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The Forum > Article Comments > Venezuela: eat the press > Comments

Venezuela: eat the press : Comments

By Rodrigo Acuña, published 21/6/2007

Venezuela's coup plotters were aided and abetted in their efforts to overthrow the Chávez Government by the media.

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Of course the Howard Government is more cunning in its human rights abuse and censorship, window dressing them under different terms.

They don't ban television stations like the ABC; they just bring in censorship laws:

“Australia’s media continues to be muzzled by the authoritarian actions of government and an
Anti-disclosure culture determined to manage and control information,” said Alliance federal
Secretary, Christopher Warren.

http://www.alliance.org.au/images/stories/070510pr_press_freedom_committee.pdf

Also the National Association of Visual Arts (NAVA)

"In response to the announcement by the Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock that the government will not make the changes to sedition laws recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC), NAVA has joined with others in the legal, arts and media sectors to demand changes needed to guarantee freedom of expression. Our concern is especially for artists and other creators however, this principle applies for all Australians."

http://www.visualarts.net.au/campaigns/current/freedomofexpressionsedition

And this is what Amnesty International says about Australia's record.

"The Australian Government has responded to the threat of terrorism by introducing laws that undermine the human rights of Australians. The new laws create offences relating to terrorist activity but do not adequately define many of the activities they are supposed to prohibit."

http://www.amnesty.org.au/Act_now/campaigns/human_rights_and_security

Australia prohibits media with a similar outcome only it uses the "war against terror" as an excuse. The problem with this excuse is we are not even sure who the enemy is. We are still left with the draconian laws here and there is very little criticism that media is allowed to disclose or discuss freely about the current Australian Government.

I suspect we will be all utterly shocked at what we find, after the Howard regime is forced out of office. So much information is not allowed out.

The criticism to Venezuela is predictable. You could time it like clockwork. The agenda against a leftist Government has a huge motive, resources, money and power to get what ever the multinationals want.
Posted by saintfletcher, Saturday, 23 June 2007 2:51:44 PM
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Australia's human rights record is utterly irrelevant to this article, which as about Venezuela. Introducing Australia's record is an example of the Ad Hominem Tu Quoque logical fallacy.

On the evidence of AI and HRW I'm inclined to think than the failure to renew RCTV's license was not unrelated to its opposition to Chavez's activities, and was therefore an attept to stifle criticism. Whatever the merits of Chavez's social programs, his methods are at best quesitonable and at worse brutal.
Posted by Rhian, Sunday, 24 June 2007 2:44:36 PM
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The American media knows the folly of not being in lock step with the government, no matter how wrong the government policy is. Vietnam and the Middle East are prime examples.
Posted by aspro, Monday, 25 June 2007 5:28:05 AM
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