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The Forum > Article Comments > The rights you thought you had > Comments

The rights you thought you had : Comments

By Kellie Tranter, published 9/11/2011

Free speech and protest: not the right you thought it was

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I am always amazed by the number of people who will express outrage at this or that offence against rights. People seem to ignore the fact that unless we first recognise a birthright to life and therefore to the basics provided for life by nature, ALL other rights are rendered baseless.

Since land, one of the essentials for life, has now been completely commodified, there is no basis for asserting that any other rights exist, even if they are written down. Just ask the homeless ... and the Occupy protesters. Freedom of speech etc is a nonsense without a right to the essentials for life.

The challenge is to reinstate land rights for all, subject to the responsibility to use that right in a sustainable way. That would be a requirement could meet without giving up consumerism, so there is no threat to our "property" investment ... but there is a wonderful opportunity for the poor to develop a sustainable model which others could benefit and learn from. The poor are already living a non consumer lifestyle. (see www.ntw.110mb.com)

Why might it be that the right to land for housing and growing food is ignored? Could it be that such a recognition could be seen as a threat to our "property" interests?

Most of us are heavily invested, either by way of a mortgage or other investment in the great Australian dream of ownership, or are very fond of the consumer life which depends on the exploitation which this system embodies. We therefore might not want to look at the idea that people have a birthright to land, as to air water and sunlight... but any understanding of is required for environmental, social and economic harmony will show that the wheel is turning.
Posted by landrights4all, Wednesday, 9 November 2011 9:49:37 AM
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Just on the Bill of Rights issue, which is using the occupiers for justification ..

If we didn't have the Racial Vilification clauses within the act we wouldn't have had various people dragged through the courts, and silenced by people who were "offended".

Was it reasonable to our society? It came down to one person's interpretation of law, and indeed another person in the same position may have made a different ruling. Others who saw the tool and used it for personal gain, not for an ideal but a cause. The left now reveal themselves as immoral, and only support free speech if it suits their cause.

We are passing from a "reasonable" system in a changing society, to having ideals (rights) cast in stone and out of the people's hands into the hands of unelected lawyers and judges,giving them tools that cannot easily be rescinded.

There are many examples, it is interesting that it is the legal world who most urgently pursue a Bill of Rights. It would seem idiotic not to assume they would bring their personal agenda and ideology to the fore when dealing with a Bill of Rights.

The US System works well for the legal profession, but for the people it is a mess and they would much prefer a system that can adapt to changing times.

The right to bear arms is a case in point, it was for the people to forcibly dismiss a government who they felt no longer represented them. Something many people here would enjoy right now.

The ferals who inhabit our public spaces deprive others of the public space, harass everyone who passes, what gives them that right over other people's rights?

Copying the Americans for "occuppy" and "Bill of Rights" just smacks of opportunism and self obsessed entitlement, from people who deride them at every other opportunity.

Our system may not be perfect, but I don't want theirs (or yours).
Posted by Amicus, Wednesday, 9 November 2011 10:07:46 AM
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By not ratifying its international treaty obligations, it seems the government in Australia - from both sides - wants to be seen to be fair but just in case it is ever challenged to prove it respects those freedoms ('violent anti-property' demonstrations)it wants to reserve the right to respond with overwhelming force to shock and awe and cow its adversaries into compliant obedience.
Maybe this is what you'd expect from a nation which started off half slave and half free and thinks it's free now, but is deluding itself. A free people doesn't need an armed militia to quell disturbances - reasonable mature people don't all of a sudden just morph into a violent mob. The Americans at least enshrine their Bill of Rights, it's about time we had one of our very own.
Posted by SHRODE, Wednesday, 9 November 2011 10:26:21 AM
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I'm sure we are all eagerly awaiting Ms Tranter's vigorous defence of Andrew Bolt for expressing his very valid opinions and for her attack on the Gillard government's media inquiry in the form of a witch hunt against the opinions expressed by journalists in News Limited newspapers.

But I'm not holding my breath.
Posted by KenH, Wednesday, 9 November 2011 10:28:04 AM
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The only thing the cops did wrong was wait too long before they started, & perhaps use batons that were a bit too light.

I wonder how our right to expect that students receiving Austudy, & unemployed receiving New start benefits, were full filling their obligations, are being applied.

I remember when, during a long running hippy protest on Fraser Island, misguided centrelink people set up a dole office on the island. This saved the poor dears having to travel to the mainland to attend the office as required.

I gather that when it was made known that questions were to be asked about the search for work obligations, the practice stopped.

Who is checking if these ratbags were obtaining benefits under false pretensions? Maybe Kellie is doing it for us.
Posted by Hasbeen, Wednesday, 9 November 2011 11:13:37 AM
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Ferals? As opposed to the ferals at the top of the corporate food chain. Just because they don't dress down doesn't mean they aren't feral (as in out of control and pest-like).

However, I tend to agree with rational-debate, there is a limit when violence comes into it. There are always two sides. And yes it is annoying when a few people reduce the validity of protest by aggressive behaviour. All that does is encourage the predictable comments from the loony right who generally refuse to look behind the facade to the real issues being raised by the Occupy movement.

There should be no limit to protest in a public place where there is no inconvenience to public in the long term. The tent embassy stood in front of the old parliament house for years with only the odd media piece springing up from time to time.
Posted by pelican, Wednesday, 9 November 2011 11:27:24 AM
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