I can feel the atomic blast of your legitimate fury about this further demonstration of the unfitness of Albanese to be anywhere the office of PM , if the future and sovereignty of this nation is of any consequence . A man who refused to hold a RC into the Murdoch Empire . A man who refuses to do anything about the toxicity of TV and online gambling while grovelling to the gambling lobbyists . A man who has consistently
refused to condemn the atrocities of the genocide being being committed in Palestine by his “valued friends “ the Zionists .
Apparently their wilful and constant slaughter of Palestinian children and civilians concerns him not in the slightest .
Morally bankrupt , and too timid to stand up against his corporate lobbyists . A man who , with his “fixer” , Watt , happily permits the extension of coal and gas mines as if the damage to the planet by their emissions is of no consequence .
A man who boasts of growing up in public housing but refuses to build the kind of public housing urgently needed for so many homeless and poverty-stricken Australians . A man who had a free University education, but refuses to provide that
opportunity for young Australians , placing University degrees financially out of their reach . This list of his inadequacy barely scratches the surface of a man who does as little as possible ; whatever it takes to cling to power . Oh , and did I mention the monstrous “deal” with Nauru to send asylum seekers and refugees to this tiny dot in the Pacific for 30 years , a level
of racism , cruelty and inhumanity beyond imagination ?
Well may he pay tribute to the visionary Gough Whitlam . He will never measure up to Gough’s little toenail . What a humiliation to this country he is .
Thank you Joel. It goes to show how the Government wants to control more and more of the narrative and citizen/independent media.
The public has gotten wise to the lies of the MSM and Government, and social media is an important means of communication and organising. Imagine not having social media to raise awareness about Robodebt! After December with the need to verify ID, we’re only a few months away from a massive data breach.
The PM talks about social cohesion and yet denies his own role in inflaming tensions with these blanket bans.
Cogent and compelling as always. My heart & brain are bruised and I can't work out if I'm appalled or devastated. Urk. Let's hope for Kid Tech Savvy to win
As I read your article, I kept hoping you would mention the primary motive behind this legislation. Aside from its effects on the young, whatever they may be, this policy will coerce _everyone_ to submit to digital ID.
The kids know that the garks don't give a rat's arse for their wellbeing, as you point out. They also know how to use VPNs, so they're going to keep on accessing whatever information they like, anyway. I suppose next year's won't-somebody-think-of-the-children legislation will be a move to ban VPNs.
Dear ALP members, We've all had to endure (the last 2 years of) Albo, Wong, and Marles gutlessly prioritizing a known genocide state over Australian Human Rights. Of ALP's Troika prioritizing a known imperialist state's hegemony (AUKUS and Force Posture Agreement) over Australian sovereignty, the rule of law, peaceful Pasifika, and actual Australian defense. Of ALP's Troika prioritizing their perverse fossil fuel donors over Australia's climate security, and our lost lead in the renewable century. Of the ALP's Troika refusing to cool investment in (by phasing out Negative gearing and Capital Gains tax exemption) our overheated housing crisis, just tinkering around the edges with investment funds and other things still driving up property prices. Now the ALP's Troika want to patronize young internet viewers by telling them they 'can't handle the truth', and will have their data given to insecure storage providers, likely lost to another hacker attack. Knowing future governments will likely further abuse this authoritarian internet governance to shut down dissent and thoughts they don't like. While the Troika still refuse most Freedom of Information requests with BS excuses of excessive government need to privacy. While the Troika still imprison whistle-blowers for exposing our government's imperialist and neoliberalist lies. I reckon that Whitlam would not have respected the ALP Troika, but that his ideological opponents might now do so (in private). Dear ALP members, please either fix your party to be less fukt in 2026, or cut your losses by 2027 and join The Greens for the early 2028 campaign. The 'light on the hill' has shone green, not red, for decades now.
May I respectfully disagree. You are conflating two distinct problems:
1) Yes, the ruling class is distraught that social media is breaking their stranglehold on the zeitgeist narrative, eg Gaza.
2) However, the intent of this legislation is to wind the telecommunications clock back to the pre-iPhone era so that Gen Alpha doesn’t end up as brain-fried, anxious and depressed as Gen Z. 80% of kids say they would exit social media if only everyone else would, and I believe this legislation will go a long way to doing that.
Yes the rollout will probably be a shitshow and yes the vested interests will pile on, but I still see it as a good idea.
I can feel the atomic blast of your legitimate fury about this further demonstration of the unfitness of Albanese to be anywhere the office of PM , if the future and sovereignty of this nation is of any consequence . A man who refused to hold a RC into the Murdoch Empire . A man who refuses to do anything about the toxicity of TV and online gambling while grovelling to the gambling lobbyists . A man who has consistently
refused to condemn the atrocities of the genocide being being committed in Palestine by his “valued friends “ the Zionists .
Apparently their wilful and constant slaughter of Palestinian children and civilians concerns him not in the slightest .
Morally bankrupt , and too timid to stand up against his corporate lobbyists . A man who , with his “fixer” , Watt , happily permits the extension of coal and gas mines as if the damage to the planet by their emissions is of no consequence .
A man who boasts of growing up in public housing but refuses to build the kind of public housing urgently needed for so many homeless and poverty-stricken Australians . A man who had a free University education, but refuses to provide that
opportunity for young Australians , placing University degrees financially out of their reach . This list of his inadequacy barely scratches the surface of a man who does as little as possible ; whatever it takes to cling to power . Oh , and did I mention the monstrous “deal” with Nauru to send asylum seekers and refugees to this tiny dot in the Pacific for 30 years , a level
of racism , cruelty and inhumanity beyond imagination ?
Well may he pay tribute to the visionary Gough Whitlam . He will never measure up to Gough’s little toenail . What a humiliation to this country he is .
One of your best among plenty.
Thank you Joel. It goes to show how the Government wants to control more and more of the narrative and citizen/independent media.
The public has gotten wise to the lies of the MSM and Government, and social media is an important means of communication and organising. Imagine not having social media to raise awareness about Robodebt! After December with the need to verify ID, we’re only a few months away from a massive data breach.
The PM talks about social cohesion and yet denies his own role in inflaming tensions with these blanket bans.
Correct 💯. ( How could I have forgotten the evil of Robodebt, and the very carefully designed NACC that made sure NO
wrongdoers in the upper echelons will ever be called to appropriate account . 😡😡)
Cogent and compelling as always. My heart & brain are bruised and I can't work out if I'm appalled or devastated. Urk. Let's hope for Kid Tech Savvy to win
Excellent piece Joel. The hypocrisy of the Albanese government is staggering.
As I read your article, I kept hoping you would mention the primary motive behind this legislation. Aside from its effects on the young, whatever they may be, this policy will coerce _everyone_ to submit to digital ID.
The kids know that the garks don't give a rat's arse for their wellbeing, as you point out. They also know how to use VPNs, so they're going to keep on accessing whatever information they like, anyway. I suppose next year's won't-somebody-think-of-the-children legislation will be a move to ban VPNs.
Dear ALP members, We've all had to endure (the last 2 years of) Albo, Wong, and Marles gutlessly prioritizing a known genocide state over Australian Human Rights. Of ALP's Troika prioritizing a known imperialist state's hegemony (AUKUS and Force Posture Agreement) over Australian sovereignty, the rule of law, peaceful Pasifika, and actual Australian defense. Of ALP's Troika prioritizing their perverse fossil fuel donors over Australia's climate security, and our lost lead in the renewable century. Of the ALP's Troika refusing to cool investment in (by phasing out Negative gearing and Capital Gains tax exemption) our overheated housing crisis, just tinkering around the edges with investment funds and other things still driving up property prices. Now the ALP's Troika want to patronize young internet viewers by telling them they 'can't handle the truth', and will have their data given to insecure storage providers, likely lost to another hacker attack. Knowing future governments will likely further abuse this authoritarian internet governance to shut down dissent and thoughts they don't like. While the Troika still refuse most Freedom of Information requests with BS excuses of excessive government need to privacy. While the Troika still imprison whistle-blowers for exposing our government's imperialist and neoliberalist lies. I reckon that Whitlam would not have respected the ALP Troika, but that his ideological opponents might now do so (in private). Dear ALP members, please either fix your party to be less fukt in 2026, or cut your losses by 2027 and join The Greens for the early 2028 campaign. The 'light on the hill' has shone green, not red, for decades now.
This article is so good it should be compulsory reading for all Australians. Thank you.
Brilliant Joel, agree completely. “Disappointing” political party, to say the least.
May I respectfully disagree. You are conflating two distinct problems:
1) Yes, the ruling class is distraught that social media is breaking their stranglehold on the zeitgeist narrative, eg Gaza.
2) However, the intent of this legislation is to wind the telecommunications clock back to the pre-iPhone era so that Gen Alpha doesn’t end up as brain-fried, anxious and depressed as Gen Z. 80% of kids say they would exit social media if only everyone else would, and I believe this legislation will go a long way to doing that.
Yes the rollout will probably be a shitshow and yes the vested interests will pile on, but I still see it as a good idea.
It's seems almost as though you didn't read the article. I guess the kids are not the only ones who are brain-fried.
Be kind, mate. We’re on the same side.
Gaza isn't a zeitgeist narrative...it is a brutal, bloody fucking genocide.