Day to Day Politics: The ABC of injustice.
Thursday 27 July 2016
The ABC’s revelation about the manifestly unreasonable treatment of teenage boys in detention in the Northern Territory should come as no surprise to anyone. It is the ABC with programmes like Four Corners, Media Watch and Australian Story and others that have been at the forefront of revealing injustice, corruption, political scandal and mistreatment in all its malevolent variances for many years.
Firstly on Monday night we had a love story. ‘Australian Story‘ told us a tale about two teenagers who simply fell in love. It was no ordinary story. It was a miraculous one, full of the innocence of youth. A chance meeting and the agony of separation. It is a heart wrenching one deserving of a compassionate voice but does Australia have one.
An observation.
“Love is when there is an irresistible urge for the need of the affection of another and the irresistibility is of its nature mutual“.
“This week’s program is about a young woman who puts a human face to the issue of “unauthorised” boat arrivals in Australia.
Mojgan Shamsalipoor fled terrible personal trauma in her home country, Iran, and found sanctuary in Brisbane where she was able to live in the community while awaiting a decision on her protection visa.
At a youth camp she met a young Iranian refugee, Milad Jafari. They fell in love, married and were looking forward to a happier future.
However, despite her apparent good fortune, her visa has been denied and she is now locked in detention with little prospect of fulfilling her dream of having a family with Milad and becoming a midwife.
But she has many supporters who are determined to see her released back into the community”.
Peter Dutton won’t intervene in the case of an Iranian asylum seeker student.
As my wife and I were recovering from this gut wrenching decision from the Minister, Four Corners followed up with a story of ill-considered depravity. The physical and mental torture of teenage boys incarcerated in a Darwin Youth Centre. All we could do was watch this vulgar display of man’s inhumanity to children with a sort of national shame that the next day found we shared with many others.
The footage of children being tear-gassed by burley corrections officers, stripping them naked and depriving of their human dignity was an affront to what we call common decency. An unforgivable display of everything un Australian.
An observation.
“Politicians often demand of others that they uphold our culture and values. Is this what they mean?’”
The Prime Minister was quick off the mark instigating a Royal Commission. Fair enough, but it ignores the fact that similar things have been happening to Asylum Seekers for many years. The fact is that the Government has sentenced men women and children to life imprisonment for the offence of seeking freedom. They have no intention of releasing them.
There will be no Royal Commission into the treatment of Asylum Seekers. There will no ICAC to investigate corruption.
By then I had had enough but it wasn’t over yet. The indomitable Media Watch ran a story about Journalism. Well, gutter journalism that is. It’s the sort of journalism partly responsible for the decline, and perhaps the end of the medium as we know it. It’s a made up falsehood of a story by Miranda Divine of the Murdoch gutter tabloid, The Daily Telegraph.
It’s a fallacious story about Cheltenham High School and how it addresses gender. The Education Department and the school deny the accusation that girls and boys would not be known by their gender. The story is completely made up – full of lies and inaccuracies.
They know it is but believe that lying will see them survive when in fact it is proving to be the reason for their demise.
In the midst of a media saturated with right wing shock jocks and Murdoch pedlars of verbal violence and dishonesty. Where would we be without the ABC and programmes of this ilk who without fear or favour report on the injustices of this world?
Because of political pressure from the right the ABC has been subjected to enquiry after enquiry but the damage done to our democracy and the way our society functions is by the right wing media is never questioned.
An observation.
“Lying in the media is wrong at any time however when they do it by deliberate omission it is even more so. Murdoch’s papers seem to do it with impunity“.
My thought for the day.
“We can sometimes become so engrossed in our own problems that we can easily overlook the enormity of the suffering of others”.
PS: On top of all this yet another flagship ABC programme ‘7.30’ last night reported on yet further damming accusations against George Pell.
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Return to home pageI can’t help wondering if this will lead indirectly – or directly – to more funding cuts designed to muzzle the ABC.
Steve Howton I wonder that too, but am hopeful it means the ABC will be even more indipensible and valued by the Australian public and judicial system as the primary exposer of corruption.
Shame they can’t reduce funding to Miranda Devine? Or better still oxygen?
Yes John, a day of revelations for us to deal with. Seems to me the time is well overdue for a serious review (Royal Commission?) of the media landscape in Australia. If it werent for the ABC where would we be? And that is under definite threat by the Coalition. We know that because of funding cuts, axing Fact Check, Murdoch tainted CEO, stacking of Board with Libs, Turnbull bullying phone calls e.g. about sraff reporting on NBN , and the evidence of our own viewing of the recent election coverage, with its breathless reporting of every word that fell from Turnbulll’s lips, repeating of Lib lines like “How is Labor going to pay for all this spending?” Murdoch has brainwashed 3 generations of Australia. Time for this to be investigated. Actually there are 3 RCs I would like to see – Banking/finance, Media, and of course, corruption of the political process, donations etc.
What worries me is that the ABC may be reeled in by their new management and told that they are not to do investigative journalism ; this won’t be a directive but merely a funding cut as occurred with the ABC’s online forum, The Drum. It just disappeared overnight, no explanation, some allusions to cost cutting but no clarification of just how much The Drum online was costing.
It was the Drum online public poll that actually predicted the hung parliament before the election and that wouldn’t have gone down well with their Liberal masters.
Turnbull’s caling of an RC into the NT youth detention was commendable. But his refusal to consider widening it, shows his true colours. His reaction to that shocking footage shows he has some human compassion. The refusal to include all other centres including immigration ones under Australian oversight, shows his self-centred political pyjamas.
I tried to register for the new ABC YourSpace they are advertising, but they wanted so many personal details, I stopped. I complained to the ABC, got the 3 automated replies, but nothing further. Repeated the complaint, same result. What is going on there?
The outcome in Herbert – around Townsville – appears to be a win for the Labor Party by 35 votes as opposed to eight votes on the original count – some irregularities in preference allocations accounting for the difference.
The Liberals are not satisfied and will petition to the Court of Disputed Returns for a new poll based on their allegation that some 628 defence force personnel were on exercises in South Australia at the time of the election and didn’t avail themselves of an absentee vote or a pre-poll. If that is true it potentially opens up a new can of worms as to how these soldiers were prevented from voting: if they were denied access to a pre-poll or absentee vote as the result of superior orders then that is potentially a criminal matter requiring investigation. If they just decided not to vote or forgot then that is not a basis for a new vote in Herbert.
If there were to be a new vote, however, it would give the coalition an unfair advantage. During the election campaign there was a lot of pork barrelling in Herbert with both of the major parties promising $100 million towards a new footie stadium. So, no matter how it came out, no matter who formed government, Townsville would get its new stadium. But in a new vote when one party has already secured national government, the non-government party is at a disadvantage as they cannot promise anything because no matter who wins in Herbert they won’t be in office nationally.
So when Turnbull, Dutton and Brandis went to Townsville earlier this week, all of a sudden there was talk of the coalition funding a fast-rail facility in the area – not sure where it will go though.
So, if there is a new vote the coalition can make all sorts of promises that obviously cannot be matched by Labor.
Is that how democracy works ?
“The close result is being complicated by reports that as many as 85 army members may not have been able to vote.
A Defence spokesman told AAP on Friday that 1371 members voted at seven polling stations at Exercise Hamel. Another 1371 members were taken to civilian polling stations in Port Augusta, Whyalla, Port Pirie or Kadina to cast their vote.
But 628 Army members did not cast their votes.
“Defence is unable to provide any additional information in relation to these members at this time,” the spokesman said.”
It seems that they were given the opportunity to vote.
I came across a list of Court of Disputed Claims which showed that not many were upheld. (possibly on AEC website). The Herbert experience of some voters not voting, insufficient ballot papers etc, seems to have been replicated over many electorates, so Herbert not a standout. Im looking forward to watching the government stuck on that razor sharp knife edge, for as long as they last.
Terry2 you are right to be worried about the ABC. How Four Corners got that program to air, I dont know. But, you will notice it was AFTER the election ?
Came across this narrated by Johnny Cash – Would love to share to all – Don’t know who actually wrote but it’s quite beautiful. Maybe we could all learn from it.
Truth
The face of truth is open
The eyes of truth are bright
The lips of truth are never closed
The head of truth is upright
The breast of truth stands forward
The gaze of truth is straight
Truth has neither fear nor doubt
Truth has patience to wait
The words of truth are touching
The voice of truth is deep
The law of truth is simple
All you sow, you reap
The soul of truth is flaming
The heart of truth is warm
The mind of truth is clear
And stands firm in every storm
Facts are only in shadow
Truth stands above all sin
And though great be the battles of life
Truth, in the end, shall win
The life of truth is eternal
Immortal is its paths
The power of truth shall endure
Truth shall hold to the last
The image of truth is a cross
Widsom’s messages right
The sign of the truth is Christ
And the soul of truth is God
On the ABC the rightwing liberal/murdoch have bee attacking the “our” ABC for 75 years.
On the NT adolescence’s in detention (some of which are outright dangerous, although they shouldn’t be treated like dangerous animals) why spends millions on a RC if all they’ll do is recommend cameras more cameras better monitored.
I agree entirely Jaxquix on the vulnerability of the ABC, and the LNP’s penchant for disablement by a thousand cuts, invariably justified on financial affordability grounds.
Meanwhile the MSM in Australia marches on steadily from infotainment to misinformation, to political propaganda and to downright lies, developments the nation has throughout our history paid for mightily, and which we continue to pay for, in so many ways.
Nearing the end of his life, Rupert must be very pleased that the vision of his father Keith 80 or 90 years ago, for a massively weakened union movement in this country continues to be achieved.
And meanwhile, Rupert’s unprincipled influence on the media in his chosen land for citizenship has contributed considerably to the national political psychosis we are seeing in the United States currently, where a man such as Donald Trump could conceivably become its President.
The independence and viability of the ABC stands between Australians and similar developments.
Interesting that : so they were given the opportunity to vote but chose not to. Certainly not grounds for a bi-election.
Senator Ian MacDonald is playing devil’s advocate – again – and has admitted that some of the stories of folk being prevented from voting are anecdotal by which I take him to mean LNP sour grapes.
Not to be discouraged this wiley Senator is on the case and will not rest until the seat of Herbert is delivered to the Liberals.
We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living”: General Omar Bradley.
“Today the world is the victim of propaganda because people are not intellectually competent. More than anything the United States/OZ too, needs effective citizens competent to do their own thinking.” – William Mather Lewis.
Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like the evil spirits at the dawn of day.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to Pierre S. du Pont de Nemours.
IMOO, the human race as whole has been pushed back hundreds of years by religious fanatics.
I’m a proud atheist. have a good day.
I feel very sad for you. So much to give and so little faith. Have a nice day.
So few gems amongst so much dross. And getting rarer.
The call for a RC by turncoat is a sop. We are a territory and he could step in now with an independent inquiry. The RC is needed for a state interference and who would doubt qld and wa at least are as brutal as we are?
Turnball and wong under little johnnie and the lemon completed a bipartisan ‘carbon trading scheme’ The rabbott killed it and replaced bipartisan with mypartisan, that is the labor party voting with the rabbott’s decision without any input to the decision making process.
Since turncoat’s accession mypartisan has ruled and little billy has (not so meekly recently ::))) has been forced to follow.
ps mohammed ali spoke these words from a muslim inayat khan. He had faith!!!
pps the loss of the ABC would not be noticed by 90% of Australia who do not watch it and none of my rabbottian friends watch anything other than abc sport they don’t even watch the 7pm news anymore putting their trust in 9.
If a new vote is granted to Herbert, wait for the avalanche of complaints in seats all over the country where voters complained there were no ballot papers at their station – so we’d need to have new elections in those too to be fair. The soldiers were on exercises for only 6 weeks – the election had an 8 week time frame, so they could have voted early or by post. Seems to me they didn’t want to vote at all.
Either the soldiers didnt want to vote, OR the Army was to blame for not getting ballot boxes to them. Either way, the fault is not with the conduct of the election itself. I think Turnbull is bluffing about taking it to the Court of Disputed Returns. He needs very good grounds, and the ones he’s put forward look flimsy to me.
Jaquix. I would think that Labor would have been happy that it wasnt played before the election as it is reported that 5 of the incidents happened under their watch .
Right on John and let’s hope it stays that way. That there is no sanction against lying, no open complaints forum and system of accountability is appalling. There should be an ombudsman style commission that holds the media to account. There should be some open public sanctions against this sort of despicable lying. Media self regulation is a joke however politicians play the game willingly and with gusto.
Freedom of speech cannot mean freedom from accountability when it causes real and enduring harm. Again it is twisted priorities promoted under the jaundiced notion of free speech. We have laws to prevent injustice and it should be the law that is responsibility for making the media accountable. But then again we know the courts are bought and paid for and exorbitantly expensive for ordinary people to receive justice. We do not live in a democracy we live in a deceptive lie structured to protect the wealthy and powerful.
After all lying is brining down the biosphere and destroying the worlds ecology even when 96% of scientist agree with global warming. This is not justice or democracy it is rule by corporate and media power that demonstrably lie and collude with the liars. Why should we be surprised at the daily media falsification machine. Our fake democracy is in big trouble.
Surely the main thing now is that the truth is out regardless who is to blame. Let’s just go from here. The blaming game will not achieve anything. In any democratic society we all know that if you have money you can literally get away with murder. I think we all need to wait until the real facts come out first before this witch hunt begins. It will do no one any good!
If it wasn’t for the ABC it may never have come out so be thankful for that!
Thank you so much for including the sad story of Mojgan and Malid. I have not seen anyone else on social media even acknowledging that they saw the Australian Story. I have worried about this lovely girl for two years now, and I hoped that, once it was available to a wider public than just support groups on Facebook, there would be a serious attempt to look at the whole issue. The NT horror story has caused considerable outrage, and even action at a Federal level. Would that Mojgan received the same attention.
For the few ‘good’ programmes after the election’ the ABC show, I will never forgive them for their blatant one sided Liberal/National electioneering by abc news on radio and TV, 730’s openly embracing of Govt Ministers with favourable love ins from Sales, Lane and the Liberal Party card carrying Uhlmann, ABC24 generally and Jones and the hired hand from Murdoch’s Sky David Lipson.
i wont be shedding any tears for that lot and their backers.
roma,
The sheer cruelty of Peter Dutton defies belief (or perhaps not considering he was a Queensland copper). These two young people have shown both their willingness and ability to make a very positive contribution to our society. Malid’s family already have a business and Mojgan has studied very hard under intolerable circumstances to complete her secondary education. They already have a support network of family and friends. They are exactly the type of people who should be welcomed to this country. Their despair breaks my heart.
From the Free Mojgan facebook page….
To show your support for Mojgan and Milad you can:
1. Sign the online petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/help-me-to-release-my-wife-from-detention-centre
2. Email or write to your local Federal MP and let them know how you feel about Mojgan’s case – ask them to raise the issue with Minister Dutton personally
3. Email Minister Dutton (peter.dutton.mp@aph.gov.au and minister@border.gov.au) or post on Minister Dutton’s facebook page asking him to show some compassion and #FreeMojgan
4. Share Mojgan’s story with others and pass on the information above so they too can take positive action to right this terrible wrong.
If enough people speak up, hopefully we can build momentum that will lead to positive and real change – and freedom for Mojgan…
Peter Dutton’s phone numbers: QLD office (07) 32059977 and Canberra office (02) 62777860.
Malcolm Turnbull’s Telephone:
(02) 6277 7700
Dear Kaye Lee,
Unfortunately your link to ipetitions comes up with “does not exist”
Thanks Malcolm,
Try this
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/help-me-to-release-my-wife-from-detention-centre
I have edited above post to hopefully make it work. I have signed the petition and rung Dutton and Turnbull’s offices and emailed my local member who won by a very slim majority. We need more people to help put the pressure on. Dutton had a 5.1% swing against him and won his seat by less than 3,000 votes. He is vulnerable.
Thanks Kaye, works now and signed.
I hav ejust watched the repeat showing of the Majgan story. I have decided not to watch the 4 Corners showing of the NT children in custody story because watching tv news stories about it, and reading about it sickened me enough not to want to become voyaristic!
Now I am both sickened and horrified by what we have become, I cannot begin to tell how degraded this makes me feel.
I came to Australia in 1978, and became a citizen in 1982, I remarried an Australian borne citizen. For the first 10 years I marveled at the fair go, egalitarian Australian. Now I just wonder ‘who the bloody hell are you’ (perhaps that should read ‘what the boody hell are you)?
I am now a “second class” citizen because I have another country that would accept me as a citizen, so if I should incur the sight of the minister for Border Protection I could be deported after first spending time in a jail. And it would of course be in their interest to do so in their drive to get that surplus, because they would remove their obligation to pay both my part pension and my government superanniation both of which I have earned. I am between a rock and a hard place, however as long as I don’t make a nuisance of myself I can stay living here!
What has happened. Where did my retirement with dignity go after a lifetime of work and paying my full tax obligation, for the past 36 years.
BASTARDS!
No! I am not frightened, just bloody disgusted and very angry!
The NT case is a case where the combination of poverty and boredom combine to create car thieves and house breakers. Sure Darwin can organize some night activities that these boys and girls would be interested in, we have a similar problem in Townsville (larger population) and yet nothing creative is being done to occupy these children, parental responsibility comes in here too however modern parents of all races, colours and creeds seem to have either forgotten or have listened to “the experts” and have failed to initiate any discipline for the children, a situation I have lived through myself however I have been relatively lucky with my daughter.
I am appalled that you should be in this situation, and I quite understand why you will keep your head down. I am struggling to understand how this came about, how such changes in our laws could be set with no investigation into the ramifications.
sgb, You have worked for what you have, you are an Australian citizen, you should not be afraid to voice your opinion, this CLP/L&NP/LNP government is coming to an end, they have an internal civil war going between the extreme right wing faction and the moderate faction, I’d be surprised if they last till Christmas.
Roma, this CLP/L&NP/LNP government has elements of fascism in it, the party is tearing each other to pieces, they have introduced all this horrific legislation cutting our rights, our public health system and our public education system they are very bad news, and we must oust them at the next available opportunity or perish ourselves.
Fact is, that a huge majority of Australian citizens would have a country to go back to – including all New Zealanders. Unfortunately I think the Labor Party waved this measure through, we would have to put pressure on them to review this if they get back in next time, and many other similar items, they have allowed to go through, in the name of “national security”.
Even if the laws were not repealed, I doubt that Labor would pursue them with such zeal. Hopefully they would only be used in extreme cases. No-one can match Morrison and Dutton for bastardry.
We had been moving forward in Australia until Pauline Hanson made John Howard reignite racism as a political tool. Then we got Scott Morrison after the 2010 election urging the shadow cabinet to capitalise on the electorate’s growing concerns about “Muslim immigration”, “Muslims in Australia” and the “inability” of Muslim migrants to integrate.
Morrison’s suggestion was made at a meeting in December at which shadow ministers were asked to bring three ideas for issues on which the Coalition should concentrate its political attack during the parliamentary term.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/morrison-sees-votes-in-antimuslim-strategy-20110216-1awmo.html
The bastards are doing it on purpose. Scared people vote conservative.
No-one can match Morrison and Dutton for bastardry.
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/asylum-seekers-refugees-and-human-rights-snapshot-report/2-onshore-detention-and
2.4 Mental health impacts of detention
Between January 2011 and February 2013 there were 4,313 incidents of actual, threatened and attempted serious self-harm recorded in immigration detention facilities in Australia.[73] In the 2012–2013 financial year there were 846 incidents of self-harm across the immigration detention network.[74]
Between 1 July 2010 and 20 June 2013, there were 12 deaths in immigration detention facilities. Coroners have found that six of those deaths were suicides.[75]
Methinks Mad as Hell is related to another poster. Just sayin … ?
As for:
I think ‘made’ might be too strong a word. Hanson did start speaking about a ‘dark side’ that wasn’t normally discussed in polite public discourse and demonstrated that she could stoop lower than the rest. Howard, ever on the lookout for a political opportunity, ‘choose’ to explore those depths even further.
For that he will be long remembered. Now has a place in history. As does Hanson.
As for Pauline and her incarceration, that was all down to Beattie and the judiciary. Howard was a mere spectator. Sure he clapped, but he didn’t cause.
[No-one can match Morrison and Dutton for bastardry]
A lot of this is just the “precedent” problem.
Create a precedent and expectations are given power. If Dutton relented on Mojgan, although it is clear she’d be a good citizen, those with soft hearts would attempt to make use of this. The “ties that bind” is the reason for offshore detention – the old Catch 22 that lurks in all policies and which that limits compassion.
I thought her kidney problems might be a factor in Dutton’s decision. Might that lead her to exaggerate her issues in Iran.
It would appear not – the money spent on getting here could have been spend on a kidney.
“The practice of selling one’s kidney for profit in Iran is legal and regulated by the government. In any given year, it is estimated that 1400 Iranians sell one of their kidneys to a recipient who was previously unknown to them. Iran currently is the only country in the world that allows the sale of one’s kidney for compensation (typically a payment); consequently, the country does not have either a waiting list or a shortage of available organs”
If people here were to seek lower immigration, more room would be available for compassion.
Petitions have little effect. Maybe the best petition they could do is to limit it to the school students with the statement.
“Based on the lack of the Coalitions’s care for Mojgan I pledge to never vote for the Coalition in my life”
For myself, I’m in two minds – there are a billion people who suffer considerably from X, Y and Z. I’m not convinced she could have not started a new life in another Iran town.
Depends. For a Minister, riding high, in a government with a thumping majority, petitions lack potency. But for a Minister who suffered an electoral swing of 5%+ in a Government that’s on a knife edge, petitions (if the numbers are sufficiently large) can have great effect. Context is everything.
And her circumstances and location are very important as well.
While we can’t stop ‘rape’ (for example) across the world, we can and should stop the ones that are happening on our doorsteps. Particularly if it’s within our power to so do.
Townsvilleblog
Thanks, yes I do speak. my mind, because the fact is that unless we do, this government will keep using its power to bully those whom they can?
What is interesting is that the neoliberalist coalition took the majority votes – yes not the majority of the people just the majoroty of votes
Yes MN,
Mad as Hell is Turnthetide with a new name but unfortunately she is still using her government email address. Such an angry person.
While ‘anger’ might be a defense when ‘her’ (evidence of gender is) dismissal notice arrives, the stupidity of continual errors of judgement will only weaken her defense. Perhaps Pauline will help in her hour of need?
Just jokin … ? ? ?
Totally agree with you John. For a while the ABC was targetted as ‘pro-right’ and sure – it has made its mistakes ( haven’t we all ) … but in the long run it asks the right questions, and demands the right answers – while trying to do some form of balancing act.
I complained recently to the ABC Vic. ( a real go at them – 6 paragraphs ) about very disturbing visual impact for particularly children, on a recent prime time News broadcast. I had a 9 paragraph answer direct from their Audience & Consumer Advice division, written specifically ( not an automatic reply ) to me in answer. That was CLASS. Not many would do that. An excellent answer which explained a lot.
Will always turn to the ABC for better, more truthful information – overall.
However ………. ( )
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-25/peter-dutton-refuses-to-help-iranian-asylum-seeker/7655866
Not sure if someone else has posted this link. If so – apologies for a repeat. It gives the whole story – and yes, from the ABC. Good for them.
The ‘Minister for Immigration’ has to be stopped from continuously uttering lies and performing vile manouvres to get rid of as many people who are genuine refugees, as he can. … Turnbull is too weak to bring him to task; to intervene.
I cannot publicly describe what I think of this Immigration Minister – um – – – thing ( creature, mongrel, brute ) … they are the polite words. …. I rather think an investigation ( medical / psych ) should be called for, but it won’t happen.
That creep will have his come-uppance – one way or another, one day. But can we, and all who are badly affected by his ‘ministrations’ , afford to wait so long ?
……..
Rarely does anyone here agree with Neil of Sydney. I don’t ever recall doing so myself.
But he has posted a link ( July 28, 2016 at 3:16 pm ) …. which all should read … particularly the item 2.4 – and read it in its’ entirety. In fact, it being from the Australian Human Rights Commission – the entire thing should be read. There is plenty of research by further links. I have not done the ‘whole nine yards’ myself, but considering it is from this Commission ( and I am presuming it is genuine and legit. – certainly appears so ) …. it makes for more than interesting reading – even in small increments. The 2.4 item is however, especially relative to this situation and cause.
This Government will do absolutely NOTHING to address this issue, and all other issues of illegal detention, in way less than adequate facilities. Simply because, in their self-obsessed opinions, they don’t have to – it is beneath them to even consider it.
And this is all just a tip of the iceberg.
I wonder how many Mojgans happened from 2007-2013? I suspect lots.
But like Gillian Triggs, ALP supporters only get out of bed when the Coalition is in power.
This is really make me sick!
I think that I will refrain myself to reading the news for a short while, it is to much to accept.
The Northern Territory government is suing two boys who were allegedly abused at the Don Dale detention centre for more than $200,000, alleging the boys damaged the detention centre in two escape attempts in the 12-months after being teargassed in August 2014.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jul/29/nt-government-countersuing-boys-allegedly-abused-in-juvenile-detention#img-1
“This is illegal. Please stop. It doesn’t matter that they are using a pseudonym. This is a breach of standard WordPress blog privacy policy.”
Absolute bullshit Dan. Can you tell me what law has been broken? Pseudonyms are fine by me. How has anyone’s privacy been breached? No-one has been identified in any way. I think it wise advice to suggest that you do not use your government department address to make abusive comments.
That particular person has used so many different names that you’d go dizzy counting them. They can do that of course. But most of that person’s comments ended up getting deleted because of the absolute filth they contained. They were abusive, racist, and often condoned violence. It got so bad, that this person was blocked from commenting. They obviously found a way around it. One would have thought that being blocked would have been a fair indication that you’re not welcome. They persist on commenting on a site that has taken efforts to prevent this from happening.
And what Kaye did is not illegal.
On a side note.
I’m really enjoying those Vsauce Youtube videos Dan referred to last week. Exactly my cup of tea.
In January we had six new people to the site attacking a regular commenter. They were virtually coming out of the woodwork to attack her and this caused her a large amount of stress. It went on for a week.
Oh how relieved she was to be told that those six ‘people’ were the same person. The sock puppets were created in order to gang up on a person.
Michael,
Now would be an opportune time for me to thank you and Carol for your support and protection for all the AIMN family. There have been occasions where you have deleted or edited things I have written and for that I am grateful. You guys run a tight ship and your oversight is greatly appreciated.
Thanks Kaye. I’m glad there’s at least one person we please. ?
I am reminded of being at my son’s football grand final when he was 16. I was rather surprised when a bevy of beautiful young girls turned up with his name on their t-shirts who then stood in front of the grandstand and led a cheer…i paraphrase slightly
AIMN fans in the stands let me hear you clap your hands
AIMN fans in your seats let me hear you stamp your feet
We really must have that champagne I promised you two if the Coalitiion lost 🙂
I was impressed with Free thinker’s post from 8.54 this morning and wish I had written that.
On the last few posts, I must say this is a very good blogsite.
It follows the old Larvatus Prodeo blog model to me, as something that had to become collegiate to an extent, in order to process the volume and quality of current affairs events and subsequent commentary to be sustained over a period of time to some sort of positive effect. One or two person shows collapse, even when the presentation and moderation is excellent, as even the toughest of the tough, Margo Kingston, proved through eventual overwork through hands on moderation combined with pursuit of other projects.
Michael TaylorJuly 29, 2016 at 4:11 pm
Thanks Kaye. I’m glad there’s at least one person we please
Michael, this site it is excellent, the best that I have found.
Those that do not like it are free to not participate on it.
Kaye, I read all your articles and posts, they are constructive and well written (not like mine ones)
I learn things every day on this site – from the articles and from the comments, all of which not only inform, but prompt me to look further. Before the 2013 election, knowing Tony Abbott from uni days, I got active on social media. I tried to tell people on conservative sites about Abbott’s history. It was ugly. I was attacked, vilified, and always eventually banned for linking to credible sources showing the bullshit Abbott was talking.
There is danger in living in an echo chamber, but there is liberation in insisting on truth. The beauty of this site is, provided you argue your point civilly with credible references, your opinion will be considered. Credibility of your sources is something all people should check on before believing what they are told.
Thank you Freethinker. That’s a lovely compliment.
Kaye, it has always bemused me. If lefties agree on something it is labelled ‘groupthink’, while if right-wingers are on something they congratulate themselves on having a ‘consensus’.
I couldn’t respond to your comment earlier as I’ve been traveling for the last couple of days (and it was getting hard to type on an iPhone on a bumpy road), but this is a fairly easy site to ‘look after’. Easy in that 99% of the commenters are intelligent, meaning that they are willing to articulate their point without resorting to abuse.
I really can’t convey in words how this site helps me every day. Your considered, intelligent articles keep me going.
May I second that.
Dan, I am not going to agree or disagree with your comments about the legally aspects but my question is: that you do not trust the admin of the site or not like how it is run, why you are here, why you participate on it?
Frankly I am confused or perhaps at my 70 years + I see things in a different manner.
Now I see what is happening (I think), all in this conversation between Dan Rowden and Freethinker. The specific issue involves Freethinker öuting a troll and getting in strife for it?
At the moment I find myself about fifty- fifty.
Agree that privacy is paramount, but Freethinker, If you outed a troll of the type described, surely Dan would stop to consider the ethics involved in dealing with troublemakers?
F… WordPress and any others who stick their beaks in like Murdoch maggots after the ABC, truth must come before legal narrowism, even if we are living in a slapsuit, Brandis sort of society- it can only get worse if people don’t stand up to it.
Dan Rowden is of course right in advocating privacy, which touches on a huge underlying issue of the current time, yet I can’t help cheering if someone has outed an institutional grub exclusively concerned with obfuscation and trouble-making.
If I have all this wrong, I am sure people will say why and I’ll welcome any further correction provided it isn’t abusive.