ANDREW BOLT|Old Dog Thoughts | News Corporation employs Andrew Bolt and provides him with a platform ensuring the inequality of speech. Bolt's Blog not only advocates conservative, right wing and Tea Party views it moderates out most opposing opinions which he is entitled to do. However Andrew Bolt simply lies when he says he provides an arena for fair and balanced discussion in a no spin zone. He doesn't it's all spin.
Friday 26 April 2024
Fighting Fake News with REAL,26/4/24, Human Rights, Free Speech, Texas Troopers attack Students, Put Israeli Aid in Escrow,
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his federal government are using
political capital, which they have a short supply of, escalating a fight
with billionaire Elon Musk over censorship and free speech on […]
Thursday 25 April 2024
Fighting Fake News with REAL 25/4/24, Rossleigh, Pezzullo, ALP, India, & The ABC,
The debate continues to rage over Elon Musk’s refusal to take down videos of the church stabbing from X. Musk claims freedom of speech, and the Government wants to censor the world.
Elon Musk vs Australia: will global content take-down orders do more harm than good?
by Dan Svantesson | Apr 24, 2024
Anyway, there’s heaps more strange things like Tony Abbott being Minister for Women or Peter Dutton having perfect eyesight until he lost his hair but there’s a limit to how much strangeness you can have in a day… It’s true: the communist Albanese government has imposed it and I read it on X!
Source: Why I’m Confused By Peter Dutton And Other Strange Things… – » The Australian Independent Media Network
On Monday night's episode of 7.30, former Home Affairs Secretary Mike Pezzullo admitted that he “made mistakes” and “let people down� ...
Mike Pezzullo sacked years too late: FLASHBACK 2023
The Albanese Government is funding a predicted mining boom that will have devastating consequences for the environment.
Albanese Government turning Australia into world's unsustainable mine
One wonders how the Australian mainstream media will react to the news that India, the so-called biggest democracy in th…
World’s biggest democracy expels ABC journalist but little noise in Australia
Wednesday 24 April 2024
Fighting Fake News with REAL, 24/4/24, Lobbyists, Lehrmann, UNRWA, Collective Punishment,
Free Market
Even in times of low official unemployment levels, the latest polling from the Freshwater Group (AFR 15 April 2024) shows that Labor’s primary vote has dropped to 31 per cent after just two years in government.
This is a crucial loss of 1.8 per cent in Labor’s support base or 2 per cent after preferences. Only Peter Dutton’s flat preferred prime ministerial ratings are keeping Labor two-party preferred vote at 50 per cent within the usual margin of error in all responsible polling.
Source: Political Futures: Prepare for the Onslaught from Professionalized Lobbyists – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Why does Bruce Lehrmann appear to be such a protected species? Rosemary Sorensen offers her analysis.
Uncovering the protection racket behind Bruce Lehrmann: Does he know too much?
The U.S. House on Saturday passed a bill including a prohibition on funding the agency, due to Israel's unsubstantiated claims that UNRWA employees have terrorism links.
'Damning' Independent Probe Finds Israel Has Yet to Provide Evidence Against UNRWA
Tuesday 23 April 2024
Fighting Fake News with REAL, 23/4/24, Scam of the Week, IMF Rankings, Rossleigh, Polls, Tom ain't Cotton,
Michael West Media
Westy breaks down the biggest scams of the week including Bruce
Lehrmann own goal, Peter Dutton’s homework, Richard Marles goes shopping
while getting whipped by men in sandals
The Lions Den | Scam of the Week
The latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) survey shows Australia rapidly recovering from the nine disastrous Coalition years, as Alan Austin reveals.
Australia's fiscal health under Labor reaffirmed in latest IMF rankings
Apart from all the terrorist and non-terrorist attacks, there’s been a bit of chatter about the introduction of disinformation and misinformation laws. The concern has been that media companies and politicians are concerned that there’s a lot of incorrect stuff being posted on social media, and they feel that it’s their job to spread misinformation. Like when social media named the wrong person as the Bondi attacker and Channel 7 just assumed that it was correct and went with it. It was social media to blame and not Channel 7 who can’t be expected to have the resources to do a simple check when so much of their resourcing goes to getting important stories which cost a lot in terms of Thai massages and steak dinners…
Source: A Lot Has Happened While I’ve Been Away… – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Newspoll 51–49 lead, unchanged from the previous Newspoll in late March.
Essential poll: 48-46 Labor regains lead after Coalition blowout
Morgan poll: 50.5–49.5 Coalition takes lead
Albanese’s net approval was up one point to -6, while Peter Dutton’s net approval was steady at -15. Albanese led Dutton as better PM by 48–35 (48–34 in March).
Other recent polls from Resolve, Freshwater and Morgan have Labor deteriorating, and it’s now close to even on two-party votes.
Labor maintains narrow Newspoll lead but drops in other polls
Senator Tom Cotton Inciting a Repetition of Charlottesville
Then voicing specific support for violence and inflicting pain on protesters, Cotton asserted, “If they glued their hands to a car or the pavement, well, probably pretty painful to have their skin ripped off, but I think that’s the way we’d handle it in Arkansas. And I would encourage most people anywhere that get stuck behind criminals like this, who are trying to block traffic, to take matters in their own hands.”
US senator recommends ripping skin off Gaza protesters
Michael F. Brown 20 April 2024
Monday 22 April 2024
Fighting Fake News with REAL, 22/4/24, Truth in Humor, Cruelty of Language, Media, Australia's Shame,
Describing it as minor tweak to Australia’s citizenship requirements, Anthony Albanese says applicants will now need to provide evidence that they have launched a 30kg pole at a mass murderer in order to have their submissions processed.
“It’s a fairly straightforward requirement,” the PM told a press conference today.
“We’re simply asking people to answer some basic questions such as, ‘What is the meaning of ANZAC Day?’ ‘What is on the Commonwealth Coat of Arms?’ and ‘When was the last time you stopped a knife attack with a piece of street furniture?’ I don’t think that is too onerous”.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the change was ridiculous, and suggested the Prime Minister had lost touch with the wants of Australia. He said citizenship should only be granted to people who had stopped knife attacks using a bollard while working as an au pair.
More to come.
New Citizenship Test Requires Applicants to Fend Off Knife Attack With Bollard
Ramzy Baroud responds to revelations about The New York Times “guidance” on language about the Israeli mass slaughter in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.
Cruelty of Language — the NYT’s Leaked Gaza Memo
In Australia, during a tour of the Far East in 1974, Frank Sinatra appallingly referred to Aussie journalists as "pimps", "whores" and "fags".
When Ol' Blue Eyes saw red
The inflaming of race relations in New Zealand provides a basis for repudiating the “No” case made against The Voice.
NZ race relations provide clearer picture for Australia's Voice denial
Woolworths boss Brad Banducci says Australia’s complex and inflexible industrial relations system makes it nearly impossible to avoid paying senior executives their full salary entitlements.
Woolworths Blames ‘Complicated’ IR Laws for Accidentally Paying All of Their Senior Executives Correctly
Sunday 21 April 2024
Fighting Fake News with REAL, 21/4/24, Lehrmann, The Shovel, Elective Surgery, Predictions, Gaza Photojournalists, Israel & Iran, Palestine Systematic strategy, Miko Peled,
Woolworths boss Brad Banducci says Australia’s complex and inflexible industrial relations system makes it nearly impossible to avoid paying senior executives their full salary entitlements.
Woolworths Blames ‘Complicated’ IR Laws for Accidentally Paying All of Their Senior Executives Correctly
Wait times for elective surgery at public hospitals have blown out to the longest on record, prompting calls for ...
Elective surgery wait times longest on record
When I was in graduate school studying Economics decades ago there were two names that were most prominent: Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes. It was the early 1970s, and revolution was still in the air, so Marx was more popular with students. For me it was simple. In Marx’s landmark Das Kapital (Capital) he showed how Capitalism contains the seeds of its own ruin, becoming increasingly monopolistic until declining profits result in system collapse. It seemed pretty obvious then, and seems even more obvious now.
As popular as Marx was among the students, he was largely ignored by the faculty, who were focused in various ways on making Capitalism work. There were two approaches to advancing this agenda, Monetarism – controlling the money supply, and Keynesianism, the use of taxation and government spending to stimulate the economy in recessions and depressions and slowing it down in times of rapid expansion. It is the art of balancing boom and bust. Keynes's renowned work The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money introduced his ideas in great detail.
» article continues...
Predictions Of The Future
9 October 2023, Gaza Strip. “It was as if flames were spewing from the jaws of Israeli tanks and the F-16 missiles, I took this picture from the 19th floor of a skyscraper in Gaza. In my 25-year career as a photographer, I never felt such fear and distress. I felt that I was filming a cinematic movie scene, I had to remind myself that it is all too real. I don’t have the words to describe this picture, but I know the terror I felt watching the flames lighting up Gaza in a night drowned in darkness with the electricity cut-offs on Gaza.”
Gaza’s Carnage Through the Eyes of Palestinian Photojournalists
Opinion
Israel and Iran are following the rules of the jungle, not the rule of law
Norwegian physician and professor emeritus Mads Gilbert opens up about his decades-long experience working in the occupied Palestinian territories and how the current situation is — in terms of Israeli brutality against Palestinians — unlike any other he’s witnessed in an exclusive interview with TRT World Digital. He also reflects on his activist side, inviting viewers to consider our shared humanity and what is required on the part of the international community, however challenging, to end Israel’s genocidal assault against Gaza.
Palestine Talks | Dr. Mads Gilbert on Israel’s “systematic strategy” to destroy Palestinians
In this exclusive TRT World roundtable discussion featuring Israeli American activist and writer, Miko Peled, and Palestinian activist and professor Sami Al-Arian, who is the director of Center for Islam and Global Affairs based in Istanbul, Zionism is explored as a means of developing anti-Palestinian fear in its followers, a persecutory force against those who – in accordance with key moral principles and international law – stand up for the rights of Palestinians, and, finally, is embedded within American institutions of power. Drawing largely from their own lived experiences, including remarkable challenges in relation to Zionism they have had to overcome, Miko Peled, who eventually rejected his Zionist upbringing to become an unwavering and outspoken ally to the Palestinian people, and Sami Al-Arian, who was wrongly imprisoned in the United States after having been framed by Zionist supporters for aiding “terrorism”, speak to how pro-Palestinian solidarity, education and activism can upend Zionist oppression worldwide and lead to a future where both Palestinians and Israelis alike can actually live together – as equals.
Palestine Talks | An Anti-Zionist Roundtable with Miko Peled and Sami Al-Arian
Saturday 20 April 2024
Fighting Fake News with REAL, 20/4/24/, Truth in Humor, Supermarket Gangs, VETO, Assange Vs CIA, Starvation the Tool, Israel's next move,
The Senate Inquiry into supermarket pricing resulted in a showdown between Greens Senator Mick Nikim and Woolworse CEO Brad Bandouché.
Senate Inquiry into criminal gangs posing as supermarkets
Unlike the formation of Israel the US denies Palestine
The vote in the 15 member security council was 12 in favor, the US opposed and two abstentions, the UK and Switzerland… Without recognition of Palestine as a state it allows Israel to continue the brutal illegal occupation… They also believe it hands them a get out of jail free card to continue to assist the genocide of Palestinians…
The US has effectively stopped the UN from recognising a Palestinian state by casting a veto in the Security Council to deny the Palestinian Authority full membership of the world body.
The US says an independent Palestinian state should be established through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and not through UN action.
US blocks Palestinian bid for full UN membership
Caitlin Johnstone on moves by U.S. authorities to shield the system from political fallout over the Assange case.
The U.S. provided the assurance against the death penalty (which they’d previously opposed doing), and for the free speech assurance they said only that Assange will be able to “raise and seek to rely upon” U.S. First Amendment rights, adding, “A decision as to the applicability of the First Amendment is exclusively within the purview of the U.S. Courts.”
Which is basically just saying “I mean, you’re welcome to TRY to have free speech protections?”
Assange Case Moves Forward as CIA Covers Its Tracks
In other words, starvation has been effectively used by colonial powers to control populations, acquire land and the wealth that comes with that. This colonization was accompanied by an “entitlement approach” and the belief that Indigenous populations are inferior to the lives of the colonizer.
Colonialists have long used Starvation as a Tool of Oppression
Egypt is preparing for a possible Israeli ground attack on Rafah, an unnamed official told the UK-based, Qatari-owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, adding that the operation was accepted “in exchange for not carrying out a large-scale attack against Iran.”
Israel’s next step still a mystery – media
Friday 19 April 2024
Fighting Fake News with REAL 19/4/24, Iran Retaliates, Ntanyahu Says, Lehrmann Raped Brittany, Wealth Gap, Dutton Exposes the Libs, The Reactionary International, US vetoes Palestine
As
Iran retaliates, Israel contemplates its response. Cool heads and calm
reflection are needed as the Middle East spirals towards full-scale war.
Eve of destruction. Can war in the Middle East be avoided?
1) Israel will retaliate
2) Occupy Gaza West Bank & East Jerusalem
3) Will continue to "force transfer" by any means
Israel will make its own decisions, PM says
The Federal Court finding that Bruce Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins, though a huge step forward, will not reverse years of victim bashing ...
Court finds Lehrmann raped Higgins, MSM: Sure, but did she object enough?
‘Disturbing’ gap between haves and have-nots
Peter Dutton exposed the Liberal Party cover-up, to protect rapist Bruce Lehrmann, when he shot of his mouth supporting Senator Linda Reynolds on Tuesday (16/4/24). Dutton said rape survivor Brittany Higgins and […]
Peter Dutton exposes the Liberal Party cover-up protecting rapist Bruce Lehrmann
Opinion
If the US and UK Have Any Shame, They Will Welcome Palestine as a UN Member State
Thursday 18 April 2024
Fighting Fake News with REAL, 18/4/24, Truth In Humor, Private Schools, Herzl's Nightmare, Intervention, Investigative Reporting, Illegal Use of Arms, West Bank, Settler Attacks,
Recognising the very best fuck ups in defamation litigation
‘The Defo Awards’ for Services to Defamation Fuck-Ups
Private schools are competing in an ‘arms race’ of vanity projects, even winning architecture prizes, so how can tax breaks on building funds be justified when public schools are struggling? Analysis of the taxing issue of private school funding by The Australia Institute’s Alexia Adhikari and Morgan Harrington.
Private schools, public subsidies: with $50k fees per child per year, how can tax breaks be justified?
by Alexia Adhikari and Morgan Harrington | Apr 17, 2024
Paul Collins interviews former Australian Ambassador to Israel, Peter Rodgers, on the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Zionist movement and the creation of the Israeli state, and the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
Source: Podcast: Herzl’s Nightmare — one land, two peoples – Pearls and Irritations
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The leader of South Africa’s Palestine Solidarity Alliance insists that the ruling of the …
Intervention to stop genocide: From investigative reporting to freedom flotillas
A letter from 26 lawmakers notes the "stark differences and gaps" between what Biden administration officials say and the opinions of "prominent experts and global institutions" accusing Israel of genocide.
House Dems Voice 'Deep Concern' Over Biden Claim That Israel Is Legally Using US Arms
StoryApr 16, 2024You think American weapons aren't being used on the West Bank?
“Nobody knows Gaza better than the Gazan journalists on the ground.” Hatuqa also speaks about her latest piece for The Century Foundation about rising Israeli state and settler violence in the occupied West Bank, which she says can accurately be described as pogroms. “The fog of war has allowed Israel to perpetuate crimes at a very large scale, not only throughout the West Bank, but including occupied East Jerusalem.”
Under Cover of War in Gaza, Assault on West Bank Intensifies: Palestinian Journalist Dalia Hatuqa
The human rights office was referring to a recent rash of attacks by armed settlers and Israeli forces against Palestinians in the occupied territory.
U.N. Demands Israeli Forces Stop Enabling Settler Attacks In West Bank
These are just a few examples, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in particular, is a deeply complex and multifaceted issue that has generated significant debate and scrutiny on the international stage.
- Occupation of Palestinian Territories: Israel's occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip since the Six-Day War in 1967 has been a major source of controversy and criticism. The construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, deemed illegal under international law by most of the international community, has been a particularly contentious issue.
Palestinian Refugees: The Palestinian refugee issue, stemming from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and subsequent conflicts, remains unresolved. Critics argue that Israel has not adequately addressed the rights and needs of Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
Gaza Blockade and Conflict: Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, imposed since 2007 when Hamas took control of the territory, has drawn condemnation from human rights organizations and the international community. The periodic outbreaks of violence between Israel and militant groups in Gaza have resulted in civilian casualties and raised concerns about proportionality and adherence to international law.
Settlement Expansion: Israel's continued expansion of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, seen as a major obstacle to a two-state solution, has been widely criticized. Critics argue that settlement construction undermines the viability of a Palestinian state and exacerbates tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
Use of Force: Israel's use of force in response to security threats, particularly during military operations and clashes with Palestinian demonstrators, has raised concerns about excessive use of force and violations of human rights.
Treatment of Arab Citizens: Despite being a democratic state, Israel has faced criticism for discrimination and unequal treatment of its Arab citizens, who make up about 20% of the population. Critics point to disparities in access to resources, land, and political representation.
Relations with Iran: Israel's stance on Iran's nuclear program and its efforts to counter Iran's influence in the region, including alleged covert actions such as cyberattacks and assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, have sparked controversy and raised questions about regional stability and escalation of tensions.
Lavon Affair (1954): As mentioned earlier, the Lavon Affair involved a covert operation by Israeli military intelligence to carry out bombings in Egypt with the aim of implicating Egyptian nationalists. While the operation itself was not a false flag in the traditional sense, it did involve Israeli operatives conducting attacks in another country under false pretenses.
USS Liberty Incident (1967): The attack on the USS Liberty, a United States Navy ship, during the Six-Day War has led to persistent conspiracy theories alleging Israeli involvement in a false flag operation. Some theorists claim that Israel deliberately attacked the USS Liberty to draw the United States into the conflict by framing Egypt or to prevent the ship from intercepting Israeli communications. However, these claims are not supported by substantial evidence and have been widely debunked.
King David Hotel Bombing (1946): The bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem by the Irgun, a Jewish paramilitary organization, during the British Mandate in Palestine, has also been the subject of false flag allegations. Some theories suggest that elements within the Jewish leadership sought to discredit rival factions or undermine British authority by orchestrating the attack and blaming it on Arabs or other groups. However, like other false flag claims, these allegations lack conclusive evidence.
Operation Cast Lead (2008-2009): Following an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, tensions escalated, and Hamas resumed rocket attacks on Israeli towns. In response, Israel launched Operation Cast Lead, a major military offensive in Gaza aimed at stopping the rocket fire and weakening Hamas. The operation resulted in significant casualties and damage in Gaza and drew international criticism for its disproportionate use of force.
Operation Protective Edge (2014): A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, was repeatedly violated by both sides, leading to the resumption of hostilities. Israel launched Operation Protective Edge, another military campaign in the Gaza Strip, to halt rocket attacks and destroy Hamas tunnels used for infiltration. The operation resulted in widespread destruction and casualties, including many civilian deaths, and sparked condemnation from human rights organizations.
Violence at the Gaza Border (2018-present): In recent years, clashes and violence have erupted at the Gaza-Israel border during mass protests organized by Palestinians. These protests, known as the Great March of Return, have often coincided with attempts to broker truces or ceasefire agreements between Israel and Hamas. Despite efforts to de-escalate tensions, clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli security forces have resulted in casualties on both sides.
Operation Wrath of God: In the aftermath of the Munich Olympics massacre in 1972, where Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes, Israel launched a series of covert operations to track down and assassinate individuals involved in the planning and execution of the attack. These operations, collectively known as "Operation Wrath of God," targeted members of the Palestinian militant group Black September, which was responsible for the Munich attack. The operations resulted in the deaths of several individuals linked to Black September, but they also sparked international condemnation and raised ethical questions about extrajudicial killings.
Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh: In 2010, Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh, a senior Hamas military commander, was assassinated in a hotel room in Dubai. The operation, widely believed to have been carried out by Mossad operatives, involved the use of forged passports and surveillance cameras to track and eliminate the target. The assassination drew international attention and condemnation, particularly due to the use of fake passports from various countries by the operatives, which strained diplomatic relations between Israel and those countries.
Assassination of Iranian Nuclear Scientists: Over the years, several Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated in attacks believed to be carried out by Israeli agents. These assassinations, part of a covert campaign to disrupt Iran's nuclear program, have been attributed to Mossad and other Israeli intelligence agencies. While Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in these operations, they have been widely reported in the media and have contributed to tensions between Israel and Iran.
Identifying Israel's "most embarrassing moments" can be subjective and dependent on various factors such as political perspective, cultural sensitivity, and individual interpretation. However, there have been several incidents in Israel's history that have been widely criticized or viewed as embarrassing both domestically and internationally. Here are a few examples:
Lavon Affair (1954): The Lavon Affair, also known as the "Esek Bish" (the shameful affair), was a failed covert operation by Israeli military intelligence in Egypt. Israeli agents carried out a series of bombings targeting American and British-owned civilian sites in Egypt with the intention of blaming Egyptian nationalists. The operation was discovered, leading to a major political scandal in Israel and straining relations with Western powers.
USS Liberty Incident (1967): During the Six-Day War, Israeli forces mistakenly attacked the USS Liberty, a United States Navy reconnaissance ship, in the Mediterranean Sea. The attack resulted in the deaths of 34 crew members and numerous injuries. While Israel claimed it was a case of mistaken identity, the incident raised questions about communication and coordination between Israeli and American forces and strained relations between the two countries.
Yom Kippur War (1973): Israel's initial unpreparedness and intelligence failures during the Yom Kippur War, when Arab states launched a surprise attack on Israel, led to heavy casualties and territorial losses. The war highlighted deficiencies in Israel's military and intelligence apparatus and prompted a national reckoning with the concept of invincibility that had characterized Israeli military doctrine. The could be said of October 7th 2023
Second Lebanon War (2006): Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, triggered by the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, failed to achieve its objectives and resulted in significant civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. The war was criticized for its disproportionate use of force, strategic miscalculations, and failure to neutralize Hezbollah's military capabilities.
Gaza Flotilla Raid (2010): Israeli commandos intercepted a flotilla of ships attempting to break the blockade of Gaza, resulting in a deadly confrontation on the MV Mavi Marmara, where nine Turkish activists were killed. The raid sparked international condemnation and strained relations between Israel and Turkey, prompting calls for an independent investigation into the incident.
These incidents, among others, have been sources of controversy and criticism for Israel, both domestically and internationally, and have contributed to moments of reflection and self-examination within Israeli society.