A worrying development in Australia (courtesy of the… Greens): Minister Joe Ludwig, representing the Attorney General in the Senate, confirmed in Question Time today that the Australia Federal Police monitors coal seam gas protesters and that the government outsources some intelligence gathering to private consultants. “Farmers in Queensland trying to protect their land from coal seam…
Showing all posts tagged Australia
How Wikileaks must be supported and why
Mainstream support for Wikileaks is often far removed from the daily news cycle. Many journalists seem to feel uncomfortable backing Wikileaks (and Julian Assange) because of his ongoing legal issues, forgetting the key miracle behind the site; the profound challenges to the established information order and exposing the sycophancy between journalists and corporate power. I…
What Australia needs is a “proper dose of free market thinking”
Fox News style TV brought to you by billionaires. That’s real “democracy” (and the inspiration is that glorious lover of free debate, Rupert Murdoch):
Is there anything Julia Gillard won’t do to get closer to the Zionist lobby?
Apparently not, according to today’s Melbourne Age, though one has to wonder; our government can’t really support Zionist occupation more than it already does. Well, I guess she could order an Australian military invasion of Iran; that may keep Tel Aviv happy for a few minutes: Julia Gillard has moved to strengthen her already close…
When an Haaretz columnist comes to Australia…
Akiva Eldar in Haaretz: Although Middle Eastern affairs are at the bottom rung of priorities for Australian politicians and there is nothing for Jewish lobbyists to do, Israel figures centrally in Jewish life. You won’t find an Australian Jew who has not visited Israel at least once, and many families have branches in Israel. In…
Do Neo-Nazis have the right to free speech in Australia? (hint: yes)
This morning I was interviewed on Radio Adelaide about the limits (if any) of free speech in Australia: It’s festival season, the Fringe, Adelaide Festival, WOMAD – and we’re all picking out which events we’ll go to – but what about the neo-Nazi aligned Hammered festival? It’s to be held in Queensland– unsurprisingly it will…
ABCTV News24 on Iran, faltering economy and racism
Last night I appeared on ABCTV’s The Drum (video here) alongside Joe Stella and The Punch editor Tory Maguire. We talked about the faltering global economy – why oh why is the IMF treated with such respect after years of failed forecasts and neo-liberal “reforms” that have only caused misery for millions globally? – and…
Exposing hypocrisy of Zionist lobby and its role as shills for Israeli state
Following the ongoing pressure by the Australian Zionist establishment to censor The Promise, a wonderful letter appeared in yesterday’s Age which was spot-on: A leading Jewish body, in an effort to suppress DVD sales of the SBS series… The Promise, has likened the program to Nazi propaganda. This shameful attempt at censorship is bad enough without…