words matter
ON SALE AT APPLE BOOKS &
GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS
AUDIOBOOKS
Some of us never quite grow up, it seems. Guns are not big boy toys. Why do individuals who live in the suburbs need fire arms? Recreational pursuits, they say. Well, these are not toys to be played with, they are, in fact, deadly weapons which make killing human beings easy. A fire arm gets stolen every 4 hours in Australia, according to the latest research. We are putting ourselves at risk if we place the recreational desires of a few above the safety of us all. We are not talking about farmers and people who live in the bush here, as the vast majority of guns are owned by Australians living in cities.
Crime Culture Democracy Fresh Government News Police Politics Power Religion
We live in interesting times, as the old Confucian adage goes. I write this in light of the inspiring speech delivered by Canadian PM Mark Carney at Davos. The Mark Carney middle power speech. His leadership at this time, provokes comparison with that of our own PM Anthony Albanese. Labor has come to power federally downunder on the back of being a small target, as political strategy. This continues to infect this government and its leadership, I find. The elephant in the room is, of course, President Donald J Trump. I wonder for how much longer will Albanese duck and weave in the face of this wrecking ball of the old international order?
Democracy Fresh Government News Politics Power
The foundation of organised religion is hierarchical authoritarianism. It is a patriarchal construct with an imagined divine father figure at the top. Just below this comes the actual top guy in the particular church. Pope, Patriarch, or Archbishop, as there are different names for this office depending upon the brand of Christianity. In the Evangelical or Baptist churches the local pastor or minister is the head guy for each local church in this more decentralised setup. There may be less hierarchy in these instances but the authority remains with some man ministering to the flock and interpreting the ‘so-called’ word of God. Christians are supporters of authoritarianism.
Culture Democracy Fresh Government Life Politics Power Religion
Day 3 of having no power due to a storm. No service: Profitability is the new power. Yes, this post is written under the duress of being cut off from electricity in my home and work. We live in a time, where being connected to the grid is more essential than ever before. Everything now runs on electricity. My gripe is that despite this clear and present reality, we are still dependent upon outdated and fragile infrastructure. 50 years ago, as I was growing up, I heard about the plans to put the power lines underground. Indeed, this has been achieved in many new suburbs. I do wonder why in this wonderful new world of privatised utilities how so many more established suburbs and towns have not been transformed in this subterranean fashion. Storms wreak havoc to power lines on poles.
Here are 5 things to know about black teeth. Japanese women used to blacken their teeth and shave off their eyebrows post marriage, prior to the mid nineteenth century. Ohagaru was practiced up until the Meiji era. It is interesting to view this custom through the lens of our current 21C obsession with very white teeth. Some see this as further evidence of the control and denigration of the human rights of Japanese women in their traditional society, whilst others disagree with this conclusion. Early western anthropologists described ohagaru as an abhorrent custom, which disfigured women. The custom was, also, practiced in parts of China by minority groups.
The latest tranche of the Epstein Files released has revealed how far the tentacles of right wing wealth and power reach across the world. Bill Shorten, the favourite whipping boy of the Australian Right, along with being falsely accused of past union corruption had Clive Palmer spending big on attack ads during the last week of the 2019 federal election. Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former campaign director, is claiming to Jeffrey Epstein that he advised Clive Palmer on this matter. Those on the Right are, as we know, terrible liars, and Epstein and Bannon are both headline acts in this regard. Taking credit for stuff is what these guys do. Whatever the factuality of this matter it reveals the network of wealth and power across the globe.
Australians are really dumb if you go by their behaviour over the last 20 years. They have bought the whole anti-union narrative spruiked by conservative politicians like John Howard, Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison and their ilk. These guys demonised and attempted to criminalise unionists and their ALP mates. The whole anti-Bill Shorten campaign painted Bill as some union crook – for which there was no real evidence. Despite this voters bought it hook, line and sinker. Now, we are where we find ourselves with record low wage growth over decades. Unions stripped of power by laws. Labour hire companies ripping off workers. Workers with bugger all rights. Big companies lording it over little workers with no bargaining power.
ON SALE AT APPLE BOOKS &
GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS
AUDIOBOOKS
I thought that it could be useful, in light of the apparent rise in the populist politics of grievance, to ask, so, what does it mean to be Australian? Anti-immigration is the flag waving vanguard theme of One Nation and the remnants of the Liberal party. Blame it on the immigrant appears number one on the political grievance charts downunder. Therefore, it provokes the question – what does it mean to be Australian? If it is not out-and-out racism, as those on the Right deny it to be, who, then, qualifies to be considered an acceptable Australian?
Culture Democracy Fresh Government Politics Power I thought that it could be useful, in light of the apparent rise in the populist politics of grievance, to ask, so, what does it mean to be Australian? Anti-immigration is the flag waving vanguard theme of One Nation and the remnants of the Liberal party. Blame it on the immigrant appears number one on the political grievance charts downunder. Therefore, it provokes the question – what does it mean to be Australian? If it is not out-and-out racism, as those on the Right deny it to be, who, then, qualifies to be considered an acceptable Australian?
Culture Democracy Fresh Government Politics Power
I thought that it could be useful, in light of the apparent rise in the populist politics of grievance, to ask, so, what does it mean to be Australian? Anti-immigration is the flag waving vanguard theme of One Nation and the remnants of the Liberal party. Blame it on the immigrant appears number one on the political grievance charts downunder. Therefore, it provokes the question – what does it mean to be Australian? If it is not out-and-out racism, as those on the Right deny it to be, who, then, qualifies to be considered an acceptable Australian?
Culture Democracy Fresh Government Politics Power
We have seen a spate of one-size-fits-all welfare payments and subsidies. You know, instead of governments helping the most needy they make stuff free for all. This is done for political purposes in attracting votes at elections. All this does is increase wealth inequality. Well off property owners should not be receiving government assistance in maintaining their lifestyles. This brings us to the Alan Kohler call for free childcare downunder. While I support the general idea, I question why wealthy Australians should qualify for these types of assistance. How about a carve out for those over a certain income and capital asset threshold? We need to reverse the widening wealth divide after decades of American style neoliberalism funnelling riches to a select few in Australia.
Democracy Fresh Government Politics Power Workers
Trump starts war with Iran in concert with Israel and vandalises the world economy. This irresponsible fool then passes the buck to America’s former allies, demanding they re-open the Strait of Hormuz. Nobody wants to follow the US into this mess of their own making. This is what you get when you elect a convicted felon and multiple bankrupt to the presidency. The stupidity of America is on full display. The greed and selfishness of Americans is up on the world stage for all to see. Listening to a lying, loud mouthed idiot is taking the United States and the world to the brink of collapse and destruction.
Democracy Fresh Government News Politics Power
We need an Inquiry into why LPG gas deals have been so financially bad for the nation as a whole. Why do the gas companies pay so little tax and royalties on the huge amounts of gas they export for enormous profits? When elected representatives are deaf to their constituents, you know something is wrong with our democracy. Polling has indicated that 75% of Australians support a 25% export tax on LPG gas. Yet, this federal Labor government has knocked back proposed legislation to make this happen.
Democracy Economics Fresh Government News Politics Power
I was watching something about the Chinese cultural revolution the other day and you know what it reminded me of today? Trump’s culture wars in his second administration. The crazy decisions being made around tariffs, DEI, vaccinations, ICE, cancelling green energy projects, the national guard, stifling free speech, and not releasing the Epstein files are all driven by special interest groups. These are not in the economic interest of the country. The immense cost and wastage of many of these executive and illegal presidential actions being challenged in the courts aren’t doing the nation any favours. The destruction unleashed in the Chinese cultural revolution damaged so many lives and set that country back for decades.
In a land chock full of guns hatred has become a currency. A young American man, from a Mormon family in Utah, who grew up around guns, I mean the family embraced a love of guns, used that weapon of choice to kill another man. This is an American story. Guns and hatred. The culture worships guns. Every movie and video game is packed with automatic weaponry. Why did Tyler Robinson kill Charlie Kirk? It’s pretty bloody obvious. The why was Kirk’s expressed and implicit hatred of non-white and different folk in America.
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.
America voted Donald Trump back into the White House. This tells us Trump supporters are on-board with sex trafficking and abuse. You cannot have your cake and not eat it, in this instance. Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump were best friends for 20 years. Rich men buying and selling young girls and women to flaunt their wealth and power is the cream of American elitism writ large. Americans worship money and elect billionaires to run the country. Everything is about money in this culture. Justice is determined by wealth and status. Power is bought by these very wealthy men.
Changing the name to the Department of War from Defense will cost billions of dollars. The Donald Trump gimmicky regime is busy making marketing moves, whilst the US economy is in the toilet. Toxic masculinity poster child Pete Hegseth is playing with his blocks and toys on the carpet of the Oval Office. “Hey, Uncle Donald, can we rename it the Department of War? Can we, can we? That would be so cool!” Beating his chest and throwing his toy soldiers around in glee, Pete is very excited. Meanwhile, at the desk above him President Trump looks proudly around at the abundance of gold leaf and filigree on the fittings of the Oval Office.
There I am sitting in my living room gazing out the front window. A warm feeling is generated by the return visit of mister and missus duck and their trailing ducklings. Watching the ducks go by, I notice that the brood is down to 5 when it had counted 7 a couple of days ago. I ponder stuff about the meaning of life. Suddenly, a flurry of activity as duck parents race after the next-door cat and the ducklings are now down to 4. Nature, hey? We view it through rose coloured glasses, when in actual fact, if you actually live in it – it is brutal.
You may have noticed the confluence of public rallies purporting to be about anti-immigration in Britain and Australia. These are organised by white supremacist groups and are attacking Labor governments in both nations. The right wing anti-immigration con job conveniently misses the fact that both countries have had 10 years of conservative governments prior to the rise of Labour. Blaming Anthony Albanese or Keir Starmer is a bit rich when it is decade’s old policies driving the bus on immigration. White skinned people wrapping themselves in the national flag makes for paper thin patriotism in my book. The empire and colonial times are over folks, the world has moved on, thankfully.
Up until this moment, Australia has been pretty laid back about Sovereign Citizens and their ridiculous carry on about their rights. Unlike many other countries, where if you went around saying, ‘your laws do not apply to me,’ you would be arrested and locked up. Now, however, one of these so-called ‘freedom fighters’ has killed 2 cops in cold blood and wounded another. On this basis, the party is over folks! No more cutting these people slack. It is time to declare them domestic terrorists and to proscribe them on this basis. There is no place for individuals in this nation going around claiming that they are immune from our laws. You are either with us or against us!
I am sure that the fact that a right wing war criminal, who happens to be the PM of Israel, is unhappy with him is making Anthony Albanese, the Australian PM, shake in his bones. Benjamin Netanyahu, the man who has unleashed a genocidal war machine upon the people of Gaza, desperately wants other European-settler nations to back him in his mass murderous treatment of Palestinians. The old ‘white is always right’ approach to stealing the land of those who were there before the settlers comes to the fore. Netanyahu loved Peter Dutton and sponsored him on a junket tour of Israel prior to Peter’s cataclysmic defeat in the last federal election downunder. Dutton and his Rupert Murdoch News Corp mates ran on a pro-Israel ticket despite the killing of more than 17, 000 Palestinian children and the murder of aid workers and journalists in Gaza by the IDF.
First up, I would like to say that I support the AFL stance against homophobic slurs, as I do its stance against racist insults on the field. Izak Rankine and homophobic slurs in the AFL. The Adelaide Crows AFL footballer is in the crosshairs right now over an alleged homophobic insult made against a Collingwood player on Saturday night last. It is important that these things are called out in light of the intense scrutiny AFL players are under here in Australia. These things are a given in the current 21C climate, as we progress toward a fairer and better society for all. It is interesting, however, to dig a little deeper into why we find ourselves in this situation.
