arbilp3 @ arbilp3 @aussie.zone

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I don't know if you've read the article. Adults can watch "what they want to watch" but the problem is that these videos can attract boys and young adults who are still maturing and the videos can have negative impacts on their self image and their life in general.

Whatever they are, they are having a negative effect on boys and young men. That's the issue.

??? What's wrong with exploitation?

"No one is in harm's way." Really, perhaps not to westerners. But tell that to all those who have been beaten from the flotilla and those were taken to Israeli jail and witnessed what was happening to Palestinian people there.

Israel now in damage control. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-21/israel-ambassador-wont-apologise-for-ben-gvir-actions/106707956

According to Australian Femicide Watch, 29 women and nine children have been killed by violence so far this year...

...it’s clear, from last week’s budget, that the Albanese Government is far from throwing “everything it can” at the issue.

The billions in funding the Women’s Statement noted were derived from repackaging existing funding announcements.

The $717 million in relevant new commitments we counted addresses everything from the ADF military sexual violence inquiry to community housing for young people at risk and the child support scheme reform, spread out over the next four to five years, so around $150 to $ 180 million a year. The $4.4 billion the Australian Government has contributed to addressing the issues is the cumulative amount since 2022, amounting to around $1.1 billion a year across the entire National Plan to End Violence Against Women.

Last week’s Budget also committed an additional $53 billion to defence over the next decade, amounting to $5.3 billion a year in new defence spending. That one year in additional defence spending amounts to more than what’s being outlined for the entire National Plan to End Violence Against Women invested over four years.

And to really demonstrate the capacity to throw “everything” at the issue, consider what Australia loses from fossil fuel subsidies and forgone tax revenue, with this Budget indicating it amounts to $19 billion annually, according to the Climate Council.

Clearly, the funding allocated to end violence against women and children isn’t enough because we’re far from seeing a change in the number of those murdered.

And finally our govt finds a bit of its spine and publicly condemns this abomination, this depraved creep who has ironically done us all a favour by displaying what the Israeli regime is about without the PR. I wonder if our govt would have spoken up if others had not already done so. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/21/penny-wong-condemns-israeli-minister-over-shocking-and-unacceptable-treatment-of-flotilla-activists-ntwnfb

If anyone is interested in a bit more depth and background, this video by British Owen Jones is worthy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxwsZb9d5IQ

That makes sense.

Have you seen this?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2026/may/20/how-can-footy-survive-without-gambling-it-never-has-before-ntwnfb

Although on second thoughts it's going to be interesting to see what the international attendance is like compared to other FA Cups. My hunch is that numbers will be down for geopolitical reasons but I'm not a football fan so what would I know.

I watched it (Part 1) tonight. It is well produced and gives you quite a lot of insights if you're not a gambler. I hope people who are caught in gambling addiction or moving in that direction will get even more out of watching the series.

😆 If only!

😆 If only!

I was responding to the points being made, not trying to disparage you personally.

I do understand your viewpoint and respect it but cannot agree.

You could posit that Shoebridge said more than the 'comfortable' description of the current govt approach to Israel etc but that this could not be spelled out for fear by the author, Paul Gregoire, of getting into legal trouble, or, that Shoebridge himself did not want to make waves that could damage his Party. We'll never know but speaking like this is often a sign of a system that is 'not comfortable' with openness.

there are often unidentified reasons for policy and decisions

Yes I know but to keep quiet with the bare-faced evidence that your citizens are being assaulted by your ally illegally, to keep quiet about the ongoing murder of Palestinians and the mass destruction of Sthn Lebanon with thousands already killed is very suspect, no matter how hush-hush the reasons might be. The UN has condemned this activity and so should everyone. These are mass crimes. And assaulting foreign nationals on international waters is also breaking the law. Silence is condoning the breakdown of the international order.

Government quietly got Julian Assange home.

We are talking of one high-profile figure and I was overjoyed when our govt finally got him out imprisonment. It saved his life. The above situation is the opposite. Whatever the 'unidentified reasons' for the silence and the continued support directly or indirectly of Israeli military action, it has cost at least 100,000 lives and counting. Keeping silent about that but being super public about supporting the illegal bombing of Iran which has caused thousands more deaths and will probably continue on is... what would you say?

Germans and others were castigated after WW2 for turning a blind eye or supporting what was happening to Jews and other minorities in Europe during the war but what many of us are doing now (including our own govt) looks very similar. I am sure they have 'unidentified reasons' but the result is still criminal and many lives are being obliterated, including tens of thousands of innocent children. I cannot excuse putting people's lives behind political expediency.

Those who put together the principles for journalists document are really worthy of respect. Thank you for sharing.

Perhaps try the Victorian electricians association (I don't know what they're called, but there must be some trade association} and explain your problem and see if they can help in any way. It's a long shot but perhaps worth trying.

If all or most European governments had such similar values, surely more would have spoken out like Spain did. Spain has one of very few left-wing governments in Europe (I think Norway might also have a left govt) with a relatively young prime minister and that is probably a major reason why they call out fascistic actions when they see them. Aside from this, although the European Union presents as a bloc, each country has a very old, rich and unique history. By no means do they have similar political traditions.

Anyway, governments are firstly responsible for the welfare of their citizens and they are meant to publicly object to their ill treatment by other jurisdictions, especially if their citizens were assaulted for no legal reasons by allies with whom we are supposed to share similar democratic values. The Israeli govt has no qualms in complaining pretty publicly about how we don't protect Jewish people enough inside our own country and our govt is bending over backwards to accommodate and respond to those complaints, including running an expensive Royal Commission, changing laws and a whole lot of other changes. Our govt also took side with the Israeli govt and more or less said the Australians in the flotilla got what they deserved for getting involved (not as harshly put but meaning the same). This is while Palestinians continue to be killed and seriously mistreated in a supposed ceasefire.

I do think you are being a bit of an apologist for the Labor govt and I also think Shoebridge knows more about what's happening in the govt than you and I do. 'Comfortable' might be an unfortunate term but it conveys being more than tolerant with the current global status quo and i don't think that can be denied. I guess what Spain is showing is that it is possible to speak out with some moral and democratic authority and not keep quiet out of fear of trade or other reprisals.

Realpolitik yes, but the situation is worse than that.

What happened to the Middle Powers getting together and making a stand?

I go back to the Spain example. It has been loud to condemn plus not collude in the mess churned up by Israel/US re Iran. PM Sanchez made a very publicised public statement very soon after Saif Abu Keshek (Palestinian who also has Spanish/Swedish citizenship) and Thiago Ávila (Brasilian), organisers of the Sumud Flotilla, were illegally taken to Israel for 'special treatment'. He said that no Spanish citizen imprisoned illegally would be left at the mercy of Israel. (If you want the original statement I'll look for it). Thereafter, Spanish newspapers were reporting day by day what was happening to the two hostages. There was additional international pressure and after ten days they were released. That is what self-respecting leaders should be doing when citizens of their countries are apprehended illegally in international waters and bashed - to at least say that it is not acceptable.

Our govt was first cab off the rank to approve the illegal bombing of Iran by US/Israel. It is complicit in approving the breach of international law. This is very serious. If the govt hasn't got the courage to say no to these breaches will it be able to say no when, very likely, we are asked once more by the US to join in the war, seeing as the war is heating up again? I hope it does find some courage. Australia has lost far too many young men over the years to other nations' wars.

You might have already this article by now but if you haven't, take a look when you can and see what you think.: https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/modern-labor-is-quite-comfortable-with-the-trump-netanyahu-agenda-says-shoebridge/

Meekness or compliance? Taking the easy (more comfortable) way out?

This has turned into more than just 'doing the bare minimum': The way our laws are being affected and freedom of speech curtailed, the way some voices are encouraged to express grievance while others are suppressed is a cause for alarm when these changes are being instigated by a foreign country.

Countries like Spain have managed to stand up and say they will not collude despite having a US base on their soil and Trump's threats to cut trade with them. As far as I know, Trump has not followed through. If more nations did the same we'd have a different scenario. Trump is no longer popular in his own country but I think the international community might be waiting for the mid-term elections. I believe this to be not only meek but cowardly. Thousands of people are being slaughtered.