It’s not often I find myself in agreement with something Paul Keating has said or done – in fact, I’ve written on a few occasions about some of the rather wretched things he is responsible for. His admiration for Suharto, his work heralding neoliberalism to Australia as Treasurer and Prime Minister, and the introduction of mandatory detention for refugees are a few off the top of my head. But on his recent AUKUS statements, I agree. It is, ironically, a critique of Labor from the left, after all…
Continue reading “Keating Is Right About AUKUS”Tag: coalition
Sydney Morning Herald Protects Morrison, Swipes at Labor
02/05/2021
Annika Smethurst recently wrote an opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald entitled “Religion is at the heart of the PM”. What it is, essentially, is an attempt to paint Morrison as a genuine and good guy at heart (despite his “many faults”), while deflecting certain criticisms by throwing them at the Australian Labor Party, making them and their supporters seem hypocritical and antagonistic. In some ways, perhaps, but as someone who says to hell with both factions of the capitalist hegemony, lets throw in a little balance and blunt truths.
Continue reading “Sydney Morning Herald Protects Morrison, Swipes at Labor”The Management of Meaning in Australian Journalism
20/03/2021
The art of communication has become highly coveted in today’s global and highly connected societies and economies. Whether it’s PR spinning a positive image for a corporation, a creative team selling a hit advertising campaign, or journalists telling the news, professional communicators reach into every aspect of our lives. Some can, and do, have immense power over our perceptions of reality, particularly in the political realm. But while these communicators have the power to disperse meaning, they aren’t always the ones making it.
Continue reading “The Management of Meaning in Australian Journalism”Go Beyond Friendlyjordies
24/09/2020
In the past week, both the Daily Telegraph and the Sydney Morning Herald, the Murdoch and Costello duo enveloping Australia’s media landscape, did hit pieces on Friendlyjordies. This resulted in a number of things, the most ironic being the skyrocket of attention someone can get from being on the front page of a national paper. But for all the transparently hostile spin towards Jordan, there is one criticism I saw in the online response to these pieces that I thought worth noting: Friendlyjordies is not the be all and end all of political thought.
Continue reading “Go Beyond Friendlyjordies”Alan Jones A Confirmed Case of Idiocy
02/08/2020
Right after having to claim he isn’t stupid, Alan Jones, now gracing the festering pit of Sky News commentary, repeated the claim made by Donald Trump – that COVID-19 cases only appear to be bad because more testing reveals more cases. He then goes onto question whether there is a pandemic, if it is even dangerous at all, and concludes by saying we’ve committed economic suicide. But not before he tears Victorian Labor Premier, Daniel Andrews, to shreds over his handling of “not-a-pandemic”.
What About Free Speech?
27/06/2020
Random short rant in response to a comment I saw underneath an Advance Australia post.
“Black Lives Matter are in fact promoting a ‘racial divide’ and perpetuating racism. The left thrive on division.”
So the post claims. Below in the comments, a response not only highlights some people’s ignorance of the Black Lives Matter movement (or any “leftist” movement, whatever that means), but, seemingly without self-awareness of any kind, advocates rather totalitarian methods of combatting them. As the post title suggests, it is, ironically, an attack on free speech.
Should Morrison Resign?
05/01/2020
It is question that has been circulating online for a couple of days now, with a video of a firefighter telling him to stand down and the hashtag “#ResignMorrison”. While it is certainly a sentiment I can get behind, that, or a “libspill” (another hashtag that has shown up a fair bit in the last 12 months), might have immediate benefits, to a degree, in the long run it could be extremely problematic.
Labor and Greens Divide Is Petty Factionalism
04/12/2019
Hell hath no fury like a Labor supporter who cannot handle even the slightest criticism of their party or who has an aneurism every time someone mentions the Greens. I’ve been at the receiving end of some rather defensive and dismissive statements for daring to suggest Labor still has much to improve upon, or that there are alternatives. Greens voters aren’t faultless either, being unable to view Labor as a viable option against the Coalition given the sad reality of politics in this country. What we end up with is… nothing, the Coalition keeps winning.
Continue reading “Labor and Greens Divide Is Petty Factionalism”
Rich ≠ Trendy: Morrison’s Media PR
01/12/2019
But it can equal influential, that’s for sure. The media has yet again come to the Coalition’s rescue in the aftermath of one of their greatest defeats yet. What better way to sweep away the incompetence and authoritarianism of your out of touch party than to showcase your totally relatable wife in the media as a fashion influencer!
Labor Has Mixed Approach to Unions
26/11/2019
The Labor party has, historically, been the party of the working class and the Union movement. This year, however, following their “surprise” election loss, they’ve opted for a more distanced approach from one of their greatest backers. Both on a State and a Federal level, there has been cause for praise and alarm, regarding policies that Labor has supported, from the Unions.
Anarchist Rising 