Hope Not Hate

This is one of those blogs, one hopes never to write, but given the events of the last weeks, it seems unavoidable. 

What unfolded in New Zealand is heart breaking, but expected - sooner or later. What one didn't expect, was that it would be New Zealand, to put it bluntly, given the that a number of Australian politicians (and parties) in Australia have been using intolerance, hate and fear as political currency for around two decades; Australia seemed the more likely scenario. And indeed, this did turn out to be an Australian white supremacist, fueled by hate and made brave by Australian politicians normalising. 

What followed in Australia, should be of concern to all -of gigantic proportions.  The comments made by one Australian Federal Senator (voted in by a whopping 19 votes), in particular were, and continue to be...... actually, there are no words to describe the repulsion of this individual, nor the media outlets which continue to allow others like him to continue spin their bile message directly to a mass audience. The fact that, the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) have not revoked their licenses is truly incompetent and illustrates all to clearly the failings in legislation. 

Lets be absolutely clear - HATE SPEECH, IS NOT FREE SPEECH - IT IS HATE SPEECH. Free speech stops the moment it creates a dangerous 'Us verses Them' narrative. 74 years after the conclusion of WW2, it appears humans are too stupid to learn.

As Labor Party Leader, Bill Shorten made clear, after 50 innocent people (including children) were confirmed dead and another 12 rushed to intensive care as result of the Christchurch terrorist attack, on the 15th March 2019;

Hate speech, doesn't always lead to violence; but violence ALWAYS starts with hate speech. 

The entire history of humanity, into the present day, already provides far too many examples of exactly this.  

Regardless of the ideology on which hate speech is based, it is at its core utterly repugnant and pure evil. 

The election of Mark Latham into the Parliament of New South Wales, over the weekend - should not just raise warnings, as to how normalised hate speech masquerading as free speech has become, but also place Australian anti-terror organisations and Police services on greater vigilance, increase watch lists - if not raise their internal alert levels - considerably. Because if the patterns illustrated here continue the slaughter of Australians; regardless of religion, race, gender, age, sexual orientation will escalate, with any and all Australians becoming targets. 

So where does the responsibility rest? 

It rests with each and every individual. It rests with us: 

• report hate speech when we hear and/or see it. 

• report hate speech and content on social media, to that social media provider and to not share, re-post or retweet that content. 

• don't just rant on social media, or scream at the television or radio, when hate content is beamed into our lives - but to sit down and report it to the ACMA - repeatedly until it is taken seriously. 

• write, phone, email, twitter, facebook - every politician and party you can think of; demanding Australian Media Ownership Restrictions to be re-introduced - Immediately. 

But most importantly it rests with us, at the ballot box !  

At any and every occasion, 

Vote:  #HopeNotHateForAustralia

Vote: Compassion, Tolerance - Humanity.

Links: 

This first one, should be screaming from Australia's media - but instead...... *crickets*

• Open Letter from UK Counter-Terrorism, Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing  

 

 

• Australian Human Rights Commission 

• Hate speech, free speech and human rights in Australia 

• Human Rights Watch - Free Speech 

• "Identitarianism: The Inherently Dangerous Ideology that Influenced the Christchurch Killer" 

• New Zealand's Leader Looks To Unify Nation 

• Far Right Referrals to UK's Counter Terror Scheme Soar.

 

 

 

 

LNP Drought Policy, or lack there of.

An enormous part of Australia is currently in drought. An area which includes: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and what is the latest LNP reaction? 

To take money from the NDIS for future droughts. Yes, that’s right. To take support money from those in society, who need it most. Standard Liberal Party / National Party policy really. The LNP are claiming NDIS is now being funded from other source - But which sources?

The only reason Government should get involved in drought assistance is for the greater public good.

The imperatives of Govt. getting involved in drought assistance need to be:

1. Assisting farmers (and industries) to maintain perennial plantings.

2. Preserve the breeding stock, of livestock.

3. Protect the environment.

4. Prevent 1000’s of farmers ‘walking the streets’ because they’ve gone broke, but then this is part of the reason society provides general welfare to it’s population. A point lost on the conservative politicians of this nation.

What the LNP are failing to grasp, is that you don’t write drought policy in the middle of a drought! Just as one should never go to the supermarket when hungry…

LNP Drought Policy 2018.

So, here’s a hint for Australia’s politicians. If they are serious about assisting farmers. 

Let farmers do some of their own drought preparation from profits during the ‘good times’. Quite simply by providing tax concessions for this purpose. Concessions such as accelerated depreciation on equipment such as irrigation. The greatest issue here will be farmers on the margin, who may never make enough profit to do this before the next drought. Traditionally those farmers who have survived best in drought have been those with other sources of income.

The current drought through southeastern Australia has also cost Tasmanian farmers. Let me explain.

Whilst parts of Tasmania have had a perfectly normal / average rainfall season, the mainland drought has reduced live stock sale value over the last six months.

Why? Because the drought is causing excess live stock to come onto the market, thereby flooding the market. This in turn pushes farmers who have live stock going to market as part of their normal sales / income cycle, to sell into an already flooded market. Farmers, such as those in Tasmania, are forced to do so, or risk becoming overstocked and without cash flow themselves.

Perhaps the real secret to surviving drought is not to rely on agriculture as the sole source of income. Particularly in a nation with a Government, which, not only refuses to accept Climate Change Science, but also is actively working contrary to that advice!

The only conclusion one can read into the situation, which, Australia now finds itself in; being that the entire LNP coalition need to go back to High School and let this year's TCE / VCE / HSC / IB etc. students run the nation… 

..... and this drought is only just getting started. The further we get into summer, the greater this drought is going to be.....

Anzac Day and the Yassmin Abdel-Magied controversy

 “Listen, don't mention the war! I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it…”

 

It’s a little over one year since, Yassmin Abdel-Magied’s controversial social media post sparked one of the ugliest social media back lashes I’ve ever seen, by which time she had already apologised and deleted the post.

What followed was nothing short of a national disgrace an aggressive and sustained media bombardment against one woman; and for what, a simple comment “Lest we forget (Manus)”. Ironically the loudest and most disproportionally aggressively of those vilifying Yassmin, were those repeatedly claiming that ‘free speech’ in Australia is under threat (whilst using media and social media to do so).

The incident, exposed the ugly truth about modern day Australia; laying bare a nation low on empathy, sympathy, tolerance and big on racial, religious and social hatred. The nation showed itself to be intolerant of asylum seekers, individuals on welfare and all the weakest and powerless in society - and then the mainstream media added their two bob’s worth.

The hysteria, which followed Yassmin’s Facebook post, cannot be separated from xenophobia, racism and misogyny. If Australians are to be truly honest with themselves then they must acknowledge that Anzac Day has been a source of controversy and protest for a very long time. Even in the 1960’s being used as an opportunity to protest the Vietnam War.

Yassmin did not criticise Australian Soldiers and she did not comment on the politics of war. Her post simply and succinctly asked us to remember, not only lives lost in previous wars, but also the lives of those currently in harms way; fighting in, living in and fleeing conflict zones. Instead she was faced with a lynch mob of conservative politicians and press, most of who claim to be ‘Christians’. Yet their conduct in this was anything but!

In this simple act one brown Muslim woman showed more Christian understanding of the suffering of her fellow (hu)man than all those attacking her combined.

One hopes that Yassmin and those like her will continue to maintain the courage and humanity she displayed and continues to display.

So tomorrow on Anzac day, one hopes all Australians of conscience will remember not only those Anzacs past and present, but also those: fighting, living, fleeing and dying in current conflicts.

This in no way detracts from the Anzac legend and sacrifice, rather acknowledges their sacrifice and reminds us how much Australian and New Zealand troops still contribute to the nation and the world.

Lest we forget.

Image: original drawing by VacuousNess