I think that Glenn Greenwald just demonstrated that much of the media is the propaganda arm of the US Government. Things are getting serious folks.
And here is the video.
For the Australians reading this post - I am sorry but Glenn has nothing to say about house prices, 4WD's, football or beer - so you have nothing to be concerned about - this macrobusiness article might be more to your taste ;-)
Was reminiscing the other day about another election and another Prime Ministerial adventure - here are the tweets - direct from Twitter - with minor changes to make it readable.
* Given that Abbott started it with his bad behaviour - will he be concerned if someone finishes it with a trigger?
* Reminds me of the 2004 election. Howard ended up with about double the number on his bodyguard brigade - on the morning Kirribilli walk.
* Am assuming it was because of the *doubling* of death threats during that campaign.
* On his morning walk along the boardwalk he had about 6 big bastards with guns minding him - plus a couple of AFP cruisers nearby.
* One particularly nasty *helper* was a big muscly gun-toting female bodyguard who used to elbow we other boardwalkers out of the way.
* One memorable morning - the big dyke muscled a North Sydney resident who had a habit of calling little Johnny *Sir Johnny*. Still LMAO.
* Most of we boardwalkers were just relieved when *Sir Johnny* got the flick in 2007 - because we didn't have to put up with his bodyguard brigade.
* Am curious to know if the big dyke is riding shotgun with Tony on his pollie pedal these days? And where she hides her gun?
* My neighbor used to say in a very loud voice as the man and his entourage passed us "Mornin Sir Johnny" - and then we would cack ourselves.
* But one morning - dorothy dyke thought we were being "you know disrespectful". And she proceeded to *elbow* my walking mate.
* And we didn't know what to do - because she was the one with the gun. A big thing strapped to her back.
* So we did what any self respecting citizens would do - early one morning we delivered a big brown turd to the Prime Ministerial letterbox.
* Given that Abbott started it with his bad behaviour - will he be concerned if someone finishes it with a trigger?
According to the experts, the political contest this September is between Julia Gillard and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) on the one side and Tony Abbott and a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party (LNP) on the other.
With a host of small parties fighting for the scraps. Incidentaly this is where the real contest will be - watch the Senate. And independents will shine everywhere ;-)
The current polls show that the voters are seriously in favour of the LNP coalition - and that the ALP - our current government will be decimated come election day. I have no reason to doubt them.
I had my political knowledge enhanced yesterday about what the Australian voter is up to. Have they "parked" their vote with Tony until they can make a real decision about who to vote for closer to the election?
And have they done this because the Labor Party is in turmoil over its leadershit? Recall that Kevin Rudd was leader until 2010 when he was deposed by the faceless men who installed Julia Gillard in the top job. But she has failed to impress and the people have stopped listening to her - hence the poor polls. Apparently the "parked" voters are awaiting a Rudd resurrection.
Now the political assassination of Rudd has never been properly explained but it was essentially a "coup" by the right wing unions to re-take control of the ALP. Rudd was never a union chap and the bovver boys couldn't tolerate an "outsider" leading "their" party - especially when he showed some independence - so they boned him and installed Gillard. The ALP was once a broad based party - including "progressives, moderates, social democrats and unionists". Now it is run by and for the unions.
Of course no-one knows any of that because it hasn't been advertised - and it won't be because they still want to hang onto as many of those "progressive, moderate and social democratic" votes as they can get at the coming election. Remember that votes equal money paid by you and me.
All of which is why the leadershit is just that. Those who now control the ALP will never let Rudd back into the top job. They will keep Gillard because she is one of them. They intend to go to the election with Gillard leading the charge - because when they come out the other side all those pesky "progressives, moderates and social democrats" will have been purged. And the right wing unions will then have their beloved ALP all to themselves.
Won't that be fun Virginia?
For more than 40 years Australian's have been "conditioned" by an ugly right wing media that promotes racist, sexist and other bogan behaviour as being "normal". Uncle Rupert's little empire is responsible for much of it but all of our media participate - because it was once a profitable game for them.
But some people are starting to rebel - in the past week we have seen the head of Army vent at the most recent military sex outrage and others express their disgust at the treatment dished out to PM Gillard by shockjock Howard Sattler.
Of course, none of this is new. It might be that the volume has been turned up a bit because it is an election year - but frankly and embarrassingly - it's been part of Australian culture for decades. It was certainly there when I was in the Army 40 years ago.
The really sad thing is that few Australians want to discuss it - we pretend that it doesn't exist. And that's the real problem.
But now we have a new and even more disturbing element that helps fan the flames of bogan behaviour. Our so-called leaders.
Once upon a time our political leaders recognised their responsibility to not incite fear and hatred. Every political leader up to and including Kevin Rudd knew about this unwritten rule.
But since the Liberal party installed Abbott and adopted the US Republican party play book back in 2009 - things have gotten worse. A lot worse.
For four years Abbott has been lying to the Australian people and stirring up enormous fear and hatred. His non-stop chanting of the word "illegal" around asylum seekers has cruelled any sympathy that we have for their plight. He has used the Nazi Goebbels fear and hatred techniques to demonise asylum seekers, berate the carbon price, beat up the unemployed, talk down the economy, pick on the prime minister and her ministers and generally shit stir. And he has been aided and abetted by other nasty bastards on his front bench.
And that was always the plan. Rupert and friends have spent a lifetime "conditioning" us - Abbott is now supposed to be reaping the benefits. The puppeteer did all the work - and now the puppet is supposed to get him a result.
And it seems to be working a treat - because the Liberals have a commanding lead in the polls and most pundits expect them to form the next Australian government after we vote in mid September.
A large part of their polling success is driven by bogans who have supposedly risen up in a booze fuelled outrage. Much of the time they sit in their undies in front of the TV or the PC and vent at it using the remote - or a beer can ;-)
But since 2009 their spiritual leader Abbott has shown that he is prepared to say what he thinks in public - and that is the signal for them to follow suit.
So now we have every half-arsed bogan saying what they think in public - and it aint a good look.
At least Murdoch and Abbott have a plan - few of their followers have a clue.
Here is my personal list of reasons why I won't be voting for Ms Gillard and the ALP in the coming election.
* US Military Bases - here and here
* Prism - here
* James Clapper OA - here
* Suppressing dole payment - here
* Demonising unemployed - here and here and here and here
* Asylum seeker nightmare - here and here
* US suck up - here and here
* Foreign policy - here and here
* Fiscal austerity - here and here
* Industry policy - here and here and here
* Iraq war inquiry - here and here
* Fuel subsidy to miners - here
* Julian Assange - here and here
* Faulkner reforms - here
And Mr Abbott and the LNP are worse, I can't be bothered making a list for them - it would take weeks.
The ALP have become the political arm of the right wing union movement and the LNP are busy re-creating the mad hatter's tea party. Neither offer anything of interest to me.
I haven't yet decided who to vote for but it will likely be an Independent or a small party - an individual and/or an organisation that is concerned for the national interest - not their own personal interest or even the interest of a belligerent foreign power.
I will let you know who I choose.
