I’ve said it many times before. Australia is the best damned country in the world with the exception of some island nations in the Caribbean with some very liberal banking laws.
For all that Australia can be a confusing place, especially for Australians. There are three tiers of government, all pretty much worthless and in various stages of decrepitude shuffling between inertia, chaos all the way along to abject failure. We have a corporate world blagging its way around a laughably cobbled together regulatory system while trying not to snigger too much. There’s a mutant media that routinely crucifies people, more often that not for no apparent good reason and a taxation system that, frankly, I gave up on a long time ago.
Last week the Turnbull government announced a range of changes to the 457 visa scheme and rounded it off with tightening requirements for citizenship. At a presser and then again in an interview with Leigh Sales on the ABC, our Prime Minister, resplendent in an electric blue suit, equivocated in response to what were some fairly mild inquiries on his thoughts on Australian-ness and what he considered might be Australian values.
Full column here.
Twitter about to go into meltdown with a rumour that Prince Philip is dead. He’s just the type to make a joke of that.
Later reports suggest Philip alive. Numerous others found to be in the same state.
“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
and there’s always the rumors about Willy: https://youtu.be/J34esa_aJxc
Nah he’s dead alright. One of several animatronic analogs getting about. Keith Richards is another notable. “Willie” could make a hundred and fifty and C&W fans would never pick it.
Right Enery. What a jokester. He’s been pretending he isn’t dead for years now.
Yeah, just popping over to Colombia fot the day to pick up a couple of dozen headphones.
But I did not do it
I wonder if she would get the same concern if she was a bloke covered in tats
John O’Hagan says: May 2, 2017 at 11:13 pm. Hear Hear.
Judging by the comments below, I obviously should have included Gillian Triggs in the list of NewsCorp’s pantomime villains.
Nothing will be missed if Fairfax journos boycott reporting on the Budget. There’ll be bugger all to see anyway.
Today’s Saturday’s SMH was a good read.
None of the self opinionated crap from the usual suspects.
Gillian Triggs is to receive the Liberty Victoria free speech prize, the Voltaire Award. I am speechless.
By the way Voltaire, you have a lot to answer for.
We’ve gone from “I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it”, to “I disapprove of what you say, and you will have to defend to your death your right to say it”.
You are speechless. And that’s just the way they want it.
Her version of human rights: You have the right to remain silent.
LAO TZU:-Well who ya gonna give it to? Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones? She is a much better candidate than these 2
FWIW I think you will find that the quote is an attribution in summary of certain positions taken by Voltaire, rather than actually written or stated by him. Rather I beleive it was Evelyn Beatrice Hall writing some 150 years after his death who coined the aphorism.
However many other aphorisms are his:-
The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination.””
The only sin is vulgarity
If God created us in his own image, we have more than reciprocated.
The public is a ferocious beast; one must either chain it or flee it.
Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her; but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.
In general the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens and giving it to another.
One might say suggest his writings are still relevant – at least in part.
JB might expound on the virtues (or otherwise ) of his poetry in his native language…
cheers
Keith Richards is getting the Chemistry Prize.
An award for free speech leaving you speechless, Lou! Very good.
Like a comment read in the Herald Sun, we are in Bizzaro World, can’t believe she will accept, but true to form she probably will.
“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
George Orwell
I’ve never heard of the organisation that gives the prize. I’ve never heard of the prize. I don’t know on what criteria it was awarded, who voted for the award and their qualifications to do so, or whether any other candidates were considered. I don’t know if this prize includes a cash component, a trophy or just a pat on the back. This smells like ‘manufactured news’.
Why does your lack of knowledge of Liberty Victoria lead to a conclusion of manufactured news? It is a voluntary organisation which claims to have been around since 1936. Largely made up of lawyers and activists.
The Voltaire award is made annually, previous recipients include Waleed Aly and David Marr, which says it all about the selection criteria.
The dinner and presentation is on at the Sofitel on 21st July if you’re interested. Needless to say I won’t be going, I’d be too scared to speak.
Thanks for the infill Lou. I’ll do my best to dodge the presentation too. To answer your question ‘
‘Why does your lack of knowledge of Liberty Victoria lead to a conclusion of manufactured news?’
The answer is contained in your post – ‘…lawyers and activists…’ – professional fact manufacturers. I’ve seen recent discussion about ‘fake news’. I reckon a lot of it isn’t fake, but ‘manufactured’. It’s not disinformation, or misinformation, but distorted information, a wilful and creative re-interpretation of facts. As a fictitious example, though it’s a bit ‘out there’, you note Liberty Victoria ‘claim to have existed since 1936′. I’ve never heard of Liberty Victoria, so I have no way of verifying the claim. They could have come into existence at twenty four minutes to eight and make the same claim. I’m led to believe they’ve existed since 1936AD, not 19:36. You mention a previous award was given to Waleed Ali; did you mean the ABC presenter, or Wally Darley, truck driver from Frankston? Both sides of politics are news manufacturers, hence I never believe anything either side say.
Religions are news manufacturers too. If I’m a good boy I will die, grow wings and spend eternity flying around playing the harp? Bored shitless for eternity? Not for this little black duck. I’ll keep right on sinnin’ thanks and take my chances on Hell. I like a warmer climate anyway.
just another dumb awards dinner, they have so many these days we call them Logies for Lawyers.
I never cease to marvel at the level of melodrama on display in the ongoing government-sponsored demonisation of Gillian Triggs.
Over the years, the Parliament of Australia has passed a large body of human-rights based legislation, as part of our voluntarily-assumed obligations under international treaties. Amongst those thousands of individual provisions is one section* which imposes the mildest of restrictions on racial vilification, but only if it is in bad faith, and not based on a sincere belief, and not regarding a matter of public interest, and not an artistic work. It doesn’t even matter if it’s false.
Ms Triggs didn’t write any of this legislation, nor was she involved in Parliament’s approval of it. She is simply the president of the organisation tasked with administering all of it. She has even asked for more power to limit claims made under it. Yet, we are told and some dutifully believe, because of that single section*, she personally and she alone is the arch-enemy of free speech and all else we in the free world hold dear. Honestly, it’s like those people who thought World Championship Wrestling was for real.
Meanwhile, we have an Attorney General merrily silencing journalists and others who would criticise the government — and remember, this is the main point of free speech — without a peep from the same mob.
*There is actually another very similarly-worded provision in the Sex Discrimination Act, defining sexual harassment (s28A). Again, not a peep from FSWs, who are clearly less comfortable with offending, humiliating or intimidating a woman than they are with doing the same to a brown person. Unless, of course, that’s the next target.
You have to keep reminding yourself that The Donald is only the Trojan Horse to get Mr Personality Pence into the big chair. (And you have to wonder if the latters elevator is making it to the top floor.)
Trump is a sure fire bet for least useful of the useful idiots big secret men’s business has installed in the White House yet. Or there’s a strategy at work, anyone heard of climate change?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/05/03/its-not-just-north-kproblem-too/?utm_term=.ac59267654a0
Bless you dear Mr Baptiste your anti USA stance standing out like dogs balls as always dear fellow. Pity you idolise the Tyrants and richest people of the world like Fidel Castro, Kim Jong-un and the like but its a free world and free expression is always welcome. When POTUS Trump is finishing his 2nd term in 2024 I shall seek a review of his time from your good self. Cheers loving your posts.
Dill.
A very well considered reply I must say.
Thank you Carl. I was generous by four letters and the effort in according it a reply at all. “Brainwashed jingoistic servile idiot” would have been more appropriate and adequately succinct but I couldn’t be bothered.
Mob goin’ crazy because MsTriggs gets an award for taking a stand on people’s rights, especially free speech. It makes no sense until you read this article and get a feel for how the definiton of free speech has changed (at least for some). https://goo.gl/KV0lWC
So, a woman who defines her job as restricting free speech, gets a free speech award? Are we in “through the looking glass” mode now?
Looks like the idiot managers at Fairfax have got themselves quite the death wish the way they’re going (probably with a golden parachute).
The same kinds of people (Voltaire’s Bastards or just managerialist idiots) seem to be running Channel Ten as well.
The ABC is giving away for free what Fairfax is trying to sell. Bad strategy.
If you cannot make a profit Rhys you are out of business unless you are the ABC or SBS.
The Fairfax board is trying to bring the paper back to the center and the journos, who have had free rein on editorial input, are rebelling.
There is another way an unprofitable news outlet can stay in business: when the losses are absorbed elsewhere in the media empire it belongs to.
always loved the Age as a young bloke, it really did have a golden period in the 70s and 80s, but not so much now.
the melbourne Sun was a great tabloid as well, is used to deliver them when i was a lad, and i think everyone got a Sun, maybe bar one, and there were two Ages. extraordinary market penetration.
um ah ahbut un ah ahbut. I see one trick tony the wrecker is now openly demanding a job in cabinet. he should go and join beastialty bernardi’s family affair three way to make it a swinging foursome.
An unhealthy mind you’ve got there mate. Better get it checked out.
Sorry to break it to you Carl but it was Bernadi himself who linked homosexuality to beastiality mate. It’s quite likely that sick twist still does.
My best regards, Bella
(Sent from the international airport in cattle-class lounge area (the polar opposite of Razor’s QF business class) destination Canada/Alaska. Orcas & Grizzly’s bring it on!
Take care of the place Carl, Bella 🐬
You’re making me envious Bella. I took an ‘Inside Passage cruise from Seattle to Alaska about 10 years ago. Then flew to St John’s in Newfoundland and ventured out into the Labrador Sea/Atlantic ocean to do some whale watching. A wonderful part of the world. Have a great time and take care Bella.
Carl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfJXKG4IB20