An Abbott Government Conspiracy?

Just some quick observations.

Democracy has long been under attack by elite groups, looking to misinform and subvert for their own ends. It seems to have increased in blatancy with the Abbot government.

So lets examine some facts.

In the beginning of this year the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that there were claims made by asylum seekers of mistreatment by the Australian navy. Tony Abbott attacked the ABC, saying that Australian armed forced personnel were beyond questioning - that they should automatically be believed and given the benefit of the doubt. This appeared to be the catalyst for the latest calls to cut government funding for the ABC. The ABC is the national broadcaster and is often criticised by the right (particularly the political right) as being biased and leftist. It is important to note that all other major Australian broadcasters are discernably right-wing.

Under this Liberal government, certain austerity measures are being considered. Firstly the pension age is likely to be raised to 70. That means that for many, the retirement age is effectively 70 as well, so many people will be forced to continue working with deteriorating bodies. Secondly student welfare will be lessened across the board - primary school to university. This comes in combination with talks of cutting funding for education.

Despite all these measures taking place supposedly as austerity measures, it was recently announced that the Abbot government is intending to spend $12 billion on fighter jets. Whilst national security can be seen as a necessity, Australia has not been under any legitimate threat since World War II. This seems to undermine the necessity for austerity measures.

From all of this, one can conclude that Abbott is blatantly seeking an ideological hegemony. University students and retirees (the two most prevalent activist demographics), will either be under too much financial strain or too physically decrepit to amount to any real resistance. Education and media are being attacked in an attempt to remove any possibility of a counter-narrative to the government's.

Demo (people) cracy (rule) can only function properly if people can make informed decisions, which will not be possible under one-sided media and poor education.

Which begs the question; Is this coincidence or the most blatant attack on democracy by the Australian government?

The fact that I'm posting it here suggests that I am leaning towards the latter.

Some Sources
www.abc.net.au...

www.theaustralian.com.au...

www.smh.com.au...

www.theaustralian.com.au...#

www.theaustralian.com.au...#

www.couriermail.com.au... f2-1226773756241

www.smh.com.au...

a reply to: BombDefined

it was only a matter of time before it was their turn to sell us out.
look into the discrepancies at the AEC (australian electoral commission) to see how we were all screwed, election after election

a reply to: BombDefined

12.5 billion on jets?? Just read thst article. ..

Looking forward to seeing this budget where we sll have to tighten our belts! Nice one tony !"
Shakes head walking away.

Tony is a elitist.

a reply to: BombDefined

Mr Compton says it makes sense to change the system.

"Australia will go bankrupt unless the pension age is made to 70 and superannuation only be accessed at 70, otherwise it's going to run out before people die," he said.

Is he saying that all the super people have paid over the years won't be there, the Government has somehow used it all up, or stole it and has no way of paying it back if they don't raise the retirement age.

www.abc.net.au...

I think a lot of people give Tony Abbott an unfair beating.

The ABC handled those allegations very poorly, and didn't much bother to corroborate the stories of a few, with the stories of the majority, or even the authorities. It was eventually announced that only a few were 'tortured' by Australian Naval forces, and that is because those few were acting up and putting everyone on board the ship in danger. I thought Abbott had a point that the ABC should have handled the stories better.....as for cutting The ABC's funding, i don't agree with that.

I also don't agree with Abbott raising the pension age...but hey, all governments do things many people don't like...

I do, however, think that Australia should increase its defence spending.

Saying that we haven't been legitimately threatened since WW2 is a lie. Just this year, we had Indonesia increase their saber rattling, while cutting off all military/intelligence ties to Australia. I suppose you forget the time when they said they had their air force ready to hit Australia? I suppose you forget that they also had their special forces on alert? I suppose you forget that they pointed all of their radars down here, and upped their maritime patrols? No, Indonesia is a legitimate threat to Australia, especially if it is engaging in such actions!

---

Yes, i don't like all of Abbott's policies, but he's doing a hell of a lot better than what Labor was. People just love to jump on the hate train without objectively looking at things first.

a reply to: daaskapital

tony Abbott is a much bigger threat to this country than the Indonesians will ever be

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: daaskapital

tony Abbott is a much bigger threat to this country than the Indonesians will ever be

Please...that's just your biases talking.

The OP stated that Australia hasn't had a legitimate threat since WW2. I replied that the Indonesians are a legitmate threat, which is true, given their sabre rattling earlier in the year.

Whether or not you personally believe that Tony Abbot is a much bigger threat is irrelevant.

a reply to: daaskapital

wasnt that indonesian sabre rattling AFTER he started breeching indonesian territorial waters to "turn back the boats"?

originally posted by: okamitengu
a reply to: daaskapital

wasnt that indonesian sabre rattling AFTER he started breeching indonesian territorial waters to "turn back the boats"?

It was also after the ABC's release of Australian surveillance under the Labor Party...

I don't know why an Australian incursion of Indonesian waters must have something personally to do with Abbott. Not everything is singlehandedly a leader's fault. If the incursions of Indonesian waters were overseen by a higher power, it would have likely fallen under Scott Morrison rather than Tony Abbott.

originally posted by: daaskapital

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: daaskapital

tony Abbott is a much bigger threat to this country than the Indonesians will ever be

Please...that's just your biases talking.

The OP stated that Australia hasn't had a legitimate threat since WW2. I replied that the Indonesians are a legitmate threat, which is true, given their sabre rattling earlier in the year.

Whether or not you personally believe that Tony Abbot is a much bigger threat is irrelevant.

yes it was a biased comment,but seriously can you explain how indo is a threat and what you think they can do to cause a trouble here...?. apart from complaining about the boats being sent back

Both Labor and LNP are a bunch of selfish, elitist, ass holes. They only care about their pension.
Put Clive Palmer in. He is too rich to benefit from the polly pension.
The $12b spent on defence is great. I prefer to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it.

a reply to: daaskapital

I like to think I'm fairly objective, and I think the Abbott government is perhaps the worst train wreck of a government I can remember. I didn't like the Howard government at all, but I do think Howard at least looked competent, and governed effectively, even though I've never been a fan of Liberal policies. Gillard looked like a train wreck as well, but she governed surprisingly well, creating a lot of broad consensus across political lines to get legislation through.

Abbott was elected essentially by effectively tearing down Labor and repeating 'stop the boats', over and over. Since being elected I think he's governed extremely poorly, and his lies are equally bad, if not worse than the ones told by Rudd and Gillard.

I think Abbott is an embarrassment, and I will be extremely surprised if he's anything other than a one term leader. Having said that, I'm amazed that he actually became leader of this country.

He makes my skin crawl.

a reply to: daaskapital


I don't see how getting the majority consensus of the organisation of the accused does much for unbiased journalism. It's pretty well documented that the norm is to coverup indiscretions in organisations such as these. And just because it doesn't happen all the time doesn't mean it isn't worth addressing.

It was eventually announced that only a few were 'tortured' by Australian Naval forces, and that is because those few were acting up and putting everyone on board the ship in danger.

This information essentially came from the accused party no?


Also, I refute your accusation of liar, but I suppose that 'legitimate' is subjective. There just doesn't seem to be reasonable doubt that Indonesia would attack a nation with greater military technology, better trained troops and alliances with the most militarised nations on earth.


And lastly, I use 'Abbot'' and the like as shorthand for the current government. I totally agree with you in that it is unreasonable to hold a single person responsible for all policies, legislation etc.

originally posted by: BombDefined
Just some quick observations.

Democracy has long been under attack by elite groups, looking to misinform and subvert for their own ends. It seems to have increased in blatancy with the Abbot government.

So lets examine some facts.

In the beginning of this year the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that there were claims made by asylum seekers of mistreatment by the Australian navy. Tony Abbott attacked the ABC, saying that Australian armed forced personnel were beyond questioning - that they should automatically be believed and given the benefit of the doubt. This appeared to be the catalyst for the latest calls to cut government funding for the ABC. The ABC is the national broadcaster and is often criticised by the right (particularly the political right) as being biased and leftist. It is important to note that all other major Australian broadcasters are discernably right-wing.

Under this Liberal government, certain austerity measures are being considered. Firstly the pension age is likely to be raised to 70. That means that for many, the retirement age is effectively 70 as well, so many people will be forced to continue working with deteriorating bodies. Secondly student welfare will be lessened across the board - primary school to university. This comes in combination with talks of cutting funding for education.

Despite all these measures taking place supposedly as austerity measures, it was recently announced that the Abbot government is intending to spend $12 billion on fighter jets. Whilst national security can be seen as a necessity, Australia has not been under any legitimate threat since World War II. This seems to undermine the necessity for austerity measures.

From all of this, one can conclude that Abbott is blatantly seeking an ideological hegemony. University students and retirees (the two most prevalent activist demographics), will either be under too much financial strain or too physically decrepit to amount to any real resistance. Education and media are being attacked in an attempt to remove any possibility of a counter-narrative to the government's.

Demo (people) cracy (rule) can only function properly if people can make informed decisions, which will not be possible under one-sided media and poor education.

Which begs the question; Is this coincidence or the most blatant attack on democracy by the Australian government?

The fact that I'm posting it here suggests that I am leaning towards the latter.

Some Sources
www.abc.net.au...

www.theaustralian.com.au...

www.smh.com.au...

www.theaustralian.com.au...#

www.theaustralian.com.au...#

www.couriermail.com.au... f2-1226773756241

www.smh.com.au...

well written, well said and correct. 10 out of 10 for that mate. good work

abbott government conspiracy?
business as usual

..from wikipedia

The Rt Hon Cecil John Rhodes DCL (5 July 1853 – 26 March 1902)[1] was a British businessman, mining magnate, and politician in South Africa. Rhodes was named the chairman of De Beers at the company's founding in 1888.[2] De Beers, established with funding from NM Rothschild & Sons Limited in 1887,[3] today markets 40% of the world's rough diamonds, and at one time marketed 90%.[4] An ardent believer in British colonialism, Rhodes was the founder of the southern African territory of Rhodesia, which was named after him in 1895. South Africa's Rhodes University is also named after Rhodes. He set up the provisions of the Rhodes Scholarship, which is funded by his estate. Historian Richard A. McFarlane has called Rhodes "as integral a participant in southern African and British imperial history as George Washington or Abraham Lincoln are in their respective eras in United States history... Most histories of South Africa covering the last decades of the nineteenth century are contributions to the historiography of Cecil Rhodes."[5]

they leave out the good bits, (you have to do that yourself as always in the tinfoil scene)

mining..
british colonialism..
and rhodes scholarships..
and tony abbot being one of these rhodes scholars

royal institute of international affairs, etc

Rhodes Scholarship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org... - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil John Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for selected foreign students to study at the University of ...
The Rhodes Scholarships for Australia - The Rhodes Scholarships www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/about/rhodes-countries/australia - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight Welcome to the information page about the Rhodes Scholarships for Australia. Each year, there are nine Scholarships available in Australia to enable ...
About the Rhodes Scholarships - The Rhodes Scholarships www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/ rhodesscholarship/ about-the-rhodes-scholarships - View by Ixquick Proxy - Highlight The Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards supporting outstanding all- round students at the University of Oxford, and providing transformative ...

seems like our version of skull & bone
i wonder if the initiation rituals somehow incorporate mum's lamb roast, VB & a few sheep?


i seem to recall something about abbott being almost bankrupt some time ago, and having money made available to him under special circumstances.. kinda reminds me of the relationship between winston churchill and bernard baruch

Its not a "conspiracy" its typical right-wing politics. The only "conspiracy" is how that arsehat stole the election in the first place.

So many missing votes... And when I had to vote for the Senate AGAIN, my local polling place was closed--funny that I live in the largely green city of Fremantle!. I still voted, it just took me an hour of driving around to find a polling place.

We need electoral reform.

a reply to: RifRAAF
..sounds like you lean towards the left?



good luck with the reform

a reply to: BombDefined

Where are you getting the idea that Australia is democratic?
You even stated yourself

Demo (people) cracy (rule) can only function properly if people can make informed decisions, which will not be possible under one-sided media and poor education.

The people are not in rule. You are able to form an opinion through media and education but you have no ability to make any changes in legislation.

I understand where you have been mislead though. Australia is classed as a liberal democratic political system which uses a federal parliamentary democracy. In other words the only democratic process which happens in Australia takes place within parliament itself, by politicians.

Australia is an oligarchy. An oligarchy is a government by the few in which a small group exercises control.

They can cut all funding to media which threatens them and would be within their rights. The only people this would essentially effect is Labor. Likewise- Whether you vote for one or another- It will remain an oligarchy. As such, you are not as 'free' as you have been indoctrinated to believe.

a reply to: Gear

Maybe I misspoke, but I never meant to say that I thought Australia was a functioning democracy.

I would argue that if people are truly well informed, there would be a greater likelihood of people utilising their democratic rights such as protest, or maybe civil disobedience etc. which could pressure political powers to see the will of the people done. I do concede however that this may be a far too optimistic view for apathetic Australians...

I've not been under the illusion of a real freedom for some time now; very aware of the "glass prison" concept and all the indoctrination/advertising/propaganda that we are constantly bombarded with (ANZAC day anyone?). I just don't believe that people should relinquish more freedoms because things are already bleak.

a reply to: BombDefined
Indeed.
These democratic rights have been decaying too. Despite being a civil and human right under both the 'International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights' and 'International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights', Freedom of assembly and association has been cut in Queensland and Victoria. I watched this happen as people either didn't notice or apathetically stated it's probably for the best.

I fear too much has been lost and the people are now powerless. If any major laws change and the public are united against it 100%... it will make little difference and will be faced with major opposition.