After creating Fox News and after 20+ years Ailes was asked was he ready to go he said no not yet. “I still have to chose the next President” and he did even though he was gone. They are doing it in the UK and did it in Aus as well. However not in NZ or Canada where Murdoch doesn’t exist as yet.(ODT)
Alexis Bloom’s documentary explores the arrogance of power and the creation of Fox News
Roger Ailes Movie: ‘Divide and Conquer’ Review – Rolling Stone
Murdoch’s Man in America a Roger Ailes Creation (ODT)
He cages children, he holds a military parade, he muses about being president for life. Yet we fail to see him for what he is
I keep hearing that the Democratic party has moved “left” and that Democratic candidates may be “too far left”.
But in an era of unprecedented concentration of wealth and political power at the top, I can’t help wondering what it means to be “left”.A half-century ago, when America had a large and growing middle class, those on the “left” sought stronger social safety nets and more public investment in schools, roads and research. Those on the “right” sought greater reliance on the free market.
But as wealth and power have concentrated at the top, everyone else – whether on the old right or the old left – has become disempowered and less secure.
Succsesive LNP governments have continuously cut the ABC’s funding. They killed Radio Australia after 75 years in the Pacific under Abbott. They gave $30 mill to Murdoch under Turnbull and have cut $300 mill off the ABC since 2013. Now having given China the freedom to broadcast throughout the region they wan’t to appear tho reverse the Abbott trend by not calling it a gross error but by giving the funding to commercial free to air TV $17 mill to represent their shareholders and not Australia. This gov is on a 3 year mission to smother the ABC (ODT)
The ABC has complained to the Morrison government about a plan to give $17 million to commercial television networks to bring Australian shows to the Pacific Islands, with the public broadcaster arguing it should receive the funding instead.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the three year, multi-million dollar funding initiative with FreeTV Australia in January and negotiations between the government and the commercial television group are underway.
via ‘It should be us’: ABC pushes government to reconsider $17 million grant to commercial TV
This government is addicted to ideology and slogans. Until they start being honest about the reality of the problem’s we face as a nation, we will continue down the slide of an increasingly divided and fractured society where selfishness and greed are the only motives and more and more people fall through the cracks. The beauty of our natural wonders and our unique wildlife will be lost.
The government has delivered tax cuts. Some of us who already have a job will get an extra 20 bucks a week.
So fucking what?
Labor’s Home Affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally said the revelations “go to the heart of [Mr] Dutton’s mismanagement of his department and his neglect of his ministerial responsibilities”.
“Mr Dutton stood before the media and declared there were no budget cuts to his department the day after he had signed off on measures to recoup a $300 million budget black hole that had happened on his watch,” Senator Keneally said.
“How wide and deep would have Mr Dutton been willing to slash his department’s budget if these measures … had not been exposed in the media?”
Senator Keneally said the measures would have weakened Australia’s border protection.
via Peter Dutton approved budget savings the day before condemning cuts to border patrols
My thought for the day
“You cannot possibly believe in democracy if at the same time you think your party is the only one that should ever win.” (John Lord)
via Labor lost some skin but it’s still in the game – » The Australian Independent Media Network
What is the difference between USA, AUS,UK and NZ and Canada? Rupert Murdoch Hundreds of millions invested to make Billions. Roger Ailes Movie: ‘Divide and Conquer’ Review – Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/roger-ailes-documentary-divide-conquer-fox-news-762855/ (ODT)
Liberal Party Headquarters, May 20th
Strategy Meeting. Barry and Harry, two strategists are meeting after the re-election of the Coalition Government.
via Why I’m Never Voting Labor Again… Or For The Greens… – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Another OOPS it’s effen Teleprompter again!! (ODT)
Republican consultant Thomas Hofeller, who ghostwrote portions of what would later become the Justice Department’s formal request to add the citizenship question to the census, wrote that adding the question would pave the way for redistricting that would increase the political power of “Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites,” according to documents revealed in federal court in May.
Trump’s comment on Friday that the question is needed for “districting” appears to give weight to that argument.
Trump May Have Revealed The Real Reason For Census Citizenship Question | HuffPost Australia
and
Trump Is Humiliating the Department of Justice and Tearing Its Credibility to Shreds
Trump admits to being the most intelligent too. The Teleprompter went haywire (ODT)
US President Donald Trump has blamed wet weather and a teleprompter fault for his reference to 18th century airports in his Independence Day speech.
Mr Trump told rain-soaked crowds that American troops fighting the British “took over the airports” during the American Revolutionary War in the 18th century.
Observers were quick to point out that airports did not exist at the time, as the aeroplane was yet to be invented.
US President Donald Trump has blamed wet weather and a teleprompter fault for his reference to 18th century airports in his Independence Day speech.
Mr Trump told rain-soaked crowds that American troops fighting the British “took over the airports” during the American Revolutionary War in the 18th century.
Observers were quick to point out that airports did not exist at the time, as the aeroplane was yet to be invented.
On March 12, 1938, the vaunted German army was to make its triumphant entry into Austria—the infamous Anschluss by which a compliant Austrian government surrendered to the Nazis without a shot.
A grand parade of the Third Reich’s might was scheduled for the Austrian capital Vienna but the army’s tanks were not as invincible as the generals bragged. They quickly broke down, clogging the roads, stalling the advance, and infuriating Adolph Hitler. And so, French author and filmmaker Eric Vuillard writes in his eloquent essay, The Order of the Day, “the German troops loaded as many tanks as they could onto railroad cars… the trains hauled away the armor the way you’d transport circus equipment.” The tanks arrived in Vienna and the parade went on as planned.
via Trump’s Big, Wet Fourth of July Picnic | The Smirking Chimp
Mitsotakis isn’t a rally-rouser. He doesn’t take the populist tone or stoke divisions. And within days he could be prime minister of Greece.
Greece is not the only European country to see such a reversal. In Denmark last month the centre-left Social Democrats returned to power, partly thanks to a collapse in votes for the anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party which had been informally supporting successive right-wing governments in exchange for ultra-nationalist policies (in 2017 the Danish minister for immigration posted a photo of a cake on Facebook celebrating 50 new laws tightening immigration rules).
via Greek election: centre-right opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis ahead in polls
He blew it and so did Abbott but…. don’t believe their gone (ODT)
Bernardi says Scott Morrison helped steal his party’s thunder and millions of dollars was spent on a message ‘no one listened to’
via Cory Bernardi on the painful death of the Australian Conservatives | Australia news | The Guardian
Hockey is the only thing different (ODT)
So there it is. Clearly, the economy is sinking, and anyone who points this out, to wit ALP backbencher Anne Aly, will cop it. When she suggested that the economy looked as if it was going into a recession, she was angrily reprimanded by Finance Minister Cormann for making assertions that were: “… recklessly irresponsible and wrong and show that Labor has learned absolutely nothing from the recent election outcome”. Cormann is a verbose master of denial.
The economy is sinking, but where is the lifebuoy?
via The economy is sinking, but where is the lifebuoy? – » The Australian Independent Media Network
My thought for the day
The ability of thinking human beings to blindly embrace what they are being told in any area of scholarship without referring to evaluation and the consideration of scientific fact, truth and reason, never ceases to amaze me. It is tantamount to the rejection of rationale explanation.( John Lord)
USE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES
Bridget McKenzie is taking full advantage of the opportunities afforded to her.
In 2017, despite being a Victorian backbencher, Bridget claimed thousands of dollars to attend a shooting awards ceremony in Sydney.
Bridget loves to turn up for a photo when grants are being handed out to small sporting clubs. Considering the cost of having her in the photo often exceeds the grant, one wonders if it wouldn’t be better left to the local member to hand over the grant, perhaps with several thousand extra saved if Bridget didn’t insist on being there.
In September last year, the senator farewelled the Australian Youth Olympic team before attending the NRL grand final and staying at a hotel. Which might have been ok except she was scheduled to speak at a function farewelling the same junior team the next day. Obviously, their departure was a day late for the footie so saying bye twice was necessary.
Politicians are “personally responsible” for deciding if their use of public resources “achieves value for money”, is “publicly justifiable” and is “ethical”, according to the IPEA guidelines updated in January 2018.
The IPEA also says MPs should be “prepared to publicly justify your use of public resources” and “bear community expectations in mind because your use will be measured against these”.
Which begs the question – ah Bridget, too far?
via Ah Bridget, too far? – » The Australian Independent Media Network
The bill is aimed at mitigating threats posed by foreign fighters coming back to Australia from conflicts in Syria and Iraq. It was first put before Parliament in February, and has now been reintroduced with some amendments.
Yesterday, the government introduced a bill into Parliament that, if passed, would allow the home affairs minister Peter Dutton to temporarily exclude some Australian citizens – including children – from returning to Australia.
The bill is aimed at mitigating threats posed by foreign fighters coming back to Australia from conflicts in Syria and Iraq. It was first put before Parliament in February, and has now been reintroduced with some amendments.
via There’s no clear need for Peter Dutton’s new bill excluding citizens from Australia
This first sitting week of the new Parliament has been no different, with so much focus on the wins and losses in what passed for negotiation over the Morrison Government’s $158 billion personal income tax cuts.
The Government won because it got the tax cuts through. Centre Alliance and Jacqui Lambie won because they looked like Senate kingmakers. Pauline Hanson was sidelined, so lost.
“Forty times we have opened the Parliament in this country without a voice to Parliament for the First Nations of this great land. This 46th Parliament should be the last time in which we do that.” (Albo)
In the bleak winter of political cynicism, we can only applaud a rare moment of bipartisan ambition and optimism.
A White House official tells HuffPost that Trump’s Fourth of July “speech will not be political. It will be about celebrating our nation’s independence, our flag and our great military.”
Except, Democrats are not being welcomed to celebrate the flag and our men and women in khaki, and the Republican National Committee has been passing out tickets to major donors for special seating.
“This looks like it’s becoming much more of a Republican Party event — a political event about the president — than a national celebration of the Fourth of July, and it’s unfortunate to have the military smack dab in the middle of that,” says retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, a former U.S. commander in Afghanistan. “It’s looking highly politicized by anybody’s yardstick,” he added.
Jaime O’Neill | July 4, 2019 – 7:56am | permalinkFor most of my life, I’ve been wary of the word “evil.” It’s too easily used by demagogues and war mongers, too incendiary in its weighted connotations, too loaded to allow much room for thoughtful pauses. We’re all against evil, so anyone pausing to give thought to whatever is being described as evil would make people who’d rather not think too much assume those who hesitate to give assent just might be pro-evil themselves. It’s the kind of word employed to bludgeon people, and it’s probably been used to foster at least as much evil as it’s ever opposed.
and
Deficit spending to to keeo Wall St flourishing except Wall St isn’t the America nor the Economy. Trump is doing what Trump is known for spending sending things broke and walking away for others to fix. His companies were doing great until they went baknkrupt all 7 of them. Just bundle them and call them 1 sounds better to Trump (ODT)
Democrats aren’t sounding an alarm, but at least they keep noting that the deficits would be substantially smaller but for the 40 per cent reduction in the corporate income tax rate and the individual tax cuts that were heavily weighted in favor of the millionaire and billionaire class along with owners of commercial real estate, notably the current occupant of the Oval Office.
Republicans speak softly about all this deficit spending or keep quiet lest the upset their leader. Now that the GOP has morphed into the Cult of the Donald, sound tax and spend policies exist in a twilight zone where facts no longer matter.
Among Republican officeholders, deficit spending was once the most abominable of all fiscal sins. Today, as ordered by Paramount Leader Trump, exploding budget deficits are the fiscal sin that dare not speak its name.
via Radical Republican tax cuts are bankrupting America – Michael West
Russian President Vladimir Putin has disclosed for the first time that a top-secret military submarine hit by a fatal fire three days ago was nuclear-powered, prompting Russia’s defence minister to assure him that its nuclear reactor had been contained.
The nuclear call doing the rounds in Canberra is a bit of old man’s bravado, and a glowering approach to the non-proliferation thrust of the current international regime. Should Australia embark on a nuclear program, it is bound to coalescence a range of otherwise divided interests across the country. It will also thrill other nuclear aspirants excoriated for daring to obtain such an option. The mullahs in Iran will crow, North Korea will be reassured, and states in the Asian-Pacific may well reconsider their benign status.
“In a Canter” was Morrison’s claim riding a horse with a reverse gear (ODT)
The poltics of gain Andrew Robb walked into $880k paypacket with the Chinese (ODT)
Why Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop fail the ‘pub test’ with their new jobs
It is inconceivable that they would choose now to pay down debt when they could borrow money at such low rates and really kick start the economy through government spending on productivity enhancing investments.
It’s not only the surplus fetish that is a problem as former head of the RBA, Bernie Fraser, points out. The government’s self-imposed cap on tax-to-GDP would also act as a restraint on the economy.
“What this dopey cap does is that it acts as a cap, not just on tax but also on expenditure, so if you have to do something you’ve created a problem for yourself,” he said.
With borrowing costs so low, an exchange rate at the bottom end of its range in recent times, surging iron ore prices boosting our terms of trade, and a nominally low level of unemployment, things should be going a lot better than they are.
But the reality is that social security payments are too low and many people are living in poverty, wages have stagnated, underemployment is rising and job security is falling.
Yet all this government can talk about is tax cuts for the wealthy and delivering a surplus.
via The RBA must be tearing their hair out – » The Australian Independent Media Network
‘…the State should not be telling religious bodies or religious schools whether their religious values and their policies to uphold them are “reasonable” in the eyes of the State though an anti-discrimination commission or a court.’
So, in a nutshell, the State should not dictate what religious organisations say, do or think. And this is from a fairly large religious institute. This smacks of hypocrisy when a religious body gets tetchy about not being able to harass, abuse or expel a person from the LGBTI community yet can’t accept criticism when it comes the other way.
The article does make a statement which has a form of truth — that religion should not interfere in the running of the State. I couldn’t have put it better myself. Yet this is where we find ourselves at this current juncture.
via Religion should be separate from State, but apparently not in the 46th Parliament
To sum up, no one should ever claim that we Americans aren’t “at home” in the world. We’re everywhere, remarkably well funded and well armed and ready to face off against the aggressors and provocateurs of this planet. Just one small suggestion: thank the troops for their service if you want, and then, as most Americans do, go about your business as if nothing were happening in those distant lands. As we head into election season 2020, however, just don’t imagine that we’re the good guys on Planet Earth. As far as I can tell, there aren’t many good guys left.
Even if it’s not on the census, you can bet he’ll insist it’s there so he can intimidate people from filling it out.
via Trump Demands DoJ Include Citizenship Census Question Judge Shot Down | Crooks and Liars
And as Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio explained in a CNN op-ed, which referred to Ivanka’s performance as part of a “ridiculous show,” there’s nothing new about this behavior from Trump.
“Anyone who followed the clan as I did when it operated a string of businesses, understood that being a Trump was the main qualification that Donald Jr., Ivanka, and their brother Eric brought to their positions as top executives in the organization,” D’Antonio explained. “A President operating without many real experts, making every decision by himself, is a problem for the world but it’s just as Donald Trump has always liked it.”
The fireworks going off in Washington on Fourth of July night aren’t only for a celebration of liberty. They symbolise the explosion of dignity that has taken place in the White House, and the man who lit the fuse.
There’s no denying that US President Donald Trump is, and always has been, a showman.
After years of appearing on American television in the reality program The Apprentice, he kicked off his presidential campaign four years ago by gliding down the gilded escalator in Trump Tower on New York’s Fifth Avenue.
He’s staged multiple photo-ops with Korean dictator Kim Jung-un, the latest being last weekend, when he became the first US President to set foot in North Korea.
And now, Mr Trump is going to get a show of his own on America’s biggest patriotic holiday, the Fourth of July.
via 
olddogthoughts 
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