Tag: democracy

Atheist Point.

As a onlooker without a alliance to any religion I am troubled at the way the Kiwi Tragedy is being handled by social media and the media in general.

If we are to be consistent with reporting and coverage news their is no need to give the perpetrators religion a mention or ensure that when a unfortunate event happens call it equally.

However we  consistently read and view the Islamic faith linked to events by fanatics but rarely do we see the word Christian leading a headline when they impede. 

Hard Right Wing has blazed the headlines not Hard Right Wing Christians Fundamentalists for example which truly identifies those who hold that view but rarely identified in the media or any platform. 

I concede Christianity hold approximately 60% of Australian faith but that should not stand in the way of balanced reporting as that imbalance leads to false impressions and feeds divide.

Calling it as it is sometimes upsets and could threaten income streams of some news outlets but I suppose it comes down to journalistic ethics and brave editors to keep us well and truthfully informed.

Spot the Differences

Self Regulation in the Churches cannot be Trusted.

In the past week or so I have watched the wave of emotions surrounding the Pell decision and I am one who’s vote falls with the victims.

Sadly it’s not only one church or godly organisation that stands condemned it many. It’s not only one man it’s 100’s of years of perpetrators hidden, relocated or just plain tolerated to keep the cloth appearing sacred.

As a atheist I feel for those who’s faith in their gods and churches has been tarnished if not destroyed but I’m sure they will recover over time. They too are victims of this world wide culture of denial however I refuse to concede the churches do not have enough money to compensate the physical abuse.

I see church hierarchy’s bathed in gold, while their followers starve, struggle for food or justice and I appreciate the excellent work by the believers who work tirelessly across our nation as do the non clerical organisations helping our fellow travellers, but these “keepers of the cash” run the religion business’s ruthlessly as exposed by the commission.

My faith in our legal system is solid and justice will be done in the end, but after the dust settles who will watch the watchers as self regulation has proved totally inadequate for far too long.

Our Visit to Queensland Parliament..

The invitation came, we thought no, then why not.

My local State Member Jim Madden’s office emailed me a invitation to join him and some other constituents to a afternoon BBQ and tour of Queenslland Parliament House on the 2nd December 2018 and after some hesitation both headed off to a unknown destination for a adventure. Not bad for two over sixty sixes.

Planning as I do the journey I proceeded past my beloved German Club and proceeded to cross the Story Bridge, down Ivory Street, past the old Waterside Workers Club of my childhood, left at the Customs House and down to what I thought was Parliament House,confusing that with the Parliamentary Annex which was our destination.

Typically we asked security who sent us to get a parking available but not explained to the security guard it was for disabled, consequently we circled the place twice then out of frustration returned to the guard who said Oh, park right here, this is the place your looking for. R..I..G..H…T..!!!!!

On entry we were scanned, X-rayed and interrogated all part of the hospitality then aimed towards the lifts and told the 7th floor was the target zone.

On entry welcomed accordingly and after introductions proceeded to have light refreshments and good conversation with fellow Ipswich people.

The subjects were broad but all ended up on a political narrative with topics from all levels of government with varying opinions, complying with the location.

After a sumptuous lunch, love the snags, we set out to tour our place of democracy in Queensland.

And impressive it was, steeped in history and tradition, and enlightening to us who follow the political game on what we see via the media and how it really is.

I got to sit in the Speakers Chair and that was recorded, as that is not how it works in my house where she who must be obeyed reins and often I’m in the Opposition.

We were treated to a extensive history lesson and fittingly the day concluded in the Parliamentary Chook House, home of the chickens who look after the herb and vegetable gardens used in the Parliamentary kitchen. Yes they do have real chefs and people employed in hospitality.

Really it’s a experience worth engaging in if you truly interested in how our democracy works.

Thanks Jim Madden Alp Member for West Ipswich. And staff for a memorable balmy Sunday afternoon indulging in Queensland history.

Time for our Youth To Shine.

Oh dear, the older we get the more wiser we are supposed to become.

We will always get those who think the old days were the best, the lifestyles were simple, so that’s good enough for us today, why change, and Now that group has become a political movement.

I’m a 50’s kid and we lived a dream compared to our parents, but ask our parents now if they lived a dream you will get a completely opposite response.

I’m yet to see those pushing the Trumpian ideology of protectionism, anti climate, anti migration, anti equal women’s opportunities, racial and religious divide, provide one forward thinking policy. They see our countries future is to go backwards to the way it was.

The hate youth involvement because it shakes the foundations of what is your place in society , your too young to understand, the cry, forgetting that youth today has 1000 times the access to information that was only available when a newspaper was finished being read or when the radio TV was turned on.

At 21 I could not have a beer in a pub but I could go to war at 19. Only the well off could go to university regardless if you had the talent, as long as you had the money, while the state school kids had to fight for a single grant, and the trades were regarded as the lower end of the class divide., and the shop assistants and labourers were servants.

They will have you believe they were the good times, and they were for the privalaged.

I see a case in today’s world for the voting age to be dropped to 16 as those young people today know and are aware and mature as much as some of the so called adult punters that go to the polls and vote informal deliberately, or turn up just to avoid fines.

We’ve run our race, started wars, split nations, invented weapons, diseases to destroy the the planet, yet say to our youth your too young.

What utter rot.

Murdock Media rails against Federal Corruption RC.

Paul Murray’s spin on the introduction of a Federal Royal Commission into Political corruption he describe as “overreach” cannot go unchallenged.

The tarnishing of political opponents were not far from his pencil I recall when the Trade Unions were and former Prime Ministers had to front commissions commissioned by the Coalition days after the election. His support for a Banking enquires was in line with Coalition policy until they were dragged kicking and screaming to the bench, which leave me thinking why the resistance to a Federal Iccac and what do the politicians have to hide?

When the media takes a stance against government transparency I question its ethical standards regardless of which side of politics you support. Protecting politicians is not the role of media unless you want a media landscape like America.

I hope this hung parliaments first job is to announce that Royal Commission into Political Corruption and we will see which side screams the loudest and after Murray’s article it’s becoming obvious one side is clearly nervous.

Polling Complacency, a Danger to Our Culture.

The expulsion of the young Nationals should start the alarm bells ringing in all political institutions in Australia.

The simple fact the strategy was to infiltrate a major party and change political platforms in such a blatant way and go unchecked shows that our political systems can be influenced by the extreme be it left or right and the smaller parties are not exempt.

On social media I am seeing groups accelerate decisive propaganda preying on people’s emotions, encouraging religious and cultural divide, all in the name of being “Real Australians” a nationalistic trend that is happening across the globe by ult-right organisations. These groups thrive when people become political disenfranchised and results in people voting for the minors as a protest vote. Those minors are easy meat for the extremists as the structures are in place and the numbers easier to be stacked and then balance of power is the objective.

I am in favour of competition in our democracy but I do not want to see our divide grow as it has in America. We are smarter than that I hope, but let’s not fall into the trap that “all politicians and Parties are the same”, either, their not. Some ideologies are deadly serious to change our culture to one controlled by interest groups similar to the NRA.

Be aware punters, not complacent.

America worries Me, but so did Hitler.

Far be it us Australians dare to even think how the American thought process works in regard to their politics. I’m guilty and have been severely reprimanded for not knowing, understating, the culture and drawing comparisons is a capital offence, but as my football team motto is “MIA san MIA” I am who I am, we are who we are I will try to use the thing that has always got me into the shit, basic logic, to get some perspective on the collapse as I see it of once a great nation.

Firstly as I watch this Kavanah judge episode it’s clear to me now, as the new nominee blatantly sided with the Trump narrative in regards to due process, weather the accusations are right or wrong a potential judge should not allow personal opinion be part of his judgements. Process is process, and the process is flawed I agree but he knew or should have known he and his family would be scrutinised totally, but with a job for LIFE that scrutiny should be in undeniably microscopic.

Secondly, the summoning of the female was tough but again part of a flawed process and was I believed carried out with as much respect as possible under the circumstances.

Then, the bile the so called President released about her after at the rally was sickening, uncouth, from a person who displayed the intellect of a little boy in a schoolyard surrounded by his gang.

I, sorry the world must ask does this president have a disability? Aspergillosis, bipolar, even schizophrenia would explain his behaviour pattern, if not America you have elected a very dangerous potential dictator.

If Kavanah goes ahead and it will I feel every one that appears before him will have the right to challenge his neutrality and with the evidence he himself has made by declaring his hate for the Democrats would nullify or make his judgments untenable, in our country at least. The State and The Law never compromised, unless you want to go down the totallatarian road, and once that happens you have gestapo reigning society.

The divide of both political forces is slowly moving to a point where reconciliation is impossible under Trump. His survival depended on making that divide wider not closer, so next phase in my estimation is expansion of extreme civil disobedience, culminating in open conflict, which both sides fanatics will escalate into civil war.

The TV networks are setting the agendas and the battle lines are becoming clearer. The hard liners both sides are digging in, while no one seems to see bush fire coming.

Apathy and ignorance are the allies to those who choose to dumb down nations, and sadly with illiteracy level in America outnumbering our Australian population its easier to spread propaganda, fear and lies unchallenged.

Internationally the confidence in America has declined as it withdraws inwardly and some as here will see that as good, however the vacuum will be filled by whoever and the world will continue to trade with or without and make adjustments accordingly, so playing the “look at me card” as Trump did at the UN was only appreciated in his own mind while the response needed no explanation.

And lastly, when a President boasts of assault of women uses it as a election platform and gets elected says heaps about their so called Christian and ethical standings. I’m a atheist so it really amazes me how they use their beliefs to justify yet conveniently forget when it suits the narrative. It’s hypocrisy on stilts, the Christian ethic seems to only be in force Sunday’s while the other six days you can make arseholes of yourselves but you god will forgive you Sunday in church. That philosophy extends not only to America I may add it happens here too, but a nation who shoves its flag and religion up as some some sort of world order and treats any women who stands against the testosterone establishment as a inconvenient troublemaker, gold digger, lying bitch, slut, says heaps about the way their males are educated or not educated.

I’ve said enough as I wait for the high court decision and thank someone else’s god I live where I live.

Our Electorates HiJacked by Big Business

The behaviour of federal government in the past month has disgusted many Australians particularly with the removal of the PM and the treatment of women has done nothing to encourage faith in the way our country’s direction is heading.

Now with the disclosure of how our PM was removed is nothing new as the media barons have boasted they have to power to change governments and again they decided it was time for Turnbull to go and let the dogs out on, and the southern shock jocks and Sky after dark did their thing and the politicians followed their orders accordingly.

Is that the democratic way to run our country or have we come down to letting outside influences who have vested interests to protect decide who is in charge?

Has the electorates voice been hijacked by big business or the real question is have we adopted the attitude of “ I’m all right mate it doesn’t effect me”?

That i suggest is the exact state of mind that allows the rich and powerful to take control of our society.

When our PM’s have to wear name badges when meeting other leaders we have sunk as low as our Wallabies on the world credibility rankings and it’s up to all of us to take back and reset our country’s course back to what matters, helping all Australians up, not trickle down.

LNP run Scared of Federal ICAC.

Ho hum, nothing is new when the the conservatives see the trade union movement a enemy. Nothing new when they establish a royal commission into them and come away with egg on their faces at the cost of millions for taxpayers. Illegal raids on union premises and ministers who hide from senate scrutiny.

Yes they are the proverbial punching bag for every LNP politician since dot we have to ask why.?

As time goes on we take for granted pensions, holiday, sick leave, superannuation, maternity leave right down to your lunch room all of which was fought for by unionists, not given but fought for.

I won’t go into on Job safety,wage parity,or things this like asbestos victim support, compensation, as each and every one of the mentioned above was opposed by the good employers who believe we should be thankful as was the serfs.

The standards of the present government has been set when our new PM was dragged kicking and screaming into the current Bank Enquirey looking after his mates and imagine if any union had committed offences against its membership as the banks have to their customers how the conservatives would respond.

Personally I can’t wait to see a full federal ICAC/ CCC set up in Australia to investigate all sides and again we have to ask why this government runs scared whenever it’s mentioned.. Yes PM again you can run but you can’t hide, it will come.

Run in full..

Get Off our ABC’s back.

We all have out personal views and often we line them up with the news and information that suits our beliefs.

But that’s not how democracy works. We must have view and exchanges from all sides to keep that democracy alive.

We are witnessing clear battle lines in America in regards to cable news where Fox and CNN both claiming impartially but clearly carrying opposite loyalties.

That’s a journalistic landscape I do not want to see in Australian media. but the ducks are lining up and if we are not carful we will fall into that trap.

The differential between news and opinion is becoming confusing to those who think everything we see or We all have out personal views and often we line them up with the news and information that suits our beliefs.

But that’s not how democracy works. We must have view and exchanges from all sides to keep that democracy alive.

We are witnessing clear battle lines in America in regards to cable news where Fox and CNN both claiming impartially but clearly carrying opposite loyalties.

That’s a journalistic landscape I do not want to see in Australian media. but the ducks are lining up and if we are not carful we will fall into that trap.

The differential between news and opinion is becoming confusing to those who think everything we see or hear is the truth.

The loudest or the biggest does not always give us the truth.. The term “fake news” applies when comment is sold as fact.

Our journalistic landscape is in danger of following American trends and the division as we see political positioning from hard right to conservative right, to middle road which is now being portrayed as left sets the platform for ideology driven media over factual balanced reporting.

The ABC our ABC has been attacked by all sides of governments when they are power for biases they encourage investigative journalism and comment as is their role, not to be a government mouthpiece and punished often, while other news outlets get solid taxpayer cash to promote events to increase their profits that do not pay tax in this country.

I fully support free press and the bruises it inflicts but never let ourselves fall into the trap that privately owned media will not have a agenda and a market to appease. The ABC’s customer is the Australian people nobody else and with all its warts and all has served our nation for generations and I for one will not stand by let the mouths from the south hijack our nations news and information.

As Published below

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