Donald Trump’s improbable rise to power and his attempt to stay in power is driven by ceaseless attacks on black and brown people, on immigrants, on Muslims, on his steadfast refusal to condemn in no uncertain terms Nazis as evil, as did Vice President Pence after Poway. Trump offers condolences and notes the cops got their man.
But from the President of the United States, there is no clear condemnation of murderous bigots who become terrorists and their hateful ideology unless they are Jihadist killers. There is also no attempt to control the purchase, spread, use, manufacture of assault weapons, or the ability to sue the gun makers.
Category: Uncategorized
Abbott should be supporting his NBN but he’s MIA (ODT)
The Coalition, the NBN Board and Australia’s second rate NBN
News Corp’s Head writer of Foreign Policy talks Politics (ODT)
No less than three times did Sheridan declare the Greens insane. Which is Entirely Sensible and the way to win over several million Australians to your point of view!
And there was this, also from Sheridan: “The Greens party is a party of hatred of Western civilisation and of our economy which wants to deindustrialise Australia and destroy every tradition we’ve been built on.”Entirely Sensible! Thank goodness for an election campaign that has brought back common sense, and also brought back Greg Sheridan to Q&A.
via ‘A party of hatred’: Q&A panel clash over preferences and Palmer
As long as Morrison keeps repeating Zombie Claims, Boats, and we are fixing the climate people are going to turn their backs no matter how many times he says “mate” because United we stand and Divided we fall. (ODT)
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten won the audience vote in the first leaders’ debate in Perth, according to host broadcaster Channel 7.
Yemen means profit for a Military Industrial State (ODT)
The Ugly American: Trump Vetoes Congressional Resolution to get out of Yemen
We know whose side Bolt’s so why does he call himself an Agnostic? (ODT)
“Islam” and “the West” are no longer helpful banners behind which any of us should enthusiastically rally. There really is no clash of civilisations here, not least because the notion of “civilisation”, Islamic or Western, really doesn’t have any purchase in a globalised world.
It is a struggle between liberals and conservatives, fundamentalists and moderates, reason and revelation. It is a battle within theologies between a God who is thought to be knowable through nature, man and history and a God who is thought to be only knowable through the revelations contained in the inerrant pages of the Torah, the New Testament or the Quran.
via “Islam” and “the West” are no longer useful Terms: No ‘Clash of Civilizations’ in a Globalized World
Sweet arrangements
Property giant GPT has joined the exclusive club of Melbourne landlords earning millions of dollars in income from heritage building sites that have a nominal value of $1.
ASX-listed GPT has successfully disputed the City of Melbourne’s most recent valuation for the site of its 34-storey building at 100 Queen Street. The site is home to the ANZ World Headquarters as well as a clutch of Collins Street’s most important historic buildings.
For some reason, the very inept Amanda Vanstone is still appearing in the media. Perhaps she is offered up for comedy value because she sure as hell is no sort of objective political observer or analyst.
Her latest blatant propaganda piece in the SMH where she asks Will the real Bill Shorten please stand up? is just silly.
“Labor endlessly seeks to create the impression Liberals care more about business than they do people.”
Actually, it’s the Liberals that promote that as their strategy Amanda. They pretend that, if businesses make more profit (helped by paying their employees less and no tax), they will employ more people (as casuals with no entitlements or tenure).
Were Banks included in these figures along with other corporate bodies?
However even forget that, the greatest scammers that targeted Australia were actually Captain Cook from the very first moment of discovery and it continued from then until invasion day and thereafter till now. Conservatives want all of this history written out of the Australian narrative? Far too inclusive for them it seems and it might lead to TREATY and RECOGNITION. We can’t have that!! Why is NZ so different to us when it comes to an honest and shared history of their nation? Why is it that it threatens Conservatives in the IPA, LNP and News Corp so much? Their paid for News Corp voice simply calls shared historical fact as “fake” but not so the ABC that opens these stories to be shared to us all? (ODT)
Histories Amoral POTUS (ODT)
The president is treating Congress with contempt. This cannot stand – and Congress must fight back
and
Fox News analyst says Mueller report proves Trump did obstruct justice
Andrew Napolitano argued in an op-ed the president obstructed justice with ‘unlawful’ behavior related to the Russia inquiry
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/26/fox-news-andrew-napolitano-trump-obstruct-justice-op-ed
Trump is just another White Racist Iron Fist for Judeo-Christian U.S. Imperialism and Capitalism smashing all over the world.
Trump forthrightly and proudly admitted that the United States is in the Middle East in order to steal their oil. At least he was honest about it. Unlike his predecessors who lied about the matter going back to President George Bush Sr. with his War for Persian Gulf oil against Iraq in 1991.
Just recently, President Trump publicly threatened illegal U.S. military intervention against oil-rich Venezuela. Q.E.D.
The outstanding historic examples of unlimited imperialism are the expansionist policies of Alexander the Great, Rome, the Arabs in the seventh and eighth centuries, Napoleon I, and Hitler.
They all have in common an urge toward expansion which knows no rational limits, feeds on its own successes and, if not stopped by a superior force, will go on to the confines of the political world.
via The Scourge of US Imperialism Threatens WW III – Stephen Lendman
On Tuesday, he had plowed into 8 people in an intersection in Sunnyvale, California, particularly aiming at a South Asian family who he assumed to be Muslims. They weren’t. The names indicate that they are Americans of Indian Hindu heritage (a minority in the US of about 1 million people). The veteran has been charged with a hate crime and with 8 counts of attempted murder.
Witnesses say that after his crime he acted strangely, saying “Thank God for giving me this opportunity!” and “I love you, Jesus, I love you, Jesus.”
via The American Tragedy: Veteran Rams Hindu Family, thinking they were Muslims, in Sunnyvale
Who we and the USA proudly call Allies in the Middle East
via Youth among 37 Executed by Saudis had Repudiated Confessions as result of Torture
Sen. Bernie Sanders said, “I am not anti-Israel. But the fact of the matter is Netanyahu is a right-wing politician who I think is treating the Palestinian people extremely unfairly . . . What I believe is not radical. I just believe that the United States should deal with the Middle East on a level playing field basis.”
He pointed out that Tel Aviv treats Palestinians “extremely unfairly,” and called the coalition of Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu a “right-wing, dare I say racist, government.”
via Israel Lobby AIPAC slams Bernie Sanders for branding Netanyahu’s Gov’t “right-wing, racist”
The strength of News Corp Hatred and Religious vilification in Melbourne may just have radicalised the Sri Lankan suicide bomber. Will the AFP and National Security take a closer look at those that are known to publicly disparage Islam and Muslims? (ODT)
Sri Lanka’s prime minister says investigators of Easter Sunday’s deadly string of suicide bombings are aware of “some militancy going on in Australia” and believe one of the attackers may have been radicalised while studying in the country.
Ranil Wickremesinghe told Guardian Australia that Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, who undertook a postgraduate degree at Melbourne’s Swinburne University in 2009 and left the country in 2013, appeared to have been influenced by extremist ideas during that period.
“That’s how the family feel,” Wickremesinghe said at his prime ministerial residence in Colombo. “We know there is some militancy going on in Australia among the Muslims. Australia has been out there fighting [in the war on terror].”
via Easter Sunday bomber radicalised in Australia, Sri Lanka PM suggests | World news | The Guardian
Democracy is under attack, authoritarianism is on the rise, dissidents are being locked up without trial, journalists are declared enemies of the state, corruption is rampant and champions of freedom are harder to find.
The international watchdog Freedom House has now recorded 13 straight years of declining global freedom. It isn’t just countries like Russia and China, but now that historical beacon of democracy the United States is also in retreat.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The latter half of the 20th century was boom time for democracy, which accelerated after the end of the Cold War 30 years ago. Yet, countries that embraced democracy are now winding back those reforms.
We watched the banks make hay under the LNP who said “we don’t need a Royal Commission,” We saw the Panama Papers and “we don’t need to charge anyone” Water buy backs and the Murray/Darling “don’t worry about it”. (ODT)
Whilst everyone is talking about water and demanding more inquiries, they could just read the news and save us all a lot of time and money. It’s not like we don’t know what has happened and who allowed it to happen as this article from Blogotariat in 2017 shows.
via We don’t need a Royal Commission – we need consequences – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Conclusion
These two preference deals show the conservative parties either playing disgusting political games or exposing their true roots. Whatever the motivation/s, the point is clear: power at all costs. Such unscrupulous deals, and the odium of the proposed partners, surely undermines the legitimacy of any government so formed.
Power at Any Price: The LNP’s Preference Deals – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Why Australia’s historical narrative is so incomplete (ODT)
What is then a “donation” and what is Paid for? Imagine if Murdoch pulled away from Trump (ODT)
Gabe Sherman reveals how it works: If Fox News tries to reign in their worst voices like Jeanine Pirro, Trump picks up the phone and calls Rupert Murdoch.
But a sequence of events around Jeanine Pirro’s suspension shows how much clout Trump has. Even though Lachlan Murdoch is the head of Fox News now, Rupert Murdoch has Trump’s ear, and he uses it.
According to Sherman and his sources, staffers thought Jeanine Pirro would be fired, but Trump intervened, calling Rupert Murdoch to complain about her suspension. Instead of firing her, Sherman reports that Fox allowed Pirro to return to the air, but took out her opening monologue where she rants and stirs a froth of anger with viewers. That prompted Trump to complain to Rupert again, which caused a compromise to be forged where she could deliver an abbreviated version of her monologue.
“Trump called Rupert, and Rupert put pressure on the executives,” a source told Sherman.
Just like that!
via CONFIRMED: Fox News Is Officially State TV | Crooks and Liars
Who doesn’t think of him as a White NationalisSupremicist. He’s all of that and more. (ODT)
Nirav Modi’s rise from a $70-a-month trainee to the biggest player in India’s multibillion-dollar diamond industry was swift. But now he’s in prison, accused of fraud on a truly massive scale.
Adani rose out of the same Industry with the same dark background.
via From India’s ‘Diamond King’ to jail: Nirav Modi’s fall from grace
ADANI =JOBS DON”T LET THEM FOOL YOU (ODT)
via No one behind the wheel: The new workforce driving Australia’s mines
LNP preference DEAL WITH CROOKS (ODT)
via Palmer deal would deliver ‘extreme right-wing government’: Shorten
From this morning’s Good Weekend, The Age. “Fishermen ride their camels to catch fish in what is left of the Aral Sea, once the worlds 4th largest lake. The Aral Sea teamed with life until Soviet planners in the 1960’s diverted water for cotton, wheat & other irrigated crops. Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called it “one of the worst environmental disasters of the world””
SIX decades later, here in Australia, we’re surprised that irrigation, mainly for cotton, is depleting us of water. We are very slow learners & don’t seem to learn from mistakes.
What’s the definition of insanity attributed to Einstein?
Anticipating the program, and the likely response to its stories of neglect, poor food and failures of care, newly installed Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a royal commission into the $22-billion-a-year sector.
But there was more bad publicity to come. In January, 7.30 broadcast a story about the use of chemical and physical restraints in some nursing homes, which sent further shockwaves through the community.
Governments often make funding announcements when they are in a political tight spot, and need to look like they are doing something.
But the particular nature of the $320 million payment announced in February — then re-announced in March — then re-announced in the federal budget — has caused disquiet even among those who benefit from it, the owners and shareholders of residential aged-care facilities.
Well, the sector says that, since 2014, between pausing and reducing indexation of ongoing residential care subsidies, rejigging the funding formula and other changes, the current Government has reduced funding to the sector by about $3 billion.
Australia was involved bombing a city of people held as hostage (ODT)
via Report Finds Much Higher Civilian Death Toll in Raqqa, Syria
Why are we so effen American because Murdoch and the IPA want us to be and they are currently steering SS Australia. They want Abbott Back. (ODT)
via Lies, obfuscation and fake news make for a dispiriting – and dangerous – election campaign
ANZAC DAY DIVIDES
Despite feelings of resentment present towards Muslims in the world today, many stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our troops, writes Bilal Cleland.
Reporter: So, prime minister what you seem to be saying is that, to hold onto power, you are prepared to enter into a coalition with just about anybody be it One Nation, Palmer United, the Nationals?
PM: That just about sums it up: you see, a vote for me and Clive and that bloke from the National party and Pauline means stable government and a vote for the Labor party means you get Bill Shorten (yuck !)
Reporter: You had previously said of Clive Palmer that he was a despicable toad who dudded his own employees, who had the worst record for parliamentary attendance of any member since federation and now he’s your best buddy?
PM: Is there a question there?
Reporter: Which are the policies and philosophies that you share with Mr Palmer?
PM: We both hate the Labor party and we both love power.
Reporter: Haven’t you sold out on everything that Bob Menzies stood for and the principles by which John Howard was guided in his years at the helm?
PM: Bob who? principles? John Howard ?- you’re making no sense, are you from the ABC?
via A Coalition of whatever and whoever it takes – » The Australian Independent Media Network
The Left-wing side is not exactly starved of media in all this commotion but does not match the engineered noise on the Right.
MEDIA STUNT PUSHING ADANIOutlets such as News Corp publications in the area are glad to assist with the noise-making, as demonstrated by the great newspaper “Adani” stunt held just before Easter, 18 April.Both the Brisbane Courier Mail and Townsville Bulletin confronted candidates from the major parties demanding a declaration for or against the contentious Adani coal mine proposal (‘Coal shoulder — convoy not welcome: 15,000 reasons to move on mine’, CM, 18 April 2019, pp1,4-5; ‘Stop mine games: give us the real story’, TB, pp1-3).
All said, the national broadcaster continues setting a standard for its comprehensive news and transparent coverage and, as an independent but public agency, for its accountability to all. Imagine the one-sidedness if they sold the ABC to private buyers.
Hamas is Palestine’s democratically elected government, not the US/Israeli created PA, what came out of the disgraceful 1993 Oslo Accords, a Palestinian Versailles.
Unilateral surrender permitted permanent occupation harshness, colonialism, and apartheid rule, along with grand theft of Palestinian land and resources – high crimes gone unpunished.
Illegitimate puppet Mahmoud Abbas serves as enforcer against his own people for special benefits received.
Israel controls virtually all valued West Bank land and Jerusalem, more seized regularly, why a two-state solution no longer is possible.
Netanyahu vowed not one inch of Israeli occupied territory will be given back. Trump regime ideological extremists support his ruthlessness, including state terror and aggression.
Two million Gazans are terrorized under suffocating blockade, falsely blamed for misery inflicted on them, the world community largely ignoring their suffering.
via Palestinians Blamed for US/Israeli Crimes Against Them – Stephen Lendman
olddogthoughts 
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