Academics branded 'anti-US over FTA research'

I dont know if this goes here...? Mods, if I have placed it in wrong forum then feel free to move it without the slap on the wrist.


If you speak out or are critical with dominant policies then you are branded 'anti' which is probably the first label you get before being labeled a terrorist.
What happened to freedom of speech? It is one thing to lose individual rights but to see the hard line approach being placed on academic institutions is frightening...

The head of the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra says there has been an attempt to silence academics who are making critical comments about issues of public importance.

Vice-chancellor Professor Ian Chubb says ANU researchers were labelled as "anti-American" after they released a study of Australia's free trade agreement with the US, which revealed adverse results.

Professor Chubb says he received several calls suggesting the university would be unwise to promote the research.

"You have to be a particular sort of person to put your head up over the parapet when it gets knocked every time, and labels are put on you that you are uncomfortable with," Professor Chubb said.

"It's dangerous and I think it's pathetic."

www.abc.net.au...

For a democratic nation, its getting more and more communist.

This is a bigger scandal that reaches out from america influencing australian politics. This stems from places like JunkScience.com, trying to refute and obscure scientific findings.
Remember the CSIRO scandal not long ago? Members of CSIRO were gagged over climate topics.

"These scientists have been gagged for talking about one of the most important issues facing the world, and that is climate change," Ms Macklin told reporters.
"We want to make sure that our scientists can speak freely, can make sure that our politicians, our government departments and the public really do understand the critical importance of the science of climate change, and we cannot afford to have these scientists gagged.

www.theage.com.au... /Scientists-gagged-from-climate-debate/2006/02/13/1139679483824.html

Also with the AWB scandal again government officals were gagged.

As AWB announced its latest disaster, the Government put a gag on public servants revealing "who, what, when and where" in relation to the AWB scandal during the Cole inquiry.

www.theage.com.au... l/iraq-issues-ban-public-servants-gagged/2006/02/13/1139679536405.html


I wouldnt say we are becomming 'Communist' as Howards is the total opposite to a socialist. What i think you are meaning is that it is like it is 'State Controlled Press'.

Originally posted by wang
I wouldnt say we are becomming 'Communist' as Howards is the total opposite to a socialist. What i think you are meaning is that it is like it is 'State Controlled Press'.

but its not even controlled by our state! Its external.
The thing that concerns me as a Uni student...I have been in the Uni system for nearly 8 years. In that time I have seen a decrease in the availability of certain literature.

It is politically censored. I tried to get a book last year. It had been a Uni compulsary book year before, due to the political preference of the author, it was retracted and not endorsed by the Uni. Other students were recommending it to me. Now instead of 1 book and 3 companion readers, we got 3 lonely companion readers. There were 2 books at the libraries...(out of 3 Uni's in SA); now, both had been stolen. The policy at the Uni's was that they were not replacing books. (Just that one? or all books???)

There is something very frightening when information is censored or limited. That is not a democracy. Communism restricts information and here we have a book (brilliant book I may add) not available because it no longer supports the majority/dominant ideology.

And now, the above demonstrates another restriction or pressure on the free mind. Is it really just about state controlling the press?