Auspol August: Half-baked enraged drivel

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol August: Half-baked enraged drivel

BCR: Jan 23, 2011

So far the only successful invasion of Australia happened with a global empire, with a developed supply chain, and a massive technological advantage.

While I understand the raw nerve of fear of the boats, its so far from reality its beyond words.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:21

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# ? May 24, 2024 06:49

Nibbles!: Jun 26, 2008; TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP

make australia great again as well please

On phone so can't find it, but their taxation section is good too. They want to eliminate all tax to be replaced with a 0.1% charge on every bank transaction. This is a progressive system because the more you spend or move, the more you pay, and totally won't impload if the economy slows.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:23

Doctor Spaceman: Jul 6, 2010; "Everyone's entitled to their point of view, but that's seriously a weird one."

A Tobin tax/currency transaction tax isn't a horrible idea really, it's just ridiculous to think it should be the only form of taxation.

Ragingsheep posted:

Why....?

To stop profiteering apparently.

They also want to nationalise all foreign holdings in the event of a war.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:29

froglet: Nov 12, 2009; You see, the best way to Stop the Boats is a massive swarm of autonomous armed dogs. Strafing a few boats will stop the rest and save many lives in the long term.

You can't make an Omelet without breaking a few eggs. Vote Greens.

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help :stare:

"I agree with Lang Hancock's aboriginal solution"
"This program hangs like a friend of the family from a tree"
"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

:stare:

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:30

GoldStandardConure: Jun 11, 2010; I have to kill fast
and mayflies too slow; Pillbug

Suicide vest.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:32

Bucky Fullminster: Apr 13, 2007

BCR posted:

So far the only successful invasion of Australia happened with a global empire, with a developed supply chain, and a massive technological advantage.

While I understand the raw nerve of fear of the boats, its so far from reality its beyond words.

I haven't read any of it but they sound like those survivalist, 'prepare for the apocalypse' types. I think that's where they get their kicks.

I appreciate their visionary, big-picture approach at least.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:33

Bifauxnen: Aug 12, 2010; Curses! Foiled again!

froglet posted:

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help

"I agree with Lang Hancock's aboriginal solution"
"This program hangs like a friend of the family from a tree"
"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

Uh... they're... one of the good raving psychos cause they give you equal pay?

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:34

Endman: May 18, 2010; That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even anime may die

froglet posted:

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help

"I agree with Lang Hancock's aboriginal solution"
"This program hangs like a friend of the family from a tree"
"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

Get new friends. Your current ones are broken.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:36

Les Affaires: Nov 15, 2004

froglet posted:

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help

"I agree with Lang Hancock's aboriginal solution"
"This program hangs like a friend of the family from a tree"
"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

Yikes. Time to perform an insurrection. :getin:

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:40

Anidav: Feb 25, 2010; ahhh fuck its the rats again

froglet posted:

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help

"I agree with Lang Hancock's aboriginal solution"
"This program hangs like a friend of the family from a tree"
"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

Step 1: dress up as Judge Dredd
Step 2: the punishment is death
Step 3: the law

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:46

Those On My Left: Jun 25, 2010

froglet posted:

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help

"I agree with Lang Hancock's aboriginal solution"
"This program hangs like a friend of the family from a tree"
"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

jesus loving christ

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:48

Les Affaires: Nov 15, 2004

Realtalk it's probably easier to convince a coworker (boss???) that some of the so-called "left wing" ideas such as "not letting people rot in the street" and "maybe people are equal after all" and "using certain words can make you look like a dick" than it is to convince a boss to pay you the same as everybody else.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:48

BlitzkriegOfColour: Aug 22, 2010

froglet posted:

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help

"I agree with Lang Hancock's aboriginal solution"
"This program hangs like a friend of the family from a tree"
"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

Haha, you live in western Australia. Please stay there, lest anybody try to follow you out.

Nuke WA

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:48

Ol Sweepy: Nov 28, 2005; Safety First

Froglet and Anidav's: A series of unfortunate employment.

quote:

"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

On the contrary I don't expect them to do anything for me anyone.

Ol Sweepy fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Aug 15, 2014

# ? Aug 15, 2014 03:51

You Am I: May 20, 2001; Me @ your poasting

Les Affaires posted:

Brainfart time. What if News Limited want the ABC privatised so they can buy it?

I don't think they would, I think it is more from the case of having one less competitor out in the market.

Just look at the history of News Corp UK attacks on the BBC

# ? Aug 15, 2014 04:00

BCR: Jan 23, 2011

froglet posted:

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help

"I agree with Lang Hancock's aboriginal solution"
"This program hangs like a friend of the family from a tree"
"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

Whats your job mate? Did you get a contract? Do you know your award? Did you get to choose your super? Do you know who your union is?

# ? Aug 15, 2014 04:08

shalcar: Oct 21, 2009; At my signal, DEAL WITH IT.; Taco Defender

froglet posted:

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help

"I agree with Lang Hancock's aboriginal solution"
"This program hangs like a friend of the family from a tree"
"You're one of the good lefties froglet coz you don't expect the government to do everything for you"

Ahahaha, how is your run of luck this bad?

That's worse than my workplace and I'm surrounded by 50 year old engineers.

I'm in awe.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 04:16

Bifauxnen: Aug 12, 2010; Curses! Foiled again!

shalcar posted:

Ahahaha, how is your run of luck this bad?

IT.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 04:19

shalcar: Oct 21, 2009; At my signal, DEAL WITH IT.; Taco Defender

Bifauxnen posted:

IT.

The fact that any industry is somehow worse than engineering blows my mind.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 04:24

adamantium|wang: Sep 14, 2003; Missing you

IT engineers.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 04:27

Seagull: Oct 9, 2012; give me a chip

adamantium|wang posted:

IT engineers.

The lawyers hired by that company.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 04:31

Ol Sweepy: Nov 28, 2005; Safety First

Captain Pissweak posted:

The lawyers hired by that company.

The marketers advertising for those lawyers.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 04:36

epipen: Aug 11, 2014; nyoom

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/icac-swansea-mp-implicated-in-illegal-campaign-funding/5670408

quote:

MP Garry Edwards has become the eighth member of the NSW Government to step aside or stand down as a result of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry.

ICAC: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

# ? Aug 15, 2014 05:11

xutech: Mar 4, 2011; EIIST

epipen posted:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/icac-swansea-mp-implicated-in-illegal-campaign-funding/5670408

ICAC: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

http://www.zazzle.com.au/i_love_icac_womens_t_shirt_dark-235615960469221249

# ? Aug 15, 2014 05:14

Doctor Spaceman: Jul 6, 2010; "Everyone's entitled to their point of view, but that's seriously a weird one."

epipen posted:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/icac-swansea-mp-implicated-in-illegal-campaign-funding/5670408

ICAC: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

In more surprising news, they had one Liberal MP today that actually came across as honest.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 05:17

Cleretic: Feb 3, 2010; Ignore my posts!
I'm aggressively wrong about everything!

Doctor Spaceman posted:

In more surprising news, they had one Liberal MP today that actually came across as honest.

I wonder how he feels about that. Disappointed in everyone else, as amused as all of us, or cursing himself for not getting all the bribes that everyone else apparently got?

# ? Aug 15, 2014 05:22

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Cleretic posted:

I wonder how he feels about that. Disappointed in everyone else, as amused as all of us, or cursing himself for not getting all the bribes that everyone else apparently got?

It was a woman:

quote:

Unlike so many of her colleagues, Robyn Parker MP has left #icac with reputation intact.
ReplyReplied to 0 times RetweetRetweeted 46 times46 FavoriteFavorited 25 times25

Clearly the old boy's network worked as designed.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 05:27

Mattjpwns: Dec 14, 2006; In joyful strains then let us sing
ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FUCKED

# ? Aug 15, 2014 05:29

CATTASTIC: Mar 31, 2010; ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

# ? Aug 15, 2014 05:33

froglet: Nov 12, 2009; You see, the best way to Stop the Boats is a massive swarm of autonomous armed dogs. Strafing a few boats will stop the rest and save many lives in the long term.

You can't make an Omelet without breaking a few eggs. Vote Greens.

BCR posted:

Whats your job mate? Did you get a contract? Do you know your award? Did you get to choose your super? Do you know who your union is?

I'm a software tester. I don't think there is a union. :negative:

Casual Fridays at my work are apparently for casual racism, not just casual clothes!
"Hey giving them royalties for places like Uluru is a great idea, means the abos can stop claiming loving Centrelink!"

:suicide:

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:09

Gough Suppressant: Nov 14, 2008

Froglet and Anidav apparently have the same gene that attracts them to terrible workplaces.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:11

Drugs: Jul 16, 2010; I don't like people who take drugs. Customs agents, for example - Albert Einstein

froglet posted:

I'm a software tester. I don't think there is a union.

Casual Fridays at my work are apparently for casual racism, not just casual clothes!
"Hey giving them royalties for places like Uluru is a great idea, means the abos can stop claiming loving Centrelink!"

who says this? who says this!?

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:14

Gough Suppressant: Nov 14, 2008

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/15/minister-believed-to-be-malcolm-turnbull-gave-demo-to-explain-vpn?CMP=soc_568

quote:

A government minister, believed to be the communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, had to give a demonstration to explain what a virtual private network (VPN) is to those who have been seeking mandatory data retention powers, Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm has told a US magazine.

Leyonhjelm told Reason magazine that he had spoken to an unnamed minister who knows what metadata is and �knows quite a lot about the internet and how it works�, and who told him that the people who are asking for this power don�t understand it, Gizmodo reported.

�He gave them a demonstration on a VPN [virtual private network] and said, By my IP address, tell me what you can find out about me now. And they had no idea there was such a thing as a VPN,� Leyonhjelm said.

�It indicates to me that these people are not well-informed enough to make these kinds of decisions.�

Leyonhjelm told Reason the unnamed minister �knows what he�s talking about�.

�But he�s surrounded by people who don�t know what they�re talking about, who think that they need something more. We don�t know yet where this will end up. It does have the potential to be very dangerous.�

The government is facing strong opposition to its plans to bring forward discussions on mandatory data retention laws amid its proposed suite of counter-terrorism measures.

Intelligence agencies have been able to access metadata for some time, but the new laws would require telecommunications companies and internet service providers (ISPs) to store customers� metadata for two years.

The head of Asio, David Irvine, said if a warrant was required for every request for metadata �the whole system would grind to a halt�.

The plan has been criticised by privacy and technology advocates and the Greens.

The prime minister, Tony Abbott, and attorney general, George Brandis, announced the plans earlier this month without the communications minister present, but did not provide detail on exactly what the data retention scheme would involve.

Confusion increased during the day as Abbott and Brandis gave conflicting answers on what constituted metadata, and what could be accessed by intelligence services without a warrant. Brandis also struggled to define metadata in a widely watched interview with Sky News.

The data retention proposal was leaked to the media before it was presented to cabinet, prompting angry scenes between ministers as Turnbull became frustrated at the lack of detail and knowledge of how the scheme would work.

He also said there were �formidable� technical problems with the concept.

�There�s a lot more data out there but there is less and less of it actually in the hands of the telcos � this is an important point to bear in mind � so it�s a very complex issue,� he said.

�There are technical questions, there are issues of privacy and security. No one said government was easy and this is just another one of those difficult exercises that we�ve got to deal with.�

Leyonhjelm declined to confirm who the minister he referred to in the interview was.

�The events described in the Reason interview were simplified for an American audience and concern a number of briefings with different people. These briefings were private and I would not like to go into any further detail,� he told Guardian Australia.

Turnbull�s office did not respond to requests for comment.

It says great things that "member of the government who knows what metadata is" is enough information to narrow it down to a field of one.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:15

BCR: Jan 23, 2011

froglet posted:

I'm a software tester. I don't think there is a union.

Casual Fridays at my work are apparently for casual racism, not just casual clothes!
"Hey giving them royalties for places like Uluru is a great idea, means the abos can stop claiming loving Centrelink!"

http://www.asu.asn.au/
Your union, but ring them up and check.

Did you get a copy of your contract and the award you are working under?

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:17

GoldStandardConure: Jun 11, 2010; I have to kill fast
and mayflies too slow; Pillbug

Haters Objector posted:

who says this? who says this!?

The staff that work in the warehouse I manage say poo poo like this all the time.

So does my grandfather. Family dinners are amazing.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:18

Mattjpwns: Dec 14, 2006; In joyful strains then let us sing
ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FUCKED

Haters Objector posted:

who says this? who says this!?

there are a lot of massive shitlords working in info tech fields.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:21

BCR: Jan 23, 2011

IT, engineering contain a lot of failures of humanity.

Heavy industry you get a lot of this, some of it is dedicated racism, some of it is just ignorance and copying the daily telegraph talking points about bludging fat kids stealing your centrelink while paying Lebanese builders under the counter.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:25

Drugs: Jul 16, 2010; I don't like people who take drugs. Customs agents, for example - Albert Einstein

Mattjpwns posted:

there are a lot of massive shitlords working in info tech fields.

NERDDSSSS

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:28

ewe2: Jul 1, 2009

froglet posted:

Hey guys I'm at my new job and the things I have heard help

WA and Qld are so similar I swear, that's fairly normal gear for those States. I'm just surprised you haven't been surrounded by it already.

Speaking of surround-sound idiocy and fact-resistance, I grabbed the print edition at my local fast-food joint today and discovered the silliest attempt to reframe the debate in the Herald Sun by cheery National Politics Editor Ellen Whinnett which takes the form of a classic feedback sandwich. I've bolded the fun bits. First the complements:

quote:

THE Abbott Government will be a year old in three weeks. One year since Tony Abbott and his team swept Kevin Rudd and the divided, dysfunctional Labor Party from office on September 7, 2013. More than a third of the way towards the next election.

And it hasn't been a bad first year. The only Cabinet victim was Senator Arthur Sinodinos, now cooling his heels on the backbench pending the outcome of a corruption inquiry into party funding in NSW. There were only a few, low-level outbreaks of infighting or ill-discipline.

There were some political highs � the repeal of the carbon tax being an obvious one. The Government stuck to its guns on its tough and controversial border protection policy and stopped the people smuggling boats.

And there were points scored in how it handled the tragedy of MH17, with Abbott and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop widely praised for their decisive, timely and empathetic response to the loss of 38 Australian lives.

But there was also some backflipping and backing-down: Abbott dumped his promise to repeal section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, meaning it remains against the law to offend or insult someone on the basis of their race. And the PM wound back his paid parental leave scheme to a maximum payment of $50,000, down from his original proposal of $75,000.

And there were some, er, interesting decisions, such as Abbott�s idea to reintroduce the imperial honours system and name a new generation of Australian dames and knights.

So, a pretty good first year. Except for the Budget.

Ok, now she has to be critical, and starts off fairly tough but can't quite be that severe:

quote:

Which, since Treasurer Joe Hockey handed it down on May 13, has been virtually stalled. Tens of billions of dollars in revenue and savings measures have been blocked by the Senate. And a series of own goals by Hockey have made the sales job a disaster. On the Friday before the Budget, he was caught by TV cameras puffing on cigars outside the Treasury building with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, looking like a pair of fat-cat bankers celebrating a profitable deal.

On Budget night, Hockey was photographed dancing in his office, ahead of a tough Budget that reined in pensions, cut hundreds of millions from health and education programs and introduced new taxes and fees. It wasn't his fault � but it was unfortunate � that the song on at that time was The Best Day of my Life.

Next came his ill-considered comment that those "screaming" about the proposed $7 fee to visit a bulk-billed doctor should consider the fact $7 was about the same cost as �only a couple of beers or one-third of a packet of cigarettes." The implication seemed to be: if poor people can afford to buy beer and cigarettes, they can afford to pay $7 to take their children to the doctor.

Ouch.

On Wednesday, he attempted to justify the Government�s plan to increase petrol taxes by saying the �poorest people either don�t have cars or actually don�t drive very far in many cases".

THERE were howls of criticism from opposition parties and the welfare sector, and claims the Treasurer, a wealthy man from the well-heeled electorate of North Sydney, was painfully out of touch. Technically, Hockey is correct with this assertion and ABS statistics back him up.

But his comments ignore the broader fact many low-income people, particularly those in rural and regional areas and the outer suburbs of big cities, spend more of their income on fuel because they have less access to public transport and a lack of affordable housing means they have to drive long distances to work. On top of all that came the unfortunately timed release of Hockey�s memoirs, an authorised biography that reveals the extent of his ambition, a lack of trust between him and Cabinet colleague Malcolm Turnbull � and contains plenty of anecdotes of cigar-smoking at posh houses and hotels across Sydney.

A colleague of Hockey�s told the Herald Sun months ago that �the problem with Joe is he doesn't understand people who buy wine by the cask". It seems the colleague was right.

You see, Hockey was right but it wasn't his fault and its the opposition and those welfare people "screaming" and he was sort of right with the statistics, it just seems like he's out of touch. But sensing that she may be basing things too heavily on Joe and to spread the love, Ellen turns to the wider picture, giving the Government a helping hand to finish with:

quote:

There are several reasons the Government�s Budget remains virtually deadlocked. Firstly, and most importantly, the Government failed to get a majority in the Senate.

A motley collection of eight crossbenchers, including a bloc of four aligned to the erratic Palmer United Party, is raising merry hell with the Government�s agenda.

And after Abbott�s relentless and highly successful efforts as a negative Opposition leader, the Greens and Labor are repaying him in kind.

Secondly, the Budget contained a bunch of nasties that weren't mentioned before the election.

In fact, Abbott expressly promised the night before the election that there would be � no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no changes to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS�.

So the reduction in pension rises, cuts to future health and hospital payments of up to $80 billion, cuts to the ABC and SBS and rumblings of a potential GST debate before the next election were all unwelcome surprises.

The problem is not entirely of Hockey�s making.

But as the chief salesman of the Budget, he definitely shouldn�t be giving himself a performance bonus this year.

You might have noticed that Abbott has escaped most of the censure (as have many others. Scott Morrison gets a complete free pass). According to Ellen most of the bad stuff only happened in the last couple of months and they were mostly Other People's Fault because Dear Leader can't be expected to fix everyone's messes what with hanging out with more important people overseas. There is a reason for this remarkable attempt at gentle finger-wagging and it's in the other sections of the print edition, which is always on the side of The Battler.

To one headline (on page 7) of Hey Joe, You're Roadkill there are snapshots and stories of Aussie Battlers Doing It Tough And Unimpressed With Joe, and in the opinion pages, an appropriately horrified editorial (Has Hockey got a tin ear?). But the letters page is reserved for the Battlers themselves and a remarkable majority give Joe the serve you'd expect; a typical response:

Tania posted:

What a horrid man. Even poor people deserve some quality of life and that may be as simple as driving to the beach for fish and chips with the family on a weekend. No matter how he phrased it, he is really out of touch.

Ah, yes. Even the poor deserve to drive for recreational purposes, thanks ever so much Tania.

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:29

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# ? May 24, 2024 06:49

Nibbles!: Jun 26, 2008; TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP

make australia great again as well please

CARBON TAX = LIES ELECTION NOW

BUDGET CUTS THAT WEREN'T GOING TO HAPPEN = yeah, that was an unwelcome surprise

# ? Aug 15, 2014 06:35

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