Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was recently filmed disembarking his plane wearing a Joy Division shirt—the pioneering post-punk English rock band.
Apparently, the band borrowed their name Joy Division from the sexual slavery wing of a Nazi concentration camp. Okay, young post-punkers using provocative names and imagery in their music? Hardly surprising.
But almost 50 years later, should the Australian Prime Minister be wearing their shirt? Well, personally I think the PM should be allowed to wear whatever shirt he wants to—it’s a free country after all. However, I can also understand that if you’re a politician who pursues woke ideals at every opportunity, then be prepared to be attacked if you break those ideals.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley commented in parliament: “At a time when Jewish Australians are facing a rise in antisemitism, when families are asking for reassurance and unity, the Prime Minister chose to parade an image derived from hatred and suffering.”
Okay, personally I think the PM is a lot of things, but he’s certainly not a Nazi. I mean, it’s hilarious to pretend that he is, but I think there are far bigger things to criticise him about than his choice of clothing. Still, I understand the political game. I’m sure if the Opposition Leader was seen waving to a crowd with a stiff-armed salute, some members of the government would happily jump on this without a moment’s thought and accuse Ms. Ley of supporting Adolf Hitler.
But I do think this whole saga does highlight something amusing about modern society: Are we too eager to search for Nazi references and feign outrage? I think we are.
For example, Sussan Ley also went through a punk phase. She intentionally put an extra ‘S’ in her first name, as reported by The Guardian: “Sussan Ley says name spelling change was due to ‘punk phase’ – not numerology.”
Okay, so she intentionally decided to have two S’s in her name. Two S’s? What does that remind us of? Oh yes, the German SS—the Schutzstaffel—a major paramilitary organisation under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, responsible for mass surveillance, state terrorism, and running extermination camps. And Ms. Ley knowingly put those two S’s in her name? What was she thinking!
Or what about her very first car, which she happily published on her social media last year—a Volkswagen Beetle. Doesn’t she know that Volkswagen was founded in 1937 by the Nazi German government to create a “people’s car”—that’s literally what the name means?
Not to mention, that during the war, the Volkswagen factory heavily relied on forced and slave labour from concentration camps to maintain production. The entire concept originated with Adolf Hitler. What was she thinking, driving a Nazi-inspired car!
Of course, I’m being facetious.
The point is: it’s ridiculously easy to find links to Nazism and feign outrage.
The ABC is of course obsessed with Nazis: “‘Nazis aren’t welcome’ in Victoria,” “Nazi flags to be banned,” “The Nazi salute is grounded in hatred,” “Police sergeant suspended over Nazi salute,” “Victorian premier lashes neo-Nazi ‘cowards’,” “Melbourne man found guilty of performing Nazi salute,” and “PM condemns ‘horrific scenes’ of neo-Nazi gathering in Adelaide.”
Of course, they often conflate these extremists with anybody on the political Right: “Former soap star filmed doing Nazi salute at far-right event,” “How overseas Neo-Nazi groups are shaping Australia’s far-right,” “Man charged with performing Nazi salute at anti-immigration rally,” “Far-right protesters attack Aboriginal site,” and “Neo-Nazis march through Melbourne.”
But here’s a curious piece of recent news that complicates the narrative: “Thomas Sewell found not guilty of offensive behaviour by Victorian court.” A Victorian magistrate has found Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell not guilty of offensive behaviour after the 32-year-old led a white supremacist rally through Ballarat in 2023. The group was seen carrying a banner with the slogan: “Australia for the White Man, National Socialist Network.”
The Magistrate simply concluded: “Behaviour deemed unacceptably offensive by some, may not trouble others at all. The test is whether the impugned behaviour is so deeply and seriously insulting as to warrant the interference in the criminal law. Society is evolving in attitudes all the time. Fringe groups are arising all the time.”
Anyway, according to the ABC, the whole country has become overrun with Nazis. We’ve got the PM wearing a Joy Division shirt, we’ve got the Opposition Leader driving Volkswagens... what’s next? Foreign Minister Penny Wong sporting a toothbrush moustache?
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was recently filmed disembarking his plane wearing a Joy Division shirt—the pioneering post-punk English rock band.
Apparently, the band borrowed their name Joy Division from the sexual slavery wing of a Nazi concentration camp. Okay, young post-punkers using provocative names and imagery in their music? Hardly surprising.
But almost 50 years later, should the Australian Prime Minister be wearing their shirt? Well, personally I think the PM should be allowed to wear whatever shirt he wants to—it’s a free country after all. However, I can also understand that if you’re a politician who pursues woke ideals at every opportunity, then be prepared to be attacked if you break those ideals.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley commented in parliament: “At a time when Jewish Australians are facing a rise in antisemitism, when families are asking for reassurance and unity, the Prime Minister chose to parade an image derived from hatred and suffering.”
Okay, personally I think the PM is a lot of things, but he’s certainly not a Nazi. I mean, it’s hilarious to pretend that he is, but I think there are far bigger things to criticise him about than his choice of clothing. Still, I understand the political game. I’m sure if the Opposition Leader was seen waving to a crowd with a stiff-armed salute, some members of the government would happily jump on this without a moment’s thought and accuse Ms. Ley of supporting Adolf Hitler.
But I do think this whole saga does highlight something amusing about modern society: Are we too eager to search for Nazi references and feign outrage? I think we are.
For example, Sussan Ley also went through a punk phase. She intentionally put an extra ‘S’ in her first name, as reported by The Guardian: “Sussan Ley says name spelling change was due to ‘punk phase’ – not numerology.”
Okay, so she intentionally decided to have two S’s in her name. Two S’s? What does that remind us of? Oh yes, the German SS—the Schutzstaffel—a major paramilitary organisation under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, responsible for mass surveillance, state terrorism, and running extermination camps. And Ms. Ley knowingly put those two S’s in her name? What was she thinking!
Or what about her very first car, which she happily published on her social media last year—a Volkswagen Beetle. Doesn’t she know that Volkswagen was founded in 1937 by the Nazi German government to create a “people’s car”—that’s literally what the name means?
Not to mention, that during the war, the Volkswagen factory heavily relied on forced and slave labour from concentration camps to maintain production. The entire concept originated with Adolf Hitler. What was she thinking, driving a Nazi-inspired car!
Of course, I’m being facetious.
The point is: it’s ridiculously easy to find links to Nazism and feign outrage.
The ABC is of course obsessed with Nazis: “‘Nazis aren’t welcome’ in Victoria,” “Nazi flags to be banned,” “The Nazi salute is grounded in hatred,” “Police sergeant suspended over Nazi salute,” “Victorian premier lashes neo-Nazi ‘cowards’,” “Melbourne man found guilty of performing Nazi salute,” and “PM condemns ‘horrific scenes’ of neo-Nazi gathering in Adelaide.”
Of course, they often conflate these extremists with anybody on the political Right: “Former soap star filmed doing Nazi salute at far-right event,” “How overseas Neo-Nazi groups are shaping Australia’s far-right,” “Man charged with performing Nazi salute at anti-immigration rally,” “Far-right protesters attack Aboriginal site,” and “Neo-Nazis march through Melbourne.”
But here’s a curious piece of recent news that complicates the narrative: “Thomas Sewell found not guilty of offensive behaviour by Victorian court.” A Victorian magistrate has found Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell not guilty of offensive behaviour after the 32-year-old led a white supremacist rally through Ballarat in 2023. The group was seen carrying a banner with the slogan: “Australia for the White Man, National Socialist Network.”
The Magistrate simply concluded: “Behaviour deemed unacceptably offensive by some, may not trouble others at all. The test is whether the impugned behaviour is so deeply and seriously insulting as to warrant the interference in the criminal law. Society is evolving in attitudes all the time. Fringe groups are arising all the time.”
Anyway, according to the ABC, the whole country has become overrun with Nazis. We’ve got the PM wearing a Joy Division shirt, we’ve got the Opposition Leader driving Volkswagens... what’s next? Foreign Minister Penny Wong sporting a toothbrush moustache?
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
