Support NeoGAF

[Lafiel]

For instance, I am well aware of my sister-in-law's dislike of South East Asians. Obviously, she won't be outwardly racist but how coldly she treats them compared to other acquaintances and strangers is obvious if you've been with her long enough.

As someone who is half-asian this is pretty much the kind of racism my mum experiences on a daily basis. There's also the "Where you are from" question that constantly gets asked of my family and myself (even by white children *shrugs) that is a kind of subtle racism that seems to be commonly accepted in our society here.

 

[markot]

If most Australians had to live in conditions the Aboriginals did we would have revolution over night >.<

But instead most people think they have it easy, all hand outs, take take take.

Theyre pretty much treated how Gypsies are in lots of Europe.

 

[Mondy]

For anyone who is interested in an update on Queensland's political situation currently, this is it.

The next election is expected to be early 2015, which gives Campbell Newman about a year and 3 months to remain Premier, because he will almost certainly lose his seat in Ashgrove. If he intended these bikie gang laws to be some sort of populist policy, then he is much dumber than I thought. The response from Queenslanders has been one of anger and complete disillusionment. The last thing we wanted was Joh 2.0 and that's what we've got and he will be gone as a result.

However, the sheer size of the Liberals majority will hand them the election by default, but Labor will gain back a healthy amount of seats in order to function as a proper opposition. I also expect Palmer to become a presence as well. The more interesting part will be if the Libs decide to parachute Newman into a safe Liberal seat when he gets ousted from Ashgrove just to retain him as leader.

Personally, I don't see it going down that way. I don't even see Newman making it to the next election as leader. Sooner or later, forces inside the party will want to go into damage control to try and stop the bleeding, but it's already too late for that, I feel. My money is on Newman being dumped as Premier by the end of Winter, if polls don't do a massive backflip.

 

[Arksy]

For anyone who is interested in an update on Queensland's political situation currently, this is it.

The next election is expected to be early 2015, which gives Campbell Newman about a year and 3 months to remain Premier, because he will almost certainly lose his seat in Ashgrove. If he intended these bikie gang laws to be some sort of populist policy, then he is much dumber than I thought. The response from Queenslanders has been one of anger and complete disillusionment. The last thing we wanted was Joh 2.0 and that's what we've got and he will be gone as a result.

However, the sheer size of the Liberals majority will hand them the election by default, but Labor will gain back a healthy amount of seats in order to function as a proper opposition. The more interesting part will be if the Libs decide to parachute Newman into a safe Liberal seat when he gets ousted from Ashgrove just to retain him as leader.

Personally, I don't see it going down that way. I don't even see Newman making it to the next election as leader. Sooner or later, forces inside the party will want to go into damage control to try and stop the bleeding, but it's already too late for that, I feel. My money is on Newman being dumped as Premier by the end of Winter, if polls don't do a massive backflip.

Cool. So how are you going to get rid of Jarrod Bleijie?

 

[Salazar]

If he intended these bikie gang laws to be some sort of populist policy, then he is much dumber than I thought.

Someone in West End very agitatedly explained to me (over my shoulder, into the middle-distance) that the laws were designed for the G20 summit and similar occasions on which political protest and activism might grow particularly intense. And that bikie ruckus was a convenient pretext.

 

[Mondy]

Cool. So how are you going to get rid of Jarrod Bleijie?

That won't happen until Labor win back government, which won't be until 2018 at the earliest.

Bleijie is an arrogant little snotrag but I have a feeling his actions have been pretty well puppeteered by Newman.

Someone in West End very agitatedly explained to me (over my shoulder, into the middle-distance) that the laws were designed for the G20 summit and similar occasions on which political protest and activism might grow particularly intense. And that bikie ruckus was a convenient pretext.

They're in for a rude awakening when it comes to that too. If anything, the Newman Governments police state like actions have only agitated potential protestors even more than they would've been. The police lockups are gonna be quite full come the G20, I imagine.

 

[Dryk]

So is the police state bollocks coming straight from Newman or is he just representing the feelings within the party? Because the SA Labor government's similar hard-on for oppressing bikies didn't really die with their leader.

 

[Mondy]

So is the police state bollocks coming straight from Newman or is he just representing the feelings within the party? Because the SA Labor government's similar hard-on for oppressing bikies didn't really die with their leader.

It was a knee jerk reaction to one very public brawl in a Gold Coast restaurant that wasn't even over bikie rivalries. It was over a fucking woman. If it weren't for this neo age of smartphones and readily available cameras filming the whole altercation, these laws probably never would have happened.

I stand by my opinion that Newman saw this as a golden opportunity to antagonize a minority group in order to take the attention off himself. It would appear the reverse has happened.

 

[Salazar]

Speaking of which, I'd get behind a plan to burn Surfers Paradise down and start again. It's a pretty gross excuse for a suburb and I'm embarrassed that tourists are funnelled into it.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

In response to Mexico's soft-drink tax:

why is your default more tax or more regs to "control" individual behaviour? How about the idea of personal responsibility?

This coming from a man who had gastric sleeve surgery so he could lose weight. I don't want to make this too much of a personal attack but the blinkered hypocrisy is ridiculous.

 

[markot]

Ok Joe, decriminalise all them nasties and drop the taxes on alcohol and ciggys!!! Woo!

 

[Shaneus]

In response to Mexico's soft-drink tax:

This coming from a man who had gastric sleeve surgery so he could lose weight. I don't want to make this too much of a personal attack but the blinkered hypocrisy is ridiculous.

Bahaha wow, that's a thing? There aren't enough palms hitting faces in the world.

Edit: Why hasn't that been a reply on Twitter yet? If you don't do it, I will.

Edit #2: Wait, that was over a week ago. Moment's passed, I think!

 

[Arksy]

Sin taxes are hugely regressive so should be stamped out on that basis alone IMO.

 

[Mondy]

In response to Mexico's soft-drink tax:

This coming from a man who had gastric sleeve surgery so he could lose weight. I don't want to make this too much of a personal attack but the blinkered hypocrisy is ridiculous.

Putting a tax on soft drinks in Australia? Yeah that'll go over well lol

 

[wonzo]

sin taxes fucking own

 

[bomma_man]

In response to Mexico's soft-drink tax:

This coming from a man who had gastric sleeve surgery so he could lose weight. I don't want to make this too much of a personal attack but the blinkered hypocrisy is ridiculous.

Can I please get some good speed and E in time for Laneway Joe?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Tommy DJ]

The problem with Joe's predictable "obese people need personal responsibility" response is that he completely ignores all of the cultural and capitalist factors that lead to the heavy consumption of pop.

McDonald's portion sizes have increased so much that you're pretty much expected to consume one day's worth of calories in one sitting. The family restaurant Sofia's serves you $12 pastas for lunch that could feed four people. The main offender is pop, where the serving sizes are just getting bigger and bigger. You're expected to consume that much in one eating and most people have the appetite to consume so much these days.

A sin tax that doesn't go into rectifying the core issues is indeed pointless but the main idea of the tax is to dump the cash earned from it into changing the habits of society. I think Joe's answer is disingenuous and over simplifies a sin tax but that's to be expected because its fucking Twitter.

 

[Dead Man]

Big sweaty Joe Hockey is telling people about personal responsibility in consumption habits? LOL.

Anyway, in other LNP news: Scott Morrison says he will stop holding weekly asylum seeker briefings

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has indicated he will no longer hold a weekly press conference to update journalists about the Government's border protection operations.

The Government has not held a briefing on Operation Sovereign Borders since December 20, after previously holding them on a weekly basis.

Mr Morrison, who will hold a briefing tomorrow morning, has told the ABC's 7.30 program that the briefings will now be held on an "as-needs basis".

The briefings will now be replaced by a written statement unless there is something significant to report.

"We will issue a statement on the numbers of arrivals and the transfers, and we will hold operational briefings - like we will tomorrow - when we have something to say and when we have something to report," Mr Morrison said.

"We will do them on an as-needs basis to detail operational matters that are able to be released and we'll respond to questions there."

However, Mr Morrison said he would not comment on reports of a protest on Christmas Island in which six people engaged in a hunger strike are thought to have sewn their mouths shut.

"We don't comment on protest activity. We don't publicise it because publicisation of that sort of behaviour, if it occurs, is exactly what the perpetrators want," he said.

"That's in the best interests of everybody - those who are the allegedly taking those actions and those who are seeking to manage those centres - it's in all of their best interests and not to engage in that game."

The Immigration Minister also declined to comment on how many boats have been towed or turned back to Indonesia in the past month.

There are reports as many as five have returned having been intercepted by the Australian Navy.

"It's not secrecy for secrecy's sake, it's secrecy with a purpose and that's to protect the operations we undertake," Mr Morrison said.

It is an utter farce.

 

[Mondy]

How the fuck do they think this is doing to work? EVERY question in Question Time is going to be about boats and how the Coalition won't talk about them. They can't hide from this.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/com...dope-in-queensland-can-do-20140114-30rd9.html

Campbell Newman likes to put himself about as a friend of business, a champion of free enterprise. But Mr Premier, you are no friend of the markets. And for a bloke forever whining about your predecessors leaving naught in the public purse but moths and lint, you’re leaving easy money on the table.

Good clean drug money.

Drugs war's over, Can Do. Regulation, prohibition, big government? They lost. We lost. And now it’s time to rebuild, by which I mean, it’s time to ching-ching-ching cash in.
A sign celebrates the day at the Botana Care marijuana store in Northglenn, Colorado, just before the doors were opened to customers on January 1, 2014.

A sign celebrates opening day at the Botana Care marijuana store in Northglenn, Colorado. Photo: Reuters

The United States was and is the crucible of the global drug war. It was the US which militarised anti-drug policy, and the US where the white flag has now been run up. Twenty states at last count have legalised the use of marijuana for medical purposes, creating a grey market with millions of smokers now beholden to their doctor for a prescription, as they once would have been to their dealer for a good score.
Advertisement

It was always a halfway measure, however, and as of New Year’s Day this year the facade came down when Colorado simply legalised the business of retailing dope, issuing licenses for up to thirty stores. Locals can buy an ounce, interstate visitors (and presumably tourists from overseas) can have a quarter ounce. It’s still illegal to smoke in public, which is good health policy, and the businesses are forced to deal in cash or bitcoin because federally regulated banks are not allowed to offer them credit facilities.

Even so, they pay tax. Lots and lots of tax.

And here?

Despite a third of the adult population having had a choof at some point, and even though millions of otherwise utterly boring citizens incriminate themselves at least once a week by firing up the bong, we persist in fighting an American-led war from which the US is rapidly retreating. It’s the policy equivalent of staying and fighting in Afghanistan after the US pulls out because, er, it’s worked out so well for us so far.

Perhaps, Can Do, if you need a last push over the edge in legalising and taxing one of the biggest cash crops in Australia the tidy profits made by outlaw motorcycle gangs running semi-legal dope out of South Australia in the past might help. Remember bikies? The motorised horsemen of the apocalypse? It was the profits from the dope trade which helped them build out their infrastructure to diversify into harder and even more profitable drugs. Take that money off them, Can Do. Teach those nasty men a lesson.

Queensland grows some of the best marijuana in the world, organic bush buds to put the filthiest hydro to shame. Be proud of this, big guy. Boast about it. Tell the world about it. Grow it, sell it and tax it, and they will come.

The Treasury needs this Mr Premier. The tourism industry needs it. And having given up the grog to get rid of my Christmas pudding, I need it, sir. Indeed, you might even find you were a little less, er, uptight, with a few hits off the bong too.

And those drunken idiots turning 'our streets' into a 'war zone'? After a few lungfuls of the Atherton Tableland's finest they won't even be able to get out of their bean bags.

You're barking up the wrong tree when it comes to Can't Do Campbell John, but your message is entirely valid and needs to be drilled into peoples heads.

The debate is over. It's fucking done. The Drug War is a failure and every death and dollar wasted on it is an unnecessary one. Time to wake up and smell the Gunge.

 

[Dead Man]

How the fuck do they think this is doing to work? EVERY question in Question Time is going to be about boats and how the Coalition won't talk about them. They can't hide from this.

But they can, because A. nobody watches or really even reports on question time, and B. Labor are weak as piss and won't make nearly enough noise.

 

[Shaneus]

But they can, because A. nobody watches or really even reports on question time, and B. Labor are weak as piss and won't make nearly enough noise.

Albo was the Labor leader we needed :/

 

[ShipTheCheese]

So who else is fucking sweltering right now? Jesus fucking christ, its after midnight, how is it still so hot in Melbourne?

Edit: whoops thought that this was ausgaf, my mistake

 

[Salazar]

Protesters = perpetrators.

Sewing your own mouth shut is primarily an act of aggression against the state in some way, I guess. I wonder how far we go with viewing self-harm as a criminal affront to (indefinite) others.

 

[shanshan310]

sin taxes fucking own

Eh, I don't have a problem with the tobacco tax because there are a bunch of other things being done to dissuade people from smoking and they are so addictive. The alcohol tax is really just extorting people, especially the alcopops tax that was brought in under the ridiculous notion of "saving the children".

For anyone who is interested in an update on Queensland's political situation currently, this is it.

The next election is expected to be early 2015, which gives Campbell Newman about a year and 3 months to remain Premier, because he will almost certainly lose his seat in Ashgrove. If he intended these bikie gang laws to be some sort of populist policy, then he is much dumber than I thought. The response from Queenslanders has been one of anger and complete disillusionment. The last thing we wanted was Joh 2.0 and that's what we've got and he will be gone as a result.

However, the sheer size of the Liberals majority will hand them the election by default, but Labor will gain back a healthy amount of seats in order to function as a proper opposition. I also expect Palmer to become a presence as well. The more interesting part will be if the Libs decide to parachute Newman into a safe Liberal seat when he gets ousted from Ashgrove just to retain him as leader.

Personally, I don't see it going down that way. I don't even see Newman making it to the next election as leader. Sooner or later, forces inside the party will want to go into damage control to try and stop the bleeding, but it's already too late for that, I feel. My money is on Newman being dumped as Premier by the end of Winter, if polls don't do a massive backflip.

We should have kept Kate Jones. At least I'll have the pleasure of personally putting that dickwad behind family first on the ballot next election.

 

[Mondy]

We should have kept Kate Jones. At least I'll have the pleasure of personally putting that dickwad behind family first on the ballot next election.

Behind Family fucking First!? OUCH.

Never piss off Shan guys, she will tear you a new one.

 

[Arksy]

I totally understand. Campbell Newman and Jarrod Bleijie are scumbags. Their complete disregard for traditional freedoms makes me sick.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

Glasson is apparently campaigning on the Carbon Tax in the Griffith by-election.

 

[Dead Man]

Australian border protection vessels 'breached Indonesian territorial sovereignty', Scott Morrison

The Australian Government has apologised to Indonesia after admitting vessels operating under its border protection policy had "inadvertently" breached Indonesian territorial sovereignty "on several occasions".

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said he was told on Wednesday that "border protection command assets had in the conduct of maritime operations associated with Operation Sovereign Borders inadvertently entered Indonesian territorial waters on several occasions".

Blaming the incursions on "positional errors", he said they were "in breach of Australian Government policy", and that Australia's Chief of Navy, Admiral Griggs, had phoned his counterpart in Indonesia late yesterday to "provide an explanation".

Mr Morrison said Foreign Minister Julie Bishop also "sought to speak to her Indonesian counterpart, foreign minister (Marty) Natalegawa last night, to advise him of this conversation and to offer an unqualified apology on behalf of the Australian Government".

Mr Morrison said the Government took its "shared commitment with Indonesia to mutually respect the sovereignty of each nation very, very seriously", and that it remained committed to avoiding violations of Indonesia's territorial sovereignty when conducting operations under Operation Sovereign Borders.

"Furthermore we take any operational failure to comply with this policy extremely seriously as a government," he said at a news conference this morning.

The admission comes as Indonesia says it is investigating reports Australia has begun turning asylum seeker boats back to Indonesian waters, a policy it opposes.

Indonesia has previously expressed its concern that Australia's border protection policy would lead to a breach of its territorial sovereignty.

Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, the commander of Operation Sovereign Borders, said that while he was confident the breaches were unintentional, a review of operations would determine how many breaches occurred, when and why.

"We have never intended for our assets to operate or to enter the sovereign territory of another nation," he said, adding that "our people on these vessels believe they were at all times outside Indonesian waters".

He continued: "I'm sure all those involved in the conduct of Operation Sovereign Borders regret any affront to Indonesia these events may have caused. I believe our people were acting in good faith at all times."

General Campbell said he had written to the CEO of the Australian Customs and Border Protection service, Michael Pezzullo, and the Chief of the Defence Force, General David Hurley, who have co-responsibility for border protection command, asking that they jointly review the breaches.

I love the blaming of defence implementation rather than seeing it is a natural result of their policy. If you are towing a boat from international waters back to it's country of origin, at some point you will be in national waters. Unless you leave them in international waters, in which case you have just committed piracy. Well done.

 

[Myansie]

The Indonesian media are claiming the aus navy popped off a few warning shots as well. Morrison denies it, but then he denies everything.

I'm not convinced Morrison is the bad guy in all of this. His past speeches were actually pretty reasonable and sympathetic to people who weren't white, over 50, wealthy and male. His facial expressions in his current speeches mirror this. He does wince. I wouldn't be surprised if he bailed on the ministerial position. The things he is doing are going to taint his name for a long time to come.

 

[Mondy]

I fucking love it. Our Navy, while in the process of conducting Operation Sovereign Borders....crossed a sovereign border.
At least the government isnt shy about showing off its irony.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

I fucking love it. Our Navy, while in the process of conducting Operation Sovereign Borders....crossed a sovereign border.
At least the government isnt shy about showing off its irony.

It's right there in the name. Borders, plural.

Some of Australia’s top climate scientists, including those from the CSIRO, have said they will be willing to bet Tony Abbott’s business adviser Maurice Newman $10,000 that the world will warm over the next 20 years.

Newman, who is the head of the government’s business advisory council, wrote on Wednesday that “what we now see is the unraveling of years of shoddy science and sloppy journalism” over climate change, praising newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch for being the only ones not “captured” by the IPCC.

Newman’s article, published in the Australian, quoted contrarian US physicist Richard Lindzen who said he would be willing to take bets that the average global temperature would be lower than today in 20 years’ time. Newman added “Any takers?”

Newman did not seem likely to take up the wager. His representative said he was “interested in empirical evidence, not gambling”.

There are more levels of ironing in that statement than a multi-storey laundrette.

 

[Dead Man]

It's right there in the name. Borders, plural.




There are more levels of ironing in that statement than a multi-storey laundrette.

That the business advisor said that is priceless.

 

[r1chard]

He actually said "any takers?" and then declined when there were? LOL!

 

[markot]

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2014-...-officers-asylum-seeker-facebook-post/5207178

Ugh....

 

[Mondy]

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2014-...-officers-asylum-seeker-facebook-post/5207178

Ugh....

Amazing how specific that person was in expressing their welfare hate. Bullshit it only extends to Asylum Seekers.

The chief of Australia's navy has issued a passionate statement, arguing that naval personnel are "worthy of more respect".

In recent weeks, there have been reports that naval personnel have sworn at asylum seekers, handled them roughly and fired shots into the air while carrying out border protection operations.

Naval personnel have also been subjected to ridicule and vitriol on social media, particularly in the wake of reports they mistreated asylum seekers.
Advertisement

The federal government has already denied reports that shots were fired and earlier this month Defence chief David Hurley and acting head of Customs, Roman Quaedvlieg strongly rejected mistreatment allegations made against Australian personnel.

On Monday, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs issued his own statement.

"It is important that I place on the record my deep concern regarding the reporting over the last few weeks in both new and old media that discredits the conduct of members of the Royal Australian Navy in Border Protection Operations," he said.

While conceding that his organisation was not "perfect," Vice Admiral Griggs said he was "exceptionally proud of the men and women of our navy, particularly the way they serve on operations".

"They serve at sea and ashore, at home and around the world, each and every day with great dignity and often with considerable courage," he said.

In his statement, Vice Admiral Griggs said that the current generation of navy personnel are "worthy of more respect than had been show to them in the past few weeks".

Fairfax Media reported on Sunday that the navy was investigating one of its members for allegedly making inappropriate comments on Facebook.

The man under investigation had commented on a friend's Facebook post about asylum seekers. The friend, who claims to be a member of the anti-Islam Australian Defence League, posted on Facebook about asylum seekers whose boat had sunk. The navy member in question wrote, "I'm about to head out today to deal with these f---ers."

Also on Sunday, Fairfax Media reported that two Pakistani men on an Australian lifeboat sent back to Indonesia last week have said they were mistreated by navy personnel.

Haneef Hussain said the navy officers, who had originally taken them from the ocean, then kept them on board HMAS Stuart for two days and had treated them badly. Asked by one man for help for his wife, an officer had said: "F--- your wife and f--- your mother."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...or-officers-20140120-314l5.html#ixzz2qwJT4LXR

So apparently we and the media should respect Navy personnel even when it's obvious they barely respected anyone themselves. Okay Admiral.

 

[jambo]

Surrreal nightmare finally ends with a schooner of beer at Circular Quay

http://www.smh.com.au/national/surr...-of-beer-at-circular-quay-20140120-314v7.html

Surreal.

Marcus and Julie Lee used this word often to describe their first encounter with Sydney - and freedom - in five years. A cheer squad waving Australian flags greeted them at Sydney Airport on Monday. ''Surreal.'' They drank schooners of beer by the Harbour at Circular Quay. ''Surreal.''
Advertisement

They had just flown in from the most surreal of places, Dubai, where Mr Lee and Australian colleague Matt Joyce were arrested on Australia Day in 2009, jailed for the next nine months - not knowing why for much of it - and then held under house arrest for another four years while they fought to prove they were innocent of fraud charges.

"Unfortunately, I've been caught up in a grubby dispute between a lot of self-interested property developers," Mr Lee told a waiting media pack at the airport.

His mother, Carol McKinley, presented him with a stubbie holder adorned with the national flag. She found it all very surreal, too. So did Rosemary Adams, a psychologist and long-time friend who, before the Lees' plane landed, recalled travelling to Dubai and visiting Marcus in prison. She saw him after he had spent two months in solitary confinement. ''He had gastro and bronchitis. He couldn't walk without holding the wall.''

Prison staff would bring visitors tea in gold cups. ''It was surreal …''

Asked how he had coped, Marcus Lee answered with an awkward laugh: ''Maybe punching Julie in my dreams.'' His wife explained that he still suffered violent nightmares.

Mr Lee had been the director of commercial operations for Dubai Waterfront, a colossal project by the state-controlled developer Nakheel. Mr Joyce had been the project's managing director. Both were finally acquitted of fraud changes in November last year, and Mr Joyce returned to Melbourne with his family in December.

An Australian firm, Sunland, had claimed it was duped by Mr Joyce and another Australian, Angus Reed, into believing Mr Reed's company, Prudentia, had secured a right to develop a plot of land on Dubai Waterfront known as D17. Sunland paid Prudentia $13.5 million to opt out of the plot, so Sunland was then free to buy it from Nakheel. Dubai prosecutors had alleged Mr Joyce and Prudentia split the $13.5 million.

But Australian courts rejected this. They found Sunland's executives were unreliable witnesses and that Sunland - standing to profit handsomely from the site - paid Prudentia to walk away from a proposed joint venture. The Dubai Court of Appeal finally found Sunland's claims could not be substantiated. Mr Lee did not want to elaborate on the "grubby dispute", but he was exonerated by a report to the Ruler's Court last April, acquitted in May and then acquitted again by the appeal court. Five members of his family died during his forced absence.

When the couple attempted to leave Dubai on Friday, they were stopped, detained for two hours and told they needed clearance from State Security. "I felt so ill,'' Julie Lee said. ''[But] I looked at Marcus and he was just calm … throughout all this, you've just maintained your dignity and shown to be just a wonderful man."

State Security's ''administrative error'' was fixed and the couple boarded their plane home two days later.

It was delayed on the tarmac ''like a scene from the movie Argo'', said their Australian lawyer, John Sneddon, who has been working pro bono on the case since 2009.

"I don't know how ever we'll repay him,'' Mr Lee said. ''I said I'd be his coffee person for the next 20 years, and you [Julie] his tea lady."

Mr Sneddon said: "I wasn't going to let something as silly as money stop me taking this case on.''

What next? There is the prospect of a compensation and damages claim, though Mr Lee said: ''I was speaking to Julie on the plane and I said, 'You can give me $10 million, $20 million, $30 million tomorrow, but how do you rebuild five years of your life? How do you get back your 40th birthday in solitary when the guards were laughing at me?' Julie said I've got to … take a bit of a break but I think one of the best things I could do is go back to work and start to exist in a bit of a normalised society again, and have a beer after work on a Friday - and talk about some rubbish over football or something."

The couple's Yorkshire terrier, Dudley, has been delayed by quarantine but will be home soon.

''So he'll be available for comments shortly,'' Mr Lee said.

Good to see they're home, horriffic story, can't imagine going through all that.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

Amazing how specific that person was in expressing their welfare hate. Bullshit it only extends to Asylum Seekers.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...#ixzz2qwJT4LXR

So apparently we and the media should respect Navy personnel even when it's obvious they barely respected anyone themselves. Okay Admiral.

I don't know what they were expecting when their response to the Facebook comments was to talk about their communications and social media policies instead of addressing any potential cultural issues. Sure Navy personnel don't make the border policies and are just following orders, but if those orders are deeply unpopular with segments of the community you're not going to get respect for executing them unless you're doing so with the utmost dignity and respect yourselves. Despite what Abbott wants us to believe, the nation is not at war here; public support does not come by default.

 

[Arksy]

I don't know what they were expecting when their response to the Facebook comments was to talk about their communications and social media policies instead of addressing any potential cultural issues. Sure Navy personnel don't make the border policies and are just following orders, but if those orders are deeply unpopular with segments of the community you're not going to get respect for executing them unless you're doing so with the utmost dignity and respect yourselves. Despite what Abbott wants us to believe, the nation is not at war here; public support does not come by default.

Agreed.

This is especially concerning given today's reports that members of the navy beat asylum seekers and made them hold on to hot pipes burning their hands.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-22/australian-navy-accused-of-beating-burning-asylum-seekers/5211996

 

[Dryk]

Tony hasn't even been in Davos 2 days and he's already throwing out his "baddies vs baddies" line again.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/22/tony-abbott-goodies-baddies_n_4642072.html

 

[markot]

The problem is there is so much secrecy in the Australian armed forces. There is no media on board. Whereas the US allows the media into battle with them, on board with them... etc... you name it.

Its crazy how much secrecy we have around that given it is unneccessary.

 

[Arksy]

The problem is there is so much secrecy in the Australian armed forces. There is no media on board. Whereas the US allows the media into battle with them, on board with them... etc... you name it.

Its crazy how much secrecy we have around that given it is unneccessary.

It's absolutely necessary when you're beating the shit out of asylum seekers and forcing them to hold hot pipes, burning their hands.

 

[markot]

I think all soldiers and so forth and police should be forced to wear video recording devices on their helmet and what nots at all times

 

[Dryk]

I think all soldiers and so forth and police should be forced to wear video recording devices on their helmet and what nots at all times

It's a nice sentiment, but all the relevant things would probably be blacked out

 

[markot]

It's a nice sentiment, but all the relevant things would probably be blacked out

Unless you have people with backbones in charge. Like me!

 

[Dead Man]

I think all soldiers and so forth and police should be forced to wear video recording devices on their helmet and what nots at all times

All police for sure:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...equired-to-wear-a-lapel-camera-while-on-duty/

Police officers in Rialto, Calif., carry cameras to record their every action while on duty. The city says the program has reduced complaints against police officers by 88 percent during the first year.

Whether that reduction is due to less bullshit stories from the public, or less brutality by the cops, I don't really see a downside. Privacy concerns could arise, but I think that is outweighed by the need for an accurate record of police/public interactions.

 

[markot]

Police and soldiers have alot of power. With that power? Comes RESPONSIBILITY!

 

[Dryk]

“Abbott’s statement which used Australia’s sovereignty as the ground of his policies to turn back the boats is not in line with the convention. The asylum seekers were labeled as illegal immigrants without scrutiny first,” University of Indonesia international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

“It is a pity that such a nation that as developed as Australia still has policy makers that tend to violate human rights. Traditionally, it is nations like Australia which are supposed to preach developing nations how to respect human rights,” he said.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/01/23/abbott-s-statement-defies-un-convention-expert.html

 

[Arksy]

Man, I'm agreeing with you guys with regard to the cameras on police thing.

I must be growing soft and left in my old age.

 

[lexi]

Man, I'm agreeing with you guys with regard to the cameras on police thing.

I must be growing soft and left in my old age.

You're doing it the wrong way round.

 

[Mondy]

It’s nearly Australia Day, or as I like to call it, Merchandise Outrage Day. There’s always some stupid company flogging some stupid t-shirt and we obediently descend into a paroxysm of indignation.

t-shirtThis year’s pearlers include ALDI’s “Australia. Est. 1788&#8243; t-shirts and ICE’s “Property of an Aussie Boy” range of singlets for young girls. Both were achingly daft. Both have been pulled from shelves. Enough said.

But we all want to be patriotic on Australia Day, don’t we? We all need something totes awesome to wear that really sums us up. I’m thinking: “I’m Strayan and I Love Stayin’ Dumb’.

At least it would be honest.

Australia is currently in front of the International Court of Justice, accused of illegally seizing crucial documents that East Timor needed for a court case it has launched against Australia for spying on it. Just to make that clear: we’re in front of the world court, facing claims that we have behaved criminally. Twice.

On the other hand, Cameron Diaz said women should grow out their pubes.

Which story do you think is getting more online clicks?

The Australian Navy wandered into Indonesia’s territorial waters on numerous occasions and the Government has ordered an inquiry. The investigation will take just three weeks. I’m assuming that the findings will include something like ‘We thought it would be funny to get the captain to hold a broom handle, look up and spin around until he fell over and then steer the ship’.

Are we demanding a proper, in-depth inquiry with complete transparency and disclosure? Nup. We’re too busy demanding king hits be re-named ‘coward punches’.

It’s a great shame that the rising rate of domestic violence against women doesn’t get so much media attention.

kevin-andrewsPeople living with a disability are, according to Kevin Andrews, taking the easy way out and living the high life on welfare instead of getting out there and working. It’s a good point. Someone has to pay for all those rich women to get $75,000 to choose to have a baby, and it may as well be those bludgers who allowed themselves to wind up with a disability.

Are we marching in the streets, demanding our government stop the handouts to the rich and instead help the poor?

Nah. Jane Fonda’s in town. She’s 76 and can touch her toes. Boo-ya!

Nauru has deported both their Chief Justice and only magistrate. Why? Well, it appears the Nauruan judiciary had the nerve to make a decision the government didn’t like. What happens to asylum seekers held in detention in a country that no longer respects the rule of law? They probably get ‘processed’ a lot more quickly, sort of like Spam.

Suits us. The sooner we send ‘em back to get killed in their own country, the sooner we can stop worrying about them taking all our car parking spots at the supermarket.

Tony Abbott is living it large at the World Economic Forum. On Wednesday, Tone reiterated his searing assessment on Syria, saying, “it’s baddies versus baddies”, and, “the best way to demonstrate that some are goodies is by laying down their arms”. He said this on the same day the rest of the world was talking about the discovery of horrific evidence of war crimes perpetrated by the Syrian Government.

tony-abbottAbbott has made himself look like a massive bell-end on the world stage, but back here at home, goodies and baddies is about as complex as we can manage. Perhaps Tone could send the cast of Australia’s Biggest Loser over to Syria to sort them out. Hey, if they can fat shame a whole town, how hard could it be to end years of sectarian violence? With any luck, the baddies will be wearing black hats and the goodies will be wearing white ones.

Would we accept the stupid comments, the dismissal of human rights abuses, the attack on the poor and the allegations that we broke international law if it was the Gillard government doing it? I sincerely doubt it. She would have been denounced as out of her depth. The public, swallowing whatever the mainstream press feeds them, would have been choking on their fury.

If the papers blared headlines such as “Abbott Is A Liar”, “These Guys Are Ripping Us Off”, “Democracy Is Dead”, “This Isn’t What We Voted For” and “Kick This Mob Out”, everyone would agree. It’s really that easy. Just write something stupid like “Economic Crisis”, “Democracy in Crisis”, “Australia’s Way Of Life In Crisis”, throw in a few lines of unsubstantiated hysteria and we’ll fall for it. We don’t want facts or reason or even sense. We want to be hysterical.

President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs, said on the ABC on Wednesday morning that the incarceration of over 1000 children in detention centres was something ‘most Australians’ understood was inappropriate. I don’t think that’s right. I think most Australians couldn’t give a shit. I think most Australians are just a fearful of those little kids as they are of their parents. They’re scared of them staying here, turning into adults and stealing all our flat-screen TVs.

The Murdoch media and politicians have told us ‘boat people’ are stealing from us and we’re stupid enough to fall for it. We genuinely believe that a few thousand people are responsible for traffic congestion and hospital queues instead of years and years of government inaction on public transport, roads and health. We accept that we’re ‘at war’ with asylum seekers without questioning the ludicrousness of the statement or the secrecy and abuse it’s used to justify. We hate to think but we love to hate.

Perhaps it’s time for all the human rights advocates and lawyers to stop appealing to Australia’s good sense. Perhaps it’s time we dispensed with the idea that Australians can be reasoned with and if they’re just given the facts, they’ll make the effort to figure things out for themselves. It’s not going to happen. We want short slogans, simple solutions and lots and lots of drama.

And beside, we’ve got more pressing matters on hand: what should rich, Western ladies do with their pubes?

http://thehoopla.com.au/im-strayan-love-stayin-dumb/