Hello again world, and welcome to the blog...answer me this...am I a "keyboard coward"?...or am I one of those people accessing and utilising 'Social Media' in a responsible and relatively respectful way?...I'll explain, and then I'm more than happy to be judged by you the reader.
But first, two more things I'm wrong about...(oh surely not-Ed)...thank you...in previous posts I made the following observations;
1) There are only two genders, albeit with numerous 'transitional stages'...but Pakistan has proved me wrong by recently officially recognising a third gender, Hirat (?spelling-sorry) that willl be acknowledged on official documents, etc...I have tried to check this story that was on the BBC World Service some weeks ago, but my 'Websearchings' keep coming up with a town in Pakistan called 'Herat'...maybe you can find it...
It is for me quite ironic that the country that spawned the ultra conservative Taliban movement, amongst others, should be so 'enlightened' as to legally acknowledge a third gender...
Furthermore, there are various 'transitional genders' and similar groups widely accepted in other societies and cultures, eg, some Pacific Islander communities, but I believe that Pakistan is the first country to legally acknowledge a Third Gender.
2) I recently referred to some Aboriginal languages as being 'dead', but only yesterday afternoon there was a long interview on ABC Local Radio about this issue, which mentioned not one but four Lutheran Missionaries and used the term 'sleeping' rather than 'dead'...I was unaware of this terminology and had not heard it before...'sleeping'...
I apologise if my error caused any offence, it was certainly not intended...which segues nicely into offence and abuse of a deliberate nature, and...
Keyboard Cowards: In an interview on Channel 7 Today Tonight, Federal Senator Nick Xenophon repeatedly used this term to describe those whom bully, threaten, vilify, abuse, and otherwise harass via social media, particularly using Facebook and Twitter, and invariably anonymously...(do you think he's talking about you?-Ed)...not specifically...but I have sent him a couple of terse emails recently...
(Anything abusive, threatening, etc?...anonymously?-Ed)...no, no...specific, pointed, and terse, but just emails to him and obviously he knows who from because my details are on them...(fair enough...and his response?-Ed)...yeah, well, he hasn't...(what?...not at all?-Ed)...yeah, not at all...(and I'm guessing those emails were about the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up-Ed)...yep...(and not even a response?...at all?-Ed)...nope...(oh-Ed)...indeed, oh...
My name is Nick Fletcher and I am immediately obvious and never anonymous and I put my name to my every scathing accusation, every cynical theorisation, every sanctimonious Socialismism...(Theorisation?Socialismism?...really?...are those actually words?-Ed)...orrr yeah...acts and/or statements of Theory or Socialism.......probably..........no, no, they're not real words...(mmm-Ed)...
Mr Xenophon (actually right now on the radio news on this very issue) was specifically referring to the case of a woman receiving multiple anonymous threats, I believe about 50/hour on Twitter, from apparently untraceable sources, eg, disposable phones, etc...and the apparent unaccountability of Facebook and Twitter which are based in the USofA.
The woman (?name-sorry) was involved in the recent campaign to have women printed on the United Kingdom's note currency, and this has sparked an horrendous and possibly coordinated 'anti-female backlash' of death threats, including specific details of rape, torture, etc.
I fully concur with what it is I believe that Mr Xenophon was saying, in that, whilst 'Censorship' is a very convoluted and problematic debate, accountability is much more straight forward, and that those providing the service being misused for what is a criminal offence, namely uttering threats, must be more accountable than they currently are, and that they must improve 'reportage' and 'actioning' services to address these issues in the same time frame as the offences occur.
I completely reject the argument that this would make Car Manufacturers libel for any crime committed with a car, or other similar situation, eg, a cutlery retailer being charged for a stabbing committed with a knife they sold; a hardware store owner charged over bolt cutters used for burglary; etc...
Direct 'Telecommunications Legislation' ensures that only the targetted are netted, and the broader issue of bullying is addressed...these issues are very difficult even impossible to police/modify without the cooperation of the provider, and even then there will still be those whom seek and find ways around any restrictions.
However, short, sharp, harsh legal accountability is the best and most appropriate 'Censorship' there is...
I have no problem with appropriate Defamation legislation and/or action...it is when it is used as a tool for silencing dissent, that's when I reject it.
Having been on the receiving end of so many 'Defamation Threats', eg, from the Crown Solicitor Office (previous posts), and also inappropriate reportage and anonymous abuse, I feel that I do have a right to pick and choose when I support 'Defamation' and when I don't...that is not hypocrisy.
Seat of Barker: Nationals Candidate Miles Hannemann received a bit of friendly advice via a letter from a Mr Neil Howard (in The Border Watch about reconsidering his (Miles') association with former MP Rory McEwen...(and I can guarantee you it's not the first time that Mr Hannemann has received that advice-Ed)...nice...
It's worth noting Mr Howards point that; "...Mr McEwen was, amongst other things, Minister for Forests in the Rann Labor Government (May 13, 2003 to March 2, 2009) when the Treasurer Kevin Foley announced the government's intention (December 9, 2008) to sell "up to" three rotations of wood products harvested from softwood plantations managed by ForestrySA."
(Go on then-Ed)...ta'...Bastard...and 'amongst other things' includes of course the very specific role that Rory has played in helping the Lutherans cover-up the abuse at St Martins Lutheran School...I apologise, bastard just doesn't begin to cover it...
Coal Seam Gas: I fully support the ABC, TV and Radio, but the interview on ABC Local Radio yesterday about 'Fracing', Coal Seam and/or Shale Gas Exploration (in the South East of South Australia) was another long 'infommercial' on behalf of industry...I'm not just lashing out, I consider this to be an ongoing and critical problem with the dissemination of unbalanced information via the Public Braodcaster.
There's being an excessively antagonistic 'shock-jock', and there's asking scripted questions for prepared responses...and the ABC needs to find the middle ground...the interviewer's attitude and responses can very much dictate the tone of the responses...quiet acceptance infers agreement where animated questioning infers critique...but I digress...
Much more concerning though was the casually dismissive attitude of the interviewee (?name-sorry, I think it was AGL or Origin?) in openly describing 'flushing bore holes with antiseptic', and not damaging aquifers, and completely glossing over the extensive chemical use, etc...
Perhaps I am being too harsh, but I felt that the interviewer allowed most of this to go unchallenged, even when asking the relevant questions...if that makes sense...(sort of-Ed)...
The damage that 'Fracing' does to the environment by using these largely untested chemicals in multiple combinations, in a legal context where companies are mostly unaccountable and landholders powerless, all of these things are well documented, and make opposition to 'Fracing' a commmunity issue and, dare I say it, responsibility.
NO FRACING IN THE SOUTH EAST...ever...
Tomorrow: DeBelle Ends - Sans Whimper, Let Alone A Bang
The DeBelle Inquiry seems to have fallen 'out' of the news cycle, and that's just the way Jay and de' Boyz would have it...(you mean Premier Jay Weatherill and Labour I presume-Ed)...yo, homie...(what?-Ed)...just taking right down to earth with the youths...fully sick...(oh dear god-Ed)...
Also some more of the 'Recommendations' from the DeBelle Report...read just how fractious and/or non-existent current legislation is, as highlighted by the things that apparently need addressing...
I'm still Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...laters...
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