Is it the truth?
By 2353NM
The company that makes a lot of the voting machines used in the recent US election is suing a number of individuals, groups and companies that manufactured and promoted the lie that the US election was rigged in part due to the algorithms used in the voting machines. The company’s allegation is that the individuals, groups and companies didn’t tell the truth, because they were claiming that the Democrats (Joe Biden) hadn’t received more votes than the Republicans (Donald Trump) in the 2020 US Presidential election.
As reported in The Guardian, Dominion is a Canadian company that manufactures voting machines that are commonly used in the USA. Their case is the claims made by Trump and his supporters are factually wrong – and therefore libellous. After filing a $1.3 billion lawsuit against a number of Trump’s supporters including lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, Dominion’s lawyers filed a $1.6 billion lawsuit against News Corp’s Fox News in March,
“The truth matters,” Dominion’s lawyers wrote in the complaint. “Lies have consequences. Fox sold a false story of election fraud in order to serve its own commercial purposes, severely injuring Dominion in the process. If this case does not rise to the level of defamation by a broadcaster, then nothing does.”
The suit argues that Fox hosts and guests “took a small flame and turned it into a forest fire” by broadcasting wild assertions that Dominion systems changed votes and ignoring repeated efforts by the company to set the record straight.
“Radioactive falsehoods” spread by Fox News will cost Dominion $600m over the next eight years, according to the lawsuit, and have resulted in Dominion employees being harassed and the company losing major contracts in Georgia and Louisiana.
Unsurprisingly, Fox News denies the claim. Another voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic has also filed a similar claim against Fox News seeking $2.7 billion in restitution.
Trump’s lawyer (for a very short time) Sidney Powell asked for the lawsuit against her to be thrown out, claiming
the defamation lawsuit Dominion Voting Systems filed against her earlier this year should be dismissed because “no reasonable person” would believe that her well-publicised comments about an international plot against former President Donald Trump were “statements of fact.”
Dominion’s and Smartmatic’s move to sue those who have assisted in Trump’s ‘big lie’ is attempting to make them accountable for their actions, not through the political system but through the legal system. The idea is conceptually sound. The 1930’s Chicago gangster Al Capone was finally jailed for tax evasion, not the multitude of crimes he is alleged to have committed or sanctioned. Capone was only jailed because a US court ruled income received from illegal sources was still taxable!
The Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison Government also has an issue with truth and living with the consequences of their actions. While they aren’t being sued for libel by voting machine manufacturers, you might remember Morrison blustering in Parliament late last year that the CEO of Australia Post, Christine Holgate, must go as she arranged for the purchase of Cartier watches for some of her executive team who had renegotiated the ‘Bank@Post’ contract for Australia Post and its franchisee ‘shop’ owners, producing a favourable outcome. As Dennis Atkins reports in The New Daily,
He was clearly loving himself, riding his elevated steed.
“I was appalled,” he snarked when asked what he thought of Holgate’s performance gifts to four executives who had saved small post offices from parlous times.
“It is disgraceful and it’s not on.”
Morrison turned his blokey anger on Holgate: “If the chief executive wishes to stand aside, well not wishes to stand aside, she’s been instructed to stand aside and if she doesn’t wish to do that, Mr Speaker, she can go.”
Holgate has since been exonerated by Australia Post – she acted appropriately and within the rules and has apparently engaged a large legal firm to represent her. Some leading conservative ‘opinion leaders’ such as Alan Jones and Terry McCann are saying that Morrison bullied Holgate. From Atkins’ report
In a column this week, McCann doubled down on his prediction for Morrison’s electoral fate: “There is no way, no way, the federal government is going to win the next election. What ‘won it for ScoMo’ in 2019 was not his inherent brilliance or doggedness but Pauline Hanson and Clive Palmer, with a little help from Bill Shorten.”
It has long been the case that the states were the real managers of the COVID-19 response in Australia. Morrison’s attempt to ‘sell’ the concept that the COVID-19 vaccine rollout had been hamstrung by supply difficulties (which rapidly turned into a tit for tat argument with the European Union over the supply of Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine) was a cover for his earlier ‘world class rollout’ that had been shown to be anything but ‘world class’. It certainly didn’t help when the ‘we’ll put all our eggs in the one basket process’ promoted by Morrison fell apart because of apparently rare but serious contra-indications from the Astra Zeneca vaccine causing blood clots in people’s brains. The promise of ‘everyone who wants vaccination will have it by October’ now looks as believable as former PM Abbott’s promise to increase ABC funding or Turnbull promising to address climate change. As Paul Bongiorno suggests in The New Daily
Gladys Berejiklian and Annastacia Palaszcuk made it very clear the states were responsible for 30 per cent of the distribution, the Commonwealth for the rest – and completely responsible for the supply of the vaccine.
The states ignored Morrison’s pressure to curb lockdowns and keep borders open, and that saved the health of the nation and contributed in no small way to the incipient economic recovery.
But on the vaccine planning and delivery, the emperor in Canberra has no clothes and the nation will pay dearly for longer.
Cartoon by Alan Moir (moir.com.au)
Queensland’s Treasurer, who was Health Minister six years ago claims he called for an additional vaccine manufacturing facility in Australia at the time, but was ‘laughed at’ by the Coalition Government. While retrospectivity is always 100% accurate, if the claim is true the Coalition Government on past form won’t see the wood for the trees and will attempt to ‘market’ themselves out of trouble rather than admit they ‘got one wrong.’ The Victorian Government is currently investigating the possibility of building a vaccine manufacturing facility.
There is another way. The tradition in Rotary Clubs is that members who are either business owners or managers and all members subscribe to a simple test to do business, called the 4 Way Test
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings: Of the things we think, say or do
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
These principles have been developed over the years to provide Rotarians with a strong, common purpose and direction. They serve as a foundation for our relationships with each other and the action we take in the world.
While there are probably ‘hour a week’ Rotarians in a similar way to ‘hour a week’ Christians – who follow the teachings of their particular brand of Christianity for the hour each week they are on the church premises before reverting to the type of people that lock up refugees for years with no due process or victimise groups within society for political ends – a lot of Rotarians evidently consider and benefit from the 4 Way Test in their daily life.
Consideration of the tenets of truth, fairness, goodwill and beneficial to all concerned would be a nice change in Australian politics and who knows, may renew trust in governments generally. We all know it’s needed!!!
What do you think?
This article was originally published on The Political Sword
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13 comments
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Phil Pryor
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Terence Mills
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Henry Rodrigues
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Michael Taylor
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Kerri
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Canguro
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WAM
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Henry Rodrigues
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Frank Smith
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Phil Pryor
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Jon Chesterson
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2353NM
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Michael Taylor
Return to home pageLeave a reply?? In a bedpan?? This shitskulled government is led by the big one, S. Lying-Morrison, an untrustworthy untouchable turd, who suffers from an ingrained touch of the psychotics, for he cannot conceive of truth and lives in a fraud and fantasy world that never existed, with sugar plum salvation, ridiculous redemption, fake forgiveness. imaginary inflation of the ego, errant erection of the “soul” (left out the “r”.) and a total construction in the upper atmosphere of thrust out propaganda, front, face, will and ugly appearance. If you believe in Morrison or his hideopus henchmen, then the pope’s a mongolian moslem, Darlinghurst road beauties are all virgins, you’ll win every time on the pokies, drugs are so good for you, Boris Jerk-off -Johnson is believable (honest!) and junk food saves lives. In fact, it is a rigged, declining, rotten corporate world to be made safe for profiteering at any price, so do not forget that gospel.
Just over twelve months ago, Donald Trump dismissed the COVID-19 virus by saying :
There have now been thirty two millions case diagnosed in the USA and 572,000 deaths.
Trump, Bolsonaro, and Modi the wannabee Trump of the Indian subcontinent, all science deniers, all contemptuous of the scientists, all populist right wing dickheads….. there’s a common thread running through all three. Pity is that so many were swayed by their crass message, by the slogan of economic prosperity at all costs, even at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives of their citizens. Maybe the fear of death will convince some to not make that mistake again.
Australia escaped that fate because Scummo’s behaviour was least checked by the the states refusing to pander to all of his stupidity.
Terence, that’s almost 10% of the U.S. population. That’s ghastly.
Imagine if Trump had retained office. ☹️
This is a government that has succeeded by lying and bullying and blam-shifting.
Based on past performance a behavioural analyst would see little change in the people at the top.
Can’t fault the Rotarian Four-Way Test, but the ‘one-hour a week’ adherence to the principle, less than 0.6% of the week’s hours, seems pretty thin and hypocritical. Hopefully Rotarians are more generous then that!
It’s more likely that the ‘one hour per week’ Christians are thicker on the ground than their Rotarian counterparts.
The polished turd posing as the political leader of this country seems a case in point.
Today’s Guardian has an article showing the poseur in full fantasy flight mode. What an embarrassment in a so-called secular (but religiously diverse) society to have an ululating tongue-speaking snake-handling happy-clapping hallelujah freak sitting at the very top of the nation’s political tree!
“Called to do God’s work as as prime minister”, he said. Like… abhorrent treatment of refugees, shutting out of the country those who would return in these trying Covid-19 times, sinking the boot into the poor, un- or under-employed, or the aged in need of care, of the disabled in need of support, or the businesses and market sectors he’s ruined due to his hubristic idiocy towards out major trading partner, or his back-turning ignorance and failure to assist those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed through floods and fires and droughts, or his preference to offer unconditional support to his cabal of corrupt fools who sequester within the confines of the parliamentary precinct in Canberra, including some alleged to be rapists, sexual predators, adulterers, carpet-baggers, climate-deniers and other free-loaders, whilst ignoring the roar of the masses in the wider community who cry out for him to wake up and face reality.
God’s work, he says. “I’m called by God to behave this way.”
What a wretched person he is. Truly.
Who thinks stultus populus ubique and craig kelly is not telling the truth when they say climate change is natural? What journalist, other than rupert’s will take on a story that may cost her/his house?(https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/12/19/gawkers-demise-and-the-trump-era-threat-to-the-first-amendment) I have tried to understand but maybe some spaces block the passage through the brain?? Truth is what you believe and, like opinion, needs no evidence. Beliefs can be changed by discussion, debate and education. Religion controls the trinity so completely that no questions can be asked. When a sportsman and woman got pinged for hell, homophobia and alcoholism, I was excited at the prospect of some journalist asking scummo, andrews and mccormack their thoughts on heaven, hell and science. But even mungo avoided the limelight.
Confusion reigns, NM 2353, I must have another read?
ps trump et al https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/91235
The dickhead is becoming more like Trump everyday.
Canguro, I also find The Guardian article alarming. No way this lying, incompetent hypocrite is going to be “laying his filthy hands” on me. “Called to do God’s Work ” – what piffle! What an embarrassment!
The abrasive insularity of these religious, superstitious, mental masturbators is stupendously ridiculous, insulting, uncivilised. Morrison may well lay in hands, as do others, with some inserting and bothering apparently. This brainless domineering and posturing gets some suckers in, and the weak seem to stare at the perceived strong as they strut in the name of some lord. Pompous poogobbling does not save; it demeans, reduces, deflates. Frauds, fantasists, fakes and fools fill out the ranks of the devout who seek deviation from sense. Three days of cases numbering over one million have engulfed India and its deprived citizens and yet its leader will embrace the figure of a elephantine carving or dancing multiarmed woman for succour. The poor, rejected, denied and suffering of the world do not need some idiot’s hands laid on, they need real help from science, technology and decent people, not typical of the political world.
I sincerely hope Holgate sues Morrison, she should and she will succeed, because he lied, he bullied and he defamed, he smirked mockingly as he did it, and they are facts in plain light of day – Any reasonable person can see that and he must not be protected by parliamentary privilege. Nether a government nor an elected member of parliament should be allowed to attack a citizen and hide behind parliamentary privilege under law (common law or rule of law) – that would a be a most dangerous precedent.
It is about time Morrison was brought to justice, not just removed from office or lose an election. But watch him manufacture the spin, interfere with the constitutional process of our next election, just watch the lies and false claims and achievements, the steals as once again he tries to brainwash a sufficient number of Australians to return this bastard serial liar and corrupt prime minister.
I sincerely hope the women of this country will vent their wrath on the him and both these ruling parties; and the men – about time you too brought the country back to reason, fairness and justice instead of hiding behind your business deals, crummy tax handouts, bribes, general moral and social ignorance, and false misogynist mateship. Time to do what is best for all and for the nation – Do the 4-way test.
@Jon Chesterson – The problem is that for Holgate to have a chance, it has to be proven that Morrison repeated what he said outside the House of Reps. No government is going to change the laws around privilege.
There is probably a way to succeed here (just as the US Internal Revenue finally ‘got’ Al Capone through tax evasion), but it will take people who probably have a great knowledge of the law to work out how to do it (and maybe a marketing instinct as well).
The best hope in a defamation case is for her to prove that Morrison’s words have affected her ability to gain suitable employment. In other words, he’s hit her in the pocket. Always hard to prove, though.