Discussion Random Discussion

[Moral Decay]

Yeah it's a worry but authorities should have been telling the happy campers about this for a week, the fires that started at Mt Elizabeth have been going for over a month and short of 10 inches of rain just can't be stopped, depending on wind they have every chance of running to the coast.

 

[Moral Decay]

Well that's one interesting issue: when the 'evil EU' can no longer be blamed for all our problems, which group will be targeted next? The lunatic fringe will go full racist, blaming ethnic minorities for everything again, whilst others will become disillusioned when the promises don't materialise; indeed when their circumstances get even worse. It's ironic that many of the areas which voted to leave the EU are the poorest, yet they receive most EU funding, which will disappear next month. All the analysis says we will be economically worse off, which of course hits those with the least the most. I think we will be politically weaker and much less relevant, and also socially poorer for breaking the ties with neighbouring countries. We don't yet know how bad the overall impact will be, but, if it's really bad, who knows what will happen. You don't just leave a trading block of 500 million people with no consequences. We will survive, but it could be very painful.

Our press has been majority against the EU for decades, with the right wing tabloids pushing all kinds of rubbish. What they didn't say, of course, was that the anger felt by working class communities wasn't the fault of the European Union at all, but was a consequence of the economic policies those same newspapers cheered: globalisation, deregulation, weaker unions, trickle down economics. They killed industry and decimated wage rates; so, when none of those are solved after Brexit, due to five more years of neoliberalism, what next?

Thanks
There's plenty in Aus. that are thinking the opening up of a British market to our agriculture will be good for us, which generally means it will be bad for your farmers too, our free trade agreements in Asia and Nth America/Canada mean a very different market to the one run by the E.U. A new world of little or no protection will be a hell of a shock for the British agricultural communities. Just another problem to think of.

 

[Stewart66]

I thought West worked for Murdoch for Eight years '"INVESTIGATING" Finance and Big Business .....obviously not Murdoch's!!
However, I do see that West was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Sydney’s School of Social and Political Sciences last year. The role is to work with the School’s Sydney Democracy Network, investigating money in politics, corporate influence and the intersection between government and big business. Sounds good!

He did ,Tony Koch another guy with balanced view of the World was there 30 years , won 5 Walkley awards
left the building 10 days before election followed by a procession of journalists who won’t toe the line.

Used to love reading Australian newspapers but the last decade has changed them and those days
are never coming back.

Absolutely mind blowing what social media is these days ,Facebook knows everything , Spotify , Google ,Apple
peoples data captured .....Edward Snowden , Julian Assange .warned us ....bloody incredible.

 

[gringo2011]

I

I am right wing and my belief is anti Zionism is another word for anti-Semitism. It is too difficult to differentiate in my opinion.

I am sure Trump also has said anti-semitic things.
Unfortunately, These days There is pretty no where in the world where is is no anti-Semitism.

I have plenty of Jewish friends who are against the way zionism is used as a colonial tool to silence dissent. You can be anti colonial and not anti-semitic. One of our friends who actually has an ultra orthodox sister who was a settler on Palestinian land wants to stop future mass migration and to settle on pre 1967 borders. One guy I know is orthodox and he's pretty right wing but the rest of the jewish people we know are pretty sympathetic to the Palestinians. I don't approve of the way Israel is operating but I'm certainly not anti semitic. I hate things the US does and don't hate all Americans either.

 

[prophetic1]

I have plenty of Jewish friends who are against the way zionism is used as a colonial tool to silence dissent. You can be anti colonial and not anti-semitic. One of our friends who actually has an ultra orthodox sister who was a settler on Palestinian land wants to stop future mass migration and to settle on pre 1967 borders. One guy I know is orthodox and he's pretty right wing but the rest of the jewish people we know are pretty sympathetic to the Palestinians. I don't approve of the way Israel is operating but I'm certainly not anti semitic. I hate things the US does and don't hate all Americans either.

'Oy vey iz mir' such an issue....my heart it bleeds while my head it spins....Everyone is right ....in their own way....How do i speak without splinters of some kind piercing flesh that should be kept better guarded.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Yeah it's a worry but authorities should have been telling the happy campers about this for a week, the fires that started at Mt Elizabeth have been going for over a month and short of 10 inches of rain just can't be stopped, depending on wind they have every chance of running to the coast.

Well they are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't. Understand the call for remote campers to leave but including 10,000 tourists at Lakes Entrance is over the top.

Weather conditions are expected to be bad today but not super critical to a point where a Black Friday rate of spread of the fire may be expected.

Many people I know are a bit freaked out by the warning - hate to think how they may feel if we start to get an ash drop in Lakes today which is likely to happen if we get NE/N winds.

Played golf a week or so ago at Orbost - had to keep brushing away burnt leaves that were falling on the putting surface!!!

 

[MUFKilda]

Are mass evacuations now happening in the worst areas of the fires?

 

[gringo2011]

'Oy vey iz mir' such an issue....my heart it bleeds while my head it spins....Everyone is right ....in their own way....How do i speak without splinters of some kind piercing flesh that should be kept better guarded.

It's a really sensitive situation and is always going to be a source of tension unfortunately. Isreal won't be going anywhere but the religious elements including US evangelists that want Isreal reinstated and are some of the biggest backers are running roughshod over any debate. Being nonreligious I probably don't get it, but it's not got a very fair feeling about the way they are going about pushing for a bigger state.

 

[Stewart66]

I have plenty of Jewish friends who are against the way zionism is used as a colonial tool to silence dissent. You can be anti colonial and not anti-semitic. One of our friends who actually has an ultra orthodox sister who was a settler on Palestinian land wants to stop future mass migration and to settle on pre 1967 borders. One guy I know is orthodox and he's pretty right wing but the rest of the jewish people we know are pretty sympathetic to the Palestinians. I don't approve of the way Israel is operating but I'm certainly not anti semitic. I hate things the US does and don't hate all Americans either.

Usual suspects can be found behind the curtain ..like Genie Oil in Golan Heights .

Owners .....Rupert Murdoch , Jacob Rothschild , Dick Cheney , James Woolsey .

 

[pebblesofsand]

Are mass evacuations now happening in the worst areas of the fires?

Nah - precautionary evacuations - basically if you are a visitor and are able to leave its better that you go now rather than wait to see what happens..

East Gippsland Council is a large area (46,000 sq km's) but its mostly state forest and national parks so the total population is less than 50K.

Problem is that its Christmas so the population has doubled and most of those people have no where safe to go if the s*** really hits the fan.

I'm hoping they are being overcautious but the problem is that the bush is so dry ATM. To give you an example last night there WAS a small fire (2,500 hectares) about 50KM east of us. This morning its 27,000 hectares in size and totally out of control with the prospect of a 50/60 km wind change later in the day.

 

[MUFKilda]

Nah - precautionary evacuations - basically if you are a visitor and are able to leave its better that you go now rather than wait to see what happens..

East Gippsland Council is a large area (46,000 sq km's) but its mostly state forest and national parks so the total population is less than 50K.

Problem is that its Christmas so the population has doubled and most of those people have no where safe to go if the s*** really hits the fan.

I'm hoping they are being overcautious but the problem is that the bush is so dry ATM. To give you an example last night there WAS a small fire (2,500 hectares) about 50KM east of us. This morning its 27,000 hectares in size and totally out of control with the prospect of a 50/60 km wind change later in the day.

It's a terrible state of affairs: loss of life, destruction of homes, wildlife killed, ecological damage, and no sign of any respite. The heatwave alone would be bad enough.

 

[pebblesofsand]

It's a terrible state of affairs: loss of life, destruction of homes, wildlife killed, ecological damage, and no sign of any respite. The heatwave alone would be bad enough.

MUF - the terrible reality is that its really only the start of the bushfire season in the southern parts of Australia. We've likely got another 2 to 3 months to go before any real respite.

Tonight's change is gonna be accompanied by dry electrical storms - highly likely we will have a heap of small fires start with resources already stretched on existing fires.

We've been lucky here in that we haven't had a really long stretch of really hot weather. Its 10.00AM and its already 41C but luckily with the change tonight we then get 3/4 days of low 20's before the next burst of hot weather.

 

[MUFKilda]

MUF - the terrible reality is that its really only the start of the bushfire season in the southern parts of Australia. We've likely got another 2 to 3 months to go before any real respite.

Tonight's change is gonna be accompanied by dry electrical storms - highly likely we will have a heap of small fires start with resources already stretched on existing fires.

We've been lucky here in that we haven't had a really long stretch of really hot weather. Its 10.00AM and its already 41C but luckily with the change tonight we then get 3/4 days of low 20's before the next burst of hot weather.

Incredible temperatures, and dangerous for children, the elderly, the sick and pets.

 

[prophetic1]

It's a really sensitive situation and is always going to be a source of tension unfortunately. Isreal won't be going anywhere but the religious elements including US evangelists that want Isreal reinstated and are some of the biggest backers are running roughshod over any debate. Being nonreligious I probably don't get it, but it's not got a very fair feeling about the way they are going about pushing for a bigger state.

US Congress ...Jewish representation...Then there's the Christian Funda'mentals' ..who believe prophecy that the Jews will all convert...and then there's the crazy fact that Palestine or Israel..they're all semites. And thatS just three points of interest out of 777.

 

[gringo2011]

US Congress ...Jewish representation...Then there's the Christian Funda'mentals' ..who believe prophecy that the Jews will all convert...and then there's the crazy fact that Palestine or Israel..they're all semites. And thatS just three points of interest out of 777.

All religions like to mess in politics, the Jewish lobby is just the most obvious and I do think the Jews still get regarded with more suspicion than others that mess in US political matters. But the evangelicals have this idea that Israel must return to biblical state and the Temple Mount be rebuilt so that they can have their rapture and all get taken off to heaven. There are more Evangelical Zionists than Jewish ones in America now. They are proper nut bags (IMO). They are big Trump and Morrison supporters. Stewart66 put me on to a doco on Netflix too. The Family is pretty scary stuff.

 

[prophetic1]

All religions like to mess in politics, the Jewish lobby is just the most obvious and I do think the Jews still get regarded with more suspicion than others that mess in US political matters. But the evangelicals have this idea that Israel must return to biblical state and the Temple Mount be rebuilt so that they can have their rapture and all get taken off to heaven. There are more Evangelical Zionists than Jewish ones in America now. They are proper nut bags (IMO). They are big Trump and Morrison supporters. Stewart66 put me on to a doco on Netflix too. The Family is pretty scary stuff.

All the relos on ma's side..........lol

 

[gringo2011]

This is some seriously dumb arse policy.

PM defends Scott Cam’s pay packet

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is unrepentant about paying TV tradie Scott Cam $345,000 for a 15-month government contract.

www.news.com.au

Federal TAFE funding slashed by $326m - 9News

A new report reveals funding for TAFE and training programs was cut by 11 per cent in 2018.

www.9news.com.au

 

[gringo2011]

Australians Are Losing Their Basic Freedoms, Global Monitor Warns

A global civil society research partnership has warned that basic freedoms are being lost in Australia.

www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au

 

[prophetic1]

This is some seriously dumb arse policy.

PM defends Scott Cam’s pay packet

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is unrepentant about paying TV tradie Scott Cam $345,000 for a 15-month government contract.

www.news.com.au

Federal TAFE funding slashed by $326m - 9News

A new report reveals funding for TAFE and training programs was cut by 11 per cent in 2018.

www.9news.com.au

not to mention their Human Rights record!!!!(but that's just my opinion) so any of the Silent (Anti human Anti Refugee Good Ol Boys & Girls) Majority........don't get your neck ties all unknotted... Everyone has made their mistakes....but this Govt has made an art form out of making refugees suffer, just for their political ends.

Human beings who are only excercising their right to seek asylum...Its not a privilege its a human right! Yet they are imprisoned and treated worse than convicted rapists and Killers. At least those individuals have a trial and know the length of their sentence and how they can shorten it. A few examples of detainees in Broadmeadows having been locked up for 11 years and longer. Asylum seekers in Aust are now being held in detention/prison....with no rights whatsoever.............they are handcuffed to see the doctor for goodness sake..They have no indication as to how long they will be imprisoned.

It is present Govt policy(empowered through Immigration enforced by SERCO) to give as little joy as possible (and that's putting it mildly) to people who in the most part, have never committed any crime whatsoever, other than requiring help. I know many 'honorable' people will cite a myriad of anecdotes and so called evidence...such a response is to be expected.

Simple truth reveals 90 percent have never been in trouble in any way ..unless you count what we've inflicted upon them since their arrival.
AND don't worry by posting this and augmenting GRINGO's criticisms, I make no assumption that he, in any way, agrees with me.
Just me, committed to saying it out loud.

 

[Crusty Undies]

not to mention their Human Rights record!!!!(but that's just my opinion) so any of the Silent (Anti human Anti Refugee Good Ol Boys & Girls) Majority........don't get your neck ties all unknotted... Everyone has made their mistakes....but this Govt has made an art form out of making refugees suffer, just for their political ends.

Human beings who are only excercising their right to seek asylum...Its not a privilege its a human right! Yet they are imprisoned and treated worse than convicted rapists and Killers. At least those individuals have a trial and know the length of their sentence and how they can shorten it. A few examples of detainees in Broadmeadows having been locked up for 11 years and longer. Asylum seekers in Aust are now being held in detention/prison....with no rights whatsoever.............they are handcuffed to see the doctor for goodness sake..They have no indication as to how long they will be imprisoned.

It is present Govt policy(empowered through Immigration enforced by SERCO) to give as little joy as possible (and that's putting it mildly) to people who in the most part, have never committed any crime whatsoever, other than requiring help. I know many 'honorable' people will cite a myriad of anecdotes and so called evidence...such a response is to be expected.

Simple truth reveals 90 percent have never been in trouble in any way ..unless you count what we've inflicted upon them since their arrival.
AND don't worry by posting this and augmenting GRINGO's criticisms, I make no assumption that he, in any way, agrees with me.
Just me, committed to saying it out loud.

That is an apt description of the 'silent majority' if I've ever heard one.

 

[prophetic1]

That is an apt description of the 'silent majority' if I've ever heard one.

Maybe? In my world which I'm sure differs vastly from some ..2 things at least stand out after many elections...When the proverbial hits the fan, rarely one meets people face to face, who will admit they voted for 'them' and even more rarely will they state why? Yet here 'they' sit. The subtext to that, make of what you will..............................I hear the mutterings and murky mumblings of misaligned minds with murmured hearts....inhumanity and blame.
Finding fault in race, pointing fingers at the least protected...........finding solutions that inflict pain upon those that have already suffered most. Extracting more from those with least. The use of Fiscal Managment and divisive neanderthal economic catch cries to rationalise their personal belief that they are the 'betters', to shore up their misheld perception that they have a right to something ....anything...this country , their way of life, their precious little worlds ...that they have a right more than any other human being.. Why ? In my opinion that's the silent majority and therein lies its shame.
The silent majority should be a large number of people who have not expressed an opinion about something. One would see the most beautiful power in this group if it was motivated by love but unfortunately i fear it is motivated by resentment and hate, fused with opportunist forces to manipulate that unvoiced will to force the greater love the 'higher love' into submission.
Of course that's just how i see it.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Having spent the afternoon and evening blindly sitting under these columns of smoke watching for embers and getting ready to evacuate - iI'm glad we couldn't actually see it was being generated by this level of fire activity. Long night before the wind change at 2.00am pushed it away from us.

Hope the communities around Bruthen and Mallacoota have made it through the night. Thankfully light winds and mild temps for the next few days.

 

[MUFKilda]

Having spent the afternoon and evening blindly sitting under these columns of smoke watching for embers and getting ready to evacuate - iI'm glad we couldn't actually see it was being generated by this level of fire activity. Long night before the wind change at 2.00am pushed it away from us.

Hope the communities around Bruthen and Mallacoota have made it through the night. Thankfully light winds and mild temps for the next few days.


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Is that the view from your house, mate?

 

[pebblesofsand]

Is that the view from your house, mate?

Nah -wish it was though - looks like a much safer spot!!

We were basically directly under that massive smoke cloud heading right. Nervous night but all good. Lots of people in more dangerous situations than us.

 

[gringo2011]

Having spent the afternoon and evening blindly sitting under these columns of smoke watching for embers and getting ready to evacuate - iI'm glad we couldn't actually see it was being generated by this level of fire activity. Long night before the wind change at 2.00am pushed it away from us.

Hope the communities around Bruthen and Mallacoota have made it through the night. Thankfully light winds and mild temps for the next few days.


View attachment 799868

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Where are you Pebbles? That looks apocalyptic. Stay safe man.