Australian internet filter dead in water 6 Aug 2010 Forners may not be aware of an extremely boring federal election in Australia right now. Indeed, few Australians seem aware of this. This is as it should be. Elections that are Interesting usually turn out to be Dangerous. But there is one good that has come out of this. The Coalition of conservative parties has decided not to support the mandatory internet filter. Given that the party most likely to hold the balance of power in the upper house, the Greens, is opposed to it, the filter is dead no matter who wins the election. Excellent outcome, I hear you say in my head. And yes, it is. But there remains a deeper problem: Australian censorship is among the most draconian and pervasive in the western world, and both major parties have reiterated their devotion to it. This means that any attorney general can refuse a classification to a game, a book, a video that they dislike for no stated reason, and it becomes a crime to own it then and there. And right now, the religious own both major parties. Even though 70% of Australians want no censorship apart from violent and child exploitative material, there is no option. We will be treated like criminal children until proven innocent. This is why I am voting for the Australian Sex Party. Not because I am a major consumer of pornography or terrorist materials, but because, if it harm none, nobody has the right to tell me what I may or may not see as an adult citizen. The ASP is the only party whose priorities are in the right order: freedom, secularism, and humour. Forgive my suggesting to my six Australian readers that they vote this way too. Administrative Australian stuff Censorship Internet filtering Politics Administrative
Administrative Apologies to my commenters 28 Sep 2007 I keep forgetting to check the “unpublished” list. If you put a link in, or use certain terms, the spam filters will hold it for approval. I am forgetful, and haven’t checked for a while, so apologies to those whoe comments were held for over a day. Read More
Politics Is evangelicalism the walking dead? 14 Oct 200918 Sep 2017 An essay in Christian Science Monitor today suggests that within 20 years, the evangelical movement will be dead. I think it is wrong for several reason, but first, what it is right about: It is true that by tying their religious movement to a particular political philosophy, they would be… Read More
Politics Indian terror suspect not really suspicious 20 Jul 2007 In yet further evidence that due process is a bulwark against the arrogance and incompetence, not to say potential police statery, of intelligence agencies, it turns out that the core piece of evidence against Dr Haneef, the Indian doctor being detained by the Australian government against the law, is wrong…. Read More
“This is why I am voting for the Australian Sex Party.” You HAVE one of those? I’m Ammerikan, but can I join anyway?
Every time we vote for a political party all we ever end up with is more and more politics, so I’ve decided to change my approach and vote for the Australian Sex Party.
“Who the deuce are our rulers to enforce their opinions about sin on us?” — C.S. Lewis. I really liked the article from the sex party that you linked to recently, and it may well influence my vote – not in a dramatic way, but in inducing some adjustment of my preferences below the line. In any case, the sex party will be respectably ranked – well above either of the major parties. You might extrapolate on the relative merits of the sex party and the secular party. I would not want either in charge of, say, economics (they both have libertarian leanings that I don’t like), but I approve of both of them as balance restorers, and feel that a vote for either sends the right message. You might also include links re news on filter.
Here’s a link http://www.itwire.com/it-policy-news/regulation/40965-coalition-to-block-internet-filter-hockey
I am currently leaning towards voting this way: https://www.belowtheline.org.au/editor.html#sa-KLzAuvwqrstMNDEOPklopghixyIJabmncdBCefFGHj
Thanks Kel, you answered my question before I’d asked it. Greens then. Isn’t Australia turning into an appalling prudish moralistic sanctimonious religion-ridden desert….Apart from that, it’s perfect!
Good to hear! I have been telling people that the Australian sex party has some of the most sane policies (on issues for which they have policies) out there, and it is nice to see others are thinking the same way.