In accepting Morrison’s ‘Strict Father’ behaviour, we are also accepting his judgement, which in turn is predicated on his political ideologies and his belief system. To expect the electorate to accept unthinkingly his decisions on this basis is a big call.
What are you prepared to accept from our national leader?
via Morrison morphs into ‘Strict Father’ mode – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Today marks the tenth anniversary of Julia Gillard becoming Australia’s first female…
It bewilders me that our mainstream media is taking such a vociferous and concerted stand against public and international opinion. The impact of the speech is lost on them. One could be forgiven for thinking they have an agenda. Regardless of how much they condemn the Prime Minister, the world isn’t listening.
The LNP Piss UP sponsored by CH9 needs to be taken off the front pages (ODT)
It’s not easy being a politician. Every day there are challenges that the average punter doesn’t have to face.
Just take the dilemma that Stuart Robert, Dan Tehan and Simon Birmingham had to face last year when deciding whether to go from Canberra to Sydney for a Liberal Party piss up. They had booked their flights and had their staffers book them into an upmarket Sydney hotel when some pesky intern in the minister’s office had the temerity to ask “but who’s going to pay?”
via Heads they win, Tails you lose! – » The Australian Independent Media Network
The day before Trump claimed he was taking hydroxychloroquine, Sharyl Attkisson touted the drug on Sinclair stations nationwide
When the cart starts pulling the ss in another direction you know the ass was heading to the knackery. (ODT)
via Fox News starts to turn its attention away from the coronavirus pandemic | Media Matters for America
The level of Trump’s mendacity is far grosser than that used to sell the Iraq War by claiming that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Then too there were stories of secret laboratories developing biological weapons. Though Trump is purging US intelligence chiefs and replacing them with Trump loyalists, even they could not stomach his latest conspiracy theory. “The intelligence also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the Covid-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified,” said a statement from the office of the director of national intelligence, Richard Grenell.
The purpose of Trump’s lies is not to convince by rational argument but to dominate the news agenda by outrageous allegations. This simple PR trick has previously worked well for him, but scapegoating China may not be enough to divert attention away from the price Americans have paid for his calamitous mishandling of the pandemic. The casualty figures tell their own grim story: in China there have been 84,373 cases of the illness and 4,643 deaths while in the US there have been just over 1.1 million cases and 64,460 deaths. Trump loyalists will claim that the Chinese are lying, but then they must also explain away the lower loss of life in South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.
In Trump Media just Lie and deal with the fallout later. After all it’s a 24/7 cycle (ODT
Donald Trump’s latest campaign rally disguised as a coronavirus task force briefing took a remarkable turn on Wednesday when he was stunned by a tough question from, of all people, John Roberts of Fox News.
Trump was sailing along, singing his own praises (“Did you know I was number one on Facebook?“) and denying any responsibility for the catastrophe when Roberts asked the president about the massive blunder of disbanding the White House pandemic preparedness team set up by his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.
Repeating the I’m not responsible claim coupled with the “amazing number of tests” and supplies are coming as if they are here. Snake oil (ODT)
Trump also blamed the previous administration for the current shortage of tests and supplies.
“We inherited an obsolete broken system,” the president said. “When you hear the number of tests that we will be providing, and are now, it’s incredible. And I’ve heard a lot of governors saying the same thing.”
via White House Won’t Say When More Masks Will Be Available To Health Care Workers | HuffPost Australia
Any exchange between Jim Acosta and Trump is bound to be newsworthy at this stage of the game, but this was a real winner. Rather, Acosta was the real winner.
via Jim Acosta Wallops Trump Over Record Of Truth-telling | Crooks and Liars
The public is being misinformed about the true fate of koalas following the devastating effects of drought and fires, writes Sue Arnold.
IS THERE A CONSPIRACY to hide the fact NSW koalas are on the verge of extinction? Not in 2050 as WWF continues to predict, but in plain sight now.
Given the ongoing evidence of misinformation across mainstream and social media, one could be forgiven for thinking that a U.S.-style misinformation campaign is in full swing.
In reality, the legacy of the bushfires and drought make it almost 100 per cent certain that NSW koalas are facing looming extinction, save for a few small colonies. The only significant colony remaining is in southwest Sydney.
via Mainstream media is hiding the truth about koala extinction
Economic growth has halved, debt has rocketed, but the share market is up and bond yields have collapsed. Female representation in Cabinet is down to one quarter, yet women on top boards have edged up to nearly 35%. This is the MW30, a quarterly snapshot of Australia.
via Scott Morrison Scorecard: before Triple Black Swan of bushfires, floods and virus – Michael West
This supposes what Trump a 16,000 + count Fact Check liar since his inaugauration is now being pleaded by his defence for his unbridled honesty. If you believe that then you do believe their are fairies at the end of the garden. (ODT)
The day began with a question from moderate Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.
They asked Trump’s legal defence team whether they had any indication that Trump was concerned about the actions of Joe Biden in Ukraine before Biden became a candidate for president.
Trump’s lawyers could not cite any example of him doing so
“So I can’t point to something in the record that shows President Trump at an earlier time mentioning specifically something related to Joe or Hunter Biden.”
via Trump impeachment: US President’s lawyer Alan Dershowitz stuns with US election campaign defence
Tony Abbott tried to set up a Climate Council within our Universities with the cheap $4million Bribe and Dr Bjorn Blomborg sold to us by News Corp as the world’s foremost intellect on Climate Change why? So Abbott could control “his” argument on Climate. Abbott did much the same supporting the Ramsay Foundation’s bribe of Universities to control our Culture and History. Again with the full backing and sale by News Corp The Spectator and Quadrant.
Twiggy Forrest is doing an Abbott controlling his Philanthropic Grant to consolidate his and Mining’s message on Climate. This isn’t generosity driven by any means but rather a bribe and grab for power and the privatisation of the Science much the same as when big Tobacco and Big Pharma wanted to control the research and thus the message vitally needed to serve their interests rather than the Common Good . Forrest is a Miner afterall. (ODT)
What Andrew Forest does is avoid paying tax and instead makes donations, so that he gets to control who and how the money is used, while also building up his reputation as a good Aussie bloke.
Not one Australian has voted for Twiggy and yet he helps set government policy, along with his profiteering climate change denier mates.
A true philanthropist is one that gives; not one who seeks fame and glory or the power to control how their gift is used.
It’s likely that Andrew Twiggy Forest is far from a true philanthropist.
When the immediate threat of these fires has passed, many bigger questions will remain. The Conversation will continue to bring you the responsible, evidence-based journalism you need to be properly informed. Thank you for your continued support.
Deadspin (where, interest declared, my amazing colleague Tommy Craggs was once editor-in-chief), was a lot of what journalism should be: a thorn in the side of the smug, self-righteous, and overly comfortable. The story of its demise is the story of a news industry bleeding from a thousand cuts—litigation, the collapse of advertising revenue, platform changes, political point-scoring, and rapacious and/or incompetent owners.
At Mother Jones, we’ve encountered a lot of the same challenges Deadspin and so many other organizations have. We fought a massive lawsuit from a conservative billionaire. We’re regularly attacked by everyone from members of Congress to Twitter trolls. We lost advertising revenue with the flick of a switch at Facebook.
But here’s the difference: Our owners have a deep commitment to journalistic independence and fearlessness. They are smart, funny, and exceptionally good-looking. They are…you.
Trump still contends that the summary of the July call released by the White House clears him of any wrongdoing, a claim that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has distanced himself from and that acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney has effectively contradicted.
via Trump Allies Smear Decorated Veteran Testifying In Impeachment Inquiry | HuffPost Australia
Another UNPRECEDENTED move by Trump ODT)
Top Democrats reacted with anger to Donald Trump’s decision to go ahead with the Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi raid without giving them advance notice, on grounds that they were not to be trusted with such highly sensitive information.
In a break with precedent, Trump excluded senior Democrats on the so-called Gang of Eight – the group of congressional leaders who by law are to be informed of covert actions ordered by the US president – from all operational intelligence.
Those cut out of the loop included Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, and Adam Schiff, who chairs the House intelligence committee.
via Pelosi slams Trump for cutting Democrats out of loop on Baghdadi raid | World news | The Guardian
Donald Trump is so weak and pathetic he actually may have staged a photo from Saturday to make it appear as though he was monitoring the raid on the Baghdadi compound when his official schedule shows that he was actually on the golf course.
It’s truly sad when the Reality Show President* is more concerned about appearances than doing the real work that every single other President did before him. Here is a great compilation of real and unstaged photos taken by Pete Souza from the Situation Room, taken during the raid on Osama bin Laden. The most iconic is this one:
Did The White House Stage Situation Room Baghdadi Raid Photo? | Crooks and Liars
Trump’s not bringing the troops home. He’s been haphazardly deploying more troops, drones, and dollars abroad, while waging a shadow foreign policy for his own benefit.
Donald Trump loves to talk about ending the endless U.S. wars that he inherited as president. He tweets about it. He endlessly criticizes his predecessors for their martial mistakes.
But like the old saw about the weather, Trump talks a whole lot about endless wars but doesn’t do anything about them.
Fair and unbiased reporting is disappearing in Australia as the Coalition Government and Murdoch Mafia gain control of our news, writes Ranald Macdonald.
via Australia’s Right-wing stranglehold over public interest journalism
It doesn’t get any better than this does it? (ODT)
LNP SEEMING TO CONTINUE ITS POLICY OF AVOIDING ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE PEOPLES MEDIA OUR ABC (ODT)
“I can’t answer for Ken … Ken made the decision, or someone made the decision, that Ken was not going to be appearing tonight and I’m disappointed Ken was not able to be here.”
Related Article
Anthony Albanese: “It is clear to me that enshrining that voice in the constitution is what must come first.”
Journey from the heart
Indigenous ‘voice’ to Parliament ‘must come first’: AlbaneseBurney affirmed Labor’s commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart – “in its entirety, including to the Voice”.
She declared: “Our position is very clear at the moment.”
In an era when Labor’s old light on the hill has been replaced with a candle in the wind, this is the caveat to watch for: “At the moment.”
via The most interesting thing on Q&A was who didn’t turn up
Key points:
Mr O’Rourke accused Mr Trump of trying to shift the public’s focus away from recent mass shootings
The FBI and the Department of Justice’s inspector general have opened investigations into Mr Epstein’s death
Mr Trump has a history of promoting conspiracy theories about political rivalsAfter Saturday’s death of Mr Epstein, a millionaire charged with sex trafficking who once counted Mr Trump and former president Bill Clinton as friends, Mr Trump retweeted a claim from a conservative comedian that Mr Clinton was involved in the death.
Mr Trump retweeted Terrence K Williams, who said Mr Epstein “had information on Bill Clinton & now he’s dead”.
Why has Carlson gone on holiday? To avoid the flack his bullshit caused and the number of advertisers lost.Even Andrew Bolt has dumbed down a little claiming he’s the victim. You shouldn’t be surprised to see them or simalr Murdoch men at CPAC Sydney (ODT)
The Fox New host’s nightly diatribes are making the US an ever more terrifying place for immigrants and people of color
Carlson’s rhetoric about non-white people has long been virtually identical to that of white supremacist terrorists in New Zealand and El Paso. Here, for example, is a passage from Carlson’s most recent book, on the topic of why “diversity” makes us weaker:
When confronted or pressed for details, [proponents of diversity] retreat into a familiar platitude, which they repeat like a zen koan: diversity is our strength. But is diversity our strength? The less we have in common, the stronger we are? Is that true of families? Is it true in neighborhoods or businesses? Of course not. Then why is it true of America? Nobody knows. Nobody’s even allowed to ask the question.
And here is an excerpt from the manifesto issued by the man who killed 51 people in a New Zealand mosque:
Why is diversity said to be our greatest strength? Does anyone even ask why? It is spoken like a mantra and repeated ad infinitum … But no one ever seems to give a reason why. What gives a nation strength? And how does diversity increase that strength? What part of diversity causes this increase in strength? No one can give an answer.
Guess who said it: Tucker Carlson or a far-right shooter | Nathan Robinson | Opinion | The Guardian
Amazingly, coverage of the deniers’ messages has risen over the past five years as the climate crisis has worsened, with much of it being uncritical,” Allison Fisher, outreach program director for Public Citizen’s climate program, said Thursday. “The media should not give these organizations a platform, and if they must cover them, do a better job of alerting readers and viewers who is funding them.”
AOC knows the archival power of social media. The current President does not.
Now you might argue Trump’s stream of consciousness approach disregards hypocrisy. Maybe. But the wider society (excluding the MAGA cultists) does not. They have the opportunity to look at the evidence and see his thousand-and-one backflips,
Conclusion: The Role of Independent Media
Governments’ reactions to critical coverage clearly shows that it hits a nerve. Whether Spud screams media bias, or Trump screeches ‘fake news’, this should encourage us. We should continue to speak truth to power. They know they are losing the war and so they screech louder. Forward, my friends. Let us show these dinosaur politicians the true power of the information age.
via Politicians and The Information Age – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Remember Charlottesville and Trump trying to say the murder was just an accident because both side are violent and violence is bad but both sides are equivalent. He’s pulling the same here he’s not guilty and is ready to call on all foreign governments to feed him information in 2020 because now he’s President and can get away with everything. His family and cronies are on line waiting to collude and he’s ready to obstruct. (ODT)
After President Donald Trump sparked outrage when he admitted in an interview that he would “listen” to any damaging information on his opponent even if it came from a foreign government, pro-Trump media quickly came to his defense.
via How pro-Trump media spun Trump saying he’d accept dirt from foreign governments in the 2020 election
