Half of Australian voters think it's too soon to consider easing lockdown, Essential poll finds
Half of all voters think it’s too soon to even consider easing restrictions designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus, a sign the calls for patience are being heeded.A further 14% are prepared to wait until the end of May, according to an Essential Research poll released on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, voters have a range of approvals for state governments, ranging from a low of 61% for the government of New South Wales and 63% for Queensland’s, to 66% for South Australia’s, 70% for Victoria’s and 77% for Western Australia’s.
'How can you say that?': Economist's view criticised
On Q+A, the ACTU secretary rejected the idea Australia should have let COVID-19 spread to protect the economy.
And both Ms McManus and Professor Foster want the same thing: more people living happy and fulfilling lives.But their exchange showed while the virus may have suppressed ideological differences, they are not buried deep
The Sanders campaign — along with the broader radicalization of the past decade — has shown that socialist ideas can win over wider layers of workers. But we also have to win people away from antisocialist ideas. That means challenging — practically, through struggle — racism, sexism, anti-LGBT bigotry, nationalism, and any other oppression that could divide the working class.
That’s what it means to truly win people to socialism — to convince them to fight not only for themselves but for people they don’t know because an injury to any one of us is an injury to us all.
Coronavirus Is Hammering the News Industry. Here’s How to Save It.
Even the Americans realise we all need an ABC
Letting the market drive journalism into the ground is a political choice. If we harbour any hope for democracy, our communities’ health, or tens of thousands of jobs, we can’t let local journalism wither.If nothing else, this crisis illustrates what happens when we leave public services — from health care to education — dependent on the mercy of the market. We must find a new way to support the media we need. The news is a public good, and public goods require public investments. A noncommercial model — owned by and in service to the people — is journalism’s last, best hope.
Miriam Margolyes
Thanks to Peter Sokole.
Someone on Quora asked “Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England wrote the following response:
A few things spring to mind.
Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface.
Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront.
Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul.
And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist.
Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that.
He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy or a greedy fat-cat.
He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.
And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully.
That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead.
There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.
So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:
• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and most are.
• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.
This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss.
After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum.
God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid.
He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart.
In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.
And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish:
‘My God… what… have… I… created?
If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.
Someone on Quora asked “Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England wrote the following response:
A few things spring to mind.
Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface.
Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront.
Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul.
And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist.
Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that.
He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy or a greedy fat-cat.
He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.
And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully.
That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead.
There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.
So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:
• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and most are.
• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.
This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss.
After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum.
God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid.
He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart.
In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.
And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish:
‘My God… what… have… I… created?
If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.
FAKE NEWS
YOU ARE FED RUBBISH STATS TO PANIC YOU ABOUT THIS VIRUS
Both can't be true. From NSW officials: "Coronavirus would
have claimed as many as 700 lives by today had NSW not forged ahead with
tougher lockdown measures." Victoria's Chief Health Officer:
"Theoretical modelling shows some 36,000 people would have died from
coronavirus in Victoria if physical-distancing restrictions were not put
into place."
Of course, they can dim wit the statement in NSW was referring to a particular ban and measure which only two days ago you were mocking. Was it park bench sitting or some other of the many things you whine about? The Victorian statement refers to if no bans whatsoever were in place. Andrew Bolt conflates apples with bricks and shows us what a skilled whiz he is with statistics. He confuses himself more than he does anyone else. Here is what does panic Bolt he doesn't have an audience and journalists are being sacked en-mass by private media. As a contractor Bolt's eligible for Newstart or the job keeper program of $330 per week.
Half of Australian voters think it's too soon to consider easing lockdown, Essential poll finds
HOW MEDIA WATCH CHEATED IN CLAIMING NO ABC GET-PELL BIAS
The ABC ran a witch hunt to destroy Cardinal George Pell,
who spent 405 days in jail for a crime he could not have committed. Last night the ABC's Media Watch denied the obvious, listing people who'd talked on the ABC as "either supporters of Cardinal Pell or representatives of the Catholic Church". That list proves the ABC's guilt ... and deceit.
Has Andrew Bolt made an official complaint to the APC? I doubt it. Bolt without the ABC wouldn't have a job unless he considers himself the defacto watchdog of the APC. Bolt is simply a vexatious litigant and if all his complaints were brought before a real court and he didn't stop his indulgent attention-seeking self-boosting would be held in contempt. In fact, sitting in the same jail as his mate Pell who it must be said is far more stoic.
Google and FB are now meant to pay for news they use that comes from the general media. The ABC should bill Bolt or News Corp for all the news and information they provide Andrew Bolt. Maybe the money News Corp owes the ABC ought to be deducted from Bolt's contract for the lack of any value or real work he provides them.
Bolt's moderated comments section started me paying attention to the rubbish he sprouts and yes he inspired me to react but I don't get paid for it nor do I pretend to be anything other than a commentator. However, Bolt does get paid is in a privileged position of being distributed and unlike Media Watch and the ABC offers little value or prestige to News Corpse or Sky. He's a parasite on riding on the back of Australian media and losing it money.
Bolt's moderated comments section started me paying attention to the rubbish he sprouts and yes he inspired me to react but I don't get paid for it nor do I pretend to be anything other than a commentator. However, Bolt does get paid is in a privileged position of being distributed and unlike Media Watch and the ABC offers little value or prestige to News Corpse or Sky. He's a parasite on riding on the back of Australian media and losing it money.
