Author: peterimrich

Biden defines his underlying challenge with China: ‘Prove democracy works’ | The New Daily

President Joe Biden speaks at the White House in Washington, March, 25 2021. At his news conference on Thursday, the president provided a revealing look into how he viewed the threat from Beijing.

“This is a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies,” he told reporters at his first news conference as president. “We’ve got to prove democracy works.”

Among the biggest tasks of his presidency, Biden seemed to be arguing, is to prove anew to a skeptical world that both American democracy and its model of democratic capitalism still works – and that it is superior to the very different system Xi is ruthlessly enforcing at home as he tries to extend China’s influence around the world.

Biden defines his underlying challenge with China: ‘Prove democracy works’ | The New Daily

How Sidney Powell ‘Clowned’ Right-wing Media and Led Them down a Dark Rabbit Hole — Ending in Legal Peril | The Smirking Chimp

Ted Boutrous, a constitutional law expert, told CNN, “The 1st Amendment provides strong protections for statements of opinion, but what Dominion is pointing to is the fact that Ms. Powell was declaring that she had evidence of this fraud and this election malfeasance and she was declaring that as a matter of fact. The 1st Amendment doesn’t protect knowingly false statements of fact.”

How Sidney Powell ‘Clowned’ Right-wing Media and Led Them down a Dark Rabbit Hole — Ending in Legal Peril | The Smirking Chimp

Does the US Have a Culture of Violence? Not the United States of Women | The Smirking Chimp

To repeat, when it comes to cultures, the US has lots. We’ve simply allowed, until recently, a bunch of white western guys, rooted in one particularly patriarchal, white, hierarchical and militaristic set of values to write and enforce their own rules. That said, segregation, spousal rape, white crime on indigenous land, anti-LGBT hate crimes and domestic child abuse were all legal until very recently. The white, male, militarist culture of violence isn’t inevitable. It’s a societal choice. Let’s switch.

Does the US Have a Culture of Violence? Not the United States of Women | The Smirking Chimp

We’re good at giving guns but not at taking in victims of war

People are fleeing wars in which Australia is deeply involved, so our responsibility to provide asylum seekers with a safe home is not an abstract one, writes Sam Brennan.

We’re good at giving guns but not at taking in victims of war

Memorial Rorts: how the Australian War Memorial expansion was rammed through despite public opposition – Michael West

Flanders Australian War Memorial

“The strongest arguments for the Australian War Memorial have always come from the old white men whose names will appear on foundation stones and for whom these 24,000 square metres of new space will stand as a lasting legacy. And lasting, too, will be the memories of the flawed process that led to this outcome.” David Stephens reports on the failure of process and the public opposition which have marred the half a billion dollar AWM.

Memorial Rorts: how the Australian War Memorial expansion was rammed through despite public opposition – Michael West

Doxxing the Whistle Blower – » The Australian Independent Media Network

In return for this disclosure to the public, in our interests, the whistle blower has today been doxxed by Chip le Grand, who has described his disclosures as a “hit job” against the government. Le Grand also does a good job of maligning the whistle blower in an attempt to discredit him. It is not a huge stretch to speculate that le Grand and the Sydney Morning Herald under the chairmanship of former Liberal treasurer, Peter Costello, are acting in the interests of a besieged LNP government, and not the public. Regardless of your personal opinion of the man, there can be no doubt that he acted in the public interest in taking his story, with videos and texts as proof, to van Onselen. Whatever his other motives are, and is there one among us without complex motives for much of what we do, he acted in the public interest, which is all that need concern us as citizens struggling to deal with the outrages visited upon us by a government entirely bereft of all morality.

Doxxing the Whistle Blower – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Copy of Secretive approach to reform threatens consensus on NDIS

NDIS Minister Stuart Robert
Mr Robodebt is simply too secretive to be trusted and has a history that warrants the deep concern

Once the government releases the final draft of the legislation, it will be easier to make a judgment on what it has in mind, but Mr Robert’s approach to developing the new legislation so far seems too secretive and confrontational.

Copy of Secretive approach to reform threatens consensus on NDIS

Victoria’s grid runs on 50 per cent renewable energy for first time

8th June 2017 AFR GENERIC, solar, solar panels, green energy, Photo: Glenn Hunt .

Victoria has powered its electricity grid with 50 per cent renewable energy for the first time, well ahead of state government projections for the transition to clean energy.

Victoria’s grid runs on 50 per cent renewable energy for first time

Old Dog Thought- With the ABC trashed who is providing us with news & Information. Whose asking the the real questions?

Fighting Fake News with REAL;28/3/21; Costello & the Whistleblower; Battle of Values, Myanmar the Mirror; Australia and Human Rights, An Aussie Republic

Republicans openly embrace their racism in Trump’s absence | Salon.com

Image
George Wallace
Image
Brian Kemp 2021

There is, of course, no evidence of voters cheating in Georgia elections, or that the new law — which imposes onerous restrictions on voting, makes it easier to challenge the eligibility of voters, and opens the door to GOP takeovers of election boards — in any way addresses fraud. The law does ban handing out water to people waiting in line to vote, however. Of course, that’s not about preventing cheating but making sure voters are physically unable to handle the long lines in certain neighborhoods that were created by previous assaults on voting access. “Cheating” — like “fraud” — is one of those Trumpian code words to smear Black voters and imply there’s something inherently illegitimate about people of color having the franchise.

Republicans openly embrace their racism in Trump’s absence | Salon.com

Trump tries to defend Capitol rioters on Fox News, gets shut down by Laura Ingraham | Salon.com

main article image
Orsen Wells convinced America that there was an alien attack happening

Trump appeared entirely convinced that the insurrection was mostly peaceful and fun-loving, only briefly clarifying to Fox News host Laura Ingraham that the rioters who breached the building “shouldn’t have done it.” He railed against law enforcement for “persecuting” the rioters, arguing that “some of them went in and they’re, they’re hugging and kissing the police and the guards.”

Trump tries to defend Capitol rioters on Fox News, gets shut down by Laura Ingraham | Salon.com

Dominion Sues Fox News Over Election Claims | PEOPLE.com

Dominon voting

Fox News is the latest and most prominent defendant in a string of defamation lawsuits by Dominion Voting Systems over false claims made about them in connection with the 2020 election.

Dominion Sues Fox News Over Election Claims | PEOPLE.com

The Right Created Boot Camps for Destroying Democracy and Voting Rights

Records show how right-wing groups have used a network of conferences to teach Republican lawmakers how to gerrymander their states and suppress voting rights. Georgia is just the beginning in the war on democracy.

The Right Created Boot Camps for Destroying Democracy and Voting Rights

Desk Jobs And Numbers Aren’t Always Boring! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Anyway, the joke went like this: “One in three road accidents is caused by someone with alcohol in their system… This means that two-thirds of the accidents are caused by SOBER PEOPLE! Why don’t they get off the road and give the poor drunks a go?”

Desk Jobs And Numbers Aren’t Always Boring! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

A Giant Step Forward for Women in Australian Soccer

Australia’s national men’s and women’s teams have agreed to pool all revenue generated by both teams in areas such as broadcasting, sponsorship, merchandising and match-day proceeds. The Matildas and Socceroos take an equal percentage of that money, with an additional portion allocated to youth national teams. This change results in an enormous increase — more than 90% — in guaranteed minimum payments for the Matildas over the course of the four-year CBA.

A Giant Step Forward for Women in Australian Soccer

Australia’s ambassador to China blasts Beijing’s ‘vindictive’ trade behaviour

Australia’s ambassador in Beijing has labelled China’s campaign of economic punishment against Australia “vindictive” as the diplomatic relationship between the two countries remains stuck in a rut.

Australia’s ambassador to China blasts Beijing’s ‘vindictive’ trade behaviour

Mere men are not godly beings – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Recently, I spotted an article in the Sydney Morning Herald (‘It’s our turn’: Inside the Christian Right conference plotting a political takeover) that left me alarmed for many reasons. Firstly, due to my family history with the values that meant my Old People were slaves in all but name; dispossessed of everything in their lives to make room for the colonies. Or they were simply slaughtered. Christianity enabled slavery for more than eighteen centuries, values that established the White Australia Policy many suggest still exist in the country today. Christianity enabled the racism shown not merely on a historical level, but likewise in the systematic version seen within all aspects of Australian society towards my people.

Mere men are not godly beings – » The Australian Independent Media Network

How can we get rid of a useless Prime Minister? – » The Australian Independent Media Network

I am not sure how many of the Australian population approve of Scott Morrison as PM, or on what basis that approval might rest. Everything I have read about the way in which he has assumed his present position leaves me absolutely certain that he is totally misplaced. I make a point of subscribing to a variety of independent news outlets, and one of these – Crikey – is, I believe, one of the best in terms of its extensive research and balance. The outlet criticises government – not because of which is the current party in power, but in terms of their capacity to govern fairly. While it is, sadly, true that most politicians lie, IMHO, Scott Morrison wins the prize for the most blatant performance.

How can we get rid of a useless Prime Minister? – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Dennis Atkins: Scott Morrison needs to hear some hard truths

This government looks mean and tricky. They look mean because people – staffers, constituents being trolled online by their local member or the walking innocent caught up in robo-debt – have been treated like political problems that are often slimed or managed. They look tricky because everything is swamped by Canberra Bubble word-salad where process and middle management blather are used to hide bad behaviour, inaction or cover-up.

Dennis Atkins: Scott Morrison needs to hear some hard truths

Old Dog Thought- Dutton’s has a send you back policy. Welcome to OZ. I’ve been here 73 years some of us 40,000 and if he could he would.

Former One Nation candidate Dean Smith, who underwent recruitment interview with US-based neo-Nazi group The Base.

Fighting Fake News with REAL; 27/3/21; Aussie Neo Nazis; LNP Men and their swinging …; Go Scooter Go; LNP = Let someone else do the job

Republicans know their war on voting is racist — so they’re barely bothering to defend it | Salon.com

main article image

After Donald Trump, the GOP understands their party exists because of racism and white grievance. Rather than try to moderate those views and appeal to more diverse voters, they instead are laser-focused on trying to prevent people of color from exercising their right to vote. That means keeping D.C. from becoming a state and enacting a series of draconian laws in states to make it harder for people, especially people of color, to vote.

Republicans know their war on voting is racist — so they’re barely bothering to defend it | Salon.com

A new analysis shows no migrant “surge” or border “crisis.” Here’s how often broadcast news has said there is one. | Media Matters for America

Border fence with broadcast network logos

In other words, in fiscal year 2021, it appears that migrants are continuing to enter the United States in the same numbers as in fiscal year 2019 — plus the pent-up demand from people who would have come in fiscal year 2020, but for the pandemic. That’s visible in the first figure, earlier, in which the blue trend line for the five months of data available for fiscal year 2021 (October, November, December, January and February) neatly reflects the trend line for fiscal year 2019 — plus the difference between fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2019.

A new analysis shows no migrant “surge” or border “crisis.” Here’s how often broadcast news has said there is one. | Media Matters for America

Sidney Powell’s Legal Defense Exposes the Rot at the Core of Trumpism | The Smirking Chimp

After almost six years of diving, we may have finally found the bottom of the barrel.

Sidney Powell’s Legal Defense Exposes the Rot at the Core of Trumpism | The Smirking Chimp

“It was as clear as mud, and it covered the ground, and the confusion made me brain go round” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

My thought for the day Do you shape the truth for the sake of a good impression? On the other hand, do you tell the truth even if it may tear down the view people may have of you? Alternatively, do you simply use the contrivance of omission and create another lie. I can only conclude that there is always a pain in truth, but there is no harm in it. (John Lord )

“It was as clear as mud, and it covered the ground, and the confusion made me brain go round” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Sorry, Anti-Zionism Still Doesn’t Equal Antisemitism

Sorry, Anti-Zionism Still Doesn’t Equal Antisemitism

The struggle against Israeli apartheid has nothing to do with antisemitism — and everything to do with winning liberation for colonized Palestinians.

Sorry, Anti-Zionism Still Doesn’t Equal Antisemitism

Dumpster fire of the vanities: A reality check for the born-to-rulers – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Could it be a wank that brings Scooter Morrison undone? Not the metaphorical kind of Scooter’s self-indulgent posturing or his constant, carefully crafted photo ops but rather a literal wank – a hairy-palmed Lib staffer interrogating the prisoner in a female MP’s office and depositing a pearl necklace on her furniture.

Dumpster fire of the vanities: A reality check for the born-to-rulers – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The world’s electric cars are leaving Australia for dust

The Volkswagen ID.4 is set to the be first mainstream electric vehicle in the US, but not here.

If you ask Scott Morrison about electric vehicles he throws poor, and inaccurate, marketing lines at you, such as they will “end the weekend”, they “won’t tow your trailer – it’s not going to tow your boat”, as he did when former Labor leader Bill Shorten backed fairly modest objectives concerning the electrification of our vehicle fleet in the run-up to the last election.

The world’s electric cars are leaving Australia for dust

Madonna King: Scott Morrison just isn’t good at his job

Asked to leave jobs in NZ and Australia he stumbled into this one

Could it be that Scott Morrison, the nation’s 30th Prime Minister, is trying his best – but is simply not up to the job? Could it be that he actually, genuinely doesn’t understand the angst and anger, the manipulations and missteps that have him kicking own goals every single time he speaks? Even if that is the case – and politics is taken out of this whole sorry mess – Scott Morrison’s performance over the past six weeks lends support to the view that he doesn’t actually have the leadership capacity to deal with the biggest recent issue to envelop his government. If he ran a company or a school, a charity or a sporting code, he would need to consider his next job.

Madonna King: Scott Morrison just isn’t good at his job

PM urged to act after Laming apologises for ‘shocking’ trolling behaviour

Liberal MP Andrew Laming in Parliament House.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is being urged to take action against one of his veteran MPs, Andrew Laming, who late on Thursday was forced to apologise to two women for trolling them on Facebook.

PM urged to act after Laming apologises for ‘shocking’ trolling behaviour

Government Shifts To Netflix Model Of Political Scandals, Dropping All 483 Episodes At Once | The Shovel

In what it says is a win for consumers, the Federal Government has moved to a Netflix model of political scandal distribution, releasing 3 year’s worth of content all at once.

Government Shifts To Netflix Model Of Political Scandals, Dropping All 483 Episodes At Once | The Shovel

Old Dog Thought- Morrison is scared of the ABC he’s lost Murdoch so he’s turned to Costello’s Ch9 but didn’t perform well there either

It doesn’t have to be this Way: England has 33 gun Homicides per Year (equiv. 182); US has 10,258

Fighting Fake News with REAL 26/3/21 LNP and Morrison are going down a crapper of their own making; Scared of the ABC and Murdoch Morrison turned to Costello’s Ch9; Guns,Guns Guns 413 mass shootings in a year; Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Morrison’s scandals hide the real nature of LNP Politics

Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert is considering significant changes to the program.
He lost his welfare payments now he’s after revenge

Fighting Fake News with REAL 26/3/21 Is Morrison creating scandals to distract from what’s really going on? King Hit the NDIS in secret

1 Percent Owes Billions in Unpaid Taxes. IRS Must Reclaim It for Infrastructure. | The Smirking Chimp

During the Trump administration, the running not-so-funny joke was that every week was “Infrastructure Week.” Periodically, like a clockwork designed by M.C. Escher, Trump or one of his flapdoodle minions would pop up and announce that a massive overhaul of the nation’s crumbling roads, bridges, airports, subways and water systems was a mere “two weeks” away.

1 Percent Owes Billions in Unpaid Taxes. IRS Must Reclaim It for Infrastructure. | The Smirking Chimp

White Nationalist TV News: Even Networks and CNN are falling for ‘Border Crisis’ Propaganda

White Nationalist TV News: Even Networks and CNN are falling for ‘Border Crisis’ Propaganda

“So far this year, immigration patterns — including those involving unaccompanied minors — are no different than they were in 2020 or 2019. A quick look at the number of unaccompanied minors at the U.S.-Mexico border shows that the count goes up each spring and summer, and that it does not seem to be correlated with the U.S. government’s efforts to stop the human flow. As of today, the case cannot be made that Biden’s policies are causing higher numbers of unaccompanied minors and other immigrants at the border.”

White Nationalist TV News: Even Networks and CNN are falling for ‘Border Crisis’ Propaganda

Two mass shootings within a week: America’s gruesome “bingo card” total keeps growing | Salon.com

main article image

America is struggling through a season of death. At least 540,000 people have succumbed to COVID-19, and we have suffered two mass shootings in seven days. Last Tuesday, in a possible or likely hate crime, a white man, shot and killed eight people in the Atlanta area, six of them women of East Asian descent. On Monday, another 21-year-old man, reportedly a Syrian immigrant who had lived most of his life in the United States allegedly shot and killed at least 10 people at a King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. One of the victims was a Boulder police officer. Those were not the only examples of large-scale gun carnage in America during that same seven-day period: There were also mass shootings in Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Stockton, California, and Gresham, Oregon.

Two mass shootings within a week: America’s gruesome “bingo card” total keeps growing | Salon.com

Post-Trump, the GOP Continues to be the Party of (White) Grievance – Mother Jones

The Republican Party is not a party of ideas or policies. It is a party of grievance—including phony grievance—that is animated by the organizing principle of tribal resentment. It is hard to compromise with that, and it is tough to achieve unity with those who embrace such a stand. GOP leaders now see their future as tied to the exploitation of unfounded angst, the fanning of false narratives, and the suppression of democracy. The party resides within a dark, nonsensical, racist framework—and there is no sign this is a framework its leaders or its voters wish to cancel.

Post-Trump, the GOP Continues to be the Party of (White) Grievance – Mother Jones

Pro-Trump lawyer says ‘no reasonable person’ would believe her election lies | US news | The Guardian

Sidney Powell in Alpharetta, Georgia, on 2 December 2020.

A key member of the legal team that sought to steal the 2020 election for Donald Trump is defending herself against a billion-dollar defamation lawsuit by arguing that “no reasonable person” could have mistaken her wild claims about election fraud last November as statements of fact.

Pro-Trump lawyer says ‘no reasonable person’ would believe her election lies | US news | The Guardian

Archewell strategist Genevieve Roth: why race is an issue in my marriage

Genevieve Roth, foundet of Invisible Hand, and her husband, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new strategist has revealed that she realised she was racist after marrying her black husband. Genevieve Roth has claimed all white people are “rife with internalised racism and unconscious bias”. “Race is an issue in our marriage because as a white woman of privilege, I have racist tendencies written in at a cellular level,” she said. The comment echoes an observation made by Prince Harry, who said his own upbringing meant he had been ignorant about the widespread nature of racism until he met his wife.

Archewell strategist Genevieve Roth: why race is an issue in my marriage

Murphy admits vaccine rollout timeline ‘patently unachievable’

After months of repeatedly assuring Australians public our vaccine rollout is on track, health department secretary Brendan Murphy has conceded it is behind schedule. “Clearly our rollout was slower than we originally anticipated,” Professor Murphy told a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday.

Murphy admits vaccine rollout timeline ‘patently unachievable’

AUSTRAC muzzled in Peter Dutton’s ministry as Australia defies global money-laundering authorities – Michael West

Austrac, AML-CTF, money laundering, FATF
LNP = “If something works FIX IT”

AUSTRAC has held Australia’s largest companies to account while other regulators with vastly more resources cowered and eyed the “revolving door” of private sector jobs. In the past three years, AUSTRAC has delivered taxpayers more than $2 billion in penalties for anti-money laundering breaches. One would expect the regulator to be riding a wave of political support. Not so, writes Nathan Lynch. The power of the lawyers’, accountants’ and real estate lobbies continue to have it hobbled.

AUSTRAC muzzled in Peter Dutton’s ministry as Australia defies global money-laundering authorities – Michael West

Scott Morrison leaves Christian Porter’s future in doubt, amid reshuffle speculation

Scott Morrison has pointedly left in doubt the future of Christian Porter as Attorney-General, saying he is presently considering advice on Porter’s situation in the context of the “ministerial guidelines”.

Scott Morrison leaves Christian Porter’s future in doubt, amid reshuffle speculation

Morrison’s misogyny sends his popularity plummeting

As more women of Parliament make a stand against Scott Morrison’s misogyny, his feeble attempts to save face are potentially losing voters, writes Andrew P Street.

Morrison’s misogyny sends his popularity plummeting

Old Dog Thought- Morrison’s Achievable and Unachievable Policies and Promises

Fighting Fake News with REAL;25/3/21; Morrison’s Achievable and Unachievable policies; Racism at a cellular level;

Biden Calls on Senate to Immediately Pass Gun Reform Laws in Wake of Mass Shootings – Mother Jones

Biden called on lawmakers in the House and Senate to pass new gun reform measures in brief remarks Tuesday morning following a mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado Monday that claimed 10 lives. The shooting took place a week after a separate shooting in Atlanta killed 8 people.

Biden Calls on Senate to Immediately Pass Gun Reform Laws in Wake of Mass Shootings – Mother Jones

Congress debates gun control in the wake of Boulder mass shooting, GOP senators downplay and deflect | Salon.com

main article image

Several Republicans in Congress found themselves in the position of having to defend essentially unfettered access to guns in the face of yet another mass shooting, the seventh in the U.S. in as many days.

Congress debates gun control in the wake of Boulder mass shooting, GOP senators downplay and deflect | Salon.com

Fox News did not cover Boulder presser during primetime after 7th mass shooting in 7 days in the US | Salon.com

main article image

“Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham completely ignored what happened in Boulder today,” tweeted former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh.

Fox News did not cover Boulder presser during primetime after 7th mass shooting in 7 days in the US | Salon.com

Spare me your tears – » The Australian Independent Media Network

A ‘tearful’ Scott Morrison took to the stage this morning to tell us how his daughters, his wife, and his mother are the centre of his life. Yeah, we know. That’s how he began his election campaign – “Aren’t they fantastic? How good is Mum? How good is Jenny?” So, aside from the fact that he has female relatives, why was Scotty upset?

Spare me your tears – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Prayer Groups And Prayer Rooms And Liberals On Their Knees! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

However, it does make one wonder how lax things must be at NewsCorp when a complaint like that is mentioned in the PM’s press conference. I mean, who told him? If the Liberals can keep a sexual assault so confidential that Scott Morrison never hears about it, how did he find out about this one? Surely not gossip because he never comments on that, so it must have been official. Still, criticising the culture at a Murdoch operation is a brave move. A very brave move. He’ll be gone within the week!

Prayer Groups And Prayer Rooms And Liberals On Their Knees! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

All we have in the government is a shambolic gaggle of incompetent, unedifying politicians – » The Australian Independent Media Network

This Government is devoid of wit, humour, words of intelligence and those with the eloquence and debating skills to give them meaning. Mainly it embraces a maleness that believes in conflict as a means of political supremacy over and above the pursuit of excellence in Government. That is my view of this obnoxious Government.

All we have in the government is a shambolic gaggle of incompetent, unedifying politicians – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Rape, masturbation and lewd acts all part of Parliament House under Morrison

Rape, masturbation and lewd acts all part of Parliament House under Morrison

It’s increasingly difficult to keep apace of the torrents of misinformation, disinformation, obfuscation, avoidance, denial and bare-faced lies that emanate from the Morrison Government and its enablers every day.

Rape, masturbation and lewd acts all part of Parliament House under Morrison