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Thursday, 27 July
16:09
Black & Veatch to Advance Carbon-Neutral Aviation in Australia, New Zealand The AIM Network
Media Release The company joins Bioenergy Australias alliance as a $30 million fund is announced for sustainable aviation fuel development. MELBOURNE: Black & Veatch, a global leader in critical infrastructure solutions, has joined Bioenergy Australias (BA) Sustainable Aviation Fuel Alliance of Australia and New Zealand (SAFAANZ). BA is a national industry association, with over 150
The post Black & Veatch to Advance Carbon-Neutral Aviation in Australia, New Zealand appeared first on The AIM Network.
16:00
Elon Musk: The mad megarich Twitter owner: FLASHBACK 2022 Independent Australia
Ever since purchasing Twitter late last year, Elon Musk has puzzled the world with increasingly insane behaviour. Now that he's rebranding the social media platform simply as 'X', it's time to revisit this article by David Donovan, who analysed the madness of Musk.
IN THE PANTHEON of megarich weirdos Zuckerberg, Trump et al one wacky oddball towers above all the rest. His name is Elon Musk and, in case you just woke up from a long coma, he recently bought social media platform Twitter for the tidy sum of US$44 billion (AU$65.7 billion).
And then, with all the grace and good manners of a mentally deranged octopus falling out of a tree, proceeded to attack the value of his asset in a variety of new and unexpected ways. Advertisers and users have been deserting in floods, while regulators and creditors circle this apparently sinking ship.
Meanwhile, Musk has been continuing to make far-reaching decisions about the platform on a daily basis, only to reverse most of them the very next day. And all the while tweeting and tweeting, and tweeting and tweeting increasingly absurd and inane idiocies.
Is he on drugs? Has he entirely lost his mind? Or is he just king of the super wealthy weirdos, doing whatever the hell he wants, as he has always done, as he has always felt entitled to do?
Read on to discover the truth behind this rather strange fellow and his unseemly new dalliance with social media.
WHO IS ELON MUSK?
The first thing to note about Elon Musk is that he is an entirely self-made man...
Just kidding!
Musk, in fact, was born into a super-wealthy Afrikaans/Pennsylvania Dutch/Canadian family in South Africa in 1971 and since then has just gotten richer! He is listed by Forbes magazine and...
13:06
Prison hulks and river blades: fortress building in the climate-catastrophe era The AIM Network
Britain has commissioned a prison hulk to house immigrants, in a cruel re-enactment of history. Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has implemented two strategies to stop immigrants crossing the Rio Grande into America: one is a floating barrier with razor wire and rolling motion that pulls people under the water; the other is an apparent
The post Prison hulks and river blades: fortress building in the climate-catastrophe era appeared first on The AIM Network.
12:50
One country at a time No Right Turn
Ghana has abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes:
Ghana has become the 29th country in Africa to abolish the death penalty in a move hailed by human rights activists.And hopefully that will happen soon. But this takes capital punishment off the table in almost all circumstances, and it is something to be welcomed.The decision means that the 176 people currently on death row, including six women, are likely to have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
On Tuesday, Ghanas parliament voted to amend the countrys criminal offences act, removing the use of capital punishment for crimes including murder, genocide, piracy and smuggling.
The death sentence can still be given for acts of high treason, and campaigners cautioned that the countrys constitution would have to change for a complete removal of the penalty.
12:33
More wealth tax trouble for Labour No Right Turn
Last month the Greens released their tax policy, pushing for a wealth tax to end poverty. Today, Te Pti Mori followed suit, releasing an even more progressive proposal:
Te Pti Mori released its tax policy on Thursday, going into Octobers election. It joined the Green Partys call for a tax-free income threshold and a wealth tax but Te Pti Mori went a step further.There's some magical thinking in Te Pti Mori's proposal, in the line about getting $7 billion in tax by funding the SFO to crack down on fraud. Its not that there's nothing there to be gained, or that massively increased SFO or IRD funding won't help cut criminal evasion, but it just sounds awfully like the infinite money the right thinks it can get from "reducing waste".Te Pti Mori pushed for a range of new taxes, targeting landowners, the rich and the profits of foreign corporates. And, as Stuff revealed earlier, it included an income tax-free bracket up to $30,000, offset by higher taxes on higher incomes.
Waititi positioned the policy as a Robinhood-style reimagining of the tax system.
This is clearly going to mean coalition pain for Labour if they're in a position to form a government post-election. They're going to have to accept some form of wealth taxation and an increase in progressivity, or else try and form a coalition with National or ACT. Though as both of those parties seem closer to Labour's preferred position ATM, maybe they'll do that rather than work with their allies.
12:30
Overseas affairs with corruption: Peter Duttons latest hits Independent Australia
Yet another bribery scandal pointing to maladministration of the Home Affairs portfolio by then-Minister Peter Dutton has emerged. Dave Donovan and Michelle Pini take a closer look at the murky details.
DISTURBING REVELATIONS about corruption in Australias offshore detention centres have again highlighted the dismal, broken state of Australias immigration system.
According to an investigation by the Sydney Morning Heralds Michael Bachelard and Nick McKenzie, in 2018, then-Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton awarded a multi-million dollar offshore detention contract to an Australian businessman, despite the Federal Police advising him that this man, Mozammil Bhojani, was under investigation for $100,000 worth of bribery.
10:15
Data from National Road Safety Data Hub Requests or responses matching your saved search
Partially successful.
10:11
A ballot for three Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn:
- Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (Provision of Breast Cancer Screening Services) Amendment Bill (Shane Reti)
- New Zealand Bill of Rights (Right to Lawfully Acquired Property) Amendment Bill (Barbara Kuriger)
- District Court (Protecting Judgment Debtors on Main Benefit) Amendment Bill (Anahila Kanongataa)
So it looks like ACT's propertarian radicalism is back, now being pushed by National. Which shows you how far right they've come in the last decade. And unfortunately the bill will be voted on by the next Parliament, which might have an ACT-National majority. Ugh.
There were 70 bills in the ballot, which is a pretty healthy number.
08:15
In which it's a full to overflowing day with Killer, the grave Sexton, and the Bro, but first an apology ... loon pond
Quick rewind.
Yesterday the pond ducked, weaved, dodged and refused to go there with Dame Slap.
At the time the pond felt a little guilty. Somebody's got to get down into the reptile cesspit and muck out. The pond was then mortified to discover that Charlie Lewis had done just that in Crikey, with Chewing on John Howards preferred cultural diet, (paywall) and the lede saying it all: "The Australian continues its grand tradition of portraying John Howard as the human expression of mainstream Australia's pre-political soul."
Gaily bedight, this gallant knight, in sunshine and in shadow, journeyed long to seek out the Dame Slap song ...
Even now, nearly 16 years after he lost office, Howards ability to take the national temperature may have something to do with an enduring divide in this country between a small but loud group of cultural dieticians on the one hand, and a much larger group of Australians who dont want to be lectured to by a group of elites who have fashioned themselves as moral guardians force-feeding ordinary folk their preferred cultural diet.
This continues The Australians grand tradition of portraying the former prime minister as the human expression of mainstream Australias pre-political soul. In so doing, the paper offers Howard, and Howard offers the paper, another chance to slam the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
08:00
Red Hotel a historic example of the war on journalistic truth Independent Australia
Details of the disinformation war conducted by Joseph Stalin mirror the modern-day stifling of press freedom in times of war. Jim Kable reviews a fascinating new book by journalist and Russia expert Alan Philps.
WHILE READING The Red Hotel (The Untold Story of Stalins Disinformation War), I was travelling through Viet Nam and Cambodia, pondering over the lies and disinformation fed to a much younger and nave me and everyone else during the American War of the 1960s and 1970s, from jingoistic U.S. propaganda until My Lai and other aspects of the true nature of the U.S. war there began to filter through.
No plucky little South Viet Nam fighting a separate and big bad North, but an imperial U.S., bombing into neighbouring Cambodia and Laos. And Agent Orange, the effects of which are now passed down to third generations.
The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels and in Cambodia, the mine clearance programs still ongoing across the country - the Killing Fields of the Pol Pot regime; S-21; and the Tuol Sleng Genocide/Torture Centre in Phnom Penh were all directly made possible by the U.S. bombing signed off for by Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon and written most movingly and recently about by Nick Turse.
Nothing stands alone. Our own experiences, places visited, books read and the people affecting, causing or commenting on any of those things all are layers fro...
06:36
The Bible Told Me So The AIM Network
By James Moore How to End Book Bans in Texas Where they burn books, they will end in burning human beings. Heinrich Heine. There appears to be a viable and useful approach to putting an end to book banning, and it is time to use the template in Texas. More than 800 books have
The post The Bible Told Me So appeared first on The AIM Network.
03:35
On 25 July 2022 the NSW Legislative Council announced the Inquiry into current and potential impacts of gold, silver, lead and zinc mining on human health, land, air and water quality in New South Wales North Coast Voices
On 25 July 2022 the NSW Legislative Council announced the Inquiry into current and potential impacts of gold, silver, lead and zinc mining on human health, land, air and water quality in New South Wales
Triggered by community concerns wherever gold, silver, lead or zinc mining exploration is occurring or active mines are established and, the ongoing NSW Environmental Protection Agency investigation of Newcres...
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Wednesday, 26 July
17:20
Information on the number of littering and parking fines issued Requests or responses matching your saved search
Awaiting classification.
16:40
Dotty Domains: The Pentagons Mali Typo Leak Affair The AIM Network
Fleet-footed agility and sharp thinking rarely characterise the plodding bureaucrat. An argument can be made that different attributes are prized: cherished incompetence, spells of inattentiveness, and dedication to keeping things secret with severity. What matters is not what you did, but what you pretended to do. Even with maintaining secrecy, the plodding desk-job hack can
The post Dotty Domains: The Pentagons Mali Typo Leak Affair appeared first on The AIM Network.
16:00
Shady charity goes ahead under Governor-General's name Independent Australia
A charity approved by the Morrison Government has been launched after receiving millions in donations, but a closer look at the fine print reveals cause for suspicion. Anthony Klan reports.
THE GOVERNOR-GENERALS Australian Future Leaders Foundation which was to receive $18 million from taxpayers despite having no office, website or staff, before the Albanese Government snapped the plan has been launched after attracting $2.2 million in donations.
It can be revealed the Gurkhas charity used by businessman Chris Hartley as a springboard which claims to have international operations in Australia and Nepal and purports to serve victims of disaster has reported deficits every one of the past five years and had negative assets since at least June 2019.
Documents filed with the charities regulator state the Governor-General's Australian Future Leaders Program has raised $2.17 million in donations and bequests of unstated origin, of which $445,855 has gone to unspecified pre-establishment costs.
On the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) website, the Australian Future Leaders Foundation, run by Hartley, states its objective to help build a nation that leaves no one behind.
...15:51
Yeah Nah Pasaran! #171 w Max Kaiser on Jewish Antifascism and the False Promise of Settler Colonialism : July 27, 2023 slackbastard
This week on Yeah Nah Pasaran! we talk to Max Kaiser [Twitter] about Jewish Antifascism and the False Promise of Settler Colonialism (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022) which: takes a timely look at histories of radical Jewish movements, their modes of Holocaust Continue reading
15:50
Seeking to rent in a housing crisis, open to ideas The AIM Network
Nobody likes to see people suffer, and the lack of affordable housing and affordable rental, as experienced by Narelle, is nothing short of endemic. Narelle is a long-time reader and supporter of The AIMN and without hesitation we have encouraged her to tell her story here. Seeking a 1-bedroom unit in Perth or a fellow
The post Seeking to rent in a housing crisis, open to ideas appeared first on The AIM Network.
14:40
Yet again, my comprehensive Middle East strategy for the US John Quiggin
In view of the apparent end of what passed for democracy in Israel, its time for me to repost my comprehensive proposal for US policy covering all aspects of relationships between the US and the Middle East. Its over the fold.
13:36
New Zealand Maori radio on The Palestine Laboratory Antony Loewenstein
During my recent book tour in New Zealand for The Palestine Laboratory, I was interviewed by the countrys first Maori radio station.
It was an interesting conversation and highlighted that many Maoris I met throughout the country were both aware of the grim situation in Palestine and actively opposed Israels occupation. It was solidarity with another colonised people.
The post New Zealand Maori radio on The Palestine Laboratory appeared first on Antony Loewenstein.
12:03
Today is a Member's Day, and after a long period of later stages, we should finally be seeing some first readings. First up is the second reading of the Annie Oxborough Birth Parents Registration Bill, a private bill to undo the effects of an old adoption on someone's birth records. That's unlikely to take long - no-one objects to it - so then its on to the committee stage of Camilla Belich's Companies (Directors Duties) Amendment Bill. After that, it's first readings: the last ten minutes or so of Eugenie Sage's Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill (which chickenshit Labour will vote down, raising the price of any future coalition), Karen Chhour's racist Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill, and Helen White's Employment Relations (Restraint of Trade) Amendment Bill. If the House moves quickly it should make a start on Stuart Smith's Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Cellar Door Tasting) Amendment Bill. There should be a ballot for at least two bills tomorrow.
12:00
Table tennis: One of the world's best brain sports Independent Australia
Table tennis is one of the world's most popular sports and has many little-known health benefits that can assist longevity in the body and mind, writes Dean Frenkel.
WHAT SPORT would you recommend your child play?
If its football, most footballers have to retire by age 30, some having acquired injuries for life. If its competitive tennis, most players overdevelop one side of their bodies and suffer shoulder, knee, ankle, wrist and, of course, tennis elbow injuries.
If you like soccer, regularly heading soccer balls for decades can leave you with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and lets not talk netball and knees and ankles, or rugby which is associated with John Hopoate and neck braces. If you love cricket, few cricketers have bodies that allow them to play beyond the age of 38.
In short, table tennis should top the list of recommended sports for anyone from age 4 to beyond 90. It can even be medicinal.
Competitive table tennis is a low-injury, intensive fitness workout and a highly intelligent game. Physician and brain imaging expert Dr Daniel Amen calls it the best brain sport. It is even gender-irrelevant one of those rare sports where women and men compete against each other on an even keel.
I never beat 83-year-old George Chen in seven years of table tennis (TT) competition but playing him was like playing against kung fu itself. His charisma and skill literally made his opponents games fall apart. There are other George Chens who take more than 70 years of experience into their matches, and...
08:00
Telstra cuts hundreds of jobs amid growing challenges Independent Australia
Facing stagnant revenue growth, telco giant Telstra has axed almost 500 jobs in an effort to cut costs. Paul Budde reports.
TELSTRA HAS once again made headlines with its announcement of a significant workforce reduction. The company revealed plans to cut approximately 500 jobs as part of its cost-cutting initiative, marking the first major round of redundancies under the leadership of CEO Vicki Brady.
These measures are aligned with Telstra's T25 strategy, aimed at streamlining operations, enhancing efficiency and positioning the company for sustained competitiveness while achieving its customer-centric goals.
The telecommunications industry, both in Australia and globally, has been facing numerous challenges over the last few decades. The rapid advancement of new technologies, such as 3G, 4G, 5G and Low Earth Orbit satellites, has indeed provided telcos with more efficient ways to offer better services at lower costs. While these advancements have brought benefits to consumers and the industry, they have also triggered a shift in workforce requirements.
Many incumbents in the telecommunications sector, including Telstra, have been struggling to maintain profitability in the face of stagnant revenue growth. Prominent announcements about the potential revenue opportunities brought by the next generation of technologies have not materialised as expected. It has become evident that the introduction of new products, such as 5G, is not the ultimate solution to bolster telcos' profits.
As the industry continues to grapple with these challenges, telcos have recognised the need to focus on cost-saving measures to ensure financial viability. Automation and technological efficiencies have proven to be vital tools in achieving this goal. However, it is important to note that while...
07:56
Behavioural experts quietly shaped robodebts most devilish details and their work in government continues Pigs Fly Newspaper
Behavioural experts quietly shaped robodebts most devilish details and their work in government continues
07:56
In which the pond has sundry Barbie and X-rated moments before finally tackling the "Ned" Everest ... loon pond
With not the slightest hint of regret or any inclination to offer an apology, the pond decided it couldn't go there ... not to a movie titled The Blonde and the Liar and the Indigenous Child Used As A Warm Prop ... though the reptiles had the movie screening at the top of the page in both the tree killer and digital editions..
It seemed at least mildly ironic that at the time the reptiles featured a story urging an Indigenous watchdog with teeth, Dame Slap was trotting out a lying rodent to urge on the denial of a Voice ...
The pond's unhappiness then extended to the comments section ...
Not the doddering Doddser, or even worse, Monsieur Dupont on the US alliance ...
The pond dipped into Monsieur Dupont and down the bottom of the page came across this line ....
06:00
Reflecting on the 20th anniversary of RAMSI in Solomon Islands "IndyWatch Feed Politics.pg"
A significant milestone in the history of Solomon Islands and the South Pacific was marked this week, on 24 July 2023. It was the 20th anniversary of the start of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), a mission that aimed to restore peace, stability and normalcy in a country torn apart by devastating ethnic tensions. As we commemorate this milestone, it is crucial to reflect on the successes, challenges and ongoing struggles that characterise the post-RAMSI era in Solomon Islands.
RAMSI was established in 2003 in response to the ethnic violence that gripped Solomon Islands, disrupting social order and impeding economic growth. The mission, a coalition of Pacific Island states with Australia and New Zealand at the helm, played a significant role in restoring stability and rebuilding damaged infrastructure. RAMSI assisted in reconstituting the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, disarming rival ethnic groups, and restoring a semblance of law and order.
However, as we remember the achievements of RAMSI, we must also acknowledge its limitations and the subsequent challenges faced by Solomon Islands. Despite the relative peace that has been achieved, issues related to governance, social services and economic prospects remain significant challenges. RAMSIs efforts were primarily focused on immediate peacekeeping and stabilising tasks, and less on the deep-rooted governance issues that continue to undermine the countrys development.
In the wake of RAMSIs departure in 2017, the country has grappled with a range of persistent challenges, primarily poor health services, a lack of adequate infrastructure, and limited economic prospects. Despite the health and development initiatives introduced during the RAMSI era, the Solomon Islands health sector struggles with inadequate funding, understaffing, and a lack of essential health services, especially in remote areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has only magnified these weaknesses, further underscoring the urgent need for reform and investment.
Infrastructural development, too, remains a significant issue. Limited road connectivity, unreliable power supply, and inadequate water and sanitation services are common, particularly in rural regions, hampering economic activities and undermining living conditions.
In terms of economic prospects, while RAMSI brought some stability, Solomon Islands remains largely dependent on traditional sources of income like logging, which is environmentally unsustainable. Diversifying the economy and attracting investment are still major challenges, given the countrys remote location, limited infrastructure, and underdeveloped business environment.
These challenges are further compounded by the geopolitical tensions between China and the United States, with Solomon Islands caught in the crossfire.......
04:25
ACCC warns scammers targeting Australias largest loyalty reward programs North Coast Voices
Scammers are more than just annoying people who persistently phone at inconvenient times or send begging emails from exotic locations. These days the ploys they use are often more sophisticated and mean their victims can lose money from bank accounts or find themselves with an unexpected debt within minutes of one click of a link or press of a button.
This is the most recent warning of scammer activity.....
The Guardian, 25 July 2023:
The ACCC has issued an urgent warning to customers of some of Australias largest loyalty reward programs, including Qantas frequent flyer, after detecting a new scam that targets valuable points.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has received 209 reports to Scamwatch in the past four months, of the scam targeting Qantas frequent flyer, Telstra and Coles loyalty programs customers.
It comes as new research from Choice shows the majority of Australians think banks should reimburse scam victims, as the consumer association joins calls for financial institutions to provide some form of compensation.
...
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Tuesday, 25 July
20:59
London/Jerusalem calling Palestine Antony Loewenstein
Last night I spoke at an online event organised by the Jewish Network for Palestine and Convivencia Alliance, two UK-based groups with global reach. I discussed my recent book, The Palestine Laboratory, in conversation with writer and film-maker Haim Bresheeth, author of An Army Like No Other: How the Israel Defense Force Made a Nation (Haim also endorsed my book).
The audience for the webinar was mostly in the UK, Europe and Palestine.
The post London/Jerusalem calling Palestine appeared first on Antony Loewenstein.
19:52
How dangerous is the European far-right ? John Quiggin
As is usual with trends of all kinds, some recent electoral successes for far-right parties in Europe have been extrapolated into a narrative in which the rise of the far-right is just about unstoppable.
That narrative took a blow with the recent Spanish elections in which the far-right Vox party performed poorly and its coalition with the traditional conservative Popular Party failed to secure a majority. Possibly as a result, the leader of the German CDU backed away from a suggestion that his party might go into a similar coalition with the AfD. And a similar coalition government in Finland appears to be on the verge of collapse.
From the other side of the world, its hard to know what to make of all this, but important to try to understand it. So, Ill toss out some thoughts and invite readers closer to the action to set me straight.
As I wrote a few years ago, the rise of a Trump-style far right has been driven by the collapse of the neoliberal consensus that dominated politics throughout the capitalist world from the 1970s, with power alternating between hard neoliberalism (represented by traditional conservative parties) and soft neoliberalism (represented by formerly socialist and social democratic parties). As the failures of neoliberalism became undeniable, there was no longer enough support to sustain two neoliberal parties, and alternatives began to emerge on both left and right.
The most dramatic manifestation of this process on the right has been Donald Trumps takeover of the US Republican party, which is now well to the right of any of the European far-right parties (with the possible exception of Fidesz in Hungary), and still commands around 50 per cent electoral support.
In Europe, though the more common party has been the rise of a far-right party commanding around 20 per cent of the vote. In most cases, this doesnt look to me like an upsurge in the popularity of rightwing ideas. Rather, this 20 per cent has always been there, waiting for the circumstances in which views that are normally unacceptable can gain political expression.
In my own home state of Queensland, for example, the racist One Nation party scored more than 20 per cent of the votes in a state election in 1998, before fading back into single digits.
A 20 per cent vote for the far-right enough to make it difficult for traditional conservatives to win government in their own right, but usually not enough for the far-right to lead a government of their own. Hence, the contortions mentioned above.
A lot of attention has been focused on the neo-fascist origins of some of the fa...
17:33
Grey Kangaroo Conservation Culling Advice Requests or responses matching your saved search
Awaiting classification.
17:03
Climate Change: Unfucking the ETS No Right Turn
Earlier in the month Lawyers for Climate Action won a historic victory, overturning labour's 2022 ETS settings decision, which had crashed the carbon market. The courts told the government to go back to the drawing board and do it again and come up with ETS settings that complied with the law. Today, the government released its response. The full settings are here, and they have largely followed the Climate Commission's advice. On price, they've adopted the Commission's advice completely, so from December we'll have a CCR trigger price of $173, and from next year we'll have a two-tier CCR triggering at $184 and $230. Which is high enough that it should never happen, meaning those units will never be released. On volume - the measure which matters - they've differed a little from the Commission advice, likely because they're trying to mash two sets of Commission advice together. But the court-granted ability to adjust this year's settings means they've ripped 2.9 million tons out of 2023, giving a number even lower than that originally recommended by the Commission. The table below shows auction volumes without the CCR, to make them easy to compare (the 2023 Commission figures are adjusted to account for the fact that there has been no CCR release in 2023):
| Year | Current settings | New settings | CC 2022 (p45) | CC 2023 (p 42, ignoring step 7a) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 17.9 | 15.0 | 16.3 | - |
| 2024 | 17.1 | 14.2 | 15.6 | 13.6 |
| 2025 | 15.3 | 12.6 | 14.0 | 12.0 |
| 2026 | 13.5 | 10.7 | 12.2 | 10.2 |
| 2027 | 11.7 | 9.1 | 10.4 | 8.7 |
| 2028 | - | 6.9 | - | 6.6 |
| Total (2023-7) | 75.5 | 61.6 | 68.5 | - |
| Total (2024-8) | - | 53.5 | - | 51.1 |
So, they've unfucked their previous decision, and once you account for ripping 2.9 million tons out of 2023, actually come in half a million tons lower than the Commission's pathway.
This is a pret...
17:00
The Devastating Economic News About Rising/Falling/Stagnant House Prices The AIM Network
From time to time I like to remind people of the wonderful poem, Said Hanrahan which Ive included at the bottom for those who dont know it. But basically, Hanrahan announces how well all be rooned any day now. While its basically about the trials of the farmer, it has a certain modern appeal for
The post The Devastating Economic News About Rising/Falling/Stagnant House Prices appeared first on The AIM Network.
16:32
The Palestine Laboratory in 3 minutes Antony Loewenstein
Global broadcaster TRT World has produced a slick 3-minute video about my new book, The Palestine Laboratory, which has been shared across its popular social media platforms. I had no involvement in this clip but I think it captures well the thesis of my work.
The post The Palestine Laboratory in 3 minutes appeared first on Antony Loewenstein.
16:00
Wireless technology poses credible risk on wildlife Independent Australia
Research has exposed the risks posed by electromagnetic radiation from Wi-Fi and cell towers to birds, mammals, insects and even plants, writes Reynard Loki.
THERE IS GROWING evidence that our addiction to cell phones could be impacting brain functionality and be the cause of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and a lack of attention and focus.
A 2017 report found that human beings are not the only living things to be affected by societys increasing dependence on wireless technology. Mammals, birds, insects and even plants are likely being harmed by the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emanating from Wi-Fi, cell phone towers, broadcast transmitters and power lines, according to an analysis of 97 peer-reviewed studies conducted by EKLIPSE, a biodiversity and ecosystem project funded by the European Union.
Impact on birds
The researchers said that evidence is accumulating that mammals (e.g. bats and mice) have a magnetic sense that is affected by radio-frequency-modulated electromagnetic fields (RF-EMR). Birds in particular may be highly susceptible. The researchers found that even weak magnetic fields in the radio frequency range can disrupt birds magnetoreception, their ability to use the Earths magnetic fields to orient themselves and find their way home.
Homing pigeons are well-known for their magnetoreception, but this sense has also been detected in other animals like red foxes. There is evidence that even large mammals like deer use the planets magnetic fields to sense direction. A number of invertebrates, including worms, molluscs and fruit flies also use this ability.
One...
15:59
Unsmoking the World: The Philip Morris Rebranding Effort The AIM Network
God really must love Philip Morris. (John Safran, Haaretz, Nov. 29, 2021). John Safran is a scamp, but in the finest tradition of investigative ones. With the enthusiasm of a bloodhound, he gets wind of a scent and goes for it. Of recent interest to his gonzo style of comedic yet lethal line of inquiry
The post Unsmoking the World: The Philip Morris Rebranding Effort appeared first on The AIM Network.
12:48
Climate Change: Turning the supertanker around No Right Turn
Newsroom reports on StatsNZ's latest estimate of greenhouse gas emissions, and the news is hopeful: gross emissions have dropped, and are now at their lowest level in at least nine years:
A drop in greenhouse gas emissions due to Covid-19 measures was sustained well beyond the end of movement restrictions and lockdowns, new data shows.Digging into the detail, the biggest drops were in electricity generation, manufacturing, and agriculture and forestry. Part of this is weather-related - its been a good year for hydro, so a bad year for coal and gas. But manufacturing emissions have dropped because major polluters have closed down (e.g. Marsden Point) or are cleaning up in response to (then-)high carbon prices. As for agriculture and forestry, in December 2022 we had had years of rising carbon prices, and so years of dirty inefficient farming being replaced by clean, efficient trees. Unfortunately transport emissions are still rising, but there's a clear policy path which should turn that around as well. And we're still well behind other developed countries, which have reduced their emissions significantly while ours have risen.In fact, climate pollution continued to fall through all of 2022, with the December 2022 quarter delivering the lowest figure in at least nine years barring the period covering the first lockdown, Statistics New Zealand reported on Thursday. While the pace of the decline isn't yet sufficient to meet New Zealand's climate goals, it suggests we have well and truly bent the emissions curve and are on our (slow but steady) way to a net-zero economy.
...which leaves us with the giant cow in the room. While agricultural emissions have dropped slightly, its not nearly by enough. we need real policy in this area, and the government's he waka eke noa bullshit won't cut it. Either we need to price agricultural emissions by including them in the ETS at the processor level, or we need to use a regulatory scheme of using the NAIT database to cap cow numbers and manage them down directly. The alternative is an unmanaged decline, as Fonterra destroys its own markets and the cyclones they cause destroy their production. Having actual policy seems less cruel.
12:00
Voice Referendum a step closer to an Australian republic Independent Australia
With Australia boasting one of the world's most progressive societies, the upcoming Voice Referendum is a chance to make history, writes Kaijin Solo.
*Also listen to the "https://open.spotify.com/episode/2bRral3PfhPKFUcSj0G7x3" target= "_blank">HERE.
THE STATUE of Alexander the Invincible was sighed upon in 80 BC for not having yet conquered the world.
Then, 1,998 years later, we finally ended the War to End all Wars in 1918.
Or so we thought.
Another 18 years later, this tumorous root belched forth its rancid strident rancour in the striated jugular, bulging eyeballs and pounding fists of Goerings Puppet, as Jessie Owens became the star of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
We, still reeling from the numbness of a depression brought on by the fiscal gluttony of our Roaring Twenties, watched and did nothing as it spread through the body of Europe.
World War 2 started in 1939.
Six years later, the panic-driven scientific laboratory research compact brought on by the lust for the ultimate alternative to ammonia reached critical mass in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Nuclear was the new black.
Three years later, we declared our solemn intention to never do these things again when the newly formed United Nations General Assembly ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and c...
10:53
TRT World interview on Israels judicial reforms Antony Loewenstein
I joined International broadcaster TRT World to discuss Israels so-called judicial reforms which are (mostly) about protecting Jewish supremacy at the expense of the Palestinians.
The post TRT World interview on Israels judicial reforms appeared first on Antony Loewenstein.
10:12
The Race to exploit Critical Minerals amidst governance concerns in Zambia TIA
The Race to exploit Critical Minerals amidst governance concerns in Zambia
08:43
In which the pond is forced to listen to groaners groaning and bromancers whining, while stories erupt elsewhere ... loon pond
A day too late for the Major's Monday outing this week, but Media Watch has likely provided the Major with the topic for his next outburst and his ongoing war with the show ... though he was only MID, with chief attention paid to prize maroons of the Bolter and Rowan Dean kind, after a detour through the maroons at the WSJ ...
Meanwhile, on another planet ...
Nope, nothing to see there ... and yet...
08:00
Voting 'Yes' to the Voice is about more than just politics Independent Australia
Despite the limitations and shortcomings of the proposed Voice to Parliament, the 'Yes' campaign remains the favourable outcome, writes John Card.
IT'S NO SECRET that the many various groups and personalities on the activist Left in this country don't all see completely eye-to-eye on the impending Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum. While the far-Right gets to be unanimous in its frothing hatred of the Voice and its intent to vote No, most of us progressives have been forced to take a much more nuanced position.
The push for a Voice to Parliament started back in 2017, when the Uluru Statement from the Heart petitioned the Coalition Government for some sort of Indigenous representation to be enshrined in the Australian Constitution. The Uluru Statement was the culmination of years of meetings between hundreds of Indigenous leaders from all over the country, but despite not asking for more than a seat at the table in Canberra, then-PM Malcolm Turnbull called the Statement's proposed Voice not desirable and flatly rejected the idea.
Turnbull's successor, Scott Morrison, spent his time in office frequently and...
06:00
Geopolitical competition and Solomon Islands: navigating the middle ground "IndyWatch Feed Politics.pg"
Geopolitical competition can have adverse impact on third-party countries. We are seeing this in Solomon Islands, where domestic political discourses at least in Honiara and on social media are dominated by the countrys relationships with China and the US and its allies. These are characterised by divergent opinions that have caused divisions that could have long-term negative effects on Solomon Islands.
On one side are those who perceive China (and its flotilla of state officials, companies, citizens and investors) as a saviour of Solomon Islands, and its intentions as purely benevolent and infallible. They highlight the role of the Chinese state and Chinese companies in infrastructure developments, such as the newly built national stadium, Munda airport terminal, Solomon Islands National Universitys Panatina office and classroom complex, and the Mongga Bridge in East Central Guadalcanal. But they often do not mention that while most of these projects were built by Chinese contractors, they were financed by other funding agencies such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Solomon Islands government. The China proponents decry the US and its allies, and ignore Australias 13-year and $2.6 billion investment in RAMSI (Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands), or dismiss it as largely beneficial to Australia through boomerang aid. They present themselves as defenders of China in Solomon Islands.
On the other side of the debate are those who dislike China because they see it as a one-party communist dictatorship. They highlight its suppression of minorities such as Uyghurs, and the corruptive influence of Chinese entrepreneurs, and they accuse Beijing of being anti-Christian. They contrast this to the US and other Western countries that they consider as hallmarks of liberal democracy, which Solomon Islands should emulate. They present China as a monolithic entity with total control by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This is despite the complex web of Chinese actors with sometimes differing interests, and the fact that the CCP might not necessarily have control over all of them. This group is generally uncritical of Western countries colonial histories, including the US, Great Britain and Frances nuclear weapons testing in the region. They are vehemently anti-China and wear it as a badge of honour.
These groups with differing opinions shout at each other, mostly on social media. This has caused divisions, for example between the national government and the Daniel Suidani-led Malaita provincial government. Such divisions are socially corrosive and could degenerate into violence, as seen in the November 2021 riots in Honiara.
However, there is a middle ground for constructive conversation. This should emphasise how the Solomon Islands government could manage its engagements w...
00:15
It's time ALL Australians say "YES" to the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Voice to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth advising on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples North Coast Voices
Don't just sing along to this song - make it real.
It's time for an genuinely inclusive Australia
VOTE YES in the 2023 national referendum!
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Monday, 24 July
06:00
Vale Peter McCawley "IndyWatch Feed Politics.pg"
Australia and the Asia-Pacific region more broadly has just lost one of its most gifted development economists. Dr Peter McCawley, AM, died peacefully in Canberra, Australia, on 18 July, having had cancer for some time.
A person is obviously much more than their CV, but Peters CV is worth noting. Even just reading the first six items in his CV all written in Peters characteristic short, sharp, clear style tells us he was a person committed to international development and policymaking at the most senior levels, right from the beginning. His CV starts:
1972-1974 Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta 1974-1975 Economic Adviser to (then) Mr Bill Hayden, MP, Minister for Social Security and later Treasurer of Australia 1976-1985 Research Fellow (1976-80) and Senior Research Fellow and Head, Indonesia Project (1981-85), Dept of Economics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University 1986-1991 Deputy Director General, AIDAB; (1) Policy Planning and Management Division (1986-89); (2) Community, Commercial and International Programs Division (1989-91) 1991 Economic Adviser to Mr John Kerin, MP, Treasurer of Australia 1992-1996 Executive Director, Asian Development Bank, Manila (representing Australia, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Solomon Is., and Tuvalu)And that is just a truncated version. Peters CV also includes being Dean of the Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo; a visiting fellow in the Arndt-Corden Economics Division at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific; a member of the Jackson Committee on the Review of the Australian Overseas Aid Program; economic adviser to the Indonesian Planning Agency, Bappenas; an adjunct professor at the University of Queensland; and a member of the board of The Asia Foundation. And so on.
He published seven books, including a history of the first 50 years of the Asian Development Bank which was translated into both Japanese and Chinese. Several of his economic books were written or co-authored in Bahasa Indonesia. He published over 30 articles in newspapers on development issues, and over 30 book reviews. He published 63 articles in journals and books, often in Bahasa Indonesia. The articles covered a wide range of topics, all with brisk, concise titles. To name just a few: The price of electricity in the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies; Aid and poverty: how Australias aid program helps the poor; and Forty years of Australian-Indonesian relations: what have we learned?
But Peter was much more than a bureaucrat or academic author. He was a bridge-builder between Australia and the countries in our region. To illustrate, he once drew up a table on how rich countries and developing countries can view the same development challenge from almost totally...
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Monday, 03 July
13:45
Data from National Road Safety Data Hub Requests or responses matching your saved search
Partially successful.
Friday, 19 May
12:00
VIDEO: IA's Word on the Street Broadbeach on the Budget Independent Australia
In our latest episode of Word on the Street, IA founder Dave Donovan took to the Broadbeach Mall on the Gold Coast to ask locals their thoughts on the Federal Budget.
In the meantime, he also had a chance to discuss Pacific politics with some PNG holidaymakers, an interesting take on Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, and the dangers of drop bears with a visiting Canadian.
DAVE: It's an unusual political system we've got where we have a chief potato...
INTERVIEWEE: I don't know if you're kidding... It's almost like it's a pastime here to mess with foreigners.
Hit play on the video below and enjoy our latest episode!
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