Conclusions
There’s a scene in the movie Children of Men where the character played by Michael Caine (Jasper Palmer) walks outside of the family home to be knowingly shot dead by government officials who suspect he’s colluding with other anarchists who fail to subscribe to the prevailing government’s ethos.
The movie points to a dystopian future where the media and the government are complicit in forming popular opinion and actively encourage citizens to commit suicide as a way to lessen the burden on the rest of society.
While we may not have arrived at this stage yet, I fear our current government has set us upon a path that could see such a scenario unfold in the distant future. Let’s face it, voting citizens are just an unnecessary inconvenience to an otherwise omnipotent government.
While this prediction may seem melodramatic, consider for a moment, the state of things in Australia.
Our current media landscape is dominated by three main players; Fairfax, News Ltd, and the government funded/subsidised ABC and SBS.
As most of us already know, News Ltd content, and its coverage is pretty much exclusively pro-conservative in its leanings and this extends to the current government.
Fairfax has, for the last ten to 15 years or so, presented a fairly ‘balanced’ view when it comes to political coverage, however this has become compromised in recent years in no part due to its declining audience, and therefore an increasing pressure to present coverage that is favourable to its ever reducing base of corporate advertisers .
If you’ve ever wondered why Fairfax continues to spruik residential property as a “sure fire” investment you need only consider that the weekend real estate supplement in both The Age and Sydney Morning Herald respectively, are responsible for the overwhelming majority of its revenue. This, despite recurring figures that show we’re heading towards a monumental property crash.
The ABC, already on life support after savage budget cuts, is under increasing pressure to provide pro-government coverage (irrespective of whoever is in power), for its very survival, a move that serves as both a disservice to Australians (who fund it) and pushes it further towards becoming a government propaganda channel, rather than a mechanism for holding the government of the day to account as per its charter.
Scott Morrison and Mathias Cormann would have us all believe that the economy is doing fine and the future is rosy, but you’d have to be a moron to believe this is true.
Interest rates are at record lows, not because the economy is doing well, but because it’s on life support, and with no prospect of recovering any time soon.
Trump is rapidly heading the world towards an international trade war that will see share markets tumble and plunge the world into economic crisis.
Meanwhile in Australia, we have among the highest (if not the highest) level of household debt in the developed world, high levels of underemployment, escalating job insecurity, and wage stagnation.
The Turnbull govt is busy slashing penalty rates and subsidising big business – with OUR money – while telling us ‘we’ve never had it so good.’
This whole sorry saga is about to some crashing down on our heads and it will be all thanks to the neo-cons at the LNP.
My advice – get out of debt now, while you still can.
BTW, that’s not me in the photo.
It’s ToM.
Great read, sreb! Still “got it”, pal.
Trump is rapidly heading the world towards an international trade war that will see share markets tumble and plunge the world into economic crisis. That historically leads to a blood and treasure wasting war … check out the 1930’s …
My advice – get out of debt now, while you still can.
Or at the very least don’t vote Liberal, LNP, Conservative, One Nation or any Independent crackpots – especially to the Senate … Hinch, Katter, Leyonjhelm spring immediately to mind …
+++++++++++++++++++
BTW, that’s not me in the photo.
It’s ToM.
I knew that – no helmet – and blowing in the wind … 🙂
And that’s after going to the hairdresser!
Nice post reb. l haven’t seen the film yet, tho it sounds a little soylent green. The legacy outlets have not served viewers well for decades now, l have always considered it pretty gutless of them (say) to scream about ‘ruski’ corruption and oligarchy while remaining near silent on ‘our’ corruption and oligarchy. Currently legacy outlets ‘scream’ about the-ronald, in lockstep with their echo chamber off-shore, so l don’t share the teabagPanic if/when the-ronald shakes up the system.
My mistake. I said 95% of people here didn’t bother with dressing for the peloton when riding a bike.
It’s more like 99.9%
It’s a wonder they’re not all dead with their lack of safety features!
“95% of people here didn’t bother with dressing for the peloton”
The “peloton”. Is that like a festival of Morris dancing or something similar..?
Cycling in lycra makes men look healthy!!
Just look at Tony Abbott!
Are these people on suicide missions?!! They all need lycra and a crash helmet!
http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2012/01/simply-beautiful.html
You do realise that all those cyclists are on wide bikeways and crossings with lights?
(Are you one of those riders who think a red light means GO for bikes and stop for cars)
Cycling in lycra makes men look healthy!!
Just look at Tony Abbott!
I rest my case … it obviously causes severe brain damage too!
You are, of course, referring to this Tony Abbott?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-11/tony-abbott-in-bike-helmet/5014484
Now if Abbott had worn a helmet when he was a child?? (He was a child …?)
Now if Abbott had worn a helmet when he was a child?? (He was a child …?)
Are these people on suicide missions?!!
No, but these guys are … whoo! Look and they wear helmets!
https://www.funker530.com/russian-special-forces-2018/
So.. ALP supporters generally no longer recommend Kevin Rudd and Mark Latham,
That means (on their own admission) that the ALP barrackers get their choice wrong 40% of the time (based on the past 5 leaders) or 50% of the time (if we count Rudd twice in the past 6)
Given that Latham and Rudd were apparently such duds, but were vociferously supported by ALP barrackers, what’s the point of accepting their word that Shorten will be such a great leader?
I’m busy at the moment but … I shouldn’t talk to hurriedly about … DUD leaders?
I have big rocks and you obviously live in a glass house … 🙂
Nothing for me to be worried about, I can’t recall a politician I’ve recommended…although i voted for Rudd
Rudd was a dick, but he (with the Labor party) did far more good than howard did for his entire time in office.
Latham would have been similar (and dumped just as quickly)
“Rudd was a dick, but he (with the Labor party) did far more good than howard did for his entire time in office.”
Garbage.
Swan was handed a budget with a $20B surplus and within 12 months had turned it into a $27B deficit and we have been in deficit ever since. We were debt free in 2007 until Rudd/Swan trashed the budget
Rudd was a dick… Latham would have been similar
Fine… but why should we have confidence that Shorten will be a non-dick given that you say 40% of the recent ALP leaders have been dicks
(No conclusions. Yet.)
Rudd .. “ did far more good than howard did for his entire time in office. ”
Sorry Day. Rudds fiber rollout. Wrangled the GFC. No doubt about it teamCheerer, rudd did way more in his 2years than the zombieOf96 did in 11years. But you are mistaken that rudds achievements will transfer to 29% in upcoming fedVote or even sooner byElections. Many folks still stinging from being knifed; and single mums beaten up by jooLiar. The federal election will not be blibs to win, but will be the teabags to lose.
BTW, l`m really enjoying the trumptyDumpty balloon protesters are displaying in britannia while theRonald visits their dud leader.
TomR
Rudd/Gillard did more good than Howard? Rudd/Gillard and the people who voted for them locked up 50,000 boat people from 2008-2013 costing us $10-$15B and costing us $1B/year since 2013 for the 20,000 still in community detention.
Rudd/Gillard turned a $20B budget surplus into a $27B deficit within 12 months and we have been in deficit ever since. They took unemployment from 4.3% and falling in 2007 to 58% and rising by 2013.
Basically Rudd/Gillard trashed everything they touched
Basically Rudd/Gillard trashed everything they touched
I think you’ll find that it was Wall Street in 2008!
Trump’s Disaster is only months away!
The GFC is over but the budget is still in large deficit with unemployment lower than any time under Hawke/Keating. Shows you how great Howard was. He got the budget back into surplus within 12 months of winning govt with unemployment at 8%
Trump`s “ Disaster is only months away ” @FakeNews
The Legacy outlets echoChamber has been saying that on a daily basis for nearly 4years now. Can l now hear ‘impeachment’ from all our leftists out there? (-: (-: (-:
(Can l now hear….
‘Nyet’?
Shows you how great Howard was.
да, да, да, да.)
Over at LimitedNews “ unchanged two party vote of 51/49 ” (teamKnife/teabags)
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/newspoll-malcolm-turnbull-leaves-bill-shorten-in-the-dust/news-story/7a3b6110427fa43d00597bf7f04bd49c?nk=b5ec4848ff1b2e078b4827e956cc1f5b-1531683964
“ Turnbull increased his rating as preferred PM by two points to 48 per cent. ”
” Shorten dropped two points to 29 per cent. “
@To me, it really doesn`t look like blib will do any better at the next fedVote than he did earlier, all that seems to be happening is albo, plib and others are having their lustre diminish while hanging on to blib. l just can`t see voters wanting to swap to blib, so we’re probably going to be stuck with the current wuss again. @fcuk.its.annoying
The “ real criminals are the Australian government, ” Senator Wilkie said.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/senators-refer-timor-leste-spy-case-to-afp-for-investigation
Independent “ MP Andrew Wilkie has written to the Australian Federal Police, urging the agency to investigate whether Australia’s foreign spy agency ASIS broke the law by allegedly bugging the offices of Timor-Leste’s cabinet in 2004. ”
Mr Wilkie joined “ with fellow crossbenchers, Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick and Greens Senator Nick McKim, to claim the alleged bugging could constitute “conspiracy to defraud” under Section 334 of the ACT’s Criminal Code, according to the letter to the AFP that has been seen by SBS News. ”
@Another working example of our ethics being led by non-duopoly folk. For those of us NOT team aligned; this looks like teabag-lite me-tooing with the teabumpkin and teabag zombies. Just whereTF is blib and teamKnife on this? And whyTF are they not supporting wilkie,greens,patrick with this? Equally grubby perhaps? No fcuking ethics from the spooks either huh?
Agree! Tbagz!
I’m a big fan of Wilkie … one of my family spent 10 months in E T (UNTAET) … two days leave – in Darwin … his family had moved from Townsville to Brisbane!
No fcuking ethics from the spooks either huh?
Ethics?
Religions? Politicians? Business? Charities? Journalists? Banks? the list goes on … we live in Sodom … or Gomorrah! (According to well bastardised fairy tales.
What an egotistical a***hole Musk has proven to be.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/elon-musk-s-pedo-slur-british-cave-diver-considers-legal-action-20180716-p4zrtv.html
Agree ToM … very disappointed with Musk … mouth as big as his ego …
(Equally grubby perhaps?
Stranded with the clap after guzzling spiked champagne?)
(Also agreed; an immensely short-sighted and offensive response by Musk; and, perhaps, not at all presaged by someone’s dubbing spelunkian basecamp as ‘Pattaya Beach’; but, his protypically-alpha idea(s) of the ‘sub’ and, possibly more intriguingly, (re)deployable robust (de)formational pneumatic tubing, with a lot, lot more imagineering/(re)iterative (re)design work, potentially could result in workable beta model(s), potentially with a wide range of applications, including safety and rescue in adverse operating environments; ergo, definitely not just PR per se.)
#MyHealthFail is starting to make #CensusFail look decidedly professional
TR just read that the opt out site crashed – overloaded with people trying to escape!
Can these people manage anything – except abject failure?
Nice find TC, any of the shit that google gives people to load into their webpages also includes ‘scripts’ that hoover up user data. Clearly the dumbfcuks in clowntown are fcuking clueless to this and will end up letting google hoover up and sell citizens medical data.
,
(Yes. The over inflated ‘SubX’ ego was on display.)
Happy 4th anniversary to those that enjoy partially crumbed journalism and joy flights to locations where war-birds get smoked.
I’ve opted out.
Why would you trust these fuckers with anything.
(MARTIN “ FERGUSON, MINISTER FOR RESOURCES AND ENERGY, 2007-2013: ” @So during both the kevin07 era ‘and’ jooLiar era Ferguson seems to be upholding/ defending the asis/ asio/ zombie corruption against eTimor. What a fcuking insult to the boots-on the-ground folk that provided peacekeep/ security/ rebuild/ aid to get eTimor functioning normally. Only to have their efforts undermined by the teabag infected asis/ asio/ spooks.)
When it comes to ‘ethics’ and ‘taxAgents’; l wonder if the inHouse blubberer noticed the ATO started agreeing with bigBad bagz this week. (-: (-:
The world has gone mad when a council is considering a ban on surfing at Bondi for “safety reasons”
Bondi often has great surf and it generally breaks well off shore. The northern end already bans fibreglass boards during summer.
https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/waverley-council-wants-to-ban-surfing-at-bondi-beach/news-story/6f94b98d23b4bc25f0e8357faf88fe7b
…meanwhile, cyclists ride their bikes on footpaths without any speed restriction!
The world has gone mad when people consider bans on surfing and bike riding instead of the very public displays of Government mismanagement of people’s information they didn’t agree for them to have in the first place
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/government-left-red-faced-by-health-privacy-commissioner-s-website-bungle-20180717-p4zs1t.html
I’ve opted out.
Why would you trust these fuckers with anything.
We’re all done here too …
(I hope we are both referring to the Medical Records Opt Out Scramble and not TGT?) Chuckle!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What a fcuking insult to the boots-on the-ground folk
Most of ’em I know are well aware of why they went in the first place … can you really imagine Australia suddenly “relieving” Indonesian occupation under arms?
Nah! I always suspected a big US stick waved at Indonesia in the background … and don’t forget the long term presence of the UN (one of mine was there from day 2 for 10 months with ADF and UN)
… public displays of Government mismanagement of people’s information they didn’t agree for them to have in the first place
The ignorance concerning technology and privacy is absolutely astounding … globally …
fick as bricks!
My medical records are mainly about the flu and repairs due to activity, I don’t think I can be bothered worrying about who might look at them
I don’t think I can be bothered worrying about who might look at them
she’ll be right. mate 😉
What could go wrong?
Considering that this Government is already targeting people with drug issues, have shown that they will use the information they have for retribution purposes, the fears of third parties getting a hold of information is really the lest of our worries
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jul/16/my-health-record-privacy-cybersecurity-and-the-hacking-risk
I don’t think I can be bothered worrying about who might look at them
Even when we become a satellite territory of the New USSR!
Ya see ToM … the Jews gave up info before the Nazis came to power in 1933 (couldn’t happen – they said … the Weimar Republic was a democratic republic, they said … )
Trust not thy government – for the future shall engulf thee …
BTW, ToM, yo are making decisions about your medical records NOW … things can change medically within hours!
Elon musk has apologised I see … good on him …