes quite a fucked up situation with all the mixed marriages and their offsprings, myself included...

It used to be tankies who supported Serbia no matter what, despite the very non-communist politics there. In the world where Kippers and MAGAhats are big fans of Putin, it makes much more sense for Farage to be an ally to the Serbs.

Pretty sure Milosevic and Farage would get on like a house on fire.

Obviously aware that Djokovic isn't a genocidal nationalist, and neither are all Serbs. In fact none of the few Serbs I've met have been at all nationalist. Although now I think about it, they've all been pretty odd and one was an antivaxer wellness nut.

Thanks. Trying to Haiku more for 2022.

I'm just disappointed with people that wrap themselves in one flag while being tax resident somewhere else.

Yes, that includes Sir Lewis. Apparently he doesn't even want to live there once he no longer needs to avoid paying his share of his income.

Maybe the UK should have similar rules to US citizens who have their income taxed by the US irrespective of residence?

I'm not that sensitive about where do these people live, more about what they do. Novak for an example has donated millions for good causes in Serbia. Perhaps if living there, he would contributed to the tax monies directly, so that argument may not stand, but at least he ain't certain Philip Green.
Wasn't Boris the one who owed a lot of dosh to US gov due to his dual nationality?

Novak for an example has donated millions for good causes in Serbia

IMHO donating to good causes does not exempt you from paying tax. I pay tax to fund the stuff I don't like as well as the things I do. Wealthy people also typically donate a smaller proportion of their income so they are frequently double cunts.

( https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/dec/15/britains-top-earners-giving-less-to-charity-while-incomes-rise - The top 1% typically gave 0.2% of their income, while separate figures suggest that typical donations across the whole population in 2019 amounted to about 0.8% of average incomes. )

Wasn't Boris the one who owed a lot of dosh to US gov due to his dual nationality?

Yes, I believe in part because the 100% tax relief on your principal private residence doesn't apply in the US. But Boris Johnson is also a cunt in a number of ways. He is no longer a US citizen. Apparently to show his loyalty to the UK and not to change his tax situation.

You couldn't make it up.

https://twitter.com/nicktolhurst/status/1480813451974877187