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Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

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41–50 of 88 posts

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#41

Prime Minister Abbott needs to whip up hysteria and panic to try to distract people from his government's incredibly poor performance and disastrous budget. A nice solid war along with deep fear mongering should regain control of the media message. I simply don't believe we are under threat of attack from knife wielding beheading terrorists. The poor kid who died the other day was probably just mentally ill but its t…

The United States, by continuing to commit many acts of war, terrorism, gross injustice, and subversion in other countries, and selling arms to all and sundry, greatly increases the likelihood of retaliatory terrorism in the United States and to a lesser degree in allied countries such as Australia.

Nevertheless, I do agree with you that Australian civilians are not in much danger, yet.

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#42

Prime Minister Abbott needs to whip up hysteria and panic to try to distract people from his government's incredibly poor performance and disastrous budget. A nice solid war along with deep fear mongering should regain control of the media message. I simply don't believe we are under threat of attack from knife wielding beheading terrorists. The poor kid who died the other day was probably just mentally ill but its t…

The United States, by continuing to commit many acts of war, terrorism, gross injustice, and subversion in other countries, and selling arms to all and sundry, greatly increases the likelihood of retaliatory terrorism in the United States and to a lesser degree in allied countries such as Australia.

Nevertheless, I do agree with you that Australian civilians are not in much danger, yet.

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#43

Prime Minister Abbott needs to whip up hysteria and panic to try to distract people from his government's incredibly poor performance and disastrous budget. A nice solid war along with deep fear mongering should regain control of the media message. I simply don't believe we are under threat of attack from knife wielding beheading terrorists. The poor kid who died the other day was probably just mentally ill but its t…

As a French person, I lived in Australia. People often kindly made fun of not only our strikes, but of my rebelious mind and constant tendency to protest and organize against negative change. I would kindly make fun of their extreme docility on knee-jerk rules such as residential and corporate policies.

Unfortunately, seeing this example, I still wish Australians were keener to be involved in politics and defend their awesome land, culture and economy.

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#44
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been out of Australia for many years now, though I always figured I would go home to raise a family one day. Everyone I talk to now says it's getting destroyed by Abbott and his policies. Less sending on Health, Education. Privatized university loans (with interest - even for those with existing HECS debt), very overreaching surveillance. I hate to say it, but it might not be worth going back after Abbott has ha…

I love Australia, and I wish it would get the governments and leadership it deserves. Haven't lived there for 6 years, and I'm not sure if I will move back.

I think that in democratised affluent western societies the people always get the government they deserve.

Whatever your idealogical problems with the liberal government are, they don't present a series of shambolic polices, they don't engage in oblivious compartmentalisation of social and economic policy and they don't spend two terms of government fighting incessantly amongst themselves like the last labour government did.

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#45
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love Australia, and I wish it would get the governments and leadership it deserves. Haven't lived there for 6 years, and I'm not sure if I will move back.

I think that in democratised affluent western societies the people always get the government they deserve. Whatever your idealogical problems with the liberal government are, they don't present a series of shambolic polices, they don't engage in oblivious compartmentalisation of social and economic policy and they don't spend two terms of government fighting incessantly amongst themselves like the last labour governm…

I would suggest that in democratic affluent western societies the corporate lobbyists influence the government that you get every single day, whereas the people only influence it at election time.

I think you are hallucinating my "idealogical problems with the liberal government". Where did you get that from? No partisanship in my comment.

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#46
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been out of Australia for many years now, though I always figured I would go home to raise a family one day. Everyone I talk to now says it's getting destroyed by Abbott and his policies. Less sending on Health, Education. Privatized university loans (with interest - even for those with existing HECS debt), very overreaching surveillance. I hate to say it, but it might not be worth going back after Abbott has ha…

This is a load of balls, Australia is still a great place to live compared with the majority of countries in the world.

As long as you're white and healthy.

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#47
post #40
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been out of Australia for many years now, though I always figured I would go home to raise a family one day. Everyone I talk to now says it's getting destroyed by Abbott and his policies. Less sending on Health, Education. Privatized university loans (with interest - even for those with existing HECS debt), very overreaching surveillance. I hate to say it, but it might not be worth going back after Abbott has ha…

Talking about university loans, let's take a minute to share and contemplate the awesome system I've discovered in Australia: You can borrow money from the govt for your studies. The interest rate is only equal to the Consumer Price Index. You repay your debt through taxes after you start working, and your taxes are capped to something like 45% of your income. Which means, if your studies don't land you a good job, y…

That could be changing after student fees get deregulated[1]. $50,000 for an arts degree and $100,000 for medicine. No doubt that price will go up.

Australia is actively being made dumber as we devolve in to a class system.

[1] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-23/uwa-to-hike-fees-30-pe...

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#48
post #11

I am not normally one to put on a tin foil hat, but all the events of the last week seem so orchestrated that it is hard not to be cynical. Security agencies facing the sunsetting of powers granted after 9/11 "suddenly" discover all these threats the very same week that laws are due to be voted on. There seems to be almost no evidence against individuals raided, only one arrest and that on the basis of some intercept…

"all the events of the last week seem so orchestrated that it is hard not to be cynical" Uh... make that the last 51 years. If you only just noticed, you're not paying attention. And I only say 51 years from picking an arbitrary point (JFK assassination) for when the deep state's evil ways became really obvious. "If the people were to ever find out what we have done, we would be chased down the streets and lynched."…

> Uh... make that the last 51 years. If you only just noticed, you're not paying attention. And I only say 51 years from picking an arbitrary point (JFK assassination) for when the deep state's evil ways became really obvious.

McCarthyism: 1950[1]

J. Edgar Hoover: 1935~1972[2]

[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism

[2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#49

Aaahh tried and true, good strategy, First scare the shit out, and then tell them(people) we are here to protect you, look we need to come into your house now, so that we can save you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu_30-8ZlmQ

"I wan't everyone to remember why they need US!"

Re: Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance

#50
post #12

Surely it's inevitable that everything will be surveiled. The quicker we realise this and "encrypt all the things" the better. What's the point in fighting legislation when you can solve the problem with technology? If the technology doesn't exist now then this stupid legislation should spur it on.

If you think any technical solution is going to solve these things you are delusional.

It will only create an arms-race that will make things worse.

We need laws.

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