Interesting stuff
As usual Indo, there’s so much wrong with what you’ve said.
Do you actually believe the things you write?
Its truly scary if you do.
Well said, Blowin.
Had a look at Harry Chens page yesterday and all the videos were missing but they are back up today.
Some very disturbing scenes there.
I also like his heavy sarcasm.
One vid a policeman is searching a young woman's body and mainly concentrating on feeling up her tits.
And Harry says 'An inch by inch search... you got any Wuhaners in there honey'
I'm not really sure why there is such an emphasis on how he performs in the media. If there was a coherent platform of policies that the government was implementing that benefited all Australians then the fact that he makes a few gaffs wouldn't be such a big issue.
There is a pattern of dishonesty and corruption by some members of government that is blatantly obvious and yet there is a total denial of any wrong doing so no wonder people are frustrated. Governing the country shouldn't come down to playing and manipulating the media, if there was integrity and honesty then there wouldn't be an issue
Wouldn't you agree then that the media has a certain moral obligation to report on the government without fear or favour for want of a better term?
Absolutely vital that they do which is why the lack of transparency is a concern
A good friend of mine is fiercely of the right of politics and it’s good because we can talk through our differences over a coffee. It’s also good because much of his arguments don’t stack up to factual examination and he just goes quiet. Anyway, lately his defence is “you know what, I don’t care (referencing the $680 mill grants rorts). How do you argue with that?
Another fine summation:
Comment by Clive on Macrobusiness.
“But what is the opportunity-cost of turning our universities into degree mills that devalue Australian qualifications by mass producing them, and in the process dropping academic standards? Pandering to the ‘service economy’ bull that has in effect privatised universities and set free the worst of ‘managerialism’ typical of the short-sighted piece of social vandalism that has affected almost all other public institutions, but none worse than Australian universities.
Australia is one of the worst OECD performers in innovation for driving a productive economy. This is the main event. That’s the killer. The above article describes symptoms of a much bigger disease.
Too dependent on China – obviously. But the entire business model is the brain child of infantile neoliberalism “thinking” that has no stake in nation building. It has torn this nation apart as it values nothing other than profit and owes nothing to the people it robs of public assets and amenity.
There is a reason why Bernie Sanders has backed free tertiary education in the USA. It’s not just a vote winner – it actually drives a productive economy if configured correctly. It’s bastardisation and integration with the debt-economy has gone hand in hand with the fall of the US middle class. In Australia we have not just screwed up tertiary institutions; the social role and purpose of universities has been corrupted by a race to the bottom.
In Australia we’ve allowed both the LNP and the ALP to sell our tertiary institutes and national assets down the river for a buck to balance the frigging budget. Moronic bean counters and yesterday’s Kennett-era troglodytes are still in charge. We need to wrest control from them and see them off forever, sending them to a national purgatory where history records them as the traitors to our youth and betrayers of our national values.
Key to this madness is the ‘everyone must go to uni’ crud and the running down of TAFE. No. We’d be far better off with a very different view that seeks careers based upon natural talent and inclination – and links these institutions up in communities of innovation; not corporations for flogging degrees and turning out useless qualifications and debt.
As far as anything or anyone can be ‘evil’ the corruptors of our tertiary institutions and their spawn of parasitic carpetbaggers, who oversee this prostitution scheme, richly deserve such opprobrium.
As for those CEO (VCs) in academic gowns, they have betrayed traditions going back to the Ancient Greeks; a shame that hemlock has gone out of fashion as a remedy.
This truly is a disgusting monument to the neoliberal pox that infected the West in the 1980s and will not die because our zombie politicians have run out of ideas for how this can be done better.“
When I get bored of people who always think they know the answer to everything , I go quiet and if I get really bored I say "I dont care". On balance the Libs are doing the best job at present regardless of a few ministers stuff ups who wanted everything for their own electorates which was a bit selfish.
The LNP don’t even bother to mask the stench of corruption which emanates from everything they touch.
Big fan of Alan Bond and Christopher Skase were you Optimist ?
One good solution to the problem would be a Federal ICAC that has the ability to fully investigate federal politician misdemeanours and corruption. Then if there is sufficient evidence enable the courts to prosecute.
This would help ensure that tax payer funds were used in a constructive way that went to communities or projects that actually needed a hand out to get things done.
The grant schemes wasn't a case of a few ministers being greedy it was a top down strategy from the executive of government
Old Clive didn't hold back in his assessment Blowin.
Regarding the TAFE system, after years of under funding now there aren't the skilled enough tradesman in the system because. Don't worry though because that brings the perfect opportunity for another round of grants and tenders for private training to help build our prosperity. Now there's a solution.
Here you are Optimist.
The Australian government under the LNP has openly stated that they’re not going to show a duty of care to those on welfare because they’re not legally obligated.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/18/coalition-says-it...
Yep, a bunch of public servants have convinced themselves that they owe no allegiance to the Australian people they are employed to serve. Worse than this is that they have no qualms about the vexatious use of litigation against the very people they are meant to serve in preference to pursuing the moral path of DOING THEIR FUCKEN JOBS.
Honestly Optimist, it’s one thing to relinquish hope and vote LNP as the lesser of two evils , but to genuinely believe that they’re performing with even a hint of adequacy or the slightest nod towards the spirit of proper governance, is stupidity of the highest order.
Fliplid ....the idea of running down TAFE was dual purpose. Create opportunity for privatisation of the sector and to deskill the nation in the hope that the importation of cheap foreign labour was a slightly less obvious ruse.
That is how our politicians actually think....” Let’s fuck Australia to our advantage. “
Russia has just banned ALL CHINESE from entering the country. Not just those who have been out of mainland China for 14 days.
Let’s hear the Chinese try to browbeat Putin over this like they would Australia.....
Australia should have done this immediately. The virus is known to incubate for upwards of 24 days. Scomo would rather be seen to do something than do it properly.
Scomo is happy for Australia to get half pregnant to the Chinese virus as long as the brown bags keep coming.
Meanwhile, in China , the government is banning and dismantling VPNs on an attempt to stem the flow of undoctored reporting of the reality of the virus whilst simultaneously sending hundreds of “ approved journalists “ ( AKA agents of propaganda) into areas to try and create a false narrative that the People’s War on the virus is working and the world should start opening their borders. Too bad that millions of Chinese will be exposed to the virus as the government tries forcing them back to work .
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/mike-bloomberg-trojan-horse-clintoni...
Don’t agree with their disdain for Bernie , but the rest is spot on.
Globalisation is an unmitigated benefit for the world etc etc
From the AFR:
Australia is dangerously dependent on imported medicine and as a matter of national security must develop “some level of sovereign capability” to safeguard supply, a report finds.
“Australia imports over 90 per cent of medicines and is at the end of a very long global supply chain, making the nation vulnerable to supply chain disruptions,” the report says.
“These factors can include manufacturing problems, difficulties in procurement, political instability, pandemics, another global economic crisis and a range of natural disasters.”
Perhaps best if we don’t think about where our petrol , steel, construction materials etc etc will come from in the very near future.
Interesting to hear from those who said trade protectionism which ensured national independence in essential manufacturing and skills retention were “ Evil nationalism “ ie racist , White supremacist and unwaveringly leading to the creation of a generation of Australian Nazis.......hi Blindboy ! Hi ALP !
Morning all, you gotta love the right and many of their supporters, fierce defenders of the law, convention and the proper use of taxpayers money right up to the nano second it doesn’t suit them and then they just trash it.
Remember Peter Slipper and how the right took hounded him to court for $1,000?
A federal ICAC with full powers is the only way it will be stopped but that my friends is fiercely opposed by Scotty from Marketing.
But Australia is mean for not allowing unfettered travel from China ....
From the NYT :
“Half of China’s population is facing new travel restrictions.
At least 150 million people in China — over 10 percent of the country’s population — are living under government restrictions on how often they can leave their homes, The New York Times found in examining dozens of local government announcements and reports from state-run news outlets.
More than 760 million Chinese people live in communities that have imposed strictures of some sort on residents’ comings and goings, as officials try to contain the new coronavirus epidemic. That larger figure represents more than half of the country’s population, and roughly one in 10 people on the planet.
China’s restrictions vary widely in their strictness. Neighborhoods in some places require residents only to show ID, sign in and have their temperature checked when they enter. Others prohibit residents from bringing guests.
But in places with more stringent policies, only one person from each household is allowed to leave home at a time, and not necessarily every day. Many neighborhoods have issued paper passes to ensure that residents comply.
In one district in the city of Xi’an, the authorities have stipulated that residents may leave their homes only once every three days to shop for food and other essentials. They also specify that the shopping may not take longer than two hours.
Tens of millions of other people are living in places where local officials have “encouraged” but not ordered neighborhoods to restrict people’s ability to leave their homes.
And with many places deciding their own policies on residents’ movements, it is possible that the total number of affected people is even higher still.“
Tell me Freeride , as a general bellwether for public opinion on this issue , has your view of the situation changed at all ?
All governments look (particularly conservative so it seems) for a vehicle to increase surveillance and control over the peasants (that's you ID).
I wonder if the Chinese will maintain many of the restrictions after Corona.
As a fan of Singapore and a dedicated ball cupper of the right, Indo would love to see the expansion of an authoritarian surveillance state in Australia.
I can hear it now - “if you’ve got nothing to hide you’ve got nothing to worry about” he’ll say in a gormless and obedient fashion.
And speaking of Corona, I don’t know why they don’t launch a new marketing campaign.
Bunch of Asian crew hanging out drinking beer, with the tagline something like “Corona - it’s catching on fast”.
Guaranteed to go viral in an hour.
Job done.
have my views changed Blowin?
not sure, still wait and see but generally I don't see a world calamity.
wouldn't want to own a cray quota though. Those cunts will be struggling.
I think all the years at $70/kg they should have a bit of fat to go without for a while, hey they might even end up selling some of the Australian owned public resource to Australians for a fair price.....
No joy in someone’s misfortune.
Sure , the bastards make bulk coin selling Aussie crays at global rates which basically excludes the majority of Aussie cray lovers , but I’m sure there’s a few crew who’ve just taken out a whack of debt to get a new boat and their income has evaporated overnight.
At least the crays will be able to build up some numbers.
Our family has taken a big hit from it. Wife had some solid research projects lined up this year at UoW. For the first time since our eldest was born nine years ago she's making inroads back into the work force so we were hoping to, I don't know, be comfortable? Put some savings away?
Uni put the kybosh on that with a cross-the-board freeze on all contractors, starting immediately, irrespective of what field or faculty. She's got zero to do with international students but the uni is expecting a huge financial hit from students leaving Australia and resuming their studies in September in other countries.
That’s no good , Stu.
It’s going to get far worse unfortunately. The global supply chain is basically going to stop with China shutting down. Going to be massive opportunities filling the void but it’ll take awhile to kick in.
The worlds going to shit it’s pants in the interim.
interesting little convo this morning, dr. karl and david bevan
he seemed to think it has the potential to get bad quick, but cannot tell yet
he pointed out that if the outbreak happened in somewhere like mombai we'd be fucked, as it's almost impossible to quarantine the population, the way he talked, it's just a matter of time before something like that happens
basically we are extremely lucky it happened in a developing country mega-city with an authoritarian government. a system that can strictly control it's population, and lock the whole place down quickly, otherwise...
I'm expecting an editorial at the nyt or wapo any day now, reporting the virus, whilst spruiking 'the death of democracy' and the merits of china's unique blend of authoritarianism and capitalism, ...again...
one could speculate that china's unique authoritarian capitalism blend was also a cause of this situation, but that would be...
interestingly, he said practically all our daily medicine's for things like hypertension, blood pressure and a heap of others, come from china, and will run out soon if the factories don't fire up soon, amongst other things...
not to worry, we have our services economy to save us
that'd be a good thing wouldn't it?
baby boomers dropping dead in the streets.
More room in the surf.
This thing isn’t confined to the elderly or the infirm. That’s just more CCP bullshit attempting to mitigate their massive fuck up.
Freeride ,I know you’re taking the piss but I’m not keen to see every boomer I know sent to the next world just so a few people keep their jobs.
I’ve got a few stories from here in Indo about the situation, but I don’t really want to share them over the Internet because I’ll be coming back through immigration at some stage and I’d like to avoid being pulled aside .
I think he meant the blood pressure meds not the virus.
you might be right, so far I've put my money where my mouth is and made a small profit from the last dip.
I'll buy again if it dips.
Exactly what is going on here ?
Throughout the Western Hemisphere , the political parties which formerly represented the working class are abandoning them without hesitation.
Be it Australia, Canada , New Zealand, US , Germany ....anywhere.
Here’s the UK Labour Party parroting their Aussie cousins with a complete abrogation of their social licence to operate as the party of the worker.
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2020/02/uk-labour-demands-migrant-slave...
Comments are worthy.
If you want an indication just how severely the Chinese government is brutally lying about the virus situation, consider this ...
The Diamond Princess , a single cruise ship , announced 70 new cases in its latest one day report.
Whilst the entirety of China ( excluding Wubei province ) announced only 56 new cases. Amongst a population of billions.
Get ready for a George W Bush style “ Mission Accomplished “ declaration from Xi Jinping as he falsely claims to have contained the virus and the next step on the road to ruination of Scotty from Marketing doing as he’s told and reopening borders to China.
Of course the virus will rapidly spread through out Australia and Scotty will push for plausible deniability, but it’ll be the end of his career. This will be the only tiny consolation for our nation as people start to lose relatives and the economy tanks regardless, only this time due to societal disintegration rather than supply chain breakdowns.
If he does ...fucker needs to go down. I’ll personally be coughing over his entire family if I catch it.
Wow, Blow in. You sound like you want to catch it!
"There is something in the Australian psyche that craves punishment"?
"As a fan of Singapore and a dedicated ball cupper of the right, Indo would love to see the expansion of an authoritarian surveillance state in Australia.
I can hear it now - “if you’ve got nothing to hide you’ve got nothing to worry about” he’ll say in a gormless and obedient fashion."
100% correct.
Personally i actually think our government does a pretty decent job be it Libs or Labor, but every country should be trying to be more like Singapore, i know they have many advantages being a small country, but they still are so successful in almost every way possible.
And yeah 100% i don't have any issue with any type of surveillance because 100% i don't have anything to hide.
But if you have something to hide or are paranoid, i can understand how you wouldnt like the idea.
I've got nothing to hide either Indo but as sure as shit don't want anybody watching me do it.
We are just talking in public though aren't we?....which includes net and phone calls....
It's not like they would put video cameras in your house.
I honestly don't even have a problem being monitored online or phones etc because i honestly don't have anything to hide, it just doest worry me in the slightest, we are pretty much monitored online these days anyway with all this algorithm stuff especially with social media, they have so much info on you, click on one article about something and 5 minutes latter somewhere else you are getting adds for the same product etc
Id imagine Japan would have much more public monitoring cameras etc than Australia?
just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not following you...
Right, we have finally got to the bottom of why Indo didn’t act out his fantasy at Dandy markets, fear of getting caught out on a surveillance camera.
I think you're missing a whole pile of shit on the horizon indod re. the surveillance state
and I think you're missing a whole heap of benefits to singapore's geography and history
being a crossroads, a gateway, a melting pot on a significant strait, and even a colony, gives singapore some serious advantages. not least being surrounded by a heap of third world countries with a surplus of cheap labour
you literally couldn't fuck singapore up,
though australian politicians'd give it a good go...
Not sure about electronic surveillance Indo, it's more the 'Asian' way.
Someones always watching.
As an aside, I'm very suspicious about 5G. When you delve into that stuff a bit deeper, the capability is scary.
"As an aside, I'm very suspicious about 5G. When you delve into that stuff a bit deeper, the capability is scary."
this is so true zenman, and I'm not even considering the usual gamma ray/chem trail bullshit. just what it is designed to do, and it's capabilities
that karl bass china vid gave a good little insight
Surprisingly Japan doesn't rank in this list and surprisingly there isn't all that much difference between Singapore and Sydney in public CCTV
Singapore=15.25 cameras per 1,000 people
Sydney= 12.35 cameras per 1,000
China though is tops the list, has crazy amount of cameras
https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/90759-what-are-the-worlds-most...
Yeah i understand Singapores advantages, being small etc and location, but they still top the list in everything possible, education, medical, public transport, cleanliness, crime, drug use, not to mention just get this perfect mix of being a city but also still green, amazing gardens and so well maintained.
Just this kind of shit, and they have been doing it since the 70s (maybe didn't have the filter system back then though) BTW. they did also recycle something like 65% of waste so not al burnt.
IMHO they are kind of a right wing country but also progressive, just this perfect mix.
”We’ve already got steel shortages due to the Corona shutdown. You’re not going to read about in the MSM. Give it another month.
Just think about that. The highest quality iron ore deposits in the world, the best furnace coal, and we can’t make enough steel for our needs in-situ.
This is economic mis-management of the highest order. Keating, Howard, Costello et al. What a clown show.”
Singapore?
I think we've already been over this Indo. IMO apart from good tucker and a pretty impressive airport, i think I've sat in more exciting dental surgeries.
In fairness Andy did pull a root from one of the working girls gratis but after she drove him back to her apartment, did a perfect three point turn into reverse parallel park (first try) and wouldn't let him see her naked with the light on, I reckon we could use the term 'girl' pretty loosely.
I know you dont like Singapore, but I'm a huge fan of how they do things, only talking about it as others mentioned Singapore and me.
I mean even that hooker joint is an example of how well they do things, not just some little brothel or strip club, a whole building with all different floors of exotic women.
which is your fav Indo?
The key word is 'exotic'.
Ask Andy.
Btw, I didn't say I didn't like Singapore, I just think it's a little sterile.
Have it cunts