Helpless
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Showing posts with label journalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journalism. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Radio Democracy Playlist 03/12/08
This week RD’s intrepid reporters were at the rally calling for the abolition of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
Construction unions are gearing up their campaign to see the industry watchdog – a relic of Howard's IR regime – abolished.
The ABCC has proven to be a fairly useless institution, with no major achievements beyond what the unions call a 'criminalisation' of union activity.
They say the $165.4 million earmarked for the ABCC would be better spent on improving health and safety standards, which have dropped in the time of the commission's existence.
New Radical Radio ratbag Eliza and I went to check it out.
Dave was in again to fill us in on the changes to indigenous language teaching in the NT – what seems like a surefire way of further decimating these cultures.
I was going to link to some stories on Sydney Indymedia, but found the following message:
Due to disgruntled trolls spamming the newswire we have gone offline for the time being.
Bummer.
In part one of the interview, Alvarez spoke about the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership proposed by the Bush Government.
Alvarez has written a report on the GNEP – which criticises the effectiveness of the program, which effectively recycles fuel rods from nuclear reactors, extracting plutonium and uranium for further use.
Here’s the rub – the process releases about 15,000 to 20,000 times the amount of radioactivity into the environment that a nuclear reactor does!
A whole heap of dodgy radioactive isotopes are released into the atmosphere, which would seem to make this whole process kind of counterproductive.
In this second part of the interview he speaks of the logisitical and financial limitations of the GNEP and the far reaching implications for the environment and our health.
Finally, we heard about the ABC/SBS review and 'no clean feed' campaigns.
The future of both the ABC and SBS are at a crossroads, with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy reviewing the role of the national broadcasters.
In October Senator Conroy released the Towards a Digital Future discussion paper, which called for submissions on the future direction of the ABC and SBS.
Friends of the ABC and Save Our SBS are asking anyone who would like to see advertising abolished on SBS, or kept away from the ABC to make a submission to the review.
The deadline is next Friday the 12th of December at 4pm Canberra time. Save Our SBS has a sample submission on their website at saveoursbs.org and Friends of the ABC also have information on their site at fabc.org.au.
And while you’re taking the time to write to Senator Conroy, let him know how you feel about the proposed mandatory internet filter. Rallies are planned nationally next week in opposition to the so-called ‘clean feed’, which could block as many as one in 12 legitmate sites and significantly slow down Australia’s third-world internet infrastructure.
Web activist organisation GetUp! Is running an email campaign against the filter – to sign up visit www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaveTheNet .
For more info about next weeks’ rallies, go to stopthecleanfeed.com.
There’s a couple of events taking place for human rights day in the next few weeks. There’ll be a screening of a documentary named HOPE This Saturday at Metro Arts, which tells the story of Amal Basry, who survived the SIEV X tragedy, in which 353 legitimate asylum seekers – including 146 children – drowned at the whim of the Howard Government’s heartless refugee policy.
Zed’s own Andrew Bartlett will introduce the film, which is screening at 6:30 this Saturday at Metro Arts, 109 Edward St, Brisbane
Entry: By donation
Further info: Paul, Ph.3392 3843 Email: paul@rac-qld.org
There’s also a public forum taking place on Human Rights Day itself, next Wednesday the 10th of December.
The forum will feature broadcaster Phillip Adams and Stephen Keim, former barrister for Dr Mohamed Haneef.
Entry is free, but bookings are essential – to do that call 3136 6400.
Finally, on Saturday the 13th of December, the Aboriginal Rights Coalition are organising an ‘Aboriginal Rights are Human Rights’ rally, calling on the Rudd Government to end the NT intervention and welfare quarantining and drop the charges against Palm Island man Lex Wotton, who was recently jailed for his part in the 2004 riot on Palm.
The rally will take place at 2pm in Brisbane Square, out the front of the Treasury Casino next Saturday the 13th of December. (Update - this is actually at Queen's Park, one block over from the internet filter protest).
The ARC is also having its weekly organising meeting tonight at 6:30 at the TLC building at 16 Peel St Sth Brisbane.
Music
It’s Up to You –Steinski
Rudie Can’t Fail – The Clash
Forward to Death – Nomeansno
By the Time I get to Arizona – Public Enemy
When they Dropped the Atomic Bomb – Jackie Doll and his Pickled Peppers
Rall0 – Salmonella Dub (feat. Hirini Melbourne & Richard Nunns)
Pledge of Resistence – Saul Williams
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Radio Democracy Playlist 26/11/08
Ding dong, the witch is dead
With great glee RD this week grappled with the much-anticipated demise of the Howard (mis)government's dumb-arse Workchoices laws. The introduction of the Fair Work Bill is the final nail in the coffin for Workchoices, although more lefty elements of the union movement, the media (and even the ALP) have labelled the new regime as Workchoices Lite. Ha de har har.
I spoke with IR academic Dr Rae Cooper to try and get some sense of what the 613-page document contained, and to see if it delivered on the pre-election Forward with Fairness policy. (Worst. Name. Ever.)
If you can be bothered, the audio is here. (it was recorded over Skype and sounds a little shitty...)
We then heard about local street rag The Independent's campaign against property developer Mirvac's new project and the SHAC gang in Melbourne's potential eviction. Mira la siguiente .
Independent Mirvac campaign
Local community newspaper The Independent is mounting a campaign against property developer Mirvac over their Waterfront development in Newstead.
The Indy has run a number of stories in recent weeks in relation to the proposed development, which would see a section of public access to the river closed.
The Independent says it received a significant number of letters in response to the campaign, which have been presented to Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.
In response, the Lord Mayor has reaffirmed his commitment to providing access to the river for all of Brisbane, but said that any development approved by council could not be changed at council’s demands.
The Independent says anyone with concerns about the development should make a written submission to the Brisbane City Council CEO at GPO Box 1434 Brisbane 4001.
SHAC
Meanwhile Melbourne students occupying a university-owned property are facing eviction this Friday after their proposal to collectively run the house was rejected by the University of Melbourne.
The Student Housing Action Collective says they’re not planning on going anywhere, despite a request from the university to leave voluntarily.
SHAC are calling for community support at a rally on Friday.
For more information go to www.shacmelbourne.blogspot.com
We were then hoping to hear from Dr Helen Caldicott, with the second part of her interview with Bob Alvarez, but technology failed... maybe next time.
Finally, we got the latest from Mumia Abu Jamal.
Music
There's Power in a Union – Billy Bragg
Keep it True - Blue King Brown
John Howard – Victims of Noah
Greed, $, Useless Children - Jay Reatard
Damaged Goods – Gang of Four
Today’s Lesson – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Milkshake – Holy Fuck
Holiday in Baghdad – Tijuana Cartel
Your Attitude is as Fucked as My Dress Sense – Dick Nasty
With great glee RD this week grappled with the much-anticipated demise of the Howard (mis)government's dumb-arse Workchoices laws. The introduction of the Fair Work Bill is the final nail in the coffin for Workchoices, although more lefty elements of the union movement, the media (and even the ALP) have labelled the new regime as Workchoices Lite. Ha de har har.
I spoke with IR academic Dr Rae Cooper to try and get some sense of what the 613-page document contained, and to see if it delivered on the pre-election Forward with Fairness policy. (Worst. Name. Ever.)
If you can be bothered, the audio is here. (it was recorded over Skype and sounds a little shitty...)
We then heard about local street rag The Independent's campaign against property developer Mirvac's new project and the SHAC gang in Melbourne's potential eviction. Mira la siguiente .
Independent Mirvac campaign
Local community newspaper The Independent is mounting a campaign against property developer Mirvac over their Waterfront development in Newstead.
The Indy has run a number of stories in recent weeks in relation to the proposed development, which would see a section of public access to the river closed.
The Independent says it received a significant number of letters in response to the campaign, which have been presented to Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.
In response, the Lord Mayor has reaffirmed his commitment to providing access to the river for all of Brisbane, but said that any development approved by council could not be changed at council’s demands.
The Independent says anyone with concerns about the development should make a written submission to the Brisbane City Council CEO at GPO Box 1434 Brisbane 4001.
SHAC
Meanwhile Melbourne students occupying a university-owned property are facing eviction this Friday after their proposal to collectively run the house was rejected by the University of Melbourne.
The Student Housing Action Collective says they’re not planning on going anywhere, despite a request from the university to leave voluntarily.
SHAC are calling for community support at a rally on Friday.
For more information go to www.shacmelbourne.blogspot.com
We were then hoping to hear from Dr Helen Caldicott, with the second part of her interview with Bob Alvarez, but technology failed... maybe next time.
Finally, we got the latest from Mumia Abu Jamal.
Music
There's Power in a Union – Billy Bragg
Keep it True - Blue King Brown
John Howard – Victims of Noah
Greed, $, Useless Children - Jay Reatard
Damaged Goods – Gang of Four
Today’s Lesson – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Milkshake – Holy Fuck
Holiday in Baghdad – Tijuana Cartel
Your Attitude is as Fucked as My Dress Sense – Dick Nasty
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Swap Meet Party from Outerspace photos!
I'm not sure how many blogger will let me put up, but here we go...
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Radio Democracy Playlist 19/11/08
No nukes is good nukes
The good news...
The Ranger mine crazily located in Kakadu National Park is due to cease operations this year.
The bad news...
Another 7 years' worth of uranium was discovered in the area, meaning Ranger's life may be extended.
The ACF says this is a dumb idea but no doubt state and federal governments, much like Energy Resources Australia and its owner Rio Tinto, are all rubbing their hands together at the thought of digging up the filthy $hit. At least behind closed doors. Apparently the Australian population doesn't much like the idea of selling nukes to non-NPT signatories. So maybe – hopefully – not.
Which lead us right into our next piece. We heard Dr Helen Caldicott's conversation with Robert Alvarez, who has written a report into the US's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. The GNEP is a hare-brained product of the Bush administration, which if I understand correctly, is about processing and reusing spent uranium, plutonium and the like. While I'm all for reduce, reuse, recycle, I don't know that this is the best application of that philosophy. Yikes.
The more things change, right?
We then heard Mumia Abu Jamal's take on the election of Barack Obama on the US. MAJ says the machine behind Obama is – you guessed it – THE SAME as previous governments of both the Republicans and Democrats.
América latina está en marcha
Finally, we heard an update on three different Latin American countries and the typical political skulduggery that they suffer.
Peru – Anti APEC site shut down
Organisers of political demonstrations against the 2008 APEC meeting in Peru have claimed a website they are using to coordinate actions has been shut down.
The anti-APEC 2008 site was down on Sunday night, with local organising groups claiming interference on the part of the Peruvian Government and international – namely US – security forces.
The activists asked: “How can they promote economic integration, prosperity and a culture of peace when freedom of expression is restricted?
"The internet is one of the few spaces remaining for activists fighting neoliberalism – what other forms of repression will be seen at APEC Peru 2008?"
The website is now back online, with actions scheduled for the rest of the week.
For more information: www.antiapec.tk (in Spanish) or indymedia.org.
Mexico – More confrontations in Zapatista country
See Kristin Bricker's story at Narconews here.
Colombia – Yet another unionist arrested
Briarpatch magazine provided us with a comprehensive overview of the case of Liliany Obando, a Colombian trade unionist, activist, independent filmmaker and single mother of two who has been under arrest in Colombia since August.
To learn more about the Free Liliany Obando campaign, go to www.colombiasolidarity.net.
Musica
Emergency – The Herd
The Elite – Bill Hicks
Bulshit Politicians – Propagandhi
Peligro – Mano Negra
Legalize It – Elephant Wise
Pig City – The Parameters
We Call Upon the Author - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The good news...
The Ranger mine crazily located in Kakadu National Park is due to cease operations this year.
The bad news...
Another 7 years' worth of uranium was discovered in the area, meaning Ranger's life may be extended.
The ACF says this is a dumb idea but no doubt state and federal governments, much like Energy Resources Australia and its owner Rio Tinto, are all rubbing their hands together at the thought of digging up the filthy $hit. At least behind closed doors. Apparently the Australian population doesn't much like the idea of selling nukes to non-NPT signatories. So maybe – hopefully – not.
Which lead us right into our next piece. We heard Dr Helen Caldicott's conversation with Robert Alvarez, who has written a report into the US's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. The GNEP is a hare-brained product of the Bush administration, which if I understand correctly, is about processing and reusing spent uranium, plutonium and the like. While I'm all for reduce, reuse, recycle, I don't know that this is the best application of that philosophy. Yikes.
The more things change, right?
We then heard Mumia Abu Jamal's take on the election of Barack Obama on the US. MAJ says the machine behind Obama is – you guessed it – THE SAME as previous governments of both the Republicans and Democrats.
América latina está en marcha
Finally, we heard an update on three different Latin American countries and the typical political skulduggery that they suffer.
Peru – Anti APEC site shut down
Organisers of political demonstrations against the 2008 APEC meeting in Peru have claimed a website they are using to coordinate actions has been shut down.
The anti-APEC 2008 site was down on Sunday night, with local organising groups claiming interference on the part of the Peruvian Government and international – namely US – security forces.
The activists asked: “How can they promote economic integration, prosperity and a culture of peace when freedom of expression is restricted?
"The internet is one of the few spaces remaining for activists fighting neoliberalism – what other forms of repression will be seen at APEC Peru 2008?"
The website is now back online, with actions scheduled for the rest of the week.
For more information: www.antiapec.tk (in Spanish) or indymedia.org.
Mexico – More confrontations in Zapatista country
See Kristin Bricker's story at Narconews here.
Colombia – Yet another unionist arrested
Briarpatch magazine provided us with a comprehensive overview of the case of Liliany Obando, a Colombian trade unionist, activist, independent filmmaker and single mother of two who has been under arrest in Colombia since August.
To learn more about the Free Liliany Obando campaign, go to www.colombiasolidarity.net.
Musica
Emergency – The Herd
The Elite – Bill Hicks
Bulshit Politicians – Propagandhi
Peligro – Mano Negra
Legalize It – Elephant Wise
Pig City – The Parameters
We Call Upon the Author - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Radio Democracy Playlist 12/11/08
This week we spoke to Jess Maynard, who is in the NT community of Yuendumu participating in the ActNow Challenge – a youth empowerment and community development program. Jess is in the Territory for 10 weeks learning the Warlpiri language, working and sharing a whole heap of artisitic and cultural experiences with the local indigenous mob. She said as a city-slicker, visiting this part of Australia is a bit like going to another country – I imagine she's right. Yuendumu has been in the news lately because of a series of claims and counter-claims in an article in the Melbourne Age, which quoted Yuendumu woman Peggy Brown as saying: ""It’s working, no doubt about it", in relation to the ongoing clusterfuck that is the NT Intervention.
Next, death row inmate and radical activist/journalist Mumia Abu Jamal gave us his take on the ongoing financial catastrophe. Mumia's regular dispatches are available at prisonradio.org.
Radio Democracy was delighted to have a new ratbag in the studio this week. Dave came by to give us the lowdown on the proposed "Clean Feed" – a mandatory internet filter the Federal Government is hoping to introduce to 'protect the children.' Dave's story is posted below, and Greens Senator Scott Ludlam's questions for Comms Minister Senator Steven Conroy here.
Today's program was dedicated to Mama Africa – the longtime civil rights and anti-apartheid activist and musician Miriam Makeba, who sadly died after performing in Italy this week.
Sounds
Blister - Axe to Grind
Flow & Plenty - Busker
The Drones - I am the Supercargo
The Upsteppers - World at my Feet (playing at 4ZzZ fundraiser Dub Day Afternoon!)
Combat Wombat - Corruption Dub
Miriam Makeba- Pata Pata
Mandatory Internet censorship
David McLagan
The Labor Government is proposing to introduce mandatory internet censorship, which will require all Internet Service Providers (ISP's) to provide a mandatory filter, blocking access to 'blacklisted sites'. The 'blacklist' will be initiated and monitored by the Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). This latest campaign to control the final frontier of totally free media is being championed by Labor Senator Stephen Conroy, who has coined this 'you’re with us or against us' quote "If people equate freedom of speech with watching child pornography, then the Rudd-Labor Government is going to disagree."
So this is about trying to protect our family's children from things such as internet pornography, child pornography rings and internet predators. Taking the freedom of speech question out of the equation just for a second, this proposed legislation is a pathetic attempt to stop a problem that didn't even stem from the internet. Child pornography and paedophilia exist in the real world; they were around before the internet. Now no one is arguing that these things are very wrong and yes children need to be protected. Nor is anyone arguing that the internet has undoubtedly increased the amount of this content that is out there. But child pornographers are not caught online due to the invisible nature and secrecy of child pornography ring. They are caught through police breaking into human networks and the information and contacts that they get from these people and their computers.
As we can see if this is to be done then it must be effectual or it’s simply not worth doing. So how well can the ACMA control the internet when there are currently around 8 billion web pages? Currently there are two types of filtering techniques that could be used; firstly index filtering. This involves blocking all content on a pre-determined 'blacklist' of Uniform Resource Locators (URLs - the address), Internet Protocol addresses (IP addresses - the numbers identifying points on the internet) and Domain Name System (DNS - used to associate human-readable or memorable names with the IP addresses). The second technique is content analysis filtering. As the human resources required to read through every potentially 'dangerous' page is impossible this is done by artificial intelligence, which uses a complex system of algorithms to determine whether a page is ok or not. These systems are commonly referred to as "guessing engines". Therefore if the policy is implemented our internet access will be censored by a meagre 'blacklist' that is meant to keep up with the highly dynamic environment of the internet, where new pages are born everyday and previously banned pages can simply move to other unknown locations or alternately by software that guesses whether a page is ok or not.
Another major issue related to this protection is the ease of getting around content blocking. Onion-routing is technology that can allow you to roam the internet with freedom and privacy. Simple downloading of a program called the TOR-project allows this. The messages you send and receive are encrypted, using onion-router technology, your messages are sent through layers (like an onion) to remove the encryption and therefore allow the content, origin and destination of the message to remain anonymous. This has been frequently used in countries like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, where web browsing is tightly filtered and monitored. Countries, which our government has hypocritically accused of preventing freedoms of speech.
Internet censorship requires additional software, so this leads to the question whether or not this will slow down connections. The government claims that a recent report of ISP content filters showed that this didn't affect broadband performance. But the truth of the matter after reading the findings of the report indicate this to be very misleading. The report 'Closed Environment Testing of ISP - Level internet content filters' involved six different ISP content filters. Results showed even when the programs were connected and not filtering there was a reduction, be it small (generally less that 10%). When filtering the performance of broadband speed was reduced by 2% in one case, 20-35% in three of the cases and in the remaining two performance speed was reduced to less than 15%. The effectiveness of content blocking from a pre-determined 'blacklists' was too questionable - around 88-90% for three products and around 95% for the other three. Two of the products also blocked 8% of 'non-blacklisted material, whilst the others blocked around 3%. Notably performance speed didn't correspond with the level of security.
All these points on this very poor legislation aside and back to our rights, our freedoms of speech. I'm an adult over the legal age of 18 and have the choice to look at pornography if I care to do so. I have this right to do so because as I stated I am not a child. The Labor government is telling us that we all need to be treated like children and that they are our parents so they will tell us what we can view. There is a clear solution to the problem of protecting our children from the 'evils' of the internet. Let parents, who have a responsibility to help their children grow and make better decisions do so. Don't let a government trying to play mummy and daddy to the whole country tell us what we can view. On the governments own website there is a page with a link to download free content filters. A perfect response, case closed. The government has provided a free, adequate response to a relevant issue they feel may affect children and parents get to make their own decisions in how they actually raise their kids. Therefore why take this legislation to another level. This clearly indicates there is more to this policy, more sinister issues. If the government softens us up with a first level of content filtering it makes the next level that much easier to bring in. Contrasting political views, religious views, swearing, music, even past historical events that don't sit quite right, anything that the government deems inappropriate could be eradicated from our access. It would make it very easy to govern if people didn't even know any alternate existed.
This is clearly a case of politicians who simply don't know anything about the position they are in trying to blindly push forward without even considering the reality of the situation. The Labor government is trying to close the eyes of the people in this country and tell them that everything will be warm and fuzzy in there. People need to keep their eyes open and use the last bastion of totally free media to view the reality of this situation what they are trying to do.
http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310554/isp-level_internet_content_filtering_trial-report.pdf
http://www.netalert.gov.au/
http://www.efa.org.au/
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2138157.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/10/2414895.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/31/2129471.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/24/2399876.htm
Next, death row inmate and radical activist/journalist Mumia Abu Jamal gave us his take on the ongoing financial catastrophe. Mumia's regular dispatches are available at prisonradio.org.
Radio Democracy was delighted to have a new ratbag in the studio this week. Dave came by to give us the lowdown on the proposed "Clean Feed" – a mandatory internet filter the Federal Government is hoping to introduce to 'protect the children.' Dave's story is posted below, and Greens Senator Scott Ludlam's questions for Comms Minister Senator Steven Conroy here.
Today's program was dedicated to Mama Africa – the longtime civil rights and anti-apartheid activist and musician Miriam Makeba, who sadly died after performing in Italy this week.
Sounds
Blister - Axe to Grind
Flow & Plenty - Busker
The Drones - I am the Supercargo
The Upsteppers - World at my Feet (playing at 4ZzZ fundraiser Dub Day Afternoon!)
Combat Wombat - Corruption Dub
Miriam Makeba- Pata Pata
Mandatory Internet censorship
David McLagan
The Labor Government is proposing to introduce mandatory internet censorship, which will require all Internet Service Providers (ISP's) to provide a mandatory filter, blocking access to 'blacklisted sites'. The 'blacklist' will be initiated and monitored by the Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). This latest campaign to control the final frontier of totally free media is being championed by Labor Senator Stephen Conroy, who has coined this 'you’re with us or against us' quote "If people equate freedom of speech with watching child pornography, then the Rudd-Labor Government is going to disagree."
So this is about trying to protect our family's children from things such as internet pornography, child pornography rings and internet predators. Taking the freedom of speech question out of the equation just for a second, this proposed legislation is a pathetic attempt to stop a problem that didn't even stem from the internet. Child pornography and paedophilia exist in the real world; they were around before the internet. Now no one is arguing that these things are very wrong and yes children need to be protected. Nor is anyone arguing that the internet has undoubtedly increased the amount of this content that is out there. But child pornographers are not caught online due to the invisible nature and secrecy of child pornography ring. They are caught through police breaking into human networks and the information and contacts that they get from these people and their computers.
As we can see if this is to be done then it must be effectual or it’s simply not worth doing. So how well can the ACMA control the internet when there are currently around 8 billion web pages? Currently there are two types of filtering techniques that could be used; firstly index filtering. This involves blocking all content on a pre-determined 'blacklist' of Uniform Resource Locators (URLs - the address), Internet Protocol addresses (IP addresses - the numbers identifying points on the internet) and Domain Name System (DNS - used to associate human-readable or memorable names with the IP addresses). The second technique is content analysis filtering. As the human resources required to read through every potentially 'dangerous' page is impossible this is done by artificial intelligence, which uses a complex system of algorithms to determine whether a page is ok or not. These systems are commonly referred to as "guessing engines". Therefore if the policy is implemented our internet access will be censored by a meagre 'blacklist' that is meant to keep up with the highly dynamic environment of the internet, where new pages are born everyday and previously banned pages can simply move to other unknown locations or alternately by software that guesses whether a page is ok or not.
Another major issue related to this protection is the ease of getting around content blocking. Onion-routing is technology that can allow you to roam the internet with freedom and privacy. Simple downloading of a program called the TOR-project allows this. The messages you send and receive are encrypted, using onion-router technology, your messages are sent through layers (like an onion) to remove the encryption and therefore allow the content, origin and destination of the message to remain anonymous. This has been frequently used in countries like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, where web browsing is tightly filtered and monitored. Countries, which our government has hypocritically accused of preventing freedoms of speech.
Internet censorship requires additional software, so this leads to the question whether or not this will slow down connections. The government claims that a recent report of ISP content filters showed that this didn't affect broadband performance. But the truth of the matter after reading the findings of the report indicate this to be very misleading. The report 'Closed Environment Testing of ISP - Level internet content filters' involved six different ISP content filters. Results showed even when the programs were connected and not filtering there was a reduction, be it small (generally less that 10%). When filtering the performance of broadband speed was reduced by 2% in one case, 20-35% in three of the cases and in the remaining two performance speed was reduced to less than 15%. The effectiveness of content blocking from a pre-determined 'blacklists' was too questionable - around 88-90% for three products and around 95% for the other three. Two of the products also blocked 8% of 'non-blacklisted material, whilst the others blocked around 3%. Notably performance speed didn't correspond with the level of security.
All these points on this very poor legislation aside and back to our rights, our freedoms of speech. I'm an adult over the legal age of 18 and have the choice to look at pornography if I care to do so. I have this right to do so because as I stated I am not a child. The Labor government is telling us that we all need to be treated like children and that they are our parents so they will tell us what we can view. There is a clear solution to the problem of protecting our children from the 'evils' of the internet. Let parents, who have a responsibility to help their children grow and make better decisions do so. Don't let a government trying to play mummy and daddy to the whole country tell us what we can view. On the governments own website there is a page with a link to download free content filters. A perfect response, case closed. The government has provided a free, adequate response to a relevant issue they feel may affect children and parents get to make their own decisions in how they actually raise their kids. Therefore why take this legislation to another level. This clearly indicates there is more to this policy, more sinister issues. If the government softens us up with a first level of content filtering it makes the next level that much easier to bring in. Contrasting political views, religious views, swearing, music, even past historical events that don't sit quite right, anything that the government deems inappropriate could be eradicated from our access. It would make it very easy to govern if people didn't even know any alternate existed.
This is clearly a case of politicians who simply don't know anything about the position they are in trying to blindly push forward without even considering the reality of the situation. The Labor government is trying to close the eyes of the people in this country and tell them that everything will be warm and fuzzy in there. People need to keep their eyes open and use the last bastion of totally free media to view the reality of this situation what they are trying to do.
http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310554/isp-level_internet_content_filtering_trial-report.pdf
http://www.netalert.gov.au/
http://www.efa.org.au/
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2138157.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/10/2414895.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/31/2129471.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/24/2399876.htm
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Radio Democracy Playlist 05/11/08
Black Justice
While one black man was deservedly (thankfully, I might add) nominated president in the USA, in Australia another black man was the victim of a justice system that resembles the US's deep south under segregation. RD spoke once again to Lauren Mellor from the Aboriginal Rights Coalition about this Friday's International Day of Action in solidarity with Palm Island man Lex Wotton. There are actions happening all around Australia and in Aotearoa (NZ), the UK, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia.
Radio Democracy – all of 4ZzZ, in fact – will continue to cover this story, and bring you information on how you can get active. The Brisbane rally is taking place outside the District Court at 9:30 am tommorrow, as Lex is being sentenced in Townsville. His legal team are reported to be mounting an appeal against the guilty verdict.
Sailing the seas of donations please
We then heard from Ben, who's aboard the good ship Steve Irwin with the rest of the Sea Shepherd crew while they're in Brisbane. The Sea Shepherds are having a benefit gig at the Arena on Friday the 21st of November and are also putting out a call for some donated supplies
while they're in our fine waters.
We had a look at a few stories to come out of the US election where people got grumpy about voting annoyances. Bazza went on to win as you well know, but there were at least a couple of incidents, including famous lefty actor Tim Robbins saying he'd be arrested before he would be denied his vote.
Music
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil-Scott Heron
Police Brutality – Combat Wombat
We've Got a Bigger Problem Now – Dead Kennedys
I Chase the Devil – Max Romeo
Can't Wait to Finish School – Kicks
Singie – Dubmarine
Demolition Girl – The Saints
Babylon – Dubbly (under the community notices)
Imagine This – Wax Audio (for George)
While one black man was deservedly (thankfully, I might add) nominated president in the USA, in Australia another black man was the victim of a justice system that resembles the US's deep south under segregation. RD spoke once again to Lauren Mellor from the Aboriginal Rights Coalition about this Friday's International Day of Action in solidarity with Palm Island man Lex Wotton. There are actions happening all around Australia and in Aotearoa (NZ), the UK, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia.
Radio Democracy – all of 4ZzZ, in fact – will continue to cover this story, and bring you information on how you can get active. The Brisbane rally is taking place outside the District Court at 9:30 am tommorrow, as Lex is being sentenced in Townsville. His legal team are reported to be mounting an appeal against the guilty verdict.
Sailing the seas of donations please
We then heard from Ben, who's aboard the good ship Steve Irwin with the rest of the Sea Shepherd crew while they're in Brisbane. The Sea Shepherds are having a benefit gig at the Arena on Friday the 21st of November and are also putting out a call for some donated supplies
while they're in our fine waters.Shh... don't mention the war
The Federal Government this week announced a $250 levy on all Australian university students – just don't call it compulsory student unionism. Actually, there's no danger of that happening; the NUS-ALP love-in that has been happening since Ruddy came to power has taken the teeth out of the NUS's 'repeal VSU' campaign. National Prez Angus Mc Farland was nice enough to remove himself from the US election coverage to tell us nothing about what this meant for student unions in the future.
The Obama Show
The Federal Government this week announced a $250 levy on all Australian university students – just don't call it compulsory student unionism. Actually, there's no danger of that happening; the NUS-ALP love-in that has been happening since Ruddy came to power has taken the teeth out of the NUS's 'repeal VSU' campaign. National Prez Angus Mc Farland was nice enough to remove himself from the US election coverage to tell us nothing about what this meant for student unions in the future.
The Obama Show
We had a look at a few stories to come out of the US election where people got grumpy about voting annoyances. Bazza went on to win as you well know, but there were at least a couple of incidents, including famous lefty actor Tim Robbins saying he'd be arrested before he would be denied his vote.
Music
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil-Scott Heron
Police Brutality – Combat Wombat
We've Got a Bigger Problem Now – Dead Kennedys
I Chase the Devil – Max Romeo
Can't Wait to Finish School – Kicks
Singie – Dubmarine
Demolition Girl – The Saints
Babylon – Dubbly (under the community notices)
Imagine This – Wax Audio (for George)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Radio Democracy Playlist 22/10/08
It was nice to be back in the chair after a few weeks away due to university craziness and other commitments!
Today we heard from Rob Nicholas from the Aboriginal Rights Coalition to get an update on the Lex Wotton trial. Wotton was eventually found guilty by the district court jury – Chris Graham's excellent summary of the whole affair is here. His sentence will be handed down in Townsville on the 7th of November.
We had another update on the Save the Regent campaign with Vicki Bridgstock. The 7th is also the final date for objection submissions to Brisbane City Council.
Radio Democracy also faced the truth a little with an excerpt from Dr Helen Caldicott's If You Love This Planet. Helen spoke with Richard Heinberg, author of
Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century Of Declines.
Finally, we caught up with regular RD contributor Robin Taubenfeld about peace-loving and anti-nuclear activity around town in the coming weeks. First, activists will extend a warm welcome to the arms industry when it comes to Brisbane in a big way with the Land Warfare Conference. The weekend after will see an organising meeting of the Queensand Nuclear Free Alliance.
Sounds
Time to Face the Truth - The Herd
Frisk Me Down - Katchafire
Slowness - Calexico
Fuck tha Police - NWA
Nine Dubs a Day - Roots Manuva
Good Thing Mummah - Mr Laneous and the Family Yah
Today we heard from Rob Nicholas from the Aboriginal Rights Coalition to get an update on the Lex Wotton trial. Wotton was eventually found guilty by the district court jury – Chris Graham's excellent summary of the whole affair is here. His sentence will be handed down in Townsville on the 7th of November.
We had another update on the Save the Regent campaign with Vicki Bridgstock. The 7th is also the final date for objection submissions to Brisbane City Council.
Radio Democracy also faced the truth a little with an excerpt from Dr Helen Caldicott's If You Love This Planet. Helen spoke with Richard Heinberg, author of
Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century Of Declines.Finally, we caught up with regular RD contributor Robin Taubenfeld about peace-loving and anti-nuclear activity around town in the coming weeks. First, activists will extend a warm welcome to the arms industry when it comes to Brisbane in a big way with the Land Warfare Conference. The weekend after will see an organising meeting of the Queensand Nuclear Free Alliance.
Sounds
Time to Face the Truth - The Herd
Frisk Me Down - Katchafire
Slowness - Calexico
Fuck tha Police - NWA
Nine Dubs a Day - Roots Manuva
Good Thing Mummah - Mr Laneous and the Family Yah
Thursday, October 2, 2008
What Greenpeace, FoE and TWS make of Garnaut's final report
Australia’s three largest environmental groups have offered a mixed reaction to the findings of the Garnaut Report.
The final report – which was released yesterday – underlines the importance of responding to climate change, but is being criticised for aiming too low, with a reduction to 550 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
This represents a reduction of emissions of ten percent by 2020, based on the 2000 level.
Friends of the Earth had called for a reduction of between 300-325ppm in their submission to the Garnaut report.
"A target of 550 ppm of carbon dioxide is a recipe for disaster and even the lower target of 450 ppm will mean we will face runaway climate change,” a Friends of the Earth statement said.
"The Arctic sea ice and Himalaya glaciers are already disappearing and the permafrost bomb is looming. We need much deeper cuts. "
The Report is being seen by many as an exercise in politics rather than science or economics, leaving plenty of room for governments to interpret or adapt its recommendations.
The Wilderness Society has also said the targets are too low, while highlighting the role our forests – a natural means for carbon capture and storage – play in mitigating the risks of climate change.
Australia’s native forests, like those currently under threat of logging in Tasmania, are capable of offsetting as much as 25% of our carbon emissions, based on 2005 levels.
“The Rudd Government has no excuse to allow destruction of Australia’s native forests to continue,” the Wilderness Society’s Tasmanian Campaign Manager Geoff Law said.
“Australia can massively reduce its damaging greenhouse-gas emissions if we stop logging immediately in the majority of our native forests.
“A transition to Australia’s existing stands of fast-growing plantations should be implemented for the timber industry.”
But the biggest problem lies with Australia’s highly profitable and highly polluting coal industry.
Greenpeace has criticised the proposed compensation for the coal industry offered under the Rudd Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme or ETS.
The Garnaut Report recommends a one billion dollar fund to facilitate a transition to a low-emissions coal industry, according to a report on Crikey.com.
Rio Tinto and NRG, owners of the Gladstone coal-fired power station, are set to receive compensation of $70.8 million under the proposed ETS, while NSW’s state-owned Macquarie Generation is set to receive $208 million in compensation.
Greenpeace campaigner Trish Harrup said community members and unions working in the coal industry don’t want to see a blank checque offered to the industry, but investment and job creation in the renewable energy sector.
The final report – which was released yesterday – underlines the importance of responding to climate change, but is being criticised for aiming too low, with a reduction to 550 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
This represents a reduction of emissions of ten percent by 2020, based on the 2000 level.
Friends of the Earth had called for a reduction of between 300-325ppm in their submission to the Garnaut report.
"A target of 550 ppm of carbon dioxide is a recipe for disaster and even the lower target of 450 ppm will mean we will face runaway climate change,” a Friends of the Earth statement said.
"The Arctic sea ice and Himalaya glaciers are already disappearing and the permafrost bomb is looming. We need much deeper cuts. "
The Report is being seen by many as an exercise in politics rather than science or economics, leaving plenty of room for governments to interpret or adapt its recommendations.
The Wilderness Society has also said the targets are too low, while highlighting the role our forests – a natural means for carbon capture and storage – play in mitigating the risks of climate change.
Australia’s native forests, like those currently under threat of logging in Tasmania, are capable of offsetting as much as 25% of our carbon emissions, based on 2005 levels.
“The Rudd Government has no excuse to allow destruction of Australia’s native forests to continue,” the Wilderness Society’s Tasmanian Campaign Manager Geoff Law said.
“Australia can massively reduce its damaging greenhouse-gas emissions if we stop logging immediately in the majority of our native forests.
“A transition to Australia’s existing stands of fast-growing plantations should be implemented for the timber industry.”
But the biggest problem lies with Australia’s highly profitable and highly polluting coal industry.
Greenpeace has criticised the proposed compensation for the coal industry offered under the Rudd Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme or ETS.
The Garnaut Report recommends a one billion dollar fund to facilitate a transition to a low-emissions coal industry, according to a report on Crikey.com.
Rio Tinto and NRG, owners of the Gladstone coal-fired power station, are set to receive compensation of $70.8 million under the proposed ETS, while NSW’s state-owned Macquarie Generation is set to receive $208 million in compensation.
Greenpeace campaigner Trish Harrup said community members and unions working in the coal industry don’t want to see a blank checque offered to the industry, but investment and job creation in the renewable energy sector.
Radio Democracy Playlist 01/10/08
On today's show we spoke with peace activist Gareth Smith about the development of hypersonic technology at the University of Queensland. Hypersonics is a super-supersonic model of engine design which I think may be beyond the layperson's comprehension.
The good news: potential Sydney to London flying time of two hours;
The bad: a US$74 million dollar investment from the US Air Force, who Smith says are developing Hypersonics for new bombers named Falcon and Blackswift.
I can't personally substantiate this, but given the military's leading role in the development of technology, it doesn't seem at all unreasonable.
We also discussed the upcoming Land Warfare Conference, taking place in Brisbane and the Asia Pacific Defence and Security Exhibition in Adelaide, which was cancelled for fear of "feral anarchist" protestors.
We heard the responses of the big 3 environmental NGOs to the final Garnaut Report – see the blog post above.
Finally, Associate Professor Dick Bryan from the University of Sydney joined Radio Democracy to discuss the financial meltdown we are currently experiencing. We discussed the bailout, what alternatives there may be, and how we arrived to this point.
Check out the audio here – radio4all.net.
Música
The Drones – Minotaur (from their outstanding new album Havilah out on All Tomorrow's Parties)
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley – We're Gonna Make It
Talking Heads – Burning Down the House
Easy Dub All-stars – Money
GOD – My Pal
The good news: potential Sydney to London flying time of two hours;
The bad: a US$74 million dollar investment from the US Air Force, who Smith says are developing Hypersonics for new bombers named Falcon and Blackswift.
I can't personally substantiate this, but given the military's leading role in the development of technology, it doesn't seem at all unreasonable.
We also discussed the upcoming Land Warfare Conference, taking place in Brisbane and the Asia Pacific Defence and Security Exhibition in Adelaide, which was cancelled for fear of "feral anarchist" protestors.
We heard the responses of the big 3 environmental NGOs to the final Garnaut Report – see the blog post above.
Finally, Associate Professor Dick Bryan from the University of Sydney joined Radio Democracy to discuss the financial meltdown we are currently experiencing. We discussed the bailout, what alternatives there may be, and how we arrived to this point.
Check out the audio here – radio4all.net.
Música
The Drones – Minotaur (from their outstanding new album Havilah out on All Tomorrow's Parties)
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley – We're Gonna Make It
Talking Heads – Burning Down the House
Easy Dub All-stars – Money
GOD – My Pal
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Radio Democracy Playlist 24/09/08
On the show this week we spoke with Coral Wynter and Jim McIlroy, authors of Voices from Venezuela: Behind the Bolivarian Revolution. The book is a compendium of a year's worth of articles filed for Green Left Weekly in 2006, during which time Jim and Coral were correspondents for GLW in the capital Caracas. It also contains a selection of transcripts from some of the 400 interviews conducted during this time, many of which are with grassroots activists within the process of change taking place in that country.
The book is available through Resistance Books.
We also heard another excerpt from Dr Helen Caldicott's If You Love This Planet, with Helen's interview with Dr. James Hansen, an outspoken critic of the coal industry for its role in climate change.
Stay tuned for information about this week's climate emergency actions and more on the Lex Wotton case in coming weeks.
If you have any requests or would like to get in touch for any other reason, call the studio on 3252 1555 during the show, or email negroverdeyrojo@gmail.com.
Stay rad.
Music
Uh ah Chávez no se va - Grupo Madera
A Night in Tunisia - Kafka
Politician - Kora
Diver's Dub - Dry and Heavy
Helter Skelter - The Beatles
King of the Rodeo - The Bamboos
Down Here, So Long - The Mercy Arms
The book is available through Resistance Books.
We also heard another excerpt from Dr Helen Caldicott's If You Love This Planet, with Helen's interview with Dr. James Hansen, an outspoken critic of the coal industry for its role in climate change.
Stay tuned for information about this week's climate emergency actions and more on the Lex Wotton case in coming weeks.
If you have any requests or would like to get in touch for any other reason, call the studio on 3252 1555 during the show, or email negroverdeyrojo@gmail.com.
Stay rad.
Music
Uh ah Chávez no se va - Grupo Madera
A Night in Tunisia - Kafka
Politician - Kora
Diver's Dub - Dry and Heavy
Helter Skelter - The Beatles
King of the Rodeo - The Bamboos
Down Here, So Long - The Mercy Arms
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
My Rant
So much for the triumph of the human spirit. Sixteen full days of second-rate, semi-pro athletes swimming and running, shooting and jumping, riding and all-too-occasionally falling.
Now that the Olympic circus has left town, can we get back on with the business of hating each other in harmony? “One world, one dream,” they say. I say quit pretending and focus on the real game: World Domination.
The sleeping giant has awoken, the Chinese century has begun. We’ll reserve our right to criticise your human rights record and jump on the pro-Tibet bandwagon when the (digitally altered) fireworks are over, thankyouverymuch.
Speaking of media manipulation, did you hear the one about GetUp!, the online activist group who paid top dollar for a series of “Free Tibet” advertisements scheduled for the opening ceremony?
What’s that? You didn’t see them? Lucky we don’t have media censorship in Australia, we’d end up like the poor old Chinese.
I digress.
I have all the respect in the world for the dedication and the athleticism our Olympians exhibit. I admire anyone who pursues anything to such a level of excellence.
But really. Heroes? Inspirational, yes. Venerable, certainly. All the same, I don’t remember seeing Stephanie Rice or any of her cronies pulling children from burning buildings in the last two weeks. No kittens rescued from trees either.
To complain of the elevated status we afford our sportsmen and women at the expense of the arts and research funding is beyond banal. But like all clichés, there is a kernel of truth beneath the schmaltz.
Our film industry is truly that of a banana republic, despite giving rise to some of the best talent at work in the industry, both behind and in front of the lens. Our pioneering work in developing photovoltaic cells is increasingly taken up in California and China but not in the Sunshine (Smart?) State. Talk about fiddling while Rome burns.
As has become custom, we nurture our talent until they’re just ripe for the picking, and then watch the dust fly as they head for exile in Hollywood, or Silicon Valley or Geneva or London. The pastures are greener, the paycheques fatter, the recognition more forthcoming.
But our sporting stars are spared this fate; the nurturing is there. Boy, is it there. After the intensive, expensive training at our institute of sport, we repay them not only with our unfaltering adulation, but with lucrative endorsements and perma-tan television careers. It seems that Tall Poppy Syndrome, that most infamous Australian condition, has finally found its equal.
Yet looking even slightly beneath the veneer of heroism shows that our demi-god sports stars, much like the rest of us, have a few chinks in that brilliant armour.
Warnie. Ben Cousins. Wayne Carey. Nick D’Arcy. Greg Bird!
Granted, we should try and separate the off-field antics from what happens in the game, and remove ourselves from the entrenched “footballer/cricketer as role model” claptrap. But with great privilege comes great responsibility – if you live in the public eye and profit from your notoriety, you had better be prepared to suck it up when the name and shame brigade come a-knocking.
If anything, the above examples of less than sportsmanlike behaviour ought to be more reason for scorn than a resolve that places one in the upper echelons of their chosen field. Time and again though, we see such thuggery shrugged off as boys being boys and the game goes on. Meanwhile, the PhD candidate who is saving an indigenous language from extinction is doing the nightshift at 7/11.
I’ll admit it, for every Greg Bird there’s a Glenn McGrath; for every indiscretion, a charitable foundation. I’d just like to see less mindless glorification of sport and an acknowledgement that just like sport, art, culture and knowledge matter.
Some folks might even consider them heroic.
Now that the Olympic circus has left town, can we get back on with the business of hating each other in harmony? “One world, one dream,” they say. I say quit pretending and focus on the real game: World Domination.
The sleeping giant has awoken, the Chinese century has begun. We’ll reserve our right to criticise your human rights record and jump on the pro-Tibet bandwagon when the (digitally altered) fireworks are over, thankyouverymuch.
Speaking of media manipulation, did you hear the one about GetUp!, the online activist group who paid top dollar for a series of “Free Tibet” advertisements scheduled for the opening ceremony?
What’s that? You didn’t see them? Lucky we don’t have media censorship in Australia, we’d end up like the poor old Chinese.
I digress.
I have all the respect in the world for the dedication and the athleticism our Olympians exhibit. I admire anyone who pursues anything to such a level of excellence.
But really. Heroes? Inspirational, yes. Venerable, certainly. All the same, I don’t remember seeing Stephanie Rice or any of her cronies pulling children from burning buildings in the last two weeks. No kittens rescued from trees either.
To complain of the elevated status we afford our sportsmen and women at the expense of the arts and research funding is beyond banal. But like all clichés, there is a kernel of truth beneath the schmaltz.
Our film industry is truly that of a banana republic, despite giving rise to some of the best talent at work in the industry, both behind and in front of the lens. Our pioneering work in developing photovoltaic cells is increasingly taken up in California and China but not in the Sunshine (Smart?) State. Talk about fiddling while Rome burns.
As has become custom, we nurture our talent until they’re just ripe for the picking, and then watch the dust fly as they head for exile in Hollywood, or Silicon Valley or Geneva or London. The pastures are greener, the paycheques fatter, the recognition more forthcoming.
But our sporting stars are spared this fate; the nurturing is there. Boy, is it there. After the intensive, expensive training at our institute of sport, we repay them not only with our unfaltering adulation, but with lucrative endorsements and perma-tan television careers. It seems that Tall Poppy Syndrome, that most infamous Australian condition, has finally found its equal.
Yet looking even slightly beneath the veneer of heroism shows that our demi-god sports stars, much like the rest of us, have a few chinks in that brilliant armour.
Warnie. Ben Cousins. Wayne Carey. Nick D’Arcy. Greg Bird!
Granted, we should try and separate the off-field antics from what happens in the game, and remove ourselves from the entrenched “footballer/cricketer as role model” claptrap. But with great privilege comes great responsibility – if you live in the public eye and profit from your notoriety, you had better be prepared to suck it up when the name and shame brigade come a-knocking.
If anything, the above examples of less than sportsmanlike behaviour ought to be more reason for scorn than a resolve that places one in the upper echelons of their chosen field. Time and again though, we see such thuggery shrugged off as boys being boys and the game goes on. Meanwhile, the PhD candidate who is saving an indigenous language from extinction is doing the nightshift at 7/11.
I’ll admit it, for every Greg Bird there’s a Glenn McGrath; for every indiscretion, a charitable foundation. I’d just like to see less mindless glorification of sport and an acknowledgement that just like sport, art, culture and knowledge matter.
Some folks might even consider them heroic.
West End Markets Under Threat
Angry stallholders at West End’s Green Flea Market are embroiled in a fight over management rights, with the current operators rallying support for their bid to continue as market operators.
Gabba Ward Councillor Helen Abrahams tabled a petition this month with nearly 4500 signatures before Brisbane City Council, in a bid to secure The Peter Hackworth Group’s tenure over the successful market.
“The petition basically called for the markets to stay in its current place, under its current proprietor,” Cr Abrahams said.
“However, Council must – particularly now that it really is quite an entity –
call for expressions of interest, as with all markets on Crown land.”
“Expressions of interest will be called in the very near future, I’ve been told it will be in the next two to three weeks,” she said.
West End Market Manager Gian Ferrett said she fears the expressions of interest process could see the now-viable markets change hands after six years of building up the brand.
“It does seem rather cruel as we lost a lot of money when we started this market,” she said.
“It’s a community market, it’s not a highly profitable market and we know if any of the commercial operators come in… things will change here.”
The market has grown from a humble eight stalls in 2002 to include a diversity of fresh fruit and vegetables, clothing, art and cooked food.
“So many people come here and we are so popular now that it has become a bit of a problem,” Ms Ferrett said.
Mark Fairbairn, who manages the Chandler Market, said the Council’s regulations were being applied inconsistently and questioned the practicalities of the current West End site.
“None of the regulations I was forced to endure have ever been applied to the Green Flea,” he said.
Mr Fairbairn said the lack of onsite toilets and sufficient parking and the suitability of the dirt-floored areas for food preparation were only a few examples of how Davies Park was inappropriate.
Longtime market operator Peter Hackworth had originally been invited to operate the market at Davies Park by Souths Leagues Club, who held the title over the land at that time.
But recent changes had seen part of the market site fall under the Council’s jurisdiction, making the EOI process necessary.
Ms Ferrett said there was speculation as to who would be putting in an application to run the market.
“Souths are a major contender, because as soon the as the market was successful they wanted it of course – but so does every other market operator in Queensland,” she said.
“We have had this happen at Southbank, which we opened and had for 10 years and then management changed and they put it out to tender.
“It was like leaving your family after 10 years, you become very close to your stallholders,” she said.
Russell Solomon, a wire sculptor and regular stallholder at the markets collected a further 300 signatures from other traders on Saturday, saying there was significant support for The Peter Hackworth Group.
“I’ve seen markets come and go and I’ve seen markets change management and more often than not the new management sees the money, not the soul,” he said.
“Most of the stallholders I’ve spoken to are strongly of the opinion that they’re happy with the service that Gian and the Hackworth Group offers.”
Souths Leagues Club CEO Jim McLelland was unavailable for comment on whether the club was expressing interest in operating the markets.
Gabba Ward Councillor Helen Abrahams tabled a petition this month with nearly 4500 signatures before Brisbane City Council, in a bid to secure The Peter Hackworth Group’s tenure over the successful market.
“The petition basically called for the markets to stay in its current place, under its current proprietor,” Cr Abrahams said.
“However, Council must – particularly now that it really is quite an entity –
call for expressions of interest, as with all markets on Crown land.”
“Expressions of interest will be called in the very near future, I’ve been told it will be in the next two to three weeks,” she said.
West End Market Manager Gian Ferrett said she fears the expressions of interest process could see the now-viable markets change hands after six years of building up the brand.
“It does seem rather cruel as we lost a lot of money when we started this market,” she said.
“It’s a community market, it’s not a highly profitable market and we know if any of the commercial operators come in… things will change here.”
The market has grown from a humble eight stalls in 2002 to include a diversity of fresh fruit and vegetables, clothing, art and cooked food.
“So many people come here and we are so popular now that it has become a bit of a problem,” Ms Ferrett said.
Mark Fairbairn, who manages the Chandler Market, said the Council’s regulations were being applied inconsistently and questioned the practicalities of the current West End site.
“None of the regulations I was forced to endure have ever been applied to the Green Flea,” he said.
Mr Fairbairn said the lack of onsite toilets and sufficient parking and the suitability of the dirt-floored areas for food preparation were only a few examples of how Davies Park was inappropriate.
Longtime market operator Peter Hackworth had originally been invited to operate the market at Davies Park by Souths Leagues Club, who held the title over the land at that time.
But recent changes had seen part of the market site fall under the Council’s jurisdiction, making the EOI process necessary.
Ms Ferrett said there was speculation as to who would be putting in an application to run the market.
“Souths are a major contender, because as soon the as the market was successful they wanted it of course – but so does every other market operator in Queensland,” she said.
“We have had this happen at Southbank, which we opened and had for 10 years and then management changed and they put it out to tender.
“It was like leaving your family after 10 years, you become very close to your stallholders,” she said.
Russell Solomon, a wire sculptor and regular stallholder at the markets collected a further 300 signatures from other traders on Saturday, saying there was significant support for The Peter Hackworth Group.
“I’ve seen markets come and go and I’ve seen markets change management and more often than not the new management sees the money, not the soul,” he said.
“Most of the stallholders I’ve spoken to are strongly of the opinion that they’re happy with the service that Gian and the Hackworth Group offers.”
Souths Leagues Club CEO Jim McLelland was unavailable for comment on whether the club was expressing interest in operating the markets.
Will Bolívar’s dream ever be realised?
When South American independence hero Simón Bolívar united present day Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Panama into “La Gran Colombia” in 1819, he was fully aware that Latin American integration was still a long way off.
Bolívar, who came from the Spanish nobility himself, died poor and with his visionary republic in tatters.
In the 200 years since the formation of the great Colombian Republic, the unification of the continent remains as elusive as ever.
It seems logical that an area with “mutually intelligible” languages and a common religious foundation should be primed for such union. Looking at the success of the European Union, where language, history and culture have been transcended shows that continental integration is a possibility.
What initiatives exist at the moment?
Organisation of American States (OAS)
The OAS describes itself as “the region’s principal multilateral forum for strengthening democracy, promoting human rights, and confronting shared problems such as poverty, terrorism, illegal drugs and corruption.”
Similar in structure to the United Nations, the OAS comprises a Secretariat and a number of specialised councils on matters of security, governance, development, finance and trade and legal matters.
The OAS most recently made significant media headlines during the military impasse between Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, facilitating an emergency meeting of the nation’s leaders after the March incursion of Colombian armed forces into Ecuador in pursuit of guerrilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Critics have often accused the OAS of being a puppet of the US administration of the day; given the US’s foreign policy misadventures in Latin America under the Monroe Doctrine and position as primary financier of the OAS these evaluations do contain some factual basis.
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)
Looking to expand upon the success (at least from an American standpoint) of the North American Free Trade Agreement that encompasses Canada, the United States and Mexico, the FTAA has been met with some resistance from the rest of the Americas.
Bolívar is tirelessly quoted as saying “The United States appear to be destined by providence to plague America with misery in the name of liberty.” This appears to be a comment that still resonates with Latin Americans, given the regularity with which it is quoted and the significant rejection of the FTAA at the last summit meeting at Mar del Plata, Argentina in 2005.
While the FTAA has never officially been “buried,” despite proclamations to that effect at the time, the follow-up meeting scheduled for 2006 never took place. At the forefront of the resistance to the FTAA were the left-leaning “pink tide” governments of Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador – and to a lesser extent Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez with Argentine footballer (and vocal critic of the FTAA)
Diego Maradona at the Mar del Plata protests which put the FTAA plans on hold indefinitely
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/11/04/um/fotos/chavez_tapa.jpg
Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA in Spanish)
The “death” of the FTAA was counterpoised by the strengthening of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’ pet integration project ALBA. With a series of strategic allegiances forming between relatively old allies Venezuela and Cuba and newly-elected leftist governments in Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia, Chávez’ plans for a Bolivarian union of American nations seemed to be gathering momentum.
Three years later, there is evidence that such an alternative is proving attractive. Bolstered by skyrocketing oil prices, Venezuela has become a significant regional power. In early 2008 Dominican President Roosevelt Skerrit indicated his tiny Caribbean Commonwealth nation was to join ALBA, which has put the energy independence initiative Petrocaribe at its centre. As of August moderate Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya also signed up to ALBA.
Chávez’ has however faced a tumultuous year domestically. His push for constitutional reform, including an extension on his presidential term, was rejected in a poll late last year – his first significant electoral defeat. Despite overtures pledging his nation’s commitment to the project, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa is still yet to sign up to the pact.
UNASUR – MercoSUR/CAN
Chávez’ ambitions to develop his own regional trading block also saw Venezuela withdraw in 2006 from what was then known as the Andean Community of Nations (CAN in Spanish) and embark upon a campaign to achieve full member status in the continent’s other major regional bloc MercoSUR – the Southern Cone common market.
At the time, Colombia and Peru were both negotiating bilateral Free Trade Agreements with the US, which Chávez argued as undermining the raison d’être of the Andean Community. Brazil, the economic powerhouse of the Americas, occupies a central role within MercoSUR and appears to hold the cards regarding Venezuela’s admission as a full member.
As of 2008, the two major blocs appear to be integrating, with the formation of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) following the largely symbolic “Cusco Declaration” of 2004. In May a Constitutive Treaty for the Union was signed, advancing the cause of full-scale Latin American integration. Whether it succeeds where its predecessors have failed remains to be seen.
The UNASUR nations, including observers Mexico and Panama and associated Caribbean nations.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Unasur.jpg
Bolívar, who came from the Spanish nobility himself, died poor and with his visionary republic in tatters.
In the 200 years since the formation of the great Colombian Republic, the unification of the continent remains as elusive as ever.
It seems logical that an area with “mutually intelligible” languages and a common religious foundation should be primed for such union. Looking at the success of the European Union, where language, history and culture have been transcended shows that continental integration is a possibility.
What initiatives exist at the moment?
Organisation of American States (OAS)
The OAS describes itself as “the region’s principal multilateral forum for strengthening democracy, promoting human rights, and confronting shared problems such as poverty, terrorism, illegal drugs and corruption.”
Similar in structure to the United Nations, the OAS comprises a Secretariat and a number of specialised councils on matters of security, governance, development, finance and trade and legal matters.
The OAS most recently made significant media headlines during the military impasse between Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, facilitating an emergency meeting of the nation’s leaders after the March incursion of Colombian armed forces into Ecuador in pursuit of guerrilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Critics have often accused the OAS of being a puppet of the US administration of the day; given the US’s foreign policy misadventures in Latin America under the Monroe Doctrine and position as primary financier of the OAS these evaluations do contain some factual basis.
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)
Looking to expand upon the success (at least from an American standpoint) of the North American Free Trade Agreement that encompasses Canada, the United States and Mexico, the FTAA has been met with some resistance from the rest of the Americas.
Bolívar is tirelessly quoted as saying “The United States appear to be destined by providence to plague America with misery in the name of liberty.” This appears to be a comment that still resonates with Latin Americans, given the regularity with which it is quoted and the significant rejection of the FTAA at the last summit meeting at Mar del Plata, Argentina in 2005.
While the FTAA has never officially been “buried,” despite proclamations to that effect at the time, the follow-up meeting scheduled for 2006 never took place. At the forefront of the resistance to the FTAA were the left-leaning “pink tide” governments of Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador – and to a lesser extent Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez with Argentine footballer (and vocal critic of the FTAA)
Diego Maradona at the Mar del Plata protests which put the FTAA plans on hold indefinitely
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/11/04/um/fotos/chavez_tapa.jpg
Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA in Spanish)
The “death” of the FTAA was counterpoised by the strengthening of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’ pet integration project ALBA. With a series of strategic allegiances forming between relatively old allies Venezuela and Cuba and newly-elected leftist governments in Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia, Chávez’ plans for a Bolivarian union of American nations seemed to be gathering momentum.
Three years later, there is evidence that such an alternative is proving attractive. Bolstered by skyrocketing oil prices, Venezuela has become a significant regional power. In early 2008 Dominican President Roosevelt Skerrit indicated his tiny Caribbean Commonwealth nation was to join ALBA, which has put the energy independence initiative Petrocaribe at its centre. As of August moderate Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya also signed up to ALBA.
Chávez’ has however faced a tumultuous year domestically. His push for constitutional reform, including an extension on his presidential term, was rejected in a poll late last year – his first significant electoral defeat. Despite overtures pledging his nation’s commitment to the project, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa is still yet to sign up to the pact.
UNASUR – MercoSUR/CAN
Chávez’ ambitions to develop his own regional trading block also saw Venezuela withdraw in 2006 from what was then known as the Andean Community of Nations (CAN in Spanish) and embark upon a campaign to achieve full member status in the continent’s other major regional bloc MercoSUR – the Southern Cone common market.
At the time, Colombia and Peru were both negotiating bilateral Free Trade Agreements with the US, which Chávez argued as undermining the raison d’être of the Andean Community. Brazil, the economic powerhouse of the Americas, occupies a central role within MercoSUR and appears to hold the cards regarding Venezuela’s admission as a full member.
As of 2008, the two major blocs appear to be integrating, with the formation of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) following the largely symbolic “Cusco Declaration” of 2004. In May a Constitutive Treaty for the Union was signed, advancing the cause of full-scale Latin American integration. Whether it succeeds where its predecessors have failed remains to be seen.
The UNASUR nations, including observers Mexico and Panama and associated Caribbean nations.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Unasur.jpg
publishing the unpublished
So I figure seeing as I spend so much of my time chasing my tail writing articles for uni, I may as well post them here so they might be read be someone other than the (ir)relevant tutor.
Brace yourself (myself? I'm the only one here) for a barrage of searching investigative journalism peeps.
More to come in the coming daze/weaks on Lex Wotton, Sea Shepherds and maybe even a little medicinal marijuana.
and I'll cross-post playlists and info from Radio Democracy on 4ZzZ (102.1 FM) too.
www.4zzzfm.org.au
bless up
Brace yourself (myself? I'm the only one here) for a barrage of searching investigative journalism peeps.
More to come in the coming daze/weaks on Lex Wotton, Sea Shepherds and maybe even a little medicinal marijuana.
and I'll cross-post playlists and info from Radio Democracy on 4ZzZ (102.1 FM) too.
www.4zzzfm.org.au
bless up
| RADIO DEMOCRACY PLAYLIST FOR 17 SEPTEMBER 2008 |  |
We heard excerpts from a public meeting with Lex Wotton, who is facing charges over the "riot" on Palm Island following the death in custody of his kinsmen Mulrunji Doomadgee, Lex and his solicitor Stuart Levitt gave us some insights into this case and broader issues of indigenous sovereignty and black deaths in custody. Stay tuned to Zed for more info on this case in anticipation of Lex's trial and check out the Aboriginal Rights Coalition site at http://aboriginalrightscoalition.wordpress.com/ for updates.
Vicki Bridgstock from Save the Regent gave us an update on the Regent Cinemas redevelopment , widely publicised in the mainstream media and by the state government as having been 'saved' by the latest Joh-esque development plan.The campaign continues. http://www.debritz.com/str/
Music:
(Artist-Track-Album)
Zapata - Arpioni - EZLN: El Fuego y La Palabra: Disc 1 - Fuego
River of Tears - The Drones - Cannot Buy My Soul: The Songs of Kev Carmody
SEQEB Scabs - La Fetts - Behind the Banana Curtain
You've Fucked It Now Entirely - Jane Woody - Big Breaths Little Lungs
We're Only Gonna Die (From Our Own Arrogance) - Bad Religion - All Ages
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