After 3 Jetstar and Virgin cancellations we paid $500 to fly QANTAS and get 2 of us home. What we got was soggy Samosas, a cup of Coffee and seats that didn’t recline for double the price.
Qantas profit estimates just jumped again this week when Alan Joyce threatened to axe regional routes, ramping up pressure on politicians to stop the looming industrial relations reforms. Michael Sainsbury reports.
Source: Qantas profits soar, but little room for better pay for staff as shareholders re-Joyce
How Christmas Became Christmas: The Pagan and Christian Origins of the Beloved Holiday.
Source: Overcoming Christmas Controversies with Historical Realities
Capitalism certainly won’t do it
The global population is now 8 billion but the vast majority make little contribution to global warming. The search is on for ways to feed 10 billion sustainably in 2050.
Source: Environment: How to feed 10 billion and predict the next Covid
Sections of the environmental movement bemoaned the birth of the world’s eight-billionth person, but the Left should have no part in this cynical misanthropy. The cause of food insecurity and climate change is the irrationality of capitalism — not rising populations.
Source: We Should Celebrate the World’s Population Passing the Eight Billion Mark
The Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports that the Likud Party of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu signed a deal on Friday with what the paper calls the “fascist” Jewish Power party of Itamar Ben-Gvir giving the latter the post of minister of national security. Jewish Power will also get the ministry of heritage, which oversees religious sites, including, potentially, Palestinian ones or those shared with Palestinians. It was also given the ministry of the Negev and Galilee, which, according to BBC Monitoring, “regulates settlement expansion” in the West Bank.
After a backlash ensued when controversial Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene attended an event earlier this year that white nationalist and fascist Nick Fuentes organized, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in response that “white supremacy, neo-Nazism, hate speech, and bigotry are disgusting and do not have a home in the Republican Party.”
Source: ‘F—ing Nightmare’: Trump Team Reeling Over Ex-POTUS’ Latest Scandal | Crooks and Liars
Abbott only took politics up a notch and showed us what a fight was about. Morrison took politics and hid it from the people, and his party. Like a Golem he took to darker places where it couldn’t be seen while he played the people’s jester in the media.
The Report is here in full together with the recommendations and whilst it doesn’t seek to criticise our Governor General, the King’s representative, it may be that there has been a bit too much karaoke going on in Government House and not enough thought of ‘We the people’.
Source: Democracy Tested ! – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Was he QAnon’s man in the Australian Government? His best friends seem to think so
The damning report into Scott Morrison and his multiple ministries created a compelling case for a parliamentary vote to condemn his conduct.
There are no doubts about the damage caused by his decision as prime minister to be sworn into other portfolios without telling the ministers, the parliament or the people.
Former High Court judge Virginia Bell sets out the harm: undermining confidence in government; creating confusion over responsibilities; avoiding accountability.
Another shining star of the LNP who’s great mate Scott was a dog
Once again, this week the MP for Fadden, Stuart Robert, has been the subject of media allegations of impropriety based on a series of leaked emails. Belinda Jones reports.
Source: Stuart Robert and his ‘friends’
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has moved a motion in the Senate declaring that ‘All Fridays Matter’, following an emotional speech in which she claimed the term Black Friday is racist against white people.
Source: Pauline Hanson condemns use of term ‘Black Friday’, saying ‘all Fridays matter’ | The Shovel
The current threat to democracy in several countries is not helped at all by the growth of executive salary packages.
Source: Outrageous executive salaries: undemocratic, unethical and unproductive – Pearls and Irritations
A new documentary challenges Israel’s narrative about 1948 and the forced displacement of Palestinians.
The state of Israel so fears its own history that it passed a law, in 2011, penalizing anyone who commemorates the day of its establishment as one of mourning rather than celebration. Dubbed the “Nakba law” after the Arabic word for “catastrophe,” which Palestinians have always used in reference to the establishment of the Israeli state and their own displacement, the law captures the existential anxiety of a country that has never acknowledged its past even as it continues to struggle with its ramifications.
Israel’s narrative of its own birth is tightly orchestrated and controlled. Before the military opened its archives of the 1948 war, it issued a policy forbidding the release of any documents detailing the forced deportation of Palestinians; any human rights violations, including war crimes, committed by Israeli forces; or anything that might “harm the [Israeli Defense Forces]’s image” or expose it as “devoid of moral standards.”
Few in Israel are interested in finding out anyway. What happened in the days leading up to and following Israel’s establishment, at what cost their country came to exist, are questions that generations of Israelis have refused to ask. “For Israelis, the founding myth is that the Palestinians just ran away by themselves,” Alon Schwarz, an Israeli filmmaker, told me when we recently met. “Israel is lying to itself.”
Source: “Tantura” Exposes the Lie at Heart of Israel’s Founding
Solving Climate, Cost of Living, reducing the threat of war, Australia has it all. Why be held to ransom by fossil fuel?
Euronews observes that with regard to solar-generated electricity, “the Netherlands, Germany and Spain come out on top, with 23 per cent, 19 per cent and 17 per cent respectively during summer 2022.” Imagine how many billions of euros they would save on energy bills if those numbers were doubled, and were common in the rest of Europe. Moreover, moving quickly to wind, solar, hydro and battery would deeply weaken the Russian Federation and deprive it of a key lever of power and source of income.
Source: Did the Ukraine War kill ‘Natural Gas?’ Solar Power is 10 times Cheaper over the long Term
Joe, please don’t run. (But if you do, I’ll be 100 percent behind you.)
Dumber than dumb judgement calls
Source: Trump Hosts Dinner For Antisemites Nick Fuentes And Ye At Mar-a-Lago | Crooks and Liars
Republican leaders say the recent shooting in Colorado was a tragedy that never should have happened and have called for new laws to make it harder for citizens to open gay nightclubs.
Source: Republican Party responds to gay club massacre, proposes immediate ban on gay clubs | The Shovel
The Model of LNP Promises
What’s a promise or, more specifically, an election promise? Is it a guilt-edged set-in concrete commitment made during an election campaign? What if the circumstances change after the campaign making it impossible to fulfil? Is a promise a legal commitment? Is it nothing more than just a proposal? Tony Abbott said this about promises
Tony Abbott said this about promises before the 2013 election
“It is an absolute principle of democracy that governments should not and must not say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards. Nothing could be more calculated to bring our democracy into disrepute and alienate the citizenry of Australia from their Government than if governments were to establish by precedent that they could say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards.”
That is an unambiguous promise that one couldn’t take any other way than how it is written or spoken.
Yet:
“The day before the 2013 election, Tony Abbott said there would be no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no changes to the pension, no changes to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS,”
Source: Promises, Promises, Promises – » The Australian Independent Media Network
“Well, a lot of the individuals who would end up receiving these notices would be – the onus of proof on what they earned over the period of time, stretching back potentially years, would be a level of proof which they simply would not be able to substantiate. And unemployed people are, almost by definition, they have very vulnerable cohorts within them, and that there would be people who would enter into agreements to repay debts, which they had not incurred in the first place, and I felt that the practice as a result was unethical.”
Source: Robodebt: can you recall a greater failure of public administration? – Pearls and Irritations
Harvey did respond to the next question regarding whether the company had returned the $22 million in JobKeeper payments it took in 2020. “Yes,” he said, however the last notice that the company gave to the ASX regarding JobKeeper repayments was in August last year.
The company revealed it repaid $6m in JobKeeper wage subsidies after recording profits in the 2020-21 financial year and has yet to make a subsequent announcement regarding the remaining $16 million. MWM has reached out to confirm.
Source: Harvey Norman: longest running chairman Gerry Harvey doesn’t disappoint
CheckMate November 25, 2022 This week,
CheckMate details why a claim by One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts about a recent “staggering decline” in Australian births doesn’t add up.
Fact Check in the lead-up to tomorrow’s Victorian election. Senator quotes ‘incomplete’ figures to suggest decline in Australian births
New data revealing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are much higher than reported means pressure is on the Federal Government to go beyond current commitments toward global climate action, writes professor Jeremy Moss.
Source: Australia’s debt to the world greater given our ‘real’ carbon emissions
A comment from an editor at the Associated Press epitomizes the danger mainstream media creates with its routine deference to intelligence sources, writes Caitlin Johnstone.
Australia created the ABC as an Independent Statuary Body yet the LNP has censured, beaten, and financially bruised the ABC to become a shadow of itself over the past ten years. They did it to gain the quid pro quo support of dominant private media and other corporately controlled sectors in this country and they will continue to do so should they regain power.
“In the First Amendment the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. The Government’s power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government.”
“We don’t have any issues with people sitting down with their family and giving thanks,” Kisha James—who is an enrolled member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and is also Oglala Lakota—told BBC. “What we do object to is the Thanksgiving mythology.”
Source: Indigenous People Push Back Against US ‘Thanksgiving Mythology’
That isn’t mental illness: it’s terrorism.
Experts across the spectrum — from those who study mental illness, crime, and gun violence — all largely agree: our crisis of mass shootings isn’t the result of mental illness. It’s fueled by hate and grievance and is most appropriately called one thing and one thing only: terrorism.
Only our media and politicians insist on calling terrorism what it isn’t, as if using the word will burn them when they type it or call it out.
So it continues. Media and politicians blame mental illness for terrorism that they, themselves, often inspire and amplify.
January 6th was an act of terrorism, killing eight people including three police officers. The plan to kidnap and murder Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was an act of terrorism. The shooting at Club Q was an act of terrorism, as are the vast majority of the over-600 mass shootings America has experienced in the past year.
It may be terrorism with big goals like getting a president elected or changing policy and laws.
It may be terrorism with smaller goals directed at a former boss or lover who fails to “respect” their male-privilege grievance, often ending in suicide or death-by-cop.
Or it’s terrorism targeting people because of their race, religion, or because of who they love.
But it’s all very simply one thing and one thing only: terrorism.
You can’t cure a problem that you refuse to identify. And if we truly want terrorism in America to stop, we damn well better start calling it what it is.
Source: Time to Call Mass Shooters — and Those Who Inspire Them — Terrorists | The Smirking Chimp
Esteemed physician Dr. Stephen Bezruchka explains why spending the most in the midst of inequality and flawed politics produces an unhealthy prognosis.
My thought for the day
The ability of thinking human beings to blindly embrace what they are being told without referring to evaluation and the consideration of reason never ceases to amaze me. It is tantamount to the rejection of rational explanation. ( John Lord )
Source: A view of Trump from Down Under – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Democracy depends on transparency, reliable information, nonpartisan systems and trust. The failure of the corporate media to adhere to that tradition is a critical attack on the ability of voters to select their next government in a responsible fashion. The Victorian Liberal Party’s attempts to suppress discussion of their gradual takeover by the religious right is deeply problematic. Victorians need to know that a “Liberal” vote is becoming increasingly neither liberal nor conservative.
America’s flawed electoral processes have compounded the crisis of trust. It is critical that we don’t follow them into that chaos. Dan Andrews is correct: we don’t want that Americanisation of politics here.
Victoria’s major parties are set to release the costings for their election promises two days out from polling day.
So far Labor has made $12 billion worth of commitments while the Liberal and Nationals have pledged $28b, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office.
The Victorian Greens announced $37b worth of promises over the campaign.
Was your degree debt produced on the backs of 50,000 untenured, poorly paid, casualised, ripped off wanna get higher degree researchers and academics? Highly likely. The Administrators weren’t treated in the same manner they get paid $1mill ++ at the top of these corporations to churn out false promises, debt, and a casualised hospitality workforce.
After enduring wage theft and job insecurity for years, casualized workers at Australian universities are pushing back. Faced with multiplying court cases and industrial action, university managers are desperately trying to avoid taking responsibility.
Source: Casual University Workers in Australia Are Escalating the Campaign Against Wage Theft
Removing obscene profits for executives and shareholders as the driving force of corporations would be a start. A fairer division of the spoils is necessary to keep society functioning. This might need to be achieved by higher taxes on the top tier since they don’t seem to understand the crisis their never-sated greed has created.
Source: Greed is the problem, not workers – » The Australian Independent Media Network
One thing you can be certain of it’s not ANTIFA. However the Usual Suspects are hiding in plain sight!!
The concerted attacks against comedian Friendlyjordies are simply not funny.
Jordan Shanks-Markovina, known as Friendlyjordies, is a funny man and a popular YouTuber but his incisive investigative videos, which reveal embarrassing truths about politicians and powerful corporations, are ruffling too many feathers, it seems.
Source: Friendlyjordies’ dangerous work met with firebombing attacks
An arsonist set fire to YouTuber Jordan Shanks (Friendlyjordies) house on Tuesday night (22/11/22) which his lawyer has described as attempted murder. I published the below video on Wednesday (23/11/22) outlining 3 key suspects as being the former NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro, NSW Police officer Detective Sergeant Matthew McQueen and Sydney’s Alameddine crime family.
“ ….. to transition towards low-emission energy systems, including by rapidly scaling up the deployment of clean power generation and energy efficiency measures, including accelerating efforts towards the phasedown of unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies……
” The inclusion of ‘low emission’ (read gas) fuels means gas is now promoted alongside renewable energy as a pathway to carbon neutrality. The driving force behind this blatant policy regression was middle eastern oil interests/ governments and a compliant Egyptian host (one wonders what extraordinary wisdom led to this choice of country and region for such a critically important meeting of COP which, not surprisingly, was besieged by regional carbon industry delegates). An Australian pushback to this regression was nowhere to be seen nor its absence reported on. Backing up the promotion of gas is the reference to ‘clean’ (read carbon capture and storage (CCS)) energy. No recognition here that, as Australia has found, CCS remains unproven at scale and therefore its cost-benefit unknown – both for gas extraction and coal fired power generation.
Source: COP27: Australia promotes fossil fuels as pathway to carbon neutrality – Pearls and Irritations
But, she said on Twitter: “A law that doesn’t allow Scotland to choose our own future without Westminster consent exposes as myth any notion of the UK as a voluntary partnership & makes case for (independence).”
Stumbling from crisis to crisis, the country is on its third prime minister of the year. Energy bills have skyrocketed by 96 percent since last winter, and rent has shot up by as much as 20 percent, while inflation — which currently stands at 12.3 percent — has been predicted to rise as high as 18 percent by the first few months of 2023.
This is happening in a country which was the first in Western Europe to register 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus and has already been subject to brutal austerity measures that have wrecked the social fabric.
Source: Strike Wave Rocks Britain
Will he be charged and tried on any of the numbers of investigations he’s facing and managed to delay? Will tax be his downfall like it was many others? Fraud is on the cards. Espionage, rape, and simply mental capacity. How long can he delay justice and America prove to be a Great Experiment in government? All that really needs changing is Capitalism but is that possible in America?
Trump’s power is not waning where it matters. In the 2022 primary races, Republicans largely voted for those who Trump told them to vote for – even candidates like Doug Mastriano (who suggested women who have abortions should be tried for murder) and Blake Masters (who attributed rising gun crime to black people). Trump-endorsed candidates might not have won the general elections, but they won their primaries 93% of the time.
The Liberal Party in Victoria is caught in a trap. It pitches itself as the moderate old party of its forebears. Unfortunately, too many of the moderates who ran it or voted for it are disenchanted both by shambolic efforts in the state, and by its damaged federal reflection.
Around the state, branches are under siege by extremist religious groups, mostly Pentecostal but also Mormon. The state’s governing body is also gradually filling with these members.
Source: Victorian Elections: Liberals under siege from extremist religious groups – Pearls and Irritations
Relentless prosecution of whistleblowers David McBride and Richard Boyle may damage the credibility of Australia’s government on the world stage, writes Rex Patrick. Whistleblower protection laws need urgent reform.
NSW Police has confirmed that a fire has caused significant damage to a house listed in public records as the address of Friendlyjordies.
Source: Friendlyjordies’ house ‘firebombed’ in suspected arson, lawyers say
Meanwhile Murdoch Media remains in denial
Longer fire seasons, more intense tropical cyclones and oceans riddled with acidity are all signs of rising global temperatures, a new report has found.
Source: Australia’s still heating up dangerously – Michael West
Australia has experienced its hottest year on record, its most intense flooding and an unprecedented coral bleaching — all in the last few years — as the climate warms, says a new report.
Source: Report details Australia’s hotter, rainier and more dramatic climate
Insurers are killing towns not the climate
People living in the central-western NSW town of Forbes are reportedly being abandoned by insurers in the midst of a major flood disaster.
Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller said some people with existing policies had received letters saying they would not be renewed, while others said insurers refused to covered them to begin with.
Ms Miller accused insurers of applying blanket bans on flood policies for the entire town, regardless of their actual flood risk.
“Of course, all of the town does not flood. We have hills in Forbes,” Ms Miller told ABC TV on Tuesday.
“There’s a moratorium on giving flood insurance to anyone [in the Forbes postcode].
If social trust is good for society, and for the economy overall, why is such a decline in trust occurring? The simple answer is because some businesses make money from distrust.
Source: The biggest threat to capitalism? Purveyors of mistrust – Pearls and Irritations
Why aren’t the backbone of the 50k untenured lowly-paid university lecturers, tutors and researchers striking here in Australia? Universities in Australia are paying administrators millions to turn our Universities into Corporate businesses for profit on the backs of false promises while fleecing and driving the next generations into debt for certificates of little or no use. One degree no longer guarantees anything. Two are a risk. MBAs are now commonplace and we now have the most educated but too few tradies on the planet.
Doing courses in introduction to the right people clubs and social networks would lead to greater opportunity than any degree. Apprenticeships guaranteeing the right match, far better than any degree, when it comes to social mobility. Assistance in crossing social barriers would be far more useful than the current promise of education that leads to Uber driving.
Part-time faculty at the New School and Parsons School of Design in New York City went on strike last week. Jacobin spoke with striking workers about their demands for job security and wage increases to keep up with the cost of living.
Source: Part-Time Faculty at New York’s New School Are on Strike
History Repeats. Lessons Unlearned,
It’s the same vicious cycle: Corporations achieve monopolies that shaft consumers while pulling in big money, a portion of which is used to bribe politicians to look the other way.
This is not solely a Republican problem. The Ticketmaster Live Nation merger was approved by the Obama administration. FTX and Bankman-Fried were major contributors to Democrats. Republicans are more dependent than Democrats on big money, but far too often both parties are drinking from the same trough.
Source: Who’s Hurt When Monopolies Crash and Burn? | The Smirking Chimp
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