“I think a lot of people would be really disturbed by what’s happening. People have this rose-coloured view of Australia as a democratic country. But we are seeing measures which have more in common with the Stasi or a police state. University is a time when people traditionally question things and open up and learn about the world. That spirit of inquiry is now under threat.”
These are the words of the President of Sydney University's Student Representive Council (SRC), Angus McFarland. His SRC fellow David Jones was approached by the police to spy on his socialist activists comrades.
There's quite some socialism activism in Melbourne as well, and many are annoyed hearing and reading about the socialist world revolution. However, a closer look unveils a very non-threatening crowd. It is hard to imagine that Sydney's socialists pose more of a threat than our own.
This raises some questions. Why does the government want to prevent activism? Who is the spy among the Melbourne socialists, or is there none? Is it illegal in this country to be against consumerism, conformism and neo-liberalism?
Who much freedom is left in a country that puts you in jail for dissent?
5 comments:
Could you tell me what measures are taken in Australia? Big Brother wise, laws and weird policeactions?
Apeitheo.blogspot.com
Here's some Big Brother for you:
End of 2005 Australia introduced its set of Anti-Terror Laws, which restrict civil liberties in a similar way to Britains Anti-Terror Laws.
Jack Thomas was charged with terrorism accusation, but acquitted by a jury due to the lack of evidence. Nevertheless, he is now subject to a constraint order, which includes a curfew, systematic surveillance, phone tapping and the like. Read more about his case at http://www.justice4jack.com/
David Hicks, a mercenary who fought with muslim troops in Bosnia, and wanted to fight against the occupation in Afghanistan, was caught before he could join the battle and spend five years in CIA torture camps, the last years in Guantanamo Bay. He was one of the first inmates to appear before a kangaroo court complying to the Military Commission Act (MCA) of 2006, and plead guilty to minor charges to be send back to Australia.
Although the MCA ignores basic legal principles that have been in place for centuries (magna charta), the prime terrorist, oops, General Attorney Philip Ruddock happily accepted the ruling of the dictatorial tribunal held in Gitmo. He currently serves the rest of his sentence in the Barwon High security prison, and has been banned to talk to the media until the next Australian elections are over.
In the prison the 'Barwon 13' are held without charges as terror suspects. ABC claims that they might appear before court, but AFAIK they are still imprisoned.
And in the wake of the Glasgow car bombing Dr Mohamed Haneef was illegally detained for more than a week because he bought a one-way ticket to Malaysia.
And I think it was in Australia where someone was stopped from boarding a plane because he wore a "Bush Terrorist No One" T-shirt.
So much from the top of my head, the longer I look in this issue, the sicker I get.
Some more Big Brother for you. The latest case I mentioned has a new twist... Dr Mohamed Haneef is now charged with support of terrorism because HE LEFT HIS SIM CARD WITH HIS COUSIN.
What do we learn from this? If you're in Australia, distrust not only your neighbours, but as well your extended family.
Parents beware, because you might end up as well in jail for providing your kids with a SIM Card for their mobile. Let the lil buggers take for themselves, don't trust anyone but the government.
WAR IS PEACE.
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
The links were bungled, second try:
ABC
First article about Dr. Haneef
Second article (SIM Card)
WAR IS PEACE.
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.
OGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
It seems that things are speeding up; I wonder often how people can not see it, or if they do, keep so quit.
How can others go with it, like judges and others in relatively high positions? Not all can be a conspiracy, a lot of it is psychology played out by some dark figures. That's what I think anyway.
Thanks for the info. UK is just as terrible and Europe goes seemingly a bit slower on all this, but in fact the game is played more subtle.
On the other hand, the more power gets carzy, the more people will see it. No Empire ever survived its own psychopathic behavior; unless we see it as break downs only to create a new one with succes. So I dont know where we all are going. But I do know its BAD!
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