The dust is settling on last week’s events in Melbourne, where ultra-right led mobs attacked a union office and then began a few days on a violent rampage. Most of Australia justifiably condemned them. There are a couple of buts though. Continue reading Escalating police violence was a real issue in Melbourne two weeks ago
American investors own the lion’s share of the majority of big companies operating in Australia. This means the Australian economy is tightly bound to the economy of the United States. Given that the American economy is the world’s biggest, and Australia’s tiny by comparison, the former enjoys tremendous political clout over Australia. Continue reading Australia’s confrontation with China comes from US power over Australia
More than 800 people added their voice, calling out the racist Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph headlines that targeted the Chinese community, and demanding greater media accountability. Continue reading We’ve reported NewsCorp’s racist coverage to the Australian Press Council
The anti-China crusade is getting hotter and it poses a major threat to us all. This is not about whether one considers China a positive influence or not. It is about the building of a major diversion, to deflect attention away from the emerging home-grown twins of climate and economic crisis, and that most of us have never held our political institutions and those who serve them in such low regard. Continue reading The anti-China crusade is diversion form home grown problems and the real interference in Australia’s affairs
By Joe Montero
The Attack on Greta Thunberg is vicious. In Australia it began with Andrew Bolt’s mocking and has continued with other like-minded spirits. Similar attacks have taken place around the world.
Greta’s address to the United Nations Climate Action Summit has raised this to a new pitch.
This is what she had to say.
Video from ABC News (Australia)
She only told the truth.
Knocking the person and avoiding the questions raised is the common thread in the attacks, which happen to reveal, what really lies behind the dark thoughts of those who make them.
Greta rose to her international standing because she had the qualities and courage, to become a voice for millions of young people around the, who are better educated than any previous generation. They know what’s going on, don’t like it and demand action.
What the knockers are really afraid of is voice of youth. So they should be. The young are standing up and they have the potencial power to change the world.
This is what lies the diatribe about being controlled by teachers, or an organised plot churning out lies.
Donald Trump rudely and publicly snubs Greta
U.S. president Donald Trump’s reaction to Greta was childish. At least he was there. Australia’s prime minister didn’t even do this. despite being in the same city.
Video from Tim’s Outpost
Anyone whose been a teacher, let alone a parent, knows that teenagers cannot be controlled this way. They have their own opinions, and they have access to more information than any previous generation.
The attackers lack the ability to challenge the issues and can only hold on by avoiding true evidence, relying on insults, and in some cases putting, forward pseudo science, which every kid knows can be disproved through simple experiments.
Take the one about carbon being good for you. The fact that all life is carbon based is supposed to prove this. By the same line of reasoning, so should a class full of hydrochloric acid. After all, it needed in the stomach to help digest the food we eat.
Greta has been doing a monumental job to help cut through all this, and she has had the the courage to stand before the world and say that the emperor has no clothes., exposed and acutely embarrassed political and business leaders.
she has left them looking like a bunch of inept and corrupt individuals, far more interested in working together to ensure their gravy trains, than dealing with a real crisis. She has called them out for being part of the problem.
This needs to be done.
They hate her for it.
Those most closely tied to fossil fuels interests drag behind them a part of society, which does not yet realise that they are the ones who are being manipulated.
One ting they can’t take. Greta has helped millions to come to the belief that changew can be made, if we all do our part and join together. This will btring in many more millions, to join the unstoppable movement that is the hope for humanity and the world
What happened at the United Nations Climate Action Summit?
Last week there was a global climate strike, where millions came out into the streets.
On Monday (their time), the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 met in New York.
The 70 participating countries announced that they will boost their national plans to cut carbon emissions.
But, as Greta Thunberg told them, this is still far from enough. The glimmer of hope is that the turn of public opinion has been powerful enough to exert pressure. Without this, even the limited goals that have been set would not have come about.
Even so, there has been enough of a shift to improve the conditions to press for more, and most of the world is going along with it.
These are the most important decisions made.
Twelve of them said they would contribute to the Green Climate Fund to assist developing countries to make the transition.
China announced that it would cut 12 billion tons of emissions annually and transform to low carbon development. India pledge a new drive to move towards renewable energy. Russia said it will ratify the Paris agreement. Pakistan will plant 1o billion new trees over the next 5 years.
Much of Europe will close down its coal fired power plants over the next few years.
Over 100 business leaders, whose businesses make up more than $2 trillion of investments, declared their support for a transition to a green economy. Over 1000 cities around the world, many of them among the biggest cities, announced concrete new steps.
The summit declared an intention to reach zero net carbon emissions by 2050 and to mobilise $1 trillion in clean energy investment by 2025.
Agreement to establish initiatives to establish a framework to support jobs, clean air and to support the most vulnerable was achieved.
Agreements reached at summits does not mean that they will actually be implemented. This is why the pressure must not only be kept up, it must be increased.
Success will not be won a summits. Change will be decided on the ground, when enough people in individual nations and around the world stand up, and will no longer tolerate anything less than what is necessary.
Greta is making a major contribution towards making this come about.
By Joe Montero
I am reluctant to get into any debate about religion. Although not religious myself, I recognise the importance of respecting the views of those of faith. There is a lot we can have in common about important issues. Continue reading Some use freedom of religion as a cover for discrimination and domination
The way big commercial media reports on what is happening has narrowed down considerably in recent times. This is evident across most developed countries, and in Australia, this is even more true than in most.
Continue reading Big finance and big media are behind the new rise of fascism
Andrew Bolt is a bloody disgrace. He deserves every bit of the outraged reaction he is getting back for his latest piece of garbage, posing as journalism. Continue reading Andrew Bolt is a disgrace and deserves to be pointed out as one
The big selling point in this year’s federal budget is the tax cuts. No doubt, much of Australia will appreciate having to hand over a little less of their income. This has the marking of a government, scared that it is in a terminal decline. Continue reading The 2018 budget covers that there is more take than give
A big turnout off opponents of race hate nationalists in Boston on 19 August, dwarfed the so-called “free speech” rally, which had to be escorted away under police protection.
Horrified by the vile politics of less than two weeks ago led to the death of a woman and injury of others in Chancellorsville, Virginia, Americans are pouring out in a wave of sorrow disgust and anger against those behind the terror in Chancellorsville and peddling of race hate. The strength of the reaction has been such that it quickly forced president Donald Trump to retreat from earlier what many saw as his initial attempt to redirect blame and protect the killers.
The terror in Charlotteville was followed on 13 August by a memorial in this city, as well as in other such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Massachusetts, Birmingham, Philadelphia, Washington and New York.
The Boston rally came less than a week later and drew tens of thousands, who wanted to show that the fascist groups are not welcome. According to the police at least 40,000 people were there.
True to his form, Trump tweeted: “Looks like many anti-police agitators in Boston. Police are looking tough and smart! Thank you”.
Under pressure again, he had to send out another message about an hour later: “I want to applaud the many protestors in Boston who are speaking out against bigotry and hate. Our country will soon come together as one”.
The strength of the American response against the act of terror and those who were behind it, is wobbling the Trump presidency like nothing else has so far. Trump has welcomed the support of these home grown fascists and has lifted them from obscurity. As president he has shown he shares many of their beliefs. They have returned the favour by acting as his foot soldiers in the streets.
This is something that the spin doctors are scrambling to cover up and which is leaving the political advisors rushing to clean up after the Trump gaffs.
Trump is increasingly looking like a loose cannon in need of control. A symptom of this is the pattern of support for the race hate nationalists, followed by the White House condemnations. This reveals a widening rift within the administration, fueled by Trump bluster and the need to cultivate legitimacy.
“It’s time to do something,” said Katie Zipps, who, traveled from Malden, north of Boston, to take part.
