What's what?

ill put it to your anotherway......animal racing is primarily unproductive spending by people who can least afford it, ruining lives, families, and communities to keep people employed in jobs at the expense of cruelty to animals and all for the entertainment of humans. its not just a few bad apples mate. the reports where scathing. 68,000 dogs in 12 years right.

anything can be cleaned up. it will cost dollars as clearly we cannot trust the industry to regulate itself, it had its chance and has failed miserably. you may see value in spending dollars to clean up this industry. but because of my views about gambling I don't.

to talk about the by product of catch of the day is a non analogy. fact is , humans need to eat. we are part of the food chain but they don't need to force animals to run around in circles so they can get their rocks off over their last big win. yeah, ive killed a chicken, plenty of fish, and watched a cow die. but I still eat all three. why? because that's nature.

its just a matter of time now. qld has come out saying they wont ban but has said that the industry is on its last legs. other states will follow suit in due course. most of the US has done away with it. hopefully one day we'll get rid of the horses too. but that'll but a fair way off because of the high end of town.

Dallas sniper: criminal or terrorist?

I think its fair to say technically its sits in the terrorism side of things, obviously also still a criminal.

There is political/social objective motivation...

The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations defines terrorism as "the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives" (28 C.F.R.

Born out of the frustration of bearing witness to the execution of another innocent black person at the hands of an over-zealous trigger happy cop.

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

I can't justify or condone what he did but neither terrorist nor criminal in my eyes.

Killing in response to killing never resolved anything. That said, being a white man, I can only try an imagine what it might be like to be born black. Thankfully I'll never know & that's a sad thing to say. Slightly off topic, I went to a few NAIDOC week events & it was very uplifting. There is hope but that's easy for a white man to say.....

The fact that Americans feel they need to carry a gun is a sad indictment of their society.

Happy, so you're telling me it's "nature" to kill 15 innocent animals for 1 prawn? Are you for real?

10 000 jobs to go in NSW... Remeber the indirect jobs - dog food suppliers, vets, even cleaners at the tracks... 335 million in direct revenue to NSW gov in 2014.... All gone.... This so called "government report"you referred to (not bias though right - I mean the report had pre meditated intent, and government are sooooo trustworthy) found 1 in 5 trainers were dodgy, and the rest were fine.... 80% of the industry was clean....... If some of that 335 MILLION can't be used to clean up the 20%, well then ffs..... So much for your "who's gonna pay for that" line...... $100 000 a year spent back into the industry and YOU the taxpayer still get a$225 000 000 dividend!!

And in regards to "unproductive spending", so you're one of these people that want to control how people spend their money? Is alcohol unproductive? I think it is..... The amount of carnage it creates... You gonna ban grog?

huh, ban grog? when the day comes that we use trained pooches to deliver icy cold beverages from our fridge into our very palms.....then yes....i'll vote to ban it.....grog that is, not the dogs.

Guns and America, the thinking stops here. Like most people watching from the sidelines I've wondered how the fuck this carnage keeps continuing mass shooting after mass shooting. And in response I've offered my own lame duck solutions: just ban 'em etc, if only to try and understand how America got to this point. Yet after Dallas I just couldn't be arsed spending anymore time thinking about it.

On the afternoon of Dallas an Afro-American fella was plastered all over social media as a suspect in the shootings. Mark Hughes attended the protest, was nearby when the guns began blazing, then went home. Unbenownst to him he was lead suspect in the early stages of the case. The reason for that? He was wearing a camouflage shirt and an AR-15 assault rifle over his shoulder at a protest - a peaceful protest.

Would seem to me a logical step to consider him a 'person of interest', and so the cops took him in. He was questioned for all of 30 minutes and released whereupon he stepped in front of the news cameras, incensed, saying he was being persecuted because of his skin colour.

Yet no-one pulled him up for carrying an assault rifle in public at a peaceful protest. All the news teams ran the story, none questioned the need for a gun. Yeah, it's legal to do that in Texas, but that just shows how normalised guns are in America. It's something that I just can't fathom and I reckon most Australians would be in the same boat. In this way America remains as foreign as any distant culture.

@Stu, its short but that's some of the best writing I've read on the topic. I see this issue from the perspective that many Americans take their suspicion of Government so seriously they feel they need to arm themselves to the back teeth just in case they need to "defend" themselves against their own government ... really? FFS.

I've been told or read somewhere that government agencies like the FBI and CIA believe there is more to fear from armed American citizens who hold right wing nationalists views than international terrorists.

Like on so many topics John Oliver cuts through in a way ordinarily folk can understand. You may not have seen these ...

Part 1

Cheers Floyd, will check 'em out when I get home. 

Every time an American politician is under the pump, some shit goes down...... From Rumsfelds missing trillions to this..... It's like clockwork.....

Couple of books worth reading a few years old now and unfortunately the guy has passed away
"Dear Hunting with Jesus"
"Rainbow Pie" both by Joe Baegeant
Way ahead of his time for reading the political climate

Nothin' to see here? Also chuck in the corporate telly and 'Their ABC', hmmmm...

Yep, I blame THESE unions (or cartels or associations or councils...whatever you prefer):

The time has come to say fair’s fair

Written by: Kaye Lee, July 13 2016

Why do we have a deficit?

The Coalition will tell you it’s because Labor locked in unsustainable spending and that cutting services is the only way to fix it.

This is untrue.

We have a deficit because our government insists on pandering to the demands of business.

First they insisted that the proposed changes to fringe benefits tax must go to save the car industry – or not.

Then they got rid of the gambling reform laws and watered down the Future of Financial Advice (FoFA) reforms

Then they insisted that the carbon tax must go because it was costing jobs and restricting investment. Except business investment has fallen for three straight years, employment in manufacturing fell 6 percent in 2015 alone, and some NSW families are now paying the highest electricity prices in the world.

The mining tax was the next to go because apparently it was stopping investment whilst raising no money – somewhat like the Coalition’s negative gearing scare campaign which said Labor’s policy was going to smash house prices but negative gearing had nothing to do with inflating them.

The temporary budget repair levy on high income earners will also go because, despite us still needing budget repair, we only pay attention to the ‘temporary’ part of the equation – unless we are talking about the superannuation guarantee or the medicare rebate freezes.

New Zealand’s call to halt fossil fuel subsidies fell on deaf ears with the Australian contingent in Paris. Not only will they stay, we now also pay the polluters from our taxpayer-funded emission reduction fund.

Much of the royalties collected from mining is spent building infrastructure specifically for the mining companies. We now have a $5 billion Northern Development fund to build them some more.

Despite stagnant wages and negative GNI, business lobbyists insist penalty rates must go. They are quick to shed staff when times are tight but they always find the millions to pay the CEO’s salary, even if it leaves creditors and workers’ entitlements unpaid.

Businesses insist that they must import 457 visa workers and the government obliges despite the many examples of exploitation both of the rules and of the workers.

The Coalition government has increased defence spending above and beyond budget allocations every year and, much to the delight of foreign arms manufacturers, plan to spend $400 billion on defence materiel over the next two decades.

The Science and Innovation package seems to be mostly about protecting and incentivising investors and the Medical Research Fund sits there accumulating a store of cash to eventually be given to big pharma.

But all of this pales into insignificance when compared to the tax avoidance facilitated by our government and the big four accounting firms who advise them.

At least $US1 trillion in tax revenue is lost worldwide, and $50 billion in Australia, as a result of aggressive tax minimisation schemes established by the four giant firms who audit the books of nearly all the world’s major companies, said George Rozvany, a 32-year veteran of the corporate tax industry.

“It’s very clear to me that the big four accounting firms are the masterminds of international tax avoidance. They work with government to deliver what they want for their clients. It’s not set in a social context; it’s designed to deliver an outcome for their clients. The people who are most affected are the most underprivileged in our society, those without a voice. The homeless, foreign aid programs.”

So what does the Liberal Party do?

Offer substantial tax cuts to the very people who are hampering the nation’s ability to do anything about climate change or inequality, to the people who cry “anti-business” whenever they are asked to pay their share, to the people who want to pay workers less so they can pay their foreign shareholders more.

Until business groups start fulfilling their part of the social contract, they have no place dictating policy.

As Richard Denniss said, “If the business community do want a seat at the reform table they need to abandon the idea that they will sit at its head. They need to figure out what they are willing to help other groups achieve. They must admit there are more pressing goals than delivering tax cuts to themselves.”

To Jennifer Westacott, Kate Carnell, Innes Willox and others, the time has come to say fair’s fair, to pay the rent, to pay your share.

Great article, 'How technology disrupted the truth'

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/12/how-technology-disrupted-the-truth

"On the day after the EU referendum, in a Facebook post, the British internet activist and mySociety founder, Tom Steinberg, provided a vivid illustration of the power of the filter bubble – and the serious civic consequences for a world where information flows largely through social networks:

I am actively searching through Facebook for people celebrating the Brexit leave victory, but the filter bubble is SO strong, and extends SO far into things like Facebook’s custom search that I can’t find anyone who is happy *despite the fact that over half the country is clearly jubilant today* and despite the fact that I’m *actively* looking to hear what they are saying.

This echo-chamber problem is now SO severe and SO chronic that I can only beg any friends I have who actually work for Facebook and other major social media and technology to urgently tell their leaders that to not act on this problem now is tantamount to actively supporting and funding the tearing apart of the fabric of our societies … We’re getting countries where one half just doesn’t know anything at all about the other."

I saw that Stu. I don't use social media very much so I had no idea how far it had gone in that direction. It is an incredibly difficult issue for consumers.

Very interesting article, Stu. And as BB suggested, very difficult to get the truth from any source. Certainly, over the years, it does seem that 'truth does not matter any more'. So it's up to the reader. As the article stated, journos are not required to check if their information source is accurate. Social media has added an extra dimension with such wide spread access. I can see that education is the way for the reader. The reader will just have to be decider of truth. Great topic really.

If you think Trump was the worst possible Republican candidate, read this and weep.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n15/eliot-weinberger/they-could-have-picked

And what does that list tell you about the conservative narrative in the home of capitalism? It clearly tells us that if they were their brightest conservative thought is bankrupt.

In Australia I find it fascinating to observe how far to the right the Liberal Party has moved during and since Howard. Howard and his ministries thought that the Fraser years were wasted because Fraser pursued the "liberalism" on which the often quoted Menzies founded the party. The liberalism that cared about the welfare and living standards of ordinary families, cared about providing good education and health services and the sort of liberalism that here in Victoria saw a Liberal Premier (Dick Hamer) fund the world famous Arts Centre and create Melbourne's fantastic green wedges that circle and intersect the urban boundaries. Fraser you might remember stopped sand mining on Fraser Island (one of Dick Hamer's ministers was Alan Hunt, father of our current arse licking environment minister Greg Hunt!).

Some of you might also recall that during Howard's era we had this internal Liberal Party discussion about so-called "wets" and "drys" and "small l and big L" liberals. This discussion resulted in the preselection of "drys" and "small l" Liberals which you can see now in the party's ultra right conservative rump. Interesting, the internal description for all this these days is small c or big C Liberal, with the c meaning conservative.

Today, the Liberal Party no longer resembles the party of Menzies or Fraser looking more like the Republican Party with its emphasis on low tax and small government.

That's all fine if that's what the electorate wants but I don't think it does and hence the loss of seats at the last election and loss of votes to independents.

testing, testing...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-15/osborne-crowley-as-the-sanders-cam...

Q&A last night, Pauline Hansen, much talking not much listening, thought she really struggled to articulate her position when not interrupted by other panel members or Jones, well what is there to articulate anyway. Her best comment of the night was to thank Turnbull for the DD election that she says will deliver her up to 7 senators. Tweet of the night was one also acknowledging Turnbull's role in getting this disparate Senate. Yep, that was political cunning by Turnbull alright, he might just get his agenda through the Senate with Hansen's support but will we have a one (united) nation? Apparently protests and arrests outside the ABC studios. Strap yourself in folks its about to get very bumpy ...

Hanson's low-hanging fruit. Easy to pick off. I wonder if Lord Dickfists will do a Howard and appropriate her dribble. Or rather when. Depends if she polls well. Turdstill will do anything. We all know that.

Speaking of doing whatever it takes, how's this! From one 'exclusive brethren' to another. S'pose it saves Malcolm a quid.

"I've got no criticisms or complaints about that organisation," he said. "As you know, everybody is free to make political contributions."

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016/no-complain...

All roads lead back to John Winston Howard (circa 2007)!

ANTHONY ALBANESE: The Prime Minister has had yet another secret meeting with the Exclusive Brethren sect. This is an organisation that is currently under investigation for donating $370,000 for the Liberal Party election campaigning in 2004.

In particular, this group campaigned in the electorate of Bennelong. They took out full page advertisements in the local paper ‘The Weekly Times’. The address used for the authoriser of those ads is actually one of the Exclusive Brethren schools.

Exclusive Brethren schools currently receive some $42 million in Federal Government recurrent funding. That’s without funding for capital works and other programs conducted by the Federal Government.

It is of real concern that this sect can get a meeting with the Prime Minister of Australia without notice and with no agenda. We are particularly concerned to find out whether the current election campaign coming up later this year was discussed.

The Exclusive Brethren are a sect that is out of touch with mainstream Australian family values. Exclusive Brethren don’t believe in voting but do believe in interfering in election campaigns. They have a history of not only covert funding, but also of engaging in personal attacks and smears against non extreme right wing conservative candidates. It’s a real concern that the Prime Minister is continuing to have this direct association with the Exclusive Brethren sect and that it only comes to light because of leaks around this meeting.

The people engaged in the meeting include Mark Mackenzie as a company adviser and funder of some of these advertisements. Stephen Hales was there, he’s the brother of Bruce Hales the leader of the Exclusive Brethren sect, who is known as the “Elect Vessel” and also as the “Minister of the Lord in the Recovery”. We know that Exclusive Brethren engaged in electoral advertising not just in the electorate of Bennelong, but also in Victoria and South Australia.

It’s a real concern that the Government has amended the Commonwealth Electoral Act to ensure that media outlets don’t need to file media returns at future elections because in some of those returns they indicated that these advertisements took place at the behest of the Liberal Party.

JOURNALIST: (inaudible)

ALBANESE: We’re talking about $370,000 being spent on an election campaign that we know of. The group that doesn’t believe in voting but believes it has the right to interfere in election campaigns. We know that John Howard is under real pressure in the electorate of Bennelong due to the campaign of Maxine McKew. It would be very interesting to see whether the Exclusive Brethren, as a result of this meeting, are once again engaged in spending tens of thousands of dollars trying to influence voters in the lead up to that campaign.

Who are these freaks anyway?

http://www.smh.com.au/good-weekend/tony-mccorkell-reveals-secrets-of-the...

they are just really a device for washing tax dollars for donations to the liberal party.

"This is an organisation that is currently under investigation for donating $370,000 for the Liberal Party election campaigning in 2004."

2004. Hmmmm, what year did Howard change the marriage act again?

Well.. They've been sworn in...... Where's bill?

Anyhooooooo....... If an early election is called, with turnbuckle using the "most dishonest scare campaign" re' labors mediscare to deride Burnt Shingle, Labor may have this to counter....

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jul/18/turnbull-suggests...

Yada Yada Blah Blah. That 2 MILLION musta really hurt Lord Dickfists. Did he have to dip into his Cayman's retirement funds?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/federal-election-2016/malcolm-threw-in-m...

Rupe's still pissed?

what?, he threw in his own money! how disgraceful. I am completely appalled. its just totally wrong, just wrong I say!

in conclusion, its clearly wrong, its the vibe, its the constitution, and its the vibe....yeah

I rest my case.

The big issue around political donations is not what Turnbull stumped up or whether the NSW Liberals (and Arthur Sinodinos) will finally advise the Australian Electoral Commission who paid the donations paid to the NSW Liberal Party via a Canberra Liberal Party slush fund or whether the unions pay too much to Labor .......... the big issue and opportunity which will probably be missed is that the cross bench in both houses now have a golden opportunity to force both Liberal and Labor to have real time transparent disclosure laws on donations.

This would force the lobbyists and peak agencies and peak bodies out from the shadows and it would make all politicians whatever side they are on to be more open and honest with the electorate.

Now isn't that a thing all the Swellneters could agree on?

that sounds far too sensible and unemotional floyd. that kind of thinking will never pass the swellnet senate.

Aye.

Draw your own appendage! Lord have mercy!

Again, there are donors, and then there are these fucken freaks?! Read it and weep for the lil children.

http://www.smh.com.au/good-weekend/tony-mccorkell-reveals-secrets-of-the...

he looks a bit tight-fisted to me. either very keen or just has a very small appendage.

Happy Arse, yes, tight-fisted and appendage-challenged. Slippery customer too by the looks. Talk about 'knocking the top off it!' He'll do himself an injury!

Totally agree Floyd. Any political donation should be declared in real time, freely and available to the public, including the name of the donor and the recipient. Also, paid political ads should be open to the same scrutiny.

I'd even go as far to say that party donations should be capped and no donation can be accepted after an election has been called.

Nice work Shats, going above and beyond.

"Oh for the sweet Lord's sake, do we really have to lower the tone THIS much?"

What did you expect, Shats? A meaningful discussion? A heated debate of ideas? A brainstorm on how to make Labor a viable alternative?
Naaahhhhhh.......

Well, from you, Doggo, whatever 'Pavlov' decrees is worth salivating over?

X factor!

Got a meme?

Yeah I got heaps Turkmanistan.... But mine are used for butthurt, like your little hissy fit the other day, or to point out a particular political pov...... I'll leave the penis memes to Floyd.... Here you go, Stan;

Looks like Keating is also making mention of Turnbull's gold plated "Biggest Knob" award.

"Yeah it's this big".

ouch

I suspect "ouch" would be Turnbull's reaction after the far-right of his party have rogered him with it.

I would also guess that the Exclusive Brethren would take a particular sadistic pleasure.

A brainstorm on how to make labor a viable alternative hey. I know, I know....just get PK to write all Shortens speeches.

happy, I think I heard Keating was advising Labor & BS during the election. Could you image how PK would tear ribbons off the LNP now? IMO the best treasurer/PM we have ever seen.

Not sure what to think of this, took this from a certain shapers page on fb who might not want to be named.

http://johnpilger.com/articles/a-world-war-has-begun-break-the-silence-

Yeah Groundswell off topic but a good read all the same......smoke and mirrors.