Month: August 2023
Suddenly, publicly, it’s all about the “whitelash”: the backlash by the largely British-descended settler class (aging, usually non-urban, often poorly educated) against the increasing recognition that Indigenous culture is a defining force in the way we think about Australia.
Source: “This is… – The Fiberal Party of Australia – Lies & Misdemeanours | Facebook
The City of Sydney and City of Melbourne have been relying heavily on cheap Chinese and Turkish carbon offsets to get to net zero. Does it make sense to pay foreign governments for projects which they would operate regardless? Callum Foote investigates.
Source: The Price of Green: City of Sydney pays Chinese, Turks to get net zero – Michael West
Jews, and Catholics, have in the past seen themselves locked out of politics Christianity or Protestantism was then simply accepted by those that governed us. Religion and Politics were regarded as impolite and ill-mannered if spoken about in public. Gough and “It’s Time changed that and we all wore our politics on our sleeves.
It became strikingly obvious with the coming of Bob Santa Maria’s DLP in the 50s and with Scott Morrison when and how he won preselection for the seat of Cook that Religion and Politics weren’t as separate as advocated. Howard reintroduced monied religious cults into politics.
It has been traditional for journalists and public figures to respect the individual political candidate’s religion as private. America shows us the danger of creeping Christian Nationalism erupting into prominence, and we can’t wave that away as a distant threat. Voters need to know what our candidates’ Christianity means for our future.
Source: We can’t ignore politicians’ Christianity any longer – » The Australian Independent Media Network
What will it take to get any government to recognise and take substantive action on climate change and biodiversity loss?
I remember when begging was illegal and the police would come and move you on, charge you, or take you away. It seems that begging is now the norm in the UK and being on Welfare is a crime. Robocop certainly indicated that to be the case in Australia
Ordinary U.K. citizens have been propagandised out of the belief that the state should in any way regulate economic activity for the greater good.
One of the what-ifs that the Albanese government should be asking itself is; what would it mean if America invaded Mexico in 2025? If the leading Republican presidential candidates are to be taken at their word this is not a foolish question. Could anything have a greater impact on the foundations of Australia’s foreign and strategic policies?
Source: Republicans push for Mexican-American war: Don’t rule it out – Pearls and Irritations
A Rabbi advocated that the children of Palestinians need to be killed and the statistics show he was listened to.
Last year, 2022, was the deadliest year for Palestinian children in the West Bank in 15 years, and 2023 is on track to meet or exceed 2022 levels. Israeli forces had killed at least 34 Palestinian children in the West Bank as of August 22. Human Rights Watch investigated four fatal shootings of Palestinian children by Israeli forces between November 2022 and March 2023. Kill
Source: Palestinian West Bank: Spike in Israeli Killings of Palestinian Children
The British historian Simon Schama recently told The Observer that Israel’s 1948 declaration of independence “promised equal rights to all religious and ethnic groups.” He also stated that Israel faces “disintegration of the political and social compact” over the current government’s decision to alter the judicial system and expand Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories.
Conspiracy to dismantle The Great American Experiment- Democracy. Trump’s Fascist State
With a nearly 1,000-page “Project 2025” handbook and an “army” of Americans, the idea is to have the civic infrastructure in place on Day One to commandeer, reshape and do away with what Republicans deride as the “deep state” bureaucracy, in part by firing as many as 50,000 federal workers.
“We need to flood the zone with conservatives,” said Paul Dans, director of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project and a former Trump administration official who speaks with historical flourish about the undertaking.
I’m sure the boogeyman white supremacists exist somewhere in America. I have just never met him. Never seen one. Never met one in my life, right? Maybe I will meet a — maybe I will meet a unicorn sooner. And maybe those exist too.
Meanwhile, the LNP has spent most of this century fighting against Multiculturalism
In an increasingly globalised world where opportunity invites immigration, multiculturalism plays a significant role in facilitating deeper connections and embracing cultural diversity.
Source: A multicultural environment benefits all – Pearls and Irritations
THE HOST of ABC TV’s Kitchen Cabinet, Annabel Crabb, took to Twitter/X at the weekend to denounce what she perceives as an ‘orgy of outrage’ from users at the appearance of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on her show.
Source: Turning politicians into celebrities won’t excuse their crimes
That story in particular was always dangerous, but especially so in recent years as the Murdoch family’s leaders told themselves — or at least their audiences — that the world would be a better place with Donald Trump in charge.
That Brexit would be “wonderful” for the UK.
That Australia would be better off without the ABC. And that global warming “is good for us”.
On display in Australia for a century, these Murdoch family traditions — of power-lust and self-interest disguised as patriotism, using media assets to play politics — have had a global impact.
Source: National Times – The Murdochs sell stories. But what of those they… | Facebook
Capitalist Banking vs Muslim Banking. Sharing and not sharing the risk and moral responsibilities
Why, for example, is a lawyer for the U.S. Virgin Islands accusing JPMorgan Chase of transferring more than $1.1 million in payments from convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to “girls or women” for years after bank executives said they had dropped Epstein as a client? If so, where was his suspicious activity reports? Answer: banks apply the federal law discriminately.
And it’s not over yet!
Wildfires in Hawaii have killed over 100 people, and hundreds remain missing. From draining historic wetlands to failing to invest in safe energy infrastructure, the capitalist thirst for profits above all else helped create the disaster.
Source: Capitalist Greed Fueled the Catastrophic Hawaii Wildfires
Alp wants us to be more of a Military Industrial Complex, Now!
Source: National Times – What do we want? War! When do we want it?… | Facebook
Meanwhile, Russia is aligning itself with world-friendly nations via BRICS, a significantly different concept.
New security-state documents show Wellington aligning its military with the “rules-based international order” while preparing Kiwis for war with key trading partner China, writes Mick Hall.
The 15th BRICS Summit, held in Johannesburg, has made some momentous decisions which will greatly effect the global geo-political order.
The Summit’s most momentous decision was the admission of six new nations to BRICS. The Bloc added Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and UAE while leaving the door upon to further expansion.
‘We have consensus on the first phase of this expansion process and other phases will follow,’ Ramaphosa said at a media briefing.
The new members admitted include three of the world’s biggest oil producers: Saudi Arabia the UAE and Iran. This would appear to expand the influence of China and Russia in the Middle East. Recently China was able to bring to the table longstanding enemies, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Now they have both have been brought into BRICS.
The new candidates will be formally admitted 1st January 2024.
Together, the 11 countries have a population of some 3.7 billion, almost half the global populace.
Source: Resistance to Western geo-political order: building brick by BRICS – Pearls and Irritations
He added that in Georgia, “it’s a ‘prisoner’s dilemma’ situation.” While It’s best for all of the defendants to collectively stick together with none of them flipping, individually, it’s better for each person to cooperate. And “usually, the ones who cooperate first get the best deal.”
It’s only Politics no matter what you do or have done.
‘I Could … Shoot Somebody, And I Wouldn’t Lose Any Voters’
That’s Trump’s vision Laws aren’t there for him and never have been
This is not how elected officials should govern with a tit-for-tat against those who hold a person accountable. It’s mind-blowing that a man facing 91 charges, indicted four times, and impeached twice is calling the shots for the Republican party. Fucking amazing.
Source: Trump To GOP On Biden: ‘IMPEACH The BUM. THEY DID IT TO US!’ | Crooks and Liars
The unplumbed depths of Peter Dutton cynical politics should be a matter of deep concern to genuine political conservatives across Australia. Whoever those people are (at present they appear to be in hiding), it’s time they distanced themselves from what the Liberal Party is becoming under Dutton’s leadership.
What should a genuinely conservative political party be like in the context of contemporary Australia?
IPA would make that the BIG 5 advisors. Add News Corp and you will find the BIG 6. Or were they LNP Lobbyists friends with benefits?
Australia’s original Big 4 ‘whistleblower’ George Rozvany called for the bust up of PwC, EY, KPMG and Deloitte in these pages eight years ago. These “unregulated private partnerships” have cost Australia dearly.
Source: George Rozvany: living in the shadows of the Big 4 and the art of sudden reappearance – Michael West
If you want to retreat to the comfy 1950s and never change anything, that is your prerogative but you can’t pick and choose to take the technical and lifestyle benefits of the 21st century while decrying the same lifestyle and technology. In short – you can’t have it both ways. Do your research and vote accordingly but if you vote no because you don’t understand – that’s a cop out and a sad indicator of your intelligence.
Source: If you don’t understand – do the research – » The Australian Independent Media Network
The Independent Australia ranking on economic management (IAREM) for 2023 shows Norway leading the world while Australia’s climb up the global ladder has begun. Alan Austin reports.
In order, the best-performed economies in 2023, with IAREM scores achieved, were:
1. Norway 39.96
2. United Arab Emirates 39.88
3. Singapore 35.60
4. Switzerland 35.02
5. Denmark 30.00
6. Iceland 29.60
7. Luxembourg 29.29
8. Ireland 28.60
9. Cyprus 26.95
10. Israel 26.56
Source: IAREM 2023: Norway’s ‘mixed’ economy leads as Australia plays catch up
When an increasing number of Nations say sorry and give their Indigenous populations a voice Australia’s LNP stands out and says Nope to the Voice
The monarch of the Netherlands asks for ‘forgiveness’ for his nation’s colonial past, saying he felt a ‘moral duty to act’.
Source: Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologises for colonial-era slavery | Slavery News | Al Jazeera
The saga began when Israel’s extremist Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has a long rap sheet of convictions for racist incitement, said the quiet part out loud. In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 News on Wednesday, Ben-Gvir was asked a question about the deteriorating security situation in the Palestinian West Bank by journalist Mohammad Magadli, an Israeli of Palestinian heritage. Haaretz reports that Ben-Gvir replied, “my right, the right of my wife and my children to move around Judea and Samaria is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs.
Police kill them in custody here in Australia.
A racist white man killed three black people in a racially motivated attack then killed himself in Jacksonville, Florida.
Source: Racist White Man Fatally Shoots Three Black People at Florida Store
In Australia, where the spirit of roguish exploitation remains strong, companies such as the national carrier Qantas and the Commonwealth Bank are rolling in cash. Supermarket outlets such as Coles have also announced huge returns. To them can be added such energy companies as AGL. While households are counting the dollars and cents for the weekly shopping and the fortnightly rental, corporate entities of a certain heft are thriving.
Source: The Profiteering Motive – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Will the government finally act on money-laundering laws promised 17 years ago, or once again be thwarted by lobbyists for lawyers, accountants and property developers? With Madagascar, China and Haiti, Australia is a global laggard. Callum Foote reports.
Source: Action on money-laundering, property price relief, or plus ça change? – Michael West
CONSPIRACY? “Nothing to see here, F@#K off!!
The Opposition and Right-wing media have collaborated on a scheme to turn people away from voting ‘Yes’ to the Voice Referendum.
Source: VIDEO: The Uluru Statement Right-wing conspiracy theory
Dogs are important to a lot of humans, but what makes them so?
Source: An expert’s top 5 reasons why dogs can be considered exceptional animals
ALP Government’s -SHAME They won’t release the National Security Intelligence Report on Climate Change that was completed in 2022.
“What China does or does not do will not drown small island states, nor desertify the dry subtropics, nor drive a global decline in crop yields, kill the Barrier Reef, salinate Kakadu or force the displacement of tens of millions of people. But a hotter climate will, probably in significant measure even before a full fleet of nuclear submarines has been commissioned in the 2040s”, said ASLCG in a recent report.
“Australia is missing in action”, but we are not the only ones.
Source: Joint retreat: AUKUS nations back peddling on climate – Pearls and Irritations
What Murdoch doesn’t Report,
The International Monetary Fund reports that the nations of the globe indirectly subsidized fossil fuels, the sources of dangerous greenhouse gases causing global heating, to the tune of $7 trillion in 2022. In other words, we’re acting like we are brain dead. So report Simon Black, Ian Parry, Nate Vernon at the IMF.
Scott Morrison leaked US and Australian government documents in October/November 2021 to embarrass US President Joe Biden but Scott Morrison has never been questioned or charged regarding the leaks unlike others who have done the same or similar.
Julian Assange and Daniel Duggan are both in jail and in the process of being extradited to the US and whistleblowers Richard Boyle and David McBride are facing charges for leaking Australian government information.
Absorbing the mercenaries is a means of conscripting an army and paying them Russian Army rates. That was what Prigozhin was pissed about. The breaking of a promise to his men. “We know who your families” sign here was Putin’s double cross. Note the Russian General Armageddon who sided with Prigozhin has also been made to disappear.
President Vladimir Putin has ordered Wagner fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state after the plane crash that is believed to have killed Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary group’s volatile chief.
Source: Putin issues loyalty oath ultimatum to Wagner fighters
Here today gone tomorrow but not Putin even Mother Russia comes second to him. Information is denied and if out then confused.
Source: Wagner Group Cemetery Levelled, Will Be Paved Over With Concrete | Crooks and Liars
PS: What happened to the teeth and the transparency?
Source: The NACC: Why it is taking so long – » The Australian Independent Media Network
LNP “Better Money Managers” multiplied the cost of a dud NBN dropping us to 80th in the world’s best technology. They blew Hydro 2.0 out by x10, Robodebt by 2000 deaths thousands of we are mental breakdowns and still counting. The NDIS wasn’t allowed to even get established, and they tripled the Deficit all of this in Billions of dollars and for no long-term benefit.
Dan Andrews bailed Victorians out for $380m saving the state billions in pain because of the false advice and rapidly changing circumstances. The Media on the other hand have slung more mud at Dan for saving us pain than they did the LNP’s loss of Billions by in gifting money to their mates like confetti
Malcolm Turnbull’s Snowy Hydro 2.0 project was touted as $2 billion bargain in 2017. It now shapes as a $10 billion abominable snowman. Peering through a Kosciusko/Canberra snow storm of FOI brush-offs, Rex Patrick asks what is really going on.
Source: Snow Job – Snowy Hydro 2.0 in a fathomless crevasse of costs – Michael West
The recent CPAC conference gave a platform to a number of speakers with ties to neo-Nazis and ‘jobbers’ voicing racist hate speech, writes Tom Tanuki.
Source: CPAC 2023 a breeding ground for dangerous ideologies
Peter Dutton has been getting away with a good line throughout the 22 years he has been in Parliament – that he was a police officer before becoming a politician.
Source: Dutton is a populist politician that isn’t popular – and ‘No’ is natural
“Yes” Lidia but It begins with a “Yes” and not “No”
Senator Lidia Thorpe was at the National Press Club outlining many of the arguments the Indigenous “progressive No” have been making, and highlighting what she believes is the way forward:
– Truth-telling about Australia’s history,
– Implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody,
– Implementation of recommendations from the Bringing Them Home Report,
– Writing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into Australian law, – Treaty.
Source: “I have to… – The Fiberal Party of Australia – Lies & Misdemeanours | Facebook
During his rise to power in 1930’s Germany, Adolf Hitler’s inner circle had a major problem – their leader was an unpalatable weirdo. A peculiar, solitary figure who lived alone, had manic temper outbursts and scowled at cameras, Hitler was quite the spin doctor’s challenge.
Source: Bullshit and spin – The Shot
He went on: “I want to find a place of grace, far from the stench of the media. I want to go where I am not reminded of the social media sewer.” Stan Grant
The statement is a generous invitation to walk together into a better future, and the Voice is the first step.”
Source: “This week… – The Fiberal Party of Australia – Lies & Misdemeanours | Facebook
One of the worst mistakes you can make when formulating your understanding of the world is to begin with the assumption that the truest and most accurate position must lie somewhere near the center of the two major political perspectives you see laid out all around you.
It’s a mistake not only because assuming that the center position must be the best one is a type of fallacious reasoning known as the middle ground fallacy (the correct position between “Drink a gallon of bleach daily for good health” and “Drink zero bleach daily for good health” is not “Drink half a gallon of bleach daily for good health”); it’s also a mistake because the entire framing arises from a situation that has been artificially engineered by the powerful.
olddogthoughts 
You must be logged in to post a comment.