Month: June 2016

Humour, Uncategorized

Every Picture Tells a story

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inequality, Wealth Inequality

Labor Is At War With Inequality, Not Business – New Matilda

A barely reported speech delivered recently by a Labor MP reveals the party is moving towards a more radical position on the thorny issue of competition. Despite the shrieks from the business lobby, it’s not really about them, writes Ben Eltham. “ALP ramps up its war on business,” screamed the headline today in The Australian. AccordingMore

Source: Labor Is At War With Inequality, Not Business – New Matilda

victims of terror

Mentally ill escapee with knife shouts ‘Allahu Akbar,’ Aussie police shoot 3 bystanders — RT News

Police in Sydney opened fire at an escaped psychiatric patient after he shouted “Allahu Akbar” Three passersby were shot in the process.

Source: Mentally ill escapee with knife shouts ‘Allahu Akbar,’ Aussie police shoot 3 bystanders — RT News

Deaths by Police

Fatal mistake: Police go to wrong location, shoot and kill homeowner — RT America

A man has died after police in Georgia shot him in the neck while responding to a 911 call but going to the wrong location in a fatal case of mistaken identity.

Source: Fatal mistake: Police go to wrong location, shoot and kill homeowner — RT America

Filed under:
Corporate Crime

Choice and Truth: Matt Damon EXPOSES The World’s Biggest Criminals In A POWERFUL Commencement Speech at MIT!

Source: Choice and Truth: Matt Damon EXPOSES The World’s Biggest Criminals In A POWERFUL Commencement Speech at MIT!

Rape Culture

Stanford rape case: Brock Turner supporters apologise and say ‘of course he should be held accountable’ | Americas | News | The Independent

brock-turner-1.jpg

With outcry growing against those who stood by a former Stanford University swimmer who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman, a childhood friend and a high school guidance counsellor have apologised for writing letters of support urging leniency for Brock Turner.

Source: Stanford rape case: Brock Turner supporters apologise and say ‘of course he should be held accountable’ | Americas | News | The Independent

Rape Culture

The Stanford rape and the social media effect – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

At the time of my own rape, I found myself Googling news stories and reading what complete strangers were saying about it. Yet, nowhere was there a place for me, the victim, to speak. The Stanford rape victim and social media have changed all that.

Source: The Stanford rape and the social media effect – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Rape Culture

What the Stanford rape case can teach our sons

I’ll tell my boys that only cowards blame rape on alcohol or promiscuity.

Source: What the Stanford rape case can teach our sons

Media

Who was I before I was I?

Where am I in the photo? I’m not there. I’m not born yet, I don’t exist.

Source: Who was I before I was I?

Humour

Are you prepared and ready for Hug a Climate Scientist Day (Week)? | First Dog on the Moon | Opinion | The Guardian

12 June is Hug a Climate Scientist Day. We’ll be celebrating with a morning tea on Tuesday 14 June. Send your photos in then!

Source: Are you prepared and ready for Hug a Climate Scientist Day (Week)? | First Dog on the Moon | Opinion | The Guardian

Australian Election 2016

Liberal candidate resigns over Frankston brothel ownership

A Coalition candidate has quit after it emerged he owns a brothel called Paradise Playmates.

Source: Liberal candidate resigns over Frankston brothel ownership

Israel

Tel Aviv mayor says the occupation is a cause of Palestinian terror | +972 Magazine

Huldai tells Army Radio that Israel may be the ‘only country in the world holding another nation under occupation without civil rights.’ Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai shocked many Israelis Thursday morning when he cited Israel’s occupation as one factor that leads Palestinians to turn to terrorism. Speaking on Army Radio about Wednesday’s deadly shooting attack in Tel Aviv and reported celebrations of it in the West Bank and Gaza, Huldai argued that Israelis should focus instead on the fact that Israel is “perhaps the only country in the world holding another nation under occupation without civil rights.” [tmwinpost] “On the…

Source: Tel Aviv mayor says the occupation is a cause of Palestinian terror | +972 Magazine

Middle East

World More violent in past Year, but Middle East drives Deterioration | Informed Comment

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The 2016 Global Peace Index has been released, with the bad …

Source: World More violent in past Year, but Middle East drives Deterioration | Informed Comment

Media

Don’t turn Muhammad Ali into a sanitised caricature

We’re left with a man of inordinate courage who made some awful mistakes, was sincere enough to admit them, but at every moment was prepared to pay the price of his convictions.

Source: Don’t turn Muhammad Ali into a sanitised caricature

Income Gap

Australia’s top 10 jobs with the biggest gender pay gap revealed

Sexism is alive and well in our most respected and trusted professions, a new analysis reveals.

Source: Australia’s top 10 jobs with the biggest gender pay gap revealed

Politics

‘It Was This Big’: Labor Revives Massive Marine Reserves Plan Abbott Obstructed – New Matilda

A world-leading system of Marine Reserves to protect Australia’s oceans, which was put on hold when the Abbott government came to power, is back on the cards after Labor announced that if elected it would seek to finish what it started. The plan was unveiled by Tony Burke in 2012, and involves protections for anMore

Source: ‘It Was This Big’: Labor Revives Massive Marine Reserves Plan Abbott Obstructed – New Matilda

Great Barrier Reef

The Australian’s Great Barrier Reef editorial: A misrepresention of science

A scientist, misquoted in The Australian, says the facts were misrepresented in the newspaper’s Great Barrier Reef bleaching editorial. DeSmogBlog’s Graham Readfearn reports.

Source: The Australian’s Great Barrier Reef editorial: A misrepresention of science

Humour, Uncategorized

Process To Find Two Most Despised People In US Finally Complete

By on June 9, 2016

trump clinton

After almost four months of vetting and voting, Americans have successfully narrowed down their entire population to the two citizens they like least.

The painstaking process, which began in Iowa in February, occurs once every four years, and is regarded as the world’s most extensive democratically-run search for abhorred people.

“It’s an exhausting, state-by-state process. But when you’ve got over 300 million citizens, it’s always going to take some time to narrow it down to the top two most hated people,” electoral analyst Hugo Tansin said.

Tansin explained that the system – known as the Primaries – starts with a short list of 30-40 despicable people, who are then meticulously scrutinized, before being voted off one by one to find the most despised man and woman.

“It’s a very thorough process, and a very fair and effective one. It’s just a strange quirk of the system that one of these people happens to then go on to become the leader of our nation”.

Rowan Dean

Spectator editor Rowan Dean rolls to the bottom of offensiveness barrel | Media | The Guardian

Provocative ‘poor me’ column in Australian Financial Review targets prominent people. Plus China Daily seals a deal to run monthly supplements in Fairfax papers

Source: Spectator editor Rowan Dean rolls to the bottom of offensiveness barrel | Media | The Guardian

Humour

Clarke and Dawe: The electorates to keep an eye on – Clarke and Dawe – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Meet Burton Ernie, pollster and social researcher.

Source: Clarke and Dawe: The electorates to keep an eye on – Clarke and Dawe – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Mental Illness

Man shot at Westfield Hornsby was given day release from mental health facility

Alleged knife attacker Jerry Sourian at Westfield Hornsby with an injured bystander in the background.

A mentally ill man who was shot by police at a busy Westfield forecourt was granted day release from a mental health facility despite expressing homicidal tendencies towards police.

Source: Man shot at Westfield Hornsby was given day release from mental health facility

American Politics, Uncategorized

You can’t make this up

Bernie Sanders

There’s One Way Bernie Sanders Can Still Win: By Losing

Sanders supporters should focus on the four years in between elections and how their enthusiasm can be channeled into community-based solutions.

Source: There’s One Way Bernie Sanders Can Still Win: By Losing

USA

Why Donald Trump will win the White House

Donald Trump will win the 2016 presidential election.

Source: Why Donald Trump will win the White House

Donald Trump

Donald Trump finally meets his biggest Chinese American fans: Shanghaiist

A group of elite Chinese-American Donald Trump supporters finally got to

Source: Donald Trump finally meets his biggest Chinese American fans: Shanghaiist

Donald Trump

Tuesday Was Possibly the Worst Day of Donald Trump’s Entire Campaign

None of this is good news for Donald Trump’s campaign.

Source: Tuesday Was Possibly the Worst Day of Donald Trump’s Entire Campaign

Donald Trump

An Astonishing Breakdown Showing How Much of a Liar Donald Trump Really Is

Source: An Astonishing Breakdown Showing How Much of a Liar Donald Trump Really Is

ADF

Anti-Muslim sentiment strong and widespread in Australian army, study shows | Australia news | The Guardian

Defence force research finds 80% of participants believe Islam promotes violence – climbing to 91% if they have had sensitivity training

Source: Anti-Muslim sentiment strong and widespread in Australian army, study shows | Australia news | The Guardian

Corporate Government

Coles refuses to boost penalty rates for workers despite Fair Work ruling – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Supermarket giant Coles defies the Fair Work Commission by refusing to boost penalty rates.

Source: Coles refuses to boost penalty rates for workers despite Fair Work ruling – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Media

Day 23: Remember Tony Abbott? | The Monthly

Remember when this campaign was going to be all about Tony Abbott? That happened twice, of course. When he was prime minister (be honest: can you really remember that time?) the campaign was going to be all about him, because he was PM, and because Labor would have made it all about him. But even a couple of months ago, the expectation was that Abbott, the deposed king, would loom gigantic over these eight weeks.

Source: Day 23: Remember Tony Abbott? | The Monthly

Universities

Roz Ward, Barry Spurr And What Universities Are For – New Matilda

There’s no hypocrisy in the Left’s defence of Roz Ward and opposition to Barry Spurr, writes Nick Riemer. The principle has nothing to do with freedom of speech, and everything to do with why we have universities in the first place. “When for any reason… the administrator of [a university]attempts to dislodge a professor becauseMore

Source: Roz Ward, Barry Spurr And What Universities Are For – New Matilda

Australian Election 2016

Ellen DeGeneres Tries To Impose Marxist Agenda! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Ok, first we had those people trying to impose Safe Schools on our children. If God had meant schools to be safe, he wouldn’t have invented bullies. While that was bad enough, today I read a story about an overseas celebrity trying to impose a radical Marxist philosophy on all of us. Apparently, Ellen DeGeneres…

Source: Ellen DeGeneres Tries To Impose Marxist Agenda! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Peter Dutton

Nauruan Consulate Contradicts Peter Dutton Over Who Is Keeping Aussies Out Of Nauru – New Matilda

The Australian government has distanced itself from Nauru’s controversial visa policies, which keep journalists and other critics out. But it seems no one told the Nauruan consulate. Max Chalmers reports. A senior Australian barrister who applied for a visa was told by the Nauruan consulate she must first gain approval from the Australian government, aMore

Source: Nauruan Consulate Contradicts Peter Dutton Over Who Is Keeping Aussies Out Of Nauru – New Matilda

Australian Election 2016

Federal election 2016: Mystery deepens over Parakeelia as Cormann ducks question

The Liberal campaign is resisting calls for greater transparency about its financial relationship with a voter monitoring company run by the party, as it can be revealed state MPs also use taxpayer money to pay it amounts likely exceeding $100,000 a year.

Source: Federal election 2016: Mystery deepens over Parakeelia as Cormann ducks question

EU

The return of the left in Europe? – Al Jazeera English

The rise of the far right in Europe is undeniable, but is the left really dead?

Source: The return of the left in Europe? – Al Jazeera English

EU

Welcome to the world of Europe’s far-right – Al Jazeera English

The dream of building the United States of Europe will become an obsolete memory of the past.

Source: Welcome to the world of Europe’s far-right – Al Jazeera English

PNG

Papua New Guinea police open fire on student protest – BBC News

Police in Papua New Guinea open fire on students protesting against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, with several injuries reported.

Source: Papua New Guinea police open fire on student protest – BBC News

Islamic State

Where did Islamic State come from, and what does it really want? – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The Islamic State group dominates global headlines but do we really understand what it’s trying to achieve?

Source: Where did Islamic State come from, and what does it really want? – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Hilary Clinton

Time to celebrate Hillary Clinton’s victory (and get ready for the backlash) – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Many women will allow themselves a moment to celebrate Hillary Clinton’s claim of victory as the Presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States. And yes, some of us will do so in the full and certain knowledge that we will be lambasted, patronized, lectured (and endlessly mansplained) for being so bold.

Source: Time to celebrate Hillary Clinton’s victory (and get ready for the backlash) – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Politics

The shameful distortion of Muhammad Ali’s legacy — RT Op-Edge

Predictably, though lamentably, before his body had even grown cold, they started clamoring to attach themselves to Muhammad Ali and his legacy.

Source: The shameful distortion of Muhammad Ali’s legacy — RT Op-Edge

Climate Change

Climate change: Will ‘stormageddon’ make us seek higher political ground? – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Following the warmest April on record, ferocious storms lash the east coast of Australia. You would think climate change in action would be an election circuit breaker. But it’s not.

Source: Climate change: Will ‘stormageddon’ make us seek higher political ground? – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Climate Change

The Insider – New Matilda

Source: The Insider – New Matilda

Australian Politics

The Liberal Party, the IPA and Australia’s agenda

The Conversation’s Dominic Kelly analyses the deep-rooted connections between the Liberal Party and the IPA and their current tiff over superannuation.

Source: The Liberal Party, the IPA and Australia’s agenda

Australia

The four factors that drag Australians down

They cost us a lot but have received little attention this election campaign.

Source: The four factors that drag Australians down

Israel

To Israel, being “from Gaza” is a crime | The Electronic Intifada

Israel denied me access to my own country.

Source: To Israel, being “from Gaza” is a crime | The Electronic Intifada

Syria/iraq

Is the courage of the Kurds giving way to treachery in Syria? — RT Op-Edge

Syrian Kurdish forces have been among the bravest and most effective in the war against ISIS in Syria. They may well be on course to also be the most treacherous.

Source: Is the courage of the Kurds giving way to treachery in Syria? — RT Op-Edge

war crimes

Exposed: ‘US Special Forces in Afghanistan killed pregnant women, removed bullets’ — RT Op-Edge

US killings of civilians near Gardez, Afghanistan is an extraordinary case of a cover-up which goes far beyond what happened with the bombing of the MSF hospital, says Gareth Porter, an investigative journalist on US national security policy.

Source: Exposed: ‘US Special Forces in Afghanistan killed pregnant women, removed bullets’ — RT Op-Edge

John Oliver

John Oliver buys and forgives $15m worth of medical debt | World news | The Guardian

Host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight outdoes Oprah with announcement at end of a segment on debt collectors that he has forgiven the debt of 9,000 people

Source: John Oliver buys and forgives $15m worth of medical debt | World news | The Guardian

Hilary Clinton

Clinton’s ace in the hole in the battle against Trump – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Never mind the doubters, Hillary Clinton has two weapons to attack Donald Trump with. 1) Barack Obama. 2) Her ability to surgically dissect his lack of foreign policy credentials.

Source: Clinton’s ace in the hole in the battle against Trump – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Freedom

“I just wanted to be free”: The radical reverberations of Muhammad Ali

While undeniably a great athlete, it is as a freedom fighter against wars and racism for which Muhammad Ali should be remembered, writes The Nation’s Dave Zirin.

Source: “I just wanted to be free”: The radical reverberations of Muhammad Ali