Who's been playing in MY estate? Yet more ferment in the fourth and fifth

When is a writer not a journalist but a blogger, and when is a writer/blogger a journalist? Who decides? Does it matter?

Traditional or mainstream or 'old' media, and its power affiliates, are pushing back at the moment against the proliferation of small 'new media' online ventures fighting to be heard. Those broking power in the world of media are pushing hard because, as political commentator and ex-Press Gallery journalist Mungo MacCallum states, “these are not normal times and those making the judgements [media owners, editors, journalists] are anything but impartial”.

Three incidents highlighting the tension in the journalist/blogger, blogger/journalist dynamic occurred in media-world in the last few weeks.

Callum Davison [@callumdav], a freelance journalist, who had sought accreditation as Press Gallery representative for Independent Australia [@independentaus], received notification that he had been knocked back.

Then blogger, commentator and author of The Rise of the Fifth Estate (2012), Greg Jericho [@GrogsGamut], notorious overnight for being 'outed' from his blogger pseudonym by The Australian's James Massola, was hired as a journalist by the not-quite-yet-launched Guardian Australia (online). (Tweet: “Katharine Viner @KathViner Delighted to announce: #GuardianAUS joined by @NickEvershed, @GrogsGamut, @SimonJackman, @bkjabour, @heldavidson, @olliemilman, @mikewsc1 12:06 PM - 1 May 13”).

As well, on Monday 29 April, a new kid on the online publication block launched, its aspirations embedded in a somewhat classically titled masthead: The Citizen [@thecitizenweb].

These events resurface questions of who gets to define who is or is not a working journalist, how that defining occurs and to what standards a journalist, once defined as such, should be working – including ethical standards. If Callum Davidson (who holds a journalism degree and has worked freelance) can't be a Press Gallery member, could – if he wanted to and applied – Greg Jericho, who may never have actually worked as a journalist before? What about Margaret Simons, now overseeing The Citizen, who certainly has worked as a journalist?

We know that many journalists from newspapers and magazines now producing in digital and print media have jumped or been pushed in the last year or two. It's been hard not to hear the cries of anguish across the industry (especially if you follow journalists on Twitter). But we may be less aware of just how steadily the fourth estate has been bleeding into the so-called fifth and how many people who have worked as journalists are doing or have done real time in behind any number of online ventures that Twitter tags #newmedia. (Nor is it easy to clarify just how many once-were-bloggers have slid the other way across the divide into working as a journalist with reasonably established traditional media, albeit, as with Guardian Australia, on a digital end-product only.)

What does this two-way drifting make of the so-called divide between the fourth estate and the fifth? Are they still pretty much at standoff, with the fourth accusing the fifth of pea-green envy because they want to be the fourth, but don't have the 'right' credentials? Or, are they collaborating more, as Greg Jericho suggested should happen in his The Rise of the Fifth Estate? Or is the fourth trying to annex aspects of the fifth it can make fit old media models, while still pushing back against aspects it finds threatening?

Looking at how some of the #newmedia sees itself proffers some first clues, perhaps.

Amongst the more established online ventures set up by, or sometimes employing, journalists, New Matilda [@newmatilda] describes itself as an 'independent journalism site'; Independent Australia [@independentaus] as an 'online journal'; The Global Mail [@TheGlobalMail] as a 'not-for-profit news and features website'; The King’s Tribune [@TheKingsTribune] as a magazine, now in the form of a subscription email; and The Hoopla [@TheHoopla] as an 'online news and magazine site'. 

Then there's Crikey [@crikey_news], which describes its own 'mode of delivery' as 'website and email' and its mission (partly) thus:

“Crikey sees its role as part of the so-called fourth estate that acts as a vital check and balance on the activities of government, the political system and the judiciary.”

Crikey described The Citizen as 'a new site featuring the work of students, staff and freelance writers'. This is a tad disingenuous given that The Citizen, while first stating that it is a 'teaching tool', also states:

Finally, THE CITIZEN aims to be a serious and worthwhile publication in its own right, with an emphasis on quality journalism that, in part, seeks to ‘back fill’ on issues and events neglected by mainstream media battling cut-backs and cost constraints.”

This makes The Citizen not just a 'site' (for students), but a publication in direct competition with Crikey. Experienced ex-mainstream journalist and now academic Margaret Simons is Editor-in-Chief of The Citizen and Simon Mann, ex-The Age, amongst other things, is Editor. If you don't know Margaret Simons’ work, and her very lateral thinking on where journalism is headed, her 2012 e-book is available from Amazon: Journalism at the Crossroads: Crisis and Opportunity for the Press. Reading Chapter 5: 'The Citizen's Agenda' should prove illuminating.

Of the online ventures mentioned so far, most see themselves as paperless equivalents of newspapers or print magazines, thereby claiming a space in the fourth estate.

Well may they claim, but are they staking in very soft sand?

There are other online ventures, too, that just may be making claim. These began life more as blogs: community blogs set up for contributions by a group of writers, only one or two of whom might have a background in journalism or even public relations. They tend to describe their raisons d'être in similar terms to one of the aims of The Citizen, that is 'to fill the gaps', even if their motivation seems more frustration with the inadequacies of political reportage in the mainstream, or resisting what they see as bias in the existing media, than with omission via industry cost and cut-back.

There's Australians for Honest Politics (AFHP) [@NoFibs]. With a 'sub-banner' of 'Citizen Journalism' it describes itself as 'a new citizens journalism project in the tradition of one of the first, Webdiary'. Webdairy was in turn a first citizen journalism effort run initially under the Fairfax banner by journalist Margo Kingston [@margokingston1] and later run as an independent venture by her and others. Kingston argued strongly that Webdairy was not a blog, partly because a community of citizens wrote for it, and one would guess she might argue the same for AFHP, which she set up with Tony Yegles [@geeksrulz] who had some background with Webdairy in later years. Whether Kingston considers AFHP to sit within the fourth or the fifth estate might be gleaned from her 'outsider' comment:

“Me, I feel relaxed and comfortable sitting outside the system looking in. In my day, I was the first highly paid mainstream ‘blogger’, regularly on radio and TV. The nasty right, exemplified by Tim Blair, were the volunteer outsiders. Now Tim is ensconced in News Ltd, Andrew Bolt is the most-read mainstream blogger, and I’m the volunteer ignored by the MSM.

“Times change. I like where I am more than where I was. Because I’m free.”


There's the Australian Independent Media Network (AIMN), which has the subtitle 'An information alternative'. Its welcome post also flags the term 'citizen journalist'. It references Tim Dunlop's [@timdunlop] piece Media pass: citizen journalists need an industry body whose headline paragraph states: 

“Australian bloggers have a lot to offer in public debate, but an independent body is needed to establish the credibility and increase the exposure of our citizen journalists …”

and whose last sentence reads:

“Diversity of opinion is vital to the proper functioning of a democracy, but diversity without reach is just noise.”

AIMN's welcome post also notes:

“Over the coming days and weeks you’ll see this site take shape and the network develop, followed by what we endeavour to be quality, unbiased, balanced, independent journalism.”

And then there's Ausvotes2013 [@Ausvotes2013]. Is it a bird, is it a plane, is it – Superblog? The last, it seems, since it has just won the 'Commentary' category of the Australian Writers' Centre Best Australian Blogs 2013 (where one of the judges was Greg Jericho). With a subheading of 'Election policy wonkage and much more' it describes itself as a 'group blog' and states:

“The concept for this blog is simple – to provide the observations, analysis and opinion that are missing in the traditional media’s coverage of the election. In short, to provide the perspectives we wish we could read in the MSM.”

But to return to the The Citizen, it seems, then, to be competition not only for Crikey, but for any number of longer-term #newmedia ventures as well as a number of recent 'online start-ups', this latter term being one way the Canberra Press Gallery described the growing band of independent, small-press-like online presences seeking real (as opposed to virtual) space in the Press Gallery's wing at Canberra's Parliament House. This Crikey piece doesn't quite tell us why Independent Australia's freelance journalist Callum Davidson didn't make it into the Press Gallery although a further piece from AFHP adds the insider colour of parliamentary security needs.

But there's the rub. Neither in the office space nor probably in the needs of Parliament House security do we really find the answer to why a Press Gallery pass was refused to Callum Davidson.

One further reason is suggested by The Citizen's launch edition via a critical article from Sydney Morning Herald Contributions Editor, and sometimes freelancer, Gay Alcorn, Want to be a journalist? Bloggers, online media sites invited to sign on to ’journalism code of ethics'. She states:

“The journalists’ union, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, wants to bring them into the professional fold, at least tentatively. And the Australian Press Council, which regulates press standards, says one of the most critical issues facing the media is defining who, exactly, is a journalist in the digital age.

“The union has approached 20 websites it believes have shown signs they are interested in ethics, accuracy and paying contributors once they earn enough to do so. It says that so far, 12 have signed up to the union’s ‘Charter of Excellence and Ethics’, to be launched mid-year.”


According to Alcorn, both The Hoopla and The King’s Tribune are among the 12 'websites' that have signed up to the MEAA's Charter. Via tweet on the 29th April, Margo Kingston advised she had signed on too – presumably on behalf of AFHP. (If Independent Australia did, would that mean Callum Davidson would be accepted by the Press Gallery?)

Alcorn's piece takes us back to the same issue Tim Dunlop raised. But Dunlop posited a different approach: that 'citizen journalists' might, rather than being drawn into existing press structures and regulation, band together in:

“… an informal framework that allows smaller websites to acquire advantages currently limited to what we might call the legacy media, the mainstream journalists, who, by convention as much as anything, are given society's permission to pursue stories.”

Clearly, the advent of online media and the blogger/journalist dichotomy is proving a conundrum to those who claim the 'inside'. All kinds of attempts to corral and brand the small online media ventures are being made, either by keeping them outside an 'august' institution such as the Press Gallery, or by pulling them into an arguably equally august institution, such as the MEAA (and offering access to Walkley Training, no less), or perhaps by offering a lesser version of the MEAA's approach, a kind of outside/inside position, as in 'band together, at least in a loose structure, but self-regulate'.

It's a conundrum raising some significant questions – especially for an election year.

If the role of the fourth estate is to keep check on the first to third, and the rise of the fifth has been to balance the perceived inadequacies of the fourth, is the fifth better not to join any part of the fourth's power structures? How well can you check and balance if you become part of what you are checking? Does one challenge the status quo best from inside or outside (or is that all false dichotomy?)

If the quality of journalism is plummeting into sensationalist partisan regime-change-bent 'crap', as is often being suggested in this election year, but the ownership is large and powerful, should all the small independents come together to provide some truly competitive weight? Or does coming together, perhaps as one media producer with many arms, or perhaps as a loosely affiliated regulatory body, undercut entirely the potentially more radical action available to many smaller and diverse voices?

Are we even asking the right questions?

Does joining the Press Gallery really matter for #newmedia, or is this a body now diminishing in power and 'on the way out', and different bodies are needed?


In the flurry of Twitter activity following Callum Davidson's rejection by the Gallery, Andrew Elder tweeted:

Andrew Elder @awelder @margokingston1 @MargaretOConno5 @SpudBenBean Current President is @PhillipCoorey, who despises socmed. Good luck. Am trying to abolish PG.”

Within 10 days Elder [@awelder] had written this: Shadows on the Press Gallery wall 2: Where the action isn't. He noted: 

Today, press gallery journalists still think they are Where The Action Is, despite many years of evidence to the contrary. They are confirmed in that opinion by their dull-witted editors, and by the boards of the organisations which currently employ them. When broadcast media laid off hundreds of journalists last year, the fact that very few jobs went from the press gallery was a sign that they'd botched it.”

Is it that journalism as we know it is, itself, defunct for what was once its reading public, as Bushfire Bill [@BushfireBill] very recently argued:

People will not pay to see their beliefs and ideologies, their aspirations and loyalties, their need to be informed and to remain so, trashed by two-bit gurus with a bully pulpit put at their disposal, rabbiting on in the most offensive way about dinner parties, leaks from insiders and their own benighted opinions.

“It just won’t happen”.


Last, but not least: PolitiFact has launched in Australia. Its Australian editor is former SMH Editor-in-Chief Peter Fray [@PeterFray].

Will it police across all media, old and new, checking facts? Via its 'Truth-O-Meter TM', will it hound to metered truth all journalist/bloggers or blogger/journalists? Should it? How would it decide, given the ceaseless ferment in the fourth and fifth?

Perhaps we should ask Peter Fray!


What do you think?

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19/05/2013Folks I’m sure you will enjoy this piece by Jan Mahyuddin @j4gypsy who has been posting comments and Twitter talk on [i]TPS[/i] for ages now as Janet (j4gypsy). This beautifully written and erudite piece details newcomers to the Fifth Estate, as well as some longstanding contributors, and traces the interaction between the Fourth and Fifth Estates and the movement of authors between the two. It is so packed with helpful information and links that you may find it useful to bookmark it for later reference, as I have done.

nasking

19/05/2013 Good stuff Janet. Refreshing to see a new poster...informative post asking some valuable questions. Useful use of links too...I hope readers explore the various alternative sites...nothing like discovering that the mainstream media are not the fonts of all knowledge...and realising that plenty who work in the increasingly corporatised media are more puppets on strings than independent thinkers, reporters, commentators. “[b]People sometimes imagine that just because they have access to so many newspapers, radio and TV channels, they will get an infinity of different opinions. Then they discover that things are just the opposite: the power of these loudspeakers only amplifies the opinion prevalent at a certain time, to the point where it covers any other opinion[/b].” ― Amin Maalouf, The First Century After Beatrice http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/journalism And: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crusades_Through_Arab_Eyes N'

denese

19/05/2013AIMN's welcome post also notes: “Over the coming days and weeks you’ll see this site take shape and the network develop, followed by what we endeavour to be quality, unbiased, balanced, independent journalism =========================================================== may I ask which site , this site,or the authors site so is this site changing it s look sorry to be confused.

cuppa

19/05/2013The MSM are digging the hole for themselves and hammering the nails into the coffin. I, for one, will dance on the Old Media's grave. [i]When you should have informed us you let us down When you should have held both sides to account You closed one eye and gave one side a free ride When we hungered for analysis and expert insight You gave us your boss's Party lines When we screamed for fairness you gave us Spin Now as I watch you come undone I celebrate the state you're in.[/i]

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

19/05/2013Hi Ad and Nasking, So nice to be playing in the TPS family with a slightly different hat on. Thank you for your lovely introduction, Ad, and for the opportunity to post here. (They say 'never follow kids and puppies'. I think it should be 'never follow Ad when he's just fed you a brilliant chook satire!' :-)) Nas (May 19. 2013 05:30 PM ): I absolutely love your Amin Maalouf quote. It covers, for me, precisely what seems to be happening in Oz's fourth estate: the 'amplifying of a prevalent opinion' or put in current-speak, amplifying a core and apparently unchangeable narrative. You are, as TT often points out, so widely read across subjects and available media from more than one country, I wondered what you really think about the concept of a Press Gallery, and its value to the whole political structure and cycle? Do other countries have them? And are they so closely aligned with the governance structure? I took a sneak peak at your link to journalism quotes and found a couple that made me chuckle because they relate one way or another to what Maalouf was getting at, and to taking a pretty hard look at the meaning of the Oz Press Gallery: “[i]The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers[/i].”  “[i]No honest journalist should be willing to describe himself or herseif as 'embedded.' To say, 'I'm an embedded journalist' is to say, 'I'm a government Propagandist[/i].”  ― Noam Chomsky, Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World Cheers

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

19/05/2013denese: May 19. 2013 07:47 PM Hi denese and I'm sorry, that bit is confusing isn't it. I was referring to the AIMN site (the quote is from its first couple of days after launching). [i]The Political Sword[/i] site wasn't being referred to and to the best of my knowledge isn't changing in any way :-). Cuppa: May 19. 2013 07:52 PM Cuppa, Is that verse your own? It's great: this line grabs: '[i]When we screamed for fairness you gave us Spin [/i]'. Yeah, exactly. The fourth is unravelling well. But one thing am interested in is how much the fourth might try to eat up the fifth in an effort to hang on …

Catching up

19/05/2013Yes, the sites are linking well. Reading many of the comments, there seem to be many, that are happy to finds an alternate view. Yes, believe things are changing. Maybe that million or more than a quarter of undecided are ready to get off the fence. With the polls at this time, the high don't knows or undecided, it is not a matter of changing votes, but waiting for a great number to make up their minds. If this is true, it could mean those numbers could change quickly. I suspect this is a new results when it comes to polls. Does anyone know, if it was the norm in the past, for this category to be so high, for so long.

Catching up

19/05/2013Yes, the sites are linking well. Reading many of the comments, there seem to be many, that are happy to finds an alternate view. Yes, believe things are changing. Maybe that million or more than a quarter of undecided are ready to get off the fence. With the polls at this time, the high don't knows or undecided, it is not a matter of changing votes, but waiting for a great number to make up their minds. If this is true, it could mean those numbers could change quickly. I suspect this is a new results when it comes to polls. Does anyone know, if it was the norm in the past, for this category to be so high, for so long.

Fiona

19/05/2013Excellent article, Janet - thank you so much. All the points you raise are important. As someone closely involved in one of those little websites, I'm inclined at this point to the view that we should disdain the lures of the 4th estate, and establish our own code of ethics. After all, the 4th estate haven't adhered to their own code very well, have they?

Patriciawa

20/05/2013Janet, great to see your work here at TPS. When I'm more relaxed and rested I'll try to respond to your question..... [quote]When is a writer not a journalist but a blogger, and when is a writer/blogger a journalist? Who decides? Does it matter? [/quote] Right now I have to go to bed after a really hectic day with a family re-union to remember our big brother who left this world recently after a long and blessed life. When everyone had gone home I struggled for ages with sizing the images for my latest post for Migs at http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/mr-rabbit-takes-centre-stage-but-will-he-regret-it-2/ As always, TT, here is the pome.....[b] Mr Rabbit Takes Centre Stage, But Will He Regret It?[/b] Mr. Rabbit of Downunderland Thought that he was in Wonderland. For one moment it felt truly As if he, with White Queen Julie, Were already restored to power, As he stood acclaimed, man of the hour. Applause and cheers were long and loud. His budget speech had moved the crowd. Up on to their feet as it ended They seemed to share his vision splendid Of himself rescuing from failure This [i]‘Triple A rated Australia!’[/i] His oratory had been inspired! Yes, the Gallery audience was hired. There to test his election theme, They’d loved his parental leave scheme, Freely joined his denunciation Of Labor’s burdensome taxation. Confirming Newspoll and Morgan They didn’t want a price on carbon! Nor tax on mines! These men were workers Not malingerers or shirkers. All loathed Julia, despised red Queen! Then reality intervened….. Because there she sat. And glared, As if to say, how had he dared! A stunt like this? In this Chamber? A dress rehearsal for September? In a theatre where centre stage Was hers? And now he’d put her in a rage…..

lyn

20/05/2013Today’s Links Tony Abbott’s 12 biggest budget reply porkie pies @independentaus And what’s with the ABC’s headline: ‘Abbott ‘honest, competent’ budget reply’?Do observers – in the media and the public – simply not notice when Tony Abbott tells porkies because we are so used to http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/tony-abbotts-budget-reply-porkie-pies/ Responding to Steve Kates: more zombie shuffles by @beneltham So let’s just fast-forward and ask ourselves: has government stimulus in Australia crowded out private savings and raised the cost of capital? http://culturalpolicyreform.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/responding-to-steve-kates-more-zombie-shuffles/ Gross government debt under the Howard Government by @TheKouk Any effort to compare net debt, which did fall below zero under the Howard government, with some made up and as yet unsubstantiated guess for gross debt of “$400 billion” under the current government is a contempable distortion and should be called out as such http://www.marketeconomics.com.au/blog Worry more about the economy than the budget by @1RossGittins It is true, as you've heard, that the effect of all the spending and tax changes announced this week would (if they are implemented by the government that wins the election) improve the budget balance by a net $28.4 billion over five years. http://www.rossgittins.com/2013/05/worry-more-about-economy-than-budget.html 'Safe as Milk': Really? by Gary Sauer-Thompson the Coalition's central claim is that austerity will lead to economic growth. Underpinning this is the hypothesis of expansionary fiscal contraction. According to this hypothesis austerity might have expansionary effects in cases where households trust government http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2013/05/safe-as-milk-re.php The numbers are in – and the Truth-O-Meter is running hot by @PolitiFactOz PolitiFact's Truth-O-Meter is going to be busy, if its first week is anything to go by. We're ready and willing to tackle the light and dark of politics, and bring a new level of accountability to politics. http://www.politifact.com.au/ Ethics overboard: How to promote integrity in the moment of choice by @margokingston1 What is a journalist? We cannot argue for special protections and exemptions from privacy laws unless we can distinguish ourselves from non-journalists. To me the essential requirement is commitment http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/ethics-overboard-how-to-promote-integrity-in-the-moment-of-choice/ Joe goes into bat and is hit with a Jones bouncer by @CoffsOutlook What followed was extraordinary radio, during which Jones harangued Hockey for subsidising wind and solar power, attacked the entire Medicare system as “unaffordable” and abused the shadow treasurer for not agreeing to his suggestion that Indonesia take Australian http://coffsoutlook.com/joe-goes-into-bat-and-is-hit-with-a-jones-bouncer/ Rupert, where’s the outrage by @MigloMT Now, didn’t the Henry Review recommend an increase in the GST? Rupert, your papers were in a frenzy the last time an increase was put in the public sphere and the outrage against the Gillard Government was carefully nurtured. http://theaimn.com/2013/05/18/rupert-wheres-the-outrage/ The Geek’s week in Twitter Pics by @geeksrulz My week on twitter 13 May to 19 May 2013. Some pics from me, some pics retweeted by my and some pics sent to me. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/talking-pictures/ Rinehart’s Bleeding Heart Over Her Poor Business Model by @Mothincarnate It is mind-boggling that she can whine about the tax placed on profiteering on common goods, but then to state that “without mining and mining related industries, this country has no hope of repaying our record debt”. http://newanthropocene.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/rineharts-bleeding-heart-over-her-poor-business-model/ Abbott and Milne… When Blue and Green will never be seen! by Truth Seeker after the budget was released, one of the first interviews that I saw, after the MSM had partially exhausted the usual suspects, was Christine Milne rubbishing the ALP for some of their budget measures, http://truthseekersmusings.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/abbott-and-milne-when-blue-and-green-will-never-be-seen/ Ready to Lead by @AusVotes2013 They fail to appreciate the revulsion that a remarkable number of people feel towards Tony Abbott, and how many remain deeply skeptical of the man who, more than almost any other present day politician, yearns for the Howard days. http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/05/18/ready-to-lead/ Today’s Front Pages Australian Newspaper Front Pages for 20 May 2013 http://www.thepaperboy.com/australia/front-pages.cfm News headlines http://www.hotheadlines.com.au/

Ad astra

20/05/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

nasking

20/05/2013 Janet, the history of 'press galleries' per-say, is littered with controversy, discrimination, battles for accreditation and reform. This from Wikipedia to start with...looks primarily at USA...I will add more detail later, including [b]The Briefing Room, The Press Corps, press pool:[/b] [b]The press gallery is the part of a parliament, or other legislative body, where political journalists are allowed to sit or gather to observe and then report speeches and events. This is generally one of the galleries overlooking the floor of the house and can also include separate offices in the legislative or parliamentary buildings accorded to the various media outlets, such as occurs with the Strangers Gallery in the British House of Commons or the Canberra Press Gallery in the Australian Parliament.[/b] The United States Senate established its first press gallery in 1841, and both the House of Representatives and Senate set aside galleries for reporters when they moved into their current chambers in 1857 and 1859. ([b]The White House did not designate a press room until 1902[/b].) [b]The press galleries in Congress are operated by superintendents, appointed by the House and Senate sergeants at arms, and by Standing Committees of Correspondents, elected by the journalists.[/b] The first Standing Committee of Correspondents was created in 1879 to eliminate lobbyists from the press galleries. [b]With the approval of House and Senate leaders, reporters drafted a set of requirements for accreditation. Press passes were issued only to those whose primary source of income was journalism, and who reported by telegraph to a daily newspaper. The rules eliminated lobbyists, but also women and minorities. Nineteenth-century women reporters were confined to social news coverage, which did not justify the cost of telegraphing. African American reporters were limited to the black press, which were then all weekly papers. Not until the 1940s did women and minorities overcome these obstacles. In the twentieth century, the same rules denied press passes to radio reporters, unless they simultaneously reported for daily newspapers.[/b] In response to complaints from broadcasters, Congress in 1939 created a Radio Gallery in each house, later the Radio-TV galleries. Congress also established a Periodical Press Gallery for magazine and newsletter writers, and a Press Photographers’ Gallery. [b]By the 1990s, Internet reporters and bloggers began applying for press passes. After initial resistance, the press galleries adjusted their rules to admit those who earn their living from their journalism, and who are not underwritten by advocacy groups.[/b] Reporters who occupy the press galleries are known as the press corps. Now numbering in the thousands, they rely on similar press operations in all three branches of the government. [b]Despite the government’s efforts to accommodate the press corps, however, the relationship between the press and the politicians remains essentially adversarial, punctuated by politicians’ complaints of bias and misrepresentation, and by reporters’ protests against government attempts to manipulate the news.[/b] Wikipedia --- Of course, the USA has far more diversity of media and media ownership than Australia, including 24hr cable news...tho, many critics would say that the American mainstream media is extremely corporatised and major advertiser reliant...and therefore lacks independence. Vertical integration of media companies is seen as problematic too due to influence of profiteering interests on reporting of news... for instance, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has interests in both adult & children's television...newspapers, sports, magazines, movies, cable, book publishing...you name it. Furthermore, there seems to be a dwindling number of owners...[b]MURDOCH's News Corporation having picked up the highly influential Wall Street Journal.[/b]..with his eye on the L.A.TIMES and ever on the NY TIMES. [b]Tho, of course there is the growing influence on politics of social media, tweets and INTERNET sites such as blogs and NEWS AGGREGATION WEBSITES such as The HUFFINGTON POST providing headlines and links to established media and alternative sites...some offering up a range of original opinion and content.[/b] N'

2353

20/05/2013You'd have to wonder about the cost benefit of a Press Gallery in the 21st Century. The reality is that politicians connect directly (with varying degrees of success) with the voters that put them there and at the end of the day with the preponderance of opinion pieces rather than straight reporting of facts - in effect the press gallery is adding a filtering mechanism to a story that can be told directly to the person who "really" matters.

nasking

20/05/2013 [b]White House press corps[/b] From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [b]The White House Press Corps is the group of journalists or correspondents usually stationed at the White House in Washington, D.C., to cover the President of the United States, White House events, and news briefings. Their offices are located in the West Wing.[/b] [b]Semi-permanent setup of press corps on the west end of the north White House lawn[/b]. Live media broadcasts with the White House in the background are delivered from here. [b]The White House Press Secretary or a deputy generally holds a weekday news briefing, which takes place in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. [/b] [b]The room currently seats 49 reporters. Each seat is assigned to one news gathering organization, with the most prominent occupying the first two rows. Reporters who don't have an assigned seat may stand. Often a smaller group of reporters known as the White House press pool is assembled to report back to their colleagues on events where the venue would make open coverage logistically difficult.[/b] When a new U.S. president is elected, some news organizations change their correspondents, most often to the reporter who had been assigned to cover the new president during the preceding campaign. For example, after the 2008 presidential campaign, ABC News moved Jake Tapper, who had covered Barack Obama during his presidential campaign, to the White House correspondent's position. Some White House correspondents have come under criticism for not challenging the people they cover more directly and thereby shirking their Fourth Estate responsibility. [b]A common criticism of the White House is that the top reporters are given priority access to the Press Secretary and are allowed follow-up questions, while those in the back rows are rarely called on.[/b] ---- How many of us have watched the popular show THE WEST WING and been thrilled by the intensity of the relationship between selected reporters, politicians, their aids and the PRESS SECRETARY? Yet, we must ask ourselves how diverse is the message coming from those who gain privileged access to the press secretary...what role does the Briefing Room seating plan play?...accreditation?...and so on. Are the people's interests promoted and represented? N'

Michael

20/05/2013The article here http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/05/18/ready-to-lead/ which actually settles on nothing to answer the 'is Abbott ready to lead?' question, does, however, in one of the following comments, bring up the matter of whether this man is suited to be a 'leader' in any real sense of both decision-making and team-framing. I think we can accept that Abbott is a 'team-framer', if only by default. Coalition politicians are so chuffed after the distaste of being roundly rejected in 2007 at having someone out front prepared to say and do anything to kick Labor that they accept Abbott in that function alone. He turned the tide. By apparently making Coalition government after the next Federal election a shoo-in, the 'team' won't do much to upset the momentum to ministries some of them have already been guaranteed by overtly questioning Abbott as the vanguard figure for their return to governing. Personally I don't believe Abbott would last long as PM because his own party are already allowing little fizzy burps of impatience to show through from the metaphorical election night champagne so tingly even this far out on their tongues. A Rudd-shaped 'knife' awaits him should he become PM. 'Team-framer' by default, tick to Abbott. 'Decision-maker'? I suggest not. He appears to be, but this is only within the context of the 'team-framing' argument laid out above. He's allowed to appear to be a decision maker so long as his team is in the home straight and ten lengths ahead of Labor. Those little fizzy burps from within the Coalition and without, amongst its business supporters and commercial backers, are lid-held-down-tight-till-we-cross-the-finish-line stuff, just in case the leading nag throws a shoe or snaps a tendon short of victory because his stablemates are crowding him. "That's just Tony", so often quoted as a get out of jail card for Abbott is, with the slightest change in inference, what will bring him undone. "That's just Tony' - 'that's all there is to Tony'. In short, Abbott's ability and readiness to be a leader are both illusions formed by those who figure luck and bad genes somehow synchronised to deliver the Coalition an individual who as 'leader' embodied just the right levels of innate bastardry and stupidity combined to beat up Labor and grab back government... and never see the chop waiting for him once that job was done. "Was" because he won't.

nasking

20/05/2013 A slight diversion...but Interesting info to take on board: [b]US NEWS MEDIA AND THE VIETNAM WAR[/b]: [b]Withdrawal, 1969–1973 [/b] [b]Nixon's policy toward the media was to reduce as far as possible the American public's interest in and knowledge of the war in Vietnam. He began by sharply limiting the press's access to information within Vietnam itself.[/b] The gradual dissipation of American support for the war was apparent in changes in the source of news stories. The traditional sources - press conferences, official news releases, and reports of official proceedings were less utilized than ever before. Reporters were doing more research, conducting more interviews, and publishing more analytical essays. [b]There was also an increase in the number of American homes that acquired a television set which led to a rise in people gaining their knowledge of the war from television. The media never became "acutely critical...but more sober, and more skeptical[/b] [b]It did not, however, examine or reexamine its basic assumptions about the nature of the war it had helped to propagate.[/b] [b]Never, for example, did historian Daniel Hallin hear an American correspondent or commentator utter the word Imperialism in connection with the U.S. commitment on television. On those rare occasions when the underlying reasons for the American intervention were explicitly questioned, journalists continued to defend the honorableness of American motives.[/b] Television's image of the war, however, had been permanently altered: the "guts and glory" image of the pre-Tet period was gone forever. [b]For the most part television remained a follower rather than a leader. [/b] [b]According to Daniel Hallin, It was not until the collapse of consensus was well under way that coverage began to turn around; and when it did turn, it only turned so far. The later years of Vietnam were "a remarkable testimony to the restraining power of the routines and ideology of objective journalism...'advocacy journalism' made no real inroads into network television."[/b] As the American commitment waned there was an increasing media emphasis on Vietnamization, the South Vietnamese government, and casualties - both American and Vietnamese. There was also increasing coverage of the collapse of morale, interracial tensions, drug abuse, and disciplinary problems among American troops. These stories increased in number as U.S. soldiers "began to worry about being the last casualty in the lame-duck war." The U.S. military resented the attention and at first refused to believe that the problems were as bad as correspondents portrayed them. The media demonstrated, however, "that the best reporters, by virtue of their many contacts, had a better grasp of the war's unmanageable human element than the policy makers supposedly in control." Tensions between the news media and the Nixon administration only increased as the war dragged on. In September and October 1969, members of the administration openly discussed methods by which the media could be coerced into docility. Possible methods included Internal Revenue Service audits, Justice Department antitrust lawsuits against major television networks and newspapers that could be accused of monopolistic business practices, and the monitoring incidents of "unfairness" by television broadcasters that would be turned over to the Federal Communications Commission for possible legal action. By the end of 1971 the number of accredited American correspondents had declined to fewer than 200. By September 1973 that number had dwindled to only 59. As the war became more and more a South Vietnamese affair, the Saigon government tried to silence unofficial news sources, tightening its information guidelines and stringently punishing any who violated them. Even as the Easter Offensive waned, President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu passed a martial law decree that made circulating news or images "detrimental to the national security" a criminal offense. With the breakdown of peace negotiations with Hanoi, President Nixon launched Operation Linebacker II, an extensive aerial campaign by B-52 bombers and tactical aircraft that began on 16 December 1972. Nixon, in an effort to conceal the fact that the talks had broken down, ordered that the public explanation for the bombing be linked to "a possible enemy offensive in the South." With no information flowing from the White House, the Pentagon, or MACV, North Vietnam's propaganda was all that correspondents had to go on and it was extensively reported by the media. The American people, however, were unconvinced. According to a Harris poll, fewer than 50 percent agreed that it was "inhuman and immoral for the U.S. to have bombed Hanoi's civilian center" and an impressive 71 percent believed "what we did in bombing Hanoi was no worse than what the communists have done in the Vietnam War." Following the campaign Hanoi returned to the negotiating table and (after some wrangling with the Saigon government) the Paris Peace Accords were signed on 27 January 1973. For the United States, the Vietnam War was over. MUCH MORE HERE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._news_media_and_the_Vietnam_War WOULD BE WORTH LOOKING INTO THE ROLE SOME IN THE AUSTRALIAN NEWS MEDIA PLAYED IN THE BUILD UP TO AND DURING BOTH THE AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ WARS... AND IF THEIR VIEWS HAVE CHANGED... THAT INCLUDES THE ALTERNATIVE NEWS MEDIA AND NEWS FILTERING SITES. THE ROLE OF ACCREDITATION, ACCESS TO POLITICIANS AND MILITARY...WERE ANY GAGGED, DEMOTED, CENSORED, SACKED FOR THEIR DISSENTING ETC OPINIONS?... VIEWS OF THE MEDIA BARONS? IF TONY ABBOTT BECAME PM CAN WE DEPEND ON THE NEWS MEDIA TO KEEP THE BASTARD HONEST?...OR WILL MANY ACT LIKE AN INCREASINGLY CORPORATISED PRO-WAR, PRO-AMERICAN IMPERIALISM, PRO-CHRISTIAN CRUSADE PROPAGANDA MACHINE? N'

2353

20/05/2013Can someone tell me how Abbott getting his legal representation in the Ettridge case pro bono http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/tony-abbotts-legal-team-pro-bono-in-david-ettridge-lawsuit/story-fncyva0b-1226646308037 corresponds with the intent of pro bono http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_bono. It's not that Abbott has no other means of paying for the defense of a civil law case. If the solicitors want to donate time to a worth cause - I'm sure there are many that have a greater need.

nasking

20/05/2013 A LINE THAT REALLY STOOD OUT FOR ME RELATED TO THE NEWS MEDIA AND ITS ROLE IN THE VIETNAM WAR: [b]It did not, however, examine or reexamine its basic assumptions about the nature of the war it had helped to propagate.[/b] GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE NEWS MEDIA AND THE AFGHAN AND IRAQ WARS...AND THE SO CALLED 'WAR ON TERROR'. N'

nasking

20/05/2013 AN INTERESTING LINK: http://www.crikey.com.au/topic/press-gallery/ N'

nasking

20/05/2013 DISTURBINGLY, HAS TONY ABBOTT LIED TO THE PUBLIC AGAIN?... DIDN'T HE SAY A FEW DAYS AGO TO KOSHIE ON SUNRISE THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF THE GONSKI REFORMS?...KOSHIE TOLD HIM TO SPEAK TO NSW PREMIER O'FARRELL...AND ABBOTT GAVE THE IMPRESSION HE HADN'T HAD DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WITH THE NSW PREMIER NOR URGED HIM TO OPPOSE IT... YET BARRY O'FARRELL RECKONS TONY ABBOTT TOLD HIM HE SHOULD NOT GO WITH THE GONSKI REFORMS...IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY PAUL KELLY ON SKY NEWS THIS WEEKEND? IS THIS MORE BULL BY ABBOTT? HE JUST CAN'T BE TRUSTED. N'

Ken

20/05/2013As I understand it the Fourth Estate was added to the list (1st estate, the clergy, 2nd, the nobility and 3rd, the commoners) because of its increasing influence, and later was seen as essential to a functioning democracy. The latter on the basis that voters need to have adequate information for democracy to work. And now we have the fifth estate. But the key issue for both the fourth and fifth estates in a democracy is "information", not "opinion". Voters need facts and explanation. It is the "explanation" part of the equation that blurs the picture because this can verge towards opinion. As many on the fifth estate have been saying, the fourth estate is now dominated by "opinion" (perhaps sometimes in the guise of "explanation")and that is not good for democracy. It is, as was discussed in the previous thread, akin to propaganda which belongs more in totalitarian regimes. The fifth estate, however, can also be dominated by opinion. For the fifth estate to be fully effective, it has to find the balance. As indicated by Lyn's links, there are many good fifth estate sites that do the proper job of information and explanation and, as these continue to grow, so will the role and influence of the fifth. People like Greg Jericho and Possum are superb examples of using statistics to cut through the (mis-) information often put out in the fourth estate and present the real situation. More strength to them.

nasking

20/05/2013 A USEFUL ARTICLE ON THE PRESENT AUSSIE PRESS GALLERY...THO, THINGS MAY HAVE EVOLVED OVER THE PAST MONTHS: Politically homeless: where will the press gallery hacks go? MATTHEW KNOTT | FEB 19, 2013 The Canberra press gallery is struggling to find space for media start-ups and smaller online players. Where will all the hacks go — and who will have to downsize? When Michelle Grattan announced her decision to leave The Age two weeks ago, the search for precious office space in Parliament House’s press gallery was on. Where would the notoriously messy newspaper icon go now she had left traditional media to join start-up website The Conversation? Despite reportedly putting in an application some time ago, The Conversation is still without a press gallery home for its Canberra staffers. Luckily for Grattan, the good samaritans at Keating Media — publisher of the Inside Canberra newsletter — agreed to take her in. Grattan’s research assistant and The Conversation’s Canberra editor are now working in there as well. The arrangement wasn’t purely altruistic: Grattan has agreed to write a regular column for Inside Canberra in exchange for a desk. Grattan said last week the new “cubby hole” arrangement means she will have to be much more “tidy and economical” with space. “This is one of the major challenges of the new job,” she told the ABC’s Jon Faine. [b]Not everyone has been as lucky as Grattan. Since leaving The Australian to write on politics for Wendy Harmer’s The Hoopla, Gabrielle Chan has had to file wherever she can — often from Aussie’s cafe. The Global Mail has also been unable to secure a permanent home, despite photographer Mike Bowers and reporter Mike Seccombe visiting the capital regularly. The issue will rear its head again when The Guardian tries to find a home in coming months for high-profile Fairfax recruits Lenore Taylor and Katharine Murphy. There’s no obvious place for them go.[/b] “I’m not aware of any vacant space at the moment,” Fairfax photographer Andrew Meares, a member of the press gallery committee, told Crikey. “We’re looking at creative options — that’s the only way we’ll be able to solve it.” [b]The press gallery occupies a long wing of Parliament House, bookmarked at either end by the infamous “Starlight Disco” common rooms, scenes of scandalous parties in more decadent times. The gallery is divided into offices, mostly one per media outlet. Fairfax, News Limited and the ABC occupy caverns, while newer media outfits have poky offices, are forced to share or have no space at all. Sky News has a notoriously small office for its staffers and Crikey has a modest home for Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane.[/b] “Sooner or later, Fairfax will have to give up one of their rooms.” Complaints of a lack of space are almost as old as the press gallery itself. Canberra veterans still recall the cramped conditions at Old Parliament House, where demountables had to be put on the roof to accommodate the fourth estate. The problem today is not so much a lack of space, as a lack of offices for the 300-odd people who work there. While the media industry is fracturing and fragmenting, the physical organisation of the press gallery continues to reflect the traditional dominance of the newspapers. It is, in the words of one gallery staffer, a “weirdly sensitive” issue in the gallery — a simultaneously collegiate and competitive place. “There’s long been a lack of space in the press gallery,” Sky News political editor and press gallery president David Speers told Crikey. “It’s becoming an increasingly difficult issue as new outlets pop up.” Meanwhile, there are empty desks in the big Fairfax and News Limited offices. Despite increased copy-sharing and a decline in its press gallery numbers, Fairfax maintains separate offices for The Canberra Times, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review. Letting one of these offices go would have the added bonus of allowing Fairfax to save on rent. “Sooner or later, Fairfax will have to give up one of their rooms,” one recently departed press gallery veteran told Crikey. Any changes are unlikely to happen rapidly. The press gallery committee can propose solutions and help individual reporters, but doesn’t have the power to issue edicts. Leases are negotiated between media outlets and the Department of Parliamentary Services. Restructuring the gallery — by adding new doors and walls, for example — would be time-consuming and expensive. That’s a problem given modestly-financed start-ups such as The Hoopla don’t have enough cash to pay for office space, let alone renovations. [b]But sticking with the status quo isn’t an option.[/b] “The change in the future is there’ll be more sole operators rather than people working for big mastheads,” Meares said. “As the media landscape changes, the press gallery will have to change.” http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/02/19/politically-homeless-where-will-the-press-gallery-hacks-go/ FRANKLY, I'M SICK OF HEARING FROM POLITICIANS WITH SHOCK JOCK RADIO AND SKY NEWS BRAND MICROPHONES WAVING IN FRONT OF THEIR FACES... TALK ABOUT FREE SPRUIKING. N'

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20/05/2013Janet Thank you for your thought-provoking piece. I just wanted to pick up on the comment you mention, made by Tim Dunlop: “[i]… the mainstream journalists, who, by convention as much as anything, are given society's permission to pursue stories.”[/i] It seems to me that this is where the Fourth Estate has let us down badly. In pursuing stories, some Press Gallery journalists have used sources that have proved to be unreliable. Moreover, apparently they have been unaware that their sources are not only unreliable, but have been using them to pursue their own agenda. As an example, take Peter Hartcher, an experienced journalist, one out of the Fairfax top drawer, yet wrong again and again in his confident predictions that Julia Gillard would be ousted by the end of the year (any year), by Easter (any Easter) by the end of June (any June). Did he realize he was being conned and used by the Rudd saboteurs? Was he so obsessed with being the one to ‘break the story’ of the PM’s political demise that he believed the saboteurs’ corridor whispers, or was he so keen personally to see Kevin Rudd returned and Julia Gillard ousted, that the necessary process of fact checking and using multiple sources was overlooked, which led him to write pieces that were not based on verifiable fact and were not logically-argued. Moreover, his repeated misjudgement was accompanied by haughty arrogance, arrogance that too often characterizes writings of Fourth Estate journalists as they misuse “[i]…society’s permission to pursue stories”[/i]. He preaches from what Bushfire Bill describes as his ‘bully pulpit’, but no matter how often he is wrong, he has never offered his readers a [i]mea culpa[/i]. Michelle Grattan preaches from the same pulpit. To me, the cardinal sin of too many Fourth Estate journalists is the way they write stories that match their ideological persuasions no matter what the facts might be. While all writers, whether in the Fourth or Fifth Estates, are challenged to write objectively, whatever their personal beliefs and preferences; while all writers are challenged to avoid cherry picking the facts to suit their case, it seems to me that a plethora of Fourth Estate journalists do not meet those challenges. Day after day we seen in News Limited media and now in Fairfax media too, stories that are written to subserve a partisan political agenda, often set, as we know, by editors or proprietors in advance. This is a serious perversion of the so-called ‘freedom of the press’, which in Murdoch-speak means transmitting, without regulatory restraint, what ever ‘message’ the media outlet wishes to transmit. We have seen the grossest perversion in the context of the lead up to the next election, a perversion that in some outlets has been obvious for over two years now. Fifth Estate writers are subject to the same challenges, but in my opinion seem much less prone to the perversions we see in the Fourth Estate. It seem that much, if not most of the Fourth Estate, is pursuing a ‘remove the Gillard Government at all costs’ agenda, while the Fifth Estate is saying ‘hang on there, get your facts straight, don’t cherry-pick, argue your case rationally, don’t push you own partisan agenda no matter what the evidence tells us, be fair and balanced’. Experience tells us that this request continues to fall not just on deaf ears, but on ears that are deafened with contrary messages, messages they prefer.

nasking

20/05/2013 FROM BERNARD KEANE @ CRIKEY: [b]Needless to say, Abbott has never held a media conference that matched Gillard’s epic August press gallery media conference on the Australian Workers Union smear campaign, in which she fielded a staggering 80 questions — in addition to some on asylum seekers — or her similar November one in which she racked up 33 questions. [/b] Even without those two epic sessions, the Prime Minister on average fields more questions at Parliament House media conferences than Abbott, 13 to 11 per session, or 20 to 11 with the AWU media conferences included. [b]But as the numbers indicate, Abbott prefers his media scrutiny to be out and about across Australia, often in workplaces intended to demonstrate the impact (or what Abbott claimed would be the impact) of the carbon price. While this reflects the nature of his anti-carbon price campaign, it also means he tends to field questions from less-experienced or non-political journalists, although journalists from broadcast media and the major newspapers are able to tap into Canberra-based colleagues, editors and producers for questions on political topics of the day.[/b] [b]It also allows Abbott and his staff greater control of the agenda for those media conferences and an ability to abandon them without the sort of repercussions from the national media that occur on the occasions when he has walked out of more significant events.[/b] Abbott also avoids the ABC like the plague, gracing it just four times in a six-month period (that is based on his transcript releases, although his office didn’t release one for his car wreck of an interview with Leigh Sales on 7.30). In contrast, the Prime Minister regularly has interviews on ABC radio. Indeed, Abbott went on Andrew Bolt’s TV program (three times) almost as often as he went on the entire ABC (radio and TV). Abbott much prefers commercial television compared to the Prime Minister, especially with his now-ended regular appearances on Today. [It is, however, a myth that he prefers FM radio; neither leader spent too much time on FM, which was a favourite venue for Kevin Rudd as opposition leader. See the update below on this] There is of course no price for Abbott preferring his media scrutiny to come from non-political and less experienced commercial media journalists. Press gallery journalists may complain about his reluctance to front up, Gillard-style, to extended questioning in Parliament House but it hasn’t done anything to harm the Coalition’s polling supremacy. [b]There is, however, an opportunity if media outlets want to grill Abbott: more effectively use local journalists attending his doorstops to press him. But that would require resources, which are not in plentiful supply in the commercial media at present.[/b] http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/02/13/mythbusting-on-abbott-and-the-media-but-who-asked-the-questions/ GW BUSH AND HIS STAFF WERE FAR MORE CONTROLLING OF THE AGENDA TOO.. LOOK WHERE THAT GOT AMERICA? N'

nasking

20/05/2013 Should be: [b]GW BUSH AND HIS STAFF WERE ALSO FAR MORE CONTROLLING OF THE AGENDA DURING MEDIA CONFERENCES THAN HIS OPPONENTS... LOOK AT THE CONSEQUENCES FOR AMERICA.[/b] N'

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20/05/2013Ken I agree with you. The Fourth Estate is far too opinion driven, opinion too often driven by partisan preferences. Facts become secondary to pursing a partisan agenda, are used selectively, or are omitted altogether if inconvenient. It is a shameful perversion of what ought to be a noble pursuit – bringing reliable information to the public, separating fact from opinion, and arguing a position based on verifiable facts.

Pappinbarra Fox

20/05/2013First there was gossip, then in 1609 there came the first printed newspaper in Germany, then as the printing press spread there came a florid expansion in the number of presses printing newspapers. So there was uniform news. Then the internet arose and quickly blogs and twitter came into being and we came full circle - back to gossip. Some may say the short reign of printed newspapers never left the gossip foundation of human communication, and who is to say those people are wrong? The gossip was merely formalised for a few short decades - now the formality has been challenged. They say the victorious write the history - but we all know that history is a mythology derived from choices about what is important or interesting or available as "source" material. But for a short while when newspapers did dominate human discourse there arose a concept of ethics and specialised rules that journalists applied to themsleves. Now that we have come full circle those rules appear antiquated, quaint and not really useful to your average journo these days. And certainly no use to those who would pursue profit through news companies (cf News of the World). So, as Norm would have it, the message has been really massaged, and now a thousand hands massage the "news", without the overlord oversight of the profit chasing, and power controlling mendacious obfuscaters of those feeble few with controlling interests. More power to the thousand hands, all clapping singly but not in unison. Thank you.

Janet (j4gypsy)

20/05/2013Wow! Go out for essential shopping and TPS explodes! You really are on fire you lot :-). Glad we’ve stirred the pot. Catch-up at May 19. 2013 11:02 PM: You said: [i]‘Yes, the sites are linking well. Reading many of the comments, there seem to be many, that are happy to finds an alternate view. Yes, believe things are changing.’[/i] It’s the number of ordinary people who had begun looking for alternate media, particularly as evidenced on Twitter, that gaveth me, as they say, to think about these issues. That, and finding through the inestimable Lyn’s Links, numerous individuals and groups and ‘online ventures’ all determined to fill the gaps the fourth estate seemed to be leaving. Like you, I wonder if the ‘undecided’ showing up in polls are biding their time, and reading with us? [i]Fiona at May 19. 2013 11:03 PM:[/i] Thank you for your kind comment. Do love the black cat gravatar, and have noted you around in a site or two :-). Your comment that the site you mainly work with would do best not to be ‘lured’ by the 4th estate (which can readily be questioned on its own commitment to a code of ethics) reminded me of a couple of Twitter conversations I’d had while the Callum Davidson situation was brewing. Ben Eltham, who writes a lot for [i]New Matilda[/i], advised via tweet that he had no interest in become part of the Press Gallery. He operated from the position that his role was to analyse and write on policy and not ‘political structures’ and Wendy Bacon, one of the [i]New Matilda[/i] editors, seemed to agree with him. Meanwhile, when Tim Dunlop first floated the concept of a loose grouping of new online media and some kind of certification even, David Donovan of [i]Independent Australia[/i] (IA) via tweet suggested that he had no interest in becoming ‘part’ of such a grouping. He seemed very much on the side of those that believe they operate best to ‘disrupt’ the status quo from some kind of outside rather than inside position.

Janet (j4gypsy)

20/05/2013PatriciaWA at May 20. 2013 03:00 AM So glad you had a lovely day yesterday in memory of your brother, and thank you for the wave at a rather late hour! And then, thank you for the pome! Consummate moments: this bit a favourite: [i]They seemed to share his vision splendid Of himself rescuing from failure This ‘Triple A rated Australia!’[/i] Three cheers for irony, and satire :-).

nasking

20/05/2013 [b]David Donovan of Independent Australia (IA) via tweet suggested that he had no interest in becoming ‘part’ of such a grouping. He seemed very much on the side of those that believe they operate best to ‘disrupt’ the status quo from some kind of outside rather than inside position.[/b] JANET, THAT'S INTERESTING...I GUESS THO HE PREFERS TO STAY ON THE OUTSIDE WHILST SUPPORTING A CO-CONTRIBUTOR TO HIS SITE IN BECOMING AN 'INSIDER': The Canberra Press Gallery Committee has knocked back Independent Australia and its nominee from gaining representation. Callum Davidson explains what happened. by Callum Davidson [b]A few months back, myself and David Donovan, managing editor of Independent Australia, agreed it was high time that the vocal and growing online community of Australian political blogs deserved a voice in the Press Gallery of Parliament House.[/b] As it turns out this is a difficult task to accomplish. The concept began in the Twittersphere and I believed I had a fair claim to represent Independent Australia – and perhaps other online outlets – as a correspondent from the halls of power on The Hill. I hold an Advanced Diploma in Journalism and have been working freelance for a while now; but infinitely more importantly, I live a stone’s throw from Parliament House in Canberra. The press gallery is a bizarre and fascinating beast. Most of the Australian public still digest their political discourse from those guardians of information tethered to the cramped dorms on Capital Hill. All major mainstream news outlets, both television and print, have long had reporters stationed directly within our political elite. From Fairfax to News Limited to ABC, journalists mix with Federal politicians and their staffers, conversing with media opposition and rapaciously competing when necessary. But with the aspirational digital age and the declining fortunes of traditional media, would they let an outsider in? The short answer, at least in my case, is no. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/business/media-2/how-the-canberra-press-gallery-shut-out-ia/ I GUESS DAVID DONOVAN HAS MOVED ON FROM THE DAYS HE CONTRIBUTED TO THE MURDOCH EMPIRE'S ONLINE SITE 'THE PUNCH': http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/david-donovan/ LONG LIVE THE FIFTH ESTATE REVOLUTION! N'

nasking

20/05/2013 DAVID DONOVAN ALSO POSTED ON 'THE DRUM': David Donovan is a freelance journalist, editor of online journal Independent Australia. He was formerly the media director of the Australian Republican Movement, as well as its Queensland branch convenor. Before pursuing a journalistic career, he worked for many years as an accountant in London and Australia, including for some of the world's leading investment banks, including NatWest Global Markets, Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital, UBS and Mizuho. David now lives in Surfers Paradise with his wife, son, cat and puppy. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/david-donovan-39592.html NOT EXACTLY YER AVERAGE BLOKE... BUT AT LEAST HE'S IN INDEPENDENT MEDIA NOW. N'

Janet (j4gypsy)

20/05/2013Nas, you’re amazing!!! Hereby dubbed TPS historian perhaps :-). Thank you so much for all the posts with information on Press Galleries, particularly in the US. While my ‘gut’, if you like, has been so utterly horrified at the groupthink coming out of the Australian Press Gallery in this last three years, press galleries as concept seem to have had, then, a very long history in Anglo-speaking countries, at least. I was struck by the Chomsky quote used earlier about the problems with ‘embedded’ journalists because it captured the way I’ve been feeling about the PG at the moment: it’s propaganda we seem to be getting, albeit for and on behalf of one ‘side’ of an adversarial parliament. While emotionally I’m tempted by the Andrew Elder position – ‘get rid of the lot of them’- it doesn’t seem practical, or feasible. There are three ‘bodies’ that have extraordinary power here, not just one: Press Gallery; Press Club; Press Council. This, about the US Press Gallery is interesting in terms of ‘how’ belonging was decided: [i]"With the approval of House and Senate leaders, reporters drafted a set of requirements for accreditation. Press passes were issued only to those whose primary source of income was journalism, and who reported by telegraph to a daily newspaper. The rules eliminated lobbyists, but also women and minorities."[/i] As is this: [i]"By the 1990s, Internet reporters and bloggers began applying for press passes. After initial resistance, the press galleries adjusted their rules to admit those who earn their living from their journalism, and who are not underwritten by advocacy groups."[/i] So it looks like the USA has been streets ahead of Australia in getting sorted on the role and status of ‘internet reporters and bloggers’! Amusing, but universal and perhaps par for the course is the [i]“essentially adversarial, punctuated by politicians’ complaints of bias and misrepresentation”[/i] relationship that occurs between PG journalist and politician. Your next quote re US PG reporters raises issues here, too, of how ‘close’ relationships become between press and politician: [i]“Some White House correspondents have come under criticism for not challenging the people they cover more directly and thereby shirking their Fourth Estate responsibility.”[/i] We know that journalists and politicians in Canberra, eat, drink, party and sometimes sleep together (after marriage, of course! :-)). This situation alone makes your question: “[i]Are the people's interests promoted and represented[/i]?” very apt indeed. Meanwhile, while we may whinge about what we are or are not getting from the press gallery, your detail on how Nixon set about to control media during the Vietnam war is so utterly salutary. Governments can behave very badly indeed in terms of who’s mediating what information. ‘Children overboard’, anyone? Your last question on whether, if Abbott made the Lodge, our legacy media would ‘keep him honest’ is a doozy. Oddly enough I think, having got him there, they might just try – perverse as this may seem. After all, Rupert threw over John Howard and endorsed Kevin Rudd. Initially he endorsed Gough Whitlam. The media's loyalties seem very fluid ... Finally, thank you for the link to [i]Crikey’s[/i] page of status-of-the-press-related stories. Found this there: [i]"If Labor is engaged in navel-gazing, the press has embraced auto-proctology with a vengeance. Like most industries, the media is keenly interested in how it is regulated, and thinks it is “special” and “different” to every other industry. Thus, despite the fact that media reform is a tenth-order issue for voters outside the Canberra bubble, it has been virtually the only thing, along with leadership, that the media has focused on recently. Crikey (particularly given my own background on the issue), hasn’t been much different. But the press’s capacity to objectively report what it claims to be a crucial issue has been, to say the least, found wanting."[/i] http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/03/21/stench-of-failure-in-canberra-and-its-not-just-labor/ You’re almost a new media venture all by yourself Nas! Thank you again for so much input. Stay well and protect those eyes.

nasking

20/05/2013 MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME...FROM NEW MATILDA: BUDGET 2013 20 May 2013 [b]What Is Abbott Really Up To? By Ian McAuley[/b] It's tempting to dismiss Abbott's speech as a confused rant, but that would be a grave mistake. The Leader of the Opposition is a skilled communicator. I would even suggest that he may be using these illogicalities and falsehoods as baits, to distract us from his true economic vision. [b]Abbott's view is deeply conservative in every sense of the term. When he says that the coming election will be a referendum on the carbon tax, he’s really referring to a choice between economic modernisation and holding on to our existing industry structure. Scrapping the carbon tax isn’t about reducing imagined cost-of-living pressures or improving international competitiveness as he claims. As a component of cost-of-living it’s trivial, and if he were serious about international competitiveness he would not say that cutting the mining tax is “the quickest way to support investment and jobs”, because it would also be the quickest way to send the currency back to high levels, thus doing far more harm to competitiveness than our modest carbon price. It’s more about halting a transition to a changed economic structure. His opposition to high-speed broadband needs to be seen in this light. The NBN is what economists call a “disruptive technology”, which can present tremendous opportunities for some entrepreneurs, while wiping out firms and industries which fail to adapt. Good for the economy, but not good for old businesses which are too sclerotic to adjust. The same holds for his opposition to the Gonski reforms. It doesn’t matter if our education standards go on slipping. We can leave it to the Chinese and northern Europeans to compete on the basis of human capital. We have mineral resources, and plenty of land to grow grains and fibre – that’s our source of prosperity. Having learned from Howard’s WorkChoices disaster, he is guarded on labour relations, simply saying “we will return the workplace relations pendulum to the sensible centre”. But he is trapped in an old culture of class struggle between “employers” and “employees”. He seems blind to an emerging economic structure where people come together not as “bosses” and “workers”, but as people bringing their talents together to create wealth and share the benefits – a change in turn prompted by disruptions to old centres of power and distribution. There is nothing unusual about his conservatism. The Liberal Party has always experienced tension between its conservative and progressive factions. It has a strong tradition of social conservatism, and social conservatism easily meshes with economic conservatism, as has happened in the USA where the Tea Party has become such a powerful force on the “right”. For most of its 68-year history the party has managed this contradiction reasonably well, but increasingly the economic conservatives – those who in 1999 gave Abbott a one vote majority – are taking over. ...The current political situation, with a Government too timid to articulate its policy clearly, and an Opposition committed to halting economic progress in its tracks, presents a strong opportunity for the Greens to retain their powerful position in the Senate. That is, provided Labor strategists do not repeat their idiocy of 2004, when they pushed Family First ahead of the Greens (thus denying the Rudd Government a supportive Senate), and provided Labor doesn’t absolutely mess up the election campaign. [/b] Christine Milne’s Budget reply got off to a good start when she said of the Budget that “it does not present a coherent vision of where the country needs to be in 10 years time or of how we face the challenges posed by an increasing global population in a rapidly warming world, the interdependence of economies and our own narrow economic base, as well as our overdependence on resource based industries and the fossil fuel intensive energy sector that drives them”. If Abbott had even a little economic nous, those are the words we might have heard from the Opposition, which would have left the Greens to focus more on specific “green” issues. [b]Unfortunately, Milne never seemed clear about whether she was attacking the Government, or the Opposition for proposing even worse policies.[/b] The Greens are in a difficult position; in my view the Democrats handled their third-party responsibilities better, possibly because they had grown as a breakaway from the Liberal Party, while the Greens have their roots outside the two-party system. But she did present a theme of economic progress, and, with a few exceptions (such as the Greens’ visceral hatred of investment in roads), it presented an economically responsible case for an expanded public sector. This contrasts with [b]Tony Abbott, whose view (repeated on ABC news), is that government should be “only as big as it needs to be to do what people can’t do for themselves”, a view which, taken to its conclusion, leaves government with no more than a few functions such as defence and handouts to the poor, leaving health care, education and infrastructure all to distorted private markets. It’s a view pushed by extreme economic libertarians, who cannot bring themselves to acknowledge that there are many things the private sector conceivably can do, but which governments do much better. Whether it’s a glib insertion by an economically naive speechwriter or a considered belief is hard to know, but it’s worth watching.[/b] What the Greens fail to acknowledge is that their vision would need a much stronger tax base. Milne rightly mentioned the high profits of mining and financial companies as potential sources of public revenue, but these are volatile – they may be suitable for once-off public investments but not as an ongoing tax base. It’s hard for any politician to mention our weak tax base, and to point out that, by comparison with other high-income countries, we collect far too little tax to provide the public services needed in a modern economy, but the Greens are in a better position to do this than any other political party. [b]Surely they would have more to gain than to lose by raising the inequities and distortions in our treatment of capital gains, superannuation, family trusts, gasoline excise and private health insurance.[/b] Perhaps, ironically, the only voices for increased public revenue are those of state premiers, most of whom are on the right of politics. They have the hard job of delivering much-needed services and public infrastructure, and, being closely connected to business, are less likely than Tony Abbott to sign on to a reactionary economic vision. http://newmatilda.com/2013/05/20/what-abbott-really WITH TONY ABBOTT AS PM YOU CAN BE SURE WE WON'T BE MOVING FORWARD...PROGRESSING... IT'LL BE THE SAME OLD CRAP WITH A CONSERVATIVE CATHOLIC FLAVOUR... WITH CUTS TO THE BONE...AN INCREASE IN GST AND BROADENING OF THE BASE TO INCLUDE FRESH FOOD AND SERVICES... AND FREE BUDGIE SMUGGLERS TO EVERY MALE WHO JOINS UP WITH HIS VERSION OF THE UK'S 'BIG SOCIETY'... A MANUAL ON 'HAVING BABIES ABBOTT STYLE' FOR THE WOMEN WHO JOIN HIS GANG OF VOLUNTEERS CLEANING UP AFTER GINA, CLIVE, TWIGGY...AND OTHER BIG DUMPERS... AND A GUARANTEE TO SUPPLY EVERY STUDENT WITH A LEATHER CLAD BIBLE MADE FROM LOCALLY BRED AND SLAUGHTERED CATTLE. N'

nasking

20/05/2013 Cheers Janet...and well said. Yer extensive comment is a gem. [b]Meanwhile, while we may whinge about what we are or are not getting from the press gallery, your detail on how Nixon set about to control media during the Vietnam war is so utterly salutary. Governments can behave very badly indeed in terms of who’s mediating what information. ‘Children overboard’, anyone?[/b] Indeed...a good reason for having diverse media ownership...a robust public broadcaster...a wide variety of reporters as part of the press corp (not to be confused with PRESS CORPSE)... plenty of voices outside of the press pool acting as reporters, news filters, opinion-makers, guardians...you name it...some in online-collectives...others solo independents...others working for news aggregators...local independent papers and mags...including online mags...uni papers/mags etc... plenty of room for all. Provided the corporate media doesn't use its political influence to bully govts into undermining free speech and restricting use of Internet in such a way that it benefits their interests. One reason I worry about a press corp of 'insiders' having privileged access to politicians...considering the dominance of a few corporations...and their increasing vertically integrated structures. Keep well Janet. Thnx for the opportunity to air my views and concerns. N'

nasking

20/05/2013 OH YEA, CORPORATE MEDIA USING THEIR BIG WALLETS AND PURSES TO BUY UP ALTERNATIVE MEDIA... OR MAKING THEM DEPENDENT ON THEIR ADVERTISING DOLLARS IN ORDER TO HAVE INFLUENCE ETC ALSO PISSES ME OFF. SAME WITH DRAINING INDEPENDENT, ALTERNATIVE NEWS MEDIA AND NEWS FILTER SITES SITES OF THEIR QUALITY CONTRIBUTORS...ONLY TO TRANSFORM THEM INTO SHADOWS OF THEIR FORMER SELVES. EVEN THE INCREASINGLY CORPORATISED PUBLIC BROADCASTERS HAVE SINNED IN THIS RESPECT. FURTHERMORE, INDEPENDENT MEDIA SOMETIMES REMINDS ME OF THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC SCENE... INCREMENTALLY IT BECAME DOMINATED BY ARTISTS, BANDS WORKING FOR BIG CORPORATES IN GUISE. NOT MUCH ALTERNATIVE ABOUT THEM...NOT DISSENTING FROM THE DOMINANT IDEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE... OR DOING SO IN ORDER TO HELP FUNNEL MONEY BACK TO THE SAME OLD ELITE. SOME THINK 'THE PUNCH' IS ALTERNATIVE AND INDEPENDENT. THINK AGAIN. N'

KHTAGH

20/05/2013Jan A great first article, which I'm sure will not be the last, we are all privileged here to have such quality writers like yourself & AA, then to top it off we have our own tweety birds daily efforts which are so well received & appreciated by all here.

Tom of Melbourne

20/05/2013Opinion has never been more accessible, there is an outlet to express or obtain any perspective. Mainstream media has never been under greater challenge, pressure or scrutiny. Anyone with a keyboard can publish their view. So what exactly is the complaint?

Janet (j4gypsy)

20/05/20132353: May 20. 2013 08:42 AM Hi 2353. Many thanks for your comment. I agree (I think!): pollies can connect face-to-face and via new and social media easily and directly much more readily these days. If you’re on Twitter at all, Craig Emerson is a shining example of how to use Twitter to pull in your constituency. (For heaven’s sake he runs the ‘Emmo Musical Quiz’ every Sunday night and makes a donation on behalf of the winner to the winner’s chosen charity! How cool is that?, as someone a quarter of my age might say :-).) But journalists argue, and rightly, that a story the pollie can push directly to the constituency may well be propaganda because there is no-one mediating the ‘truth to power and the people' equation. The problem is, as you point out, our media has been compromised by leaning to opinion rather than to reporting that is necessarily investigative, explanatory, summative... More than by opinion pieces, the push to clear propaganda of the Murdoch press alone, the spin of the so-called ‘news’, has become so heavy as to bludgeon the reader into near insensibility. Just check out, every day for as long as you can bear, the lovely Lyn’s ‘Front Pages’ and ‘News Headlines’. Perhaps we can go too far in both directions: over-mediation by a fourth estate, or none at all?

Janet (j4gypsy)

20/05/2013Michael at May 20. 2013 09:25 AM Hi Michael, you said: [i]'Decision-maker'? I suggest not. He appears to be, but this is only within the context of the 'team-framing' argument laid out above. He's allowed to appear to be a decision maker so long as his team is in the home straight and ten lengths ahead of Labor. Those little fizzy burps from within the Coalition and without, amongst its business supporters and commercial backers, are lid-held-down-tight-till-we-cross-the-finish-line stuff, just in case the leading nag throws a shoe or snaps a tendon short of victory because his stablemates are crowding him.[/i] As ever am in awe and stricken with envy at the felicities of your lovely prose. And in agreement. You might enjoy this Moir on the decision-maker :-): http://images.smh.com.au/2013/05/19/4285601/gal-land-Moir-600x400.jpg

lyn

20/05/2013Hi Janie Thankyou to you for your wonderful, brilliant, enjoyable article. What a pleasure you are, a big diamond encased in gold. We get a double delight as well because of your replies to our readers. [quote]'Truth-O-Meter TM', will it hound to metered truth all journalist/bloggers or blogger/journalists? Should it? [/quote] If PolitiFact’s Peter Fray! were to fact check the journalists they would be writing all day and all night, there would be a bonfire of pants on fire. I don’t know about anyone else but I already have doubts about Politifact . I hope I’m wrong but the last report on Julia Gillard I didn’t appreciate eg: Zac Spitzer MORE CHERRY PICKING! PolitiFact Australia | Did Gillard really break her 'no carbon tax' promise? http://www.politifact.com.au/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/may/19/tony-abbott/did-gillard-break-her-no-carbon-tax-promise/ … via [quote]PolitiFact.com From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [/quote]Conservative bias and liberal bias have been alleged, and criticisms have been made of attempts to fact-check statements that cannot be truly "fact-checked". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PolitiFact.com Abbott with yet another problem: [quote]Tony Abbott's chief of staff Peta Credlin caught drink driving [/quote] TONY Abbott has called his chief of staff Peta Credlin "outstanding" after she was caught drink driving on the night of the Opposition Leader's budget reply speech. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/tony-abbotts-chief-of-staff-peta-credlin-caught-drink-driving/story-fni0xqrc-1226646494276 :):):):)

nasking

20/05/2013 We should also discuss the use of the public broadcaster as a cash cow by the likes of Alan Kohler, Andrew Denton and others. And why 'Friends of the ABC' and other interest groups and individuals have not taken Mark Scott and his team to court over using our valuable taxpayer's dollars to make this lot even richer who have outside and conflicting interests? Ben Elthem wrote a useful post back in 2012...obviously ignored by Scott and co: [b]Kohler's untenable conflict of interest[/b] http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4084362.html NOT ON. N'

nasking

20/05/2013 ROFL... CHRISTOPHER PYNE ON SKY NEWS AGENDA PLAYING RUBBERY FIGURES WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION...HE WASN'T EVEN CERTAIN OF SOME FIGURES...REMINDED ME OF JOYCE AS SHADOW FINANCE MINISTER. PYNE RECKONS THE COALITION'S POLICY IS FAR "MORE GENEROUS" THAN THE GOVERNMENTS. THAT 'NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS' MONEY NOW BEING SHIFTED TO OTHER EDUCATION FUNDING HE GETS ALL UP IN ARMS ABOUT DIDN'T EXIST UNDER THE HOWARD GOVT... BUT THE SCHOOLS DID GET A VALUES POSTER, FLAG POLES AND BOOKS WITH THE STAMP OF APPROVAL BY THE RODENT'S GOVT. WHOOPEE!!! PYNE REALLY IS NOT ON TOP OF HIS JOB... UNLESS OF COURSE ABBOTT JUST WANTED SOMEONE LIKE HIMSELF TO RUN EDUCATION...SCROOGISH UNLESS IT COMES TO TOP PRIVATE...UNION HATER, BASHER...BIGOTED...CULTURE WARRIOR...TIN EAR. HOW MOTIVATING FOR EDUCATORS. SURE, THE GOVT TO IS PLAYING GAMES WITH THE FUNDING FIGURES A BIT...BUT THEY SURE AS HECK PUT A DAMN SITE MORE FUNDING AND FOCUS INTO DISADVANTAGED SCHOOLS THAN THE RODENT TEAM. THE WABBOT AND THE POODLE WON'T BE ANY BETTER. THEY'RE FULL OF IT. N'

nasking

20/05/2013 Should be: THE GOVT IS ALSO PLAYING GAMES WITH THE FUNDING FIGURES

nasking

20/05/2013 Lyn, nothing like conservative values and standards eh?: [b]TONY Abbott has called his chief of staff Peta Credlin "outstanding" after she was caught drink driving on the night of the Opposition Leader's budget reply speech. [/b] If I had to work with that lying wanker Abbott I'd drink too...but I doubt I'd drink and drive...surprised he didn't tell tipsy Peta to get ON YER BIKE!!! N'

nasking

20/05/2013 IF THIS ALLEGATION IS RIGHT THEN IT LOOKS MEDIA WARISH...AMONGST OTHER THINGS: A senior News Limited executive offered to pay up to $100,000 in legal fees to a Geelong real estate agent embroiled in a legal brawl with a part-Fairfax-owned rival. A “private and confidential” email sent by News’ national real estate czar Tom Panos to Hayeswinckle managing director Danny Hayes in March, obtained by Crikey, states that under the “strictly confidential” deal News would pay 50% of his legal fees to defend himself against Metro Media Publishing, which is half owned by Fairfax. Metro Media is suing Hayeswinckle and related entity Team 3126 in the Victorian County Court for at least $1.4 million in contract breaches and damages, alleging that it reneged on the terms of an advertising agreement with the MMP-owned Weekly Review Greater Geelong and moved its ads to News’ Geelong Advertiser instead. Panos writes that “to assist you in your defence of the legal action brought against you by MMP we are prepared to reimburse you 50% of the legal fees that you incur … up to a total aggregate payment by us under this arrangement of $100,000”. Hayes replies that he “will talk about payment tomorrow”. It is not known whether any cash changed hands. http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/05/20/news-limited-exec-offers-up-to-100k-in-secret-legal-payment/ NEWS LTD PEOPLE SURE GET AROUND...DOING MORE THAN JUST NEWS INVESTIGATION AND REPORTING. TALONS IN SO MANY SMELLY PIES. N'

nasking

20/05/2013 CORPORATE MEDIACWARS ANYONE? GET YER PEANUT PRESS GALLERY-LIKE SEAT NOW...THE POPCORN IS NOT ON RUPERT. HE'S TOO BUSY HANGING OUT WITH THE PRESS CORPSES MAKING FACES AT THE GOVERNMENT FROM THE PRIVILEGE GALLERY. N'

nasking

20/05/2013 Should be: CORPORATE MEDIA WARS ANYONE? The iPad has gremlins.

42 long

20/05/2013If Peta Credlin watched the pathetic pantomime and realised how dreadful it was I could understand her having a NEED to be able to cope. Tony had better get used to apologising if the Slipper/ Ashby/ Brough thing goes where it should. He tells us how wonderful they all are, including many who aren't wonderful at all. ( Corey Barnardi) Should we believe ONE word the abbott says. I take one look at his front bench that he picked and wonder where his judgement lies. The more time passes the more there is to apologise for. Hunt this morning with Fran Kelly sounded like a squeaky little kid who wanted permission to have a pee. Their Climate change policy is a shambles They are playing with the market picking winners while the Labor types have a market based approach. saying the drop in power used was due to a power station being out of service. Did anyone notice the blackouts?NO There weren't any. When one power station is out the other ones generate the amount needed, at maybe extra cost. You DOPE HUNT!! There are plenty of examples of this role reversal. Tony has to do the opposite of Gillard. It's impossible for this "Mental" character, when it comes to women having a win, to agree with them. No balanced view. I still say the PPL of the abbott is NOT a goer but this is his great claim to FAME so how does he let it go?. They have a bit of thinking to do now. The time for just saying NO NO is over . What a waste of their salaries and oxygen they have been since the election. The election by the people of Australia of all the people in the parliament ( as it is legally) " The Longest Dummy Spit in History" (albo) .

Ken

20/05/2013Reading Pappinbarra Fox reminded me that there was something like the fifth estate back in the 1700s and 1800s - the pamphleteers. The modern blog is akin to the work of those early pamphleteers, but just making use of current technology instead of a printing press.

Sir Ian Crisp

20/05/2013[quote][b]Can someone tell me how Abbott getting his legal representation in the Ettridge case pro bono www.couriermail.com.au/.../story-fncyva0b-1226646308037 corresponds with the intent of pro bono http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_bono. It's not that Abbott has no other means of paying for the defense of a civil law case. If the solicitors want to donate time to a worth cause - I'm sure there are many that have a greater need. 2353 [/b][/quote] I think it's called the "Carmen Lawrence Model". [quote][b] Appropriation (Dr Carmen Lawrence's Legal Costs) Bill 1999-2000 First Reading 1998-1999-2000 The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Presented and read a first time Appropriation (Dr Carmen Lawrence's Legal Costs) Bill 1999-2000 No. , 2000 (Finance and Administration) A Bill for an Act to appropriate money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to meet the Commonwealth's liability relating to legal costs of Dr Carmen Lawrence in connection with the Marks Royal Commission, and for related purposes http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2004B00674 [/b][/quote] Next question please...

Ken

20/05/2013Sir Ian Cr... Would be useful if you read the details before you post. [quote]The Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated for the purpose of meeting the Commonwealth’s liability under orders made on 25 February 2000 by the Federal Court of Australia in the case of Vass & Ors v The Commonwealth of Australia, and for the purpose of meeting any associated liability of the Commonwealth to pay interest under section 52 of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976.[/quote] A liability against The Commonwealth based on legal opinion. as the captcha says "I rest my case" cheers

nasking

20/05/2013 My father-in-law who lives in Beaudesert detests Abbott...has never trusted him...doesn't like the look of him...thinks he looks [b]SHIFTY[/b]...usually votes National Party...but he HATES THE GST... so now he hates Abbott even more... and he doesn't like the idea of his daughter in education...and son in disability services...being hurt as the COALITION govts possibly CUT TO THE BONE. Feel the WINDS OF CHANGE...ARROGANT ABBOTT ABOUT TO BE TOPPLED OFF HIS PERCH. N'

nasking

20/05/2013 [b]Hunt this morning with Fran Kelly sounded like a squeaky little kid who wanted permission to have a pee. Their Climate change policy is a shambles [/b] 42 long, LOL...HUNT REALLY IS LOOKING AND SOUNDING DESPERATE... AND THAT DIRECT ACTION PLAN IS A MISHMASH OF IDEAS THAT MIGHT WORK IF YOU LIVED IN A PLACE CALLED LALA LAND. SHAMBLES INDEED. I RECKON THE MORE SCRUTINY IT GETS THE MORE THE VOTERS WILL BE SHAKING THEIR HEADS AND SAYING IN DISGUST: NOT [b]ANOTHER BLOODY USELESS ABBOTT POLICY!!![/b] N'

Fiona

20/05/2013Ken, [quote]Reading Pappinbarra Fox reminded me that there was something like the fifth estate back in the 1700s and 1800s - the pamphleteers. The modern blog is akin to the work of those early pamphleteers, but just making use of current technology instead of a printing press. [/quote] A point I made at a seminar at Sydney Uni in October 2008 ... Fiona

Catching up

20/05/2013All we hear from Pyne, is the cost of Gonski, and how much Labor will spend. Yes, this is important. Gonski means much more than that. It is also about how and where the money will be spent. Gonski moves away from the present model, where states are responsible for their schools. The Feds for private schools. Gonski has looked at all aspects of education, across the land. It has come up with a model, that focus on the child, not the school. It also focuses on the individual need of the child. This is a massive change. Maybe there is not enough money to fully find what Gonskl envisage, but it is enough to establish it. If we let Gonski go, education will remain funded by the broken funding model we have now. For the future of the country, and the need to invest in human capital, Abbott must not be allowed to win. Gonski is just to important to let die. O'Farrell knows this. I believe that other parties are looking for a way to go with G'Farrell. Labor has been working on this since they came into power. There has been much work done. There has been a trial in many schools, of ow it will work. It is not a brain fart that the PM has just had. There is a great white wash occurring on Ray Hadley at the moment on ABC 1

nasking

20/05/2013 So, Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey want to cut to the bone...and they hope to put the GST up at some point on all of us...whilst cutting the school kids' bonus...and Super benefits for low paid workers... whilst getting rid of the mining tax for Gina and Twiggy...and giving them a cut in company tax... How FAIR is that when we read this?: [b]AUSTRALIA'S richest woman Gina Rinehart and fellow billionaire Andrew Forrest shared in more than $100,000 worth of taxpayer-funded handouts in their companies under Royalties for Regions last financial year. While the WA Government announced last week it was increasing household fees to manage "the state's finances in difficult times", in 2011-12 it handed $61,829 for an "innovative drilling" program, to Mr Forrest's Fortescue Metals Group, which is worth about $10.74 billion. And though the Government has been demanding "efficiency" cuts from its agencies for the past four years, it gave a further $38,551 from the same program to Hancock Prospecting, whose boss, Mrs Rinehart, was last year reported as earning about $600 a second. Since 2009, the drilling program, which is part of the royalties' Exploration Incentive Scheme, has paid more than $9.2 million to resource companies, some worth several hundred million dollars. The Government says the scheme aims "to encourage exploration in WA for the long-term sustainability of the state's resources sector". But nurses and WA Labor say the royalties public cash should be used to improve country hospitals, schools and policing, instead of being blown on wealthy miners.[/b] http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/royalties-for-rich-with-gina-rinehart-and-andrew-forrest-benefitting-from-taxpayer-funded-handouts/story-fnhohdoh-1226645997350 ENUFF IS ENUFF!!! ABBOTT WANTS TO MAKE US PAY... WHILST HE AND HIS STATE MATES PROVIDE WELFARE FOR MEGA-RICH GINA AND TWIGGY... NOT ON!!! N'

Kevin Rennie

20/05/2013Good stuff. Too many of the traditional gatekeepers are fixated on the medium rather than the messenger, on the journal rather than the journalist. I write (photograph, video etc) therefore I am... Have Sony, Will Travel. Enough navel gazing. I'm only interested in this debate when access is denied to 'citizen' journalists because people are trying to defend their traditional privileges.

TalkTurkey

20/05/2013Some of my tweets and retweets today (I actually tweet a good many more but they are not self-explanatory, many are replies to others' tweets.) TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 3m @jjp666 Drunken Abbortt sleeps thru Parlt debates His Policy RuGu makes drunken threats to indigenous man His COS on drunk driving charge! TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 1h @peartonjohnson Ditto. I'm not going to watch shit like Annabel Crabb's giggly presentation of a Fascist pig. @Peter_Fitz TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 4h @anncherie49 @nkweggs @TonyAbbottMHR At .075% BloodAlcohol everyone is too affected to drive & not blotto enough not to know it. SHE KNEW! @Bukumbooee @Edzones @TonyAbbottMHR That's his 2 top advisers have fuacked up within a month! Pyne too, heh heh, bet BO'F's impressed, Not! Deb ‏@harrypusspuss 5h Stop the boats, stop #gonski, stop clean energy initiatives, stop NBN, stop the progress, raise GST, raise taxes, pay polluters #myliberal TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey "Peta Credlin is an outstanding drunk driver..." Tony Abborrrrrrrrrtt Larvey ‏@Bukumbooee 5h @ABCNews24 @abcnews @QandA @ABC Please ask Peta Credlin's boss Tony Abbott whether she was driving a publically owned or financed vehicle. Retweeted by TalkTurkey TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey @AshGhebranious How many a time and oft Have I wished Labor interviewees Would bite back DON'T INTERRUPT YOU RUDE ****! TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 5h @BernardKeane @rupertmurdoch How can they look themselves in the mirror! @JaneCaro @QPublicServant How wd he know?He NEVER asks questions re Educn his shadow portfolio & he wouldn't be seen dead in a State School! @NannaHannah @SandraSearle @rupertmurdoch is a rabid ZiONiST! 8h @chrismurphys And wasn't Abbortt's "policy guru", the 1 that talks of slashing Aboriginal throats,"outstanding" likewise? Both do stand out! TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 9h @geeksrulz Only a little bit over? As in over kids drunks just run over? I'm over drunk drivers, inexcusable. The whole society's to blame. Just Another Tony ‏@watsongirlsdad 9h The press gallery always run out of questions before the PM runs out of answers. Tony Abbott always runs out of ..actually just runs out. Retweeted by TalkTurkey TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 9h @defenseAU That's precisely the sort of % where you KNOW you're too pissed to drive! Credlin is a dangerous criminal now imo.DELIBERATE DUI! TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 9h @Thefinnigans He's a pisspot is what he means. Seems like so's his nose-ring-puller Credlin, worse she drives when drunk. What % reading? TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 9h @suzlette333 @theage This man will be a NULL Prime Minister. TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 9h @mrumens I have been predicting lost links with PM for months now, hardly ever been wrong. It's beyond mischievous, it's corrupt. CORRUPT TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 11h @rupertmurdoch Tweet more often you old turd Each time you do you're more absurd I will give you The Hot Word: Twitter's giving u the bird! TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 11h @Malcolm4Leader @TurnbullMalcolm White man speak with forked tongue. TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey *J*U*L*I*A*s got all our ducks in a row! Bang! NBN,NDIS,GO GO GO! Bang! Price on Carbon, Bang MRRT! You Beauty *J*U*L*I*A* Girl U'll Do Me! TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey @CanberraMemes @davidbewart This 4 months post-budget time *J*U*L*I*A* & Team have always planned to be the time to go for the jugular. YAY! TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 12h New lead~article~writer on TPS! Jan Mahyuddin @j4gypsy http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2013/05/19/Whos-been-playing-in-MY-estate-Yet-more-ferment-in-the-fourth-and-fifth.aspx#comment … Comrades of the Fighting 5th please read, you'll like it! mango ‏@ByronBayMango 12h Gillard Picks Up A Million Votes: Nielsen: http://www.ellistabletalk.com/2013/05/19/gillard-picks-up-a-million-votes-nielsen/ … Leanne Donaldson ‏@BundyFlyGirl 13h Tony Abbott's legal team pro-bono in David Ettridge lawsuit http://news.com.au/national-news/tony-abbotts-legal-team-pro-bono-in-david-ettridge-lawsuit/story-fncynjr2-1226646308037 … Retweeted by TalkTurkey Mark ‏@markjs1 14h Let's be VERY clear ...a vote for Abbott & his thugs is a vote to INCREASE GST to 15%... on EVERYTHING!! #auspol Retweeted by TalkTurkey TalkTurkey ‏@TalkyTurkey 13h @davrosz Labor Lawyers, David Ettridge needs pro bono support for his challenge. He is a fair & reasonable bloke imo, not a rabid loony. Buttercup. ‏@_CaptnShogun 15h I think, therefore I am an atheist. #atheist Retweeted by TalkTurkey Political Tragic ‏@politicaltragic 14h @ABC_NewsRadio @barryofarrell Prissy would say that wouldn't he? Not 1 quest 2 Minister on Educ in 3years,thats how much he cares abt kids

nasking

20/05/2013 STEPHEN CONROY HAS TO GO...HE'S BEEN SLOW ROLLING OUT THE NBN...AGREED TO PAY TELSTRA FAR TOO MUCH MONEY...CAME UP WITH A GROTESQUE NET FILTERING SYSTEM..HAS FAILED TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM GAMBLERS...SPENT TIME AT THEIR EXPENSE WITH MEDIA BARONS GIVING THEM MILLIONS OF UNNECESSARY TAXPAYER DOLLARS...DELIBERATELY SABOTAGED THE MEDIA REFORM BILL...HAS COST THIS COUNTRY SOOO MUCH MONEY...HE'S IN THE CORPORATE AND MEGA-RICH POCKETS: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2013/05/16/3760902.htm SICKENING. CONROY OUT!!! NOW AND THE GOVT NEEDS TO SUPPORT RICHARD NATALE'S BILL AND SO ON SICK OF THIS GOVT BROWN-NOSING THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY AT CHILDREN AND FAMILY'S EXPENSE. N'

jane

20/05/2013Janet, a great post with plenty of food for thought. Lyn @3.52pm, I have the same misgivings as you wrt Politifacts. Reading your link, I realised that they had obviously not researched the alleged "carbon tax" lie meme. I would have thought that they would have checked what PMJG had actually said and based their rating on the facts. However, they seem to have just accepted the Liars version of events, which makes me think their ratings are unreliable. And quelle surprisement. Liealot has defended Credlin for drink driving. I have just finished reading all your wonderful links and will tackle comments tomorrow. I see Nas' is still on fire and can't wait to read his comments.

TalkTurkey

21/05/2013Patricia You nailed the most poignant moment in last week's sitting, the disgraceful abuse of Parliament as if it were a place of public entertainment. "His oratory had been inspired! Yes, the Gallery audience was hired." This is the behaviour Abborrrtt is attempting to instil and perpetuate in Australian politics. But never fear, we will stop him. Better still, we are in the process of doing so. So glad Tacker turned up! He's a naughty little Dog, this is not the first time he's strayed! :) And Cuppa! I felt every word. Brilliant. I too celebrate the power and freedom of the Fighting 5th Estate. Together we will shame and diminish the Flailing 4th, and if it continues to exist we will see to it that it changes for the very much better. We will. Or we will usurp it completely in the name of the People and of honesty. And now ... Jan Mahyuddin @j4gypsy ! What a scholarly, fresh, in-depth essay you have gifted us! We always knew you were clever but Gee you've opened our eyes. I'm actually a bit lost for words. But very proud of you. Fortunately Ad astra and several others have said what needed to be said. Just don't think you're gonna get away with just the one! Sincerely, it's a splendid and empowering article, thank you so much.

TalkTurkey

21/05/2013Lyn Re Politifact Me too, from the word Go. The very first verdict, as I remember it. Politifact seems to me as if it has its own agenda, not related to truth.

lyn

21/05/2013Today’s Links Raising the GST by @LarvatusProdeo the idea that Australia faces a “budget emergency” is bullshit, we do have some decisions to make. Australia’s governments do not raise enough tax revenue to pay for the services we want http://larvatusprodeo.net/archives/2013/05/raising-the-gst/ What Is Abbott Really Up To? By @newmatilda emotive language disconnected from reality (“skyrocketing debt”, “a spiral, deeper and deeper into debt”, “budget emergency”), sophistry (the implied need for “cost of living relief”), unsubstantiated generalisations (“bad government”) and simple fallacies, including a confusion of inflation with wealth http://newmatilda.com/2013/05/20/what-abbott-really Gillard’s budget boost by @CoffsOutlook the government will take heart from what it hopes is a return to the slow but steady poll recovery achieved in the second half of 2012 when Mr Abbott’s anti-carbon tax scare campaign collapsed. http://coffsoutlook.com/16497/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=16497 Whose views skew the news? Media chiefs ready to vote out Labor, while reporters lean left by @ConversationEDU This is further evidence to support the argument that Australian journalists’ worldviews and cultural backgrounds are still not representative of the general population. http://theconversation.com/whose-views-skew-the-news-media-chiefs-ready-to-vote-out-labor-while-reporters-lean-left-13995 Tony’s double carbon duplication redundancy by @macro_business Where is the sense in this? The carbon price will already fall to $10-$15 one year later when it joins the EU scheme. In the mean time, we’re going to go through this incredibly wasteful, markets destabilising, socially divisive exercise to rid the nation of a price that has been endorsed by the economic titans of both http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/05/tonys-double-carbon-duplication-redundancy/ Debt that goes bump in the night by @TheKouk Australia’s government finances are among the strongest in the world. The return to surplus is prudent and based on sound assumptions. Commentary to the contrary is based on fear, opinion and bias and not fact. http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/5/20/economy/debt-goes-bump-night This budget less dishonest than last year's by @1RossGittins this year the vociferous criticism of Treasury's forecasts and assumptions has come from the Opposition (they would say that), partisan economists and shock jocks who wouldn't know the difference between a forecast and a projection if it bit them on the backside. http://www.rossgittins.com/2013/05/this-budget-less-dishonest-than-last.html Every day it's a getting closer, more GST by @1petermartin Tony Abbott has said he will allow consideration of the GST in the tax review he will commission should he win the next election, but that any changes would be put to the people first at a subsequent election. http://www.petermartin.com.au/2013/05/every-day-its-getting-closer-more-gst.html Fears births will be brought forward by @1petermartin Treasurer Wayne Swan is being urged to smooth the ''sudden death'' end of the baby bonus, due to fall from $5000 to $500. http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/1512262/fears-births-will-be-brought-forward/?cs=7 Response to the reactions to the Budget reply by @OnLineOpinion Observers familiar with Australia's economy would have noticed in the presentation several stated or implied falsehoods and other curious claims. And might have expected some criticism from the commentariat.Well, not only was media reaction completely devoid of fulmination against the fibs, http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=15025 Sudden outbreak of responsibility from both parties on budget by Bernard Keane Abbott, while dancing around the issue, has declined to exclude the GST from his promised tax review. Of course, without the GST, such a review is entirely unnecessary while the Henry review sits unloved on Treasury bookshelves. Fixing the damage done to the GST by ex-Democrat head Meg Lees http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/05/20/sudden-outbreak-of-responsibility-from-both-parties-on-budget/ News Limited Seeks Excess Access To Your Social Media Accounts by @mwyres When signing up using your Twitter account, they want access to “read tweets from your timeline”, “see who you follow, and follow new people“, “update your profile“, and “post tweets for you“. http://michaelwyres.com/2013/05/news-limited-seeks-excess-access-to-your-social-media-accounts/ Whither the progressive voter? by @AusVotes2013 Thus, if you consider yourself a ‘progressive’ voter, the ultimate goal needs to be twofold; limiting the effectiveness of an Abbott government by voting Green in the senate, and sending a clear signal to the ALP that there is nothing to gain in drifting towards inhumane populism on asylum seekers. http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/05/20/whither-the-progressive-voter/ Big business beseiged Fairfax is un-Manning the barricades by @independentaus Most print financial media suffer from the same malaise; ideology and the kowtowing to favoured groups will always trump analysis and honesty. The genre is constitutionally dry. Witness incumbents of the economics editor role at the Fin: Michael Stutchbury in his natural habitat, author of the ‘seminal’ 1992 Gain from the pain http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/business/media-2/big-business-beseiged-fairfax-is-un-manning-the-barricades/ Hockey fumbles the ball – again – on Coalition economic policy by @crazyjane13 Asked to justify why the Coalition insisted on using the phrase ‘budget emergency’, Hockey at first flatly denied ever doing so (even though Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is still using it as of this morning), then fell back on familiar talking points. ' http://consciencevote.com.au/2013/05/20/hockey-fumbles-the-ball-again-on-coalition-economic-policy/ "a future akin to Europe's present"?, by Gary Sauer-Thompson Moir's cartoon is pretty accurate by you would guess that from business and political journalism. As we know the media’s commercial interest masquerading as news is not new and that a lot of the commentary is PR-driven churnalism. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2013/05/a-future-akin-t.php An Open Letter to the Moderators ABC Online by @FairMediaAllian Given the efforts of so many in the media to talk down Swan and talk up Abbott, this result looks to be pretty good for Labor.And then on Monday, the Morgan Poll:‘Last weekend’s multi-mode weekly Morgan Poll http://fairmediaalliance.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/an-open-letter-to-the-moderators-abc-online/ Abbott revisits superannuation at your expense by @no_filter_Yamba Australian Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott in his Budget Reply Speech of 16 May 2013 states he will not raise the compulsory superannuation contribution paid to Australian workers to 12 per cent: http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/abbott-revisits-superannuation-at-your.html Rupert reveals his hand by @MigloMT The answer is simple: he wants to make money out of us. And who can provide that? Tony Abbott. And how can he provide that? By ripping up the NBN. http://theaimn.com/2013/05/20/rupert-reveals-his-hand/ The art of journalism: satisfying beginners and expert readers by @BaxterSally What makes a journalist? A lot of people – inside and outside the profession – are asking that question. If you think it takes a genius, think again. Good journalists have a representative of their audience in mind who informs every step of their work. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/the-art-of-journalism-satisfying-beginners-and-expert-readers/ The Power Index: who’ll really decide the federal election? by @andrewjcrook The wonks, the flacks, the hacks and the headkickers — here are the people who are doing their damnedest to get Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott into the Lodge. The Power Index names the string-pullers. http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/05/20/the-power-index-wholl-really-decide-the-federal-election/ Baby Can I Hold You by @madwixxy To make grandiose public statements as Pyne did without knowing the facts shows a willingness to make things up as they go along, whether it’s right or wrong. http://wixxyleaks.com/2013/05/20/baby-can-i-hold-you/ Abbott budget reply a series of stumbles by Michael Gillies Smith Abbott cannot guarantee a fall in power prices in a carbon tax-free electricity market.The promise may haunt him from now until the election and, should he win the September election, beyond. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4700796.html Tony Abbott jumps on Labor's budget catch 22.2 by Mungo MacCallum Abbott's big promise was that he would do nothing substantial about anything http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4700314.html Whose views shape the news? by @btckr I think it is the editors (and the owners and managers) who are leading public opinion and the broader electorate is being led by the nose. The opinion polls (one of which, Newspoll, is half-owned by News Limited) are reflecting what the editors think, not what the “broader electorate” really thinks http://truthinmediaresourcecentre.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/whose-views-shape-the-news/ Turnbull rejects Labor’s NBN subsidy claims by @renailemay Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has strongly denied claims by Labor MPs that the Coalition’s rival National Broadband Network policy would see those in rural areas pay more to access NBN infrastructure, stating that the Coalition would maintain the so-called “cross-subsidy”. http://delimiter.com.au/2013/05/20/turnbull-rejects-labors-nbn-subsidy-claims/ Tony Abbott; Paedophiles, Murderers and War Criminals by @archiearchive DRUNK PEOPLE WHO DRIVE EVENTUALLY KILL PEOPLE! Yet Tony Abbott is full of praise for his dangerously drunken chief of staff. http://archiearchive.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/tony-abbott-paedophiles-murderers-and-war-criminals/ Mr Rabbit Takes Centre Stage, But Will He Regret It? by Patriciawa As I read Bushfire Bill’s article about Abbott’s fear, I agreed that Abbott was indeed afraid to face Prime Minister Gillard without a prepared speech and an audience also prepared to applaud on cue. http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/mr-rabbit-takes-centre-stage-but-will-he-regret-it-2/ Today’s Front Pages Australian Newspaper Front Pages for 21 May 2013 http://www.thepaperboy.com/australia/front-pages.cfm News headlines http://www.hotheadlines.com.au/

TalkTurkey

21/05/2013Oklahoma! Hugh Jackman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrDVzbeDzRk The Windy City Doris Day Can't stand her myself! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MnUrhptPSo

TalkTurkey

21/05/2013Lynnie! THIRTY Links! Mon Dieu! No newspaper in the WORLD has so much daily news and well-written thoughtful views as we do thanks to you!

Ad astra

21/05/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

21/05/2013Ken at May 20. 2013 10:47 AM and Ad Astra at May 20. 2013 11:01 AM: Hi Ken and Ad, Thank you both for your insightful comments yesterday. You seem both to be treading the same territory on the problem of the fourth estate shifting focus from facts and information to ‘opinion’, an issue also brought up by 2353 and Nas. Ken said: [i]‘It is the "explanation" part of the equation that blurs the picture because this can verge towards opinion.’[/i] But also: [i]‘The fifth estate, however, can also be dominated by opinion. For the fifth estate to be fully effective, it has to find the balance.’[/i] Ad said: [i]‘To me, the cardinal sin of too many Fourth Estate journalists is the way they write stories that match their ideological persuasions no matter what the facts might be ...’ Fifth Estate writers are subject to the same challenges, but in my opinion seem much less prone to the perversions we see in the Fourth Estate.’[/i] TPS has long been picking up on the problems with the fourth estate. I was interested in the way you both suggest how the fifth is facing similar challenges to the fourth. It is ironical that the charges the fourth levels at the fifth -- that it consists only of opinion, if not rant, is partisan and isn’t journalism -- is precisely what the fifth is shouting back at the fourth (and yes sometimes it shouts). I’m not sure if the fifth is less prone to perversion – but I do think the fourth still has more power to influence at this stage, although the power of the fifth grows. Or is it that the fifth is ’another country’ and we do power differently here? The testiness and the ‘testing’ between the estates is strong. Witness this Twitter exchange on 19 May between Stephanie Pilbrick (researcher, writer) and David Donovan of [i]Independent Australia[/i] which was partly retweeted last Sunday. (By the way Nas, thank you for the extra information on David – hadn’t realised he’d written for several branches of the fourth: [i]The Drum[/i] and [i]The Punch[/i]): [i]IndependentAustralia ‏@independentaus19 May[/i] @Steph_Philbrick @dufussy IA supports an independent Australia (sovereignty), Independents in politics and independent thought. [i]Stephanie Philbrick ‏@Steph_Philbrick19 May[/i] .@independentaus To clarify, “Independents in politics”=independent MPs. “independence in politics”=free thought. Are you sure? @dufussy [i]IndependentAustralia ‏@independentaus19 May[/i] @Steph_Philbrick @dufussy We promote Independent (not party) politics http://www.independentaustralia.net/resource-for-independents … and independent (not groupthink) thought. [i]Stephanie Philbrick ‏@Steph_Philbrick19 May[/i] @independentaus And if you are anti- major political parties, but without bias, I would expect coverage of ALL parties. You don’t. @dufussy [i]IndependentAustralia ‏@independentaus19 May[/i] @Steph_Philbrick @dufussy We are a progressive publication. We support progressive policies and ideas. Read: http://www.independentaustralia.net/about/ [i]Stephanie Philbrick ‏@Steph_Philbrick19 May[/i] @independentaus You can keep pointing to position statements, but to claim IA presents balanced/independent reportage is false. @dufussy [i]IndependentAustralia ‏@independentaus19 May[/i] @dufussy @Steph_Philbrick We are an unashamedly progressive publication and we support Independents in politics. http://www.independentaustralia.net/about/ [i]Stephanie Philbrick ‏@Steph_Philbrick19 May[/i] @independentaus My point is that you present yourself as independent from bias, yet an anti-party political agenda is far from that @dufussy [i]Stephanie Philbrick ‏@Steph_Philbrick19 May[/i] @independentaus The stories IA invests this kind of time and energy in are very much cherry-picked, so yes, I question its true independence

denese

21/05/2013testing 123 dear add astra, are u able to stop the notify button please accidently ticked I dear my emails box if full of your wonderful posters are things turning I thought the word gst would wake a few people up,, I did read he has backed away from that now, so they did before remember the words never ever the gst well we got one, so whats that only PPL left and tree planting of course the real policies is what he takes and doesn't all very mean spirited but the one that no pension will be indexed must be the most unchristian one and from one who says he is Christian,,, really

42 long

21/05/2013The upsurge of interest in modifying the GST is orchestrated by the predictable sections who don't really like taxes at all. The idea that all the states (ALL of them not the majority) hAD to agree to having it changed, was SOLD to us to ensure that the arrangement that got through was extremely unlikely to be tampered with) This included a rate of 10% and exclusions books education basic food etc. EVERY HONEST person knows this hits the low income person the MOST. Those who HAVE to use every cent of their income to just get by pay it on every dollar. It's inflationary too. also the last time it was compensated for at the introduction. The impost carries on forever and the taxes it was supposed to abolish still remain. The introduction of the tax last time nearly caused the defeat of Howard's government and the work of the democrats in aiding it's introduction by 'softening ' the effect on the vulnerable eventually broke the democrats apart and they are no more. I feel (and hope) that the resistance to this will be at least as great as it was last time although some voters will have no memory of the last occasion. The amount of paperwork is considerable and broadening it out could mean everything is taxed each time it changes hands. there will be a drift to a cash economy and then enforcement will have to be taken to reduce that. Brave New World. "we know where you are and every cent you spend". wouldn't that information be worth a bit t a lot of people? Hopefully this will be a bigger problem for the abbot than Labor. I would trust Labor much MORE than the business controlled abbot group Inc to look after the little people. Abbott has qualified what is the truth from him, but would you trust his qualification. You can be sure he is OWNED by his backers who WILL have their pound of flesh whether it is good for the country or not.

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

21/05/2013KHTGH at May 20. 2013 03:23 PM: Thank you for the kind comment Knee-High :). PippinbarraFox at May 20. 2013 12:01 PM: Thank you for a comment that is pure poetry (and consummate wordsmithery) in tracing the circular patterns in human communication technologies (or, I think! that’s what you’re doing :-)). It was lovely to see Ken elaborate on your thinking by drawing analogies between bloggers and the pamphleteers of earlier centuries. You are suggesting that the ‘thousand hands’ of the fifth are powerful in their own right and have no need of the now antiquated concepts of journalistic ethics? I would suggest, though, that the old ways are not gone yet, and that the battle to keep them is pretty fierce. Kevin Rennie noted (May 20. 2013 09:22 PM) that sometimes “access is denied to 'citizen' journalists because people are trying to defend their traditional privileges”. And that’s true, as we see with the Press Gallery. But the anxiety engendered in some journalists of integrity about the ‘quality’ of what is being produced by the fifth estate is leading less to denying access and more to bringing the fifth into the fold and ‘upskilling’ it. Surely that is problematic, too, unless the fourth looks very hard at what’s seriously going wrong with itself! Lyn’s Links yesterday brought us a piece from the [i]AFHP[/i] site by Margo Kingston [http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/ethics-overboard-how-to-promote-integrity-in-the-moment-of-choice/]. In Margo’s preamble she wrote: [i]"With all the talk about stronger shield laws for journos, I think we are edging ever closer to needing an answer to the question: What is a journalist? We cannot argue for special protections and exemptions from privacy laws unless we can distinguish ourselves from non-journalists. To me the essential requirement is commitment to a genuinely accountable code of ethics, yet this is still just a dream …I will run several pieces covering different aspects of the ‘What is a journalist’ question in the hope of genuine discussion on this vexed and increasingly urgent issue given the rise and rise of new media."[/i] Lyn’s Links today bring another piece by another practising journalist, Sally Baxter also writing for [i]AFHP[/i] [http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/the-art-of-journalism-satisfying-beginners-and-expert-readers/]. It’s an anecdotal piece that’s worth the read and includes this: [i]“… back in those days there was a huge divide between journalist and audience. That’s been smashed and in the ensuing chaos it’s not unusual to stumble upon the existential question: What makes a journalist? If it’s just being an idiot then our numbers are now legion, as the coverage of the Boston bombings made clear, with many journalists performing no better than ordinary citizens. When it comes to accurate reporting it may be we are all just ill-informed idiots now. And yet, we recognise the difference when we see it. It’s the pretty obvious difference between “OMG A BOMB!” and “There are unverified reports of an explosion. Stay tuned for updates”. What makes a journalist? Now, more than ever, the relationship with the audience – the mythical middle manager, the person trying to make ends meet, the person who was described in a different age as the “man on the omnibus,” the idiot. That’s it. Be an idiot, ask the dumb questions any idiot would ask. But, never, ever treat the audience like fools. Not if you want to be a real journalist.”[/i]

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

21/05/2013Morning Lynnie (at May 20. 2013 05:02 PM), Jane (at May 20. 2013 11:20 PM) and TT (May 21. 2013 01:29 AM). Thanks guys for your kind and generous comments on the piece. (TT: apologies for the ‘scholarly’: old research habits die hard. Really want to be able to write like a journalist! :-)) About [i]PolitiFacts[/i]: Lyn, couldn’t agree more with your delicious and spot-on comment: [i]“If PolitiFact’s Peter Fray! were to fact check the journalists they would be writing all day and all night, there would be a bonfire of pants on fire.” [/i] And agree with TT and Jane’s comments on [i]PolitiFacts[/i], too. I had initially assumed they would pick up on misrepresentation and misleading, value-laden language, as well as non-factual statements in the media. But they’re focusing only on politicians’ statements it seems. While I was one of the tweeps hoping [i]PolitFacts[/i] would come to Oz, I’ve been equally disappointed at the shallowness of their approach. Am leaning more to what the committed bods on Twitter often say: that Twitter’s multi-tentacles provide one of the best fact-checking tools we have!

Ad astra

21/05/2013Lorraine The only suggestion I can make is to 'untick' the box under the Comments box that is adjacent to 'Notify me when new comments are added ' I hope that works. I'll also ask Web Monkey.

Ad astra

21/05/2013Hi Lyn Once again I’ve enjoyed your links. If only MSM journalists were as critical of Tony Abbott’s budget reply speech as was Ian McAuley in [i]New Matilda[/i]. As usual, The Kouk says it the way it is, unlike most of the MSM. And Ross Gittins is as sound as ever. [i]Macrobusiness[/i] is a good find with a succession of good material. Pity Tony Abbott doesn’t read these pieces.

Curi-Oz

21/05/2013Good heavens, Janet. Why would you ever want to write like modern journalists when you can write like journalists used to write, with research and clarity of thought! I read a fair amount online, both for work and for pleasure (like here), and find that a well written piece is always easier to read and understand than some of the dross produced by 'professional journalists'. Fortunately there are still some 'pro-journalists' who can still write in a way that informs rather than merely opine. I wish I could say that I was suprised by PolitiFactsAU, but discovering that the editor was associated with News Ltd did not leave a lot to be surprised at. After all, this is yet another American import (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PolitiFact.com) into Australia's political landscape *sighs* It would be nice if we could find a real Australian version of the idea unassociated with the major news companies... *whistful*

TalkTurkey

21/05/2013Gypsy Jan You could be a decent scholar without being a journalist, but the problem with the journalists of today is that few have ever been decent scholars. They do not know the meaning of intellectual rigour. I'm sorry if my calling your article 'scholarly' seems akin to Sir Humphrey calling an initiative of Minister Hacker 'courageous' but you'll just have to wear it. :)

Michael

21/05/2013The most efficient fact-checking mechanism in contemporary Australian politics is to listen to whatever the most recent utterance from a Coalition politician is, and... Know it ain't a fact. In support of my case, I give you, ta daaa!, Christopher Pyne, Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey, Scott Morrison, Julie Bishop... well, the Coalition party room's membership list is on the Web somewhere.

Janet (j4gypsy)

21/05/2013Ah, you are a clever witty bunch :-). Curi-Oz and TT: I promise from hereonin that I shall never, ever, wish to be like a 'Modern Major Journalist'! :-) And Michael: perfect. :-)

jane

21/05/2013TT, couldn't agree more wrt Politifact. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt after that first verdict, but as you say it seems to be pursuing an agenda set bya certain wizened foreigner, I suspect. WRT the Rupert tweet, do you reckon with a mug like that, he'd even have a mirror anywhere near him? I must say he looks just like the picture of Dorian Gray in the attic. Pity we couldn't lock the old mongrel in the attic with just that vile face for company. [quote]Pity Tony Abbott doesn’t read these pieces.[/quote] Would he understand them if he did manage to read them, Ad astra? Blimey, i was going to read comments today, but by the look of the feast Lyn's set before us, I may be some time.

Pappinbarra Fox

21/05/2013Janet at 9.51 you said [quote]You are suggesting that the ‘thousand hands’ of the fifth are powerful in their own right and have no need of the now antiquated concepts of journalistic ethics? [/quote] Nah I was alluding to a thousand hands (like a thousand cranes)clapping singly. But you make insightful points otherwise so "ta". As to ethics I was suggesting that the current journos have abbrogated their ethical approach to their trade (at the covert [or overt]behest of their lord and maaster). The need for ethics in all discourse is paramount, but observed more in the breach than the adherence with todays journos. The point I was making though, was that the trade of journalism has been a brief interlude in the history of humankind and human communication. Lasting what, a coupla hunnert years at best - preceded by gossip and postceded by gossip - of which the current journos are leading the uptake and thus contributing to the demise of ethical "news" communication. Twitter is gossip on steroids, but bloggin' in some cases is hanging onto rational discourse, though not in other cases - to wit the trolls here, there and everywhere. Oh and Ken - good point too. Cheers

Patriciawa

21/05/2013Wow, Janet! Ad Astra was understating things a bit with his initial description of your post as [i]thought provoking![/i] Looking back on all the commentary you've 'provoked' I think he'd agree that [i]'mind boggling!'[/i] might be an understatement too! Reading your article and following up on your links has absorbed me since most of yesterday, and then catching up on all the links of the commentators who've felt compelled to put their oar in too is still challenging me. I still am only half way through Lyn's Links which I normally see as my first reading treat of the day. But I've had to stop reading to tell you that like Talk Turkey I'm looking forward to seeing more of your stimulating stuff here at the Sword. You've obviously hit on a pretty hot topic here, but your manner of presenting it, backed up with sound arguments and searching links suggests we'll be similarly stimulated with whatever you and AA agree should be the topic of your next post. The failure to our democracy of our current main stream print media, the fourth estate, suborned as it has been by Rupert Murdoch, is very much on our minds as we approach this election. Thank providence for the fifth estate, poised to replace it, where we citizen writers have an opportunity to become as useful, even powerful, as those [i]'pamphleteers'[/i] of the past, as one of your commentators has suggested. Thank you! Back to reading now.

42 long

21/05/2013Do Journalists like kate McClymont and others realise they are trashing their trade? Reputations cannot be bought. They are earned

Sir Ian Crisp

21/05/2013[quote][b]Feel the WINDS OF CHANGE...ARROGANT ABBOTT ABOUT TO BE TOPPLED OFF HIS PERCH. N' nasking [/b][/quote] Essential Research says you're dreaming (or is it larfin'). May 20 2PP figures remain unchanged with ALP on 45% and the other mob on 55%. I think I know what it is you feel and yes it's wind all right but it's foul smelling. Better tell Essential Research to wake up and start reporting more accurately.

TalkTurkey

21/05/2013Gypsy Jan, Patricia is quite right, this article of yours is really astonishingly germane, it's not just the substance which is impressively researched: what is best about it is the very choice of subject, it is the very nub!

Ken

21/05/2013Fiona love the close-up cat gravatar but I'm replying to congatulate you on making the link with the pamphleteers back in 2008. (and I do mean that sincerely). As a bit of a closet amateur historian myself I am always pleased to see others making the historical connections with current events and activities. It's a pity more people don't understand history. I'm always amazed watching telly how little so many people know about our history, including many young journalists. Society has changed and now, it appears, that history is something that happened a month ago and ancient history perhaps a year ago. We live in a time when the present is all embracing, in my view, to our detriment - as the Santayana aphorism says, [quote]Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.[/quote] I won't go on as this is one of my hobby horses. But good to see your comment.

bob macalba

21/05/2013Another headache for the tory[bastards] to deal with, check out the Drum poll, its only early but 60% believe abbort will bring back workchoices...tick tock http://www.abc.net.au/news/thedrum/ nice article Jan[gypsy] enjoyed it and all the accompanying comments. cheers

bob macalba

21/05/2013Meant to post this as well http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4702770.html cheers

DMW

21/05/2013Jayfa, [i]How cool is that?, as someone a quarter of my age might say[/i] Would someone about 5 years and 3 months really say that? :P

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

21/05/2013Timely, apt and ept: Mr Demore's [b]'Damned lies and journalism'[/b]. S[i]o ask yourself: When did journalism become defined by an ability to just make stuff up so long as it attracts sufficient eyeballs? When did success in journalism become defined as a capacity for creating click-bait that panders to prejudice, ignorance and the ambitions of flaky political carpetbaggers? When did business journalism become about supplying unpaid PR spin for rent-seeking lobbies seeking to pass off their own commercial interests as the public interest? At what point did economic journalists decide that the facts were just too inconvenient to fit a prevailing political narrative? Finally, when did we sit back in Australia and decide to let a US citizen who presides over an organisation that hacks phones, promotes illegal wars and trashes corporate governance to promote regime change and run our democracy by remote? And, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Murdoch does all of this in the name of freedom.[/i] http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/damned-lies-and-journalism.html?spref=tw

Patriciawa

22/05/2013 [b]Remember! “True Liberty Is When Free-born Men Speak Free!” [/b] John Milton’s [i]Areopagitica,[/i] Crying freedom for the press Back in 17th century England, Resisted monarchy’s excess. His tract was a mighty weapon In democracy’s progress. We are the beneficiaries Of his most eloquent address. But we ‘free-born’ are complicit, As we watch and acquiesce While that freedom is abused With a brazen shamelessness. We encouraged one man’s ambition To buy up, control, possess As property our thoughts in print, And we applauded his success. We shared profits with this behemoth Who now destroys our happiness And publishes news of the world, Writ as he commands it be expressed. This threat of global tyranny, Warns that it’s time to re-possess What for him is now a licence To break all rules and decency transgress. Our precious freedom so perverted Has caused democracy’s regress. Let’s use our laws while we still can, Redeem ourselves, and truly free the press. http://polliepomes.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/remember-true-liberty-is-when-free-born-men-speak-free/

lyn

22/05/2013Today’s Links Damned Lies and Journalism by @MrDenmore presented as "news" (not opinion) by the likes of the Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun, are not true. They are misrepresentations, they are distortions and, in some cases, they are outright lies manufactured by a media magnate seeking to deliver an election outcome http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/damned-lies-and-journalism.html?spref=tw The Imaginary Budget Emergency by @beneltham there can be no doubt that some serious austerity is on the cards should the Coalition take office. “Thanks to Labor’s poor management over five years, there is now a budget emergency,” Abbott claimed, a statement that must rather surprise the finance ministers of Greece and Cyprus. http://newmatilda.com/2013/05/21/imaginary-budget-emergency What is Abbott up to? by @LarvatusProdeo By the way, the gallery that clapped Abbott so enthusiastically was an invited audience. I wonder whether there is scope for games to be played on this one. http://larvatusprodeo.net/archives/2013/05/what-is-abbott-up-to/ Why Are theRight So Feral? by @saint13333 Never in my life have I come across a human rabble so feral. So nefarious, so malevolent, so xenophobic, so bigoted, so crass, so homophobic so ubiquitous, discourteous and disgustingly bad mannered. http://theaimn.com/2013/05/21/why-are-theright-so-feral/ Opposition claim about Budget and PEFO by @PMOPressOffice Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey claim they cannot release their fully costed and funded commitments until after Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook (PEFO) is released because they say the fiscal and economic figures produced in the Budget are not accurate and cannot be trusted. http://pmopressoffice.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/opposition-claim-about-budget-and-pefo/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog Budgeting in Challenging Times by Treasury Address to The Australian Business Economists, Dr Martin Parkinson PSM | Secretary to the Treasury http://www.treasury.gov.au/PublicationsAndMedia/Speeches/2013/Budgeting-in-Challenging-Times Hockey strenuously denies negative gearing review Shadow Treasurer did not, or is not, examining the perverse tax with a view to reform.On one final note, in its two and half year history of cutting edge analysis, not once has MB been approached so quickly about reversing a story. Nnnnzzzzzz. http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/05/hockey-strenuously-denies-negative-gearing-review/ Fund managers hold the Aussie dollar in their hands by @TheKouk I have been speaking to a number of top-tier fund managers dotted around the world. On balance, each probably has a quite a few billion dollars tied up in their Australian bond and fixed income portfolios and with the stunning strength of the Australian dollar and http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/4/24/economy/fund-managers-hold-aussie-dollar-their-hands#ixzz2Tuux80E0 It’s All About The dB/km’s by @sortius it has become increasingly apparent even to the layman that Malcolm Turnbull’s broadband policy is a dud. There are no redeeming features (it’s not cheap, it won’t be deployed faster, & the cost/benefit of the policy is hard to see in a positive light) http://sortius-is-a-geek.com/?p=2983 Chocolate-box TV’: Carlton blasts Hadley Oz Story ‘travesty’ by @KnottMatthew “I described his program as a temple of hatred … By selectively and deceptively editing me, By selectively and deceptively editing me, they recruited me into his fan club.” http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/05/21/chocolate-box-tv-carlton-blasts-hadley-oz-story-travesty/ The Power of fibre by @ALeighMP Tony Abbott's brash statement that he is 'confident 25 megs is enough for the average household' reminds me how easy it is to underestimate the changes that technology can bring. When I bought my first computer in 1984, it had 3½ kilobytes of memory. That sounds tiny now, but it was about that time http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=15029 Trying for Pyne and Entsch accountability on @MRowlandMP baby leave by @margokingston1 It’s an accountability responsibility of the fourth estate which involves seeking to uncover the truth and insisting that politicians who have not told the truth correct the record and explain the reasons for their falsehoods. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/trying-for-pyne-and-entsch-accountability-on-mrowlandmp-baby-leave/ Oops I Did It Again by @madwixxy For McClymont to attack him via the press based on flawed so-called investigations, the word of dodgy witnesses, and outright lies, is not only an attack on Thomson, it is an attack on democracy by a member of the main stream press http://wixxyleaks.com/2013/05/21/oops-i-did-it-again/ Forget the Messenger & focus on the Message for a change by @YaThinkN I don’t know why Kevin Rudd has raised this issue again. For all I know he really does care & has been doing some soul searching. He could also be trying to raise his profile again, who knows. http://yathink.com.au/article-display/forget-the-messenger-focus-on-the-message-for-a-change,73 To the Node Policy by @AshGhebranious The coalition are not fans of addressing an issue so much as masking one. Their concept of financial management is to minimise spending, including on investment projects. http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/to-the-node-policy/ Budgets, A Letter, Calibre, Emergencies, Contemplative Moments & Sheep by @knarfnamduh I was particularly impressed by the NO Coalition loading up the general public area with supporters who cheered and clapped at every utterance of the Leader of the Opposition. As a budget reply it left much to be desired, long on slagging and short on detail. http://deknarf.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/graphical-manipulations-35-budgets-a-letter-calibre-emergencies-contemplative-moments-sheep/ A letter from the Office of the Prime Minister by @TeamOyeniyi I am pleased to see, despite it being budget week last week, we have a Prime Minister who does communicate with the electorate. While Julia has not read Love versus Goliath, http://teamoyeniyi.com/2013/05/20/a-letter-from-the-office-of-the-prime-minister/ Gresham’s Second Law by @watermelon_man The ABC, retaining the air of authority, of credibility, of objectivity, built up carefully over decades by good people, is providing legitimacy in turn to News Ltd. The procession of News Ltd journalists, columnists, the reviewing of the papers, the breathless presentation of Murdoch Memes, all replace the original good http://davidhortonsblog.com/2013/05/21/greshams-second-law/ Radio 2GB launches its own Media Watch by @mumbrella Jonathan Holmes, stands down by the end of the month, as I read.”Bolt didn’t get the gig rather Paul Barry did… but that hasn’t stop Andrew and night host Steve Price setting up their very own Media Watch http://mumbrella.com.au/radio-2gb-launches-its-own-media-watch-157093 What’s life really like on the NBN? (Part II) by Computerworld Williams has been connected to the NBN for around 15 months and is on the 100/40Mbps speed with Exetel, paying around $50 a month. Williams says she signed up to the fastest speed on the network because the price was comparable to what she was paying on ADSL2 with TPG. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/462402/what_life_really_like_nbn_part_ii_/?fp=16&fpid=1 Today’s Front Pages Australian Newspaper Front Pages for 22 May 2013 http://www.thepaperboy.com/australia/front-pages.cfm News headlines http://www.hotheadlines.com.au/

Janet (j4gypsy)

22/05/2013PatriciaWa at May 21. 2013 05:46 PM, and at May 22. 2013 12:27 AM: Thank you Patricia for your kind and encouraging comments. (Have felt very privileged to have the opportunity from Ad to share discussion with TPSers this way.) Thank you, too, for re-posting your fine poem from your own blog site, and for leading us back to your collection of resource articles on the biggest battle the PM faces: the battle to overcome Murdoch! TT at May 21. 2013 06:58 PM: Yes, the topic is germane - that never more superbly illustrated than by following Patricia's link to find this piece from Ad from 12 months ago!: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2012/05/05/Julia-Gillard-can-defeat-Tony-Abbott-in-2013-But-how-does-she-neutralize-Rupert-Murdoch.aspx It's more than worth reading again for Ad's always acute observations and absolute prescience. Bob at May 21. 2013 07:27 PM: Glad you enjoyed the piece and are enjoying the ensuing discussion. DMW at May 21. 2013 08:36 PM: As one might have said when one [i]was[/i] a quarter of one's present age: 'Flattery will get you absolutely nowehere!' :-). (Nice to see you back, by the way; was wondering where you were ...) Lynnie, at 6.41 a.m. today: you are, as ever, the most remarkable tweetie that ever flew across the blogosphere, gathering tidbits from the fifth to fight the wicked Murdochian wizard, leader of the fourth :-).

nasking

22/05/2013 NOTICED ON ABC 24 THIS MORN TIM WILSON FROM THE LIBERAL PARTY/LIBERTARIAN THINK TANK...THE MOOD WAS SOMBRE ALL MORNING, APPROPRIATELY, DUE TO THE UNFOLDING TRAGIC SCENES FROM THE TORNADO... YET TIM SITS THERE WITH A BIG GRIN ON HIS MUG GOING "GOOD MORNING!!!" IN A LOUD VOICE. TELLS ME EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT IPA LOT. LACK OF EMPATHY. IT'S ALL ABOUT SOCIAL ENGINEERING AND CUTTING TAXES FOR THE CORPORATIONS. AND OF COURSE, THEY ARE CLIMATE CHANGE SCEPTICS IN THE POCKET OF BIG OIL AND BIG COAL. I HOPE AUSTRALIA KNOWS WHAT IT'S IN FOR IF THIS LOT GET VOTED IN. BTW, HOW WONDERFUL THAT ELDERLY LADY FOUND HER DOG. HAD A FEW TEARS. N'

Ad astra

22/05/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Ad astra

22/05/2013Hi Lyn I couldn’t resist reading Mr Denmore’s piece [i]Damned Lies and Journalism[/i] before getting out of bed on this frigid morning. It is magnificent. Everyone, including journalists, and in particular Murdoch journalists, must read it. It feeds into the piece I’m now writing for this coming weekend. http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/damned-lies-and-journalism.html BTW, I’m over my usage limit, so I’m slowed to dial-up speed. Therefore I probably won’t be around much today, until I get to Melbourne this evening where I’m on ADSL.

nasking

22/05/2013 Just got off the phone with a good friend in Sydney who cleans a lot of people's houses...and being a highly sociable character he speaks to a lot of people...I mean this fella speaks to hundreds of people a month he's so gregarious... he reckons the hate and distrust of Abbott is growing...so many beginning to realise how bad a government under him would be. He told me he was SURE Julia was gonna WIN. First time he's said that to me...and I ring him once a month. I was gobsmacked. N'

nasking

22/05/2013 PERHAPS ABBOTT WILL PRETEND OTHERWISE...THIS COULD BE ANOTHER LIBERAL GAME...AND IT CERTAINLY WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO OPEN UP SOME SPURIOUS DEBATE ABOUT MONOPOLIES AND TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS...JUST LIKE IN THE UK... BUT THE CORPORATISATION OF THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER IS ALREADY GOING ON... AND WE KNOW THAT [b]IN THE LONG RUN THE WORK OF MAKING THE ABC AND SBS INTO BORG-LIKE ENTITIES IS TO SUIT MURDOCH, CHANNEL NINE AND FRIENDS... THE ABC AND SBS WILL BE FILLED WITH THEIR CORPORATE DRONES ACTING OUT THE WISHES OF QUEEN RUPERT AS PART OF THE HIVE.[/b] [b]HOW MUCH POWER CAN ONE GREEDY UGLY FCKER WANT?:[/b] [b]State Liberals propose privatising ABC, SBS[/b] http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/state-liberals-propose-privatising-abc-sbs-20130521-2jz5d.html KNOW A BORG-LIKE MURDOCH PROPAGANDA SHIP WHEN YOU SEE ONE. EVEN STEPHEN CONROY HAS BORG CHARACTERISTICS. AS FOR THE IPA's JOHN ROSKAM...AND TIM WILSON...CORPORATE CYBERNETIC ORGANISMS PRETENDING TO BE LIBERTARIAN FREE SPEECHERS... THEY ARE A NEW VERSION...TRYING TO SEDUCE THE AVERAGE FOLK... ASSIMILATE THEM...GRINNING LIKE CHESHIRE CATS... ALL HAIL THE MURDOCH HIVE AND THEIR FOREVER WAR ON YER POCKETS AND RATIONAL THINKING...RUNNING ON THE HOPE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY...AND MORE THAN A SNIFF OF AN OLD OILY RAG. BELIEVE ME...RESISTANCE IS NOT...I REPEAT NOT...FUTILE. N'

nasking

22/05/2013 ABBOTT AND NEWMAN TOGETHER IS LIKE COSTELLO AND NEWMAN TOGETHER. N'

nasking

22/05/2013 TONY ABBOTT...ADULT: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=upDGAtHzwxg N'

nasking

22/05/2013 MORE OF TONY ABBOTT...ADULT: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QxwkbkXGPdM&feature=related N'

nasking

22/05/2013 I RANG MY WIFE YESTERDAY AFTER SCHOOL AND TOLD HER ABOUT THE TORNADO...SHE HADN'T HEARD...WAS RUNNING LATE, TWO HOURS AFTER SCHOOL HAD ENDED... SHE WAS VOLUNTEERING AT THE HOMEWORK CENTRE. TELLS YA SOMETHING ABOUT THE COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS...AND A LOT ABOUT THOSE WHO DUMP ON THEM... AND WANT TO MAKE THEM CASUALTIES AS THEY CUT TO THE BONE: Sixth-grade teacher Rhonda Crosswhite was among those who stayed behind. She hid in a bathroom stall with six of the children and draped herself across them as the tornado struck. Students screamed and begged for her not to die. She shouted reassurances back and prayed. By the time the tornado had passed, it had completely shredded the school building around them. There were children who didn’t survive. But Crosswhite and the children she protected all lived. Crosswhite’s story is already one of the best-known examples of teacher heroism to emerge from Monday night’s devastation in Moore, Oklahoma. There are others: educators at Plaza Towers and Briarwood Elementary pulled children out of the rubble, shielded them from harm, or just comforted them in the face of unimaginable destruction. Last December, several teachers and a principal at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, died along with students when a gunman entered the school and opened fire. Other teachers hid their students in classrooms and closets, helping them to be quiet and safe until the shooting stopped. “[b]You don’t go into teaching for the money,” Oklahoma Education Association president Linda Hampton told MSNBC Tuesday. ”You go into teaching because you care about the kids. You spend more of your waking hours as a teacher with those children than anyone does, and they become your children. And just like any parent, you’re going to protect them at all costs.”[/b] Yet the role of protector during the hours in which children are in their care sometimes seems to have been lost in the public debate about education. Rarely recognized as champions of their students, public educators are more often targets of small-government conservatives and education reformers. Teachers across the country have watched their profession chipped away by school closures, mass layoffs, budget cuts, and other measures. Pressure to deliver top test scores has led to backlashes in some areas of the country. And cheating scandals, in which some educators altered scores to help advance their schools or protect themselves, harmed the reputations of teachers nationwide just as many were struggling to keep their jobs. Since 2009, local and state-level budget cuts have cost public educators over 300,000 jobs. Tens of thousands more could disappear as a result of the federal government’s across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester. In Chicago, teachers are currently fighting what could be the largest round of school closures ever to occur in a single American school district with 54 schools on the line. In Michigan, more than 50 districts face budget deficits and the specter of a state-imposed Emergency Manager who could order further cuts. In 2011, teachers in Wisconsin lost the right to collective bargaining. And across the country, educators are being squeezed by high-stakes testing, concessionary contract bargaining, and charter schools which sap their student populations. These policies are usually implemented in the name of fiscal prudence and school reform. “The biggest trend that has impacted [teachers] has been the cuts to education funding, and that translates into a whole lot of different things,” including mass layoffs, larger class sizes and limited resources, said National Education Association president Dennis Van Roekel. http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/05/21/americas-teachers-heroes-in-a-crisis-but-otherwise-under-fire/ AND YOU WONDER WHY I DETEST THE CORPORATISATION OF OUR WORLD... AND THAT SMUG MEGA-RICH LITTLE BASTARD MURDOCH SITTING IN HIS CONTROL TOWER SENDING HIS TABLOID BORG-LIKE MUCK-RACKERS OUT THERE TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO PAINT ALL TEACHERS WITH THE SAME NEGATIVE BRUSH... CREATING A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN TEACHERS...PARTICULARLY PUBLIC SCHOOL ONES... JUST SO HE CAN USE HIS POLITICIANS DRIVEN BY MANIPULATED POLLS AND SHOCK JOCKS AND RANTING VOICES TO UNDERMINE THE UNIONS...DESTROY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING...MAKE CUTS...REDUCE PAY AND SUPERANNUATION...TURN THEM INTO SERFS... COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER IN A SOCIAL DARWINIAN NIGHTMARE... WHILST HE SITS LORDING OVER ALL... CREATING A DYNASTY OF BORGS. FOR HIS PROFITEERING, CRUSADING FOREVER WAR. [b]NOT ON MY WATCH.[/b] DON'T TRUST ANY KIND GESTURES BY NEWS CORPORATION TOWARDS PUBLIC TEACHERS...THEY ARE TRAINED TO FOOL...AND SEDUCE... [b]FAUX BALANCE.[/b] N'

lyn

22/05/2013Good Morning Ad I don't blame you, the weather is freezing here too. Mr Denmore another enjoyable read, he gets it right all the time every time. My days have turned into a busy nightmare. We are moving, our house sold in one week and the buyer's house sold in one day. Everything happened in a minute, so now there is a frantic, flapping, frenzy going on. We are moving to the next suburb but doesn't lessen the work involved. Talk Turkey, as always a big thankyou. Patricia, thankyou , your work is appreciated very much, you are a treasure. Jane, thankyou to you, your comments are always golden. Janie Gypsy, thankyou, you are our VIP celebrity, we love your work. A few links for you all, Abbott’s been praying for victory. ABC and SBS are being threatened . John Pratt ‏ Abbott 'prays every day' for election victory. We've got to wipe the smile of this bastards face! #auspol http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/-2jxw1.html David Donovan ‏Mark Scott makes ABC staff pander to IPA & LNP over fear of losing their jobs under Abbott. But they will anyway. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/state-liberals-propose-privatising-abc-sbs-20130521-2jz5d.html#poll … State Liberals propose privatising ABC, SBS Tony Abbott is facing internal pressure from Victorian Liberals to privatise the ABC and SBS if he wins the September 14 election amid claims both organisations are struggling to comply with their charters. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/state-liberals-propose-privatising-abc-sbs-20130521-2jz5d.html#ixzz2TyNEBGzW 100 Ways to Stop Tony Abbott Countdown It’s time to use our collective strength to turn the momentum against the conservatives and stop Tony Abbott once and for all.From 7 June this website and linked Twitter and Facebook accounts will be providing you with 100 practical ways to stop a Liberal/National victory http://stoptony2013.com/ margo kingston ‏ Our Paper's page 1 lead: Abbott 'prays every day' for election victory http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-prays-every-day-for-election-victory-20130521-2jxw1.html …, see more http://tweetedtimes.com/margokingston1 :):):):)

nasking

22/05/2013 SKY NEWS IS JUST ANOTHER MURDOCH BORG-LIKE ASSIMILATION SHIP... EVERY TIME I WATCH THEM GRIN I SEE THE REAL LACK OF EMPATHY BENEATH...THE GREED...[b]THE SLY DRONES SENT OUT TO DELIVER THE MESSAGE[/b]... TO SEDUCE...IN THEIR POSH OUTFITS...WITH SMUG, ARROGANT SMILES...EYES LIKE BLACK HOLES... [b]WORKING DAY AND NIGHT AS PART OF THE MURDOCH HIVE.[/b] AS THO THEY GIVE A CRAP ABOUT PEOPLE STRUGGLING ON NEWSTART...THE HOMELESS...SINGLE MUMS...ASYLUM SEEKERS... [b]THE MURDOCH EMPIRE OF TABLOID POISON[/b] IN THE UK AND THE USA...AND HERE...HAVE CONSTANTLY USED THESE PEOPLE AS POLITICAL FOOTBALLS... [b]SKY NEWS/SLY NEWS...YET ANOTHER BORG-LIKE SEDUCER... A MENACE TO DECENT & FAIR SOCIETY.[/b] N'

DMW

22/05/2013One way to look at this (excellent) post, as suggested by Ken and Fiona, is that j4gypsy has published her pamphlet and, as I type this, there are 100 'Letters to the Editor/Pamphleteer' below the line. Blogs are in one way the 'modern' Leters to the Editor page, rolling conversations/commentaries on what the 'pamphleteers' are writing. They can be interesting as well as dull, colourless and boring. In years to come some blogs will become gold mines for social historians attempting to tap into the thoughts of people around events great and not so great that happen around us. For those interested in how the Parliamentary Press Gallery operated in the past you will learn a lot from a gentleman who was 'the journalist's journalist', the late Rob Chalmers. Rob served the people as a journalist in the gallery for sixty years, four months and eighteen days, longer even than the longest serving politician, Billy Hughes, who served for a mere 51 years. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Hughes) Rob's memoir [b][i]Inside the Canberra Press Gallery[/b] - Life in the Wedding Cake of Old Parliament House [/i] is available for download at the ANU's E-Press and is well worth getting for a weekend snuggled up by the fire for a long read. [i]Before television, radio, and later the internet came to dominate the coverage of Australian politics, the Canberra Press Gallery existed in a world far removed from today’s 24-hour news cycle, spin doctors and carefully scripted sound bites. This historical memoir of a career reporting from The Wedding Cake of Old Parliament House offers a rare insider’s perspective on both how the gallery once operated and its place in the Australian body politic. Using some of the biggest political developments of the past fifty years as a backdrop, Inside the Canberra Press Gallery – Life in the Wedding Cake of Old Parliament House sheds light on the inner workings of an institution critical to the health of our parliamentary democracy. ... As well as being considered a shrewd political analyst, Chalmers was a much-loved member of the gallery and a past president of the National Press Club. Rob Chalmers used to boast that he had outlasted 11 prime ministers; and a 12th, Julia Gillard described him as ‘one of the greats’ of Australian political journalism upon his passing.[/i] http://epress.anu.edu.au/titles/australia-and-new-zealand-school-of-government-anzsog-2/wedding_cake_citation As John Faulkner notes in his Foreword to the memoir [i]If the Canberra Press Gallery is an institution, Rob Chalmers was an institution of that institution.[/i]

Ken

22/05/2013I’ve been thinking about some of the posts here (especially pappinbarra fox, janet, DMW) and decided that we have a continuum in this debate. 1. Fact 2. Explanation (of the facts) 3. Interpretation (which can be like an opinion but based on the facts) 4. Opinion (which can relate to facts and interpretation or be based on gossip) 5. Gossip (which may or may not have any relevance to fact) 6. Vituperation and invective (usually based on gossip if it has any basis at all and which I have added in recognition of the current situation) As added background, I note that quality papers, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, on their websites, separately identify “opinion” pieces from their news reporting. And other papers, such as the Guardian, while not specifically stating which are opinion pieces, do identify “columnists”, which, one assumes, amounts to much the same thing. Once opinion in newspapers only appeared as editorials. As we have been discussing, the press is blurring the first four items in my list, and in the case of the Murdoch press, I think they are blurring all six. I think that is deliberate. It makes it easier to present opinion as fact, and gossip and invective as opinion, and to pretend that “columnists” are presenting fact. The blurring helps confuse the electorate as to what is real. For me, the shock jocks operate with the last three. As Pappinbarra Fox suggested, much of the twitterverse (but not all) operates around gossip and invective. The good parts of the fifth estate, like the pamphleteers, operates primarily around explanation and interpretation, primarily as alternatives to the so-called explanation and interpretation of the fourth estate. But, as has been noted, the fifth is not without its own “shock jocks”. So on this continuum, “opinion” is the key turning point, i.e. whether it is based on the preceding three in my list or whether it is based on the final two. Because everyone is entitled to an opinion, we will never have just the better quality opinion, but, in the case of newspapers, if they are to justify their existance, they should not be competing at the lower end of this spectrum (others do that better!!!) but clearly delineating that they operate primarily on the first three and separately identifying their opinion pieces (editorials and columnists).

nasking

22/05/2013 THIS VID GOES BACK...CHECK OUT THE COMMENTS TOO: PUBLIC HOUSING http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TctXUT5_YtU

nasking

22/05/2013 HOCKEY BLOWHARDING TO THE PRESS CORPSES...A FEW GOOD QUESTIONS...BUT JOE MOSTLY BLAAHH BLAAHH BLAAH: The Australia Institute has calculated that if the Howard, Rudd and Gillard governments had left the tax rates unchanged at their 2005 level, then this year the federal budget would have collected about $39 billion more in additional revenue. [b]The Australia Institute’s modelling also shows that the rich gained the biggest share of those tax cuts. Denniss wrote: “The top 10% of income earners received a bigger share of those tax revenues than the bottom 80% combined.” It is not just these generous cuts in the income tax paid by the wealthy that have put the budget under pressure. There is also “the enormous cost of the tax concessions on superannuation, the decision to tax income from capital gain at half the rate that ordinary income is taxed and the rise and rise of the cost of tax concessions and subsidies to profitable industries such as mining and unprofitable industries such as logging.” The tax concession on super earnings has increased in cost from $9.5 billion in 2009-10 to $32 billion in 2012-13 and Treasury predicts that will rise to $45 billion by 2015-16, by which time it will overtake the cost of the age pension, as Mike Steketee pointed out in the ABC's The Drum on February 22. The public subsidies to the mining industry are calculated to be $4 billion a year by the Australian Institute and Gillard's weak Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) not only is collecting less than forecast (a miserable $126 million in its first six months), the generous deductions mean some of the biggest and richest mining companies are billions of dollars in credit. An ABC news report on May 9 said: “The mining tax allows companies to offset the value of their mines against the tax they have to pay, and the 2012 financial reports of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto show that amounted to tax credits worth $644 million and more than $1.1 billion respectively. “Hancock Prospecting's freshly lodged 2012 financial report — submitted to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) six months late — shows it has an even bigger credit against the mining tax worth $1.16 billion.” The report said Andrew Forrest's Fortescue Metals has repeatedly said it does not expect to pay any mining tax in the “foreseeable future” because it has claimed an MRRT credit of almost $3.5 billion. This brings the total mining tax credits of the big four iron-ore producers to almost $6.4 billion. The big mining companies have gotten away with daylight robbery and this is why the Socialist Alliance is campaigning for the nationalisation of the mines and banks under the control of the people. Then there are the billions misspent on imperial occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the purchase of expensive war planes and submarines...[/b] [b]Denniss said: “Australia is one of the richest countries in the world living at the wealthiest point in world history. We can afford to do anything that we want, but we can't afford to do everything we want. If we wanted to spend more on health, education and transport we could. The fact that we don't is proof either that we as a community don't want to or that our elected representatives aren't listening to us.” But the public clearly does want money to be spent on what is urgently needed for the common good. This was clear for all to see in the political wedging games the big parties are playing around the issues of “Gonski” school funding, national disability care funding and industrial relations.[/b] http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/54044 NO LONGER EYES WIDE SHUT N'

nasking

22/05/2013 IPA's JOHN ROSKAM SMILES SMUGLY ON SLY NEWS SAYING HE WANTS TO PRIVATISE THE ABC... TRYING TO CONVINCE US THAT IT HASN'T ALREADY BECOME CORPORATISED...BECOME A NEO-LIBERAL HAVEN... [b]IT'S ALL SMOKE AND MIRRORS... GIVING ABBOTT & TURNBULL AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THEY WON'T PRIVATIZE... WHEN IN FACT THERE'S NO NEED...THE CORPORATISATION PROCESS GOES ON EVERY DAY...UNDER HOWARD, UNDER RUDD...UNDER GILLARD... [/b] SOME ABC CHARACTERS USING IT AS A [b]CASH COW... EVEN MURDOCH EMPIRE BOOKS ARE SOLD THERE UNDER AN AGREEMENT[/b]: [b]JOHN ROSKAM...attended Xavier College... Culturally, Xavier was described in June 2009 by old scholar John Roskam as "the last bastion of old-style Labor Right, DLP education... From same jesuit, Roman Catholic school: Gerard Henderson – syndicated newspaper columnist and former adviser to Prime Minister John Howard[/b] Wikipedia John Roskam has been the executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs, widely regarded as Australia’s foremost free-market think-tank, since 2004. Before joining the IPA he taught political theory at the University of Melbourne. John was previously executive director of the Menzies Research Centre in Canberra, and has been a senior adviser and chief of staff to federal and state education ministers. He has also been manager of government and corporate affairs for a global mining company. Born and bred in Melbourne, John went to Xavier College and completed his law and economics degrees at the University of Melbourne. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s3214160.htm THE CON GOES ON. THE IPA USES THE ABC LIKE PART OF ITS PROPAGANDA MACHINE...ALWAYS WELOMED HEARTILY BY HOSTS/PRESENTERS... TIM WILSON ON THERE JUST THIS MORN. WHO THE FCK DO THEY THINK THEY ARE KIDDING? THE CON GOES ON... N'

nasking

22/05/2013 WHEN YOU HEAR JOHN DELLA BOSCA ON SLY NEWS SAYING PERHAPS THE ABC NEEDS A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT DUE TO BIAS... YOU KNOW THE ALP HAS BEEN INFILTRATED...FULL OF TOO MANY CORPORATISED AND BOUGHT SPINMEISTERS. HOW MUCH MONEY AND BLACKMAILING DID IT TAKE TO TURN THEM INTO PUPPETS I WONDER??? N'

Ad astra

22/05/2013Folks We are now getting on the road to Melbourne. Back this evening.

nasking

22/05/2013 HAVE A SAFE RIDE AD. MEMORIES...IF THE CORPORATISATION OF SOCIETY AND TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH GOES ON YA WONDER WHERE THIS WILL ALL HEAD?: [b]May 1968 events in France - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The May 1968 events in France were a volatile period of civil unrest punctuated by massive general strikes and the occupation of factories and universities across France. It was the largest general strike ever attempted in France, and the first ever nation-wide wildcat general strike.[/b] Following months of conflicts between students and authorities at the University of Paris at Nanterre, the administration shut down the university on 2 May 1968. Students at the Sorbonne University in Paris met on 3 May to protest against the closure and the threatened expulsion of several students at Nanterre. On Monday, 6 May, the national student union, the Union Nationale des Étudiants de France (UNEF) — still the largest student union in France today — and the union of university teachers called a march to protest against the police invasion of Sorbonne. More than 20,000 students, teachers and supporters marched towards the Sorbonne, still sealed off by the police, who charged, wielding their batons, as soon as the marchers approached. While the crowd dispersed, some began to create barricades out of whatever was at hand, while others threw paving stones, forcing the police to retreat for a time. The police then responded with tear gas and charged the crowd again. Hundreds more students were arrested. High school student unions spoke in support of the riots on 6 May. The next day, they joined the students, teachers and increasing numbers of young workers who gathered at the Arc de Triomphe to demand that: all criminal charges against arrested students be dropped, the police leave the university, and the authorities reopen Nanterre and Sorbonne. Negotiations broke down, and students returned to their campuses after a false report that the government had agreed to reopen them, only to discover the police still occupying the schools. The students now had a near revolutionary fervor. On Friday, 10 May, another huge crowd congregated on the Rive Gauche. When the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité again blocked them from crossing the river, the crowd again threw up barricades, which the police then attacked at 2:15 in the morning after negotiations once again floundered. The confrontation, which produced hundreds of arrests and injuries, lasted until dawn of the following day. The events were broadcast on radio as they occurred and the aftermath was shown on television the following day. Allegations were made that the police had participated, through agents provocateurs, in the riots, by burning cars and throwing Molotov cocktails. The government's heavy-handed reaction brought on a wave of sympathy for the strikers. Many of the nation's more mainstream singers and poets joined after the heavy-handed police brutality came to light. American artists also began voicing support... Well over a million people marched through Paris on that day; the police stayed largely out of sight. Prime Minister Georges Pompidou personally announced the release of the prisoners and the reopening of the Sorbonne. However, the surge of strikes did not recede. Instead, the protesters became even more active. When the Sorbonne reopened, students occupied it and declared it an autonomous "people's university". Public opinion at first supported the students, but quickly turned against them after its leaders, invited to appear on national television, "behaved like irresponsible utopianists who wanted to destroy the 'consumer society.'" [b]Nonetheless, in the weeks that followed, approximately 401 popular action committees were set up in Paris and elsewhere to take up grievances against the government and French society, including the Sorbonne Occupation Committee. The students Daniel Cohn-Bendit or Alain Krivine were arising as main references by the time. Workers join the students [/b] In the following days, workers began occupying factories, starting with a sit-down strike at the Sud Aviation plant near the city of Nantes on 14 May, then another strike at a Renault parts plant near Rouen, which spread to the Renault manufacturing complexes at Flins in the Seine Valley and the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. Workers had occupied roughly fifty factories by 16 May, and 200,000 were on strike by 17 May. That figure snowballed to two million workers on strike the following day and then ten million, or roughly two-thirds of the French workforce, on strike the following week. These strikes were not led by the union movement; on the contrary, the CGT tried to contain this spontaneous outbreak of militancy by channeling it into a struggle for higher wages and other economic demands. Workers put forward a broader, more political and more radical agenda, demanding the ousting of the government and President de Gaulle and attempting, in some cases, to run their factories. When the trade union leadership negotiated a 35% increase in the minimum wage, a 7% wage increase for other workers, and half normal pay for the time on strike with the major employers' associations, the workers occupying their factories refused to return to work and jeered their union leaders. [b]In fact, in the May '68 movement there was a lot of "anti-unionist euphoria, against the mainstream unions, the CGT, FO and CFDT, that were more willing to compromise with the powers that be than enact the will of the base.[/b] On 25 May and 26 May, the Grenelle agreements were conducted at the Ministry of Social Affairs. They provided for an increase of the minimum wage by 25% and of the average salaries by 10%. These offers were rejected, and the strike went on. The working class and top intellectuals were joining in solidarity for a major change in workers' rights. On 27 May, the meeting of the UNEF, the most outstanding of the events of May 1968, proceeded and gathered 30,000 to 50,000 people in the Stade Sebastien Charlety. The meeting was extremely militant with speakers demanding the government be overthrown and elections held. The Socialists saw an opportunity to act as a compromise between de Gaulle and the Communists. On 28 May, François Mitterrand of the Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left declared that "there is no more state" and stated that he was ready to form a new government. He had received a surprisingly high 45% of the vote in the 1965 presidential election. On 29 May, Pierre Mendès France also stated that he was ready to form a new government; unlike Mitterrand he was willing to include the Communists. Although the Socialists did not have the Communists' ability to form large street demonstrations, they had more than 20% of the country's support. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_1968_in_France AS KEATING...HOWARD...NOW ABBOTT...AND THE MEDIA PUSHES THE ALP FURTHER AND FURTHER RIGHT...MORE AND MORE CORPORATE... YOU CAN SEE A TSUNAMI COMING. TRAGIC. N'

nasking

22/05/2013 ENUFF IS ENUFF: Some 83 per cent of the mining industry in Australia is foreign owned. And according to an Australia Institute report, 81 per cent of their profits went abroad. Take the three biggest miners in Australia: BHP, which we like to think is Australian, is in fact 76% foreign owned based on the domicile of its investors. Rio Tinto is 83% foreign owned X-Strata is 100% foreign owned. Fortescue, Twiggy Forrest’s company, is 40% foreign owned. Of the 100% Australian owned miners, foreign investment funds and companies have heavily invested in them. http://thehoopla.com.au/mining-profits-facts/ OUR LAND...BEING DUG DUG DUG... FOR THE OVERSEAS MEGA-RICH SHAREHOLDERS... WHERE IS A SOVEREIGN FUND FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS?...AN EFFECTIVE TAX??? N'

DMW

22/05/2013Hi Ken, the six 'strands' you suggest have great merit and have caused some further pondering for me. There is most likely a fine line between 3 & 4 3. Interpretation (of the facts) and possible outcomes if some policy is implemented can easily 'tip' over the line into 4. Opinion (and conjecture) The better journalists (and opinion writers) are usually careful not to cross the line too often but often commentary on those writings degenerate as gossip and vituperation are injected into discussions. I don't know how we stop the degeneration as there are more and more astro-turfers and other spinmeisters (of all persuasions) out there determined to muddy the waters so that their side benefits. Opinion pieces in newspapers have been around for a long time. I can't recall exactly when but Phillip Adams, for example, has been writing opinion pieces for going on twenty-five years. There were also the 'opinion papers' of the seventies like [i]The Nation Review [/i] and to a lesser extent [i]The National Times[/i]. Television over time created the 'celebrity journalist' such as Peach, Carlton, and Peter Harvey although mostly they reported with a pretty straight bat. Again I don't recall when it started but what has changed is with the rise of celebrity journo's has also come the practice of the straight journalist moving into the commentary and then into the opinion arena. To my mind that is part of the problem. What many people out there find difficult is to determine [i]is Clark Kent reporting the facts in today's article or is it opinion he is offering. [/i] As journalists do more and more commentary and opinion pieces it gets difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. A challenge with consuming news on the intertubes is that unlike the physical newspaper there is not a clearly defined opinion section and the less discerning reader too easily can mistake opinion for fact because the read it on their personally respected mastheads site and it was written by their preferred celebrity journalist.

nasking

22/05/2013 THE CORPORATIONS AND THEIR PUPPETS NEVER KNOW WHEN TO STOP...THEY KEEP PUSHING AND PUSHING... DUPING, CONNING, RORTING, SUCKING US DRY, FORCING US INTO MORE AND MORE DEBT...RAPING OUR PUBLIC SERVICES... A MALIGNANT CANCER THAT INSIDIOUSLY GROWS...CONSUMES...DESTROYS...UNDERMINES...POISONS...TRICKS...ENSLAVES EVERY PART OF OUR COMMUNITIES IT CAN... CORPORATISM...THE STENCH OF FASCISM... IT PUSHES THE MOST MODERATE OF PEOPLE TO RADICAL THOUGHTS: [b]Hasta Siempre, Comandante[/b] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasta_Siempre YOU TRY SO HARD TO GET COMPROMISES... BUT THEY CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES... THE MAW MUST BE FED. N'

nasking

22/05/2013 [b]Phillip Adams, for example, has been writing opinion pieces for going on twenty-five years. There were also the 'opinion papers' of the seventies like The Nation Review and to a lesser extent The National Times[/b] LOL. DIDN'T EXACTLY STOP THE ROT...DID HE? NO LONGER EYES WIDE SHUT. N'

DMW

22/05/2013Ken @ May 21. 2013 07:24 PM wrote: [i]It's a pity more people don't understand history. I'm always amazed watching telly how little so many people know about our history, including many young journalists.[/i] Having suggested people take a look at Rob Chalmer's memoir I chose to read it again myself and this little snippet on page 51 stood out like the proverbial [i]The Chifley Government persuaded all the States to either give their powers to the Commonwealth or legislate to restore petrol rationing. The reimposition of rationing began on 15 November—25 days before the December 1949 election. As Martin says: ‘The re-imposition of petrol rationing on the eve of the election gave the opposition, especially the Country Party, an unprecedented opportunity to lure electors with a promise of abolition.’ Fadden had driven the petrol-rationing issue harder than Menzies throughout the campaign. [b]This was yet another example of the electorate being lied to and those responsible for the lie being the beneficiaries at election time.[/b][/i] My emphasis added So Menzies victory in 1949 and his subsequent long reign was in part built on a lie. I seem to recall from slightly more recent history another long serving Liberal Prime Minister gaining power by being economical with the truth. From this I shall draw a conclusion: There LNP is very good at one part of economics. They are very austere with the truth and it is in their DNA.

nasking

22/05/2013 PHILLIP ADAMS...CAREER: [b]Adams began his advertising career with Foote Cone & Belding and later with Brian Monahan and Lyle Dayman became a partner in the agency Monahan Dayman Adams. They took that company to a successful public listing and Adams became a millionaire in the process. [/b] He developed such successful campaigns as "Life – Be In It", "Slip, Slop, Slap", "Break down the Barriers", "Guess whose mum's got a Whirlpool" and "watch the big men fly for a Herbert Adams Pie", working with such talents as Fred Schepisi, Alex Stitt, Peter Best, Robin Archer and Mimmo Cozzolino. He left the advertising industry in the 1980s. Monahan Dayman Adams purchased the successful Sydney agency MoJo in 1987 and carried on as MojoMDA. Its lineage can today be traced to Publicis Mojo, an Australian subsidiary of the French multinational advertising and communications company holding Publicis Groupe. He wrote regular columns for The Age and The Bulletin. He currently writes twice weekly for The Australian. Wikipedia WOW!!! RADICAL MAN!!! [b]NOT[/b] [b]THE CON GOES ON[/b]. N'

DMW

22/05/2013nasking, I am at a complete loss in understanding the purpose of your comment @ 3:26 PM and the follow up @ 3:32 PM. [i]DIDN'T EXACTLY STOP THE ROT...DID HE?[/i] I have no understanding of the relevance to the words of mine that you quoted. What am I missing?

nasking

22/05/2013 [b]Corporatization[/b] is the process of transforming state assets, government agencies or municipal organizations into corporations. It refers to a restructuring of government and public organizations into joint-stock publicly listed companies in order to introduce corporate and business management techniques to their administration. Often the result is the creation of state-owned corporations, where the government retains majority ownership of the companies stock, but sometimes corporatization is a precursor to partial or full privatization, which almost always refers to a process by which formerly public assets or functions are sold or given to corporate entities by listing the shares of the state-owned corporation on publicly traded stock exchanges. [b]The move towards neoliberal economic reform in the 1980s led to privatization of public functions in many countries. Corporatization was seen as a half-way house on the road to privatization. [/b] The effect of corporatization has been to convert state departments into public companies and interpose commercial boards of directors between the shareholding ministers and the management of the enterprises. [b]These state-owned enterprises are organized in the same manner as private corporations, with the difference that the company's shares remain in the ownership of the state and are not traded on the stock market. Corporatization has been the policy of the People's Republic of China and has been used in New Zealand and most states of Australia in the reform of their electricity markets, as well as in many other countries and industries (e.g. Dutch water supply companies).[/b] Although corporatization is to be distinguished from privatization (the former involves publicly owned corporations, the latter privately owned ones), [b]once a service has been corporatised it is often relatively easy to privatise or part-privatise it, for example by selling some or all of the company's shares via the stock market. [/b] In some cases (e.g. the Netherlands in regard to water supply) there are laws to prevent this. Major areas [b]Some major areas of services which have been corporatized in the past include[/b]: [b]National railroads[/b], the initial impetus to corporatization of functions that had belonged to national and local governing bodies began in the sphere of national railroad construction in the mid-19th century. [b]Corporatized highways, for example toll roads. Corporatized electricity[/b]. [b]Corporatized water[/b], for example, the Dutch water supply companies are publicly owned corporations (mostly by municipalities, but also by regional governments). For involvement of private corporations in water supply, see water industry and water privatization. Wikipedia THE ROT CONTINUES... N'

Ken

22/05/2013DMW Agree entirely about the fine line between interpretation and opinion (that was a point I made in an earlier post before I broke the issue into a few more pieces). Also why I said that "opinion" is the central point around which the whole issue turns and, as you rightly point out, the blurring between these elements leave people unsure whether a columnist is providing fact, a genuine interpretation, or opinion. "Conjecture" is a good one. But like "opinion" it can either be conjecture based on existing facts, or based on peronsal opinion or gossip. To return to my original post on this, it is not a good result for democracy if the electorate is being fed opinion in the guise of interpretation. Also in total agreement about the hypocrisy of the LNP. Nasking I think the big difference with the early columnists and opinion pieces was that people knew what they were. Now, as I argue, the distinction is blurred.

Ken

22/05/2013Nasking on the 1968 Paris riots Three years after the Paris riots I was at Sydney University and in our Anthropology Honours seminars we had an older American bloke (about my age now) who had been in Paris at the time. He said they weren't just riots but the start of another French Revolution that was "put down". In the late 80s early 90s, I also heard a couple of historians refer to it as the potential birth of a revolution (but can no longer recall their names). It was a key moment in history.

nasking

22/05/2013 TONY ABBOTT'S LIBERALS AND HIS STATE MATES WANT TO TAKE US DOWN THE AMERICAN ROAD TO HEALTHCARE...INCREMENTALLY...BE SCARED...BE VERY SCARED: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Djdp8nM88hg ABBOTT LIKE HOWARD LOVES USING THAT WORD "INCREMENTALLY"... INCREMENTALLY WE GOT PENALTIES IF YOU DIDN'T JOIN PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE... INCREMENTALLY WE GOT REBATES FOR PRIVATE HEALTH COVER...WITHOUT MEANS-TESTING... INCREMENTALLY WE GOT ABBOTT AS HEALTH MINISTER BREAKING A ROLLED GOLD PROMISE... INCREMENTALLY WE GOT INCREASES IN PRESCRIPTION COSTS...YET WHERE WERE THE CHEAPER GENERIC MEDICINES? I COULD GO ON... N'

DMW

22/05/2013Another aside on history. I don't know if Philip Ruddock is standing for election again this year. If he isn't he would be a bit dark on the PM calling the election for the 14th Sept as it will leave him eight days short of 40 years as a MHR. He is currently the third longest serving federal politician http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Members_of_the_Australian_Parliament_who_have_served_for_at_least_30_years

nasking

22/05/2013 [b]It was a key moment in history[/b]. KEN, IT CERTAINLY WAS...HAD A BIG IMPACT ON ME AND SOME OF MY FRIENDS. WE WATCHED THE FILMS AND ENJOYED THE ART, MUSIC AND POSTERS AND PASSION FROM THAT PERIOD... EVEN THO WE CAME FROM VERY ANTI-UNION, MILITARY OBSESSED, SOMEWHAT RELIGIOUS CONSERVATIVE MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES. N'

42 long

22/05/2013Test the corporatization theory. Private Run Prisons. Who can eventually lobby for laws that lead to more incarceration Ala USA. Why not do it with the army? That giant conglomerate could the try to start wars to improve profit and accelerate promotion.. The influence of the Military -Industrial Complex in the USA has been aligned with this activity for years. Look at the effect of the alcohol lobby in the laws of the Northern Territory with the laws on alcohol consumption being watered down and individual offenders incarcerated on "prison Farms" This already looks like a completely failed approach. Private enterprise can do anything better than Public Services. Unproven assertion but the right wingers, as I hope my hypothetical examples indicate. The mining lobby has always over-ridden government in Australia. Most of the profit goes overseas. The benefit to Australia is minimal. The multitudinous sellers of electricity don't add one bit of structure to the system, generate one kilowatt of electricity but they make more out of it than the generators of the power to put their name on the top of your bill. About time that a bit of reality rather than capitalist dogma was put into this argument by structures like the IPA which is no more than a right wing propaganda machine who still won't declare where they are funded from. The clue to who is being served is who donates to which party and who will subsequently be served. He who pays the PIPER calls the tune. It's not what abbott says he will do that matters( although you would be a fool to believe much he says. HE will do what he is told by those he is beholden to. The ones who gave him the PM job The ABC is for sale and the SBS too. Snowy hydro and eventually your water supply. American public rejected this sort of stuff. We must too. The concentration of media power in this country is only exceeded by the level in totalitarian countries. It should never have been allowed to occur.

Ken

22/05/2013Nasking Yes it was a great time, though perhaps in Dickens' words in relation to the original French Revolution, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of time". It was a time when society itself was being questioned,,when black people in Africa and America were demanding their rights, when revolution was in the air. Unlike you, I came from a working class background here in Oz and grew up with stories of Jack Lang and Red Ted Theodore, and even Michael Collins and the Irish fight for freedom. There were only a small group of us at university who came from working class backgrounds. Although our "revolution" was overwhelmed by the system, I have been disappointed with succeeding generations. They seem to have placed more emphasis on economic well-being and to have forgotten the poor and displaced. As others have said, we have become an economy not a society.

nasking

22/05/2013 [b]I think the big difference with the early columnists and opinion pieces was that people knew what they were. Now, as I argue, the distinction is blurred.[/b] INDEED KEN, THE CORPORATISATION OF THE MEDIA WHERE BARONS USE GATEKEEPERS IN LINE DOESN'T HELP... THE FEAR OF OFFENDING ADVERTISERS...LOSING AUDIENCE/READERS WHICH IN TURN LOSES ADVERTISERS... THE FEAR OF LOSING YER JOB IN HARD AND CHANGING TIMES FOR MEDIA...WITH LIMITED JOB OPPORTUNITIES...AND ONLY A LIMITED AMOUNT OF WELL PAID MEDIA JOBS...WITH ONLY SO MANY OWNERS...CAN PUT PRESSURE ON COLUMNISTS, JOURNOS, TALKING HEADS TO UNDERMINE THEIR OWN PRINCIPALS...OR GO WITH CENSORSHIP...DISTORTIONS...HYPERBOLIC HEADLINES... THE INCREASING USE OF WRITERS AND JOURNOS WHO HAVE FEW CORE VALUES... OR YOUNG INEXPERIENCED ONES WHO ARE NAIVE, UNAWARE OF VARIED HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES AND DIVERSE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SYSTEMS... ETHICALLY MALLEABLE...SO THEY CAN BE USED TO OPPORTUNISTICALLY CHOP AND CHANGE IN TABLOID FASHION TO ATTRACT VIEWERS/READERS... POTENTIALLY HOLLOW. UNDERMINING OBJECTIVITY. TRUST. THE FACTS. N'

nasking

22/05/2013 SHOULD BE: THE CORPORATISATION OF THE MEDIA WHEREIN BARONS USE GATEKEEPERS TO KEEP JOURNOS IN LINE DOESN'T HELP... *APOLOGIES...EYES REALLY FAILING ME TONITE.

Tom of Melbourne

22/05/2013Remember how a few weeks ago a couple here were speculating that the charges would be withdrawn, the case would fall apart???!! Today…19 new charges, for a total of 173! Hilarious.

Catching up

22/05/2013Maybe someone can explain why the police laid more charges against Thomson today. None of the new charges is different from those already laid. Do not throw any newe light on the matter. All the police action would do is prolong the case longer. Wonder if this is their aim. Delay any trial until after the election.

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22/05/2013Ken I like your sequence: 1. Fact 2. Explanation (of the facts) 3. Interpretation (which can be like an opinion but based on the facts) 4. Opinion (which can relate to facts and interpretation or be based on gossip) 5. Gossip (which may or may not have any relevance to fact) 6. Vituperation and invective. If we followed that, and made clear at which point in the sequence we were operating, rational dialogue might be possible.

Ken

22/05/2013Looking at the Parliamentary Budget Office report brought historical musings that it is always Labor that has to clean up the LNP mess. Curtin took over the War effort; Whitlam started the effort to get the nation off the “sheep’s back” and to educate the populace for a modern ecomony; Hawke and Keating continued the process of modernising the economy and took bold steps to do it, floating the dollar, reducing tariff walls; Gillard has had to pick up the slack in infrastructure and lack of resources for the less well-off that was inherited from the Howard years (Howard and Costello suddenly remembered infrastructure near the end when the big exporters began to complain that their exports were being delayed by poor rail connections and overcrowded and ageing port facilities). And now the PBO shows that the structural budget deficit was also inherited from Howard. The LNP are good at keeping the voters “happy” by doing nothing or, in Howard’s case, handing out money from an ephemeral boom that is not affordable when the boom turns to bust and the hand-outs have been locked into the tax system causing long term problems for the Government. Where are we now??? If I was being cynical, I could suggest that this is a deliberate strategy to ensure that Labor governments do not last as long because they are forced to make the more difficult changes that the LNP won’t.

lyn

22/05/2013Hi Catching Up 08:04 PM you have said exactly what I thought.

Tom of Melbourne

22/05/2013That MUST be the explanation - the police are in cahoots with the Liberals, because it couldn’t possibly be that Thomson has done anything wrong.

Catching up

22/05/2013I did not say that. Though nothing would surprise me n this matter. I just asked why?

nasking

22/05/2013 [b]I have been disappointed with succeeding generations. They seem to have placed more emphasis on economic well-being and to have forgotten the poor and displaced.[/b] Ken, partly due to the fact we haven't experienced hard times by way of a big economic downturn for a good long time. Fortunately. They haven't struggled like others did in the past. Young people are pretty spoilt here...well, most of them. Struggling these days seems to entail not having enuff money to buy weekend grog and grabbing the latest mobile phone. However, now the govt has gotten tuff on Newstart recipients and single Mums...not to mention refugees...add the cuts made by certain Lib state govts...and gradually we are beginning to see an austerity measures-inflicted like poverty and hardship... combine that with the gay marriage issue...and perceived cuts to higher education...the recognised greed of the banks and mining barons... and calls for reconciliation... we begin to see the establishment or revitalisation of movements...some that have lain dormant for yonks...others growing gradually evolving into more sophisticated communicators, utilising a formidable and diverse set of new and old media & hi-tech organs, tools, to effectively get their message across. I prefer it happens this way...than during a fullbore economic recession that could see the rise of a violent and vicious far-right movement based on job competition and envy...hyped and perpetuated by a grotesque media. Look to Greece, Portugal and Spain and the way the wealthy have colluded with the banks and various politicians and corporate aristocracy to pull the rug out from under many public service workers and others that has led to social division...and an increase in far-right extreme nationalist migrant and gay bashing groups. I bet some on Abbott's side would LUV that opportunity...so they could dupe the public into believing they were the SENSIBLE CENTER...whilst being permitted to move their policies further to the right. We are already having problems here in Logan...each time there is a crime the specific neighbourhood is always identified as Logan...a deliberate attempt to stereotype a massive area and population and give the impression this vast area is riddled with out of control youth...so certain right-wing councillors and an LNP state govt can introduce more business-oriented and more draconian security measures that support and enrich them, their families and their donors, major supporters. Whilst providing the media with the real and manufacturec conflict and sense of moral panic they thrive on...the larger the area, the better for them. Logan once again becomes an easy target for their mischief making and profitable social engineering projects off the back of fear-mongering and isolating and FINGERPOINTING at an entire community based on a few incidents...to be expected in such a highly populated, culturally complex area where media oft enjoys lowering morale...or motivating people to indulge in practices and entertainment that can lead to aggressive and volatile behaviours...including boxing, martial arts, drinking in hotels, blood sports including rugby, paint ball gaming, speed driving...the list goes on. N'

nasking

22/05/2013 I might add, the increasingly NEO-liberal ABC via their QLD news have worked in tandem with the usual suspect media to manufacture this increasingly negative perception of Logan... a disgraceful approach by our public broadcaster...and the latest newsreader had not improved the situation. Nor some of the authority figures here. Undermining the extensive work of many morale lifting educators, councillors, businesses and others over the last decade. SHAME! DON'T JUDGE US ALL BY THE VICIOUS ACTIONS OF A TINY MINORITY. N'

lyn

23/05/2013Today’s Links Rupert Murdoch’s journalistic cancer by @independentaus Murdoch, or his editors (but I repeat myself), decide on the format for the latest government attack. Doesn’t matter what it is — some fabricated and dishonest attack on the PM’s integrity, or a policy proposal, some poll result, some disagreement between Labor Party http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/business/media-2/rupert-murdochs-journalistic-cancer/ Are we left with the right centre? by @fakeedbutler bias everywhere among our more conservative brethren, and this makes perfect sense. After all, a defining feature of modern ‘conservative’ thought is an inherent, and deep, mistrust of institutions – primarily government and media http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/05/22/are-we-left-with-the-right-centre/ The liberties of George Brandis by @awelder Margo: After the recent George ‘free speech’ Brandis speech I asked (begged) @awelder to write me a piece on the civil liberties credentials of the man who will be AttorneyGeneral under an Abbott Government. This is Andrew’s first piece for @NoFibs. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/the-liberties-of-george-brandis-by-awelder/ So you think Tony Abbott’s going to lead you to the promised land? Think again! by @minkelCA Do we want a country where our assets are sold-off at bargain basement prices into private hands and we are forced to pay a premium to gain access to them again, or do we want fundamental services, local employment and control over our own future? http://theaimn.com/2013/05/22/so-you-think-tony-abbotts-going-to-lead-you-to-the-promised-land-think-again/ Tony’s Tactics by Andy Snelling Unfortunately for Mr Abbott, he may have made his own life harder in a speech that rested on emotive clichés and blatant generalisations. http://rtrfm.com.au/story/tonys-tactics/ The Culture Wars: A Second Front by Mark Latham Tony Abbott praised The Lucky Culture as a “perceptive book” and “shrewd analysis”. He raised no objection to its policy prescriptions. I have no doubt, if an Abbott Government is elected, its biggest cuts will be to the university sector – fulfilling Abbott’s 40-year obsession with http://chifley.org.au/opinion/the-culture-wars-a-second-front/ I put my money on O’Farrell by @gabriellechan On the weekend, he revealed that Tony Abbott had met him during his Cabinet deliberations to urge his fellow Liberal against a deal with Julia Gillard.“(Abbott) made clear his view that the system wasn’t broken, that the agreement shouldn’t be entered into, http://gabriellechan.com/2013/05/22/i-put-my-money-on-ofarrell/ Blame/credit: a natural affliction of all our politicians by Peter Fray @PolitiFactOz A case in point is the Half True ruling on Tony Abbott’s claim that during the Howard years, the wealth of Australians doubled. http://www.politifact.com.au/truth-o-meter/article/2013/may/22/blame-credit-when-authors-dont-control-our-destiny/ Here's to you, Martin Parkinson (lyrics) by @1petermartin Joe Hockey hung the Treasury boss Martin Parkinson out to dry today. Offered two opportunities to endorse him in the role he declined. http://www.petermartin.com.au/2013/05/heres-to-you-martin-parkinson-lyrics.html Buckle up for the Aussie dollar rollercoaster ride by @GrogsGamut Even when you get the fundamentals right the exchange rate can make a fool of you, http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4703296.html Both sides' big secret- taxes must go up, not down by @1RossGittins ask her, do the letters GST ring a bell? When you measure the burden of federal taxes as a proportion of the nation's income - as you should - Peter Costello was our highest taxing treasurer. Wayne Swan can't hold a candle to him http://www.rossgittins.com/2013/05/both-sides-big-secret-taxes-must-go-up.html A politician to whom bald-faced political lying is as natural as breathing in and breathing out by @no_filter_Yamba It would appear that the majority of Australian households and workers will lose money if a Coalition Government is elected and, Mr Abbott said more spending cuts would be announced http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/a-politician-to-whom-bald-faced.html Joe’s Plan For The Present ‘Emergency’, Unremarked By Anyone Else by Bob Ellis It is possible that Joe is not very bright. He has redefined the word ‘emergency’ to mean ‘not being in surplus’, but he won’t say when we will be in surplus if he is in charge of the money.He says he can’t possibly predict that without getting the figures. The figures were supplied this morning. http://www.ellistabletalk.com/2013/05/22/13892/ Australia State Liberals Push for ABC, SBS Privatization by Precious Silva Victorian Liberal Party will open the motion on reviewing the conditions of ABC and SBS at the state conference this weekend. The motion will urge the federal coalition to conduct a complete "operational review" of the broadcasting companies. This will establish whether or not a partial or full privatisation is feasible. http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/469879/20130522/tony-abbott-abc-privatization-sbs-australia-liberals.htm#.UZ0qAUpArX4 Tony Abbott’s Budget Emergency? by Truth Seeker truth bender Abbott telling all his lies and half truths during his budget reply. For me though, the icing on his “Mud” (read SHIT) cake was his declaration of the “Budget Emergency” that needs to be dealt with, http://truthseekersmusings.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/tony-abbotts-budget-emergency/ Today’s front Pages Australian Newspaper Front Pages for 23 May 2013 http://www.thepaperboy.com/australia/front-pages.cfm News headlines http://www.hotheadlines.com.au/

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23/05/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

nasking

23/05/2013 WHEN DOES THE EXTREME CHRISTIAN RIGHT ACT LIKE THE EXTREME MUSLIMS AND FAIL TO SEE IT?: TONY JONES, PRESENTER: For more on the latest developments in Britain and France we're joined by our Europe correspondent Philip Williams in London. Now Phil, [b]blowing your brains out in front of tourists at the altar in Notre Dame is a pretty extreme way of protesting. Is it clear what Dominique Venner was on about[/b]? PHILIP WILLIAMS, EUROPE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, very much so because of his blogs and he posted on his blog earlier that day. [b]He'd also apparently left a suicide note which unofficially mirrored his comments and they were basically anti-Islamic and they were anti-gay marriage. [/b] Now the gay marriage legislation in France was signed into law by President Hollande just on Saturday, so it was very fresh in people's minds. It's been a very bitter debate over the last few weeks. And so he made this incredibly violent demonstration of his views in one of the most public of all places. 1,500 people witnessed this. It was a shocking event. And although what's perhaps even more shocking is some of the reaction from the far-right basically lauding his actions and that has brought condemnation from the socialist government... TONY JONES: Now we've seen some pretty violent protests in France, not so many in Britain, but [b]we have seen these isolated attacks and particularly this recent one on this editor of the gay magazine.[/b] What you can tell us about that? PHILIP WILLIAMS: Yeah. Well, look, [b]I'll just show you a photo. It's pretty horrible. And that's Chris Bryant and he is the editor of a gay and lesbian magazine here in London. He'd just finished a few hours earlier putting to bed the stories about the International Day Against Homophobia, was walking through the park with his partner late at night, just close to his home, and was set upon by about five or six people said to be in their late teens and early 20s and they were beaten up very badly, as you can see from that photo. Told to "Stay down, faggot" and those sorts of homophobic comments. [/b] And basically [b]he was arguing after that attack that this sort of debate that's been developing in Britain has allowed this homophobic atmosphere to grow where it's acceptable amongst at least a very small part of the population to attack homosexuals in public places.[/b] http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2013/s3765383.htm AND: ‘[b]Kill[/b] [b]gays for kissing’ extremist Muslim tells Manchester students Middle East studies student films meeting where extremist says God would support the stoning of gay men A Manchester student has secretly filmed an extremist Muslim saying gays should be executed. Middle East studies student Colin Cortbus was attending a meeting at the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union on 13 February. The city in north-west England is famous for its cultural diversity, big student population and thriving LGBT community. He asked others at the event, organized by the Global Aspirations of Women student group, whether God would agree to gay men being stoned to death. He was told he would. He asked if ‘in the Islamic society in which you strive for’ they would ‘feel comfortable, personally and morally, to kill a gay man?’ The chair of the meeting said: ‘Absolutely.’ She said even two gay men kissing outside the Students’ Union building would be justification for the death penalty. And if gay men were executed: ‘I wouldn’t feel remorse for that. No offence to you.’ She added: ‘It is an atrocity. In an Islamic society your basis for life is obedience to God. [Two gay people kissing] it goes against what God says.’[/b] http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/‘kill-gays-kissing’-extremist-muslim-tells-manchester-students190213 NOT HARD TO SEE WHO THE EXTREMISTS ARE EH? GOD DROVE ME TO DO IT. HMMM...AND TONY ABBOTT CATERS TO A FEW OF THE EXTREMIST LOOPS AND CALLS HIMSELF THE 'SENSIBLE CENTER'. YEA...RIGHT. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 EXTREMISTS AND THEIR GODS EH?: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) this week said that prayers to God will ensure Obamacare’s repeal, after 37 House of Representatives attempts to do so. “I think the President will ultimately be forced to repudiate his own signature piece of legislation because the American people will demand it,” she told an evangelical radio host Tuesday. “And I think before his second term is over, we’re going to see a miracle before our eyes, I believe God is going to answer our prayers and we’ll be freed from the yoke of Obamacare.” http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/05/22/2048161/bachmann-god-obamacare-repeal/?mobile=wt THE REST OF US GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE...SOME CASUALTIES...OF EXTREME CHRISTIANITY AND EXTREME ISLAM... AND THE ODD CORPORATE ARISTOCRAT ENJOYS FEEDING IT...AND PROFITING. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 ABBOTT WANTS TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HIS NUDGE NUDGE WINK WINKING: Far-right official 'beats up' gay marriage activists A local councillor from France’s far-right National Front party is in hot water with police after he was accused of physically attacking three gay–rights campaigners at a rally in the Burgundy town of Auxerre. Councillor Richard Jacob, an elected member of Marine Le-Pen’s far-right party, allegedly shouted homophobic abuse at three gay-rights activists before pushing them down the steps of the Town Hall, police sources told TF1 television. One of the victims was taken to hospital with a face wound, another injured his ankle whilst a third said he was kicked in the face during the fracas, which kicked off in the middle of a demonstration in favour of gay marriage on Saturday. According to TF1 witnesses reported that Jacob started the rumpus after becoming furious at the presence of the demonstrators outside the Town Hall. The three victims have filed complaints with local police accusing Jacob of assault and using homophobic language. http://www.thelocal.fr/20130218/far-right-councillor-assaults-gay-marriage-activists#.UZ1K9csaySM LACK OF TOLERANCE AND MYOPIC VIEWS BASED ON FUNDAMENTALIST AND DISTORTED INTERPRETATIONS OF RELIGIONS CAN BE DANGEROUS. SERVES TO DIVIDE SOCIETY...AND CAN UNDERMINE TOURISM, BUSINESS. DRIVING PEOPLE AWAY. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 MORE INTOLERANCE: [b]A man is facing jail for being connected to one of several anti-gay attacks in New York City. Gornell Roman is accused of yelling homophobic remarks and attacking a gay man he had been drinking with on Monday (20 May).[/b] He was charged with assault and aggravated harassment, both as hate crimes, by police today (22 May), according to the Associated Press. [b]On Tuesday morning (21 May), two men were walking in lower Manhattan when two other men yelled homophobic slurs in Spanish and attacked them. They were arrested on hate crime assault charges.[/b] On Saturday (18 May), 32-year-old Mark Carson was shot in the head. Police say a man was charged with murder as a hate crime blocks from the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. According to ABC7, hate crimes in general are down 30% in 2013, while [b]anti-gay attacks have more than doubled compared to this point last year. 29 attacks have been reported in 2013 compared to 14 in 2012.[/b] Journalist Jim Dolan said: ‘The [numbers are not shocking] to the gay community, where it just seems where everyone knows someone who has been physically confronted. A lot of those never get reported to the police. ‘It is not getting better’. [b]Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a news conference Tuesday (21 May) called the murder of Carson 'despicable.' 'He was murdered because of his sexual orientation, and only because of his sexual orientation,' said Bloomberg who added 'New York City has zero tolerance for intolerance.' 'We are a place that celebrates diversity ... hate crimes like these are an offense against all we stand for as a city, and we will do everything possible to stop them.'[/b] http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/arrest-made-wave-anti-gay-attacks-new-york-city220513 I NOTICED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN FRANCE HAS APPROVED OF THESE ANTI-SAME SEX MARRIAGE MARCHES. HOW OFTEN ARE THAT LOT ON THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY THESE DAYS? N'

nasking

23/05/2013 The following political parties in the Israeli parliament have expressed support for same-sex marriage: Yesh Atid, Israeli Labor Party, Hatnuah, Meretz and Hadash. Support for the right of same-sex couples to marry has been expressed by members of the government and members of parliament, including Vice Prime Minister, Moshe Ya'alon of the governing Likud party, Leader of the Opposition and head of Israeli Labor Party, Shelly Yachimovich, the Israeli Minister of agriculture, Orit Noked of the Independence Party, Head of Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid, Head of Meretz party, Zehava Galon and members of the parliament from other parties such as Kadima. In February 2009 Knesset member Nitzan Horowitz (from the left wing Meretz party) introduced a civil marriage bill which included provision for same-sex marriages. The bill was rejected in May 2012 in a 39 to 11 vote, with 70 not attending. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Israel HMMM...I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I READ THIS...I HAD THE IMPRESSION ISRAEL WAS MORE LIBERATED THAN THEIR ISLAMIC NEIGHBOURS. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 AHHH...JUST READ THIS: 18th MAY 2013 JERUSALEM POST [b]Finance Minister Yair Lapid is working to build a “coalition within the coalition” to create a civil alternative to religious marriage in Israel, including same-sex marriage. [/b] In a question and answer session on his Facebook page Thursday night, Lapid told a questioner that he was “definitely” planning on advancing the civil marriage issue. “I’m a big supporter of civil marriage,” Lapid said. “We’re working to create a coalition within the coalition. Yisrael Beytenu is for it, other parties less. We’ll battle for this and work for it without stop, for civil marriage, including marriages for same-sex couples in Israel, simply because it’s the just and right thing to do. http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=313548 GETTING THERE I SUPPOSE...BUT NOT EXACTLY MARRIAGE. STILL DISCRIMINATES. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 I BET THE ISRAELI MILITARY DIDN'T TREAT GOLDA MEIR AND TZIPI LIVNI LIKE THAT: You would have to say they are included (they have these jobs), they are treated equally – when it comes to their salaries at least – but what about respect? Are they accorded respect? Let me give you three examples where these women clearly were not: In September 2012 the governor-general made a surprise visit to Al Minhad air base near Dubai to lead the farewell ramp ceremony for five Australians who had been killed in Afghanistan. So why did the military schedule the ramp ceremony for the middle of the day, forcing Quentin Bryce to take the long walk along the tarmac behind the coffins in heat that was, according to a newspaper report, over 53 degrees? Why couldn’t the ceremony have been held in the comparatively cooler morning or evening? [b]My second example concerns the prime minister who visited Afghanistan in March 2012. While she spoke to the troops, thanking them for their service, again according to a newspaper report, they mostly ignored her, preferring instead to watch the footy on television.[/b] And thirdly, Anna Burke, the speaker of the House of Representatives, when she ascended to that role asked members to address her as ‘Speaker’ rather than ‘Madam Speaker’. ‘It’s about the position, not the gender of the person who occupies it,’ she said. She also joked that being referred to as ‘Madam’ made her feel as if she was running a brothel. http://thehoopla.com.au/equality-inclusion-respect/ NO RESPECT...TELLS ME SOMETHING ABOUT SOME OF THE MEN IN THIS COUNTRY... ENVIOUS METHINKS, SORE LOSERS, IGNORAMUSES, CHRISTIAN BARBARIANS, DICKHEADS. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ ABOUT THE AMAZING GOLDA MEIR: At 14, she studied at North Division High School and worked part-time. Her mother wanted her to leave school and marry, but she rebelled. She bought a train ticket to Denver, Colorado, and went to live with her married sister, Sheyna Korngold. The Korngolds held intellectual evenings at their home, where Meir was exposed to debates on Zionism, literature, women's suffrage, trade unionism, and more. In her autobiography, she wrote: "To the extent that my own future convictions were shaped and given form [...] those talk-filled nights in Denver played a considerable role. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golda_Meir N'

nasking

23/05/2013 WORTH REFLECTING ON...IT'S SUCH A COMPLEX WORLD THESE DAYS: Bawer believes journalists should be propagandists. In an exclusive interview with New Matilda, Scahill challenges this understanding of his profession: “I don’t view journalism as my job. It’s a way of life. I believe in independent media to the core of my being." Scahill, national security correspondent for The Nation, contributor to Democracy Now! and author of best-selling book Blackwater, gives a devastating account of how, under America’s foreign policy post 9/11, targeted killings, covert wars and “kill lists” are the new norm. Although he slams former US president George W. Bush for an escalation in these policies, he’s equally damning of Barack Obama and his partisan followers. He argues that Obama “isn’t conflicted about these secret wars” and came into office in 2009 with a coterie of advisors who all believed in pre-emptive war. [b]He cites three individuals as the key influences on the militarily inexperienced president. “Stanley McCrystal, who ran JSOC [Joint Special Operations Command] and Admiral William McRiven, an original member of Seal Team 6 who helped the Bush administration formulate its kill/capture program in the early days after 9/11 and is today the head of JSOC under Obama. Finally, David Petraeus, Dick Cheney’s general and somebody who pushed for a policy to strike in countries around the world and not just in declared battlefields.”[/b] Scahill, through his research in America, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and beyond — he’s currently banned by Pakistan for revealing the connections between the Pakistani elites and American mercenary company Blackwater — says that, “those three men pitched to Obama that if we don’t give authority to US military forces to strike at will in countries around the world, there’s going to be another attack. That [b]there are people plotting to blow up airliners, poison the US water supply, attack public transportation systems or attack US embassies and if we don’t take the fight to them and take them out, then this is going to be a one-term President who’s going to be responsible for another terror attack on US soil.”[/b] [b]Obama bought this narrative and the result, Scahill tells NM, is “a state of perpetual war for many years to come”. The legality and morality of the missions are rarely discussed in the US mainstream. This posture has brought a massive expansion in America’s footprint across the world, especially in Africa. Scahill says that the US now has bases, some allowing the launch of drones, in Mali, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. “Just yesterday I was talking to somebody who was connected to Yemeni intelligence who told me that there’s a base inside Yemen that the US uses sometimes to launch drones and other attacks. In East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, over the past five years, Obama has both intensified operations and expanded the archipelago in Africa for US actions and intelligence.” This territory will be a key battleground in the coming decade in America’s war against what it perceives to be terrorism. But Scahill argues along with Noam Chomsky and many others, that Washington’s actions are creating new enemies across the globe. As Chomsky said in the wake of 9/11, “If you want to stop terrorism, stop participating in it”. Scahill meets local communities in Yemen and Afghanistan who tell of horrific stories of US-led violence against them and their desire to inflict revenge.[/b] When a Yemeni, Farea al-Muslimi, appeared recently at a US Senate hearing to demand the end of US drone attacks in his country, politicians expressed little interest in hearing his perspective. Scahill says that days before he testified, al-Muslimi’s family’s village had been hit by a drone strike and he was live-tweeting text messages from his relatives who were at the scene. Despite this, Scahill says, “nearly the entire hearing was spent talking about theoretical war philosophy with blowhard professors.” The political and media class prefer to question how Obama is selling his message and not the effect on people under American bombs. Scahill is a rare independent journalist who refuses to embed with American troops in conflict zones. While researching Dirty Wars, Wikileaks documents were essential in understanding the scope of Washington’s reach. “It would be impossible to quantify the significance of Wikileaks not just to my or your work but to the world’s understanding of US covert and overt operations. I dug deep into the relationship between the US and Somalian warlords. I found individuals who were on the CIA payroll because of Wikileaks and went and found and got them on record. I would never have known that these people even existed but for Wikileaks.” Scahill criticises the smear campaign against Wikileaks as “politically motivated” and designed to protect the cosy arrangements between insider reporters and the state... [b]Scahill has spent a career working with independent media. "[P]art of my bigger mission in life is to build independent media. I’m not interested in going to a bigger publication because it will bring fame or a bigger pay cheque. I stick with an independent publisher when I write a book, I work with independent media outlets because I believe in building them up. How do we merge the energy of new, creative media folks with the proven old school tactics?” A recent study by American anthropologist David Vine discovered that at least $385 billion has been spent since 9/11 by private companies hired by Washington to establish global US bases. Scahill’s investigations remain essential to understanding the historical unprecedented nature of the American war machine and how it affects us all.[/b] http://www.newmatilda.com/2013/05/22/state-perpetual-war [b]YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T SAY OBAMA IS TOLERANT OF MUSLIM EXTREMISTS. BUT...HE HAS SUPPORTED GAY MARRIAGE. AND FEMINISM.[/b] N'

42 long

23/05/2013I don't think extremism in anything is good. They could be collectively described as "whacko's'. Unpredictable out of control and dangerous. Tolerance of views of others ( at least a consideration should be allowed).has to be desirable. Dogmatic persons are too defensive. They MUST be somewhat unsure of their stand to be that way, as IF you know you are right what does it matter what other's think? You don't agree with what I say, so I will fix that by cutting off your head. doesn't seem like a satisfactory solution ( to me anyhow).

nasking

23/05/2013 GOOD POINTS 42 LONG, RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM IS CERTAINLY NOT DESIRABLE FOR A RATIONAL, SENSIBLE DEMOCRACY: Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has resigned as Tony Abbott's parliamentary secretary amid a fierce backlash over comments he made linking gay marriage to the social acceptance of having sex with animals. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-19/controversy-over-cory-bernardi-bestiality-comments/4269604 HMMM... N'

nasking

23/05/2013 IS FORD LAYING OFF WORKERS TO HELP TONY ABBOTT?: THIS FROM APRIL 2013: OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott gave Ford a glowing recommendation during a whirlwind visit to Geelong yesterday. Mr Abbott, who was in town to spruik the Coalition's broadband plan, labelled the Ford Territory a "world-beating vehicle". "I know the excellence of the Ford product at Geelong because I drive a Ford Territory," he said. "The Ford Territory is arguably the best car ever made in this country. We need to get the Ford Territory exported to the world." Mr Abbott visited Marcus Oldham College at Waurn Ponds yesterday to meet students and discuss the Coalition's broadband plan. He said the plan would come sooner and cheaper than under Labor's $37.4 billion National Broadband Network. "This is a very important educational institution. It's a key part of our agricultural future and if this institution is to flourish it needs better broadband service," he said. "We will deliver fibre to an institution like this because our system is about bringing the right infrastructure to the right place." Liberal Corangamite candidate Sarah Henderson said she was proud the Coalition's NBN would deliver high-speed broadband to all Australians by 2016. "Ninety thousand people in Corangamite will not be receiving the NBN any time soon and frankly that is a disgrace," she said. "I will be standing up for the people of Colac, of Grovedale, of Highton, of Belmont and most other parts of Corangamite." The Geelong Advertiser reported on Wednesday that, other than new developments at Armstrong Creek and Wandana Heights, suburbs south of the Barwon River had been left off the NBN's three-year roll-out plan. The Federal Government hit back yesterday. Federal Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy said under the Coalition, people in regional and rural Australia would have to pay more for broadband. http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2013/04/12/362788_news.html TONY LUVS HIS FORD EH? DOES HE LUV THEM LAYING OFF CAR WORKERS? TONY LUVS MURDOCH...MURDOCH APPARENTLY HAS INVESTED IN OVERSEAS CAR MANUFACTURERS. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 THIS PREVIOUSLY FROM MURDOCH'S NEWS CORPORATION: [b]HarperCollins is a highly profitable publisher that already has 25 percent of its books as eBooks in the U.S., with international moving in the same direction.[/b] [b]I know it is fashionable these days to dismiss publishing, especially newspapers. Elites in particular look down on the popular press, but within the U.K., The Sun has 12 times the circulation of The Guardian and 27 times that of the Financial Times. In Australia, we are the leading publisher of news and have made great strides to restructure the business as we prepare for the digital future.[/b] From Fox News and our regional sports channels to TV shows such as Modern Family and films such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Ice Age, these brands are popular because they have earned a reputation for quality and creativity. They also reflect our fundamental investment in content. In sports, the NFL, World Cup and Sky Sports are examples of the exceptional content we deliver to our customers. We are also investing in high-growth markets, and Fox Sports Brazil is a good example of this dynamism. http://www.newscorp.com/Report2012/2012AR.pdf AND: [b]HarperCollins takes over at ABC Books[/b] JAN 24th, 2009 [b]Former Herald journalist Michael Visontay started last week as publisher of the newly formed ABC Books division of HarperCollins.[/b] The ABC has long pondered the sale of its book arm and did not replace publisher Stuart Neal, who left a year ago (and has just joined Allen & Unwin as a consultant publisher). After 11 publishers expressed interest in a partnership last year, [b]HarperCollins won the deal and in May officially takes over running the business, from commissioning to distribution and publicity, in consultation with the ABC.[/b] [b]Visontay will report to Shona Martyn, HarperCollins's publishing director, who has been interviewing redundant ABC staff with the aim of hiring "a good proportion"[/b]. She takes seriously the responsibility of owning "one of the most respected brands in Australia" and plans to expand its annual list to 50 nonfiction and 50 children's books with appeal to audiences "from the Triple J end to the Radio National end, as well as television". There will, however, be no fiction, which means [b]the death of the three-year-old ABC Fiction Award; entries will be directed to the HarperCollins-sponsored Varuna manuscript award. Martyn says she would like to attract more books from significant ABC journalists. Books like Chris Masters's contentious biography of Alan Jones, which was dropped by ABC Books? "Yes, we would have published Chris Masters," she says, "but maybe not as ABC Books[/b]." http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/archives/undercover/020948.html ABC CASH COW FOR WHO? N'

nasking

23/05/2013 MURDOCH...THE GREAT OPPORTUNIST...ALWAYS WILLING TO THROW HIS PRINCIPLES OUT OF THE WINDOW IN ORDER TO EXPAND HIS EMPIRE AND PROFIT AND INFLUENCE: HARPER COLLINS EAST AND WEST [b]The company became embroiled in controversy in 1998 after it was revealed it blocked Chris Patten's (the last British governor of Hong Kong) book East and West after a direct intervention by the then-CEO of News International, Rupert Murdoch. [/b] [b]It was later revealed by Stuart Proffitt, the editor who had worked on the book for HarperCollins, that this intervention was designed to appease the Chinese authorities- of whom the book was critical- as Murdoch intended to extend his business empire into China and did not wish to cause problems there by allowing the book to be published. [/b] Murdoch's intervention caused both Proffitt's resignation from the company and outrage from international media outside of News International. Chris Patten later published with Macmillan Publishing, initially in America, where it carried the logo "The book that Rupert Murdoch refused to publish" After a successful legal campaign against HarperCollins, Patten went on to publish the book in the UK in September 1998 after accepting a sum of £500,000 and receiving an apology from Rupert Murdoch. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HarperCollins GREAT CHARACTERS TO BE IN BED WITH ABC. N'

Barry Tucker

23/05/2013A worthwhile, informative and timely piece Jan. Thank you. I do not believe the Fifth Estate should seek to join the Fourth, or even to emulate it -- certainly not to emulate it! The Fifth is a new beginning -- the seeing in of the new and the beginning of the end for the old. The Fifth does not need the blessing of the MEAA (journo's union) or the Canberra Press Gallery. In my opinion, the further the Fifth distances itself from the corrupted Fourth the better. Joining the Canberra cliqué exposes the Fifth to the risk of joining the Fourth's group think. You do not need a Canberra Press Gallery Pass to report on federal politics (likewise State politics). What you need is the time it takes to build a working relationship with MPs, Ministers, their shadow counterparts, their media officers, senior and junior heads of departments. Without that working relationship built on honesty and trust, you will get nothing more than the parliamentary debate, the door stopper and the Press Release. A politician or bureaucrat who does not know you and trust you will not tell you anything, unless they have an ulterior motive for doing so. I would be happy to see the Fifth develop as a loose affiliation working in a co-operative way, sharing information, links, tips and training. I have read the work of many bloggers that is equal to anything the university qualified, Press Pass waving Fourth Estate can produce. I see no reason to be anxious to become part of their dying estate. Small news or news magazine websites are not expensive to run, provided the operator has a reliable income from another source. Their success is due to the quality of their information, not the number of paid ads they carry. This makes them immune from the vagaries of the economy and preserves their integrity. The other need is for a fast and robust fibre to the home broadband, provided at a low enough cost to make people want to log on for their news and commentary. We will not get it under an Abbott-led government and that, surely, is what the news media bias of the past few years is mainly all about. The danger for people who want everyone to have access to fair, accurate and impartial news and comment/analysis is that the print media will eventually transfer completely to the web, bringing its bias and dedicated audience with it. We are overlooking another medium -- radio. It lacks the visuals of print and the interwebs but it is still the fastest and most immediate medium of all, and fully portable. And it isn't under threat -- save for the IPA recommendation to privatise the SBS/ABC organisations. Unlike print, the radio medium has successfully made a technical transfer to the internet, although it may be difficult to make it a financial success. Finally -- given the IPA/Liberal Party love of "personal freedom" (theirs, not yours), Freedom of the Press Barons, the beginning this week of a public campaign for the privatisation of SBS/ABC -- there is need to make sure a future federal Liberal government does not move to abolish or limit the emerging Fifth Estate.

nasking

23/05/2013 TONY ABBOTT WANTS TO CUT THE MINING TAX...AND CREATE A ONE STOP SHOP TO DEAL WITH MINING AND ENVIRO REGULATIONS...THAT WILL LEAD TO RAMPANT MINING...A HIGHER DOLLAR...WHICH KILLS MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT PRICES...INCLUDING CAR EXPORTERS. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 OSBORNE NEEDS TO GET HIS HEAD OUT OF THE SAND...HIS CUTS TO THE BONE WILL NOT ONLY SEE ATTACKS ON MIGRANTS...BUT AN INCREASE IN ANTI-SEMITISM...AND MORE GAY BASHINGS... SUFFERING POMS WHO HAVE A WHITE SUPREMACIST BOOT BOYS MENTALITY CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN OUT OF WORK AND DRINKING AT THE PUB TOO MUCH FILLED WITH HATE GRIPING ALL DAY LONG ABOUT 'OTHERS'. BUT I SUSPECT OSBORNE KNEW THIS BEING A PRAT WHO HAS ASSOCIATED WITH SOME PRETTY VILE MEDIA, POLITICAL, SPORTS, EDUCATION, BUSINESS AND MEDIA CHARACTERS OVER THE YEARS... NOTHING LIKE MANIPULATING THE ECONOMY AND SOCIETY TO TRY AND SHIFT YER PARTY FURTHER TO THE RIGHT AND RID ITSELF OF A MORE MODERATE LEADER: George Osborne was on Wednesday urged by the International Monetary Fund to rethink his plans for a £10bn tax-and-spending squeeze this year, as part of a broad based attack on the coalition's economic policies. After a fortnight's fact-finding mission in London, the Washington-based lender warned that the planned package of spending cuts and tax rises would "pose headwinds" to growth, which could jeopardise the "tepid" economic recovery. Asked whether that meant the government should slow the pace of deficit-reduction, David Lipton, the IMF's first deputy managing director, said it did. He urged the government to bring forward spending plans: "Within the credible medium-term objectives it's useful for the economy for some infrastructure and other measures to be brought towards the present. That would reduce the drag in this year and in the coming years." Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, seized on the IMF's analysis, sayingresponded: "This is the call for action on jobs and growth that the IMF has been threatening to deliver for many months and a stark warning of the consequences if the chancellor refuses to listen." As well as questioning the chancellor's fiscal plans, the IMF used its annual health-check of the UK economy, known as an Article IV report, to warn that the UK was still a long way from a strong and sustainable recovery. The IMF called for the chancellor to set out a clear strategy on returning the bailed-out banks Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds to the private sector, and argued that a prolonged period of weak growth risked doing permanent damage to the economy. Osborne's much vaunted reform of financial regulation also came in for criticism, with the IMF urging him to hand stronger powers to the new financial policy committee (FPC), which will be given the job of reining in asset booms. The IMF would like to see the FPC given the right to limit loan-to-value and loan-to-income ratios on mortgages, to prevent a housing bubble inflating. IMF experts also questioned the wisdom of the chancellor's controversial Help to Buy scheme for those trying to get on and up the housing ladder, which formed the centrepiece of March's budget. It said that without more houses being built it could just drive up prices. "This measure may temporarily help boost confidence in the housing market, but there is a risk that, in the absence of an adequate supply response, the result would ultimately be mostly house price increases that would work against the aim of boosting access to housing." http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/may/22/george-osborne-imf-cuts-headwinds FRANKLY, I RECKON OSBORNE'S ACTIONS ARE CRIMINAL. AMBITIOUS, HOLLOW LITTLE PR*CK...PRAT. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 DON'T FORGET TO VISIT LYN'S LINKS FOR LINKS TO INTERESTING AND ALTERNATIVE NEWS AND NEWS FILTERING SITES: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

nasking

23/05/2013 HOW'S THIS FOR KOOKY EXTREMIST SH*T?: [b]The adamantly homophobic US Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), also known as the God Hates Fags church, has posted an image online, suggesting that the murder in Woolwich today, was God’s judgement for the UK’s acceptance of gay people.[/b] Two men have been arrested in relation to the attack which took place this afternoon outside Woolwich army barracks in London. The two suspected Muslim extremists were arrested after a man was killed outside the barracks. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the victim was a soldier, and that he was wearing a Help for Heroes UK military charity t-shirt. Two suspects were shot and wounded, and taken to hospital, one by air ambulance, following the attack. Footage appeared on ITV this evening, in which one of the attackers, who was holding a meat cleaver and a knife, said: “We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you.” He then explained his actions: ”I apologise that women have had to witness this today, but in our land our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government, they don’t care about you.” [b]The flyer posted on the WBC’s Twitter pages, included images of the two suspects, taken from the ITV News report, and the text: “God is your terrorist”, “God hates the UK”, Fags doom nations”, “God curses the troops”, and “Not blessed, just cursed”.[/b] David Cameron has returned to Westminster from a trip to Paris. He will chair a meeting of emergency response committee Cobra on Thursday. The committee already met today, and decided to increase security at Woolwich, and other barracks. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe described the murder as “shocking and horrific”, and said it was being treated as a terrorist incident. He said: “It is hard to comprehend the shocking and horrific scenes we have seen this afternoon on a busy street as Londoners went about their day as normal. “We have launched a murder investigation, being led by the Counter Terrorism Command. Two men have been arrested in connection with that murder.” [b]Following the attack, around a hundred gathered near the scene in Woolwich town centre, including members of the English Defence League, who were met by a heavy police presence, including those wearing riot gear.[/b] [b]The homophobic Westboro Baptist Church yesterday thanked God for a lethal tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, leaving at least 24 people dead, saying it’s because of gay basketball player Jason Collins.[/b] http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/05/23/us-church-blames-woolwich-terror-killing-on-uk-acceptance-of-gay-people/ SOME PEOPLE EH? N'

nasking

23/05/2013 DEAR OH DEAR: JOHN STEWART: In the 1970s, Brother Whelan was the principal at St Patrick's College in southern Sydney where a group of high schoolboys were abused by a lay teacher called Thomas Keady. Robert Lipari was one of the students abused by Keady at the school and on weekend trips to a caravan park near Lake Illawarra. He was just 11 years old. ROBERT LIPARI, ABUSE VICTIM: He molested me in the caravan. I woke up the following morning - woke up is strange; I really didn't get to sleep that night. I woke up and I showered and scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. I felt so dirty. I was covered in blood. It wasn't a pleasant time. JOHN STEWART: Two years after Robert Lipari was abused by Thomas Keady, four other boys told Brother Whelan that the teacher had sexually abused them. Brother Whelan sacked the teacher, but did not inform the police. Robert Lipari believes that if Principal Whelan had told the police about the teacher abusing him, other boys at the school may not have been abused... The NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge says the DPP needs to revise its guidelines for deciding what is in the public interest. DAVID SHOEBRIDGE, NSW GREENS: Well the concern is they've had a very narrow view about the public interest, looked more at the defendant than at a broad class of victims. Because surely there is a strong public interest in holding officials to account who effectively sit on their hands and fail to report sexual abuse within their own institution, whether it's the Church or any other institution. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2013/s3765390.htm HOW MUCH OF THIS WENT ON? SEEMS TO ME THE VATICAN, SOME IN THE POLICE, INFLUENTIAL CATHOLIC PRIESTS IN AUSTRALIA AND SOME POLITICIANS HAVE HELPED COVER THIS ABUSE EPIDEMIC UP... AND IN TURN, HELPED EXCUSE AND PERPETUATE IT...AND STYMIED HEALING. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 FROM LYN'S LINKS: RUPERT MURDOCH’S dominance of the Australian media is usually spoken of in terms of the 70% share his newspapers have in the Australian market. That is almost three-quarters of the Australian public that are exposed (often with no alternative) to the Gospel according to Rupert every day. Every day exposed to his neo-conservative ideology and his absolute determination to destroy those left-of-centre parties ― Labor and The Greens. But the problem is much worse than mere market share. Mr Murdoch, no fool whatever his other failings, realised very early on that – just like a large shareholding in a company leads to control of the company – 70% media saturation can be turned into 100% control of political discourse. It works like this… Murdoch, or his editors (but I repeat myself), decide on the format for the latest government attack. Doesn’t matter what it is — some fabricated and dishonest attack on the PM’s integrity, or a policy proposal, some poll result, some disagreement between Labor Party members, some union “scandal”, the latest fake leadership challenge … whatever. The very act of launching the attack ‒ in 70% of Australia’s newspapers ‒ makes the attack itself “news”. The truthfulness or accuracy of the attack is irrelevant ‒ Rupert understood ‒ its mere existence becomes news and is consequently repeated by other media outlets. Not to repeat it ‒ notably in the case of Fairfax and the ABC, there is no question of not repeating it in the other media ‒ would be evidence of pro-government bias. And that failure to repeat would itself feed into the next News Ltd media cycle … and so on. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/business/media-2/rupert-murdochs-journalistic-cancer/ BTW, DAVID SPEARS OF SLY NEWS SOUNDS LIKE HE'S WORKING FOR THE LIBERALS DURING THIS CORMANN AND BRADBURY DEBATE. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 MAKE THAT KIEREN GILBERT...THESE MURDOCH cybernetically-enhanced humanoid drones ALL LOOK THE SAME TO ME THRU THE FOG. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF FORD ANNOUNCED THE JOB LAYOFFS TO COINCIDE WITH THE post budget debate BETWEEN LIBERAL Mathias Cormann and ALPer DAVID BRADBURY broadcast on SKY/SLY NEWS? HOW EVIL WOULD THAT BE? I WONDER IF FORD HAD ANY VISITS OR CALLS FROM ABBOTT LIBERALS OR THEIR CLOSE ASSOCIATES/SUPPORTERS RECENTLY? N'

nasking

23/05/2013 JOE HOCKEY IS REALLY FULL OF IT: “Stability does not come from a Labor Government that has had five small business ministers in fifteen months.” Labor had five from 2010 to 2013. From 1997 to 2001 the Howard Government also had five. Surely Joe Hockey is not suggesting the Howard Government was unstable? http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/sloppy-joe-hockeys-fifteen-biggest-press-club-furphies/ JOE IS A REAL PROBLEM FOR THE LIBERALS... HE'S OUT OF HIS DEPTH. THIS CORMANN FELLA IS A BIG BSer TOO...AND FAR TOO NEO-LIB. I LIKE BRADBURY. N'

nasking

23/05/2013 Julia Gillard ✔ @JuliaGillard .@darrenhayes I abhor homophobic violence. My thoughts are with your friend. JG 2:21 PM - 22 May 2013 http://www.samesame.com.au/news/international/9795/Bloodied-face-is-Londons-shame.htm GOOD ON THE PM. N'

Janet (j4gypsy)

23/05/2013Nas at May 23. 2013 10:41 AM: Thanx for the [i]New Matilda[/i] piece on the US journalist Scahill, who has clearly voted for the fifth estate as opposed to the fourth: [i]‘Scahill has spent a career working with independent media. "[P]art of my bigger mission in life is to build independent media. I’m not interested in going to a bigger publication because it will bring fame or a bigger pay cheque. I stick with an independent publisher when I write a book, I work with independent media outlets because I believe in building them up. How do we merge the energy of new, creative media folks with the proven old school tactics?”’[/i] Please also, TPSers, read Barry Tucker’s ‘horses mouth’ comment on why the fifth should not try to be the fourth estate at May 23. 2013 12:16 PM. He adds, from ‘the-retired-traditional journalist-who’s-become-a-fifth-estater’ perspective, a bunch of new, fascinating issues to our ongoing discussion this week. Now, some Twitter-talk peeps (have been remiss with all things Twitter of late: apologies :-)). [b]First some great visuals:[/b] [i]david ewart ‏@davidbewart[/i] Federal election candidates https://twitter.com/davidbewart/status/337073710097907712/photo/1 [i]just JenRed ‏@JustJen64 1m[/i] #auspol WHO PULLS YOUR STRINGS ? where do you get YOUR news from .. ? MURDOCH MEDIA IS POISON AND HAS NO SCRUPLES https://twitter.com/JustJen64/status/337103469095821312/photo/1 [b]A terrific reminder of precisely what Tony Windsor said about what Tony Abbott said about what he would put in place in exchange for his arse, if the independents handed him the PM job in 2010 is here:[/b] [i]Bec M ‏@iluvmypjs[/i] Windsor's Shining Moment I will do anything Tony to get this job,the only thing I wouldn't do is sell my arse -Abbott http://notesfromeleanorbloom.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/windsors-shining-moment-in-question-time.html?m=1 … [b]And on the inadequacies, by comparison, of the LNP’s Direct Action:[/b] [i]John ‏@JDK_au[/i] Direct action looks very lame now, China working to cap emissions 2016. US next. #auspol http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/china-agrees-to-impose-carbon-targets-by-2016-8626101.html … [i]Robert Oakeshott MP ‏@OakeyMP[/i] @BFP72 Yes - I will also move a Confidence motion in the science of climate change and the bipartisan agreement on at least 5% by 2020. [b]On the Ford shut-down:[/b] [i]Paul Syvret ‏@PSyvret[/i] Ford to shut down in Australia http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/05/ford-to-shut-down-in-australia/ … Just as mining investment peaks, and the dollar starts to fall. [b]On austerity and its discontents:[/b] [i]Andrew White ‏@litbright[/i] The case for keeping Julia - [Abbott wants the] “austerity” that has done such appalling damage in Europe & the US. http://citynews.com.au/2013/the-case-for-keeping-julia/ … [b]On Gonski:[/b] WomenForMedia ‏@WomenForMedia 1m Kathryn Greiner pleads for states and #Abbott to sign up to #Gonski #reforms: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/doubt-on-gonski-money-trail-as-abbott-warns-its-all-states-or-bust-20130517-2js6n.html … via @smh #AusPol [b]The value and worth of Politifacts stays to the forefront in the Twitter stream, as per this exchange, with some additional reading/commentary:[/b] [i]Mr Denmore ‏@MrDenmore[/i] CORRECTED: @Jeff_Sparrow on the fact-check fad: Seems peculiarly American & based on a narrow understanding of Truth http://shar.es/Zz059 [i]Mark Whalan ‏@MWhalan[/i] @MrDenmore @Jeff_Sparrow I am a big supporter of the fact check trend, unlike articles that say 'anything can be anything #artsessay. [i]Mr Denmore ‏@MrDenmore [/i] @MWhalan @Jeff_Sparrow I'm not sure it makes any difference. Talking about factoids in isolation really doesn't change anything. [i]Greg Jericho ‏@GrogsGamut[/i] @MrDenmore @MWhalan @Jeff_Sparrow as Kevin Drum notes - focus on deception, not lying - http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/09/we-should-focus-deception-not-lying … [i]Greg Jericho ‏@GrogsGamut[/i] @MWhalan @MrDenmore @Jeff_Sparrow I don't think so - he rates it a 9 "There's obviously a huge attempt to mislead here". Add this, and note how Quadrant Online really feels about the ABC’s appalling ‘leftism’: [i]david ewart ‏@davidbewart[/i] http://www.quadrant.org.au/blogs/qed/2013/05/the-abc-s-newest-employee … good news for progressives With more on facts/opinion: [i]Mr Denmore ‏@MrDenmore [/i] Objectivity in journalism and the decades-long shift from “just the facts” to “what does it mean?” http://nie.mn/16OE3tJ via @NiemanLab [b]Odds and sods:[/b] [i]Bernard Keane ‏@BernardKeane[/i] if you see a journalist quoting Christopher Pyne as knowing what's going on inside the Labor Party, just punch them. This has to stop. [i]Brad ‏@bradthegunn[/i] Damn' this PM is good at these public meetings .. [i]Tara Nipe ‏@TaraNipe[/i] When the PM answers questions from the public we see the greatest contrast w/Mr Abbott: informed, open, honest, genuine, and there - vs not [i]Paul Bongiorno ‏@PaulBongiorno[/i] ALP policy supports gay marriage. Did so at last National Conference but allows a conscience vote. Liberal policy doesn't either way. [i]Aust Policy Online ‏@ozpolicyonline[/i] What is leadership for? Leadership for adaptation, transformation, and sustainability: In an earlier post, I a... http://bit.ly/16N9k07 [b]And for those into all things literary (and dramatic):[/b] [i]Natasha Mitchell ‏@natashamitchell[/i] Fab news about the ABC making an adaptation of Kate Grenville's The Secret river for the screen http://bit.ly/10UM5JC (via @abcmarkscott)

Wendy Bacon

23/05/2013A very good and comprehensive piece,which should kick this discussion along. I apologise if this quick comment is a bit rambling. I'm going to follow up the press gallery issue? do you have to become an ongoing resident in the gallery or can you pop in for visits if you can show you follow MEAA ethics? There has always been an in group in the Gallery. I remember going down there is the 80s and asking an awkward question about Keating's relationship with property developer Warren Anderson - Hawke tried to freeze me out and only one journalist, Ross Dunn supported me. One issue - It's good to see the Citizen and it does appear to have more resources than other uni publications but you don't even mention the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism which has published masses of journalism over 20 years, Reportage which has published plenty of professional standard journalism and Monash MOJO which just published some climate change features and the excellent Dangerous Ground project. Citizen is just one example of the contribution from the uni sector. There is also The Conversation which has employed quite a few journalists. Then there are the many serious community radio broadcasters including those at RMIT who I find to be more professional in approach than many in the mainstream. The is Adele Horin's Coming of Age and Melissa Sweet's Croakey Blog which has launched a conference reporting service. Anne Summers has also launched a magazine. There are journalists with a foot in the mainstream and another outside it - as you suggest the boundaries are fluid. My point is that the independent/ alternative sphere has always been there and is broad - it is growing as you say as the mainstream, while still powerful, is weakening, which is where the tension lies. The history of journalism shows that you certainly don't have to be working as a journalist to BE a journalist and we are now experiencing a tendency towards deindustrialisation. This I think is a good thing. In my own experience, I have moved from underground publication to Sixty Minutes to the National Times to UTS and back out to the alternative media. In all that time, my basic approach to journalism has been fairly similar.

James Adelaide

23/05/2013Ad Astra, I detect a change. A year ago Murdoch and Bolt comment streams were between 80% and 60% angry anti-gillard. Recently, the number of pro government and anti Abbot comments has increased. The Latest article to show this is http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/bolt-lets-hope-abbotts-labor-lite-will-be-as-superficial-as-rudds-liberal-lite/story-e6freabc-1226648726498 My count of the 23 comments is Anti Abbott 8 Pro Abbot 4 Other 6 Anti Andrew Bolt 5 Comments as at 5.17 pm Adelaide time Half an hour earlier, the numbers were even starker with only 2 pro Abbott. Of note are the number of anti Andrew Bolt comments. I found this surprising. Does anyone else detect a change? I think the risk of having Tony Abbott as PM and Joe Hockey as Treasurer is concentrating people’s minds. Ad, with your indulgence I will post a copy of the article and comments, because the last time I referred to a news Limited comment stream, it was pruned within a day. Bolt: Let's hope Abbott's Labor-lite will be as superficial as Rudd's Liberal-lite Andrew Bolt The Advertiser May 22, 2013
10:30PM IS THIS really what I want from an Abbott government? The same as Labor, only better? The excitement among conservatives at the now near-certain defeat of the Gillard Government in September is cooling. It is being replaced with the realisation that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is not promising big changes, social or economic. He is, instead, doing a Kevin Rudd. Mr Rudd campaigned successfully in 2007 as Liberal-lite - someone like John Howard, but fresher. Likewise, for all his rhetoric, Mr Abbott is campaigning as Labor-lite - without the stuff-ups. Like Labor, Mr Abbott promises no big changes to industrial relations policies, even though employers are screaming for them. Like Labor, Mr Abbott claims he believes in "the science" of global warming, even though the world hasn't warmed for at least 15 years. Like Labor, Mr Abbott backs the referendum proposal to recognise local government, although it will give Canberra more control over every town hall. Like Labor, Mr Abbott supports a referendum to recognise Aborigines in the Constitution, backing a race-based law that will merely divide us into tribes. Like Labor, Mr Abbott promises a big new tax - a rise in the Medicare levy. Like Labor, Mr Abbott will waste billions of dollars to cut our emissions without cutting the temperature. He'll just waste a few billion less. Like Labor, Mr Abbott will scrap the Baby Bonus, but will channel more money to a parental leave scheme. Weren't the Liberals opposed to such discrimination against stay-at-home mothers? Like Labor, Mr Abbott refuses even to consider privatising the ABC, despite the ABC killing Fairfax newspapers particularly, by giving away free the online services its competitors must sell to survive. Doesn't he see the ABC is morphing into a modern Pravda - a state-backed media behemoth so far to the Left that 40 per cent of its journalists vote Green, says a University of the Sunshine Coast survey? Labor's attacks on Mr Abbott disguise this same-same. Take its latest story, that Mr Abbott plans to "cut to the bone" government spending. Not true, sadly. Last week Mr Abbott in his Budget reply speech promised a net saving of just $1 billion a year, when government outlays next financial year will soar to $391 billion and we face a deficit of $18 billion. "Cut to the bone"? That's barely a scratch. Labor's stunning incompetence has blurred what was once a key difference - the carbon tax. Labor now admits the carbon price, now $23 a tonne, will fall to $12.10 when carbon trading starts in 2015, thanks to a collapse in Europe's support for warming policies that hurt industry. In fact, the price will almost certainly be less. So what's the big difference between a carbon price under Labor of, say, $5 a tonne and Mr Abbott's plan to scrap the whole sorry thing? Likewise, how profound a difference will scrapping the mining tax make, now it's revealed as a bit of a dud? As for the education "reforms" now promised by Labor, remove the redirected funding and they amount to just $200 million a year over the next four years. Big deal. Exactly where are any big differences? Neither party promises to slash the recklessly high immigration levels that have us hurtling to a population of nearly 40 million by 2050. Yes, the Liberals promise to cut the refugee intake, now 20,000 a year, by 6000, but this is more to save money. Likewise, neither party promises a Budget surplus in the next term of government. Both promise a disability scheme likely to blow out massively under the weight of bureaucracy. This isn't to say there are no differences. The Liberals' attack on green tape - and red - could fast-track investment, and they will spend billions less on a broadband network. The Liberals also promise to "stop the boats" - although stopping what's now an uncontrolled armada would take incredibly tough and provocative measures. Mr Abbott is also insisting his party keep for now a collective position against gay marriage, and he will also end Labor's sinister war against free speech. But the real difference being hammered by Mr Abbott is that his will be a government of "no nasty surprises, no lame excuses"; of no broken promises. It will do what it promised, and no more. And it will end the incompetence and waste. Great. But is this enough? Conservatives can only hope Mr Abbott's Labor-lite will be as superficial as Rudd's Liberal-lite. Mr Rudd promised to be much like Mr Howard, saying he'd turn around the boats, stop the "reckless spending", and take a "meat axe" to the public service. In office, Mr Rudd did the exact opposite. His instincts trumped his promises. Perhaps Mr Abbott's instincts will also out. But that raises another question: what are those instincts? Sigh. I suspect we must wait for Mr Abbott's second term to find out. Comments (23) Adam of Adelaide 
Posted at 12:01 AM Today
Abbott will tax less and save more, not sure where the cuts will come from - low income families will take more hits than just their super. Also, the direct action plan will tax people directly and give the money to businesses - something experts in both economy and environment have said will be a big waste of money. These same experts also say the carbon tax is working well to bring down emissions at a reasonable cost, and an ETS will work even better. The only "experts" who say that climate change is false and/or a reduction in carbon pollution will slow, then stop and then eventually reverse the damage are discredited people like Alan Jones or Monckton, who would rather have an extra fancy coffee each week than reduce carbon pollution damage to the environment and use figures and data that has been proven fake and deliberately miscalculated. This is not new data anyway - I remember learning about greenhouse gasses in school in the 80's, but some people seek stuck in the 1880's.

Comment 1 of 21
 Christian 
Posted at 2:55 AM Today
I read some Pravda articles online and can assure you the ABC is far more left wing extremist than Pravda now is.

Comment 2 of 21
 kym of mortgage belt Australia 
Posted at 5:01 AM Today
Mr Rudd and Labor have made mistakes, none of them have unduely unsettled the fabric of Australian society, the economy despite critics is one of the best in the world, much of the budget defict can be directly apportioned to corruption by big businees namely the mining industry avoiding near all of the intent of the minerals resource tax, while at same time announcing ever bigger profits. Now to Mr Abbott, we will have biggotry especially toward would be refugees, immigration spokeman Mr Morrison shows this everytime he speaks on arrivals of refugees, we will have a major increase in the divide between the rich and ordinary Australians in line with long standing Liberal policies, we will having increasing "Christian" bias due to Mr Abbotts personal beliefs, and worst we will have a major shift in industrial relations away from the workers, if Mr Abbott claims anything different it would only be big ears he suffers from. I advise vote very carefully when the time comes.

Comment 3 of 21
 ET of Highbury 
Posted at 5:04 AM Today
Andrew Bolt criticising the Liberal party? Can someone please check him for signs of a stroke?

Comment 4 of 21
 JT of SA 
Posted at 6:29 AM Today
40% of ABC journalists vote Green? I wonder how many participated in the survey. 

Comment 5 of 21
 Ashley of Adelaide 
Posted at 7:38 AM Today
Mr. Bolt, you know as well as I do that Tony Abbott (as PM) will have to do far far more in cuts than what he is saying now...Many commentators don't even know that the last Labor Budget (2012-13) legislation has not completely passed the senate (many savings have not happened), then onto this months Budget (2013-14), Swann has admitted that most of the legislative cuts will never be implemented by the September election, so Abbott is facing a Budget Crisis of 10's of $billions.

Comment 6 of 21
 not a conservative sheep 
Posted at 7:56 AM Today
Obviously if PM Abbott is found to be lying and only pretending to labor-lite Mr Bolt will campaign viciously to have him turfed out by the labor party at Tue next election. I can sense the cognitive dissonance that will occur already and I'm sure all manner of lies will be ok as long as the right party is lying. 

Comment 7 of 21
 Jen of Munno Para 
Posted at 7:57 AM Today
Guess you would be happy, Andrew, if he were to sell the ABC and SBS. I'm scared pant less by this guy. Don't pretend he or you are little pussy cats. Look out Australia, the vandals are at the gates.

Comment 8 of 21
 Craigieboy 
Posted at 8:20 AM Today
I have no doubt that after the Libs are elected in a landslide changes will be made. We all know that radical change spooks electorates. In my view this is just smart tactics to keep the electorate on track to deliver the coup de gras to Labor.

Comment 9 of 21
 fair suck of the sav of Stirling 
Posted at 8:44 AM Today
'Stuff ups' ? 'Stunning incompetence' ? AAA rating, an economy the envy of the world amidst the GFC. How about 'willful ignorance' on the writers part particularly when it comes to climate change given that science supports the latter.

Comment 10 of 21
 Harry of Adelaide 
Posted at 8:48 AM Today
Thank goodness for our Andrew. Tony Abbott a little mouse! Whoa, I likes a larff, Andrew. No need to read the funnies when you are around.

Comment 11 of 21
 chris of Wattle Park 
Posted at 8:58 AM Today
The shaky Liberal voters are starting to get worried. Tony Abbott has been 'missing-in-action' during the past (budget) fortnight. He never was a details man. At least I'd have thought Malcolm Turnbull could have made an informed contribution to the 'in reply' presentation. The minders are across the damage that 'economics-is-not-my-forte' Abbott could be doing, and have sat on him. Which leaves Joe Hockey strutting the stage, all statesmanlike, when all we wanted was a convincing shadow Treasurer. Smoke and mirrors again, verifying Penny Wong's view. The minders can't sit on Tony till mid-September. Sometime, somewhere will be the gaffe-to-end-all-gaffes. Perhaps on the G20 international statesman stage, where he can embarass Australia in front of the world. Just like Boris Yeltsin, Ronald Reagan and George Bush used to do, but they each wielded a bigger stick than Tony.

Comment 12 of 21
 AG 
Posted at 9:25 AM Today
go to hell on industrial relations bolt, you and you ultra rich friends for whom you are the mouth piece want ordinary Australians to do it tougher for rich fat cats like murdoch and rinehart.

Comment 13 of 21
 Leigh 
Posted at 10:20 AM Today
The Coalition will be the same as the so-called Conservatives in the UK - wet. The welfare state will continue, but with an increase in middle-class handouts. Time for conservative voters to give Family First a try.

Comment 14 of 21
 Tammie of Mitcham 
Posted at 10:21 AM Today
Oh Andrew. Fiction belongs in the bookshops.

Comment 15 of 21
 Adam of Adelaide 
Posted at 10:51 AM Today
What are the differences? Carbon Tax, Gonski and the NBN. Business groups have said the uncertainty over the future of the Carbon Tax has hurt them more than the Carbon Tax itself. Abbott's reply was to say that if he is voted in then there will be certainty that he will axe it. Gonski funding will improve EVERY school, public, private etc, and that will help our businesses in the future to have a higher percentage of workers who can do maths, read an analog clock and can actually spell etc. The NBN will help our businesses to compete with Asia. It will help those who export overseas (bringing in more foreign tax dollars) and help every business that has more than one location, and especially in multiple states. Abbott also wants to slug many businesses with a massive tax hike (which will affect prices far more than the carbon tax), and because of how Abbott solely cares for the votes and not the voters actual needs, I foresee many business owners voting Labor higher than Liberals for the first time.

Comment 16 of 21
 Davo of Modbury 
Posted at 12:31 PM Today
Tony Abbott is more DLP than Liberal; A social conservative who will not deliver the libertarian utopia that Bolt and his cronies dream of. They want Peter Reith heavy for PM and will end up with another Malcolm Fraser.

Comment 17 of 21
 Fred of Hackham 
Posted at 1:17 PM Today
Good old Andrew. The slave of Gina Rhinehart and the institute of public affairs. All you lackeys out there will pay more under Abbott so the rich can have more. Wake up Australia!

Comment 18 of 21
 KEG of Regency Park 
Posted at 1:25 PM Today
Andrew, Australia needs stability to get the economy into a better shape. Abbott has some really good ideas, however to make them work having the country in turmoil would be counter productive. What we don't want is the 'right wing revolution' you have indicated.

Comment 19 of 21
 Tone Tone of Adelaide 
Posted at 2:20 PM Today
One thing to consider, if Labor get reelected how many more businesses will go broke and people out of work. The fictitious employment numbers put up by Labor are simply unbelievable. When there are no businesses left there will be no jobs, therefore no tax, ergo no welfare. Time for you who think we have such a great economy to get off welfare and have a look at the real world. I can't wait until September to see the end of this mob of daydreamers.

Comment 20 of 21
 Dragon Lady of Adelaide Hills 
Posted at 3:27 PM Today
Part of me wants Abbott to win the election, just because it will be hilarious to see his supporters' reactions when nothing much changes.

Comment 21 of 21 Not A Dragon Lady Of Perth 
Posted at 3:54 PM Today
Dragon Lady - all of me wants him to win just becuase I know things will change for the so much better - it won't happen over night but it will happen - his detractors won't find it hilarious because they don't understand even the basics of good government.

Comment 22 of 23
 HM of SA 
Posted at 4:23 PM Today
No Mr. Bolt, the Liberals WILL stop the boats. They said they would. You said they will. Neither you nor the Liberals can back away. Failure to stop the boats post the election MUST result in political head rolling, and Ministerial resignations. But that won't be required will it Mr Bolt... Because the Liberals WILL stop the boats.

Comment 23 of 23

Curi-Oz

23/05/2013Nasking @20130522.18:35 You used the word "incrementally" I am reminded about the story of how to cook frogs, in that if you bring the heat up slowly they don't notice that they are being boiled. Why am I increasingly of the impression that many respondants here are starting to feel a bit like frogs?

Curi-Oz

23/05/2013Well, if Ford is going to be closing it's manufacturies down, can the government claim back all those subsidies they were given? Just asking ...

Jason

23/05/2013Hazel Hawke has passed away RIP!

Catching up

23/05/2013If we are unlucky and Abbott gets in, will he call another election, immediately, when he cannot stop those boats. Hazel Hawke has passed away.

42 long

23/05/2013Whatever Murdoch wants will be good for HIM Not US. Clearly Murdoch WANTS abbott in to do his bidding. With that quite clear why give Merde -och his way. You don't HAVE to do his bidding. WE still have the right to vote ( at the moment) We still have an ABC and it will return to normal when Tones loses the election. He will find some way to pay the $700K he owes on the house because he is a good economist, and knows that every one (except the government) has the need to borrow the right amount of money. for appropriate purposes.

2353

23/05/2013Hazel Hawke's passing is probably a blessing for her family as she was struck down with Dementia. It is a shame that such a vibrant and clever person had to leave the world in such a fashion.

42 long

23/05/2013Many of us depart in lees than pristine condition. When we go to heaven or the other place what do we look like?

nasking

23/05/2013 [b]You used the word "incrementally" I am reminded about the story of how to cook frogs, in that if you bring the heat up slowly they don't notice that they are being boiled. Why am I increasingly of the impression that many respondants here are starting to feel a bit like frogs?[/b] Curi-Oz, or perhaps it's the Libs and Abbott who are starting to feel like those unfortunate frogs...as we turn up the heat...incrementally. :D Cheers Janet...enjoyed reading thru those informative tweets. ---------- [b]Wendy Bacon, welcome to the blog...memories of The Little Red Schoolbook...and exposure of police corruption. I remembered this useful interview @ Crikey: CRIKEY: What is your definition of quality journalism?[/b] WB: Any sort of poll designed to produce a list of top sources of quality journalism is as likely to tell you as much about the people participating as it is to filter out an agreed list. Quality journalism comes in many forms from sound slide shows to web documentary to non-fiction books. Stories rarely happen in a single episode but evolve, develop and play a role in shaping shifting patterns of events and power relations. The Guardian’s persistence under attack in pursuing the hacking story is only the latest inspiring example of why quality journalism is critically important for democracy. My basic criteria for assessing quality is that it must be factually reliable, provide evidence for claims and be clearly expressed and presented. Quality journalism does not just repeat what the powerful say. Journalists I respect ask tough questions, probe beneath the surface and expose how power works. In this way, journalism empowers people to hold governments accountable and addresses inequities and abuse. Quality journalists come under attack and need to be ready to defend their work. Quality preferences are subjective. I look for something that deepens my knowledge, challenges the powerful or conventional ways of thinking, even if only in subtle ways. There is far more ‘quality’ outside the ‘mainstream’ than most mainstream journalists acknowledge. Most significant stories take more than one journalist or media outlet to expose and develop over a period of time. An emphasis on celebrity journalists hides how quality journalism is actually produced. We need a culture of quality journalism and not one based on the occasional big scoop or stars. Projects like this one could be supplemented by more systematic studies comparing the role media outlets play in covering particular topics — for example, how outlets compare on the coverage of the federal intervention or Aboriginal deaths in custody. This is where media studies can support a practical agenda for building a more democratic, high quality media. http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/08/24/wendy-bacon-quality-journalism-project/ BTW, GOING OFF ON ANOTHER TANGENT, DOESN'T ABBOTT WANT TO END 'NO FAULT DIVORCE'?...OR AM I IMAGINING IT? IF SO, THAT SHOULD BE A POLICY TO WHACK HIM OVER THE HEAD WITH...REPEATEDLY. N'

Ad astra

23/05/2013Folks I’ve been finishing the next piece and have just now caught up with your comments. Thank you for them. Janet, you have kept up the momentum from the beginning; nasking, you keep us informed with a variety of intelligence; Wendy Bacon, thank you for your thoughtful comment; James Adelaide, your post was informative and intriguing. I note that while many in the Fourth Estate want the Coalition in government and are prepared to accept Tony Abbott to achieve this, they want Abbott to do their bidding, as 42 long suggests, and already are finding his ‘Labor-lite’ approach disagreeable. He will experience increasing pressure to do their radical bidding, yet will be scared stiff about making a move that will cruel his chances. So, he has to dance between his supporters’ radicalism and electoral safety, something he clearly finds uncomfortable, even hazardous. He afraid of making a false move and losing everything he has fought for, for over two years. He is a scared little man.

nasking

23/05/2013 AH YES, HERE WE GO: Former Western Australia Labor premier Peter Dowding has hit out at Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott's plan to make divorce harder, saying Mr Abbott wants to retreat to "blame game" divorce. [b]Under Mr Abbott's marriage plan, heterosexual couples can sign up to a fault-based model, like the former Matrimonial Causes Act The act, dropped in 1975, required aggrieved spouses to prove offences like adultery, habitual drunkenness or cruelty to be granted a divorce. The Opposition families spokesman is touting the return to fault-based divorce as a way to shore up traditional values, but Mr Dowding, a barrister and family law specialist, sees plenty of flaws with Mr Abbott's idea.[/b] "The point about Tony Abbott's argument is that he wants to retreat to a blame game so you can actually blame someone in a divorce situation," Mr Dowding told ABC News Online. "[b]It's completely ludicrous to talk about making divorce harder at a time when people can separate easily. If you can separate easily, the question of making divorce harder or less hard is irrelevant. "It's like Alice in Wonderland. It's like stepping through a looking glass into la-la land where Tony Abbott happily sits with his morality judging people while no-one's life gets harder or easier[/b]." Mr Dowding, who stepped down as WA premier in 1990, says making divorce harder will just keep people in meaningless marriages. "People are going to separate and if they do separate and they can't get a divorce, they live apart from their spouse, never being able to remarry, but able to enter into de facto relationships, which have the same legal relationship as marriage, so all it does is demean the institution of marriage," he said. Abbott's plans [b] Mr Abbott's plan would see heterosexual couples offered an alternative to the current law allowing divorce after a 12-month separation. [/b] [b]"The point I make in the book is that a society that is moving towards some kind of recognition of gay unions, for instance, is surely capable of providing additional[/b] recognition to what might be thought of as traditional marriage," Mr Abbott told Fairfax newspapers. "Something akin to a Matrimonial Causes Act marriage ought to be an option for people who would like it. "Even though [marriage] is probably the most important commitment that any human being can make, in fact there are many, many contracts which are harder to enter and harder to get out of than this one." 'Right-wing Catholics' [b]But Mr Dowding does not think there is any room for Mr Abbott's argument in Australian politics.[/b] [b]"I don't like people who are right-wing judgemental Catholics trying to bring their religious politics into Australian life," he said. [/b] "[b]We're not a bunch of Americans. We don't go round with our politicians pretending to be deeply religious and demanding that everyone else be while they go around committing adultery on the side, as they do in America.[/b] [b]"And we don't want to be in a position where people with right-wing and intolerant attitudes, like Tony Abbott, control what people believe.[/b] "[b]If people separate because they're unhappy with each other and live their lives apart, is he suggesting we want to go back to the 1960s and before when private investigators jump through windows and photograph people in bed?[/b] "What's that going to achieve? Say you've been separated for five years from your wife or husband and you choose not to remarry and you have another relationship, you expect a private eye to come and [take a] photograph. I mean, how ludicrous is that?" http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-07-14/abbotts-divorce-proposal-ludicrous/1352668 ABBOTT REALLY IS LIVING IN THE PAST. NOT...MOVING FORWARD. N'

Ad astra

23/05/2013Hazel Hawke was a fine lady who made her own special contribution to public life in this country. She will be fondly remembered as a gracious person, and the memory of her long and productive life will be revered.

nasking

23/05/2013 [b]Hazel Hawke was a fine lady who made her own special contribution to public life in this country. She will be fondly remembered as a gracious person, and the memory of her long and productive life will be revered.[/b] HERE HERE. HAZEL'S CONTRIBUTIONS GET TWO THUMBS UP FROM ME. ------ WOULDN'T HAZEL HAVE SHAKEN HER HEAD AT THOSE FAR-RIGHT KNOBS IN THE UK?... FROTHING AT THE MOUTH AT THE PROSPECT OF [b]ULTRA-VIOLENCE[/b]... DRESSED LIKE BANK ROBBERS IN BALACLAVAS...GUTLESS SODS... THUGS NO BETTER THAN THE KKK... THNX TO GEORGE OSBORNE AND FRIENDS... YOU'VE MANAGED TO BRING A VERSION OF [b]THE DROOGS[/b] DOWN ON JOLLY OLD BRITIAN WITH YER SOCIAL ENGINEERING AND DECIETFUL ECONOMIC POLICIES. N'

lyn

24/05/2013Today’s Links Politifact underestimates the power of engagement by @timdunlop Politifact Australia may become an important part of public debate, but it will be nothing without public trust and goodwill. In the era of new media, you need to earn both, and you can't do that by simply doing a good job. You also need to engage. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4708750.html Just Who Is Playing Politics With Treasury? by @beneltham Hockey claimed that the budget figures were not really the Treasury figures, but were fudged by Labor. “Well I don't believe they're Treasury's numbers,” he said last Wednesday. “I think they're Wayne Swan's numbers and that's a starting point because his name is on the front of the document." http://newmatilda.com//2013/05/23/just-who-playing-politics-treasury Sloppy Joe Hockey’s 15 biggest Press Club furphies by @independentaus we might have expected Australia’s press gallery to show some diligence in scrutinising the nonsense Joe Hockey spouts if – as they seem unanimously agreed – he will soon run the economy.Again, more than 20 misleading assertions, hypocritical claims and blatant lies. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/sloppy-joe-hockeys-fifteen-biggest-press-club-furphies/ Joe Hockey ignores budget truths by @macro_business The contrasting fortunes are also illustrated by the below Treasury chart, which shows tax revenues to GDP booming under the Howard Government and then collapsing after the Labor Government took office just prior to the onset of the GFC: http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/05/joe-hockey-ignores-budget-truths/ Australia invaded Iraq by deceiving Australian people: 43 Australian elders by @margokingston1 And Joe Hockey, don’t talk about bringing back honest government, please. Your last government’s record does not allow it. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/australia-invaded-iraq-by-deceiving-australian-people-43-australian-elders/ Come on News Ltd, first kill, maim, censor and delete the bloggers ... by Dorothy Parker Meanwhile jolly Joe Hockey - please do not propose the pond should buy a used economy from this man - has set the cat amongst the pigeon by getting outraged and going gunning for Treasury, as you an read in a story about his valiant defence of Howard government tax cuts. http://loonpond.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/come-on-news-ltd-first-kill-maim-censor.html#.UZ3QCEpArX4 Ford goes – and how much does it matter- by @LarvatusProdeo the magnitude of the job losses is miniscule in the context of the broader Australian economy, and nothing like Campbell Newman’s decimation of the Queensland public service. Indeed, across Australia there were 390,000 retrenchments in the 12-month period starting February 2011, which makes the 1600-odd job losses from Ford’s manufacturing shutdown look like a piddle in the ocean. http://larvatusprodeo.net/archives/2013/05/ford-goes-and-how-much-does-it-matter/ Why my money is still on another hung parliament by @AusVotes2013 I do not believe, as some do (looking at you Mr Abbott) that the hung parliament result was some kind of anomaly, or a mistake. I think the Australian people fairly comprehensively and deliberately, after taking a long look at what was on offer, http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/05/23/why-my-money-is-still-on-another-hung-parliament/ Murdocracy: This is why you will never hear the truth from Australian media by rossleighbrisbane , @MigloMT Anyone in Australia who consumes media from more than one source, especially if that second opinion is not mainstream media, will know there is something very wrong with what we are being told is The News. http://theaimn.com/2013/05/23/murdocracy-this-is-why-you-will-never-hear-the-truth-from-australian-media/ The Other Side by @madwixxy In fact, given that the evidence that these charges were based on has been in police hands for so long it would appear as if the charges are being drip fed to a hungry media with each court appearance. I wonder how many new charges will be laid next time? http://wixxyleaks.com/2013/05/23/the-other-side-3/ Newman takes axe to Abbott’s Direct Action, and Qld bush by Giles Parkinson The conservative government of Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has stunned stunned scientists, environmental groups, climate change policy experts by going against a campaign promise and opening up millions of hectares of bushland to be clear-felled for farming purposes. http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/newman-takes-axe-to-abbotts-direct-action-and-qld-bush-34644 Newman lets land-clearing cowboys loose by Tristan Edis One has to wonder how these changes to Queensland law might be treated under the Coalition’s Direct Action policy. Does this now mean that landholders who previously weren’t allowed to clear land, can now ask for taxpayers’ money to not clear it? http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/5/23/science-environment/newman-lets-land-clearing-cowboys-loose#ixzz2U6GaLIOv Ford’s exit foreshadows a looming reality check for Australian manufacturing by @ConversationEDU Despite $34 million worth of federal government financial assistance announced last year, the losses, a bleak future caused by a “fragmented marketplace”, “low model volumes”, and the “high cost of manufacturing”, has caused Ford to finally decide that “manufacturing is not viable for Ford in Australia in the long-term”. https://theconversation.com/fords-exit-foreshadows-a-looming-reality-check-for-australian-manufacturing-14595 Vale Ford by @NGruen1 Well, as Ned Kelly may have said on the scaffold, “I suppose it had to come to this”. Ford has been prosecuting a strategy of risk minimisation which has principally been about investment minimisation in Australia for at least a decade and http://clubtroppo.com.au/2013/05/23/vale-ford/ Can You Trust The Facts? By @Jeff_Sparrow Fact checking allows big media organisations to restore a measure of the gravitas that they once possessed and to reassert their status against the blogosphere that displaced them. The digital environment might have destroyed the old perception of a newspaper as innately authoritative http://newmatilda.com/2013/05/23/can-you-trust-facts Europe, Australia and the slow death of Carbon Trading by Fergus Green Europe’s carbon pricing woes cast further doubt on the credibility of Australia’s scheme and on Treasury’s forecasts of the revenue it will reap for the budget http://inside.org.au/europe-australia-and-slow-death-of-carbon-trading/ “SPY THE LIE” - Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception by rossleighbrisbane it’s an interesting read, and should be compulsory for every political interviewer. In fact, it would make an interesting TV program where one played the interview, while the respective behaviour was identified and flashed across the screen. Must contact Rupert to see if I can sell the concept to his News Channel. http://rossleighbrisbane.wordpress.com/ NBN under Turnbull By Louis Nelson While Mr Turnbull's office has clearly stated it will not abort stages currently under construction, its policy of amending contracts to reflect Coalition policy (rolling out FTTN as opposed to FTTP) within 12 months of coming to power could see the second stage of Traralgon FTTP construction abandoned http://www.latrobevalleyexpress.com.au/story/1520053/nbn-under-turnbull/?cs=1462 Today’s Front Pages Australian Newspaper Front Pages for 24 May 2013 http://www.thepaperboy.com/australia/front-pages.cfm News headlines http://www.hotheadlines.com.au/

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24/05/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

nasking

24/05/2013 STUPID CORPORATISED ABC 24: Annabel Karmel: Child guru's ready meals laced with sugar and salt A child nutrition guru has been criticised for adding sugar and salt to her ready meals for toddlers. Annabel Karmel has sold millions of books guiding parents on how to wean children on to healthy food. However, it has emerged that her Eat Fussy ready meals are laced with added sugar and salt. As a result, the dishes may be training the palates of youngsters to enjoy ingredients that can contribute to poor health in later life. Attention has centred on Mrs Karmel's beef lasagne, which contains 5.4g of sugar per 100g of weight. This is double the sugar found in a similar product for adults. Empire built on a book Annabel Karmel's multimillion-pound empire stems from her book, the Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner, published 15 years ago, which has sold more than three million copies around the world. She has written 17 books on food and child nutrition, while her business has expanded to include baby products and, more recently, ready meals. Her books carry the seal of approval of Great Ormond Street Hospital and she was made an MBE in 2006. Earlier this month, she signed a deal with Disney to launch a range of healthy snacks featuring Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh. Mrs Karmel, 48, married oil broker Simon Karmel in 1984. The couple's first child, Natasha, died suddenly aged just three months. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246002/Annabel-Karmel-Child-gurus-ready-meals-laced-sugar-salt.html#ixzz2U9qfSbao GO RAW FOOD ENERGY N'

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24/05/2013 FOX NEWS = FAUX NEWS: Misrepresentation of facts Media Matters for America, which bills itself as a "progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media," cataloged what it called the ten most "egregious examples" of "distortion" by both Fox News and its TV personalities. [b]Criticism includes several examples of cropping quotes from President Obama, Vice President Biden and Vice President Gore so they appear out of context, [/b] [b]using image-manipulation software to edit the appearance of reporters from The New York Times and using footage from other events during a report on the November 5 Tea Party rally in Washington, D.C.; Media Matters said the intention of Fox News was to make it appear as if a larger number of protesters attended the event. The group also called attention to the December 4 edition of Fox and Friends, accusing the program of misleading its viewers with a "questionable graphic" showing the result of a Rasmussen Reports climate-change poll totaling 120 percent. [/b] In November 2009 Fox News anchor Gregg Jarrett told viewers that a Sarah Palin book signing in Grand Rapids, Michigan had a massive turnout, showing footage of Palin with a large crowd. Jarrett stated that the former Republican vice-presidential candidate is "continuing to draw huge crowds while she's promoting her brand-new book", adding that the images being shown were "some of the pictures just coming in to us.... The lines earlier had formed this morning". [b]The video was actually taken from a 2008 McCain-Palin campaign rally. Fox senior vice president for news Michael Clemente issued a statement saying, "This was a production error in which the copy editor changed a script and didn't alert the control room to update the video". [/b] Fox offered an on-air apology the following day during the same "Happening Now" segment, expressing regrets for what it described as a "video error" with no intent to mislead. Fox also apologized for fabricated quotes attributed to John Kerry in an article on its website during the 2004 presidential campaign, stating that the piece was a joke which accidentally appeared on the website. Wikipedia FOX NEWS ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES WHO USE THESE MANIPULATION DEVICES. GOOD REASON TO TAKE THE MSM WITH A PINCH OF SALT AND READ AND WATCH AND LISTEN WIDELY. N'

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24/05/2013 FOX NEWS...UNFAIR AND UNBALANCED: Fox News executives exert a degree of editorial control over the content of their daily reporting. In the case of Fox News, some of this control comes in the form of daily memos issued by Fox News' Vice President of News, John Moody. In the documentary Outfoxed, former Fox News employees are interviewed to better understand the inner workings of Fox News. In memos from the documentary, Moody instructs employees on the approach to be taken on particular stories. [b]Critics of Fox News claim that the instructions on many of the memos indicate a conservative bias. The Washington Post quoted Larry Johnson, a former part-time Fox News commentator, describing the Moody memos as "talking points instructing us what the themes are supposed to be, and God help you if you stray." Former Fox News producer Charlie Reina explained, "The roots of Fox News Channel's day-to-day on-air bias are actual and direct. They come in the form of an executive memo distributed electronically each morning, addressing what stories will be covered and, often, suggesting how they should be covered. To the newsroom personnel responsible for the channel's daytime programming, The Memo is the Bible. If, on any given day, you notice that the Fox anchors seem to be trying to drive a particular point home, you can bet The Memo is behind it." Photocopied memos from John Moody instructed the network's on-air anchors and reporters to use positive language when discussing pro-life viewpoints, the Iraq war, and tax cuts, as well as requesting that the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal be put in context with the other violence in the area. Such memos were reproduced for the film Outfoxed, which included Moody quotes such as, "The soldiers [seen on Fox in Iraq] in the foreground should be identified as 'sharpshooters,' not 'snipers,' which carries a negative connotation."[/b] Two days after the 2006 election, The Huffington Post reported they had acquired a copy of a leaked internal memo from Mr. Moody that recommended: "…[L]et's be on the lookout for any statements from the Iraqi insurgents, who must be thrilled at the prospect of a Dem-controlled congress." Within hours of the memo's publication, Fox News anchor Martha McCallum, went on-air on the program The Live Desk with reports of Iraqi insurgents cheering the firing of Donald Rumsfeld and the results of the 2006 congressional election. Bill Sammon e-mails [b]In December 2010, Media Matters for America released a leaked October 2009 e-mail between Fox News Washington managing editor Bill Sammon and the network's senior producers, which seemed to issue directives slanting Fox News' coverage of President Barack Obama's health care reform efforts. [/b] In the e-mail, Sammon instructed producers to not use the phrase "public option" when discussing a key measure of President Obama's reform bill, and instead use the terms "government option" or "government-run health insurance", noting negative connotations; Sammon also suggested that the qualifier "so-called" be said before any proper mention of the public option. [b]Another e-mail by Fox News senior vice president Michael Clemente accepted Sammon's conditions. Critics claimed that Sammon took advice from Republican pollster Frank Luntz, who appeared on Hannity shortly before the e-mail was written and made the same suggestions in identifying the public option. [/b] Critics also noticed that reporters and panelists on Special Report with Bret Baier used the term "public option" before the e-mail was sent, but used the term "government option" immediately afterwards. Sammon, in an interview with Howard Kurtz for The Daily Beast, defended the directive and denied he was trying to skew Fox News' coverage. [b]Later that month, Media Matters released an e-mail by Sammon from December 2009, in which he pressured Fox News reporters to include the views of climate change skeptics in light of the Climategate controversy.[/b] Wikipedia FOX NEWS HAVE BEEN A DISGRACEFUL PROPAGANDA MACHINE USED TO PREVENT ESSENTIAL REFORMS. THEY HAVE A LOT TO ANSWER FOR. N'

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24/05/2013 (RUPERT MURDOCH) FOX NEWS' PARENT COMPANY NEWS CORPORATION...SCANDALS: [b]Allegations about the violation of ethical standards by the News Corporation subsidiary News of the World have been speculatively applied to News Corporation holdings in the United States. Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) stated on 12 July 2011 that there should be a government investigation into News Corporation "to ensure that Americans have not had their privacy violated." His statement was echoed on Wednesday[when?] by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who specifically requested an investigation into 9/11 victims, as well as Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) who encouraged an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.[/b] On 13 July 2011, Representative Peter King (R-NY) wrote a letter to the FBI requesting an investigation into News Corporation's ethical practices, and on 14 July, the FBI opened a probe into the hacking of 9/11 victims. Les Hinton, chief executive of the media group's Dow Jones, resigned on 15 July, saying, "I have seen hundreds of news reports of both actual and alleged misconduct during the time I was executive chairman of News International and responsible for the company. The pain caused to innocent people is unimaginable. That I was ignorant of what apparently happened is irrelevant and in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corp, and apologize to those hurt by the actions of the News of the World." [b]In 2012, following a BBC Panorama report, allegations were made that News Corp subsidiary NDS Group had used hackers to undermine pay TV rivals around the world. Some of the victims of the alleged hacking, such as Austar, were later taken over by News Corp and others such as Ondigital later went bust. NDS had originally been set up to provide security to News Corp's pay TV interests but emails obtained by Fairfax Media revealed they had also pursued a wider agenda by distributing the keys to rival set-top box operators and seeking to obtain phone records of suspected rivals.[/b] [b]The emails were from the hard drive of NDS European chief Ray Adams. In 2012, it was also revealed that Australian Federal police were working with UK police to investigate hacking by News Corp.[/b] Wikipedia DON'T LET THIS GROTESQUE MEDIA EMPIRE OFF THE HOOK. N'

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24/05/2013 HMMM... ROCK AND A HARD PLACE The East London Mosque's Facebook page is now littered with threats and xenophobic comments, and two other mosques have been attacked. The East London Mosque also houses a Muslim center, and is involved in combating extremist teaching. "[b]The mosque and center is between a rock and a hard place ... We're trying to fight off two kind of extremist groups - the far right, and we're trying to fight off these extremist groups within our own community," spokesman Salman Farsi said, adding that fear had spread through British Muslim communities. The center said state support had been lacking since David Cameron's coalition government came to power in 2010, embarking on a tough austerity drive to fix a big budget deficit.[/b] In recent years party leaders have also toughened their rhetoric on immigration. "[b]The coalition has just cut connections with the Muslim community. It's almost like they don't want to engage. Money's gone to think-tanks over grass roots and frontline work. And that's one of the reasons you see trouble on the streets," said Shaynul Khan, another mosque spokesman.[/b] Farsi said his center was battling against figures such as Anjem Choudary, the head of a banned British radical Islamist group, who told Reuters he knew Adebolajo and declined to condemn his attack, blaming it on "British foreign policy". http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/23/us-britain-attack-muslims-idUSBRE94M0WC20130523 THE MUSLIM LEADERS AND MOSQUES NEED TO PUT MUCH MORE EFFORT INTO CREATING A MODERATE YOUTH... BUT THE TORIES NEED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT...RATHER THAN FOSTERING ATMOSPHERE OF NEGLECT, XENOPHOBIA AND LACK OF ENGAGEMENT... N'

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24/05/2013Hi Lyn What a diverse collection of links you have given us this morning. You amaze me with the range of sites you trawl for interesting articles. This morning you had one from [i]The Latrobe Valley Express[/i] about the NBN under Turnbull. As we live south of the Latrobe Valley, that item was of particular interest. The message though is universally applicable; other regions will be disadvantaged by NBN-lite. Why the Coalition would go for a second rate scheme just to save a few investment dollars, can be understandable only in the context of Tony Abbott instructing Malcolm Turnbull ‘to demolish the NBN’. Turnbull has at least persuaded Abbott that an NBN is essential, but to placate him has gone for an [i]el cheapo[/i] version. Super fast broadband for both upload and download is becoming the future for many businesses. Just today, one of our daughters, who works in the health sector, has elected not to travel to Sydney for a one hour meeting, instead conducting it online. As the speeds increase as the full NBN rolls out, more and more such teleconferences will be possible with participants from all over the country, indeed the world. Healthcare in the home will be revolutionized by online monitoring, provided it is FTTH and not FTTN with copper serving as the final link. How many elderly will be able to pay the extra cost to have a fibre link to the home from the kerbside cabinet that Turnbull proposes in his NBN-lite? It is a mystery how a Party that is all for entrepreneurship and enterprise could chose a lesser scheme, thereby disadvantaging business and its competitiveness. Every day the Coalition claims the ‘carbon tax’ is destroying competitiveness, which it is not, while prepared to diminish it now and in the future by giving us a shabby NBN. It’s incredible, unless one takes into account Abbott’s destructiveness, no matter what the economic cost.

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24/05/2013 THNX FOR THE LINKS LYN... DOESN'T TIME FLY...I HAVE BEEN VISITING THIS BLOG FOR [b]THREE YEARS[/b]... [b]May 17. 2010[/b] 06:07 PM Effective piece. I've suspected such for years. The quality & balance of the ABC has been slowly eroded. And [b]I agree w/ Lyn, the ABC2 Breakfast News spends far too much time promoting the News Ltd view, Fox Sports and their daily papers. Even 'Avatar' recently. Disgraceful stuff. Ads & promotion for the obscenely wealthy Murdoch empire paid for by taxpayers. Out w/ Mark Scott! He's a TRICKY DICK of the highest order I reckon. Faux debates w/ Murdoch as the ABC is taken over gradually by this malignant media tumour.[/b] N' ---- I STARTED COMMENTING ON THIS TOP POST FROM HILLBILLY SKELETON?: [b]THEIR ABC[/b] I wouldn't be surprised, actually, if, at [b]that infamous breakfast that Tony Abbott had with Rupert Murdoch at the beginning of the year, soon after he became Opposition Leader, you know the one, where Abbott, the Murdoch supplicant, said, “Oh, I just hope he liked me”[/b], that at that meeting a similar undertaking was not made, to sell off the ABC in a forthcoming Abbott government, [b]in exactly the same way that Murdoch is said to have reached agreement with the dough-faced David Cameron to sell-off the BBC, in exchange for his media empire's support in the run-up to the recent UK Election.[/b] [b]If Murdoch also achieves that aim in Australia, then it's 'All Over, Red Rover' for our National Broadcaster. After 'Corporatisation', or whatever bland, Orwellian managerialese they will use to style the media coup, even though we may still be presented with the same 'Talking Heads' that we are comfortably familiar with now, as the tip from within the walls of the ABC shows, we will know that they will have been nobbled by News Ltd., having infected the soul of the organization with a cancer which will be nigh on impossible to excise...[/b] Come one, come all, from inside the ABC (if must be, anonymously), and come out into the light. Bring us all the evidence you have of ongoing editorial bias and past misdemeanors. Let's show all Australians, and the world, that we're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore! [b]After that, when we have the evidence in black and white, before our eyes, we might take it even further. I know I'd be willing to take whatever steps I could to get the information before the public and out into the spaces beyond the Fifth Estate, in order to snatch back OUR ABC, before it's too late and the 'Vampire Squid' of global media has sucked the lifeblood out of the real 'Right To Know' agenda.[/b] What do you think? [b]Do you want to be a force for good, or do you want to let Murdoch steamroll over the top of the ABC and turn it into Fox News?[/b] http://www.sundaydrives.com.au/post/2010/05/17/Their-ABC.aspx SPOOKY AIN'T IT? HOW LITTLE HAS CHANGED...WHEN IT COMES TO THE ABC. N'

TalkTurkey

24/05/2013 Apologies to Red Dwarf ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOMJvVRRFSs We hate Good Times We talk down the Economy We have no plans We just trash Let us win Then how we'll yahoo Spin Spin Spin When we win win win We want to sell All public utilities National Parks Libraries and schools - But Woe is Us *J*U*L*I*A* won't lie down! Bum Bum Bum We'll get done done done Bum Bum Bum We'll get done done done ... (Explosion!)

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24/05/2013 TT, NICE ONE. LUV THAT SONG...THOSE APT LYRICS SUIT IT. [b]The message though is universally applicable; other regions will be disadvantaged by NBN-lite. Why the Coalition would go for a second rate scheme just to save a few investment dollars, can be understandable only in the context of Tony Abbott instructing Malcolm Turnbull ‘to demolish the NBN’. Turnbull has at least persuaded Abbott that an NBN is essential, but to placate him has gone for an el cheapo version. [/b] AD, WELL SAID... HOWEVER, I RECKON NBN-lite IS A BIG CON ON ABBOTT AND TURNBULL'S PART. MURDOCH OWNS THESE GUYS...AND THE OTHER SHAREHOLDERS OF FOXTEL HAVE THEIR CHUNKS TOO... UNDER ABBOTT I BELIEVE THE NBN WILL BE DELAYED...ALTERED...NBN CO PUT UNDER LEGAL PRESSURE FROM VARIOUS COMPLAINANTS...THE COMPANY BROKEN UP...THE VARIOUS ROLES GIVEN TO MURDOCH, TELSTRA AND ASSOCIATES... WE'LL END UP WITH [b]SUPER FOXTEL DIGITAL BROADBAND[/b]...SFDB. N'

Casablanca

24/05/2013Jan, Belated thanks for a stimulating article. And further on the subject of the Fourth Estate not living up to its responsibilities here is a welcome bit of reflection from a main stream journalist. [b]Hating the media[/b]. Sam de Brito. May 24, 2013 [b]"NEWS: RICH PEOPLE PAYING RICH PEOPLE TO TELL MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE TO BLAME POOR PEOPLE."[/b] Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/culture/blogs/all-men-are-liars/hating-the-media-20130523-2k2k3.html#ixzz2UB2YFIAi

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24/05/2013 GOT DAVID BRIDIE'S CD [b]WAKE[/b] A COUPLA DAYS AGO...REALLY DIG IT...THIS FIRST SINGLE GETS YA THINKIN': [b]DELEGATE[/b] http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=85ohIMyCh9g&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D85ohIMyCh9g%26feature%3Dyoutu.be CHEERS TO POZIBLE.COM LUV THE SIGNED POSTER. N'

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24/05/2013 [b]Pozible is a crowdfunding platform and community-building tool for creative projects and ideas. It was developed to help people raise funds, realise their aspirations and make great things possible. [/b] Model Pozible operates on a non-traditional fundraising platform called crowdfunding. Projects are launched on the website after a reviewing process to make sure the project abides by the platform's project guidelines. Project creators select a deadline and a target amount to achieve. Supporters are invited and encouraged to pledge an amount to support the project's campaign. During the project's campaign, project creators are encouraged to publicise their works through embedded videos, word of mouth, social networks and regular project updates. If the nominated target is not met by the deadline, pledges are not processed. Supporters require a Mastercard or Visa credit card or debit card to make a pledge. In May 2012, Pozible introduced Paypal as a payment method. This allows projects from around the world to raise funds in their country's currency. Pozible takes a 5% service fee from successful projects, and a transfer is made into the project creator's bank account or Paypal account. Partners and previously successful project creators are only required to pay a 4% fee for their successful projects. In turn, project creators must provide rewards (not of a financial basis) to their supporters, depending on how much is pledged. Unsuccessful projects are not required to pay a fee. Wikipedia CHECK OUT THE SITE: http://www.pozible.com/ EXCITING TO THINK WE CONTRIBUTED A WEE BIT TO DAVID BRIDIE'S ALBUM. WORLD IN TRANSIT...ION POWER TO THE PEOPLE N'

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24/05/2013 CASABLANCA, THE MSM ARE CHEEKY...AND THEY LUV TO SEDUCE BY USING THE WORDS AND STYLE OF THE ALTERNATIVE AND INDEPENDENT TYPES...LIKE US: SAM DE BRITO... [b]He has also been a journalist for the Daily Telegraph and the US tabloid Star magazine[/b] while he was [b]living in New York City.[/b] He attended Waverley College. He is also the [b]brother of News Limited journalist Kate de Brito[/b] Reviewer Nigel Krauth, writing in the newspaper [b]The Australian [/b]said reading The Lost Boys "as a male reader, is like taking the heartfelt kiss of the world's most gorgeous girl right after she has spewed through her nose in a Bondi hotel toilet. It's ugly, but the underlying truth is what counts. On the other hand, if you are a female reader, it equates to the exhilaration of hearing your guy tell you the truth at last."[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_de_Brito STAR MAGAZINE was [b]founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1974[/b] as competition to the tabloid National Enquirer with its headquarters in New York City. In the late 1980s it moved its offices to Tarrytown, NY and in 1990 Murdoch sold the magazine to The Enquirer's parent company American Media Inc. (Murdoch now owns the New York Post, which, although it has more of a regional, news-centered focus, still has significant celebrity coverage.) Wikipedia NO LONGER EYES WIDE SHUT N'

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24/05/2013Casablanca That's a great article by Sam de Brita. Everyone who reads it will say: 'Hear Hear'. http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/culture/blogs/all-men-are-liars/hating-the-media-20130523-2k2k3.html#ixzz2UB2YFIAi

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24/05/2013 A COMMENT TO ABC QLD: You spend an inordinate amount of time reporting negative news about Logan...Logan is a huge area...stop stereotyping us here...tragic murders in Woodridge etc does not reflect on the rest of Logan...women in my area feel safe walking at night. You are using fear-mongering and stereotyping to define a huge area with a million plus population...not appreciated as many have worked hard to change perceptions...and to lift youth morale. You have been irresponsible and are acting like a MURDOCH tabloid. I am considering going to a lawyer regarding the QLD ABC's relentlessly negative approach when it comes to Logan. N'

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24/05/2013 FROM THE UK... WAIT UNTIL THEY LOSE KIDS...STRESSED CHILDCARE STAFF WILL MISS A CHILD NOW AND THEN...POSSIBLY THEY WILL RUN OUT ONTO THE ROADS...OR BE PICKED UP BY A STRANGER...OR BE LOCKED IN A SHED OR CUPBOARD: [b]Nursery reforms could cut childcare costs by 28%, DfE calculates New calculations released by Department for Education will boost those seeking to push stalled plans through[/b] The cost of childcare could be cut by as much as 28% if the government was to go ahead with stalled plans to raise ratios of children to staff in nurseries. Government plans are currently stalled due to a disagreement within the coalition between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. The new calculations released by the Department for Education under a freedom of information request said parent costs could be cut from £4 an hour to £3.49 an hour (a 12% cut) while teacher salaries could go up. Alternatively, if the extra revenue was used solely to reduce costs for parents, this could yield costs savings for parents of up to 28%. Conservative ministers had been hoping to relax staff-child ratios by September, but Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, vetoed the plans saying he thought the proposed ratio changes would lower the quality of childcare. Conservatives are likely to use the figures to show they have been on the side of parents and choice, but are being blocked by the Liberal Democrats. Department estimates suggest that if legal ratios for under-threes rose from four children for each member of staff to six and increased from a ratio of one to eight to one to 13 for staff looking after over-threes, the number of full-time places could be expanded by 52% to 73. http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/may/23/nursery-reforms-cust-childcare-costs I BET THE RICH TAX DODGERS AND PRIVILEGED BY THE TAX LOOPHOLES ETC WILL BE CLAPPING. N'

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24/05/2013 I'm off to [b]The Pub[/b]: http://pbxmastragics.com/2013/05/18/the-look-of-fear/ BTW, JANET, THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THIS THREAD...AND YER ORIGINAL INFORMATIVE AND THOUGHT PROVOKING POST. HAVE A GOOD WEEGEND! N'

Sir Ian Crisp

24/05/2013Has anyone seen the bird of paradox's appearance after the exit statement by Ford Australia? She looks wan and apoplectic. Not one mention of the fact that Ford's costs are 4 times that of Ford's asian costs. All to do with the Australian dollar says she. Nothing to do with high wages and generous conditions. Ask an asian worker if he gets leave loading and he'll just look perplexed. Ask an asian worker if he gets triple time on Sunday and he's sure to scratch his head in bewilderment. And we're going to compete with asia. Hilarious.

Jason

24/05/2013Sir Ian, Another of your usual union bashing rants! If not for the "highly paid working class" You'd have no one but cockroaches living in your over priced substandard properties? :)

Catching up

24/05/2013Gee, the answer for our future, is bring wages down to a quarter of what they are now, remove business tax. Do away with all IR laws and other regulations that they find a nuisance. I am sure this will lead to a better country. But ten it could just make us the white trash of Asia, Another option, upgrade our workforce, and go after the high tech industry's of the future. Can be done.

lyn

25/05/2013Today’s Links The Numbers! The Numbers! by @newmatilda What a disaster budget! Everyone's unhappy, but none more so than old Joe Hockey. Why's he so cross? Take Alan Austin's latest quiz and find out http://newmatilda.com/2013/05/24/numbers-numbers Budget 2013 - lunge and riposte by @OnLineOpinion And amazingly - in Melbourne's 'Herald Sun' Jessica Irvine was allowed to make the observation that Labor"inherited a structurally flabby Budget from the Howard Government, with too many cash handouts and unsustainable tax cuts." And: "The Budget would be in surplus today if http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=15045&page=1 Jump in my car. Why Ford was heading south by @1petermartin The best thing the government can do now for Ford is to cut off the drip - to use that part of the latest $32 million package it hasn’t handed over to encourage perhaps an Indian or a Chinese car maker to take it over. http://www.petermartin.com.au/2013/05/jump-in-my-car-why-ford-was-heading.html Stop the rot on Treasury forecasts by Jessica Irvine Enough is enough. Allegations of political interference in the process by which budget forecasts are put together risk undermining public confidence in Treasury and government http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/5/24/federal-budget/stop-rot-treasury-forecasts#ixzz2UCwA2A The polishing of Tony Abbott by @independentaus the makeover was taken to a farcical extreme, featuring caked fake-tan make-up, white eyeliner, an enhanced hairline, smart new suit, brilliant white shirt and subdued blue tie. There were even suggestions of botox injections. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/tony-abbott-as-prime-minister/ How Aussie Jack helped send Ford back by @independentaus Australia, as far as Dearborn is concerned, is an outlier. Fresh from copping $34 million from the Victorian and Federal Governments in January 2012 with a straight face, current local MD Bob Graziano has decided he’d rather drive a Holden. Or whatever. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/business/how-aussie-jack-helped-send-ford-back/ Julie Bishop says national debt has gone "from zero to heading towards $400 billion" by @PolitiFactOz More misleading from Bishop, however, was her apples-and-oranges trick with the jump from zero debt to "heading towards $400 billion". http://www.politifact.com.au/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/may/24/julie-bishop/julie-bishop-says-national-debt-has-gone-zero-head/ Would A Double Dissolution In Early 2014 Be Unconstitutional? by @mfarnsworth Tony Abbott has made it clear that the first legislative act of his government after September 14 will be to introduce legislation to repeal the carbon tax. The mining tax is also up for repeal http://australianpolitics.com/2013/05/25/constitutional-double-dissolution-in-2014.html Has the Daily Examiner discovered Tony Abbott's beauty secret- by @no_filter_Yamba “Topical alternative to Wrinkle Freezing Injections. Improves the look of deep wrinkles& expression lines. http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/has-daily-examiner-discovered-tony.html Abbott's billion dollar carbon headache by Dermot O'Gorman The reverberations from the Newman government’s bulldozing of Queensland’s vegetation protection laws will be felt well beyond the 2 million hectares of native bush now at risk of clearing. http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/5/24/science-environment/abbotts-billion-dollar-carbon-headache#ixzz2UB8X6Pql No wonder the polls have been wrong: The polling industry is in a crisis by The Globe & Mail the “horse race.” Many column inches are taken up with the analysis of poll results and insights from pollsters (some of you may include this article in that category as well). While these stories do capture the pulse of an election, they do not take into account the overall election ecosystem and the body politic. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/no-wonder-the-polls-have-been-wrong-the-polling-industry-is-in-a-crisis/article12034206/ Simplistic Arguments Reign Supreme’ by @sortius It’s concerning that journalists have not pulled Turnbull up on the obvious differences between Australia & the UK/Germany, nor have they questioned the lack of detail on how many cabinets or how much of the copper network would need to be replaced. http://sortius-is-a-geek.com/?p=3013 Disclosure in Social Media: How transparent should bloggers be? by @mumbrella Disclosure is a grey area for bloggers for a reason. What exactly counts as ‘payment’ for a blog post or a tweet? If someone buys you a coffee and you go on to write a blog post about their brand do you disclose it? http://mumbrella.com.au/disclosure-in-social-media-how-transparent-should-bloggers-be-157593 Today’s Front Pages Australian Newspaper Front Pages for 25 May 2013 http://www.thepaperboy.com/australia/front-pages.cfm News headlines http://www.hotheadlines.com.au/

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25/05/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

nasking

25/05/2013 ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO A PROFITABLE END...THEN REQUIRE TAXING: While RMS was fighting to keep the Hacker Ethic going with the computers at MIT, Richard Greenblatt and other AI hackers came up with a LISP machine and sought to form a company to sell them. Greenblatt was unwilling to yield to business pressures and wanted to form a company that would maintain the Hacker Ethic. Many others disagreed and the result was two competing companies. LISP Machine Incorporated, or LMI, was headed by Greenblatt, and Symbolics was headed by Russ Noftsker. Symbolics hired most of the lab hackers, and a schism was created between the two groups of hackers, to the point where some would not even talk to each other. Stallman saw a whole hacker culture die as the existing hackers left for these companies and there were no new hackers to fill their shoes. RMS held Symbolics responsible for the lab's death, and set out to help their competitor LMI in response. RMS subsequently launched development of the GNU operating system, based on the UNIX design but following the principles of free software... 11. Tiny BASIC: Altair BASIC was an interpreter that translated instructions from the BASIC programming language into assembly instructions that the Altair 8800 could understand. It was developed by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the founders of Micro-soft, specifically for the Altair 8800 and it would fit in 4K of memory. Unlike previous hackers and against the Hacker Ethic, Micro-Soft and MITS felt that people should pay for BASIC just like they paid for any add-on card. Many hackers had in fact put in orders for BASIC, but still had to wait for the order to be shipped. During a show put up by MITS, someone got hold of and copied a paper tape containing Altair BASIC. The tapes were duplicated and passed around freely before the commercial product was even shipped to customers. Gates and Allen did not appreciate this turn of events since they were actually paid commission for each copy of BASIC that MITS sold. Gates responded by writing an open letter titled “Open Letter to Hobbyists” that considered the sharing of software to be theft. Tiny BASIC was a similar interpreter that would fit in only 2K of memory as it supported a subset of the functionality of Micro-Soft BASIC (which itself was a subset of Dartmouth BASIC). It was developed by Dick Whipple and John Arnold in Tyler, Texas and distributed freely in PCC magazine. Many more people sent in improvements and programs developed in Tiny BASIC to be published. This eventually led to the creation of Dr. Dobb's Journal edited by Jim Warren that distributed free or very inexpensive software in response to Gates' claims of theft. Tom Pittman was someone else who did not take kindly to Gates' words. He wrote a version of Tiny BASIC for the Motorola 6800 microprocessor. Although he sold it to AMI for $3,500, he retained the rights to sell it to others and decided to charge only $5 for it. He received many orders and even money from people who had already gotten a copy and simply wanted to pay him for his efforts. Pittman also wrote the essay “Deus Ex Machina” on the AI and hardware hackers and what tied them together. Lee Felsenstein and Bob Marsh banded together to create a fully contained computer for an issue of Popular Electronics that they called SOL that sold for under a thousand dollars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers:_Heroes_of_the_Computer_Revolution AUSTRALIA'S UNIS AND GARAGES HAVE SO MUCH POTENTIAL. WHAT ELSE IS PURSUED IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM, CURIOSITY AND FREE INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND IS CAPABLE OF ENTERTAINING THAT CAN BLOSSOM INTO SOME THINGS PROFITABLE AND...TAXABLE? N'

nasking

25/05/2013 DIALECTICAL PROCESS...COLLISION OF VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES, OPPOSITIONAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC IDEAS AND CULTURES...ENCOURAGE AND MOTIVATE PROBLEM SOLVING...ADD INTRINSIC MOTIVATION...MUTATION CREATED...THE BIG BANG: There's a delicious irony in thinking that the same American companies who require their employees to pee in a cup rely on machines that were created by drugged-out hippies. But things aren't so simple. Markoff traces modern computing to two sources. First is the clean-cut, military-style, suit-wearing Big Iron approach of the east coast that, in its IBM incarnation, was so memorably smashed in the 1984 Super Bowl ad for the first Apple Mac. Second is the eclectic and iconoclastic mix of hackers, hippies, and rebels of the west coast, from whose ranks so many of today's big Silicon Valley names emerged. Markoff, born and bred in the Bay Area and 18 in 1967, argues the idea of the personal computer as a device to empower individuals was a purely west coast idea; the east coast didn't "get" anything but corporate technology. There's a basic principle to invoke here: coincidence does not imply causality. As early Sun employee John Gilmore, whom Grim calls a "well-known psychonaut", says in that article, it is very difficult to prove that drug use led directly to personal computers. The 1960s were a time of extreme upheaval: the Vietnam war and the draft, the advent of female-controlled contraception, and the campaign for civil rights all contributed to the counterculture. Was it the sex, the drugs or the rock'n'roll – or the science fiction? In 1998 Vint Cerf, one of the fathers of the internet, said in a discussion of his enjoyment of science fiction: "I think it's also made it easier for me to think about things that weren't quite ready yet but I could imagine might just possibly be feasible." Annie Gottlieb, in Do You Believe in Magic? Bringing the 60s Back Home, recounts the personal exploratory experiences of a variety of interviewees, and comes to this conclusion: "Any drug experience is determined far less by the drug than by what we bring to it." Many people tried acid. Only one became Steve Jobs. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/06/psychedelics-computer-revolution-lsd ADD A DEMOCRACY TO BE SALVAGED, EVOLVED...CAPITALISM TO BE BOTH RESISTED...AND EMBRACED, UTILISED...AND ABILITY TO RECYCLE, ADAPT, TRANSFORM, EXPERIMENT, TEST, MARKET. N'

Paul of Berwick

25/05/2013The problems with our democracy are also acknowledged in other countries (EJ Dione has been on RN Breakfast before) ... - http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ej-dionne-political-dysfunctions-spells-trouble-for-democracies/2013/05/19/757fedba-bf28-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html And, the trouble with the numbers ... - http://www.newmatilda.com/2013/05/24/numbers-numbers

KHTAGH

25/05/2013Hi All swordsters. I wonder if approaching US & UK papers to report on how Murdoch is buying Australia for Abbott with his propaganda is the answer? Seeing we can't get any unbiased reporting by any so called journalists in this country would this work? just a thought.

nasking

25/05/2013 ROSS GITTINS: A further quarter of the five points, the office tells us, results from a decline in excise receipts, caused by Costello's decision to end the indexation of petrol excise in the 2001 budget and by a decline in smoking (and thus tobacco excise). The expected 1.75 percentage point rise in revenue between 2011-12 and 2016-17 is mainly the result of rising income-tax collections because of bracket creep and the budget's initial net benefit from the increase in the Medicare levy until the new disability scheme is fully phased in. See what this means? The Libs keep saying the problem is Labor's unrestrained spending but, in fact, it's almost all on the tax side. The tax weakness arises overwhelmingly from Costello's eight delivered or promised tax cuts. Swan's main failings were to actually deliver the last three of those cuts and to not restore the indexation of petrol excise. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/in-the-big-picture-luck-tax-cuts-tell-true-deficit-story-20130524-2k70m.html#ixzz2UGZbnMo7 N'

nasking

25/05/2013 TONY ABBOTT LOVES TO PONTIFICATE FROM THE PULPIT...SOUNDS LIKE A [b]CHRISTIAN CRUSADER[/b] TO ME...HE HAS SO MANY [b]PRIVATE SCHOOL ROMAN CATHOLICS AND JESUITS IN HIS TEAM OR SUPPORTING HIM[/b]... AND DOG WHISTLERS...THEY MIGHT TRY TO MAKE HIM LOOK MODERATE... BUT I RECKON HE'S [b]AS WACKY AS BORN AGAIN GW BUSH[/b]...AND LOOK WHERE BUSH TOOK AMERICA: A fresh drive to prevent radicalisation of impressionable students on campus is being launched in which universities will be asked to draw up guidelines on how to handle preachers who have a track record of inciting hatred, at the end of a dramatic week that saw a soldier murdered in Woolwich in the first terror-related incident on mainland Britain since the 7 July 2005 bombings. Universities UK, which represents higher education institutions, launched a new campaign in an attempt to show students, unions and academics what they can do to constrain controversial preachers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/24/woolwich-killing-universities-campaign-radicalisation AND THIS OFFERING HIM AND HIS LOT UP TO "SERVE" THE PEOPLE SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE WHO THINKS HE'S [b]A POPE ON A MISSION FROM GOD[/b]. WE KNOW WHAT [b]MORALISERS[/b] THAT LOT CAN BE WHEN GIVEN HALF A CHANCE...HOW INTRUSIVE THEIR VIEWS... [b]I BET ABBOTT'S SUPPORTERS WOULD LOVE TO PUSH ABSTINENCE PROGRAMS AND RINGS WHILST HE PUSHES ANOTHER BABY BONUS IN GUISE.[/b].. AND KEEP CONDOMS AWAY FROM YOUTH... KNOWING FULL WELL PLENTY OF YOUNG GIRLS WILL BE IMPREGNATED AND LOSE THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE AN EARLY CAREER. THIS [b]ABBOTT-LED GROUP OF MISSIONARIES [/b][b]IN THE GUISE OF LIBERALS ARE JUST USING THE PPL SCHEME TO CON THE VOTERS...[/b] AND HIS BUSINESS SUPPORTERS CLAP WITH ENTHUSIASM THINKING THEY WILL HAVE A FUTURE OF MORE POOR LESS EDUCATED DUMBED DOWN GULLIBLE YOUNG PARENTS, SINGLE MUMS AND KIDS TO SELL DISPOSABLE, TOXIC, UNHEALTHY CHEAP GOODS TO... BUT IN THE BACK OF THEIR MIND THEY WONDER ABOUT THIS [b]PONTIFICATING ABBOT[/b]T... WONDERING IF HE IS CONNING THEM. AND IN ABBOTT'S HEAD EVERY DAY AS HE CYCLES FLOW THE SONG: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rbwwk_k5-dw N'

Michael

25/05/2013Earlier today Coalition MP Kelly O'Dwyer apparently announced the death of Tony Abbott. She introduced him at the Victorian Liberal State Council get together as, amongst other things, a "statesman". A smirking (well, what else? Apart from anything else he was in a position to both correct and patronise a woman), a smirking Abbott told the crowd that he had always defined a "statesman as a dead politician". In the sense of 'in the water', I sincerely hope Ms O'Dwyer got it right.

nasking

25/05/2013 THE IDEA OF ABBOTT AND MURDOCH RUNNING THIS COUNTRY SHOULD PUT SHIVERS UP YER SPINE...TWO MORE GRANDIOSE, SCHEMING AND OVERLY AMBITIOUS CHARACTERS WOULD BE HARD TO FIND...BOTH PONTIFICATORS...BOTH WILLING TO THROW PRINCIPLES DOWN THE DRAIN WHEN IT SUITS THEIR AMBITIONS...BUT NOT BROOKING DISSENT WELL...A POLITICAL PUGILIST AND A MEDIA PUGILIST...NOT WELL LIKED...WITH BIG CHIPS ON THEIR SHOULDER...ARROGANTLY BELIEVING THEY CAN SOCIALLY ENGINEER THE COUNTRY...BOTH SNAKE OIL SALESMEN... BUT EVENTUALLY ONE WILL WANT TO RULE THE ROOST... GAWD HELP US ALL DURING THAT BATTLE OF EGOS...IF ABBOTT IS PM...PARTICULARLY WHEN ABBOTT'S MUTATED JESUIT MISSIONARY, FANATICAL & AGGRESSIVE SANTAMARIA SIDE KICKS IN..AND MURDOCH'S GREED FOR GAIN, TAX CUT OBSESSED, POLITICALLY OPPORTUNISTIC, AND 'HE WHO MUST BE OBEYED' SIDE TRIES TO SQUASH IT. BATTLE OF THE EGOMANIACAL CONTROL FREAKS...CRUSADING MORALISER VERSUS GREEDY EMPIRE BUILDER CATERING TO 'FAMILY GUY' (TV SHOW) ANYTHING GOES LIBERTARIANISM AND DEMANDING MORALLY BANKRUPT ADVERTISERS. A POLITICAL MARRIAGE MADE IN HELL. N'

nasking

25/05/2013 TWO GRANDIOSE CHARACTERS MET: Tony Abbott, who recently met with London Mayor Boris Johnson, said he'd been too busy to read the judgment dismissing the sexual harassment claim against Peter Slipper. OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has been too busy "doing very important things" in England to have read the week-old judgment dismissing a sexual harassment claim against former speaker Peter Slipper. Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national-news/tony-abbott-too-busy-to-read-judgement-dismissin-sexual-harassment-claims-against-peter-slipper/story-fndo4eg9-1226540132723#ixzz2UHAMh3mu Hmmm... N'

nasking

25/05/2013 ONE GRANDIOSE MEDIA BARON MET A GRANDIOSE POLITICIAN: The disclosure of the meeting on the register lends credence to claims that Johnson’s staff staged a cover-up over secret meetings with Murdoch and News International staff at the height of the phone hacking scandal — and in the run up to the London mayoral election. http://politicalscrapbook.net/2013/04/boris-johnsons-latest-dinner-with-rupert-murdoch/ Hmmm... N'

nasking

25/05/2013 SENSIBLE...OR DESPERATE MEASURES DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD?: Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has established a so-called "poison pill" mechanism in an attempt to thwart a hostile takeover bid when it separates its entertainment and publishing businesses. The plan, which will be in place for a year, will act as a powerful disincentive to anyone seeking to challenge Murdoch's control of the two companies, a move due to be finalised on 28 June. The provisions will allow existing shareholders to buy stock at a 50% discount if any new investor should acquire 15% of the company. News Corp said in a statement: "The rights agreements are intended to protect the stockholders of the company and the new News Corporation from efforts to obtain control of such companies that their respective boards of directors determine are not in the best interests of the companies and their respective stockholders." News Corp will be split into two separate firms: a publishing firm, which will retain the News Corp brand, while the other entertainment business will be renamed 21st Century Fox. Both will be headed by Murdoch. The company confirmed that Elisabeth Murdoch, the daughter of Rupert, who runs independent production firm Shine, will not sit on either board of the two companies. His sons, Lachlan and James, will be the only News Corp directors to retain seats on both boards. Murdoch will remain chairman and chief executive of 21st Century Fox, with Chase Carey as chief operating officer. The move to split the News Corp empire follows last year's promise to separate its entertainment and publishing businesses in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal and closure of the News of the World. The publishing company will comprise the Times, Sunday Times and the Sun, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and the Australian plus daily titles in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. The book publisher HarperCollins will also be included. The TV and film business will include the US news channel Fox News and the 20th Century Fox film studio. The split means that loss-making newspapers will no longer be cushioned by the company's more profitable entertainment interests and could lead to more cuts in the publishing companies. This month the editor of Murdoch's New York Post, Col Allan, issued a memo offering staff the chance to volunteer for pay-off packages in order to reduce the paper's headcount by 10%. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/may/24/news-corp-rupert-murdoch-poison-pill HOW TO COVER YER ARSE BY REALLY REALLY TRYING. STAFF...DISPOSABLE. ALL BUT FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS...EXPENDABLE. THINK NEWS OF THE WORLD. SO VERY CORPORATE. NICE FUTURE FOR AN AUSTRALIA SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY ENGINEERED BY RUPERT. N'

Ad astra

25/05/2013Paul of Berwick Thanks for the two great links. The threat to democracy as we have known it, is serious. The [i]New Matilda[/i] piece is a great read, and the Q&A format wonderfully informative, as all educators know. nasking Ross Gittins is on the ball, as usual. Yet how often do we read in the Fourth Estate of the [b]burden[/b] Costello left us with, with his middle class welfare and tax cuts? [i]Political Scrapbook[/i] looks interesting. Michael How come Kelly O’Dwyer came to introduce Tony Abbott? I can imagine the effusiveness for which she is noted, overwhelming the dear leader.

nasking

25/05/2013 RUPERT MURDOCH'S THE SUN DURING THE 90s...2000s: The Sun remained loyal to Thatcher right up to her resignation in November 1990, despite the party's fall in popularity over the previous year following the introduction of the Community Charge (popularly known as the poll tax). [b]This change to the way local government is funded was vociferously supported by the newspaper, despite widespread opposition, (some from Conservative MPs[/b]), which is [b]seen as having contributed to Thatcher's own downfall[/b]. The tax was quickly repealed by her successor John Major, whom The Sun initially supported enthusiastically, believing he was a radical Thatcherite – despite [b]the economy having entered recession at this time.[/b] On the day of the general election of 9 April 1992, its front-page headline, encapsulating its antipathy towards the Labour leader Neil Kinnock, read "If Kinnock wins today, will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights". Two days later [b]The Sun was so convinced its front page had swung a close election for the Conservatives it declared "It's The Sun Wot Won It".[/b] The Sun led with a headline "Now we've all been screwed by the cabinet" with a reference to Black Wednesday on 17 September 1992, and the exposure a few months earlier of an extra-marital affair in which Cabinet Minister David Mellor was involved. [b]A month later, on 14 October, it attacked Michael Heseltine for the mass coal mine closures.[/b] [b]Despite its initial opposition to the closures, until 1997, the newspaper repeatedly called for the implementation of further Thatcherite policies, such as Royal Mail privatisation, and social security cutbacks, with leaders such as "Peter Lilley is right, we can't carry on like this", It showed its hostility to the EU, and its approval of public spending cuts, tax cuts, and promotion of right-wing ministers to the cabinet, with leaders such as "More of the Redwood, not Deadwood".[/b] [b]The Sun attacked Labour leader John Smith in February 1994, for saying that more British troops should be sent to Bosnia. [/b] The Sun's comment was that "The only serious radicals in British politics these days are the likes of Redwood, Lilley and Portillo". It also gradually expressed its bitter disillusionment with John Major as Prime Minister, with leaders such as "What fools we were to back John Major". Between 1994 and 1996, The Sun's circulation peaked. Its highest average sale was in the week ending 16 July 1994, when the daily figure was 4,305,957. The highest ever one-day sale was on 18 November 1995 (4,889,118), although the cover price had been cut to 10p. The highest ever one-day sale at full price was on 30 March 1996 (4,783,359). On 22 January 1997, [b]The Sun accused the shadow chancellor Gordon Brown of stealing the Conservatives' ideas by declaring, "If all he is offering is Conservative financial restraint, why not vote for the real thing?" and called the planned windfall tax, which was later imposed by the Labour government, "wrongheaded".[/b] In February 1997 [b]it told Sir Edward Heath (still an MP) to stand down for supporting a National Minimum wage. [/b] Support for 'New Labour' The Sun switched support to Labour on 18 March 1997, six weeks before the General Election victory which saw Labour leader Tony Blair become Prime Minister with a large parliamentary majority, despite the paper having attacked Blair and New Labour up to a month earlier. Its front page headline read THE SUN BACKS BLAIR and its front page editorial made clear that while it still opposed some New Labour policies, such as the Minimum Wage and Devolution, it believed Blair to be "the breath of fresh air this great country needs." [b]John Major's Conservatives, it said, were "tired, divided and rudderless".[/b] [b]Blair, who had radically altered his party's image and policies, noting the influence the paper could have over its readers' political thinking, had courted it (and Murdoch) for some time by granting exclusive interviews and writing columns.[/b] [b]In exchange for Rupert Murdoch's support, Blair agreed not to join the European Exchange Rate Mechanism – which John Major had withdrawn the country from in September 1992 after barely two years.[/b] [b]Cabinet Minister Peter Mandelson was "outed" by Matthew Parris (a former Sun columnist) on BBC TV's Newsnight in November 1998. Misjudging public response, The Sun's editor David Yelland demanded to know in a front page editorial whether Britain was governed by a "gay mafia" of a "closed world of men with a mutual self-interest". Three days later the paper apologised in another editorial which said The Sun would never again reveal a person's sexuality unless it could be defended on the grounds of "overwhelming public interest".[/b] [b]In 2003 the paper was accused of racism by the Government over its criticisms of what it perceived as the "open door" policy on immigration. The attacks came from the Prime Minister's press spokesman Alastair Campbell and the Home Secretary David Blunkett (later a Sun columnist). [/b] The paper rebutted the claim, believing that it was not racist to suggest that a "tide" of unchecked illegal immigrants was increasing the risk of terrorist attacks and infectious diseases. [b]It did not help its argument by publishing a front page story on 4 July 2003, under the headline "Swan Bake", which claimed that asylum seekers were slaughtering and eating swans. It later proved to have no basis in fact.[/b] Subsequently The Sun published a follow-up headlined "Now they're after our fish!". Following a Press Complaints Commission adjudication a "clarification" was eventually printed, on page 41. [b]Despite being a persistent critic of some of the government's policies, the paper supported Labour in both subsequent elections the party won. For the 2005 general election, The Sun backed Blair and Labour for a third consecutive election win and vowed to give him "one last chance" to fulfil his promises, despite berating him for several weaknesses including a failure to control immigration. [/b] However, it did speak of its hope that the Tories (led by Michael Howard) would one day be fit for a return to government. This election (Blair had declared it would be his last as prime minister) resulted in Labour's third successive win but with a much reduced majority. [b]The Sun's coverage of Britain's military interventions has been supportive and the "War on Terror" more generally. On 18 December 2008, an editorial piece "The Sun Says" titled "Job well done" declared "Britain is leaving Iraq with its head held very high" as well as "Through the commitment of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to Iraq, we have shown that Britain DOES still have a major role to play in the world."[/b] Wikipedia THE SUN IS MURDOCH'S BELOVED PAPER...TABLOID RAG. PUSHY BASTARD AIN'T HE. DOESN'T LIKE DISSENT. [b]SEE THE CONTORTIONIST ACTS BY BLAIR TO KEEP MURDOCH'S SUPPORT...ONE BEING A DUMB, GROTESQUE WAR IN IRAQ THAT SAW MANY BRIT SOLDIERS KILLED, WOUNDED AND TRAUMATISED. GAWD HELP YOU ABBOTT, TURNBULL & HOCKEY IF YOU WIN WITH THE HELP OF THIS MAN AND HIS SERVANTS.[/b] N'

nasking

25/05/2013 Attempted Suicides On 6 March 2012, Reuters reported that two senior journalists working for The Sun, a newspaper owned by News International, appeared to have attempted suicide in the face of ongoing investigations relating to the phone hacking scandal. At that time, eleven current and former staff members of The Sun had been arrested on suspicion of bribing police or civil servants for information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_International_phone_hacking_scandal_reference_lists#Investigations NOT GOOD. N'

nasking

25/05/2013 International phone hacking scandal Allegations were made of poor judgement and cover up by news media executives and law enforcement officials. As a result, additional investigations into illegal acquisition of confidential information were initiated and several senior executives and police officials were forced to resign. There were also significant commercial consequences of the scandal. Contemporary commentators made comparisons with the Watergate scandal. Wikipedia TO THINK THE POLICE CAN BE USED SO...AND THROW THEIR PRINCIPLES OUT THE WINDOW. N'

nasking

25/05/2013 Off to mow the lawn...hope I can see diff between cut and long grass. :D N'

nasking

25/05/2013 One last post: New members of 21st Century Fox’s board include Delphine Arnault, deputy general manager at Christian Dior Couture; BHP chairman Jacques Nasser, former CEO of Ford Motor Co; and Robert Silberman, executive chairman of Strayer Education. On the publishing company’s board, the new faces are John Elkann, chairman of automaker Fiat SpA; Ana Paula Pessoa, a partner at public-relations firm Brunswick Group; Masroor Siddiqui, managing partner of investment firm Naya Management LLP; and Robert Thomson, CEO of the new News Corp. Rupert Murdoch, through the Murdoch Family Trust and personal holdings, is the biggest investor in News Corp, controlling about 39 per cent of voting shares while owning about 13.5 per cent of total shares. Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/world-business/news-corp-paper-unit-hit-with-charge-20130525-2n3a1.html#ixzz2UHXfZHT4 VERY INTERESTING. N'

nasking

25/05/2013 HOW OFTEN HAS THIS BEEN USED LATELY? Taxpayers may subsidise the local car industry but they are not patriotic enough to buy Australian. [b]That is the view of former Ford boss and current BHP Chairman, Jacques Nasser. [/b] He says he does not believe the Federal Government subsidies are extravagant, but [b]fears the end of the Australian car industry is inevitable.[/b] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-11/buy-australian-says-jack-nasser/4624436 REMEMBER: New members of 21st Century Fox’s board include BHP chairman Jacques Nasser, former CEO of Ford Motor Co TALKING DOWN THE CAR INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA...PRIOR TO FORD LAYOFFS... LOOKS SUS TO ME. N'

nasking

25/05/2013 21st Century Fox is an upcoming publicly traded spin out of News Corporation. The company will be formed by the splitting of entertainment and media properties from News Corp., such as the Fox Entertainment Group, STAR TV and their 39.14% stake in BSkyB. Rupert Murdoch will remain CEO of the new company, joined by Chase Carey as its president and COO. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_Century_Fox_(company) Hmmm...who has just been appointed to the board? ----- Jacques A. Nasser AO (born 12 December 1947) is a Lebanese-born Australian businessman, who currently serves as Chairman of the Board of BHP Billiton. After serving as a Director of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc since 2006, Nasser was appointed Chairman of both in March 2010, succeeding Don Argus. Nasser is also a Non-Executive advisory partner of One Equity Partners, the private equity arm of JPMorgan Chase, a Board Director for British Sky Broadcasting, and a member of the International Advisory Council of Allianz AG. Nasser had a long career at Ford Motor Company which he joined in 1968, rising to President and Chief Executive Officer where he served from 1998 to 2001. Wikipedia ----- British Sky Broadcasting was formed by the merger of Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting on 2 November 1990. Both companies had begun to struggle financially and were both suffering financial losses as both competed against each other for viewers. The Guardian later characterized the merger as 'effectively a takeover by News Corporation' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSkyB HMMM... WHICH MEDIA GROUP SUPPORTING WHICH LEADER HAS BEEN ATTACKING THE FEDERAL GOVT OVER FORD LAYOFFS? N'

nasking

25/05/2013 SAN FRANCISCO — American officials and corporate security experts examining a new wave of potentially destructive computer attacks striking American corporations, especially energy firms, say they have tracked the attacks back to Iran. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/25/world/middleeast/new-computer-attacks-come-from-iran-officials-say.html N'

nasking

25/05/2013 [b]Iran’s nuclear designs are the greater Middle East threat[/b] Given such seismic activity, it is easy to overlook the most explosive development of all. For the Iranian regime, the situation in the Middle East is a convenient distraction. As world leaders deliberate whether and how to intervene in Syria, how to grapple with Iraq, how to shore up Jordan and Turkey, and how to engage the Russians, the Iranian nuclear program advances unchecked. While the Middle East roils, the Iranians have amassed some 182 kilograms of uranium enriched to a level easily enhanced to weapons grade. This stockpile stops short of the red line drawn by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the Iranians are quietly preparing to cross it. The media is focusing on Middle East atrocities; meanwhile, the Iranians have installed 16,000 centrifuges — an immense number by any standard — most of which are spinning. Iran is introducing 3,000 advanced centrifuges that will at least triple its enrichment rate and more than double its total output. According to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report published this week, the Iranians have already installed 689 of these centrifuges, which will shorten the time they will need to reach weapons capacity to several months and maybe even weeks. And we may not be able to see this happening. Iran is also building additional nuclear plants that, like the formerly covert facility at Fordow, will be heavily fortified and possibly beyond the reach of IAEA inspectors. On April 8, Iran celebrated its “national nuclear technology day” by opening a new underground uranium processing site — just two days after participating in talks designed to end the country’s military nuclear program. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/irans-nuclear-designs-are-the-greater-middle-east-threat/2013/05/24/8fe22228-c490-11e2-914f-a7aba60512a7_story.html N'

nasking

25/05/2013 IT'S A TRULY AMAZING FEAT OF RESTRAINT THAT ISRAEL AND THE SAUDIS HAVEN'T BOMBED IRAN YET...CONSIDERING THE EXAMPLE A NUCLEAR NTH KOREA HAS SET: [b]What Would Happen if Israel Nuked Iran A strike on Tehran could kill an estimated 5.6 million and injure 1.6 million.[/b] In those first minutes, they'll be stunned. Eyes fixed in a thousand-yard stare, nerve endings numbed. They'll just stand there. Soon, you'll notice that they are holding their arms out at a 45-degree angle. Your eyes will be drawn to their hands and you'll think you mind is playing tricks. But it won't be. Their fingers will start to resemble stalactites, seeming to melt toward the ground. And it won't be long until the screaming begins. Shrieking. Moaning. Tens of thousands of victims at once. They'll be standing amid a sea of shattered concrete and glass, a wasteland punctuated by the shells of buildings, orphaned walls, stairways leading nowhere. This could be Tehran, or what's left of it, just after an Israeli nuclear strike. Iranian cities—owing to geography, climate, building construction, and population densities—are particularly vulnerable to nuclear attack, according to a new study, "Nuclear War Between Israel and Iran: Lethality Beyond the Pale," published in the journal Conflict & Health by researchers from the University of Georgia and Harvard University. It is the first publicly released scientific assessment of what a nuclear attack in the Middle East might actually mean for people in the region. Its scenarios are staggering. An Israeli attack on the Iranian capital of Tehran using five 500-kiloton weapons would, the study estimates, kill seven million people—86% of the population—and leave close to 800,000 wounded. A strike with five 250-kiloton weapons would kill an estimated 5.6 million and injure 1.6 million, according to predictions made using an advanced software package designed to calculate mass casualties from a nuclear detonation. Estimates of the civilian toll in other Iranian cities are even more horrendous. A nuclear assault on the city of Arak, the site of a heavy water plant central to Iran's nuclear program, would potentially kill 93% of its 424,000 residents. Three 100-kiloton nuclear weapons hitting the Persian Gulf port of Bandar Abbas would slaughter an estimated 94% of its 468,000 citizens, leaving just 1% of the population uninjured. A multi-weapon strike on Kermanshah, a Kurdish city with a population of 752,000, would result in an almost unfathomable 99.9% casualty rate. Cham Dallas, the director of the Institute for Health Management and Mass Destruction Defense at the University of Georgia and lead author of the study, says that the projections are the most catastrophic he's seen in more than 30 years analyzing weapons of mass destruction and their potential effects. "The fatality rates are the highest of any nuke simulation I've ever done," he told me by phone from the nuclear disaster zone in Fukushima, Japan, where he was doing research. "It's the perfect storm for high fatality rates." Israel has never confirmed or denied possessing nuclear weapons, but is widely known to have up to several hundred nuclear warheads in its arsenal. Iran has no nuclear weapons and its leaders claim that its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes only. Published reports suggest that American intelligence agencies and Israel's intelligence service are in agreement: Iran suspended its nuclear weapons development program in 2003. Dallas and his colleagues nonetheless ran simulations for potential Iranian nuclear strikes on the Israeli cities of Beer Sheva, Haifa, and Tel Aviv using much smaller 15-kiloton weapons, similar in strength to those dropped by the United States on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Their analyses suggest that, in Beer Shiva, half of the population of 209,000 would be killed and one-sixth injured. Haifa would see similar casualty ratios, including 40,000 trauma victims. A strike on Tel Aviv with two 15-kiloton weapons would potentially slaughter 17% of the population—nearly 230,000 people. Close to 150,000 residents would likely be injured. These forecasts, like those for Iranian cities, are difficult even for experts to assess. "Obviously, accurate predictions of casualty and fatality estimates are next to impossible to obtain," says Dr. Glen Reeves, a longtime consultant on the medical effects of radiation for the Defense Department's Defense Threat Reduction Agency, who was not involved in the research. "I think their estimates are probably high but not impossibly so." According to Paul Carroll of the Ploughshares Fund, a San Francisco-based foundation that advocates for nuclear disarmament, "the results would be catastrophic" if major Iranian cities were attacked with modern nuclear weapons. "I don't see 75% [fatality rates as] being out of the question," says Carroll, after factoring in the longer-term effects of radiation sickness, burns, and a devastated medical infrastructure. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/05/nuclear-strike-tehran-israel LET'S HOPE THE IRANIANS GET SANER... AND BRING IN MODERATES WHO WILL STOP THE RUSH TOWARDS NUCLEAR MISSILES ETC. TICK TOCK... N'

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25/05/2013 Iranian presidential election, 2013 [b]The eleventh election of the President of Iran is scheduled to be held on Friday, 14 June 2013. If no presidential candidate polls 50 percent of the vote on the first round, a runoff will be held on 21 June. It will elect the seventh President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. [/b] [b]The President of Iran is the highest Iranian official to be elected by direct popular vote, he is the chief of the executive, after the "Leader of the Revolution" the second most important position in Iran. His duties are much the same as all other heads of governments but the Commander in Head of the Armed Forces is the Leader and it is also the Leader who chooses the chief justice. All Iranian citizens that have been born in Iran, believe in God and the official religion of iran (shi'a islam), have always been loyal to the Constitution, and above 21 years of age are allowed to sign up as candidates. [/b] An institution called the Election Monitoring Agency (EMA) which is managed by the Guardian Council controls the credentials of the registered candidates (in the last elections 36000 people signed up as candidates)and vetes them down to a handful candidates[citation needed]. The Iranian Constitution demands that if there are more than 200 candidates the Guardian Council's EMA is to evaluate these and select the most competent ones. There is a list of criteria (i.e. education, public service record, active military service record,etc) based on which the candidates are supposed to be vetted for the election. [b]Last election Iran [/b] [b]Iran's tenth presidential election was held on 12 June 2009, with incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad running against three challengers. [/b] The next morning the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's official news agency, announced that with two-thirds of the votes counted, Ahmadinejad had won the election with 62% of the votes cast, and that Mir-Hossein Mousavi had received 34% of the votes cast. [b]The European Union, the United Kingdom the United States, and several western countries expressed concern over alleged irregularities during the vote, and many analysts and journalists from the United States, Europe and other western based media voiced doubts about the authenticity of the results.[/b] [b]Meanwhile many OIC member states, as well as Russia, China, India, and Brazil, congratulated Ahmadinejad on his victory.[/b] Wikipedia TIME. N'

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25/05/2013 SHOWING COURAGE IN RUSSIA CAN HAVE BIG PENALTIES... DEMOCRACY IN RUSSIA...NOT: [b]Activists will attempt to hold a gay pride march in Moscow despite being banned by authorities and warned they will be breaking the law. City officials have promised the action will be "thwarted" and protesters face being arrested and fined. But they say they are determined to make their voices heard. The torture and murder of a young man in Volgograd has focused attention on the issue of homophobia in Russia and what human rights groups claim is an increasingly dangerous situation. Vladislav Tornovoi, 22, was found dead earlier this month in a children’s playground outside the block of flats where he grew up. He had been stripped, abused with beer bottles, and beaten with a concrete block. His killers then tried to set his body on fire. The two men arrested for his murder were his friends, one of them has known him since childhood. They had been drinking together that night. Investigators say one of the men confessed that they had killed him because he told them he was gay.[/b] A police video shows one of the suspects being brought back to the scene and asked to demonstrate, using a mannequin, how he attacked his friend. When a detective asks him why, he replies: "Because he said he was a fag". Mr Tornovoi’s father Andrei told Sky News he had to bury his son in a closed casket - that his injuries were so severe the doctors advised him against viewing his body. The post-mortem recorded the cause of death as blunt trauma to the head, but also noted serious internal injuries and genital mutilation. But [b]he refuses to believe his son could possibly have been gay - to suggest otherwise, he told us, dishonours his memory.[/b] "It was a shock when his friends and relatives heard that he was gay. What are you talking about, how can he be gay? He was living a normal life," he said. Some of Mr Vladislav’s friends have also insisted that he could not have been gay, that his killers invented his drunken confession to try to justify what they had done, and elicit public sympathy. [b]One of his former classmates said the suspects have been congratulated on various blogs and Russian websites. Valeriya Goran explained: "People wrote ‘less gays - more happiness’, ‘These guys who killed our Vlad were right’."[/b] Volgograd is a tough, industrial city, far from the skyscrapers and sports cars of the capital Moscow. In what was once known as Stalingrad where they are proud of their Soviet history. The schoolchildren here still take their solemn turn to guard the eternal flame - they are taught that this was where the Red army defied the German onslaught, to secure victory in the Great Patriotic War. But [b]in modern Russia, their government has decided these children don’t need any education about gay rights. In order to 'protect their morality', the country’s parliament is in the process of passing a federal law that will deem all such information ‘homosexual propaganda’, and punishable by a hefty fine.[/b] [b]It is unlikely to challenge attitudes in a country where, according to the latest polls, more than three quarters of the population already think homosexuality is either a bad habit, a disease or the result of trauma. Some 73% said the state should suppress publicly gay behaviour.[/b] http://uk.news.yahoo.com/russia-gay-rights-activists-defy-rally-ban-021152126.html A LOT OF LIBERAL AND NATIONAL PARTY SUPPORTERS NOT UNLIKE RUSSIAN GOVT...AND THE RUSSIAN HOMOPHOBES... NOT QUITE AS EXTREME... BUT I BET SOME OF THEM AND THEIR SUPPORTERS WOULD BE IF THEY HAD HALF A CHANCE. N'

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25/05/2013War is the biggest madness humans are capable of. When some regard this earth as only a stepping stone to somewhere else how can one appeal to sanity? The nuclear situation including an eventual wipeout is supposed to be a part of "what is written" for them. It's all supposed to be prophesied. Iran has a lot of educated citizens, unlike some other Arab countries and with a lot of knowledge about, one would wonder why these extreme things come to be. When one regards how various leaders use religious passages quoted to justify atrocious outcomes, how can religion as practiced, be trusted to do anything but destroy vast numbers of people? In the name of some God or other most atrocities have been done. I trust them not to do good deeds.

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25/05/2013 GOVTS AND COUNCILS ACROSS THE WORLD HELPING TO CREATE FIRESTORMS... SCAPEGOATING MIGRANTS... SOME YOUNG MIGRANTS OVERREACTING...PUSHED TO THE EDGE... BUT SADLY, SOME MIGRANT LEADERS, RELIGIOUS FIGURES BRAINWASHING YOUTH... WARS HAVE DISPLACED PEOPLE...NOW THOSE REFUGEES HATED... [b]A WICKED CHESS GAME...BEGUN IN THE LATE 90s:[/b] Swedes have been shocked by the images of destruction and by the convulsion of anger and fear in their usually easygoing capital. Television footage showed smoking husks of cars on otherwise ordinary-looking streets. The unrest has raised uncomfortable questions in a once-homogeneous society now dealing with a relatively recent influx of immigrants, many of them from war-ravaged countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. Anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise and has become a political force in the far-right Swedish Democrats party. The proximate cause of the rioting was the May 13 death of a man in his late 60s in the Husby district of Stockholm, a predominantly immigrant community where unemployment runs higher than the national average. Police say the man had threatened people on the street with a machete-like weapon and then continued to pose a danger after going inside an apartment building, where officers shot him. But the incident roused anger in an area whose residents have complained of police abuse and racism and of institutional neglect. Violence erupted Sunday and escalated the following two or three nights. Witnesses told Swedish media that some officers who responded to the unrest used racial slurs and called residents “monkeys” and “rats.” Lindgren said there would be an independent investigation of the accusations. “We see a government whose answer to social problems is more police. We see police brutality and harassment in our areas,” Megafonen, a local activist organization, said in an editorial published in the Aftonbladet newspaper Friday. “We call on everyone in the area to organize themselves for justice. Then our cars shall not burn; then stones shall not be thrown.” Media reports said that firefighters responded to 70 separate incidents Thursday night, down from 90 the previous night. Of the 29 arrests made as of Friday afternoon, all but one were of young men ages 16 to 26, said Lindgren, who warned that more arrests were likely. During the first couple of nights of rioting, “there was no possibility to make arrests, because it was rather wild,” Lindgren said. “But we also have identified criminals that are going to be questioned in the near future. ... We got a quite good picture of who they are.” About 15% of Sweden’s 9.5 million people are foreign-born, many of them drawn to the Scandinavian country because of its liberal asylum policies for refugees from armed conflict. But absorption and integration have not always been smooth, and critics say that social inequalities across Swedish society as a whole have grown rapidly in recent years, breeding resentment. http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-sweden-riots-20130524,0,4247307.story SICK...SICK HUMANITY FOREVER CORPORATE WARS...USING GOD..TO PROFIT...AND INFLUENCE. N'

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25/05/2013 INSANITY CONTINUES...CHESS GAME CONTINUES...SICK SICK PARTS OF HUMANITY: A spokesman for the hate crime hotline Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks said reported incidents were running at “a level we simply haven’t seen before”. He said: “Muslims at this moment are feeling a real and pervasive sense of fear.” Calls for action on the capital’s streets by the EDL and the BNP will leave the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, with the dilemma of whether to apply to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, to have them banned. A planned EDL march through Tower Hamlets in London, home to one of the country’s largest Muslim communities, was blocked by Ms May two years ago. Far-right websites are linking the murder to population growth among ethnic minorities, while a number of social networking sites also carried messages calling for Muslim sites to be attacked. The “True British Patriots” Facebook page carried calls for mosques to be burned down. The official website of the National Front party berates “Muslim scum”. Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think-tank, said: “The BNP and EDL, both in a state of near collapse, have little chance of using Woolwich to recover politically but their activities do often stir up local violence. Yet again the absurdly extreme Islamist clown Anjem Choudary shows he is a more effective recruiter for the far right than Nick Griffin has ever been. How much these two extremes need each other.” In a speech in London, alongside representatives of the Army and the Muslim community, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg expressed fears that the Woolwich atrocity could lead to long-lasting damage to community relations. “Fear is an extraordinarily powerful emotion and when it takes root,” he said, “it has a very, very corrosive effect on every part of our lives. We have a choice to either allow that powerful corrosive feeling of fear to seep into every second and minute and hour of our lives or we can make a choice that we’re not going to change our behaviour.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/bnp-and-edl-accused-of-attempt-to-fuel-racial-hatred-after-woolwich-terror-attack-8631612.html HAVE WE LEARNT NOTHING? BUT HOW TO HATE? HOW TO FEAR... AND LET OURSELVES BE MANIPULATED? [b]RAGE AGAINST THE CORPORATE MACHINE...NOT EACH OTHER.[/b] N'

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25/05/2013 TICK TOCK...TICK TOCK: [b]The Silent Death of the American Left[/b] by JEFFREY ST. CLAIR Instead the Left seems powerless to coalesce, to translate critique into practice, to mobilize against wars, to resist incursions against basic civil liberties, powerless to confront rule by the bondholders and hedgefunders, unable to meaningfully obstruct the cutting edge of a parasitical economic system that glorifies greed while preying on the weakest and most destitute, and incapable of confronting the true legacy of the man they put their trust in. This is the politics of exhaustion. We have become a generation of leftovers. We have reached a moment of historical failure that would make even Nietzsche shudder. We stand on the margins, political exiles in our own country, in a kind of mute darkness, a political occlusion, increasingly obsessed, as the radical art historian Tim Clark put it a few years ago in a disturbing essay in New Left Review, with the tragedy of our own defeat. Consider this. Two-thirds of the American electorate oppose the ongoing war in Afghanistan. An equal amount objected to intervention in Libya. Even more recoil at the grim prospect of entering the Syrian theater. Yet there is no antiwar movement to translate that seething disillusionment into action. There are no mass demonstrations. No systematic efforts to obstruct military recruiting. No nationwide strikes. No campus walkouts. No serious divestment campaigns against companies involved in drone technology. Similar popular disgust is evident regarding the imposition of stern austerity measures during a prolonged and enervating recession. But once again this smoldering outrage has no political outlet in the current political climate, where both parties have fully embraced the savage bottom line math of neoliberalism. Homelessness, rampant across America, is a verboten topic, unmentioned in the press, absent from political discourse. Hunger, a deepening crisis in rural and urban America, is a taboo subject, something left to religious pray-to-eat charities or the fickle whims of corporate write-offs. What do they offer us, instead? Pious homilies about the work ethic, the sanctity of the family unit, the self-correcting laxative of market forces... The environment is unraveling, thread by thread, right before our eyes. Each day brings more dire news. Amphibians are in stark decline across North America. Storms of unimaginable ferocity are strafing the Great Plains week after week. The Arctic will soon be ice-free. The water table is plummeting in the world’s greatest aquifer. The air is carcinogenic in dozens of California cities. The spotted owl is still going extinct. Wolves are beginning gunned down by the hundreds across the Rocky Mountains. Bees, the great pollinators, are disappearing coast-to-coast, wiped out by chemical agriculture. Hurricane season now lasts from May to December. And about all the environmental movement can offer in resistance are a few designer protests against a pipeline which is already a fait accompli. http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/05/24/the-silent-death-of-the-american-left/ LEFT PARALYSED? QUESTION: [b]WHO OPENED PANDORA'S BOX[/b]??? [b]GLEEFULLY. AND ARE PROFITING...IN AN UGLY UGLY WAY[/b]. N'

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25/05/2013 [b]When one regards how various leaders use religious passages quoted to justify atrocious outcomes, how can religion as practiced, be trusted to do anything but destroy vast numbers of people? In the name of some God or other most atrocities have been done. I trust them not to do good deeds.[/b] 42 long, THEY ARE ALMOST FEARLESS...BELIEVING IN AFTER-LIFE MYTHS...AND APOCALYPSE..ARMAGEDDON ETC... BUT THEY ARE WILLINGLY USED BY PROFITEERING CORPORATE DEMONS... WHICH WOULD [b]SEND THEM TO THEIR RESPECTIVE HELLS[/b]... IF THEY EXISTED. IRONIC. N'

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25/05/2013 Pandora opened it, [b]and all evil contained therein escaped and spread over the earth. [/b] She hastened to close the container, but the whole contents had escaped, except for one thing that lay at the bottom – [b]the Spirit of Hope[/b] named Elpis. Wikipedia

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25/05/2013 HMMM...SWEDEN...DIG BELOW THE SURFACE...FIND THE ROT: Shades of Paris in the autumn of 2005–a similarity that did not go unnoticed in some media accounts of the current Stockholm troubles. The anger spread to other immigrant-dominated suburbs that ring the city, and soon reports flared up of burning cars, stone-throwing and police-’gang’ confrontations. This morning, the main headline in the online daily Dagens Nyheter (DN) blared, “Yet another night with fires and stones”, including a police station set afire and stones thrown at ambulance personnel. This did not likely go down well with the breakfast of Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. Hard-cooked eggs to swallow Reinfeldt likes nothing better than to blend termite-like into the knotty-pine camouflage image of a Sweden that takes care of its people while still enabling capitalists and entrepreneurs to thrive. His tenure has been distinguished by a Coolidge-like silence behind the humming machinery of Sweden’s prosperity compared to the dire economic news from other parts of Europe and the world. Now the fires are forcing him out of the woodwork. At a press conference at the Swedish Parliament after a visit to Husby, Reinfeldt (whose five-o-clock shadow and tv demeanor tend toward the Nixonesque) said, “Sweden as a democracy believes in law that applies equally for all, over all of Sweden.” He went on: “This strides against those who believe in violence as a method. They have the idea that you can do what you want.” And, “If we give in there, then we’re on the way to changing the social model.” [b]He also used the occasion to plug the entrepreneur-driven educational policies of the ruling center-right Alliance, which has championed private for-profit schools over traditional public schools–to the detriment of the latter. “We want to make more efforts to achieve better school results, especially when aimed at schools and the sort of outsider-environment we are now discussing,” said the Prime Minister.[/b] ...Flames attract more than moths [b]The Sweden Democrats (SD), like other political parties, have been quick to seize the unrest as a channel to further their own agenda. The party has its roots in a neo-Nazi movement that did a not-so-extreme makeover into a recognized political entity in the 1990s[/b]. [b]SD now gathers almost 9% support in the latest national opinion polls (higher in southern Sweden) and has 20 members seated in the 349-seat Riksdag (Parliament). There, SD can be a deciding bloc playing off the almost evenly-matched Alliance and its opponets from the Social Democrat, Green and Left parties.[/b] An SD leader has now called for martial law, rubber bullets, teargas, and water cannon to deal with unruly elements, along with deportation hearings for immigrants who have not yet obtained citizenship, and police are to be granted the right to “use the tougher measures that are required”. In the long run, SD wants an end to the mass immigration and multi-culturalism policies that have transformed Sweden during the past decades. In the short run, the spokesman added, SD’s proposals for police to take hard-line measures will “make the rioters realize quickly who it is that decides things in this country”. [b]A sinister tinkle of Kristallnacht 1938 in Germany is easy to discern here, but in this land of Orrefors-KostaBoda art glass and crystal such outright persecution might be difficult to mobilize. Nevertheless, oppression in Sweden exists, whether real (according to many immigrants) or exaggerated (SD and others). [/b] One of its forms can be expressed in high unemployment rates for young people as a whole and young immigrant-background men in particular. Unemployment among all Swedes under the age of 25 is over 24% (UN figures, 2013). Among young Swedes who have immigrant backgrounds, estimates range as high as 40% or more. The paper ceiling Many of the jobs that people with immigrant backgrounds do have would be classified as “menial” by some. Swedish employment has a “paper ceiling” instead of a glass one: in general, someone born in Sweden, with a Swedish last name, stands a much better chance of landing a job than someone who is darker and whose name is not Svensson. [b]If you live in Sweden, the odds are high that the people cleaning your home or office, baking your pizza, dry-cleaning and pressing your clothes, driving your taxi, or running your kebab-and-hot dog stand have immigrated to Sweden or have recent roots in other lands. It’s not unknown for people with non-Swedish names, especially from non-western regions, to change their last names via marriage or legal process: this, they hope and believe, will help them to get a foot in the employment door.[/b] [b]A broader picture of employment and society in general would show that many immigrants and their descendants have succeeded in building good lives for themselves in Sweden, and it would be unfair to exclude this image.[/b] Real integration of immigrants and their descendants into Swedish society is still out on the horizon. Sweden is a country that prides itself, and rightfully so, on its willingness to take in refugees. It is also justly proud of its past efforts to instill equality regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race and other qualities–the multi-culturalism that SD so earnestly opposes. [b]But legislation cannot force minds and hearts to comply, and many Swedes are reluctant to exchange the enduring values of their traditions for a newer version of Sweden that accommodates non-western elements. Kebabs, pizza and Thai food have become highly appreciated additions to Swedish cuisine, but underneath this acceptance runs a deeper reluctance to embrace more than superficial values from non-Swedish societies. For their part, many immigrants show the same reluctance to embrace Swedish culture and live in ersatz versions of Baghdads or Mogadishu set in the housing projects of outer Stockholm. Both sides exhibit what the other side interprets as indifference, or intolerance, or worse. A synthesis arising from mutual acceptance and tolerance is likely to evolve, but this will likely take several generations or longer. In the meantime, many young people in this country, particularly those with immigrant backgrounds, live with hopelessness as the staple item of their existential diets. As long as that is the case, there will be smoke and probably fire.[/b] http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/05/24/stockholm-smolders/ I BET ONE PARTICULAR MEDIA BARON HAS BEEN HAPPILY FEEDING ON THE ROT FOR DECADES. THEN SPREADING IT AROUND LIKE FERTILISER... AND THEN PUTTING HIS HANDS UP AND GOING: "WHO ME?" POCKETS BULGING...SMILE SMUG ON OTHER SIDE OF SOFTLY SPOKEN SCUMBAG FACE. N'

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25/05/2013 UK...YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS BECAUSE ABBOTT WAS BORN IN UK...VISITS THERE...MURDOCH HAS PAPERS AND PAYTV THERE... MIGHT GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE GAMES TO EXPECT...IT DOES NOT SURPRISE ME THAT A ONE NATION PARTY FOUNDER CAME OUT OF ABBOTT'S OFFICE... REGARDLESS OF THE LEGAL GAMES...DO NOT TRUST ABBOTT AND HIS TEAM...THEY WILL USE THE FAR-RIGHT AND MEDIA HOWEVER THEY CAN TO GAIN AND KEEP POWER... AND USE THEM TO MOVE FURTHER TO THE RIGHT... THINK HOWARD, ONE NATION PARTY, TAMPA SCARE ETC: [b]The Constitutional Movement [/b] was a right wing political group in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1979 by Andrew Fountaine as the National Front Constitutional Movement, a splinter group from the National Front. Offering a more moderate alternative to the NF, the Constitutional Movement claimed to have 2000 members by 1980. WIKIPEDIA [b]The British National Party[/b] was founded in 1982 following a split within the National Front (NF) two years before. After a poor showing at the 1979 general election, internal factional division heightened within the National Front. This culminated in chairman John Tyndall leaving the party in 1980, and founding the New National Front, which became the BNP two years later. According to Spearhead, a magazine produced by Tyndall, the split within the NNF was initially intended to be temporary. The National Front had organised marches in an attempt to raise its profile, which sometimes led to violent clashes with political opponents such as the Anti-Nazi League. Members of Tyndall's New National Front, wished to modernise and move away from fascist ideology, blaming the old National Front for its lack of popular appeal. Tyndall's newly formed British National Party therefore absorbed the membership of the British Democratic Party, a small British nationalist party led by Anthony Reed Herbert which attempted to distance itself from neo-nazism. The British Democratic Party had itself earlier split from the National Front. Members of the Constitutional Movement, another splinter group, who had distanced themselves from fascism and violent subcultures such as football hooliganism, also joined. These smaller nationalist parties attempting to modernise their image, joined Tyndall's New National Front through the Committee for Nationalist Unity (1981), which acted as a front to draw members from similar modernising nationalist organizations. However, despite Tyndall's attempt to distance the newly formed British National Party from fascism, several individuals of the disintegrating British Movement were allowed to join. National Front march from the 1970s. The movement from which the BNP would emerge by 1982. Tyndall leadership, early years. [b]At its formation in 1982, the British National Party had 2500 members, most of whom had joined from the Constitutional Movement through the Committee for Nationalist Unity.[/b] Eddy Morrison and his minor Leeds based nationalist party, merged with the British National Party later that year. [b]In 1983, Tyndall sought to make an electoral impact by fielding 53 candidates in the 1983 general election, which guaranteed a free party broadcast. This broadcast featured Tyndall, flanked by two British flags, and footage of the Brixton riot, a violent riot between predominantly black local residents and the police.[/b] All candidates combined, which included Tyndall himself and his wife Valerie, the British National Party achieved only 14,621 votes and lost all its deposits. It was revealed afterwards that the BNP Deputy Chairman Ray Hill had been working as a mole on behalf of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight. During the mid-1980s, the British National Party under Tyndall absorbed numerous existing National Front Flag Group branches including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow. The party also began to develop friendly relations with the Federation of Conservative Students. The British National Party also made contacts on the continent, particularly with Flemish nationalists of the radical Odal Group, which succeeded the Order of Flemish Militants. John Peacock, a regional organiser for the British National Party was the British representative of the Odal Ring. MORE HERE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_National_Party ------ [b]The National Front (NF) is a British far right, racial nationalist, whites-only political party. It reached the peak of its popularity in the 1970s. Its electoral support peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes (0.6% of the overall vote).[/b] The British prison service and police services forbid their employees to be members of the party.[6] It put up 17 candidates in the 2010 general election and 18 candidates for the 2010 local elections. The party failed to gain any representation at either national or local level. [b]Late 1960s: formation [/b] A move towards unity on the far right had been growing during the 1960s as groups worked more closely together. Impetus was provided by the 1966 general election when a moderate Conservative Party was defeated and A. K. Chesterton, a cousin of the novelist G. K. Chesterton and leader of the League of Empire Loyalists (LEL), argued that a patriotic and racialist right wing party would have won the election. Acting on a suggestion by John Tyndall, Chesterton opened talks with the 1960s incarnation of the British National Party (who had already been discussing a possible deal with the new National Democratic Party) and agreed a merger with them, with the BNP's Philip Maxwell addressing the LEL conference in October 1966. A portion of the Racial Preservation Society led by Robin Beauclair also agreed to participate (although the remainder threw in their lot with the NDP, its house political party under David Brown) and so the NF was founded on 7 February 1967. Its purpose was to oppose immigration and multiculturalist policies in Britain, and multinational agreements such as the United Nations or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as replacements for negotiated bilateral agreements between nations. The new group placed a ban on neo-Nazi groups being allowed to join the party, but members of John Tyndall's neo-fascist Greater Britain Movement were allowed to join on an individual basis. Early 1970s: growth The National Front grew during the 1970s and had between 16,000 and 20,000 members by 1974, and 50 local branches. [b]Its electoral base largely consisted of blue-collar workers and the self-employed who resented immigrant competition in the labour market and for scarce housing. Some recruits came from the Monday Club within the Conservative Party that had been founded in reaction to Harold Macmillan's "Wind Of Change" speech. [/b] The NF fought on a platform of opposition to communism and liberalism, support for Ulster loyalism, opposition to the European Economic Community, and the compulsory repatriation of new Commonwealth immigrants who had entered Britain courtesy of the British Nationality Act, 1948. In May 1973, in a by-election in West Bromwich West, the National Front candidate, the party's National Activities Organizer, Martin Webster, polled 4,789 votes (16.2%), a result which shook the political and media Establishment. MORE HERE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_National_Front --------------------------- BE WARY AUSTRALIA... [b]At the same time, Margaret Thatcher as opposition leader was moving the Tory party back to the right and away from the moderate Heathite stance which had caused some Conservatives to join the NF. Many ex-Tories returned to the fold from the NF or its myriad splinter groups, in particular after her "swamping" remarks on the ITV documentary series World In Action on 30 January 1978:[/b] "... [b]we do not talk about it [immigration] perhaps as much as we should. In my view, that is one thing that is driving some people to the National Front. They do not agree with the objectives of the National Front, but they say that at least they are talking about some of the problems.... If we do not want people to go to extremes... we must show that we are prepared to deal with it. We are a British nation with British characteristics[/b]." N'

nasking

25/05/2013 [b]Tony Abbott Press Release - Passing of The Rt Hon. Baroness Thatcher[/b] 08/04/13 Death of The Rt. Hon. Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS [b]Margaret Thatcher was one of the greatest British prime ministers and one of the most significant world leaders of our times. She was the first female prime minister of Great Britain and ranks with the greatest of prime ministers because of the quality of her leadership and the impact she had on Britain and the wider world. Margaret Thatcher arrested the decline of Britain and gave the British people renewed confidence. She ensured the British people no longer simply dwelt on the glories of the past but could enjoy a strong and prosperous future. [/b] The thoughts of the Coalition are with Baroness Thatcher's family and the British people at this time. Hmmm... N'

nasking

25/05/2013 [b]David Oldfield (politician)[/b] David Ernest Oldfield (born 25 June 1958) is a talkback radio host and former politician. [b]He grew up in Manly, a beachside suburb of Sydney[/b]. [b]In the 1990s he was involved in municipal politics, representing the Liberal Party on Manly Council[/b]. He was formerly a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. [b]In 1996 Oldfield was employed as a staff member by federal Liberal MP Tony Abbott.[/b] While there, Oldfield secretly [b]founded the right wing One Nation Party in concert with independent MP Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge.[/b] He and Ettridge, known as "the two Davids," were seen as the brains behind Hanson's populist policies. [b]In 2006 he was a contestant on Australia's Celebrity Survivor[/b]. [b]Oldfield commenced as a talkback radio host with Sydney radio station 2GB in November 2007.[/b] In 2009, Oldfield became the highest rating radio presenter in Sydney with 25.2% of the overnight audience. [b]In 2010, Oldfield was fired by 2GB. In May 2010, he began hosting the afternoon shift as a relief presenter on 2UE. [/b] [b]After three days, Oldfield was suspended by the station for making inflammatory remarks with respect to asylum seekers. In his on-air comments, Oldfield suggested an immigration policy whereby: "We’ll turn on the electric fences, we’ll stop them from coming, and the ones that are here: we’ll make sure they can’t escape, and if they do try it, they’ll be fried."[/b] In December 2010, Oldfield replaced Steve Liebmann as the host of the Mornings program on 2UE. [b]In April 2012, Oldfield moved from the Mornings program to present Nights on 2UE.[/b] Oldfield is married to Lisa Oldfield, a former co-host of [b]Channel 9's daytime televisio[/b]n program, The Catch-Up WIKIPEDIA [b]NO LONGER EYES WIDE SHUT[/b] N'

nasking

25/05/2013 2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia broadcasting on 873 kHz, AM. Weekday presenters Breakfast with Alan Jones Mornings with Ray Hadley Afternoons with Chris Smith Sydney Live with Ben Fordham Money News with Ross Greenwood The Super Show with Peter Switzer Night-time with Steve Price Australia Overnight with Brian Wilshire Wake Up Australia with Andrew Moore (Mon-Wed) & Luke Grant (Thurs & Fri) [b]Cronulla riots - ALLAN JONES[/b] [b]In December 2005, in the lead-up to the Cronulla riots, Jones used his breakfast radio program to read out and discuss a widely-circulated text message that called on people to "Come to Cronulla this weekend to take revenge... get down to North Cronulla to support the Leb and wog bashing day". [/b] Media commentator David Marr accused Jones of inciting racial tensions and implicitly encouraging violence and vigilantism by the manner of his responses to callers even while he was verbally disapproving of them taking the law into their own hands. On 10 April 2007, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found that the broadcaster 2GB and Jones had broadcast material (specifically comments made by Jones between 5–9 December 2005) that was likely to encourage violence or brutality and to vilify people of Lebanese and Middle-Eastern backgrounds on the basis of ethnicity. During his on-air rebuttal of the ACMA findings on 10 April 2007, Jones stated that by referring to his show as "Breakfast with Alan Jones", the ACMA had little credibility as his show was actually known as "The Alan Jones Show". However, the 2GB website prior to this broadcast clearly showed the Jones program as being "Breakfast with Alan Jones",[70] this was changed after the broadcast of Jones' rebuttal to be "Alan Jones Show". [b]David Flint again defended Jones by appearing on Jones' morning show "to support his friend and to condemn the process that found him guilty.[/b] He told 2GB listeners that the vigilante movement existed at Cronulla long before Jones began broadcasting and that the ACMA findings amounted to a classic case of shoot the messenger. He said the complaints process was flawed because, unlike the Press Council, Jones could not face or question his accusers". The NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal upheld a complaint of racial vilification against Jones and 2GB on 21 December 2009. The tribunal said: His comments about "Lebanese males in their vast numbers" hating Australia and raping, pillaging and plundering the country, about a "national security" crisis, and about the undermining of Australian culture by "vermin" were reckless hyperbole calculated to agitate and excite his audience without providing them with much in the way of solid information. [b]Jones appealed the decision, but in October 2012 the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal dismissed his appeal, and upheld his conviction for inciting hatred and for vilification of Muslims.[/b] Jones apologised on-air for his remarks on 6 December 2012. However, on 12 December the Tribunal ruled that this apology was "an inadequate statement of wrongdoing" and ordered him to apologise again, prescribing the words he was to read. Wikipedia I COULD GO ON... N'

nasking

25/05/2013 [b]I won't ignore Alan Jones's radio audience: Tony Abbott[/b] [b]TONY Abbott has refused to boycott Alan Jones's radio program, as he declared the broadcaster's comments about the death of Julia Gillard's father "wrong and offensive". [/b] The Opposition Leader also hit back at Labor attempts to link him to the Jones controversy, telling reporters: “Look, the government blames me for everything.” [b]Mr Abbott was speaking publicly for the first time since it emerged at the weekend that Jones told Young Liberals Ms Gillard's father “died of shame” because of her “lies”.[/b] Jones today renewed his apology for the remarks but said his critics were trying to destroy him. [b]Labor ministers meanwhile called on Mr Abbott to further distance himself from the influential broadcaster, with whom he was “very close”...[/b] [b]He said he would continue to appear as a guest on Jones's Sydney breakfast radio program because he was not in the business of “ignoring a big audience[/b]”. “I am the Leader of the Opposition, my job every day is to reach out to the people of Australia and reassure them that we are a great country and a great people let down at the moment by a bad government,” Mr Abbott said. “So I am certainly not going to ignore an audience of half a million people in Sydney. I never have and I never will.” http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/i-wont-ignore-alan-joness-radio-audience-tony-abbott/story-fn59niix-1226486507321 YES...INDEED. THE GAMES CONTINUE. DANGEROUS...DANGEROUS TACTICS MR. ABBOTT...MR. MURDOCH...MR. SINGLETON...AND YER SHOCK JOCK, NEWSPAPER, SKY NEWS, CHANNEL NINE MINIONS. N'

nasking

25/05/2013 SPEAKING OF 2GB...AND THE LIBERAL CONNECTION...HELPING THEM SPRUIK THEIR DOG WHISTLING CAMPAIGNS...VIA RAY HADLEY (SO WELL TREATED ON THE ABC's AUSTRALIAN STORY): ([b]On Friday the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, continued to insist the government ''doesn't know where these people are'' and that they are ''just disappearing into the community''.)[/b] What the government and the Red Cross do not do is publicise the addresses, and a segment on the rival radio station 2GB on Thursday morning might explain why. [b]The broadcaster Ray Hadley and some other media organisations discovered the address of the charged Sri Lankan man from court documents and went to the house.[/b] The journalists described ''squalid'' conditions with mattresses on the floor. Goodness knows what would have been said had they found a comfortable house with furniture. According to Hadley, ''locals who have tried to help the people tell me in the main they are friendly and compliant, with of course the occasional alleged sexual predator mixed into the group''. Asked whether he knew of other cases involving asylum seekers, Scott Morrison referred to the most recent Senate estimates, where officials said one asylum seeker on a bridging visa had been charged and sentenced on a drug-related offence. On radio recently, he said ''we unearthed a few weeks ago the case of people on bridging visas being housed adjacent to aged care facilities in Adelaide where they were cooking at night, letting the sprinklers off and the aged-care facility had to be evacuated at night''. A night-time evacuation would undoubtedly be traumatic for aged-care residents, but cooking in the evening is hardly a crime. [b]Scott Morrison said a Coalition government would impose special ''behavioural protocols'' on asylum seekers over and above the normal requirements of the law. These ''standards of conduct'' would be similar to requirements inside detention centres, he said.[/b] One of the Coalition's own backbenchers, Russell Broadbent, said that amounted to ''vilifying'' asylum seekers and applying different laws to different people, and no such proposal had been considered by the Coalition party room. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/facts-flee-as-politicians-take-low-road-on-asylum-20130301-2fbjb.html#ixzz2UIpBcwMv YOU CAN HEAR THE SOUND OF ONE NATION, TEA PARTY, BNP, UKIP ECHOING... ACCOMPANYING FIRM, SOMETIMES RANTING...SOMETIMES SOFTLY SPOKEN SCUMBAG WORDS... FINGERS POINTING... PRETENDERS...COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVES...SOMETIMES CAUGHT OUT... THEN COMES: "WHO ME?" N'

nasking

25/05/2013 THEN YOU GET THE NICE GUY APPROACH...THINK PAUL MURRAY AT 2UE...AND SKY NEWS: Paul Murray gives his views on the recommendation future asylum seekers not be eligible to sponsor family members to come to Australia under the Special Humanitarian Program. CHECK OUT THE COMMENTS ON THIS SITE: [b]Asylum Report: increase intake! Posted by: 2UE | 13 August, 2012 - 1:05 PM[/b] Hold out your grandsons hand so that it can be chopped off under Sharia Law, offer up your granddaughter so she can be stoned to death for wearing a bikini and not a burka. The Government sponsored Muslim Colonisation of Australia is on in ernest, I have not met one person that wants the wife oppressing Muslims in this basically peaceful country. Bikinis not burkas Evil triumphs when good men say nothing! Tuesday 14 August, 2012 - 7:19 PM Shut the gate tight. We should have Zero new migrants as wherever I go in the suburbs I see able bodied people sipping coffee, enjoying the sunshine without a care in the world. Stop the Australia seekers!!!!!We have enough dole bludgers here already. Those on the dole should be made to work for it - I suggest 25-30 hours a week picking up rubbish, Whipper snipping grass on the side of the roads etc or as they do in China sweep plazas, streets etc then they would want to work for a decent wage. Wait until we get 1% unemployment then review the situation. I'm sick of these bludgers getting a free ride. I went into Liverpool centelink the other day to get some information for another person and I was the only Anglo Saxon in the enquiry queue. What country is this. Juliar stop all this insanity you have and are still making things worse AF Tuesday 14 August, 2012 - 11:11 AM What, more un-employable lazy dole bludgers? I pay taxes to benefit the country, not to have some slack arsed country shopper sit in the streets of Lakemba drinking coffee and re-populating the country with his half dozen wives!The door needs to be shut and shut tight! Peter Tuesday 14 August, 2012 - 8:38 AM OK Julia, but put them on HECS if you want to keep giving them so much. How many Australians have no internet, no free dental, no free housing, board, cleaning and how many Australians can`t even afford heating ?? Johannes Tuesday 14 August, 2012 - 7:26 AM More family reunions, how about sending unaccompanied minors back to their parents. Jo Tuesday 14 August, 2012 - 7:21 AM http://www.2ue.com.au/blogs/2ue-blog/asylum-report-increase-intake/20120813-2443c.html AND SO THE DANGEROUS GAMES CONTINUE...FANNING THE FLAMES... GETTING AN IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT FROM AN ABBOTT GOVT... WHO DOES THE DIRTY WORK...I THINK WE KNOW... WHILST TONY ABBOTT STANDS IN THE "SENSIBLE CENTRE"... GOING: "WHO ME?" AND DOES THE THATCHER...HOWARD...BUSH...THING...IMMIGRATION, ASYLUM SEEKER SPEECH...TONY STYLE. WHILST EMBRACING AN INDIGINEOUS PERSON...A DISABLED PERSON...A MIGRANT...ALL VOLUNTEERS...WORKING OVERTIME... FOR THE FLAG. GOD IS AN ENGLISHMEN...LIVING IN AUSTRALIA. ONE NATION...UNDER ABBOTT. AND MURDOCH. AND SINGLETON. AND RINEHART. AND CHANNEL NINE. AND... N'

Catspan

25/05/2013Hey lefty loozers! You sad, sorry lot and the Liberal Party apparently both have something very much in common: your shared detestation of the ABC! Yes, I've read endlessly on this blog from the trogs that you all hate the ABC and that its reporters are all traitors to the comradely cause and how it should be smashed .... ... and now the Liberal party is saying the very same thing! Yes, folks, the Liberal Party is marching in absolute lockstep with the likes of rheumy-eyed old commo Nasking, perrenial fatboy Jason and life's very own great failure, Talk Turkey ... And they are all in absolute agreement that the ABC has gotta go! So today, apparently, down at the Victorian Liberal Party State Conference at Jeff's Shed - there were all the Liberal Party delegates looking at a bunch of Get Up dearies in their pearls and tweed who were holding up Get Up endorsed signs pleading for the ABC to be spared ... in order to ensure that B1 and B2 do NOT become a couple of second-hand banana splits! Come on, you lot! Call out your troops and swarm angrily down there so that you can mash B1 and B2 and tell all those ABC tragics that the jig is up ... and that the end of the ABC is nigh! What a great day! Nasking, fat boy, Turkey Boy and The Capstan, all working together to destroy a common enemy - the Flogged-out, useless ABC! It doesn't get any better - it just doesn't get any better.

nasking

25/05/2013 I WONDER HOW MANY IN THE MSM, INCLUDING ABC PRESENTERS, ARE BEING PRESSURED DUE TO TO GAMBLING DEBTS...ETC? LOOK FOR THE HAUNTED EYES, MELTING STRAINED FACES...INCONSISTENT ATTITUDE, BEHAVIOUR. N'

nasking

25/05/2013 DECORPORATISE THE ABC! FREE THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER. MAKE SURE IT IS NO LONGER A CASH COW FOR THE PRIVILEGED FEW. N'

nasking

25/05/2013 FROM THE UK: [b]Royal Mail Privatisation - Do We Want This?[/b] MARIO DUNN - HUFFINGTON POST [b]A major privatisation is about to take place. One would think this would give the government something to crow about but strangely the opposite is true. The government plans to flog off the Royal Mail but it is not very keen to talk about it.[/b] That's because one of the country's oldest, successful publicly owned businesses might soon end up in the hands of private equity investors. Their business model is well established: Buy entity, strip costs, maximise value, sell on. [b]This sale will mark the beginning of a fundamental change in the role of an institution that uniquely provides a daily collection and delivery service to every address in the country. Some argue that letters are a product of a bygone age, rendered obsolete by electronic communication. While letter volumes are in decline, the services provided by Royal Mail are as vital as they have always been. What enables Royal Mail to deliver from Lands End to John O'Groats for a single, affordable price is the massive growth in parcel and packet delivery, another by-product of e-commerce. For this privatisation to return the necessary profit to its new owners a radical process of cost savings must take place. This will inevitably mean cutting out loss making (mainly rural) services and raising prices. Save Our Royal Mail has been launched in response to this. Our aim is to ensure that the current levels of service Royal Mail provides are not diminished by a sale, nor are prices sent shooting up.[/b] Desperate to reassure the public that selling off this successful public sector enterprise will be in their interests, the government has used all the powers it has at its disposal to 'protect' what is called the universal service provided by Royal Mail. But those protections are not enough and will certainly not endure. Despite the promises, it will not be possible to guarantee a privately owned business will want to (or be able to) maintain 6 day a week collection and delivery services throughout the country. [b]With the cost of most stamps now deregulated the only restraint on rocketing prices is the vague 'market forces' argument. One just needs to look at their energy bill to see how the impact of those market forces is working in that regard[/b]. Our campaign is asking Ministers to press 'pause' on this sale. There has been so little debate about the future of postal services and how long term consumer protections can be put in place. At the moment the government seems keen to rush the sale but not so keen to debate the issues in Parliament and elsewhere. The importance of both Royal Mail and Post Office services in rural communities in particular cannot be overstated. They are part of the fabric of local life. They are glue that binds our communities together. This was instinctively recognised by Margaret Thatcher and that is why she shied away from selling Royal Mail. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mario-dunn/royal-mail-privatisation_b_3324975.html IT'S ALL ABOUT MOOLAH IN THE END FOR THIS LOT. N'

nasking

25/05/2013 THE ROYAL MAIL: Under the Post Office Act 1969 the General Post Office was changed from a government department to a statutory corporation, known simply as the Post Office. The office of Postmaster General was abolished and replaced with the positions of Chairman and Chief Executive in the new company. [b]During the 1980s both British Telecom and Girobank were split off from the Post Office and sold, however the postal services section remained in public ownership as privatisation of this was deemed to be too unpopular. [/b] [b]However in the 1990s President of the Board of Trade Michael Heseltine began investigating a possible sale and eventually a Green Paper on Postal Reform was published in May 1994, outlining various options for privatisation. The ideas though, proved controversial and were dropped from the 1994 Queen's Speech after a number of Conservative MPs warned Heseltine they would not vote for the legislation.[/b] [b]After a change of government in 1997, the Labour administration decided to keep the Post Office state-owned but with more commercial freedom. This led to the Postal Services Act 2000, where the Post Office became a public limited company renamed Consignia plc. [/b] However, the change proved to be highly unpopular with both the public and even the organisation's own employees, with the Communication Workers Union boycotting the name. In 2002, the organisation adopted the name of the letters delivery business, becoming Royal Mail Group plc with the following operating divisions: Royal Mail, delivering letters Parcelforce, delivering parcels Post Office Limited, managing the nationwide network of post office branches as retail outlets. [b]As part of the 2000 Act the government set up a postal regulator, the Postal Services Commission, known as Postcomm, which offered licences to private companies to deliver mail. [/b] [b]In 2001, the Consumer Council for Postal Services, known as Postwatch, was created for consumers to express any concerns they may have with the postal service in Britain. From 1 January 2006, the Royal Mail lost its 350-year monopoly and the British postal market became fully open to competition.[/b] On 1 October 2008, Postwatch was merged into the new consumer watchdog, Consumer Focus. In 2008, due to a continuing fall in mail volumes the government commissioned an independent review of the postal services sector by Richard Hooper CBE, the former deputy chairman of Ofcom. The recommendations in the Hooper Review led to Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to seek to part privatise the company by selling a minority stake to a commercial partner. However despite legislation for the sale passing the House of Lords, it was abandoned in the House of Commons after strong opposition from backbench Labour MPs. The government later cited the difficult economic conditions for the reason behind the retreat. After the departure of Adam Crozier to ITV on 27 May 2010, Royal Mail appointed Canadian Moya Greene as Chief Executive, the first woman to hold the post. [b]Following the 2010 general election the new Business Secretary in the Coalition government, Vince Cable, asked Richard Hooper CBE to update his report. Based on the Hooper Review Update the government passed the Postal Services Act 2011. [/b] [b]The Act allows for up to 90% of Royal Mail to be privatised with at least 10% of shares being held by Royal Mail employees. As part of the 2011 Act, Postcomm was merged into the communications regulator Ofcom on 1 October 2011, with Ofcom introducing a new simplified set of regulations for postal services on 27 March 2012. [/b] On 31 March 2012 the government took over the historic assets and liabilities of the Royal Mail pension scheme which ran at a considerable deficit. [b]On 1 April 2012 Royal Mail's subsidiary Post Office Ltd was separated from the group. The Act also contains the option for Post Office Ltd to become a mutual organisation in the future.[/b] Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Mail [b]INCREMENTALLY[/b]...CHANGED...TOWARDS CORPORATISATION...AND PRIVATISATION. N'

Patriciawa

25/05/2013Our Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, will be in Freo on Wednesday June 12th, for an ALP campaign fund raiser event with herself appearing In An Evening Conversation with Ben Elton, Fremantle's well known humorist. Anyone interested should contact me via Ad Astra. I'd love to help with booking details, and since I'm going too I'd love to meet fellow bloggers and Julia fans from the Fremantle area!

TalkTurkey

26/05/2013Hi-Ho Everybody! As the immortal late Jack Davey used to say. (And as the outstanding Peter Goers on Adelaide Radio does now!) Gee Tom Waterhouse draws some flak eh, 'course he deserves it, but then, the whole industry does. But the greater hypocrisy is the GROG ads on AFL matches that go on every time someone scores a goal. Choruses of beautifuls screeching [i][b]ONE ! TWO ! THREE ! ARE YA READY ?![/b][/i] (for the weekend)! See you can't have a good time without GROG! Booze with every spare moment, and gambling on everything that moves. What a fate for humanity. Mothers with tiny babies in arms. Alcohol in the breast milk, cools the baby right out. Start 'em young. Bet you a double you see ads for both vices this week.

nasking

26/05/2013 EDUCATION IS A RIGHT!!! Earlier this week, thousands of students and parents and supporters rallied in Chicago to protest plans to shutter 53 public schools, disproportionately affecting black, low-income families . Nine-year-old Asean Johnson, his school facing closure, had a few fierce words for Mayor Rahm Emanuel. A must watch: http://www.salon.com/2013/05/22/9_year_old_slams_rahm_over_chicago_schools/ GOOD ON HIM YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE VOICES TOO N'

nasking

26/05/2013 [b]Gee Tom Waterhouse draws some flak eh, 'course he deserves it, but then, the whole industry does. But the greater hypocrisy is the GROG ads on AFL matches that go on every time someone scores a goal. [/b] TT, it's disgraceful... what does grog and fast food have to do with healthy sports players? What kind of messages are they sending to the kids? We have become an irresponsible corporate sh*thole...and dumping ground...just like parts of America. Why not advertise healthier foods...avocados for instance? Pineapples? Hemp wear? The list goes on. N'

nasking

26/05/2013 SADLY, SOME ON THE RIGHT-WING WANT A CIVIL WAR SO THEY CAN DISTRACT FROM THEIR GROTESQUE CORPORATE RORTS, TOFF TAX AVOIDANCE, BRING IN THEIR SECURITY COMPANIES AND WEAPONS, HAVE MORE INFLUENCE ON POLICE... AND PRIVATISATION, PRIVATISATION... THE BRITS SHOULD BE SMARTER THAN THAT... THEY ARE BEING LED DOWN THE GARDEN PATH TO EXPLOITATION AND SERFDOM...AND VERY DANGEROUS DAYS: The BNP has also announced it will be demonstrating in Woolwich. National organiser Adam Walker claims the brutal murder meant a "line has been drawn in the sand and it signals the beginning of the civil war we have predicted for years". However the YouGov poll provides evidence that Britain does remain a tolerant country and that the far-right support remains at the margins of society. Nearly two-thirds (63%) believe the vast majority of Muslims are good British citizens, up by 1% from last November. There has also been an increase from 24% to 33% in the proportion who believe Muslims are compatible with the 'British way of life'. Around two-thirds (65%) said on the whole most people tend to get along well with each other. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/25/woolwich-attack-islam YA KNOW, THE MURDOCH NEWS INTERNATIONAL PAPERS LIKE 'THE SUN' SURE HAVE HAD A DUMBING DOWN EFFECT. EVEN THE MURDOCH EMPIRE'S INFILTRATION OF THE BBC HAS CONTRIBUTED. AND IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME IF SOME OF THE SH*T STIRRING GOING ON BY THE RADICAL MUSLIMS IS BEING PAID FOR BY THE SAUDIS AND INTELLIGENCE SERVICES IN ORDER TO PERPETUATE THIS PROFITABLE FOREVER WAR. A LOT OF OIL USED IN THIS WAR. N'

nasking

26/05/2013 SADLY, YOU DON'T KNOW WHO TO TRUST THESE DAYS...ESPECIALLY SINCE BLAIR'S LABOUR EAGERLY JOINED THAT FCKWIT BUSH AND LOOP CHENEY ON THEIR BOYS' OWN CORPORATE ADVENTURES IN IRAQ: Speaking following the Woolwich attack, Hazel Blears MP, who as communities secretary led the Prevent strategy under Labour, told the Observer that people vulnerable to the messages of extremist preachers were being spotted too late. She said it had been a serious mistake to dismantle Labour's policy of funding local authorities that have a population more than 5% Muslim, to help them curb radicalism by engaging and funding community groups, Islamic societies and mosques. ...The BNP was accused of exploiting Wednesday's attack to further its "own poisonous ends" after the far-right group announced it would be demonstrating in south-east London, where the attack took place. A huge rise in the number of anti-Muslim incidents has also been recorded, with 162 calls made to a helpline since the killing – up from a daily average of six. A YouGov poll also shows – amid a generally tolerant attitude towards Islam – an increase in the number of people, particularly from older generations, who believed there would be a "clash of civilisations" between British Muslims and native white Britons. This figure rose from 50% in November 2012 to 59% on Thursday and Friday. Questions were being asked last night about how much MI5 knew of the two suspects, after Abu Nusaybah, a friend of Adebolajo, claimed that the secret services had tried to recruit the murder suspect in Kenya, where he was allegedly assaulted by local security forces. That claim has at least one precedent in British courts. In 2009, four Britons held in Kenya testified that they were interrogated under threat of torture by the country's anti-terrorism agency while MI5 agents declined to intervene. Nusaybah was arrested on terrorism charges following an interview with Newsnight on Friday evening. The prime minister has announced that a preliminary report from MI5 on what the organisation knew of the men would be given to the parliamentary watchdog on which Blears sits this week. The former minister's comments will inevitably lead to a debate about whether the coalition rolled back the Prevent policy too dramatically. The Labour government's policy of encouraging local authorities to fund sympathetic Islamic groups was attacked in its latter years by critics who claimed that the government was establishing a network of spies to monitor Muslim communities. It was also claimed that extremist groups had received funding, and the strategy was redrawn in 2011. Funding was removed from organisations that were said not to support "British values" and Prevent funds were to no longer to be used for "community interventions". Blears said the coalition had been mistaken in disengaging from local authorities and focusing Prevent solely on stopping extremists being drawn towards terrorism. She said that the case against Labour's Prevent strategy had proved largely false, with the Home Office reporting in 2011 that there was no evidence of spying nor anything to "indicate widespread, systematic or deliberate funding of extremist groups", although some with extremist ideology had received funding as part of the engagement strategy. Blears, MP for Salford and Eccles, said: "I am very worried that over the last couple of years, the communities department, which works very closely with local authorities, has abandoned this territory. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/25/woolwich-attack-hazel-blears-attacks-coalition WE NEED A BRAND NEW PEACE-ORIENTED...GET TO THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER...PARTY. AND NOT SOME FAUX CONNECTED TO THE MAINSTREAM PARTIES ONE...NOR KOOKY LIBERTARIANS WHO'D HAVE US LIVE IN VERSIONS OF DEADWOOD. N'

nasking

26/05/2013 SPEAKING OF SH *T STIRRERS...THIS GUY IS YET ANOTHER RICH EXTREMIST WHO BENEFITS FROM CHAOS... NOT UNLIKE BUSH, CHENEY, THE SAUDI ROYALS ETC... THEY DON'T GIVE A FCK ABOUT PROTECTING KIDS... CREATING A BETTER, MORE PEACEFUL FUTURE.. .IT'S ABOUT POWER, CONTROL, MONEY, INFLUENCE... The leader of Hezbollah has warned that the fall of the Syrian regime would give rise to extremists and plunge the Middle East into a "dark period", and vowed that his Shia militant group will not stand idly by while its chief ally in Damascus is under attack. In a televised address, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said Hezbollah members are fighting in Syria against Islamic extremists who pose a danger to Lebanon, and pledged that his group will not allow Syrian militants to control areas bordering Lebanon. Nasrallah's comments marked the first time he has publicly confirmed that his men are fighting in Syria, and were his first remarks since Hezbollah fighters have become deeply involved in the battle for the strategic Syrian town of Qusair near the Lebanese frontier. Hezbollah has been heavily criticised at home and abroad for sending fighters to Syria to fight along President Bashar al-Assad's forces. In his speech, Nasrallah sought to defend the group's deepening involvement, and frame it as part of a broader battle against Israel. He also portrayed the fight in Syria as an "existential war" for anti-Israel groups including Hezbollah. "Syria is the back of the resistance, and the resistance cannot stand, arms folded, while its back is broken," Nasrallah said. "If Syria falls into the hands of America, Israel and the takfiris, the people of our region will go into a dark period," he said in a speech to mark the anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000. "If Syria falls, Palestine will be lost." The term "takfiri" has become associated with an offshoot of the salafist movement, which condones violence to achieve ideological goals. Many of its practitioners embrace the teachings of al-Qaida. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/25/hezbollah-leader-syria-assad-qusair THE CAROUSEL OF MADNESS. N'

nasking

26/05/2013 I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE CORPORATE RIGHT AND LEFT WERE WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING DOWN THE FAIR-GO, FREE & AFFORDABLE AND SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC ASPECTS OF OUR STATES... THE WAR ON TERROR...THE HOUSING BOOM...INCREMENTAL CORPORATISATION OF GOVT ASSETS AND SERVICES...CERTAIN IMMIGRATION AND JOB VISA TACTICS...AND THE GFC... ALL PART OF AN ORCHESTRATED PLAN TO CREATE MASSIVE DEBT...AND THEN BUDGET EMERGENCIES...LEADING TO AUSTERITY MESSURES... THEN DIVIDED, CIVIL WARN TORN COMMUNITIES AND RIOTS... IN ORDER TO DISTRACT FROM THE PLUNDERING OF PENSIONS, INCREASE IN PENSION AGE, PRIVATISATION, OUTSOURCING, GROWTH OF TAX RORTING BY MEGA-RICH, THE INSANE EXPLOSION IN PROFITABLE WEAPONRY, ARMS... THE UNDERMINING OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS... AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS...UNIONS...YOU NAME IT. IT'S ABOUT CREATING NATIONS OF HIGHLY INDEBTED SERFS... WHO ARE ADDICTED TO THE CORPORATE PRODUCTS... IN A ONE PERCENT USER PAYS SYSTEM... AND OF COURSE...THE PERPETUAL WAR...FOREVER WAR...IS AIMED AT PROTECTING CERTAIN STATES... AND CREATING MANY MORE CORPORATE STATES... WHILST THE MONEY FLOODS EVER UPWARDS... AND THE RICH OBSERVE THE REST OF US VIA THEIR MASSIVE SECURITY SYSTEMS... PAID FOR BY US. NO LONGER EYES WIDE SHUT...WE OBSERVE ACROSS THE WESTERN WORLD THIS VERY HORROR UNFOLDING... NOW. TIME FOR REAL CHANGE. N'

nasking

26/05/2013 should be: [b]IN A ONE HUNDRED PERCENT USER PAYS SYSTEM...[/b]

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

26/05/2013Morning all and a last comment on 4th and 5th estate kinds of things before the wondrous Ad leads us into new territory later today with his next post. It seems the overall feeling in this thread came down on the side of the fifth estate staying away from the fourth, and evolving in its own way as a new form of pampleteering perhaps (except that more is happening than pamphlets might offer with some of the online ventures that have been and are becoming competitive as authentic and valued alternative media). If you still haven't checked out the comments from Barry Tucker and Wendy Bacon, two long-time journalists who dropped by and who raised yet more questions, do. Barry's comment is at: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2013/05/19/Whos-been-playing-in-MY-estate-Yet-more-ferment-in-the-fourth-and-fifth.aspx#id_f08eb63a-5577-4c79-9bd3-4e0b669e52c7 Wendy's comment is at: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2013/05/19/Whos-been-playing-in-MY-estate-Yet-more-ferment-in-the-fourth-and-fifth.aspx#id_a33bfff0-3777-477b-b619-10eccc0dc8be It's significant that two bods who have worked extensively within fourth estate structures are opting so strongly for staying outside old ones and evolving new structures for media training, production and regulation. Barry said: [i]“You do not need a Canberra Press Gallery Pass to report on federal politics (likewise State politics). What you need is the time it takes to build a working relationship with MPs, Ministers, their shadow counterparts, their media officers, senior and junior heads of departments.  Without that working relationship built on honesty and trust, you will get nothing more than the parliamentary debate, the door stopper and the Press Release. A politician or bureaucrat who does not know you and trust you will not tell you anything, unless they have an ulterior motive for doing so.”[/i] It leads to the question of how an individual freelancing writer/blogger/journo gets access to and is able, in absolutely practical terms, to build such a working relationship without being tucked up close and personal to the leading players, at least in an office that allows access to Parliament House – even if the Press Gallery disappeared. Barry also said: [i]“I would be happy to see the Fifth develop as a loose affiliation working in a co-operative way, sharing information, links, tips and training.”[/i] Both the issues Barry raises make for conversations to be followed up. Barry has a background in journalism training and is well placed to contribute to new approaches, I would imagine. He also predicted four other issues about 'whither the fifth?' that one hopes can be pursued further anon: the need for fibre to the home NBN; the possibility that old media will simply transfer its bias to new media formats; the value of the radio medium; and the potential for a conservative government to attempt to restrain the fifth estate. If that weren't enough food for thought, Wendy raised many issues, too. Apart from leading us to a much more broad take on the history and extent of alternative media in Australia, Wendy said: [i]“The history of journalism shows that you certainly don't have to be working as a journalist to BE a journalist and we are now experiencing a tendency towards deindustrialisation”.[/i] It's an intruiging thought am still chewing over. Given, too, the bit of discussion that developed on PolitiFact, and, indeed, on how constantly we find outselves asking mainstream media to please just 'give us the facts', it's worth taking a look at the following US piece titled 'O[b]bjectivity and the decades-long shift from “just the facts” to “what does it mean?”[/b]' by Jonathan Stray. Stray writes: [i]“But reports of events have been a shrinking part of American journalism for more than 100 years, as stories have shifted from facts to interpretation. Interpretation: analysis, explanation, context, or “in-depth” reporting. Journalists are increasingly in the business of supplying meaning and narrative. It no longer makes sense to say that the press only publishes facts. New research shows this change very clearly. In 1955, stories about events outnumbered other types of front page stories nearly 9 to 1. Now, about half of all stories are something else: a report that tries to explain why, not just what.”[/i] Stray also notes: [i]“The last several years have seen a broad conversation about “context” in news. From Matt Thompson’s key observation that a series of chronological updates don’t really inform, to Studio 20′s Explainer project, to a whole series of experiments and speculations around story form, context has been a hot topic for those trying to rethink Internet-era journalism. I believe this type of contextual journalism is important, and I hope we will get better at understanding and teaching it. The Internet has solved the basic distribution of event-based facts in a variety of ways; no one needs a news organization to know what the White House is saying when all press briefings are posted on YouTube. What we do need is someone to tell us what it means. In other words, journalism must move up the information food chain — as, in fact, it has steadily been doing for five decades! Why does this type of journalism not even have a name? I have a suspicion. I think part of the problem is the professional code of “objectivity.” This a value system for journalism that has many parts: truth seeking, neutrality, ethics, credibility. But all of these things are different when the journalist’s job moves from describing events to creating interpretations.”[/i] Stray's piece is really worth the read at: http://www.niemanlab.org/2013/05/objectivity-and-the-decades-long-shift-from-just-the-facts-to-what-does-it-mean/ Nas, thanks for your wave Friday evening :-). DMW, thanks too for reference to the Rob Chalmers memoir. Will find it. Patricia: how fantastic to have the PM coming by! (Wish I could join you :-).) And thanks to all for having me this week. Back in Twittertalk hat this arvo!

nasking

26/05/2013 APPARENTLY MORE AND MORE GUNS BEING SOLD IN AMERICA. INSANE. WAITING FOR NEXT HORRID MASSACRE OF KIDS AND OTHER INNOCENTS. I HOPE IT DOESN'T COME...BUT THE INSANE APPROACH TO WEAPONRY IN AMERICA...AND SOME OTHER PLACES OF LATE...TELLS US OTHERWISE. TRAGICALLY. THEY'LL SPEND TRILLIONS ON THEIR FOREVER WAR...BUT NEGLECT THIS GUN MADNESS...AND CLIMATE CHANGE. LIKE I SAID, THE COMBINATION OF PROFITEERING CORPORATE ARISTOCRACY MANIPULATION WITH NUTTY RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM AND GULLIBLE AND DUMB DOWNED LIBERTARIANS HAS LED THE WORLD DOWN AN INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS PATH. BUT OF COURSE, MUSLIM BAITING AND DOG WHISTLING IS MUCH EASIER THAN GETTING THE NEW ARISTOCRACY TO PAY FAIR TAXES, CLEAN THE ENVIRONMENT, CREATE ALTERNATIVE JOBS, PROVIDE FREE EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE FOR ALL, GET THE WAR GUNS OUT OF LOONY HANDS. ALIENS WILL LOOK AT THIS WORLD ONE DAY...IF NOT ALREADY...AND THINK: WTF!!! N'

nasking

26/05/2013 THE MUSLIM YOUTH ARE BEING MANIPULATED IN ORDER TO FEED THIS EXTREMIST CHRISTIAN HATE AND RIOTS...THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS MORE IN DANGER OF A CORPORATE CHRISTIAN TAKEOVER OF JERUSALEM AT THE END OF ALL THIS. HISTORY SHOWS THAT THE FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN ARISTOCRACY, NOW PART OF THE CORPORATE ARISTOCRACY, WILL USE ANY METHOD TO DESTROY THE MUSLIMS...THEN PUSH BACK AGAINST, SOMETIMES PERSECUTE JEWS. WE NEED A WORLD FREE OF THE MANIPULATION AND CHAINS CREATED BY RELIGIOUS EXTREMISTS, IN LEAGUE WITH THE GREEDY CORPORATE ARISTOCRACY. NOT ALL MEGA-RICH ARE PART OF THIS...SOME ARE TRYING TO RESIST IT...THIS MADNESS...LIKE SOME OF THE BONA-FIDE MODERATE AND PROGRESSIVE POLITICIANS...WHO ARE TRYING TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THEIR FUNDY RELIGIOUS AND CORPORATE BROWN-NOSING FELLOW MEMBERS: HAARETZ Although the media has almost completely ignored the recent increase in Palestinian stone-throwing in the West Bank, settlers are taking it very seriously, and have begun a well-orchestrated campaign to change the Israel Defense Forces regulations for opening fire throughout the West Bank. http://htz.li/18h8rwx SIGH N'

DMW

26/05/2013Morning jayfa, good summary, you could get the hang of this informational blogging thing real quick methinks ;) [i]... the potential for a conservative government to attempt to restrain the fifth estate.[/i] I suggest that we need to be vigilant of [b]any [/b] government attempting to restrain the fifth (and fourth) estate(s). One thing that can make it easier for a government with a conservative bent to meddle is that progressives tend to turn a blind eye when their preferred government does similar things. I would also propose some exceptions to abhorring government meddling. Were I to be prime minister for a day one of the first things I would implement is the eradication of all anti-vaxer and anti-windfarm sites, blogs and whatever and any person promulgating such garbage be shot at dawn. I have now created a conundrum for myself. Why just stop at those two groups? Why not also silence all climate science sceptics and for good measure silence anybody who dares quote betting odds during a sporting contest? Ahh, the such dilemmas to stretch the mind that of progressives being all in favour of the government banning broadcast of betting odds while expecting the government to keep out of meddling with the freedom of people to express themselves. Time for me to head back to the cave to ponder the incompatibilities and dilemmas of having a position that is in conflict with my ideals. Ahh, life in the real world it is such a joy.

DMW

26/05/2013oops, the last paragraph should have preceded the penultimate par. Ahh, life in the real world it is such a joy. Time for me to head back to the cave to ponder the incompatibilities and dilemmas of having a position that is in conflict with my ideals.

nasking

26/05/2013 JANET, useful points. I have a big worry about the CORPORATISATION of the media...news media have become beholden to the demands of advertisers and big shareholders... this is one reason I feel that part of the new media needs to be kept free of advertising... others should use advertising that suits the progressive agenda...spreading the word and images of more sustainable, planet friendly, peace-oriented, fair-trade, fair-go enterprises, projects, services etc. We should not become just SPRUIKERS of mainstream parties and products/services...manipulated by some political party ideologues to just support their cause. The vertical integration that has evolved with the corporate media sees a news channel pretending objectivity when it criticises the film of a rival company - unless it has been paid handsomely to do otherwise - whilst it markets the movies produced by its subsidiaries, affiliates. Grotesque. No integrity or public good involved whatsoever. When I discuss a film or tv show...I of course bring to bear my own biases and experiences...but if I think something enjoyable, entertaining, informative, enlightening...I'll say it...write it...regardless of the political and/or ideological, profiteering, brainwashing perhaps...aim of the producers. Tho, I might point these out based on my understanding of the history, background of participants, context etc. I do think it good to do critical examinations of texts...but sometimes I just go with instinct...depends. I don't have a baron or gatekeeper hanging over me...dictating...censoring...demanding...selecting...editing...threatening to sack me...or demote...cut wages and conditions... nor the unsaid...YOU MUST OBEY. The advertising and media baron, shareholder determinants don't exist for me. I already see it having an effect on CRIKEY...I am seriously contemplating whether I'll bother with an annual subscription again. AD-LUST SWALLOWS THEM ALL IN THE END. GIVE ME AT LEAST SOME NEWS REPORTING AND ISSUE DISCUSSION FREE OF ADVERTISING DEMANDS. AND THE DEMANDS OF THOSE WHO TREAT PUBLIC BROADCASTERS LIKE A CASH COW. [b]I do like reading CROAKEY...and NEW MATILDA...and SOME UNI-BASED PROJECTS, MAGS ETC because you get in-depth articles based on useful research and such.[/b] N'

Ad astra

26/05/2013Janet I’m sure all visitors to [i]TPS[/i] will join me in thanking you for your piece, one that has attracted a lot of comment and dialogue. Thank you too for responding so comprehensively to the many comments, and for your thoughtful summation this morning. I’ll leave this post open for the afternoon to give visitors a chance to respond to your conclusion. We hope you will write again for us soon. I have just posted [i]Political hatred: its genesis and its toll[/i]. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2013/05/26/Political-hatred-its-genesis-and-its-toll.aspx I’ve posted it a little earlier that the usual Sunday post, as after lunch we are leaving for a few days up-country, where 3G transmission may not be brilliant. I will respond when I’m able, but I might not be around much until the end of the week.

Catspan

26/05/2013So a British soldier is run down by two bastard muslim fckheads in a car, who then attack him with butchers knives and meat cleavers as he lies on the ground, dying ... at the end of which, they decapitate him. They then remain on the scene, haranguing the shocked, bewildered and appalled crowd for 20 minutes with classic islamic rant that can leave no doubt as to the motivation behind this ghastly attack (for the terminally ignorant, stubbornly blind and wilfully ignorant - IT'S ALL ABOUT ISLAM, STUPID!) before they charge the police who arrive 20 minutes later and are promptly shot down like the dogs they are - but not killed. I look forward to the further islamic scumbag rants that will no doubt be forthcoming after they have recovered somewhat from the wounds they received - wounds that are a mere fraction of what they dished out to Drummer Lee Rigby. So what do you lot of professional lefty clowns say about any or all of this attack - which is absolutely an attack upon the West and Western civilisation, of which we are all members? Nothing. Not a thing. You couldn't care less. Or you hide behind latticed fingers, like so many ignorant children, pretending it did not happen. All of you ... except Nasking. Who had this to say: [i] "THE MUSLIM YOUTH ARE BEING MANIPULATED IN ORDER TO FEED THIS EXTREMIST CHRISTIAN HATE AND RIOTS ... HISTORY SHOWS THAT THE FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN ARISTOCRACY, NOW PART OF THE CORPORATE ARISTOCRACY, WILL USE ANY METHOD TO DESTROY THE MUSLIMS..." [/i] You are all a fcking disgrace. Fck you all. You deserve what is coming to you - I look forward to watching - with bored, transient disinterest, of course - Nasking being set upon by islamic scumbags who will kill him and decapitate him. Naturally, when that happy day arrives, I will have no option but to blame Christians.
T-w-o take away o-n-e equals?