Month: August 2023

Trump

Donald Trump has gone off the deep end for real: He’s a danger to humanity | Salon.com

Donald Trump (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images)

His niece Mary a Clinical Psychologist warned the nation a very long time ago about her Uncle Donald. Unfortunately, the dominant private media see profit to be made in keeping Trump in the forefront of our attention and calling it news

We face climate change, potential nuclear war, famine and global militarization, but we’re stuck talking about this one crazy SOB — apparently we can’t solve the other problems until we fix this one.

Not convinced yet that Trump is nuts? How about this one, after the U.S. women’s soccer team lost to Sweden in the World Cup, specifically attacking Megan Rapinoe, the American star who missed a penalty kick: “WOKE equals failure. Nice shot Megan, the U.S.A is going to HELL!!! MAGA.” How soon before he starts screaming for the kids to get off his lawn?

Source: Donald Trump has gone off the deep end for real: He’s a danger to humanity | Salon.com

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- The Myth of the Lucky Country

Fighting Fake News with REAL, 12/8/2023, 1951- 2023 Australia’s Shame, Dutton and Price Lie, 439 Words One Page Uluru Statement, Racist Reply, Murdoch profit drops 70%, AEMO slams Murdoch, Arts Washing Fossil Fuels,

Australia's Shame

1951- Documenting Australia’s Shame

The NO voters seem to fall into four camps:

1). The Duttonistas, who don’t give a fuck about the country but just want to inflict a defeat on Albo.

2). Racists.

3). The jealous and bitter, kicking down.

4). Fuckwits

Not one of the white folks advocating a NO vote has a copy of his/her dad or granddad’s “General Certificate of Exemption”?

What, they didn’t need one to walk to work!

Well that’s why I’m voting Yes. Yes. Yes!

Informed Opinion

Abbott Sick Of “Welcome To Country” So Maybe We Should Shorten It For Him! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Why does Mainstream media report what Dutton and Howard think? But not Rudd or Gillard. Why are they regarded as our seeming gurus, men of wisdom, and sounding boards in the press telling us the British invasion of Australia made First Nation peoples equal and better off. When it’s blatant bullshit. In 2023 proportionately Australian Aboriginals are not only the most incarcerated people on the planet but for the least offences.

Of course we all understand that Tony Abbott’s views are the sort of news that’s worth reporting. As someone who was once Prime Minister of this fair land, his opinion is worth a lot more than mine or yours because we’re all equal and to set up something like the Voice is, well, it’s just like Apartheid in South Africa because having the Indigenous population given that sort of recognition in the Constitution would lead to people like Mr Abbott being just as oppressed as all those poor South Africans who were forced to stick to Whites Only areas.

Source: Abbott Sick Of “Welcome To Country” So Maybe We Should Shorten It For Him! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP, LNP Tactics

(1) “The LNP LIE – The Fiberal Party of Australia – Lies & Misdemeanours | Facebook

May be an image of 2 people and text that says 'NEW Australian politics Indigenous Australians Agency refutes Jacinta Price's claim that Uluru statement is 26 pages Exclusive: Government agency wrote to voice referendum no campaign leader, saying her claim was incorrect and pointing publicly available one-page document'

“The National Indigenous Australians Agency has written to Coalition senator and no campaign leader Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to flatly deny her claims that it told her the Uluru statement from the heart was a 26-page document, again confirming it is a one-page document…

Source: (1) “The… – The Fiberal Party of Australia – Lies & Misdemeanours | Facebook

Informed Comment

Dodgy governments, corrupt institutions and shadow states lurking beneath our democracy

The Sofronoff shambles, Robodebt Royal Commission, hijacking of the Voice Referendum and permeation by PwC (among others) of the public service cannot recur, write Dave Donovan and Michelle Pini.

Source: Dodgy governments, corrupt institutions and shadow states lurking beneath our democracy

Informed Comment

If Bosses Are Raking It In, Shouldn’t Employees, Too? | The Smirking Chimp

In Australia and in Victoria the Fire Fighters want a 25% rise over 4 years. The CEOs have no Union so we really have no global systemic comparisons. How is it the big three American automakers don’t have boards equally represented by Shareholders, Labor, Men, Women, and other interested parties to resolve company issues less adversarially? Germany and Italy do. They manage to offer worker’s conditions far, better, and at a greater cost, but these companies were able to negotiate it more equitably and peacefully. Without a comparison of these differing structures, nothing will change.

The new leadership of the United Auto Workers is demanding that the Big Three automakers give its members a 40 percent raise over the four years of its next contract. The demand stems from the 40 percent increase in compensation raked in by the corporations’ CEOs over the past four years.

Only fair, right?

Source: If Bosses Are Raking It In, Shouldn’t Employees, Too? | The Smirking Chimp

News Corp

Murdoch’s News Corp suffers sharp decline in profit

news corp facebook

The US-listed media group — which owns News Corp Australia, mastheads in the US and UK, book publishers and real estate advertising assets — recorded $US187 million ($287 million) in profit for the financial year, down from the previous year’s $US760 million record.

The US-listed media group — which owns News Corp Australia, mastheads in the US and UK, book publishers and real estate advertising assets — recorded $US187 million ($287 million) in profit for the financial year, down from the previous year’s $US760 million record.

The US-listed media group — which owns News Corp Australia, mastheads in the US and UK, book publishers and real estate advertising assets — recorded $US187 million ($287 million) in profit for the financial year, down from the previous year’s $US760 million record.

Source: Murdoch’s News Corp suffers sharp decline in profit

Fossil Fuel Industry

Reports reveal the symphony of coal and gas money showered on sports and the arts – Michael West

WAYO

Arts washing, Sports Washing, Fossil Fuel use of soft power has never been totally rejected

While Victorian netballers refused money from Gina Rinehart, and Cricket Australia dropped Alinta Energy as sponsors, fossil fuel companies are still spending millions with the arts around Australia. A report released today outlines the extent of the arts washing, Callum Foote reports.

Source: Reports reveal the symphony of coal and gas money showered on sports and the arts – Michael West

Murdoch Media

AEMO slams Murdoch media campaign that claims renewables are not low cost – Pearls and Irritations

Aerial view of three wind turbines in the early morning fog at sunrise.

Facts don’t matter as far as Murdoch media are concerned the conclusion wanted is what supports their revenues. They are turning to AI infrastructure to lower costs once established it won’t be costed again and again. However, they don’t do the same for the storage and delivery structure for renewables. They claim those costs repeat continuously. Fact Check= Pants on Fire

The Australian double dipped, producing another article from the same commentator that claimed that Graham had provided proof that CSIRO was confirming that its costings did not take into account transmission and storage. Graham says this is nonsense.

“If you are building a new wind and solar farm now, it will take advantage of infrastructure that already exists, Graham told RenewEconomy. As it would for new coal and gas. “There’s no point building or costing it again. It’s already there.”

Source: AEMO slams Murdoch media campaign that claims renewables are not low cost – Pearls and Irritations

Climate Change

Climate Crisis: The GOP Death Cult is holding the Earth Hostage to White Privilege

Who are you going to believe, Republicans or a bunch of lying climatologists? Diane Roberts Diane Roberts

A new NPR/PBS/Marist poll shows that nearly three-fourths of Republicans don’t think the climate crisis is a big deal and we don’t need to do anything about it.

I guess the good news is that 56 percent of all political persuasions say the climate crisis requires urgent action. That includes nearly nine out of 10 Democrats and over half of Independents.

Source: Climate Crisis: The GOP Death Cult is holding the Earth Hostage to White Privilege

Israel

AS’AD AbuKHALIL: Arab Apathy on Israeli Protests

Arabs who are watching the protests could not but notice the peaceful and gentle treatment of protesters by Israeli police. They contrast to the live ammunition that has been deployed against Arab protesters in the “occupied territories” of 1967 and also inside what is called in Western media, “Israel proper.” The very racism of the state is exposed in the Israeli state management of the protests.

It is for those reasons that Arabs are not following the protests with any interest because they know that the Palestinians will be occupied, repressed, and murdered regardless of the outcome of the internal struggle in Israel.

Source: AS’AD AbuKHALIL: Arab Apathy on Israeli Protests

Trump

That Chesebro Memo? It’s A Smoking Gun | Crooks and Liars
That Chesebro Memo? It's A Smoking Gun

The New York Times has obtained a copy of the Dec. 6, 2020, memo written by Donald Trump-supporting lawyer Kenneth Chesebro that federal prosecutors have cited as a key piece of evidence in their case against Trump and, likely, against some of of his so-far-unindicted co-conspirators.

Source: That Chesebro Memo? It’s A Smoking Gun | Crooks and Liars

Trump

‘Abundant evidence’ shows Trump engaged in insurrection and cannot hold office: conservative scholars – Raw Story – Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism

'Abundant evidence' shows Trump engaged in insurrection and cannot hold office: conservative scholars

Two conservative constitutional law professors have concluded that Donald Trump cannot be president again unless two-thirds of Congress votes to give him amnesty for leading an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.

Source: ‘Abundant evidence’ shows Trump engaged in insurrection and cannot hold office: conservative scholars – Raw Story – Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Why did mainstream media turn Brittany into Lady Macbeth?

Rupert Murdoch bribed Walter Sofronoff

Fighting Fake News with REAL 11/8/2023, Is Donald Trump a Fascist?, News Corp Bribery,

Scott Morrison

Ego is not a dirty word – » The Australian Independent Media Network

In the mid 1970s, Australian ‘glam rock’ band Skyhooks released an album titled ‘Ego is not a Dirty Word’. The single of the same title reached number 2 on the Australian ‘Top 40’ in mid 1976. Little Scott Morrison, born in 1968, would probably have heard it on ‘high rotation’ across the airwaves of a…

Morrison certainly has no contrition for his leading roles in the establishment and promotion of the extortion scheme

Speaking to an almost empty lower house shortly after Question Time on Monday, Morrison said: “This campaign of political lynching has once again included the weaponisation of quasi-legal process to launder the government’s political vindictiveness. They need to move on.”

As James notes

The reference to the royal commission as a “quasi-legal” process is straight out of the Trump playbook – an attempt to reduce the most powerful form of public-interest inquiry we have in this country to that of nothing more than a political pitchfork rally.

Thousands of Australians were wrongly accused of debt, with a significant number of the real victims (those that were extorted by the Coalition Government) suffering mental health problems and the families of others that couldn’t see a way out of their dilemma took their own lives. And one of the architects of the scheme is still collecting his $200,000 per annum salary as a parliamentarian while claiming to be the victim of a political hit job. Ego may not be a dirty word, but contrition and seeking forgiveness for poor decisions in the past takes more than ego, it needs emotional intelligence, something that Morrison seems to lack completely.

 

Source: Ego is not a dirty word – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP, LNP Corruption, LNP Economic Management, LNP Government

Alan Kohler: The delusions and madness of crowds of consultants

consultants

The work of the “better money managers”

The Australian public service cohabits with copious consultants because of three hiring freezes imposed by Coalition governments over the past 10 years.

The Abbott government froze all hirings in 2013 for 18 months, resulting in the loss of about 11,000 jobs; the Turnbull government did it again in 2016, but more targeted – it only applied to a few departments, and 5000 jobs went; the Morrison government imposed another freeze in 2020 in response to COVID-19 that went for six months and resulted in the loss of about 3000 positions.

Source: Alan Kohler: The delusions and madness of crowds of consultants

Informed Comment

Getting Scalier: David A. Collard’s creditors, lawsuits, now a thing of Scale – Michael West

Scale Facilitation, David Collard, PwC

Australian entrepreneur and ex-PwC partner David A. Collard is being sued for rent on both his fancy apartment in Manhattan as well as Scale’s 88th floor World Trade Centre head quarters. That’s on top of an ATO tax raid, unpaid staff and creditors, and defaulting on the purchase of Britishvolt in the UK. Sean Johnson of Open Politics reports. 

 

Source: Getting Scalier: David A. Collard’s creditors, lawsuits, now a thing of Scale – Michael West

Education

HECS indexation increasing unaffordable student debt

Cost up quality down promises unfulfilled, You need a degree to work as a teller when once you needed 3rd form and it didn’t leave you in debt. Some people have x3 dergrees do they have x3 HECS debts and no jobs?

The recent indexation of HECS fees at 7.1% is adding to students’ debt at a time of a cost of living crisis for young people, writes Rowan Bosman.

Source: HECS indexation increasing unaffordable student debt

Julian Assange

Assange pursuit ‘gone on for too long’: Rudd

Julian Assange

The ALP lift a finger and they call it Rudd

Kevin Rudd says the United States’ pursuit of Julian Assange has “gone on for too long” and he will continue to express Australia’s concerns.

Source: Assange pursuit ‘gone on for too long’: Rudd

Informed Comment

Corrupt judge Walter Sofronoff was bribed by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp to leak ACT Inquiry Report to Janet AlbrechtsenKangaroo Court of Australia

Rupert Murdoch bribed Walter Sofronoff

Has a crime been committed? Doesn’t this alone warrant an inquiry into News Corp? Shouldn’t charges be laid? Who is being made out to look like Lady Macbeth in this saga about “poor Bruce”

At the same time Walter Sofronoff was illegally leaking the ACT Inquiry Report, to propagandist Janet Albrechtsen, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp was negotiating with Sofronoff to cash in on the dodgy ACT Inquiry findings.

Source: Corrupt judge Walter Sofronoff was bribed by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp to leak ACT Inquiry Report to Janet AlbrechtsenKangaroo Court of Australia

Media

Headlines and Front Lines: How US News Coverage of Wars in Yemen and Ukraine reveals a Bias in Recording Civilian Harm

In both the Yemen and Ukraine conflicts, the U.S. has spent tens of billions of dollars – more than US$75 billion in humanitarian, financial and military assistance to Ukraine and over $54 billion in military support to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates between 2015 and 2021 alone.

What’s different is that the U.S. is essentially on opposite sides in these conflicts when it comes to its relationship to those inflicting the most civilian casualties. Washington officials have made open and direct declarations about the inhumanity of atrocities in Ukraine while avoiding inquiry and condemnation of those in Yemen. Our research suggests that such messaging may be supported by the news media.The Conversation

Source: Headlines and Front Lines: How US News Coverage of Wars in Yemen and Ukraine reveals a Bias in Recording Civilian Harm

Media

Craig Murray: The Silence on Imran Khan

The cone of silence

Pakistan has imposed a media blackout over the deposed prime minister and thousands of new political prisoners incarcerated in appalling conditions. Condemnation in the U.K. and U.S. has been non-existent.

Source: Craig Murray: The Silence on Imran Khan

Pakistan

Pakistan Cypher Exposes U.S. Pressure to Remove Imran Khan

Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Imran Khan Interview

Who’s pulling the strings?

“All will be forgiven,” said a U.S. diplomat, if the no-confidence vote against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan succeeds.

Source: Pakistan Cypher Exposes U.S. Pressure to Remove Imran Khan

Israel

Israeli Reservists’ Revolt against Netanyahu’s assault on Courts imperils Cohesion of Military

Netanyahu wants a National Guard to defend itself against Iraeli citizens.

As protests continue against the judicial overhaul proposed by the Israeli government, the leadership of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) fears an increase of discontent within its ranks as well as an increase in its lack of competence. The signs get worse every day, prompting army commanders to warn of weakness that will affect its readiness for war.

Source: Israeli Reservists’ Revolt against Netanyahu’s assault on Courts imperils Cohesion of Military

Israel

Israel and Australian law on sanctions. Will we act? – Pearls and Irritations

The imposition of sanctions on Israel by the Australian government is a logical step now that Foreign Minister Penny Wong has finally bowed to the inevitable in calling Israel’s West Bank settlements ‘illegal’. As Wong told the federal party caucus yesterday, it was time to “strengthen the government’s objection to settlements by affirming that they are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace”.

Given all this there cannot be a clearer case for the Albanese government to back up its commitment to finally recognising the illegality of the West Bank settlements by using its sanctions legislation against Israel. It cannot stand tall in remembering that this nation’s history in sanctioning one apartheid regime, South Africa, while sitting on its hands in relation to the latest manifestation of that odious practice in Israel.

If Senator Wong and her colleagues really do want to “strengthen the government’s objection to settlements”, to use her phrase, then sanctions are a must.

Source: Israel and Australian law on sanctions. Will we act? – Pearls and Irritations

Informed Comment, Informed Opinion

Informed Comment- Robert Reich- Fascism-Trump
Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Remember it well when the LNP refused to have their”better budgets” audited by Treasury. It was the end of Joe Hockey

May be an image of text

Fighting Fake News with REAL, 10/8/2023, Merit and the APS, Privatised Banking Service, Media Bias,

LNP Corruption

‘Merit’ is the forgotten fundamental APS value – Pearls and Irritations

Core values,corporate values concept.

The LNP strategy has been to edge toward a Unitary Executive as much as it can and couple it with the increased use of their preferred rather than independent consultancies. It became increasingly self-evident over a decade ago when the LNP refused to have their opposition and government budgets audited by Treasury but rather by “consultants” of their own choice. From thereon the rot simply set in and accelerated.

It seems that the APS leadership, advising the Government on amending the PS Act, is yet to recognise just how important ‘merit’ is to a Westminster-based public service. It was at the core of the 1854 Northcote Trevelyan Report that began the development of a professional civil service. It is critical to not only fairness, non-partisanship and constraining corruption, but also to efficiency, effectiveness and overall civil service capability. Yet over the last decade the APS has lost sight of its central importance.

Source: ‘Merit’ is the forgotten fundamental APS value – Pearls and Irritations

Media

Shane Drumgold: Brittany Higgins attacks conduct of ACT police who investigated Bruce Lehrmann

Brittany Higgins has attacked the conduct of police who were assigned to investigate her rape complaint.

When a complainant in a rape trial makes public her opinion describing the way she was treated by police The Age reports it as “an attack”. When the description refers to the way the police investigators behaved it appears as if “they were doing their job”. Despite the fact that even the chief investigator disagreed with his team. Does anybody else see the inherent bias against Brittany in this report called “news”?

Brittany Higgins has launched an attack against the attitudes of the police who investigated her rape claim, saying they were disgraced by their own conduct, rather than the accusations of the ex-ACT chief prosecutor.

Source: Shane Drumgold: Brittany Higgins attacks conduct of ACT police who investigated Bruce Lehrmann

Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton makes the Voice about ‘retail politics’ in his lust for power

Peter Dutton’s opposition to the Voice to Parliament is based on flimsy arguments, yet the compliant mainstream media continues its unwavering support, writes Belinda Jones.

Source: Peter Dutton makes the Voice about ‘retail politics’ in his lust for power

Scott Morrison

Narcisuss drowning? Morrison, Robodebt and love-rat Dutton. – » The Australian Independent Media Network

His poor daughters need to be….

Dismissing Catherine Holmes’ report as “unsubstantiated, speculative and wrong”. Morrison denies all responsibility and blames public servants for keeping him in the dark. As for his not giving truthful evidence, the notorious liar simply says Holmes is wrong. We can take his word for it.

Source: Narcisuss drowning? Morrison, Robodebt and love-rat Dutton. – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Sharing Wealth

The Obscenely Wealthy Have Recently Experienced Obscene Increases in Their Wealth – CounterPunch.org

These policies have certainly been successful at creating greater prosperity for the 10 wealthiest people in the United States. Their wealth, after a large decline in 2022, is now almost 24% greater than it was at the beginning of 2021, right before the start of Biden’s presidency. (see second table below)

Source: The Obscenely Wealthy Have Recently Experienced Obscene Increases in Their Wealth – CounterPunch.org

LNP Corruption

“Lawyers for Stuart Robert – The Fiberal Party of Australia – Lies & Misdemeanours | Facebook

Stuart Robert’s lawyers describe release of kickback allegations as ‘abuse of privilege’

Trump Morrison and Robert and Assange are all claiming “Victimhood”. In three cases only is there an Equivalence and it’s not Julian.

“Lawyers representing the former Liberal MP Stuart Robert have described the release of allegations he received financial kickbacks from a lobbying firm as “egregious” and an “abuse of privilege”.

Source: “Lawyers… – The Fiberal Party of Australia – Lies & Misdemeanours | Facebook

Uncategorized

Commonwealth Bank earnings top $10 billion as interest rate rises boost profit margins – ABC News

Source: Commonwealth Bank earnings top $10 billion as interest rate rises boost profit margins – ABC News

Australia

Death of Sovereignty: everyday Australians will pay the cost of US kowtowing, AUKUS, inevitable war – Michael West

Military strategy

The spiralling cost of our alliance with the United States goes way beyond the $368B AUKUS deal and joined intelligence and communications facilities. Australia is paying the price of reduced independence, as Rex Patrick reports.

Source: Death of Sovereignty: everyday Australians will pay the cost of US kowtowing, AUKUS, inevitable war – Michael West

China

Of 24 countries, Australia has the most unfavourable view of China – Pearls and Irritations

China background design with hexagonal and binary code structure 3d-illustration

attitudes toward China are somewhat rosier in middle-income than high-income countries. Across eight middle-income countries – places Pew Research Center has not surveyed since 2019 due to the challenges of conducting face-to-face interviews during the pandemic – India stands out as the only middle-income country in which a majority has unfavourable views of China. And in three middle-income countries – Kenya, Mexico and Nigeria – a majority even gives China a positive rating.

Source: Of 24 countries, Australia has the most unfavourable view of China – Pearls and Irritations

Israel

Israel to deny Palestinian-Israelis Preparation for University, in Exact Parallel to Apartheid South Africa

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – White Power nationalism in South Africa during the Apartheid period from the 1940s until the early 1990s demanded that the 20% of the population that was white control the lives of the 68% of the population that was Black. (Actually, during this era the whites declined to only 13% by 1990, and Blacks increased to 76%). Education was one way that Blacks were kept down. They were, or many were, offered an education, but only one that led to working class status. Maria Lizet Ocampo writes at a Stanford University page, ‘The Apartheid system created

here we have an exact parallel to the South African system. Extremist Bezalel Smotrich, minister of finance, has frozen $680 million in funding earmarked for the development of largely Palestinian East Jerusalem. A portion of this funding was to prepare Palestinian-Israeli students for entry into the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. So reports Gianluca Pacchiani at The Times of Israel.

Smotrich alleged that there was a problem of “Islamic radical cells” in Israeli colleges and universities. Smotrich’s office could not provide any evidence of such cells when the press asked about the issue. (That is because Smotrich made the whole thing up.)

Pacchiani writes, “Smotrich said that the sum will be earmarked for training East Jerusalem Arabs for ‘high-productivity’ professions instead of encouraging their integration into Israeli academia.”

Bingo. That is precisely the program of South African Apartheid in the second half of the twentieth century. Precisely. An exact parallel.

Source: Israel to deny Palestinian-Israelis Preparation for University, in Exact Parallel to Apartheid South Africa

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Christians turned Christ and God white. Muslims and Jews certainly didn’t.

May be an image of 1 person and text

Fighting Fake News with REAL, 9/8/2023, Every picture, The Big 4’s slap on the wrist, Australia’s shame, The men who did it, Free Speech, Robert Reich on Trump,

LNP

White Australia’s moral backwardness – Pearls and Irritations

An illustration showing men of the First Peoples of Australia giving directions to two white men on horseback, from the story,

LNP argue for “More of the Same” Are we even at the forefront of the best of all possible worlds? The LNP say “yes vote No”

White Australians like to think of themselves as an egalitarian and frank people, despising pretentiousness, while basking in a reputation for larrikinism and mateship. But this is all a front, papering over a culture that is deeply racist, excessively masculinist, and incorrigibly populist. Indeed, from its very beginnings, white Australia has been a morally backward society. And there are no signs that this is abating. Its moral backwardness is disgustingly on show in the No campaign against the forthcoming referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Source: White Australia’s moral backwardness – Pearls and Irritations

Injustice

Shane Drumgold, despite his alleged sins, is an unlikely master villain – Pearls and Irritations

ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold arrives at the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) in Canberra, Monday, May 8, 2023. Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas

In the Sofronoff inquiry, Counsel Assisting, Ms Erin Longbottom went straight for the jugular of Shane Drumgold, prosecutor in the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial. She made mincemeat of him. By the end of her display of complete dominance, he was a shattered wreck. He had withdrawn his suggestions of political interference, softened his criticism of police resistance to a prosecution, and admitted that some statements he had made to the presiding judge were not well-phrased. Report summaries of the Sofronoff inquiry into the ACT Justice system suggest Drumgold was entirely to blame. This is tosh, the more so for being completely over the top.

Source: Shane Drumgold, despite his alleged sins, is an unlikely master villain – Pearls and Irritations

Scandal

Lehrmann inquiry head could face probe over report leak

The chair of an inquiry into how the justice system handled Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations could be referred to the ACT integrity commission for leaking the final report to two journalists.

Source: Lehrmann inquiry head could face probe over report leak

Informed Comment

Crackdown! Better watch out you Big 4, we’ll wave a stern finger at yers – Michael West

Crackdown! Better watch out you Big 4, we’ll wave a stern finger at yers

“Eye-watering”, “fines jump 10,000% in huge crackdown”! The Big 4 crackdown has arrived in the most cracking down fashion. But what is it really? Michael West reports.

Source: Crackdown! Better watch out you Big 4, we’ll wave a stern finger at yers – Michael West

LNP Corruption

Stuart Robert met Infosys 11 times before $191m deal

Former cabinet minister Stuart Robert met tech giant Infosys multiple times when the company was seeking lucrative contracts with the federal government.

Former cabinet minister Stuart Robert met tech giant Infosys multiple times when the company was seeking lucrative contracts including a deal it won to build a government payment system later scrapped at a cost of $191 million.

The company revealed the 11 meetings in answers to a parliamentary inquiry that is examining the close ties between Robert and his consultant friend, David Milo, whose firm Synergy 360 asked companies for “success fees” to line up contracts in Canberra

Source: Stuart Robert met Infosys 11 times before $191m deal

News Corp

News Corp bullies to be held accountable over one-sided Voice coverage

Will this bring on a Royal Commission the likes of the one held in the UK to determine if News Corp is fit to retain their license? It’s a question China had no trouble awnsering.

Murdoch media is to face scrutiny as Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission (AFMRC) works with expert researchers to monitor News Corp’s Voice Referendum coverage. Leading researcher for the project, Dr Victoria Fielding reports.

Source: News Corp bullies to be held accountable over one-sided Voice coverage

Climate Change

Psychopathic link to Climate Denial – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Really, is it any wonder that we’re struggling to find the political drive and commitment to finally come to grips with the catastrophic problems that threaten the viability of this planet? Only the evangelists are smiling – they have the Rapture to look forward to! But only in their own deluded psychopathic minds, that is!

Source: Psychopathic link to Climate Denial – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Climate Change

The Later We Stop, The Worse the Result | The Smirking Chimp

If we let the current situation persist — if we let those with control maintain that control — we doom ourselves to death on a dying planet. And our children will curse us indeed for doing it.

Source: The Later We Stop, The Worse the Result | The Smirking Chimp

Putin

Russia’s attack on Ukraine leaving catastrophic toll on environment

 

Aside from the devastating loss of human life, the attack on Ukraine by Russian forces has resulted in a massive environmental catastrophe, writes Sue Arnold.

Source: Russia’s attack on Ukraine leaving catastrophic toll on environment

Israel, Israel Crimes

Israeli Minister wants to give “a medal” to Jewish Power Extremist who Allegedly shot to death an unarmed Palestinian Youth

The Israeli Jews are rejecting the creation of a unitary executive chosen by those in power. Goodbye to the Separation of Powers.

The Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports that on Friday evening, Israeli squatters in the Palestinian West Bank went wilding at a nearby Palestinian hamlet, Burqa, in the northwest of Nablus governorate, attacking the Palestinian inhabitants as Israeli troops gave them cover. We might note that the settling of Israelis in a militarily occupied territory is grossly illegal in international law and is the sort of thing Nazi Germany did to Poland, and that these squatters had no business being there at all, and certainly had no business rampaging into a Palestinian hamlet.

Source: Israeli Minister wants to give “a medal” to Jewish Power Extremist who Allegedly shot to death an unarmed Palestinian Youth

Trump's Opinion

Trump’s lawyers argue proposed protective order in 2020 election case violates free speech | CBC News

A person gestures while speaking.

Apparently, in America, you can walk into a bank and yell “This is a hold-up ” according to Trump. You’re protected under the First Amendment’s and “free speech” protection.

Prosecutors on Friday had asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan for a protective order limiting how evidence from the trial may be handled. That filing pointed to a post from Trump on his Truth Social site that said, “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!”

Source: Trump’s lawyers argue proposed protective order in 2020 election case violates free speech | CBC News