WordsforWeb
words matter
ON SALE AT APPLE BOOKS &
GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS
AUDIOBOOKS
ACHTUNG
words matter
ON SALE AT APPLE BOOKS &
GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS
AUDIOBOOKS
How the ‘Gig economy’ feeds on its workers to profit its corporate masters and their shareholders? Technology has facilitated more services and cheaper rates for consumers. Delivery drivers and riders provide their own assets, like vehicle and smart phone, to make those deliveries possible. These, often, expensive assets depreciate through use and the gig worker must bear the cost and not the parent platform. The risks are all with the worker and not the platforms. Indeed, Uber has a pathway where drivers, often, end up paying for the shopping with their own money, which is to be reimbursed days later. If the worker was being paid extra for these financially onerous uses of their assets it might be OK, but they are not.
Economics Fresh News Power Workers
In Australia, on the political front, we have very little in the way of progressive or Leftist policy options. It is rather the choice of how far Right. Traditionally centrist positions have been favoured by most voters, usually Centre Right. The LNP Coalition has, over recent years, moved further Right in thrall to populist demagogues like Donald Trump. Neoliberalism via privatization has seen many previously publicly owned assets move into private hands. The energy utilities are an illustrative example of this, where numerous private companies operate within this sector, either generating, wholesaling or retailing energy. Despite promises to the contrary prices for energy have not come down. Those greater efficiencies have not materialised.
Democracy Economics Fresh Government Politics Power
Here are 5 reasons why Donald Trump is wrecking the global economy. The US has ruled the roost economically since WW2 and detrimental things that happen there negatively impact upon the world economy too. More than a million jobs have been lost in the US since Trump took over at the beginning of 2025. The labour market has been hit hard from tariffs and DOGE cuts shedding jobs. Things are in the doldrums in America and stagflation may well be on the horizon. Messing with the economy, as the Trump regime has, is having multiple effects.
Crime Defence Democracy Economics Fresh Government News Politics Power
AI is coming for your job. As someone who has just been replaced by an automated program this is real, let me tell you. In light of this it is pertinent to remember that Australia punishes the unemployed economically. It is bipartisan policy of Australian governments to provide below the poverty line welfare payments to the unemployed. This has been going on for decades and is one of the reasons why we have a substantial number of older Australians living in poverty. These folk cannot afford to visit the dentist to get treatment because it is too expensive and dental is not included in Medicare. This in one of the wealthiest nations on earth.
The Trump regime is attacking boats from Venezuela, blowing them up in international waters. Why this focus on a South American nation? Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves. The US has a great tradition of going after countries with lots of oil and administrations that don’t bend over backwards for them. Donald Trump is a firm believer in fossil fuels. His administration has already reversed much of the good work that was done under Joe Biden, when it came to renewables and the transition away from climate damaging fossil fuels. Trump is the ultimate head in the sand guy, when it comes to global warming.
We use the terms Right and Left as shorthand for political persuasions. So, what are 8 things that mean you’re right wing? In the current climate, this is likely to indicate that this person shares exclusionary cultural attitudes, which could be categorised as racist, maybe white supremacist, supports the ‘trad wife’ gender positioning, doesn’t like much government regulation, is anti-immigration, and wants to pay as little tax as possible. Whereas those on the left may support socialism, which is more and better government regulation, wants to see greater respect for diversity in all its forms, an expansion of power sharing beyond the white male cohort, and wealth being taxed to create real equity among more of us.
Charlie Kirk, it appears, was murdered, allegedly, by someone further to the Right, a Groyper. Unfortunately for Donald Trump, who longs to blame those on the Left – the nutjobs with the guns are predominantly on his side. A Groyper is a follower of Nick Fuentes, who is basically a Neo-Nazi in his professed views re-antisemitism and white supremacy. Charlie Kirk was murdered, allegedly, by someone further Right than himself. Trump has normalised racism, white supremacy, antisemitism, belittling women, and demonising Democrats in America.
ON SALE AT APPLE BOOKS &
GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS
AUDIOBOOKS
Contact sports in the guise of AFL or rugby are coming under increasing scrutiny in regard to head knocks to players. The truth is that modern human beings are not designed to crash and bash into each other at speed. We have, obviously, evolved away from the need to do so in the natural world. Survival does not call for such behaviour these days and that has long been the case. It is, rather, recreational pursuits in the form of team contact sports which have become the unhealthy danger in recent years. The professionalism and commercialism within these sports have motivated players to become bigger, stronger and faster in pursuit of material rewards. The resultant clashes between these modern day gladiators are fuelling an increasing amount of brain injury diseases showing up in past and present players. Is it a situation where caveman sports have no place in a healthy life?
Culture Footy Fresh Health News Sport Contact sports in the guise of AFL or rugby are coming under increasing scrutiny in regard to head knocks to players. The truth is that modern human beings are not designed to crash and bash into each other at speed. We have, obviously, evolved away from the need to do so in the natural world. Survival does not call for such behaviour these days and that has long been the case. It is, rather, recreational pursuits in the form of team contact sports which have become the unhealthy danger in recent years. The professionalism and commercialism within these sports have motivated players to become bigger, stronger and faster in pursuit of material rewards. The resultant clashes between these modern day gladiators are fuelling an increasing amount of brain injury diseases showing up in past and present players. Is it a situation where caveman sports have no place in a healthy life?
Culture Footy Fresh Health News Sport
Contact sports in the guise of AFL or rugby are coming under increasing scrutiny in regard to head knocks to players. The truth is that modern human beings are not designed to crash and bash into each other at speed. We have, obviously, evolved away from the need to do so in the natural world. Survival does not call for such behaviour these days and that has long been the case. It is, rather, recreational pursuits in the form of team contact sports which have become the unhealthy danger in recent years. The professionalism and commercialism within these sports have motivated players to become bigger, stronger and faster in pursuit of material rewards. The resultant clashes between these modern day gladiators are fuelling an increasing amount of brain injury diseases showing up in past and present players. Is it a situation where caveman sports have no place in a healthy life?
Culture Footy Fresh Health News Sport
The Sydney Swans flop off the bye at the Gabba under fierce Lion’s pressure. Personally, I hate the bye and always have as a Swan’s fan. Too many times the team fails to fire after a week off. The Swans looked soft on this Thursday night featured contest with last year’s premiers. Brody Grundy gifted Brisbane goal scoring opportunities out of the centre 4 times on the night. These free kicks for crossing the line at the ball up are huge penalties to pay for this indiscretion, especially when advantage is taken and opposing players steal out the front of the centre square toward their goal.
Footy Fresh
You know a lot of the apparent support for One Nation comes from older white Australians. Pauline Hanson and her campaign machine promote the idea that things were better back in the day. This right wing idealisation of the past, of there being some sort of golden age, is nothing new. Fascists in Hitler’s era promoted the concept of the pure German who lived during a bucolic time of yesteryear. Romanticising the past appeals to older folk especially. Contrasting it with the present and focusing on negative stuff like urban crime and demonising special interest groups plays well with this audience. Hitler and the Nazis attacked the immorality of the Weimar Republic, which won them electoral support from conservate Germans. Pauline Hanson attacks Muslims, refugees and immigrants, as all things bad for Australia. The idealisation of the past is a never land, in that it never really existed the way they say it did.
Crime Culture Democracy Fresh News Politics Power
Whilst watching a documentary about Nazism and fascism in America back in the 1930s, my ears were pricked by the repeated expressions ‘ make America great’ and ‘one nation’! The modern day use of these terms as names and tag lines are by no means accidental. The white supremacist beliefs and racism, which lie at the base of MAGA and One Nation, in the US and Australia respectively, are the foundation of these movements and political parties. If you have read DH Lawrence’s book Kangaroo or seen the movie based upon it, you will know that Australia was not immune from the rise of fascism post WW1.
Culture Democracy Fresh News Politics Power
And yes, we are all pretty stupid at times. However, the current predilection in America for MAGA types to blame people who work for the government for all their ills is a serious travesty. Ignorant folk lashing out at things they don’t truly understand and despicable political operatives encouraging it for electoral success is where we find ourselves. Stupid people like to blame anyone but themselves for their misfortune in life. Viewing civil servants as a group who lead cushy lives is so far off the mark as to be ridiculous but stupid is as stupid does in the USA.
Australia is on the eve of a federal election to decide which party will lead the country. Peter Dutton, the current Opposition leader, has taken his political party further to the right. The LNP Coalition Trumpian playbook is all about demonising enemies and alarming the electorate. How about a referendum to allow politicians to deport dual Australian citizens they deem unworthy? The courts already have this power but Peter wants to play politics with such authoritarian power invested into his own hands. The ex-cop from Queensland sees every complex issue as a job for the heavy hand of the law. Does this remind you of someone in the US of A right now?
Young men let a lot of people down. This is not to disparage youth, rather it is a fact of life. The getting of wisdom is no low hanging fruit. In a high-performance industry, like AFL football, the expectations of the media and therefore the fans are unrealistic. This niche media is jam packed with ex-footballers who have become talking heads as a second career. These relentless and loud voices demanding perfection are an unhealthy fourth estate in the sporting celebrity sphere. The AFL footy media are high voltage opinion makers in an increasingly crowded space. Mega paying professionalism has turned a game into an elite sporting contest, where young gods are supposed to strut their stuff. It seems, there is no room for failure of any kind, whether temporary or casual or not. Young Indigenous men are banked upon by clubs and supporters to deliver unceasing success in their football endeavours. Any deviation from this pathway is more than frowned upon. Being paid the big bucks should always be more than enough to deliver exceptional results, in the minds of the media and the fans. We all get passionate about our footy.
Former PM Malcolm Turnbull exposes how gutless the ABC has become in an interview with a breakfast announcer. In response to questions about his criticism of US President Donald Trump Turnbull hit back at the ABC.
I hope the Swan’s players watch some Fox Footy on Kayo because you have to see a slide of the Brisbane Lions grinning whilst holding the AFL 2024 Premiership Cup. This image comes on every time you turn on this channel. Not that I begrudge Brisbane their well deserved triumph. Indeed, I really like Lion’s coach Chris Fagan and think he deserves a grand final victory. However, it is the manner of the Sydney Swans defeat that growls in my guts, especially on the back of the 2022 similar debacle. The Swans are rightly considered serial grand final flops.
Donald Trump is a bully. The bully America elected as President. A whole lot of fearful Americans want Trump to play the strongman. The Republican party has demonised scapegoats so that Trump can bully them. Illegal immigrants, who are most often desperate vulnerable people, have been painted as violent criminals. This political pantomime with ICE agents rounding up dark skinned women, children and men will cost lives. Ethnic cleansing is the pursuit of fascist regimes. The richest country in the world is savagely stripping away social services for poor people. Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is attacking the poorest people in America and globally. He is denigrating them and the civil servants who work with them. Demonising  prior to purging.
The recent popularity of right wing media in Australia and the United States has seen the emergence of new platforms and networks. Unfortunately, these are not being staffed and fronted by actual journalists in the main. Op/eds have become the product of choice in the media over the last couple of decades. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp publications and shows have led the way in this populist approach to current affairs and the news. Sky News Australia and Fox News are chock full of former right wing political hacks and staffers. Objectivity has become an arcane idea laughed about at editorial and production meetings in search of eyeballs and ratings. Therefore, you cannot trust the right wing media.
Electing a compulsive liar as your leader present’s Trump supporters with a number of challenges going forward. Up is down and black is white during time of Trump. In Ukraine, the invading Russians are now the true victims and Zelenskyy the dictator. Putin is no longer the bad guy but the hard done by virtuous leader. This is the gospel according to Donald Trump, despite it flying in the face of ‘so-called’ reality and dozens of other nations and their leaders. America now marches to the beat of a different drum.
Peter Dutton, the Opposition leader, traded in bank stocks when the Australian government was bailing out the banks during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). A politician, with likely insider information, profiteering at this time says something about the character of a man putting himself forward as Australia’s potential Prime Minister. Dirty Dutton revealed as profiteer during Australian crisis. Looking out for oneself when millions were losing their jobs and savings is not the character reference than many in the electorate would be welcoming. Indeed, it casts aspersions upon the whole body of men and women supposedly serving their country.
Anybody with half a brain knows that Donald Trump is a compulsive liar. You would have to be living in a cave or on Mars not to have picked up on the vast amount of stuff written and talked about Trump over the last decade or more. What does that say about America that half of the voting population would still vote for this guy despite the masses of evidence as to his bad character? It says something profound about many Americans and their culture. They just don’t give a shit about anyone else but themselves. Me me me. It’s all about me and mine. Dog eat dog and they see Trump as the big dog in the fight.
