Hi John,

Did you know that you can get the afr smh and age if you are a Logan library member? I think you need only live in Brisbane or Logan.

John,

"Facts are dry, boring, and a lot less lucrative - which is why using them to counter organised misinformation campaigns, driven by social media algorithms and public ready to be outraged over something, is proving ineffective."

Yes, that is your claim, but how true is it? Albo claims that the referendum was defeated by a campaign of misinformation and disinformation, a Trump like allegation of electoral fraud. Maybe people voted no because they didn't like the idea of Australians being treated differently on the basis of their ancestry? The yes campaign also had two pitches, suggesting there would be significant powers to yes voters and emphasising subservience to parliament to no voters. Is that evidence of misinformation and deception? Does it warrant a Truth Bureau? I have argued that a government defining truth is an authoritarian measure for the purpose of coercing people and suppressing opposing opinion.

I also find the statement a bit odd as it would seem to promote a life of crime as being a better economic decision. Don't boring facts form the basis of civilisation and the prosperity it delivers? Perhaps you can proffer a few examples of misinformation entrepreneurs for discussion?

Hi Paul,

"The danger with "free speech" is the rise of extremism, you mentioned Oswald Mosley and how laws were enacted in Britain to prevent fascism. By all accounts Hitler was a great orator and used his right to free speech to influence millions with "hate speak"."

Hitler's rise to power was achieved by a very active suppression of free speech and opposition. The real horror for the world, especially the German people, was that with the authoritarian restriction of free speech as well intensive, targeted propaganda and the indoctrination of children, Hitler was able to become a popular figure in Germany despite leading the people to destruction and destitution. The legacy of hatred of the Nazis remained long after the regime was defeated. It is primarily because of Nazism that I have an extreme distrust of government limiting free speech via a bureaucracy with the ability to make very arbitrary and contested decrees about what is true and what is not.

Hi AC,

I often don't agree with you, but I would be very aggrieved if you or anyone here were censored by this abominable legislation. We might be the peanut gallery, but we are part of the social fabric and government has no business preventing our participation via laws more befitting an autocracy.

The “new” Labor M.A.D Bill has been revealed to be the same as the Bill proposed by Scott Morrison! Labor and Liberal are just echoes of each other:

. surveillance, censorship, digital ID - lockstep
. climate change - lockstep
. slaves to the UN, the WHO, the WEF - lockstep
. mass immigration - lockstep
. big government - lockstep

Good Job ttbn,
- but what point are you going to finally realise that our leaders are nothing but branch managers?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-05/laura-tingle-on-middle-east-politics-and-dutton-albanese-divide/104433752
>>The prime minister said on Friday that "we have worked closely with President Biden and we have signed joint statements with the United States, with Canada, the European Union Italy, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, all calling for a de-escalation".<<

See these 'joint statements', we're part of a 'gang' not 'sovereign'.

Have you seen the movie Lion King
U.S.is the bad lion 'SCAR' and the West are his hyenas.

"We cannot trust any of the bastards in the Uniparty".
You're selling yourself short there
- 'The West cannot be trusted anymore' end of story.

"The Coalition is hiding behind twaddle like 'digital safety' and 'protection of children'. "
- Of course they're going to say that, they're the only valid reasons the public would accept it without pushback.
This way if you object they say 'You're putting kids safety at risk'.
- Everything is about beating you over the head with something, some name some accusation that one is racist, or sexist, or a bigot or xenophobic or something, and they push through whatever they want with limited opposition.
You'll look stupid and are asking to be attacked by opposing it.

With democracies it's the stuff both parties agree on that you have to be concerned about.

Hi Fester,
Thanks for supporting my right to say what I think.
(within reason of course)

I think that when the government and police remain ambiguous on things, keeping details to themselves, then it invites speculation.
They can only whinge so much when their own system invites speculation.

Where's 'transparency' they're all just bs words.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/teens-alleged-plans-to-blow-up-a-university-poison-melbourne-water-supply-foiled-after-fbi-tipoff/dfcfe7f2-7876-4e7f-98b2-2f5bd27105f1
"Some details of the case are not able to be reported on for legal reasons, including his name and specifics of the case."
- The guys 19, he's faced magistrates court.
It should be a matter of public record, why isn't it?
Some bureaucrat will come out and waffle a lot of mealy-mouthed crap saying "It's all about social cohesion"

I don't have the stomach to look at the Liberal Party website, but I am advised that the party still insists a Coalition government will give ACMA bureaucrats stronger enforcement and information-gathering powers to combat misinformation and disinformation online; and Dutton continues to support the totalitarian and foreign import, the eSafety Commissioner.

Some people think that we are ruled, not by elected politicians (they don't even pretend to be our servants anymore) but bureaucrats, whose extreme Left agendas continue no matter who is in The Lodge.

The only solution to our problem with politicians is the removal of the Liberals, Labor and the Greens. But Australians don't have what it takes to give the options a go, so cowered and brainwashed by the Uniparty are they.