Day to Day Politics: Trump’s and Turnbull’s Terrible Tricks of Deception.
Sunday 4 June 2017
In the aftermath of calamitous decisions made by politicians who disregard the counsel of science and the wise, we are apt to find reasoned and thoughtful commentary.
I was going through a number of online publications looking for commentary that might be sympathetic to my recent piece for The AIMN; Trump and Turnbull confirm their Lunacy when I came across a piece by Richard Dennis titled Donald Trump is more honest about climate inaction than Malcolm Turnbull. Dennis wrote that:
”There is a depressing honesty about Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. It stands in stark contrast to the hypocrisy of Malcolm Turnbull’s big talk on climate change, which is accompanied by a $1 billion subsidy for the enormous new Adani coal mine. At least Trump is doing what he said he would do.
Trump shows his contempt for the world’s problems by withdrawing from a global agreement on the basis that he doesn’t think it’s in his nation’s interest, while Turnbull shows his contempt by remaining in that same agreement while funding the construction of a new coal mine that will still operate in 2080. Which is worse?”
When Richard writes it is always illuminating and to the point. In this instance he reveals with explicit clarity the deceit of Malcolm Turnbull. The truth of it is that on the one hand Turnbull is playing the role of Paris Agreement advocate while on the other he outrageously promotes coal. He continues:
”To put Turnbull’s coal expansion plans into context; Australia is already the world’s largest coal exporter. At 388 million tonnes in 2015-16, we have a larger share of the traded coal market than Saudi Arabia has of the world oil market. And the Australian government hopes to facilitate a doubling of our coal exports.”
With a range of fraudulent words and actions designed to destroy the delivery of truth as we know it Turnbull and his Ministers are promoting a non-existent product called clean coal.
”Think about that. Australia is a signatory to an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero in 33 years’ time. And Turnbull wants to subsidise the opening-up of a new coal basin in the hope that it will export an extra 300 million tonnes of coal a year. I’d take Trump’s denial over Turnbull’s deception any day.
The Coalition clearly takes the adage that, if you are going to tell a lie, tell a big one quite seriously. Having decided to adopt a bizarre “pro-coal, pro-climate” public position, it has set out to abuse language, policy and taxpayers’ money to design a bridge between the multiple sandcastles it is building in the air. Take this week’s announcement that more taxpayers’ money will potentially be invested in “carbon capture and storage.”
This ”carbon capture and storage” theory has been around for generations and has come to nothing. For Turnbull to promote it as being viable is shameful. It’s akin to him promoting the Snowy Mountain Hydro water recycling suggestion as being viable when a feasibility study hasn’t even been completed.
Richard Dennis makes some astute observations. You can read them here.
An observation.
”Power is a malevolent possession when you are prepared to forgo your principles and your country’s wellbeing for the sake of it.”
Around the world the reaction to Donald Trumps announcement that the USA would not honour its Paris Agreement obligations was one of Universal condemnation.
As former President Barack Obama stated in a press release:
”The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created. I believe the United States of America should be at the front of the pack. But even in the absence of American leadership; even as this Administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I’m confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we’ve got.”
The leaders of all the major nations reiterated their obligation to the Paris agreement. China has now replaced the United States as the leader of the world for reducing harmful emissions. America’s reputation has been damaged beyond repair.
Why a US President would willingly capitulate Global leadership is a mystery only known to the Donald. Even his withdrawal speech was a bunch of lies and distortions that have been pulled to shreds.
As Katharine Murphy said in the Guardian:
”The US president’s willingness to surrender global leadership on important issues is, from this distance, truly unfathomable. Even his withdrawal patter on Friday morning was pathetic. America was out, but would come back in if it could get a better deal. America was out, but possibly back in, because the citizens of Pittsburgh apparently don’t care about climate change.”
The Vice President was bemused by the reaction to the Presidents decision:
”For some reason or another, this issue of climate change has emerged as a paramount issue for the left in this country and around the world,” Pence said during an appearance on Fox & Friends.
So what if man-made global warming is already wreaking havoc around the world?
Next Friday with the release of the Finkel review the focus will return to Australia’s efforts on the environment. Currently many would argue that we really don’t have a Climate policy.
Richard Dennis in the same article says:
”Speaking of defending that status quo, on the domestic front, the Coalition’s direct action plan is reaching its use-by date and the Turnbull government is faced with the impending arrival of a new report by Chief Scientist Professor Alan Finkel. It’s the latest in a string of government reviews of the need for a long-term climate policy that can actually put some pressure on polluters to reduce their emissions rather than put putting pressure on the budget to buy emission reductions.”
The problem for Turnbull is that given the Chief Scientist is likely to put forward the same solution as he did in his last report that being the introduction of an effective carbon tax he has, given that the deniers in his party oppose it, he has no option but to reject his findings.
Richard Dennis again:
”Obstacle No. 1 is that the Coalition can’t possibly introduce a simple and effective carbon tax. The idea that a government would introduce a tax to discourage a harmful activity has become anathema to the “good economic managers” in the Coalition, even if it is economics 101. And even if Tony Abbott increased tobacco taxes to discourage smoking.”
We simply have to face the fact that the real and absolute truth is that the Coalition is and always has been a party of climate change deniers and coal-mining advocates. This is proven beyond doubt when you look at their actions and policies.
Why would you on the one hand cynically say that you want to reduce your country’s carbon emissions and simultaneously on the other want to build the worlds biggest coal mine?
My thought for the day.
”The purpose of propaganda is to make you feel good about the wrongs being perpetrated on you”
PS: Would it be a stretch to far to suggest that the decisions of Trump are about nothing more that the destruction of Obama’s legacy.
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Return to home pageYet again Mr Lord you have shown through (public) evidence that the COALition is full of liars and people unfit to be in office. The majority of the population is under constant attack from these scumbags while the elite are given handout after handout. They are a disgrace.
One must wonder why more people are not up in arms and questioning these misfits about their disgraceful lying and misinformation.
Just goes to show us that Australia is populated by muppets. Could it be said that we are getting what we deserve?
For me, it is time for the majority to take to the streets in open protest!!!
Great read today, Lord. At last some idea that trump knows exactly what he is doing because he is true to himself. He is using other people’s lies that seem true to him because he only sees/understands/is told parts of the advice Trumble is pushing lies that he knows are lies. They are a world apart yet the same.
In addition:
Trump has the advantage of obama haters whilst trumball still has his lady macbeth et al in cabinet.
Trump is ‘in charge’ and loving it and trumball tries.
“Trump’s repudiation of the Paris deal is regrettable for at least three reasons. First, because the US is a technological leader whose entrepreneurs are extremely well placed to lead the global low-carbon transition; second, because America’s abdication of climate leadership weakens the global order and sends a wink and a nod to other fossil-fuelled recalcitrants like Saudi Arabia and Russia; and finally because having the world’s second-highest emitter outside the agreement is a clear negative.”
(The Conversation: Dave Frame)
There is a fourth reason the US will regret withdrawing from the Paris Accord: America will no longer have a leadership role in the inevitable transition to clean energy production; instead, the US will be a follower in a coalition led by China. The Trump administration is locking the US into a process that will lead to its declining influence in world affairs.
Human involvements are changing rapidly — there is a transitioning away from fossil fuels, an adjustment to atmospheric warming, and the confrontation of environmental degradation caused by overpopulation. It is probable that humans will soon move into survival mode. The Trump administration seems unmindful of the great shift that is happening. We are witnessing, as Chris Hedges predicted, the decline and fall of an empire.
You make it all so obvious, John Lord.
At least we have only 2 years to go before the next Federal election, and the US has almost 4 before the next scheduled change of president, Trump is so disordered and arrogant the he may actually do less damage to his country and the planet than Turnbull wiĺl. And the US has Congressional elections in two years.
The legal voices are saying that Trump cannot withdraw from the Paris accord before 2020. Well, we all know that he takes no account of the law. I strongly suspect that regardless of the legal strictures, Trump will simply act as if his withdrawal is legal. Yes, many states and cities will continue and even accelerate their own progress towards zero emissions, no doubt incurring frequent tantrums from the orange toddler. So all is not lost there.
However, the outrageous $billion “loan” to the Adani project is money that could be put to much better use. Money that we will never see again. An outlay with huge opportunity cost and zero benefit.
How the Coalition can remain blind to the overwhelming public opposition to this handout, blind to the inevitable electoral cost, is one of life’s great mysteries.
Interesting to see that Theresa May is losing her extensive lead in the upcoming election to be held in the UK next week. Like Turnbull she thought a snap election – the scheduled election was not due until 2020 – would increase her numbers in parliament and she considered Jeremy Corbyn the Labour leader as a soft target : she even refused to give Corbyn any air by way of a conventional debate. But the voters were not so easily herded into giving the Conservatives the lanslide they thought they were entitled to.
A BBC run Q&A showed some weaknesses in May’s policies and gave Corbyn a platform where the nation could see him and evaluate him, possibly for the first time ; he didn’t do too badly. I think the Conservatives in the UK hate the BBC as much as those in Australia hate the ABC and none of them like public Q&A sessions – the UK Conservatives are saying that the BBC allowed in Labourites who pretended they were conservatives : sound familiar ?
Whilst Malcolm’s DD election backfired badly and he almost lost office and his attempts to dominate the Senate went horribly wrong to the extent that the coalition have now had to enter into an alliance with One Nation, something that could never have occurred under Howard. The coalition are starting to look like a rag-tag collection of people and ideologies whose only commonality is an overwhelming desire to cling to power, whatever it takes.
Theresa May will still win the election but her majority could be a bit bruised and battered and surely there is a lesson here for politicians not to take the electorate for granted and be very careful when you go for a snap election.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/03/theresa-may-approval-rating-sinks-as-tory-lead-shrinks-to-six-points
When we draw comparisons between the two countries we also have to mention that in USA many of the states and also big companies will support the Paris agreement and will do all that they can to in an independent manner to honor the agreement.
Here, in contrast we have a Labor state government that support coal mining and a Labor federal party that seat in the fence to see if they can be in both sides at the same time.
No political courage and conviction in the opposition and dishonesty in the government side.
People voted for the Coalition and Malcolm Turnbull knowing that the cabinet will be formed by the same politicians that were on the Abbott government.
People voted for Malcolm knowing that he agree with all the policies implemented or proposed by the Abbott government.
So we can say that the electorate knew where Malcolm stand.
Terry2 the electorate in UK will vote for the conservative party and in Queensland as well.
The lesson that we all have to take is that the electorate vote to what it is important in their back pocket before give priorities to the environment or care and compassion for the people in need.
Remember that people still preferring Malcolm as a leader if if is not strong and trustworthy.
Without preferences, in the polls, both parties are lock on 38%
In England the prefer T May and her policies that are draconian and extreme right policies.
I hope for a conservative defeat but I recognise that the odds are still against Jeremy Corbyn.
It seems to me that the UK middle class electorate still haven’t understood that the lowest paid have been struck into poverty and that they are next, they still clomng to the trickle down keeping them immune from the inequality trap.
Piers Akerman in the Telegraph praises Trump for his “clarity” in giving reasons for his withdrawal from the Paris accord.
But then neither Akerman nor Trump have any understanding of what Climate Change is – and that ignorance is mirrored in the number of people who support them. Take for example the strange ad hominem attacks on supporters of Climate Change by none other than Clive James, supported by the IPA (Oh no, it’s not a political group!) and published in The Australian (Climate Change geniuses – not!)
Trump has no idea. For him it is all about his building business. He makes gaffs and idiot comments daily, is a bully and an ignoramus.
Plenty are saying it is just as well he is away from the accord, where he would be just an idiot nuisance.
I doubt that the problem it is ignorance in the case of Trump and his wealthy team, the problem is pure selfishness, and greed protecting their business interest.
They are all seventy years old or more and they know that they will died of a natural cause before climate reach the point of no return.
It is plain like that.
The party members are concerned first in their seat, second in the party, third business interest that provide them with donations and last the country.
Forget about the planet.
Me too stepheng2014. A win for Jeremy Corbyn, that is. Might seem all uphill but I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.
If Britain is too stupid to make Corbyn PM, I say we should ask him to come to Australia to head up The ALLiance Government made up of a mixture of the Greens, assorted progressive Labor MPs and various other upcoming progressive political entities.
It would be perfect timing in preparation for the next Federal election that I predict to be in the second half of 2018.
Now Trump is saying climate change is real, wtf, hard to keep up. The Australian shows itself up for the dumb paper it is.
DICK HEAD – JOHN LORD HAS A PHOBIA ABOUT TRUMP
But all he does is echo the mass media bullshit about Trump.
The Mass Media is carrying out a campaign against Trump on behalf of Wall Street Banks they want to get rid of Trump before he can introduce Bank Separation legislation.
John Lord does not have a clue about Trump Policies he is too busy attacking the man.
Trump is an outsider that could make some great changes but he has the whole entrenched establishment against him both Democrat & Republican. He has the masters of War against him as he is trying to improve relations between the two Nuclear Powers but John Lord is too busy wanking to see that.
If John Lord is not a complete Cock Sucking Dick Head is he receiving money from George Soros who is Bank Rolling an on line campaign through Blogs and Social Media.??? That is the big question.
Jennifer Meyer-Smith you have it right about Corbyn but wrong about the Greens the last thing we need in our Parliament is Toxic Greens. They are poison like One Nation. And we need old style pre 80’s Labor not a mixture of Green Labor and Liberal Labor.
RonaldR,
sometimes you speak sense too.
I applaud you for wanting pre-80’s Labor back. The Golden Years of Labor were the Gough Whitlam years when many things good were considered possible and doable.
However, you miss the integrity of my argument and that is modern Labor can’t return Australia to anywhere near those times, if just left in the hands of Labor.
Hence, my proviso that a Greens/Labor/Progressives ALLiance is necessary so we can be assured this time the Alternative Government actually wants to win government (and not be satisfied to lose by ONE seat) and actually wants to revert Australia to a democratic socialist Australia instead of the worn out failure neoliberalist/capitalist system we’ve been enduring for four decades.
RonaldR,
when you’re not speaking sense, you defend that moron Trump.
Before he was voted in by a corrupted and archaic electoral college in Congress, there were murmurs that Trump could be good (in a perverse way) for bringing about much needed change in the way things are done in American politics.
Well that went well, didn’t it! Trump is dangerous because he is stupid and is easily manipulated by evil bastards who don’t mind who and what they damage.
They are completely without morals and are actively working against their own people and the planet. It doesn’t get worse than that.
Donald R. Suggest you get a manager . You have been handling yourself to long.
Which is exactly what you are doing to John Lord: attacking the man.
I am growing rather tired of you endless insults to the authors here. You clearly lack the decency to engage in a debate about the topic, preferring to continually insult the authors.
We have been very patient with you, but this patience is runnning out. The next time you hurl another insult at John Lord or any of the authors – or the other commenters here – you will be blocked from commenting again.
With the attitude of Trump and his fellow climate change deniers it is best if Trump is out of any further deliberations post Paris. Trump et al will be trying constantly to squash any reasonable discussions.
RonaldR
Not long after the US election the issue of Russian interference in the Presidential election was coming to the fore. Since more evidence has come out alleging Trump had quite strong ties with Russians.
You make a further comment totally out of tune with hate comment against John when you write … “we need old style pre 80’s Labor not a mixture of Green Labor and Liberal Labor.” In those days politicians did seem to show a bit more respect towards one another; exactly what you haven’t accorded John.
I hope your detestable comment is deleted.
In the Q&A with candidates and public questions in the UK, a nurse employed by the NHS asked why her salary from 2009 until now had not gone up, Theresa may was only able to say that the country can’t afford it !!!!
This is the conservative attitude we are also seeing in Australia, we want to give tax concessions to corporations and the wealthy but when it comes to essential services and the people paying all the tax with no smart accountants to reduce their taxable incomes, it’s a question of there not being any money left.
Corporations around the world are pushing their governments to reduce their tax so that they can remain competitive, that is going to leave just one group of people paying all the tax and that’s the working man and woman.
Michael, your restrain is commendable.
This is very appropriate quote IMHO, reflects Johns patience as well.
A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply to unseemly behavior is patience and moderation. Moliere
end of quote
Insulting in a debate is a result of social ignorance and lack of facts showing that the person run out of arguments knowing that he/she is wrong.
‘PS: Would it be a stretch to far to suggest that the decisions of Trump are about nothing more that the destruction of Obama’s legacy.’ I could not agree more, and i don’t understand why that comment is not made more often. Tony Abbott did exactly the same to Julia Gillard. Abbott’s decisions were exactly that….. nothing more than the destruction of Gillard’s legacy. No policies of his own, just get rid of hers.
Not much of a far stretch, Linda. It’s probably the same reason he’s trying to get rid of ObamaCare.
The only thing that I can think of that recent conservatives started are wars and the GST. They repeal things and cut funding and sell profitable assets (or give them away to Indian billionaires). Notable exception – John Howard’s gun buyback.
Malcolm Turnbull talks about being innovative with century old ideas like copper to connect the NBN, Snowy Hydro again (before the $28 million feasibility study has started), and inland railways that happen to go through the area where Barnaby Joyce bought “mongrel land” a few years ago.
Too many politicians leave politics to go straight to work for the fossil fuel industry.
Not to mention Murdoch’s commercial interest in influencing the debate…
“Israel has granted a U.S. company the first licence to explore for oil and gas in the occupied Golan Heights, John Reed of the Financial Times reports.
A local subsidiary of the New York-listed company Genie Energy — which is advised by former vice president Dick Cheney and whose shareholders include Jacob Rothschild and Rupert Murdoch — will now have exclusive rights to a 153-square mile radius in the southern part of the Golan Heights.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/israel-grants-golan-heights-oil-license-2013-2#eJxDixcrMMwSW8Fy.99
Genie’s founder, chairman, controlling shareholder and CEO is Howard Jonas. Avi Goldin serves as the company’s CFO and Geoffrey Rochwarger serves as Vice Chairman. The president of its Israeli subsidiary is Effie Eitam. Genie Energy’s Strategic advisory board is composed of: Dick Cheney (former vice president of the United States), Rupert Murdoch (media mogul and chairman of News Corp), James Woolsey (former CIA director), Larry Summers (former head of the US Treasury), and Bill Richardson, former Governor of New Mexico, an ex-ambassador to the United Nations and United States Energy Secretary
Genie Energy Ltd., through its subsidiaries, operates as a retail energy provider; and an oil and gas exploration company. The company operates through three segments: Genie Retail Energy; Afek Oil and Gas, Ltd.; and Genie Oil and Gas. It resells electricity and natural gas to residential and small business customers primarily in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. The company also holds an 85.1% interest in the southern portion of the Golan Heights in Northern Israel; an 88.2% interest in an oil shale exploration project in Central Mongolia; and an 86.1% interest in an oil shale development project in Israel’s Shfela Basin. Genie Energy Ltd. was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.
Remind me not to pay for any energy from Genie Energy Ltd.
It is interesting to see right wing supporters getting very angry and making ad hominem attacks and using foul language against people who offer a different point of view. They exhibit their own frustration because things are not going the way they would like.
The attitude to Trump is a case in point. Trump was to be the saviour of the USA and a shining light for all conservatives, but he is proving himself to be failure in so many ways. His latest foray into the Middle East and his oafish behaviour in the Paris accord meeting attest to his ignorance, bad manners and arrogance. He says stupid things daily and his overall scheme to regain the “Golden Years” of US dominance is just a pipe dream because those years were based on outmoded technology and economics. The world has changed since then. Nostalgia will not bring back those years.
As well, here in Oz we have seen the failure of conservative leadership: the failure of Abbott and the nervous procrastination of Turnbull stealing Labor initiative and pretending he is doing it better. It is not just the mainstream media, including Murdoch, which is critical, but the polls show some displeasure as well.
So we get personal attacks on Labor, which has out-maneuvered the Coalition in policy-making. And vitriolic attacks on the Greens. And when we look at the problems of food security, water security, the plastic soup we call the ocean, the pollution of the soil, the damage done through the melting o glaciers and sea ice, destruction of forests, the warming of the planet, the desertification of land we understand why the conservatives might be angry for being reminded of their part in all of this.
We can see Trump being involved in strange enterprises as well. The firing of 59 missiles onto a Syrian airfield which did nothing. The sale of billions of dollars worth of arms to Saudi Arabia, which is bombing Yemen and was the origin of the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack on the USA. It was the Coalition of the Willing which used 9/11 as an excuse to bomb Saddam Hussein on false evidence – even though they had supported Hussein against Iran The duplicity is staggering.
Meanwhile, the far right did not win in France, The British Tories are not unbeatable, Merkel leads in the EU, and Erdogan is facing opposition to his right wing dictatorship.
All in all, the Right is showing itself to be in big trouble for reasons of its own making; wars against sovereign countries, problems from 50m refugees fleeing to Western countries, fear of terrorism. stagnant economies, fear of the reality of Climate Change and fear to do anything about it, problems of over-population, fear of Russia, China and North Korea…
And all some people can do is yell hysterically at clouds and abuse those who do not agree, blind to their own failings. We need a better approach than battering others into submission – which looks like the Trump approach.
Keith. Dribbling that shit about Russia being involved in the US Election you sound like a disciple of Murdoch and Soros. If Murdoch reads the Shit John Lord writes he will give John a job, but then Murdoch might just say this guy has not a thought of his own –all he does is copy.
Jennifer Meyer-Smith you are the Moron you are a bullshit magnet –you believe all the misinformation. Unfortunately you would not know the truth if it jumped up and bit you on the arse. You are too busy believing what you see on TV and in these blogs. Trump knows there has always been climate change; it has been that way since time began and Trump knows the only way man can cause climate change is with a Nuclear War. But then you peanuts bag the man for trying to improve relations between USA & Russia. Trump listened to the real activist in the USA and stood up to do some good –all you fools know about him is what the mass media has fed you. John you are the one who needs a manager and if you stop playing with it all the time your brain MIGHT work -Bye Sheeple
Michael,
I think it is time RonaldR was sent to time out until he learns how to play nicely with others
Byebye RonaldR,
just when you could have shown some introspection of your own misguided servitude and analysis of the orange fuzzy hair, you became quite mean and nasty.
I can only think you are a paid troll by Trump coz why else sell his false lies and deceits which will only profit him and his inner circle?
No need for ‘time out’. RonaldR concluded with ‘Bye Sheeple’. Presumably he is a man of his word. His ‘departure’ is a personal choice.
His ‘promise’ ought to be respected? Something to be remembered? Credibility oh the line?
Time out would be good, but I’ve come up with something better: he’s been shown the door.
Pity. He was a lot of fun.
Thanks Kaye, thanks Michael,
Let RonaldR stay he constantly reminds me of my determination to destroy the neoliberal agenda.
RonaldR’s agenda is as confused as his abuse. We have been accused of being stooges for Soros, Murdoch and Wall St.
That tends to happen with fundamentalist religious folk and those who need someone to blame instead of thinking how they can help. I pity those who choose to live in fear and judgement. Life is so much more rewarding when you take part.
I have been away for a few days and I met a myriad of people from around the world. It was amazingly cathartic. We discussed a huge range of topics and everyone I spoke to was talking about how we can come together to fix things.
Thank you Michael, RonaldR posts are not appropriate and definitely not at the level in this site.
Now we can have pleasant debates again free of trolls and bad language.
RonaldR
I don’t read Murdoch papers; but, if Murdoch doesn’t support a neo con regime such as Trump’s, then you know something is awry.
I do see many references from US sources on a weekly basis.
Comey, the former Chief of the FBI sacked by Trump … under Comey investigations in relation to the Russian influence in the US elections were being carried out.
Flynn one of Trump’s former leaders forced out of Trump regime.
Allegations have been made about Trump’s son-in-law dealing with the Russians have been made.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions had to recuse himself from involvement in Russian investigations.
I have seen the name Soros come up from time to time; who is he, how does he have an influence over my thinking when I don’t even know who he is. Does he have an influence over a number of major US papers including epapers such as AIMN (e.g. Alternet)?
Something had to be done, Freethinker. We have fantastic writers on this site but sadly we have lost a few because they were sick of being attacked by trolls. I’m not saying they didn’t like debate, or to be questioned or have their opinions disputed – there was never any problems with that – but trolls are a different story. I guess that it was my fault, ultimately, because I didn’t act sooner.
Keith, like you, I have no idea who Soros is or what he represents. He has no influence over this site.
Soros is a clever and successful major league currency etc speculator. Urbane, he comes from Europe, probably fled the nazis or soviets, given his age. Broke the English pound on a speculative run about thirty years ago.
A little like Buffet, has become a sort of prophet prone to commentating on how globalised financialised capitalism operates in the world for the benefit of we hoi poloi.
The Bircher or Rednack wing of capitalism thus resent him because he won’t window dress how it all operates and is seen as firmly in the camp of the Clintonite Imperialist liberals. He has been thus been accused of being a wing or front man for the Rothschilds and senior operative in the world wide UN Jewish socialist masonist libertine banker conspiracy that operates with the Greens to bring down Xtiantiy and Decent Moral Values.
what I should have thought of in the first place.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Soros
Michael
My point was perhaps a bit vague, AIMN and Alternat are not influenced by a particular individual, as you say there are fine writers and correspondents who subscribe to AIMN.
My understanding is that RonaldR is associated with the Citizens’ Electoral Council of Australia. It arose in Queensland and includes the thoughts of American activist Lyndon LaRouche who appears to me to be a kind of Ron L. Hubbard character. RonaldR refers to this LaRouche as “someone who knows” but RonaldR himself does not say anything about what is known. He just refers to cecaust.com.au.
Wikipedia has a history and description of this minor political party now based in Melbourne.