Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate • Hacker News Board

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#381

Post by dirtyid » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:31 AM UTC

alliao wrote: post #207

CCP is literally cancer on all citizens living in currently free democracy. They show that it's possible to keep a huge population under control with current tools and technology. Our politicians show public disdain, but fuck are they being seduced. And Australia is just stepping into it step by step while asking it's citizens to trust the government because they seem to be at odds with CCP publicly. As someone who l…

Delusional blaming CCP for AU surveillance state that is fundementally driven by FVEY interests. Turnbull literally admitted the reason why Huawei was banned from AU networks was because Huawei hardware made it harder to surveil on AU/FVEY citizens. He was worried about denial of access to network that would undermine FVEY capability to spy on each other's citizens vs CCP interception. FVEY's been undermining Kiwi/member populations long before CCP entered the picture.

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#382

Post by shakna » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:33 AM UTC

roody15 wrote: post #371

shakna wrote: post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Continuing a lockwdown while the number of positive covid cases remains in the low hundreds and the daily death rate in the lower tens to single digits. Correction - thousands, not hundreds. But comparison to the previous numbers is required, because it's approaching the peak we've seen. So close to highest ever, rather than something to be dismissed. > Serious cannot leave your house outside and go outside for a j…

Do you have to wear a mask when jogging outside? (or walking etc). Can you jog with your family or small group of friends?

> Do you have to wear a mask when jogging outside? (or walking etc).

Jogging, no you don't have to wear a mask. Walking, depends where you live.

> Can you jog with your family or small group of friends?

Depends where you live. But you're always allowed at least one other person, you're not cut off from humanity.

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#383

Post by SV_BubbleTime » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:33 AM UTC

Nursie wrote: post #372

Aerroon wrote: post #225

I'm always kind of surprised by people who move to Australia. It's a country that has had an active policy of censorship on entertainment for a very long time - books, video games, movies. The fact that the populace is okay with such a policy would make me reconsider moving there. I've also read some really questionable things about policies regarding aboriginals in the northern territories. In 2007 the government 't…

The ban on alcohol in some communities is (AFAICT) welcomed by those communities, which have massive problems with it. There are laws in other states which allow people to declare their house a “dry place” which is then enforceable by law, to try to stop anyone from bringing alcohol into the house. I can’t tell you whether any of these measures work, but they aren’t implemented for reasons of racist suppression, from…

So your points arethat “some people like authoritarian measures” and “the censorship isn’t bad because today you can get around it”.

Sounds like you have a vested interest in not realizing what these new laws mean for you.

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#384

Post by Nursie » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:33 AM UTC

gregsq wrote: post #237

Nagyman wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can just submit a blank ballot. https://www.quora.com/As-voting-is-compulsory-in-Australia-a...

I don’t see this as anywhere near the same thing though. These so called ‘donkey votes’ are derided, and categorised as together with voting errors and other invalid voting forms. The right to withhold your vote is as fundamental as the right to withold your labour. Voter turnout is an important metric in its own right, and is observed tactically in, say, the UK. Compulsory voting simplifies competition, and destroys…

And in democracies like the UK, people who don’t vote are disregarded as lazy and ignored too.

I agree, you should be able to withhold as a protest, in practice it’s 100% meaningless.

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#385

Post by Gatsky » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:34 AM UTC

siquick wrote: post #37

I've lived in Australia for 10 years and really considering my familys future in this country. We are sleep-walking towards a very average future. An undiversified export economy, out of control house prices, a job-market primarily focused on two cities, a government intent on selling all public assets, very limited political interest in positive climate policies. The latter is simply addressed with "technology will…

This is one view... but I suspect most people living somewhere that is a proper city as opposed to a resort would say similar things.

Net migration rate provides a more objective view of whether a country has an 'average future'. If you look at the global net migration rates, Australia and particularly the capital cities have some of the highest rates in the world, despite being far away from anywhere.

The factors driving this may not align at all with what you personally want from a country or a city, which is fair enough. But your comment seems like quite a generalisation to make from a very specific position.

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#386

Post by roody15 » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:34 AM UTC

Gatsky wrote: post #363

roody15 wrote: post #269

I simply cannot wrap my mind around what is happening in Australia. Continuing a lockwdown while the number of positive covid cases remains in the low hundreds and the daily death rate in the lower tens to single digits. Nothing makes sense here. Draconian laws, complete shutdown over something that is and has been statistically under control and managed from months. Am I alone here or do people really think what is…

This is pretty hyperbolic. Examination of global excess deaths would tell you that the lockdowns were successful in their stated primary aim. Australia and NZ had significantly fewer excess deaths during the first wave [1]. And if they continue with lockdowns, they will have signficantly fewer excess deaths again no matter what else happens. You may think this isn't a good trade-off, which is a fine point to make, bu…

You are correct I think this is not a good trade-off. However I stand by “my mind is blown” that continuing with these draconian measures and the lock down approach borders on madness.

For reference in my part of the world we are fully open going on the 5th week of full in person schooling. All athletic teams and events have resumed with full crowds. In a school district of 2600 students we have over 45 positive cases (temp quarantine). The week prior we had 35 cases.

Neither of these case numbers are concerning and we continue to promote vaccination and frequent testing to limit the spread.

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#387

Post by stephen_g » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:34 AM UTC

siquick wrote: post #37

I've lived in Australia for 10 years and really considering my familys future in this country. We are sleep-walking towards a very average future. An undiversified export economy, out of control house prices, a job-market primarily focused on two cities, a government intent on selling all public assets, very limited political interest in positive climate policies. The latter is simply addressed with "technology will…

The next election is critical, I think. Need a minority Labor Government with a strong crossbench - neither major party ruling in their own right will make any moves in the right direction for the country at this point...

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#388

Post by tikwidd » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:35 AM UTC

eplanit wrote: post #115

discordance wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Australia was initially populated with Aboriginals, from who the land was stolen by convict settlers.

There's a difference between "country founded by", and "land occupied by". Yes, the aboriginals, like native tribes all over the world, were displaced by modernity. One can debate the good vs. bad of it all, but the country of Australia was founded as a penal colony (after displacing the aboriginals).

"Displaced by modernity" is such a wonderfully Orwellian description for what the colonisers did to Aboriginal Australians.

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#389

Post by lexandstuff » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:35 AM UTC

mdoms wrote: post #57

siquick wrote: post #37

I've lived in Australia for 10 years and really considering my familys future in this country. We are sleep-walking towards a very average future. An undiversified export economy, out of control house prices, a job-market primarily focused on two cities, a government intent on selling all public assets, very limited political interest in positive climate policies. The latter is simply addressed with "technology will…

I lived in Australia for 5 years and my sense is that, as harsh as it sounds, Australia needs to go through an extreme hardship to wake up as a nation. Australia has lived true to its moniker as the Lucky Country - at least two full generations of Australians have never witnessed economic hardship or downturn of any kind. Natural disasters pass the nation by (other than wildfires). Even Covid looked like it was going…

Melbourne has been in lock down for over 200 days. Sydney is not that far behind.

Massive amounts of people are unable to work, and a lot of us haven't seen our interstate family in almost 2 years.

A few months before Covid started, 180,000 km2 of Australia was burned to the ground, enshrouding our capital and major cities in smoke, making breathing outdoors almost impossible, causing a mass shortage of P2 masks. Many people died. Many more lost their houses.

What sort of additional hardships do you want to prescribe for Australians exactly?

Re: Australia’s new mass surveillance mandate

#390

Post by astrange » Wed, Sep 08, 2021, 4:36 AM UTC

perl4ever wrote: post #361

astrange wrote: post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only things Americans know about Australia are Steve Irwin and Outback Steakhouse, i.e., nothing.

Ok, but I was referring to expatriates. Also, you forgot Paul Hogan. And Kylie Minogue. And Nick Cave. Also, while absolutely nothing sticks in my mind about either, the names of Kevin Rudd and Kim Beazley have been retained in my memory.

I don't think they hear anything that'd make them want to emigrate. We just hear that most of the country is desert, even though when I actually went there everyone (in the cities) turned out to be tanned Scots obsessed with beaches and coffee.

If there's places Americans want to go, it's Canada, Europe or Asia, though I think their opinion of Europe is a little overrated if anything.