By Joe Montero
Perhaps some people are a bit tired of hearing about the weakness in the Australian economy. But alongside the emerging climate crisis, this is one of the two most challenging and important matters of our time. Continue reading Australia’s sick economy calls out for organising the economy in a different way
From the Transport Workers Union (TWU)
Transport and delivery workers in the gig economy are paid less, work more hours unpaid and are less satisfied than other workers, a major survey reveals today.
By Jim Hayes
As the trade sanctions begin to bite and the Iran standoff hardens, the tension between the United states and China heats up. Continue reading Trade war between the US and China is hotting up and threatens worse
by Adam Carlton
The unfortunate reality is that the mistreatment of Australia’s First Nations continues is case after case. One would be too many. That a parade incidents keep on occurring, is a national disgrace. Continue reading Boy kept naked in a police cell showcases the wrong taking place
This following is based on a report published by Orlando Avendaño, editor in chief of anti-Maduro and politically right wing newspaper the PanAm Post. This and the inclusion of other information in this article by Dan Cohen (The Greyzone 17 June 2019), makes for an explosive revelation of corruption in the camp of the Guaido opposition camp. It seems the exposure is building the friction that already exists within the opposition camp. Dan Cohen is a journalist and was the co-producer of the award-winning documentary, Killing Gaza. Continue reading Venezuela opposition leader and self-procliamed president’s subordinates caught in corruption scandal
As the United states beats up the aggressive language against Iran and tightens the sanctions stranglehold, much of the world is becoming increasing nervous and even many of the nations traditionally close to the United States remain unconvinced. For example, Europe looks for ways to sidestep the sanctions and cautions the drive to war. And there is the accusation that Iran attacked those Saudi oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. Jon Stone, Europe Correspondent for the Independent writes, that Europe is far from convinced and has called for more evidence. This marks a major failure of the effort to build a coalition of nations, to wage war on the presented enemy. Continue reading Spectre of Iraq War and intelligence misuse raised at EU council meeting
From the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN)
A national peace group claims that the USA marines stationed in Darwin could drag Australia into war. The claim follows lengthy correspondence between IPAN, the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network, and a succession of Prime Ministers and Ministers of Defence. Continue reading US Marines in Darwin could drag Australia into war
By Joe Montero
On Friday 14 June, about 30 people arrived at 90 Collins street in Melbourne, to call on the British government to stop persecuting Julian Assange and, and for the Australian to prevent his extradition the United States and bring him back home to Australia.
The location is the building housing the British Vice Consul’s office. The crowd and banners outside caused considerable disruption to business.
This marks a growing movement within Australia, backing the founder of WikiLeaks. As the process in the United Kingdom moves forward, this movement is likely to grow in numbers and impact.
It is not only that a wrong is being committed here and more people are starting to see through the smear campaign that has been carried out over the lest seven years. There’s a growing realisation that there is a connection between this and the rise of persecutions in a number of countries and in Australia.
On Friday it was an opportunity to talk about all of this to people in the city centre.
Earlier on, the event was marred by police action to take down a banner, which culminated with the arrest of two people. To witnesses this was clearly a case of over reaction and may have even been the result of politically inspired direction from higher up.
It is was this it backfired and drew attention to what was going on, as well as bringing home that Australia moving in the direction of autocracy and increasing subversion of basic rights. This trend must be fought against.
A point clearly made was that Julian Assange has been hunted, because he is seen as a major threat to some very rich and powerful individuals and groups. They fear exposure.
Julian Assange and WikiLeaks committed the crime of exposing the massive scale of corruption and tax evasion shown in the panama Papers. They also exposed the lengths to which political leaders will go to lie, in order to justify military action against other countries.
None have been more guilty than those in the United States, Great Britain and Australia. What they have done constitutes crimes against humanity.
The combination of these crimes and the massive level of corruption, is the reason why they have been so intent on conspiring to get Assange and destroy WikiLeaks.
They have worked hard to dirty his reputation, using false claims that he has mistreated women, and even public speculation of hygiene habits and accusations that he failed to feed a cat.
Together, it has served the purpose of making Julian Assange look like a person unworthy of any sympathy.
The application by the United States to have him extradited is being is underway, and there is a real chance that he will be handed over, to face a mockery of a trial, on suspect espionage charges for charges, which carry 170 years or more of prison.
Despite his health problems, Julian Assange has made it clear that he intends to continue fighting with everything he’s got. By doing this, he champions our own right to speak. Can we do anything less?
Julian Assange campaigner Jacob Grech, speaks about Assange and the role the Federal Police are playing in the attack on the right to speak.
Video from Anthony Snowden]
By Joe Montero
The vendetta being carried out against John Setka, the secretary of Victoria’s Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) is wrong. Plain and simple. It is those lining up to sink the boot, who are doing guilty of misconduct.
Respecting the right of women not to be subjected to either physical or verbal abuse is fundamental. We should all agree that no quarter should be given to it. But the accusations being made against Setka are something else.
Two things are being hung out for the purpose of character assassination. The first is Setka’s bad behaviour towards his wife. He admits that is acted wrongly. Both had been under intense pressure for some time, and it had an effect on their relationship. That they are now standing together should count for something, and it is wrong to use this matter for political advantage.
The other is, he has been accused of having said some terrible things against Rosie Batty, the campaigner to stop violence against women. This allegation came from an individual at a union meeting, who happens to be an opponent of Setka. At the very least, this should be questioned. It hasn’t been.
Others at the same meeting, have publicly stated that what has been attributed to John Setka was not said. But this has been buried under the tide of accusations.
It all boils down to one thing. The outrage being orchestrated, is not really about defending the rights of women. It’s a cynical act by some, manipulating the fact that most Australians want more to be done to protect women at risk to, using the guise of moral outrage, to wage a political war.
The accusations are unsubstantiated, and in the brave new world that Australia is entering, it seems that to be accused in the absence of evidence, is enough to be pronounced guilty.
A slide into targeting individuals through trial by media and the imposition of increasingly undemocratic laws and practices, are the greatest threat to human rights in Australia today. And what is being done to Setka is very much part of this slide.
The media’s role on this, would have pleased Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. For those who don’t know, Goebbels was Germany’s Rupert Murdoch, who became number two to Adolf Hitler.
In Goebbels style, the accusations are stated without proof and repeated again and again, with a good dose of name calling. This is how allegations are used to replace the truth. We are seeing far too much of it about these days.
Unfortunately, new Labor leader Anthony Albanese, for whatever reason is, at least for now, choosing to tow the line, and has even promised to have the union leader removed from the party. By doing this, he is not doing Labor any favours. He is dead wrong to give credence to a lynch mob, far less concerned with the rights of women, than it is about political ambitions.
At the head of it all, sit the Coalition parties and their backers.
John Setka has been victim of organised, relentless and unjust attacks for some time, aimed at throwing enough mud to ensure that some of it may stick.
The timing of this latest attack is important. The Morrison government is poised to move on its intention to change industrial relations laws, and make it much more difficult for unions to operate and meet the needs of their members. It wants to further erode wages and conditions at work, impose more casualised work and more.
The CFMMEU is seen as a significant barrier to these ambitions and Setka the soft target. In the eyes of this government, the union has to go. Hence the move to impose more severe controls on what it can do, and setting the stage for the union’s de-registration in the near future.
The attack on Setka is also a diversion, aimed to take public attention off the core intent. The bonus for the government is, if it serves to hamper the ability of the unions to act together to defend of union rights, so much the better.
Failure to stand behind this attack, will play right into the hands of the Morrison government, and undermine the position of unions as a whole along the way.
Those currently targeting the union leader, whether conscious of it or not, are doing the job for a government, which is proving its scant regard for basic rights, including those of women.
They should pull themselves out of this muck.
By Nick Aspinwall (FP 10 June 2019). The author writes about the murderous policy of the President of the Philippines, using murder as a means for taking out those he sees as political problems. The style began on a claim of the need to clean the streets of drug dealers and users, but soon spread much more widely than this. The Australian government continues to train and aid the armed forces of the Philippines. Continue reading Duterte turns death squads on political activists
