Since attaining the dubious honour of Liberal Party Leader, Peter Dutton has really taken that mantle to new depths.
Source: Top 5 reasons why Peter Dutton should no longer be heard
Musk’s Role Model Murdoch gave rise to the birth of countless right-wing voices throughout America all with their hands out. But Musk is a billionaire and unlike the Koch, bros love to be out in the open like Trump.
Musk used jargon-laden tweets to hint at a more right-leaning and disinfo-laden site, he showed up in a box seat next to Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch at the Super Bowl. Murdoch, of course, has spent years using the trappings of cable news to create the illusion of credibility for right-wing propaganda. He did so by claiming right wing lies were necessary as “balance” to the mainstream media. Musk’s presence by his side was a clear signal that Musk has similar goals for using social media to whitewash repugnant lies. The good news is that his overall poor management of Twitter has caused a stampede of advertisers out the door. The company may not be around long enough to do the damage Musk is hoping for.
Source: Elon Musk’s Latest Twitter Tantrum Is an Attempt To Amplify Propaganda | The Smirking Chimp
Shocking false narratives are concocted by the west to create animosity towards rivals, says 500-page study from University of London researcher.
Source: Exposed: the US ‘atrocity fabrication’ industry demonising rival states – Pearls and Irritations
Th leader of the charge to misinform branded Fox News as Fair and Balanced and even he eventually removed that description.
Polling released Wednesday by Gallup and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation reveals half of American adults “feel most national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform, or persuade the public,” which could impact the future of both the industry and U.S. democracy.
Source: Half of Americans Think National News Media Mislead, Misinform the Public
You barely see Palestinians in these protests. It must be quite an experience for them, hearing Israel described so passionately as a democracy when they don’t have democratic rights.
Israel is building and Autocratic system of government and still calling it Democracy?? It’s coupled with Collective Punishment Jews excluded.
FILE – A masked Palestinian sits during a support rally for the Palestinian prisoners, outside Ofer, an Israeli military prison near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Friday, March 1, 2013. Israel’s parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a law to strip Arabs convicted in nationalistic attacks of their Israeli citizenship or residency and deport them if they have accepted stipends from the Palestinian Authority. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File) FILE – A masked Palestinian sits during a support rally for the Palestinian prisoners, outside Ofer, an Israeli military prison near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Friday, March 1, 2013. Israel’s parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a law to strip Arabs convicted in nationalistic attacks of their Israeli citizenship or residency and deport them if they have accepted stipends from the Palestinian Authority. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File) JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a law to strip Arabs convicted in nationalistic attacks of their Israeli citizenship or residency and deport them if they have accepted stipends from the Palestinian Authority.
Source: Israel approves law to strip Arab attackers of citizenship | AP News
Sincere appreciation must be extended to the Albanese Government for allowing Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead AO to be interviewed in some depth on the 7.30 Report (13 February 2023). Sarah Ferguson was up to speed again in her interviewing skills with a seasoned naval officer who was assigned to active service in the Persian Gulf in 2006 as Captain of HMAS Parramatta.
The secrecy associated with the formation of the Submarine Taskforce should be of great concern to Australians of all persuasions as our partners in France had no clues about what was happening behind the scenes as they made preparations to supply the contracted diesel submarines that more fully complied with commitments to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone with the support of New Zealand and other island states. No wonder that President Macron had little respect for Scott Morrison. (The video and the news clip of the French President’s remarks are available here.)
And the bank of mum and dad (yes, I’ve done it) is helping prices stay high, while widening the divide between those young people with well-placed parents and those without.
Source: Given our monopoly on housing, it’s no wonder the young hate Baby Boomers like me
Liberal Party lobby firm Crosby Textor was awarded a secret contract, not put to tender, when Scott Morrison was managing director at Tourism Australia. Jommy Tee investigates what the bloody hell happened.
Some individuals risk and feed off the greed of their own class and get away with it. Madhoff did it for years and called it “opportunity”. They “serviced” their own status without providing any real services. Ponzi schemes are an exemplar of Capitalism’s shortcut to riches. Trump’s career and history to power was built on the Ponzi principle of cashing in on fake facts.
Some investors estimate the 13-year company veteran’s suspected fraud could involve more than $60 million. Victoria Police is now investigating following a complaint in December, while other investors have made separate complaints to police in NSW.
Source: Amberjit Endow allegedly duped Deloitte colleagues out of $60m
Remember when the IPA, and Murdoch Media promoted Andrew Bolt as one of their ” world experts” on Climate Change.They published a book, they called “facts” on the subject. Bolt spent years telling us the planet was “cooling” and had been for almost 20 years from 1998.
Ass-licki the newly promoted “expert” above is a Geologist who is now being paid and touted as a Climatologist. I did a year of “science” which actually makes me more educated than Andrew Bolt in that field. Bolt even falsely claims he studied at Adelaide University leaving (failed) off his CV. I have a degree but have never been a paid obit writer handed the megaphone and allowed to rant about the science of Climate Change.
On February 6, University of Alabama assistant professor Matthew Wielicki appeared in a short Fox News Digital clip discussing how “climate alarmism” is scaring children and young adults, accusing the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of spreading a “false narrative,” and painting a picture of himself as a noble crusader against dishonesty in science, claiming that he had committed “career suicide” in speaking out against the established consensus around climate change.
Wielicki, a geologist by training, was just a fringe Twitter user with several hundred followers in late 2022. He tweeted climate misinformation under the #climatescam hashtag, which is part of a larger increase in climate denial and disinformation being spread on Twitter since Elon Musk took over the platform at the end of October.
On the surface, it’s fairly remarkable to see how he ballooned to nearly 60,000 Twitter followers in such a short period of time and was able to promote his climate views on the most-watched cable news network. However, a deeper look into his rising star shows just how easy it is to gain attention and credibility in right-wing media by attacking climate science
In the same way Tobacco now claims to be the world’s largest investor in QUIT The Fossil Fuel Industry claims to be the biggest leader in the transition away from damaging products. Both in fact are the largest advertisers intentionally stalling the transition to renewables. Any wonder Murdoch is totally beholden to them
By Christian Downie, Australian National University and Robert Brulle, Brown University / The Conversation You’ve probably seen ads promoting gas and oil companies as the solutions to climate change. They’re meant to be inspiring and hopeful, with scenes of a green, clean future. But shiny ads are not all these companies do to protect their commercial interests in the […]
What this means for climate policy
Fossil fuel companies, which reported record profits in 2022, still spend more on political activities than their trade associations do.
But industry groups historically opposed to climate policies are also big spenders, as our research shows. They outspent those that support actions to slow climate change, such as the solar and wind industries, by a whopping $2 billion to $74.5 million over the 10 years we reviewed.
Cubans actually came and worked here in Australia’s remote communities. They reported the worst conditions ever seen among the world’s impoverished people. Strange it never made headline news here in Australia
Cuba, a country of 11 million people, has been under an illegal embargo by the United States government for over six decades.
Despite this embargo, Cuba’s people have been able to transcend the indignities of hunger, ill health, and illiteracy, all three being social plagues that continue to trouble much of the world.
Due to its innovations in health care delivery, for instance, Cuba has been able to send its medical workers to other countries, including during the pandemic, to provide vital assistance. Cuba exports its medical workers, not terrorism.
Source: Cuba is Not a State-Sponsor of Terrorism – CounterPunch.org
Statement issued on 3 February last by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people. I quote:
“The Bureau firmly believes in supporting an immediate and unconditional end to Israel’s illegal, half-century-old occupation and establishing a two-State solution, with the achievement of the independence and sovereignty of the Palestinian State based on the 1967 lines, and the realisation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including self-determination, and a just solution for the plight of the Palestinian refugees, in line with UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.”
Surely the Australian people are entitled to an explanation as to why in December last year the government voted against an International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
Source: Why did Australia oppose an ICJ advisory opinion on Israeli settlements? – Pearls and Irritations
Israel’s new extremist regime — the most anti-Palestinian in history — seems to be aiming at incorporating all of the occupied Palestinian territories into Israel, writes Marjorie Cohn.
( Middle East Monitors ) – Israel has ‘legalised’ nine colonial outposts in the occupied West Bank, turning them into official settlements. The decision, which is said to be the first legalisation of such outposts by the Israeli government since 2012, has caused further irritation in Washington. According to Axios, in addition to the legalisation of the nine outposts, the Israeli government has decided to connect dozens of other illegal outposts to state infrastructure like water and electricity, and approve the planning and building of thousands of new housing units in the settlements. The newly-legalised settlements: Avigail Asael Shacharit Givat Arnon
Source: Israel ‘legalises’ Colonial Outposts, causing further Irritation in Washington
Peter Dutton said perhaps the hardest words for any Opposition Leader on Monday.Kevin Rudd was right and he had been badly wrong.
Source: Peter Dutton finds the hardest words. But did he mean them?
Show us your money and favour.
The evidence is damning: many outlets in the mainstream media worked in support of the former Coalition government’s establishment of its illegal Robodebt scheme, writes Dr Victoria Fielding.
Source: ‘Friendly’ media and Coalition colluded to silence Robodebt victims
When the LNP were Government Pezzullo was very much “Minister Dutton’s Spokesperson on Immigration” One Might well ask if he remained so after the May election and why Clair O’Neill asked “7 times” if all legal requirements had been fulfilled. It seems the Opposition was fully informed of the delay to do so and didn’t seem to need to be informed
The home affairs secretary, Michael Pezzullo, on Monday revealed that the department was aware as far back as January 2021 that the designation allowing offshore processing at Nauru would need to be renewed, but failed to alert the home affairs minister, Claire O’Neil. This was despite O’Neil asking on “at least seven” occasions if legal requirements for Operation Sovereign Borders were in place.
The evidence to Senate estimates blunts the Coalition’s attack on Labor over the issue as it also seeks to weaponise the abolition of temporary protection visas (TPVs) against the Albanese government. The Coalition has said the government’s failure to renew the designation of Nauru when it lapsed in October shows Labor is soft on borders.
The home affairs department’s lapse meant Nauru was not approved for immigration processing for four months
Scott Morrison regularly declared “Thats Not My Job ”
When oil prices plummeted during the pandemic, fossil fuel companies made vague efforts to invest in clean energy. Now pulling in bumper profits, Big Oil is discarding those initiatives to maintain their business model: capital over climate.
There is nothing Gautam Adani will not do for money. In this sense, he is admirably dedicated to greed, so much so he has become its foremost caricature worthy of permanent enthronement. Mark this man’s name in the scriptures of eternity: There was nothing he did not do for the filthy lucre.
Source: Corrupt and Fraudulent: Laying Bare the Adani Group – CounterPunch.org
Since the Establishment of the East India Company, the very first Corporation the planet has been witness to a system of private interest, greed, government bailout, and sponsorship. The separation of powers and good governance are totally corrupted. Nothing has changed in 2023 other than the greater influence corporations have over governments today and publicly flaunted by the the likes of Murdoch and Musk while bigger whales don’t surface.
Society must make the necessary shift from a society that prioritizes wealth accumulation and economic growth to one that puts personal and societal well-being above profits.
The Billionaire’s Game and Game Plan
Billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk offered a scornful dismissal of the news media on Saturday, tweeting, “Some of the smartest people I know actively believe the press … amazing.”
But the following night, TV cameras captured him hanging out in a Super Bowl box with Rupert Murdoch, perhaps the single most powerful media mogul on the planet. The latter’s empire includes a slew of major newspapers and TV news networks on three continents; his U.S. assets include the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, Fox News — the nation’s most-watched cable news network — numerous Fox-owned and -operated broadcast stations, and the Fox broadcast network that aired Sunday’s game. Musk’s actions may seem like hypocrisy or oversight, but they actually fit into a consistent strategy — one Murdoch himself knows well.
Source: Elon Musk is cribbing from Rupert Murdoch’s right-wing media playbook | Media Matters for America
“Nepo babies” — short for nepotism babies — are the children of high-profile people who likely benefited from their parents’ connections, fame, and insider industry knowledge to catapult their own careers. From blog contributors to Fox Corp. executives, nepo babies are a staple of the right-wing media universe.
Source: The “nepo babies” of right-wing media | Media Matters for America
Just as shoddy construction was responsible for many of the earthquake deaths, carbon dioxide emissions will be understood to have provoked the climate-related disaster. At that point the government may well be under enormous pressure from the public to issue arrest warrants for officials at Big Carbon corporations.
Remember that Hollywood Mogul Harvey Weinstein, a serial abuser of women, was untouchable until he wasn’t. Likewise, judges used to throw out suits against Big Tobacco by surviving relatives of lung cancer victims, but then in 2000 Philip Morris lost such a case and had to pay out $51.4 million to a single family.
The carbon polluters day is coming, too.
The United States has told its citizens to leave Russia immediately due to the war in Ukraine and the risk of arbitrary arrest or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.
Source: United States warns citizens to leave Russia immediately
The question arises whether or not funding will go to private or public interest science and, whether will it be profit or value directed. Abbott tore the shreds out of the value-directed public research into climate science. He claimed scientific research needed to be a Capitalist free market activity and not one based on national and global needs. ” It’s not our job” Morrtison rubber-stamped that and readily funded a 5% cleaner fossil fuel technology calling it a “decarbonisation” success story rather than a maintenance of ” Carbon excess” tale.
Labor talks the talk but will it walk?
The analysis by STA shows that this Science Future Fund could inject $650 million every year from investment income into science breakthroughs, generating a massive $2.3 billion in new economic returns for the country every year.
We know some of the companies and individuals who paid big money to political parties, but we don’t know them all, reports Alan Austin.
With the multitude of interlinking fuck-ups strewn among this pockmarked road – the ministerial opportunism, the abrogation of duty of care on behalf of the senior public servants, the omissions of contracted lawyers, the pay-outs and the human toll – all of it seems to have been avoidable if there were anyone along this chain of command who truly cared about the horrible consequences. The Robodebt scheme has left a permanent mark on the nation, it is etched into the memory of so many and into the legacy of those who unleashed it, and it signals an urgent need for change that can no longer be ignored.
Source: The Robodebt Royal Commission has exposed the depth of Canberra’s rot | The Shot
Trump inherited the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. In his first two years in office, there were 4.5 million new jobs created, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“We have created a record 12 million new jobs — more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four years,” Biden said.
So despite Trump’s strong start, Biden created more than two-and-a-half times the number of jobs as Trump in their first two years in office.
Source: Biden vs. Trump: Who Created More Jobs In Their First Two Years In Office?
“Make no mistake; this isn’t about retaliation for the recent terror attacks,” said one Palestinian critic. “This is nothing else than colonialism, and the U.S. and E.U. won’t do anything about it; instead, they say that they are ‘deeply concerned.'”
Source: Israel ‘Legalizes’ 9 Apartheid Settler Colonies in Occupied Palestine
Economically, conservatives serve the big end of town. Socially, they serve tradition. They do not seem to understand that arguing from tradition leads to some very dark places. Or perhaps they do know. It is unclear which is worse. Much like the already rich arguing for Libertarian economics, only those already privileged could argue from tradition. Why is Conservatism? It is a millstone around the neck of humanity.
Source: Why is Conservatism? – » The Australian Independent Media Network
The Left is right to point to flaws in the Voice model but must still vote “Yes”, as a “No” vote means siding with Peter Dutton and the racist rabble of the Right, writes Dr Martin Hirst.
The stolen generations has never stopped. I grew up in community where my people continue to be disproportionately impacted by the law. Where state surveillance is all too common.
Values Based Capitalism in Australia
Party politicians spend their entire life on the back bench keeping their ideas to themselves, biding their time until they become ministers. Chalmers is there now; he has the means to turn his beliefs into action.
Source: Rex Patrick’s FOI lifts the lid on Future Fund’s China investments – Michael West
Democracy screams “show us your money”
Analysis shows almost one-quarter of total party income was hidden from public view in 2021-22
Almost 20,000 refugees living in “limbo” in Australia will now be eligible to apply for permanent residency.
Source: Refugees in ‘limbo’ eligible for permanent residency – Michael West
Morrison’s victims will keep on appearing for some time to come yet. Individuals cant change systems,
When the refugee reached 18 and left high school, her right to earn a degree was suddenly withdrawn
Shortly before agreeing to take the role of UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese received a piece of advice from an Israeli friend: go to Israel-Palestine now, because soon you will not be allowed to enter. Albanese, who knew the country well after living in Jerusalem and working for the Palestinian refugee aid organization UNRWA for three years, heeded his advice and went. This was indeed her last trip, at least for now; since her appointment in April 2022, Israel has barred her from entering.
Source: UN expert: ‘Apartheid is in front of your eyes everywhere you go’
A former member speaks out about the unit responsible for the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian American.
Just over a year ago, soldiers belonging to a controversial, ultra-Orthodox unit of the Israel Defense Forces stopped a 78-year-old Palestinian American man on his way home from visiting a relative in the occupied West Bank. When the man refused to cooperate with an identification check — insisting on his right to go home — soldiers forced him out of his car, blindfolded him, and zip-tied his hands behind his back. They then dragged him to a nearby yard, where they left him lying face down on the ground, according to witnesses.
Omar Assad had already stopped breathing when the soldiers left him, a man detained alongside him told reporters. When a doctor finally arrived, he found that Assad had been dead “for 15 or 20 minutes.” An autopsy found that he had suffered a fatal, stress-induced heart attack.
Source: Israeli Battalion Puts U.S. Ban on Funding Abusive Units to Test
Social theorists identify automation as both the main cause of unemployment and the future launchpad for a high-tech post-scarcity world. But, Aaron Benanav argues, the problem is the stagnation of global capitalism and its inability to generate enough jobs.
Source: Automation Isn’t the Cause of Unemployment — Capitalism Just Can’t Generate Enough Jobs
Funding appeals for better community infrastructure to divert troubled kids in Alice Springs are going unheeded. Instead, NT bureaucrats suggest restricting alcohol is the solution to growing youth crime, writes Tom Tanuki.
Source: An Intervention? Alice Springs can’t even get a new skate park
A second company linked to the Exclusive Brethren won more than $100 million in government contracts for protective gear during the pandemic.
Dubbed an “extremist cult” by former PM Kevin Rudd, the group has condemned homosexuality, requires women congregants to wear head coverings and has been accused in courts of forbidding contact with family members who choose to leave.
Senior church figures including a son of global leader or “elect vessel” Bruce Hales, were behind a company awarded $26 million by the federal government to supply Covid tests, TND revealed last week.
It can now be revealed a second company run by a church member and with direct links to Mr Hales’s sons’ was awarded another $105 million in contracts to supply the government with tests and equipment during the pandemic.
Source: Second Exclusive Brethren company scoops COVID contracts
Capitalism’s apologists are throwing around economic concepts like inflation, recession, labor shortages, and supply chain shortages to justify ripping off consumers, raising rents, and depressing wages. Don’t ask them to define their terms.
Source: “Soundbite Economics” Obscures Who’s Causing and Profiting From the Crisis
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