Month: June 2016

Humour, Uncategorized

Britain’s ‘Leave’ Voters Cleverly Deter Migrants By Destroying Economy

By on June 25, 2016

brexit leave

Migration laws will no longer need to change under an independent Britain, because no-one will want to go there to work anyway.

“That’s one less thing we’ll have to do,” a jubilant ‘Leave’ voter said this morning, trying desperately to ignore the economy crashing around her.

“I probably won’t have a job this time next year, but at least there won’t be a foreigner there to take it,” Leave campaigner Patricia Waite said this morning, noting that she would feed her family with patriotism for the time being until she could find another job.

UK Independence Party Leader Nigel Farage said the exit vote was a classic example of British ingenuity. “What better way to stop migrants coming to our shores than to devastate the economy they were coming here to contribute to. It really is a stroke of genius”.

UK

China laughs at Britain’s hope to negotiate quick free trade deal following Brexit: Shanghaiist

Following the United Kingdom’s shock decision to leave the European Union

Source: China laughs at Britain’s hope to negotiate quick free trade deal following Brexit: Shanghaiist

UK

Facing an uncertain future after Brexit, Brits stay calm

Source: Facing an uncertain future after Brexit, Brits stay calm

UK

Brexit: Shocked European Union tells Britain to leave quickly amid ‘chain reaction’ fears – Brexit: UK EU Referendum – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

A stunned European Union has urged Britain to leave as soon as possible amid fears its exit could spark more referendums.

Source: Brexit: Shocked European Union tells Britain to leave quickly amid ‘chain reaction’ fears – Brexit: UK EU Referendum – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Filed under:
UK

British Lose Right to Claim That Americans Are Dumber – The New Yorker

Across the United Kingdom on Friday, Britons mourned their long-cherished right to claim that Americans were significantly dumber than they are.

Source: British Lose Right to Claim That Americans Are Dumber – The New Yorker

Filed under:
UK

Brexit stage right: what Britain’s decision to leave the EU means for Australia – Brexit: UK EU Referendum – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Britain’s decision to leave the European Union has opened a fundamental crack in the Western world.

Source: Brexit stage right: what Britain’s decision to leave the EU means for Australia – Brexit: UK EU Referendum – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Israel

We Call Out Homophobic Clerics, But What About The Rabbis? – New Matilda

Murdoch based outlets have been chasing down Muslim clerics for their views, but leaders from other faiths with a poor history on LGBTI rights don’t draw the same attention, writes Michael Brull. In the week since the Iftar hosted by the Prime Minister, the Murdoch press has scoured the records of Muslim clerics in attendance.More

Source: We Call Out Homophobic Clerics, But What About The Rabbis? – New Matilda

Australia

The facets of Australian fascism: the Abbott Government experiment (Part 24) – » The Australian Independent Media Network

By Dr George Venturini* Testing the thesis . . . Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause (continued) In a Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, prepared by Juan E. Méndez, formerly Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Civil and Human Rights…

The facets of Australian fascism: the Abbott ..Part 23

Source: The facets of Australian fascism: the Abbott Government experiment (Part 24) – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Australian Election 2016

Humour
Australian Election 2016

The covert anti-Gay email campaign – » The Australian Independent Media Network

By James Moylan I am standing in the current election as a candidate for the Senate in Queensland, but do not panic – I am not about to launch into a ‘vote for me’ pitch. Rather I thought I’d talk a little about the email traffic that every candidate receives. Having been a candidate a…

Source: The covert anti-Gay email campaign – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Australia's Shame

Bill Shorten backs prospect of Indigenous treaty to ‘move beyond constitutional recognition’ – video | Australia news | The Guardian

The opposition leader tells the Q&A audience he supports a treaty with Indigenous Australians, prompting surprise from the host and audience

Source: Bill Shorten backs prospect of Indigenous treaty to ‘move beyond constitutional recognition’ – video | Australia news | The Guardian

Australian Election 2016

Election 2016: Malcolm Turnbull confirms MPs can vote against gay marriage regardless of plebiscite – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The Prime Minister confirms Coalition MPs will be given a conscience vote on same-sex marriage.

Source: Election 2016: Malcolm Turnbull confirms MPs can vote against gay marriage regardless of plebiscite – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Brexit

The Stolen Generation of the UK were actually Kidnapped
UK

Nicola Sturgeon announces plans for second Scottish independence referendum after UK votes for Brexit | UK Politics | News | The Independent

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It is “democratically unacceptable” that Scotland will be taken out of the EU against its will, Nicola Sturgeon has said, and a second independence referendum is “highly likely”. The First Minister said that the Scottish Government would commence preparations for another independence vote after Scotland bucked the UK trend by voting 62 per cent to 38 per cent for Remain.

Source: Nicola Sturgeon announces plans for second Scottish independence referendum after UK votes for Brexit | UK Politics | News | The Independent

UK

Brexit vote met with celebrations from far-right groups across Europe | Europe | News | The Independent

Leaders of far-right and outsider parties across Europe have been celebrating Britain’s decision to leave the EU, with some demanding their own votes on whether to leave the bloc.

Source: Brexit vote met with celebrations from far-right groups across Europe | Europe | News | The Independent

UK

Brexit: Bugger Britain – it’s the world that counts

If the Poms want to shoot themselves in their economic foot, I don’t care. But I do care about the isolationist small-mindedness that seems to have driven the Brexit vote.

Source: Brexit: Bugger Britain – it’s the world that counts

UK

Brexit: UK’s richest lose more than $7b as markets tumble

The richest people in the UK lost big after the country stunned markets by voting to leave the EU.

Source: Brexit: UK’s richest lose more than $7b as markets tumble

UK

Brexit vote: Mayhem sweeps across a disunited kingdom

Political and economic mayhem swept across the UK on Friday, as the Brexit vote brutally reconfigured the nation’s assumptions and prospects.

Source: Brexit vote: Mayhem sweeps across a disunited kingdom

Privilege

Abigail Fisher’s Supreme Court loss: A massive blow to mediocre white people coasting on their racial privilege – Salon.com

Abigail Fisher’s anti-affirmative action case rested on assumption that white people deserve priority over others

Source: Abigail Fisher’s Supreme Court loss: A massive blow to mediocre white people coasting on their racial privilege – Salon.com

Fox News

O’Reilly Ignores The Most Embarrassing Aspects Of Trump FEC Report

Bill O’Reilly ignored the fact that Donald Trump’s campaign May financial report showed the campaign paid his own businesses and family for campaign events, instead choosing to debunk a controversy regarding a payment to what some initially believed to be a fictitious advertising firm.During a June 22 discussion with Fox contributor Martha Ma

Source: O’Reilly Ignores The Most Embarrassing Aspects Of Trump FEC Report

Israel

Why won’t Israel’s military gov’t translate its policies into Arabic? | +972 Magazine

The inaccessibility of Israel’s military procedures means Palestinians are often forced to navigate the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the occupation in the dark. The Civil Administration, the arm of Israel’s military government that rules over 2.8 million Palestinians in the West Bank, has once again broken its own commitment to publish all its policies and procedures in Arabic. After being slapped with a near-unprecedented rebuke by a Jerusalem District Court judge in May over its continuing failure to make these procedures available, the Civil Administration was ordered to finish translating and publish all of its regulations within six weeks of the…

Source: Why won’t Israel’s military gov’t translate its policies into Arabic? | +972 Magazine

Teriary Education

Can you imagine a future in which only the rich kids become doctors? | Bronte Teale | Opinion | The Guardian

My mother left a violent home to study at university. Now I’m about to graduate medicine. None of this would be possible with higher university fees

Source: Can you imagine a future in which only the rich kids become doctors? | Bronte Teale | Opinion | The Guardian

Coal

The Big Coal Con: Car Registration In Queensland Brings In More Revenue Than Coal – New Matilda

There’s big money in coal, right? Well, for Queensland taxpayers there’s bigger money in car registrations, writes Rod Campbell from The Australia Institute. Despite the arrival of online political gambling, you still can’t place a bet on the most exciting thing in Queensland politics and economics. Forget Labor vs LNP, Greens vs Pauline Hanson orMore

Source: The Big Coal Con: Car Registration In Queensland Brings In More Revenue Than Coal – New Matilda

Australia's Shame

The Coalition’s ‘Border Security’ Lies Are Coming Undone – New Matilda

Aside from revealing his own party’s hypocrisy, Turnbull’s decision to start taking about boat arrivals proves the Coalition is very worried about July 2. And with good reason, writes Ben Eltham. It was always likely that the Coalition would turn to asylum seeker policy at this stage of the campaign. Strident rhetoric about border security andMore

Source: The Coalition’s ‘Border Security’ Lies Are Coming Undone – New Matilda

Australian Election 2016

Why isn’t the erosion of our democracy an election issue?

Source: Why isn’t the erosion of our democracy an election issue?

Healthcare

We’re too clean for our own good

It’s clearly time to re-evaluate our perspective on germs.

Source: We’re too clean for our own good

Australian Election 2016, Humour

James Mathison takes it up to Andrew Bolt  The Australian Independent Media Network| The Editorial Bolt didn’t Blog

Last week Andrew Bolt interviewed James Mathison – an independent candidate for the seat of Warringah which is currently held by Tony Abbott. Because nobody watches Andrew Bolt the interview slipped under the radar, and we may never have known it ever existed if not for one of our readers stumbling across it on Facebook.…

Source: James Mathison takes it up to Andrew Bolt – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Mass Shootings

Orlando shooter Omar Mateen ‘seeking revenge on HIV lover’ claims ‘Miguel’ on Univision

A man who says he was Omar Mateen’s lover has claimed the mass murderer acted out of “revenge” after finding out one of his partners was HIV positive.

Source: Orlando shooter Omar Mateen ‘seeking revenge on HIV lover’ claims ‘Miguel’ on Univision

Ethics

Can we separate scholars from their crimes? – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Events in the US are reviving a thorny ethical debate: should the research of intellectuals found guilty of serious crimes be assigned to the academic junk pile?

Source: Can we separate scholars from their crimes? – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

conservatives

You people just don’t understand how hard it is to be a conservative Christian – » The Australian Independent Media Network

You people just don’t understand how hard it is to be a conservative Christian. According to Scott Morrison, he has been exposed to hatred and bigotry for his righteous discrimination against LGBTQI couples. The Australian Christian Lobby has reported death threats and harassment to police, which Mr Shelton said had been “distressing” for the staff…

Source: You people just don’t understand how hard it is to be a conservative Christian – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Australia

The facets of Australian fascism: the Abbott Government experiment (Part 22) – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Image from independentaustralia.net

By Dr George Venturini* Testing the thesis . . . Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause (continued) Signs were all contradictory. Someone wrote: “Leave now before we behead your mother and bury you all with pigs.” “Your [sic] next whore” posted another, with an image of a decapitated pig attached. These were two of…

Source: The facets of Australian fascism: the Abbott Government experiment (Part 22) – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The facets of Australian fascism: the Abbott … (Part 21)

The facets of Australian fascism: the Abbott …(Part 20)

Israel

» Updated – PPS: “Israeli Soldiers Kidnap 31 Palestinians Overnight, And On Wednesday Morning”– IMEMC News

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: » Updated – PPS: “Israeli Soldiers Kidnap 31 Palestinians Overnight, And On Wednesday Morning”– IMEMC News

Israel

In Israeli desert, the world’s highest solar tower looks to future – Your Middle East

Once completed in late 2017, the Ashalim Tower will rise to 240 metres (787 feet), taller than Paris’s Montparnasse Tower and London’s Gherkin, according to the Is

Source: In Israeli desert, the world’s highest solar tower looks to future – Your Middle East

Australian Election 2016

Election 2016: Who’s Medicare’s friend? Examine bulk-billing

Bulk billing is smarter than widely realised.

Source: Election 2016: Who’s Medicare’s friend? Examine bulk-billing

Humour, Uncategorized

“It’s Time Straight White Men In This Country Were Heard”: Scott Morrison

By on June 22, 2016

scott morrison white straight man

From guest columnist Scott Morrison

Enough is enough. For too long, middle aged, straight white men like me have not had a voice. Around the country, we have been sidelined, marginalised, laughed at and abused. It’s time to take a stand.

We hear so much about other groups of society. But show me a position of power in this country that’s occupied by one of my people – someone who looks like me.

Take, for instance, our parliament. Ok, bad example. Consider instead then our business leaders. Ok, but you know what I mean.

I’m sick of the bigotry and the abuse. I’m sick of doors being shut in my face. I’m tired of opportunities that are given to others, taken from me, just because of who I am. Just because of the way I look. Just because I’m attracted to members of the opposite sex.

It’s high time that we had a say in how this country is run. It’s high time we had some input into how the nation’s finances were spent. It’s time doors were opened for us as well as other Australians. It’s time our voice was heard. Just for once.

Humour, Uncategorized

WATCH: Draconian New Gun Laws Require Americans To Count To 10 Before Buying Firearms By The Shovel on June 21, 2016 There are fears America is turning into a nanny state after President Obama announced sweeping changes to gun laws that will require residents to close their eyes and count to ten before taking ownership of semi-automatic weapons.

There are fears America is turning into a nanny state after President Obama announced sweeping changes to gun laws that will require residents to close their eyes and count to ten before taking ownership of semi-automatic weapons.

 

Julian Assange

Diplomatic asylum: How long can Assange stay in the Ecuadorian Embassy, and is his case unique? – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

How long can Julian Assange stay in the Ecuadorian Embassy, and is his case unique?

Source: Diplomatic asylum: How long can Assange stay in the Ecuadorian Embassy, and is his case unique? – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Israel

Israeli troops ‘mistakenly’ kill Palestinian teenager | World news | The Guardian

Military says 15-year-old died and four others were wounded in West Bank after soldiers mistook them for stone-throwers

Source: Israeli troops ‘mistakenly’ kill Palestinian teenager | World news | The Guardian

Banks

ANZ victim hits back at bank fraud

Source: ANZ victim hits back at bank fraud

Israel

Down syndrome man, child, killed by Israeli soldiers | The Electronic Intifada

Arif Jaradat is 14th Palestinian from a single village to be killed by Israeli forces since last October.

Source: Down syndrome man, child, killed by Israeli soldiers | The Electronic Intifada

crime

Understanding Class and Criminal Justice: The Divide of Class, Crime, and Punishment

The American criminal justice has failed to reduce crime and has failed to protect society’s most vulnerable citizens. Analysis of Jeffrey Reiman’s “The Rich get Richer and the Poor Get Prison.”

Source: Understanding Class and Criminal Justice: The Divide of Class, Crime, and Punishment

Anti-Islam

$206 Mn. to Hate Groups to Promote anti-Muslim Sentiment | Informed Comment

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The UC Berkeley Center for Race and Gender and the Council …

Source: $206 Mn. to Hate Groups to Promote anti-Muslim Sentiment | Informed Comment

Kenya

Kenyan Court Upholds the Use of Anal Test for Men Suspected of Being Gay AnonHQ

Kenyan Court Upholds the Use of Anal Test for Men Suspected of Being Gay

Source: Kenyan Court Upholds the Use of Anal Test for Men Suspected of Being Gay AnonHQ

Anti-Homosexuality Laws

77 countries where homosexuality is illegal | 76 CRIMES

Updated  May 28, 2016 76+ (really more like 77 or 79) countries with anti-homosexuality laws The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, or ILGA, lists 73 countries w…

Source: 77 countries where homosexuality is illegal | 76 CRIMES

Coal

Coal peddlers are far more dangerous than heroin peddlers – » The Australian Independent Media Network

By James Moylan The science is settled regarding the relationship of atmospheric C02 and average atmospheric temperature. Ice cores demonstrate a sturdy correlation that stretches way back for many hundreds of thousands of years. We know that there is a lag in the effect because that is apparent from the data. It seems our oceans…

Source: Coal peddlers are far more dangerous than heroin peddlers – » The Australian Independent Media Network

FIRE

Mafia ‘attaching flaming rags to cats’ to start Sicily forest fires | Europe | News | The Independent

wildfires-sicily.png

 

Cats in Sicily could have had petrol-soaked rags attached to them by people linked to the Mafia before being set alight and released into forests to start huge fires, according to the island’s national park officials.  Dozens of forest fires which broke out within hours of each other in Sicily on Thursday are believed to have been begun by mobsters or their collaborators.

Source: Mafia ‘attaching flaming rags to cats’ to start Sicily forest fires | Europe | News | The Independent

Donald Trump

Campaign Finance Documents Show Donald Trump’s Campaign Is in Disarray | Mother Jones

It’s bad.

Source: Campaign Finance Documents Show Donald Trump’s Campaign Is in Disarray | Mother Jones

Iraq

IS still ‘committing genocide’ against Yazidis, says UN probe – Your Middle East

“Genocide has occurred and is ongoing,” Paulo Pinheiro, head of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Syria said in a statement.”ISIS has subjected every Yazidi

Source: IS still ‘committing genocide’ against Yazidis, says UN probe – Your Middle East

USA

The three markers that could decide the US election – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The Orlando massacre will impact on the US election and how Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton approach it. Terrorism, gun control and unity will be important issues in the race for the White House.

Source: The three markers that could decide the US election – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Refugees

Refugee crisis: Record 65 million people forced to flee homes, UN says | Europe | News | The Independent

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The number of refugees in the world has reached the highest level ever recorded, according to figures published by the United Nations (UN). After an increase of five million last year, the number of people displaced by conflict – refugees, asylum seekers or those displaced internally – was at an estimated 65.3 million by the end of 2015. It is the equivalent of one in every 113 people on the planet, according to the UN Refugee Agency, and if considered a nation would make up the 21st largest in the world.

Source: Refugee crisis: Record 65 million people forced to flee homes, UN says | Europe | News | The Independent