Ben Roberts-Smith Loses Defamation Action
June 1, 2023 5:17 PM Subscribe
Ben Roberts-Smith, an Australian Victoria Cross recipient, has lost a defamation action he brought against the Sydney Morning Herald and Age, which accused him of being a murderer, a war criminal, and a bully.
“… however, he found the [domestic violence allegation] had caused no further harm to Roberts-Smith’s reputation after he had been found to be a war criminal.”
— oof.
posted by scruss at 6:08 PM on June 1, 2023 [12 favorites]
— oof.
posted by scruss at 6:08 PM on June 1, 2023 [12 favorites]
just the most spectacular own goal. couldn't have happened to a better person.
posted by awfurby at 6:17 PM on June 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by awfurby at 6:17 PM on June 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
worth noting that Australia has a much lower standard for defamation than other Anglophone countries; the journalists had to prove their case was true on the balance of probabilities, instead of merely that they were not knowingly saying something false.
So anyway it is reasonable to assume that Ben Roberts-Smith is a war criminal and the entire enterprise devoted to treating him as the exemplar of a warrior is complicit in his murders
posted by Merus at 6:37 PM on June 1, 2023 [17 favorites]
So anyway it is reasonable to assume that Ben Roberts-Smith is a war criminal and the entire enterprise devoted to treating him as the exemplar of a warrior is complicit in his murders
posted by Merus at 6:37 PM on June 1, 2023 [17 favorites]
So...about those war crimes. Australia is going to do something about that, right?
posted by Toddles at 6:38 PM on June 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Toddles at 6:38 PM on June 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
The Australian has a video up today called "What is a war crime", exact spelling, which, given that The Australian is a deeply right-wing newspaper, sounds like they've just discovered war crimes exist
posted by Merus at 7:42 PM on June 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Merus at 7:42 PM on June 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
I like the Herald's headline about the verdict: "Former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith committed war crimes." It's of the spirit, the court ruled we're allowed to say this so we're saying it again. And good that they are. Given the substance of the ruling, of course, they could have gone further with something like, "Former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith murdered at least four people."
The ABC headline looks terrible by comparison: "What comes next for war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith after his defamation case was dismissed?"
Anyway hopefully more bad stuff will happen to this guy (looks like he may have to pay costs?). I understand he's like a TV executive now? Good people in that business.
posted by grobstein at 9:19 PM on June 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
The ABC headline looks terrible by comparison: "What comes next for war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith after his defamation case was dismissed?"
Anyway hopefully more bad stuff will happen to this guy (looks like he may have to pay costs?). I understand he's like a TV executive now? Good people in that business.
posted by grobstein at 9:19 PM on June 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
he's like a TV executive now?
Not any more. He quit today. His billionaire now-ex boss bankrolled the defamation case because he did not realise that Roberts-Smith was a lying, murdering sociopath.
posted by Thella at 10:12 PM on June 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Not any more. He quit today. His billionaire now-ex boss bankrolled the defamation case because he did not realise that Roberts-Smith was a lying, murdering sociopath.
posted by Thella at 10:12 PM on June 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
What comes next for war veteran Ben Roberts-SmithWell I hear Wagner PMC is hiring
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:24 PM on June 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
The judge seems to have found that the plaintiff’s established behaviour was so remarkably reprehensible that even unproven statements about him being a terrible person can’t possibly bring him into any further infamy.
This is interesting, because it’s not like Andrew Bolt, who we are legally free to call a racist because a court case found that he was, you know, a racist. This appears to open season on this scumbag. A near blanket shield against libel and defamation which are normally rights that Australians are afforded only as regards the dead. See all the recent obituaries commencing with some variation of “Rolf Harris, convicted rapist and paedo, general-purpose piece of shit bigot, close personal friend of Queen Elizabeth II, and alleged entertainer, died over the weekend.”
Fun bit of trivia: or sounds like this will kill alleged-war hero BRS’s bid for a fat government relations sinecure with Price-Waterhouse Coopers, who also find themselves in scandal of late and can probably ill-afford to be drawing more fire.
(Edited because Fianco beat me to the Wagner Group joke! It certainly seems like BRS’ jam)
posted by MarchHare at 10:25 PM on June 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
This is interesting, because it’s not like Andrew Bolt, who we are legally free to call a racist because a court case found that he was, you know, a racist. This appears to open season on this scumbag. A near blanket shield against libel and defamation which are normally rights that Australians are afforded only as regards the dead. See all the recent obituaries commencing with some variation of “Rolf Harris, convicted rapist and paedo, general-purpose piece of shit bigot, close personal friend of Queen Elizabeth II, and alleged entertainer, died over the weekend.”
Fun bit of trivia: or sounds like this will kill alleged-war hero BRS’s bid for a fat government relations sinecure with Price-Waterhouse Coopers, who also find themselves in scandal of late and can probably ill-afford to be drawing more fire.
(Edited because Fianco beat me to the Wagner Group joke! It certainly seems like BRS’ jam)
posted by MarchHare at 10:25 PM on June 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
Roberts-Smith "committed murder by machine-gunning a man with a prosthetic leg," and "he is so callous and inhumane that he took the prosthetic leg back to Australia and encouraged his soldiers to use it as a novelty beer drinking vessel." (Just two of several horrifying acts the journalists accurately reported.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:58 PM on June 1, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:58 PM on June 1, 2023 [10 favorites]
Introducing ‘The Defo Awards’ for Services to Defamation Fuck-Ups
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 11:08 PM on June 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 11:08 PM on June 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
"The ‘My Character Witness Once Wore a KKK Costume’ Award for Services to Satire
Winner: Ben Roberts-Smith
Comment: In another spectacular performance, Roberts-Smith showed that he is not afraid to buck convention. While most litigants would put forward a respectable, upstanding citizen to be their character witness, BRS chose a guy who once went to a military fancy dress party dressed in a white hood. The line “I knew one other person was coming in blackface, so I thought it would be funny [to be in a KKK costume],” is one of the most memorable in all of defamation law. "
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 11:10 PM on June 1, 2023 [15 favorites]
Winner: Ben Roberts-Smith
Comment: In another spectacular performance, Roberts-Smith showed that he is not afraid to buck convention. While most litigants would put forward a respectable, upstanding citizen to be their character witness, BRS chose a guy who once went to a military fancy dress party dressed in a white hood. The line “I knew one other person was coming in blackface, so I thought it would be funny [to be in a KKK costume],” is one of the most memorable in all of defamation law. "
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 11:10 PM on June 1, 2023 [15 favorites]
..."warrior culture"...
...the entire enterprise devoted to treating him as the exemplar of a warrior is complicit in his murders
I don't remember when it started coming into vogue, but I've felt for a long time that the use of the word "warrior" instead of soldier or combatant or even fighter is a type of propaganda specifically meant to glorify, to create an image of heroism and manliness and most of all nobility of purpose. Warriors are brave, independent, righteous defenders of homeland, not people who sign up to inflict violence or carry out orders that may be immoral or pointless. A warrior's war is glorious and justified, never a destructive abomination. A warrior gets veneration, and a pass.
posted by trig at 11:12 PM on June 1, 2023 [23 favorites]
...the entire enterprise devoted to treating him as the exemplar of a warrior is complicit in his murders
I don't remember when it started coming into vogue, but I've felt for a long time that the use of the word "warrior" instead of soldier or combatant or even fighter is a type of propaganda specifically meant to glorify, to create an image of heroism and manliness and most of all nobility of purpose. Warriors are brave, independent, righteous defenders of homeland, not people who sign up to inflict violence or carry out orders that may be immoral or pointless. A warrior's war is glorious and justified, never a destructive abomination. A warrior gets veneration, and a pass.
posted by trig at 11:12 PM on June 1, 2023 [23 favorites]
...the entire enterprise devoted to treating him as the exemplar of a warrior is complicit in his murders
I don't remember when it started coming into vogue, but I've felt for a long time that the use of the word "warrior" instead of soldier or combatant or even fighter is a type of propaganda specifically meant to glorify, to create an image of heroism and manliness and most of all nobility of purpose.
This is definitely how Ben Roberts-Smith has been used in Australia; there's been a project to glorify soldiers and slowly twist Australia's relationship to war away from "war is a tragedy, war gets our young killed in dumb ways by sociopathic commanders, we have more in common with our enemy than with our commanders" to "there is glory in war and Australia is preserving freedom in its allies". There's a photo of Ben Roberts-Smith in the War Memorial. These are exactly the kinds of people I'm condemning as complicit in his murders.
posted by Merus at 11:40 PM on June 1, 2023 [10 favorites]
I don't remember when it started coming into vogue, but I've felt for a long time that the use of the word "warrior" instead of soldier or combatant or even fighter is a type of propaganda specifically meant to glorify, to create an image of heroism and manliness and most of all nobility of purpose.
This is definitely how Ben Roberts-Smith has been used in Australia; there's been a project to glorify soldiers and slowly twist Australia's relationship to war away from "war is a tragedy, war gets our young killed in dumb ways by sociopathic commanders, we have more in common with our enemy than with our commanders" to "there is glory in war and Australia is preserving freedom in its allies". There's a photo of Ben Roberts-Smith in the War Memorial. These are exactly the kinds of people I'm condemning as complicit in his murders.
posted by Merus at 11:40 PM on June 1, 2023 [10 favorites]
His billionaire now-ex boss bankrolled the defamation case because he did not realise that Roberts-Smith was a lying, murdering sociopath.
That's very charitable. More like, his employer bankrolled his defamation case because he thought Roberts-Smith could win the case.
“… however, he found the [domestic violence allegation] had caused no further harm to Roberts-Smith’s reputation after he had been found to be a war criminal.”
This is not a good look. It risks coming across as "well domestic violence doesn't really matter, after all, real problems are at play!"
posted by Dysk at 12:32 AM on June 2, 2023 [9 favorites]
That's very charitable. More like, his employer bankrolled his defamation case because he thought Roberts-Smith could win the case.
“… however, he found the [domestic violence allegation] had caused no further harm to Roberts-Smith’s reputation after he had been found to be a war criminal.”
This is not a good look. It risks coming across as "well domestic violence doesn't really matter, after all, real problems are at play!"
posted by Dysk at 12:32 AM on June 2, 2023 [9 favorites]
Ben Roberts-Smith's memorabilia to remain on display at Australian War Memorial
The memorial says it will continue to display disgraced war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith's uniform and medals for now, but will consider adding context.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 12:57 AM on June 2, 2023
The memorial says it will continue to display disgraced war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith's uniform and medals for now, but will consider adding context.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 12:57 AM on June 2, 2023
for context, Kerry Stokes, the same billionaire who bankrolled BRS for the defo case and hired him at Channel 7, is on the board of the Australian War Memorial. I am only shocked that they’d consider an additional “context” plaque.
posted by chiquitita at 1:00 AM on June 2, 2023 [12 favorites]
posted by chiquitita at 1:00 AM on June 2, 2023 [12 favorites]
His billionaire now-ex boss bankrolled the defamation case because he did not realise that Roberts-Smith was a lying, murdering sociopath.
Lol, he absolutely knew. It’s just that Stokes is also a lying sociopath. He probably just thought those people were too brown to deserve to live.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 1:30 AM on June 2, 2023 [10 favorites]
Lol, he absolutely knew. It’s just that Stokes is also a lying sociopath. He probably just thought those people were too brown to deserve to live.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 1:30 AM on June 2, 2023 [10 favorites]
"What if they gave a war and nobody came?"
"They will always come."
posted by mule98J at 6:51 AM on June 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
"They will always come."
posted by mule98J at 6:51 AM on June 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
→
Good point: I hadn't thought of that aspect
posted by scruss at 12:46 PM on June 2, 2023
This is not a good look
Good point: I hadn't thought of that aspect
posted by scruss at 12:46 PM on June 2, 2023
Am I the only one to think he looks a lot like the younger Mel Gibson?
posted by jamjam at 7:42 PM on June 3, 2023
posted by jamjam at 7:42 PM on June 3, 2023
I’m the photo of him standing before the display, he reminded me most closely of Number 1 from Umbrella Academy. I would have a hard time believing that his physique there was naturally obtained through mere exercise, rather than via some chemical enhancement.
posted by eviemath at 8:04 PM on June 3, 2023
posted by eviemath at 8:04 PM on June 3, 2023
I would have a hard time believing that his physique there was naturally obtained through mere exercise, rather than via some chemical enhancement.
I knew a lot of special-ops guys who weren’t using steroids. At least, that’s what I assume from the frequent packages they got from AbsolutelyNotSteroids.com.
posted by Etrigan at 9:24 PM on June 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
I knew a lot of special-ops guys who weren’t using steroids. At least, that’s what I assume from the frequent packages they got from AbsolutelyNotSteroids.com.
posted by Etrigan at 9:24 PM on June 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
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Pretty disgusting he even tried to bring this action knowing full well how guilty he is, but I guess the attitude of the official this morning explains why he thought he might have a chance since government actively trying to avoid looking at problems in the eye even when shoved in their face.
posted by GoblinHoney at 5:39 PM on June 1, 2023 [10 favorites]