When Politics is reduced to a game it can’t and wont ever happen. (ODT)
Roosevelt took advantage of a crisis to make a better USA. You would hope Morrison and those that support him can live with the realisation that they could have made a better Australia for the next 50 to 70 years — and blew it. What do you think?
Morrison is not a Leader – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Liberal party powerbroker Marcus Bastiaan resigns after being accused of organising staff to recruit members
PM must sack Michael Sukkar over Liberal party branch-stacking allegations, Labor says | Australia news | The Guardian
For all his volatility and incompetence, then, Trump is the default choice — even the safe choice — for a critical mass of white voters and business owners. The deaths of nearly 170,000 Americans to COVID-19 won’t change that, in part because the victims are disproportionately Black, Indigenous, people of colour and poorer workers. With all this history on his side, Trump will be hard to beat even if he fights fair, which he almost certainly will not do. The Democrats are in for a desperate fight.The Conversation
Trump could win again (without cheating)
Tennessee protesters will face harsh penalties, including losing the right to vote, as punishment for participating in protests under a law enacted by the Tennessee GOP-dominant General Assembly. Right-wing Governor Bill Lee quietly signed off on the bill Thursday, AP reports.
‘This is the Opposite of What Americans Fought a Revolution For’: Tennessee to Strip Right to Vote from Protesters | Common Dreams News
The US Left has shouted itself blue in the face chanting, “no war for oil!” Usually it is hard, though, to know why exactly Washington launches its wars. In this case, nothing is hidden.
Trump admits War Crime in Syria as Damascus Slams US ‘Oil Theft’
Her death, and the lack of any accountability for it, make clear the response to the slogan chanted again and again by protesters at police: “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” The answer is very few people indeed.
Killed in a “Wellness Check”: Why Cops Shouldn’t Police Mental Health
Finding a way out of the global pandemic has been made more difficult by misinformation and anti-science media commentary, writes Karl MacCorcráin.
Getting the message about COVID-19
Andrew Bolt denied he had any influence on the Christchurch shooter however he certainly promoted the European Identitarian movement by giving air time to the likes of Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux. Bolt also gave air time to Blair Cotteral head of the UPF all influencers of the NZ mass-shooter. On the occassion of the aftermath of that massacre Bolt literally went to ground for 3-4 days as if told to be extremely careful about how he was to respond to the event given Sky News was cut off by the NZ government for attempting to continue to broadcast it live when asked not to..
It’s about time that the use of free speech as a feeble justification for the right to commercial profitability carried with it some responsibility as does the sale of other dangerous products in our so called “free market” Some accountability is needed to prevent the damage that flows from irresponsible broadcasting and the selling of right-wing ideology as fake news or merely opinion that allows Bolt to get away with inspiring murder mayhem and chaos.
Let’s face it after the bombings in Barcelona he said he “admired” the commitment to cause the young terrorists hand and wished young Christians were the same and not “gutless” If thats not throwing down a challenge what is? (ODT)
From the document the perpetrator posted online before the shooting, the messages he scrawled on the weapons he used and his links to the European Identitarian movement, it was clear he wanted to brand himself as a member of a larger global community. Certainly the links to the far right in Australia were real enough. After the shooting, the leader of an Australian white nationalist group said he had previously approached the Christchurch shooter to join his Lad’s Society, and an investigation by the ABC found he had posted online comments supporting another Australian far right group, the United Patriots Front, as early as April 2016. Advertisement He also praised the UPF founder, Blair Cottrell, as the “true leader of the nationalist movement in Australia” and dubbed him “Emperor” on the night of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 US election. Cottrell has said he did not know the gunman and recently described him as “an idiot”.
As the Christchurch shooter faces sentencing, what has Australia learned about far-right terror? | World news | The Guardian
Trump walks Alone: Former US Allies Britain, France, Germany join Russia and China in Forcefully Rejecting Trump Iran Sanctions
Trump walks Alone: Former US Allies Britain, France, Germany join Russia and China in Forcefully Rejecting Trump Iran Sanctions
The murder of Seth Rich was a family tragedy. Fox News helped make it a national spectacle that has haunted his loved ones for years
A Murder, a Conspiracy Theory, and the Lies of Fox News – Rolling Stone
How the race to develop treatments and a vaccine will create a historic windfall for the industry — and everyone else will pay the price
Big Pharma’s Covid-19 Profiteers – Rolling Stone
America’s postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, conceded on Friday he had implemented recent changes that led to mail delays at the United States Postal Service (USPS) but said he would not reverse the decision to remove mail equipment ahead of the election.
USPS chief concedes changes causing delays but won’t restore sorting machines | US news | The Guardian
Apart from legal trouble, what Bannon, Manafort, Flynn, Cohen, Stone, Gates and Papadopoulos have in common is the president
‘Conmen, grifters and criminals’: why is Trump’s circle so at odds with the law? | US news | The Guardian
Jim Acosta tells Anderson Cooper that Trump and Steve Bannon have indeed been in touch recently, contrary to Trump’s claims otherwise.
Trump: ‘Bannon? Haven’t Seen Him.’ Bannon: ‘LOL Saw Him A Few Weeks Ago’ | Crooks and Liars
- What does science stand for;
- what does it try to accomplish, and what are its limits?
What is science?
Suncorp’s decision to pull out of industry by 2025 puts it at odds with government push for gas-led recovery
Insurance giant Suncorp to end coverage and finance for oil and gas industry | Environment | The Guardian
Minister for the Dark Arts Peter Dutton has declared that Border Force, of which he is in charge of is responsible for dealing with boats, not ships. Particularly not cruise ships ”A lot of people most notably the Twitterati have been attacking me over the cruise ship that docked in Sydney recently,” said Minister Dutton. ”Now I take exception to this and I state unequivocally that my department does not deal with ships, we handle boats.” ”I now call on everybody who has dared to question both myself and my department to apologise, otherwise I may be forced to take matters further.” When asked what the difference is between a boat and a ship, the Minister replied: ”Well, a boat is a lot smaller than a ship and boats tend to be occupied with people that you can easily lock up.” ”Whereas ships tend to be populated with more affluent members of society, maybe even a Member of parliaments in-laws for example.” ”Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s been a very stressful couple of weeks, I’m off to relax by strangling a puppy or two.”
Dutton Declares That Border Force Stops Boats Not Ships – The (un)Australian
The charity sector is struggling in the face of unprecedented demand from those the Coalition refuses to help. There are now fears that many charities won’t survive. But if they go down, a big chunk of Australia’s social safety net will go with them, as will large numbers of jobs. Julie Macken reports.
Australian charities are struggling with demand: the Coalition will rue turning its back on them – Michael West
a familiar talking point for Trump, who returns often to the theme of how much he juiced “the greatest economy that we’ve had in our history, the best.” Donald Trump’s economic record is not as stellar as he would have you believe. Donald Trump’s economic record is not as stellar as he would have you believe.Credit:AP None of those historical claims are true. In his first three years, he wrought slightly less employment growth than his predecessor did, the same gross domestic product growth, slightly better stockmarket growth and the same wage growth. Before the pandemic, Trump’s economic record was unremarkable for a 21st-century president, even though he was able to enact a large amount of the agenda he ran on in 2016, and even though he enjoyed what by one measure was more supportive policy from Congress and the Federal Reserve than any president in a generation.
Turning a blind eye: Trump missed the chance to make the economy great
President Donald Trump’s campaign, ordered by a federal court judge in Pennsylvania to back up its claims of fraud in the state’s vote-by-mail system, has documented only a handful of cases of election fraud in recent years — none of which involved mail-in ballots. The revelation, which came in the form of a partially redacted 524-page document produced by the Trump campaign last week, undermines the claim by Trump team operatives that mail-in ballot fraud is a grave risk to Pennsylvania voters.
Trump Team Fails to Cite Mail-in Election Fraud Cases in Court
#1: The Postal Service Isn’t a Business The US Constitution empowered Congress “to establish post offices and post roads.” The Postal Service’s stated mission is to “serve the American people and, through the universal service obligation, bind our nation together” by providing “trusted, safe and secure communications and services between our Government and the American people, businesses and their customers, and the American people with each other.” The Postal Service is meant to be self-sustaining, but congressionally imposed rules make that difficult. Those rules include delivering mail daily, keeping postage rates the same for all parts of the country, and pre-funding retiree health benefits. Trump complains that the Service “loses billions.” So does every other federal agency. Investments in US battleships and fighter jets have yet to show a financial profit.
10 Things to Know About Trump’s Post Office Scandal | The Smirking Chimp
he group’s efforts had received extensive promotion from Fox News and Fox Business. Shows including The Ingraham Angle, Fox & Friends, Fox & Friends First, and Cavuto: Coast to Coast all hosted Kolfage or another We Build the Wall representative to discuss the campaign, and America’s Newsroom, Lou Dobbs Tonight, Trish Regan Primetime, and The Story also plugged it, as did several FoxNews.com articles, including a lengthy profile of Kolfage.
These right-wing outlets and personalities promoted Steve Bannon and Brian Kolfage’s allegedly fraudulent We Build the Wall | Media Matters for America
“Despite his best efforts to stymie this investigation into his criminal wrongdoing, this decision affirms that Donald Trump is not above the law,” said Ryan Thomas, spokesperson for Stand Up America. “However, it’s incredibly telling that Trump doesn’t want congressional and criminal investigators to see what he’s hiding in his tax returns.”
‘Very Bad News for Trump’ as Federal Judge Rejects His Claim That Tax Records Subpoena Amounts to ‘Harassment’ | Common Dreams News
The latest report, relating to the financial year that ended in 2019, reveals a new record for the money actually paid in one year, so-called realised remuneration, of AU$37.7 million. The extraordinary sum went to Andrew Barkla, the chief executive of a little-known company, IDP Education. He beat the previous record set by the chief executive of Domino’s Pizza Don Meij who took home $36.84 million in 2017.
$37.7 million is a new Australian record. Why our corporate chiefs are paid so well
After suffering budget cuts, perhaps it’s time for the ABC to abolish its 24-hour news service which gives politicians an endless platform, writes Jeff Waters.
ABC should get political and axe News 24
When the minister responsible for an aged care system in crisis fronted a parliamentary inquiry, he was asked a simple and predictable question: how many residents had so far died of coronavirus?
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck grilled over sector failings in coronavirus pandemic – ABC News
Since taking the top legal job in Australia in 2017, Christian Porter has been in breach of Commonwealth safeguard legislation by neglecting to table crucial reports documenting his use of secretive national security (NSI) orders. Keiran Adair reports.
Attorney General Christian Porter breaches law over three years, claims it was a mistake – Michael West
Progressive leaders worldwide should look at the excellence of Michelle Obama’s speech. Here are just a few extracts:
Seeking the Post-COVID Consensus: Is the Biden-Harris Team Energising a Cautious Global Progressivism? – » The Australian Independent Media Network
BBC Monitoring translates a report in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot that alleges a high UAE official told its correspondent that “The aircraft are part of the deal.” That is, an arms deal was part of the agreement between the two countries, and that the US would sell Abu Dhabi F-35s was openly specified. So the United Arab Emirates made the treaty with Israel not to bring peace to the Middle East but to ensure that it is armed to the teeth. The UAE has a citizen population of only about a million (plus 8 million guest workers), so it is the Rhode Island of the Middle East. The country has enormous oil wealth, however, and has used it to begin asserting itself throughout the region, from Libya to Yemen. It joined Saudi Arabia in an air war on the Shiite Houthi rebels of Yemen, and Abu Dhabi clearly sees its sophisticated fighter jets as one key to regional dominance.
Was F-35 Stealth Jet Sale to Arab UAE at heart of deal with Israel and Trump? Did Netanyahu Lie?
As the stock prices of the big five technology companies rise beyond irrational valuations, something is wrong. Retail buyers have gone ‘all in’ at the top and will get slaughtered.
Apple surpasses $2 TRILLION, doubling in value in TWO years. It’s INSANE, amid the worst depression ever, and it will end badly — RT Op-ed
So all but a tiny number of Palestinians in Gaza do not take direct part in hostilities toward Israel. Half of the residents of Gaza are children. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz estimates Hamas to have 30,000 activists in its military wing. The smaller Islamic Jihad, which is not affiliated with Hamas and often defies it, is thought to have 6,000 fighters. So there are like 36,000 combatants in Gaza and nearly 2 million noncombatants, i.e. persons who do not take direct part in hostilities.
In Further War Crime, Israelis cut Electricity to Gaza, Idling 50,000 Factory Workers
The Attorney General is waging war against lawyer Bernard Collaery and his client in pushing the line that the sky will fall in if the Commonwealth has to admit in open court that ASIS bugged Timor-Leste. Yet the allegation has been widely noted in hundreds of reports over many years, including by the International Court of Justice, and nobody seems in any doubt it is true. Lawyer Ian Cunliffe reports on the latest judgment in the saga that has cost taxpayers nearly $2.5 million before the trial has even started.
East Timor bugging scandal: Attorney General’s push for secret trial diminishes us as a nation – Michael West
Ok, I’ve realised that it’s not even worth commenting any more. I mean there are only three sorts of people in the world: Those who are already aware that Morrison is all about the announcement and the details can be worked out later, but they almost certainly won’t be because the devil is in the detail and he definitely doesn’t want to go round releasing the devil. Those who believe Scotty and, incidentally, are buying shares in my unicorn which is a certainty for the Melbourne Cup because unicorns can fly, and finally, Those with a vested interest in seeing Morrison succeed.
Morrison Promises Free Rides For All Once Unicorn Is Genetically Engineered! – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Same water, same valuer, $80m and nought. The same type of water licences for irrigation properties near those for which the Coalition government paid $80 million in 2017 were valued at zero between 2008 and 2010, writes investigative reporter Kerry Brewster in this exclusive report.
Barnaby Joyce signed off $80m for Angus Taylor’s old company after zero was paid for same sort of water nearby – Michael West
Scott Morrison says all Australians in Liberal-held electorates on a margin of less than 2% can look forward to free vaccinations when they become available, possibly as early as next year. The Prime Minister said while he hoped to eventually provide vaccinations to all Australians, it was important to prioritise those most in need.
Morrison promises free vaccinations for all Australians living in marginal electorates | The Shovel
The Democratic Party is basically a governing party, organized around developing and implementing public policies. The Republican Party has become an attack party, organized around developing and implementing political vitriol. Democrats legislate. Republicans fulminate. In theory, politics requires both capacities – to govern, but also to fight to attain and retain power. The dysfunction today is that Republicans can’t govern and Democrats can’t fight.
Unlike Republicans, Democrats Can Govern. But Can They Fight? | The Smirking Chimp
New research from the Economic Policy Institute finds that CEO compensation grew by 1,167% from 1978 to 2019, “far outstripping” the growth of the stock market.
As Wages Stagnate and Executive Pay ‘Continues to Balloon,’ Report Shows Top CEOs Now Make 320 Times More Than Typical Worker | Common Dreams News
![The report details how former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort shared polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian intelligence officer [File: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2020/8/18/c0221ae53c79461fad5acb5162b22471_18.jpg "Russia worked to help Trump in 2016 election: Senate panel")
The report details how former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort shared polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian intelligence officer [File: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]
Russia worked to help Trump in 2016 election: Senate panel | USA News | Al Jazeera
Washington: Russia used Republican political operative Paul Manafort, the WikiLeaks website and others to try to influence the 2016 US presidential election to help now-US President Donald Trump’s campaign, a Senate intelligence panel report said on Tuesday.
WikiLeaks played a key role in Russia’s effort to assist Republican Trump against Democrat Hillary Clinton and likely knew it was helping Russian intelligence, said the report, which is likely to be the most definitive public account of the 2016 election controversy.
Putin ordered Democratic hack to boost Trump in 2016, Senate committee finds
As the shift to clean and renewable energy begins to gain serious momentum, the US is now facing another conundrum: Being too dependent on China for the minerals used to build clean energy systems.
China is the biggest winner of the US renewables boom — RT Business News
Having already brought in some of the strictest Covid-19 restrictions in the world, Aussie police are well on their way to turning Victoria into an Orwellian surveillance state.
Land Drone Under: Cops in Melbourne are using drones to spy on citizens to make sure they don’t break lockdown rules — RT Op-ed
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