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"The faults of the burglar are the qualities of the financier" -- George Bernard Shaw
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 Foreign debt - Australia's black hole
flake gordon, Wednesday, Jun 6 2007, 12:39pm
An economic fact that everyone understands is crushing debt, personal or national. Think twice before you swallow the double talk and gobbly-gook of the conservative Howard government. Good management means high production, minimal debt, and low personal tax rates. Compare economic facts with the nonsense that issues from the mouth of the Federal Treasurer.
national /
social/political /
commentary
 Hicks has Landed
budgie, Saturday, May 19 2007, 1:28pm
Hicks has landed, the Eagle is moulting, the Roo has been shot, the Emu has impaled itself on a boundary fence and local mass media outlets are falling over themselves to toe the propaganda line. The first hysterical element of local reporting is the strained phraseology in use by servile journos, “convicted terrorism supporter … confessed terrorism supporter … Australian Qaeda supporter”, etc. Few media outlets seem to have any idea of the implications of the word “convicted”, which implies the result of a legitimate, legal process; a process that was clearly denied David Hicks. History will record it thus as the Truth is widely known! (story and 1 comment and 2 images)
Last Commented Saturday, May 19 2007, 8:43pm
national /
human rights /
opinion/analysis
The Great Fellator: Kevin Rudd
nano, Tuesday, May 15 2007, 12:47pm
The Australian opposition leader Kevin Rudd is proving to be more servile, passive and accommodating than even the current Australian prime minister, John Howard – many would have thought it impossible to top Howard’s effort but Rudd has proven them all wrong! Rudd, desperate to please all will eventually please none if he persists with his supremely passive, non-assertive and thoroughly despicable behaviour. It‘s simply not fitting for an aspiring Australian leader to unashamedly kowtow to the wishes of China over the relatively benign visit of the exiled theocratic leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama. (story and 3 comments and 2 images)
Last Commented Wednesday, May 16 2007, 11:42am
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VIABLE Alternative
yarra, Sunday, May 13 2007, 11:06pm
Murdoch makes his move, out with the old (conservative) and in with the new (conservative). The poll driven sheeple have just been nose-ringed by a Murdoch media ‘news poll’ that indicates the public has rejected the Howard-Costello cynical vote grabbing budget bribe in favour of the Murdoch endorsed K. Rudd, who “would make a good Prime Minister!” Have we forgotten that lunch in New York so soon? Murdoch's media reminds us the Kingmaker is a man of purpose and commitment. From now till the election observe his media slowly crucify Howard and project Rudd as the man for the Job – it’s time for a 'change'! (story and 2 images)
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opinion/analysis
SOLIDARITY
cubic, Saturday, May 12 2007, 12:38pm
In the absence of any real opposition in Australian politics -- major parties now compete with each other for the title of ‘conservative of the year’ -- a large percentage of the population has been left without a voice. The fact that the overwhelming majority of Aussies are not conservatives seems to have escaped the attention of opposition political parties. A major demographic group has been overlooked or under-utilised by consultants, marketeers and advisers to the parties. As there are no vacuums in politics the social space of real opposition is being filled by various sub-cultural organisations. Foremost among these groups are the para-military biker organisations -- the Rebels, Bandidos, Nomads and Commancheros. (story and 2 images)
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peace/war /
commentary
Deconstructing the Australian Broadcasting Commission
peptide, Monday, May 7 2007, 1:05pm
The once public Australian broadcaster (ABC) is proving to be a brazen propaganda medium for the government. The latest overt propaganda issuing from ‘our’ ABC is clearly designed to soften public resistance to biometric and other intrusive forms of identification. Senator Stott Despoja is currently debating the uses and abuses of an identification smartcard in the Senate. With that debate in progress and unresolved we now witness BIOMETRIC ID ‘softening’ techniques by the ‘public’ broadcaster, ‘our’ ABC: (story and 4 comments and 1 image)
Last Commented Tuesday, May 15 2007, 2:47am
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opinion/analysis
The Insular Conservative: John Winston Howard
barra, Saturday, May 5 2007, 11:16am
The Federal Minister of Employment and Workplace Relations (big) Joe Hockey was forced this week to draw his leader’s attention to the oppressive reality facing average working Australians. Crushing debt, loss of penalty rates and other entitlements has forced many Australian families to the wall. Mortgagee sales in working class areas throughout the nation have increased at an alarming rate. John Howard, the darling of big business and the Corporate sector wondered why the common people were not eating cake! (story and 1 comment and 2 images)
Last Commented Saturday, May 5 2007, 11:36am
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Political conjunctions and Blurring definitions
finn, Monday, Apr 30 2007, 11:17pm
A number of factors have recently formed a conjunction, which provided a new view of a popular ‘reality’. Whenever the flames of the terrorist ‘threat’ begin to wane convenient arrests are made that fan the embers back into flames of concern. Recent police raids in Sydney and Melbourne have resulted in the arrests of two Sri Lankan Tamils; “two men have appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on terrorism related charges,” ran the intro from one media outlet while another ran with, “men face terrorism charges after raids.” I’m sure we all get the drift but it should be noted that assistant commissioner to the Federal Police, Frank Prendergast, went to lengths "to make it clear that these men weren't involved in any possible attacks on Australian soil.” Well then, what?
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Hicks revelations: Ruddock in damage control
Kingfisher, Friday, Apr 27 2007, 3:15pm
American military prosecutors admit David Hicks was no threat whatsoever, he would have been a “total liability” to Al-Qaeda prosecutors admitted to Australian journalist Leigh Sales. This information flatly contradicts the ‘dangerous terrorist’ image of Hicks sold to the Australian public by Howard and his ministers, Downer and Ruddock! The already beleaguered Howard has suffered another major blow to his and his government’s credibility and ‘integrity’. Howard’s appalling dereliction of duty to Hicks has been openly exposed by his closest ally, America! Perhaps our ‘fearless’ leader should have thought twice prior to ceding the nation to the Yanks. The only one not heeding the very clear message that he is yesterday’s man, is Johnny himself, but as stated previously the genus of rodent clings to survival to the last dying twitch. (story and 2 comments and 1 image)
Last Commented Sunday, Apr 29 2007, 10:38am
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injustice/law /
opinion/analysis
Travesty of War: Lest we Forget
peptide, Tuesday, Apr 24 2007, 1:37pm
For reasons too numerous to cite, I weep as I write this piece. Today is the highly emotive, for Aussies and Kiwis, ANZAC day – a day of remembrance and commemoration for those who desperately seek a national identity in a modern alienated society. Yet constructing a national identity based on WAR is fraught with a multitude of obvious dangers. NOTHING valid or sane exists that could glorify War. WAR is the lowest form of human expression; those who attempt to glorify war deserve our unrelenting critical attention. Those who attempt to exploit highly emotive mythologised events deserve to be questioned. What are their real intentions and does a tailored view of what was essentially a military debacle really enhance national identity? Also, who is likely to capitalise on highly emotive mythologies that depress the critical and discriminative faculties? The nature of social power relations associated with a particular myth may assist in delivering some answers. (story and 2 images)
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peace/war /
commentary
Frantic Lunge from Drowning Conservative
nano, Sunday, Apr 22 2007, 3:46pm
Howard’s latest glib contribution, ‘Australia Rising’, delivered at the Queensland Media Club today, is yet another attempt to claw back into favour and steal attention away from the Murdoch endorsed future Prime Minister, Kevin (I can suck harder than you) Rudd. Howard’s spin-doctors have been working overtime to no avail it would seem. Following the ridiculous and desperate attempts to steal the agenda with infantile attacks on US presidential candidates, the HIV positive and most recently Howard's very revealing and ‘removed’ call for divine intervention regarding the water crisis, the “Australia Rising” speech will no doubt be greeted by the public with all the disdain it deserves! (story and 1 comment and 2 images)
Last Commented Monday, Apr 23 2007, 12:10pm
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Bereft and incompetent Howard seeks Divine intervention!
dingo, Saturday, Apr 21 2007, 1:34pm
After over a decade of negligence and dereliction of duty, the Prime Minister of secular Australia has urged the population to “pray for rain”. “It's very serious, [O really, we hadn’t noticed Oz is a desert continent!] it's unprecedented in my lifetime [local experts have sounded alarms for decades] and I really feel very deeply for the people affected, [platitude]” Mr Howard told ABC Television. (story and 2 images)
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The Candidate of Oz
budgie, Friday, Apr 20 2007, 5:27pm
The closer Australia gets to the Federal election, the fewer the political differences between the two major candidates! The chances of opposition leader, Kevin Rudd becoming the next Australian prime minister have increased dramatically following his private dinner engagement with king maker, Rupert Murdoch in New York today. During his quick visit to the U.S., Rudd also addressed the Brookings Institution in Washington and confirmed that any negligible differences between his policies and Howard’s would be completely eradicated by the time of the election and that he was ready, willing and able to assume the ’position’ of lackey, sycophant and new governor of America’s newest colonial acquisition, Australia! [O Ned, you’re better off dead!] (story and 2 images)
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Australian Leader – “underdog”
Kingfisher, Sunday, Apr 15 2007, 3:39pm
The Prime Minister of Australia claimed today that he would contest the forthcoming Federal election as the "underdog" – another tired (and familiar) Howard tactic! The failing politician failed to mention that it was he who created the situation with his inane, ill-considered comments ranging from his hysterical criticisms of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, as the terrorist friendly candidate, to his astounding comments on HIV and immigration bans. (story and 1 comment and 1 image)
Last Commented Sunday, Apr 15 2007, 4:47pm
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HIV carriers not welcome in Australia
nano, Thursday, Apr 12 2007, 1:18pm
The grotesque and disgusting, pathological, lying coward Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard is cutting a comical figure as he flounders from one gaffe and blunder to another. Jumping straight from the ‘cubicle’ of support for a known racist and questionable character (Alan Jones) to the primitive, superstitious behaviour of stigmatising individuals suffering manageable maladies and preventing them from entering the country. Howard’s recent gesture of banning individuals with HIV is reminiscent of the all-male, ruling priest class of the Old Testament who banished women experiencing their menstrual cycle. Menstruating women once struck fear into the hearts of ignorant and primitive men – the primitivism of it all! Howard is exposing some extremely disturbing gender issues and phobias with his latest unenlightened attempt to manipulate Australian society. (story and 1 image)
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 Singo furious over Broadcast Regulator’s ruling on Alan Jones
barra, Wednesday, Apr 11 2007, 10:36pm
One could almost feel sorry for highflying, right wing, media types who derive a living from exploiting the lowest aspects of human nature. But there is ‘no love lost’ around here and I imagine anywhere else. Media moguls are getting a taste of life at the receiving end, perhaps they may think twice before making IRRESPONSIBLE racist, vilifying comments at the expense of those in the least position to defend themselves. The results of negative media hype and racist remarks include foul abuse levelled at you, your wife and kids in public; being spat on for no reason other than your skin colour or religion, and the ugly culmination of all racist behaviour, the race riot (Cronulla, 2005). Are we sorry the purveyors of social division and slur are experiencing frustration at the lack of recourse and remedial action available to them – not on your life? (story and 1 comment and 1 image and 1 attached file)
Last Commented Thursday, Apr 12 2007, 11:55am
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mass media /
commentary
Racist Prime Minister of Oz sinks to new Low
barra, Tuesday, Apr 10 2007, 2:00pm
The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, has come out in support of a known public toilet loitering homosexual racist. Alan Jones, a controversial toilet loiterer and talkback radio host was recently found to be in breach of the broadcasting code. Another dubious and prominent character, John Singleton, known for his past links with Heroin importing former grade footballers and the CIA Nugan Hand Bank, has also expressed his support for the toilet-loitering, sexual deviant broadcaster. [I do not wish to labour a point but Jones was arrested and charged in London with two counts of “outraging public decency by behaving in an indecent manner under the Westminster by-laws”.] (story and 2 comments and 2 images)
Last Commented Thursday, Apr 12 2007, 5:46pm
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social equality/unity /
commentary
Manipulating the Oz Masses
nano, Sunday, Apr 1 2007, 10:23am
It’s confirmed, total panic grips Howard government over Hicks scandal! The novice Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has weighed in on the Hicks debate with a wild accusation inferring that Hicks was “.. seeking to destroy our civilisation.” -- what next? Turnbull's statement follows hot on the heels of the stratospheric logic (see link) displayed by the Federal Treasurer in his effort to save the government -- who's next? (story and 1 comment and 2 images)
Last Commented Sunday, Apr 1 2007, 12:25pm
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Hicks case becomes Quicksand for Oz Government
budgie, Saturday, Mar 31 2007, 2:54pm
When things are a bit slow we can always rely on the Australian conservative government to entertain us -- their now very desperate (divorced from reality) attempts to come out of the Hicks “saga” smelling roses are entertaining if nothing else. The impossibility of the Howard government looking good over any issue relating to Hicks hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of the Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello. The Treasurer has very unwisely waded into the debate with characteristic arrogance and miscalculated comments directed at Hicks. Try as Costello might to incriminate Hicks and brand him a murderer, the facts defy his every attempt. (story and 1 image)
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opinion/analysis
David Hicks receives Sentence
dingo, Friday, Mar 30 2007, 10:49am
Notice the use of language -- Australian news radio (12 noon) today broadcast that “convicted terrorist, David Hicks, receives nine month sentence...” – shame on ABC news radio, one can only wonder whether the choice of wording reflected the fundamentalist conservative, evangelical christian values of the Howard-loving producer, who will remain nameless in this report. Unlike American loving evangelical christians, most Australians accept “convictions” as a result of fair trials and due legal process NOT sordid kangaroo court 'determinations'. (story and 1 comment)
Last Commented Friday, Mar 30 2007, 11:54pm
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