By Jo Nova
Nothing like mucking up the holiday plans of the overbearing bureaucrat…
To combat the rise of the Blob’s new insidious censorship laws Donald Trump will deny visas to any foreign officials who are now or ever were involved in censorship of American citizens.
Suddenly EU lawmakers, and Brazilian Judges will find they can’t get a visa to the USA, and the ban may apply to their family members too.
This should slow down the spread of new cancerous “content moderation” laws around the world, and the attacks on the US Tech Giants. It would also apply to the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese if he brings back the Misinformation and Disinformation laws he tried to rush through last November.
Thus, it may be that Donald Trump may yet prevent some of the worst laws ever dreamed up in Australia (hallalujah). Not that anyone in the government will ever admit that.
Announcement of a Visa Restriction Policy Targeting Foreign Nationals Who Censor Americans
Press Statement, Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States. It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants on U.S. citizens or U.S. residents for social media posts on American platforms while physically present on U.S. soil. It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship activity that reaches beyond their authority and into the United States. We will not tolerate encroachments upon American sovereignty, especially when such encroachments undermine the exercise of our fundamental right to free speech.
One of the worst offenders, the EU, brought in the “Digital Services Act,” (DSA) which threatens monster fines of 6% of global turnover if companies did not “moderate content” to the EU’s vague, ambiguous satisfaction. This would have meant all the large platforms would have had to second guess what was acceptable speech, and censor it automatically. These censorship-by-proxy laws meant the EU could technically claim they weren’t censoring anyone directly, but in reality, they were farming out the censorship to platforms like X, Meta, Google, Apple and Amazon. And because of the risk of obscene fines, the lawyers for all these companies would have been sweating on their automated word hunts, and the censorship would have been worse than if the EU did it openly.
The EU wanted to be the Global Regulator of the Internet. Most of the large platforms would not want to run two different mirror platforms in order to comply with the EU rules, so they would adopt the new moderation rules around the world.
US to ban foreign officials over ‘flagrant censorship’ on social media
By Simon Lewis and Daphne Psaledakis, Reuters
WASHINGTON, May 28 (Reuters) – The U.S. will impose visa bans on foreign nationals it deems to be censoring Americans, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, and he suggested the new policy could target officials regulating U.S. tech companies.
U.S. tech companies and the Trump administration have challenged U.S. allies in Europe, alleging censorship of social media platforms. Restricting officials from visiting the U.S. appeared to be an escalation by Washington.
The dispute comes as the EU seeks a trade deal with Washington to avoid President Donald Trump’s threatened 50% tariffs on European imports. Rubio’s announcement came just before he met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Washington.
The Australian government dreams of bringing in its own worse-version of the EU laws
The Combatting Misinformation Laws here, would have been more draconian, more sweeping and apply to even smaller platforms, including fines for solo bloggers. The Australian rules were aimed at stopping people professing things that “undermined trust in institutions” or caused “harm to public health” so (don’t criticize vaccines, don’t be nasty to the ABC, BoM or CSIRO and don’t say bad things about the Government!)
At the time, even the US based CATO Institute warned the Australian rules would hit free speech around the world, including Americans. So obviously Mr Albanese could find himself on the visa ban list if he did. (Lucky for him, he failed, eh?)
The Transnational Streisand Effect
Imagine if the Australian government rewrites the Misinformation laws so that US companies only have to censor Australians. The Labor Party might accidentally set up a transnational feedback loop of defiance, where censorship at home creates more speech abroad. It would surely spring forth a radioactive Streisand Effect as those same censored Australians sent messages to friends and ex-pats in the US who could thus wreck havoc and mischief and speak up for them. It could spawn a whole new industry in the US of proxy content providers, paid to say things about Australia that Australians were not allowed to say. It could be all-American sport pointing out the stupid things that were banned in Australia. Wouldn’t that be fun?
An E.U. bureaucrat on free speech was woken,
Thinking U.S. tech giants too outspoken,
At J.F.K. airport was shocked,
When free entry was blocked,
With no visa, back to Brussels, was broken.
–Ruairi
Mt Rushmore image Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay.
Airplanes image by dakotaviking from Pixabay
Fantastic news.
I wonder where that places Australia’s e Safety Kommissar?
According to Wiki she is a dual US Australian citizen.
She has presumably censored many Americans. And Elon Musk even challenged her censorship in court when she tried to censor X globally, something way beyond her jurisdiction. (But she did censor X locally in the video of the priest who was attacked by a terrorist even though the priest wanted it to be shown.)
We don’t even know what she has censored because no lists are published about what she has deemed Australians or Americans not permitted to read or view due to her issuance of a “take down” order.
I’m not sure why she thinks she has a right to control what Australians read or view.
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What about Labor US Ambassador KRudd?
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I was hoping TRUMP would expel KRudd, which he has a right to do, simply because KRudd is a nasty, rude, narcissistic person with a severe case of TDS. He is also not a fit and proper person to represent Australia.
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Most European countries have similar Trump hating ambassadors. Notably the UK. Old lefty politicians on a junket. Useless.
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Unfortunately, ironically, Australia’s e-safety commissioner would almost certainly have a US passport being a dual citizen. She does not need a visa. We need to solve that particular issue ourselves.
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The word “censor” must be clearly defined. KRudd merely criticised which is exercising free speech, what the EO is said to be defending.
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>KRudd merely criticised
True, but ‘criticised’ in this case is a euphemism.
KRudd has been scathingly contemptuous of Trump, harshly and excessively critical, vitriolic.
KRudd described Trump as “the most destructive president in history,” stating, “He drags America and democracy through the mud. He thrives on fomenting, not healing, division. He abuses Christianity, church and bible to justify violence.” This was in response to Trump challenging the 2020 election results.
KRudd labeled Trump “a traitor to the West” in another 2020 tweet.
During a 2017 appearance on Australia’s ABC Q&A program in 2017, KRudd stated, “I think the general consensus amongst anyone concerned with a public policy process, domestic or international, thinks he’s nuts.”
In 2021, before being appointed Australian Ambassador to the US, KRudd in a video referred to Trump as a “village idiot”.
There have been other contributions to the pattern of KRudd’s disparaging remarks about Trump’s character and leadership.
KRudd reportedly described Trump as a “problem for the world” who should not return to the presidency.
In a CNN interview, Rudd urged Republicans to encourage Trump to “behave like a responsible grown-up”.
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We do NOT want, or need, KRudd back here in Australia, Thank You.
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The ‘e-safety commissioner’ will have a substantial staff who actually run the place. They can all be refused entry to the US. Why not? Aggressive anti American behaviour will be met with a not welcome sign at points of entry.
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Julie Inman Grant is Australia’s eSafety Commissioner. She has had a long track record with Microsoft and Twitter.
” Under her leadership, eSafety has joined forces with the White House Gender Policy Council .. for Action on Gender-Based Harassment and Abuse.”
The White House Gender Policy Council was a Biden creation.
And “20 Jan 2025 — These Executive Orders are hereby rescinded, and the White House Gender Policy Council established by Executive Order 14020 is dissolved.’
Our e-commissioner seems to be very aligned with the Biden white house. Like everyone else in the Australian Government.
And operates under ACMA. “The eSafety Commissioner is appointed by the Australian government and is an independent statutory office holder, supported by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015 (EOS Act) established this position.”
A visa ban should target the heads of ACMA.
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Most European countries have similar Trump hating ambassadors. Notably the UK. Old lefty politicians on a junket. Useless.
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Meant to be the comment about Rudd.
You could not score an invite in Washington if you liked Trump. He is just ignoring them and talking directly. Or through his own men.
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Personally I would like to see her and her ilk in the [unemployment line]
In England the thought police are running amok.
People arrested for praying outside an abortion clinic.
Tweets about r@pe grooming gangs, illegal immigrants, 2 tier policing, “transwomen” in womens sports etc. can also warrant a visit by the police.
We don’t detest politicians enough.
[Edited, so there is no misunderstanding – Jo]
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Maybe dropped down her own memory hole?
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Just imagine it. Albo Sleazy is denied a visa to visit the USA to meet up with the Donald. LOL. Well, there is always the Krudd to do something.
Oh, wait…………..
Maybe use teleconferencing and save the Planet by not using hydrocarbons on that first class flight. Saves Taxpayer money as well.
Nice.
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All round win for commonsense.
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Elon Musk should be respected for the huge role he has had in promoting global free speech.
He risked a substantial part of his fortune to purchase X to turn it into a free speech platform. And we wouldn’t have even known about Deep State censorship efforts on Twitter had he not investigated and exposed them.
Also thanks to him, he has enabled 167 million+ people to have watched the documentary that caused the UK Government to imprison Tommy Robinson and torture him in solitary confinement for the last 15 months.
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Unfortunately the only country that has an absolute inviolable right to free speech is the USA, despite it being violated at various times, especially by the Left.
It comes down to the Founding Fathers of the US having as their moral philosophers people like John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Baron de Montesquieu who believed in natural rights such as freedom including freedom of speech which were eventually enshrined in the Constitution.
The former British colonies Australia, Canada and NZ and Once Great Britain itself reject notions of “natural rights” because they were influenced by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham who did not believe in natural rights as derived from God or nature (depending upon your belief). He thought rights only came from man, i.e. government and could be given or taken away as per the whim of the government of the day. Usually taken away more than given.
Video about “Jeremy Bentham’s Attack on Natural Rights” at: https://youtu.be/Ecp-PR_K1JI (16 mins)
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David,
To that list of of notable philosophers we might add the great friend of Thomas Jefferson, a certain Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko.
Unfortunately, Australia’s only connection with him is that we have a mountain named after him.
If Australians were to celebrate his achievements, we might take the concepts of freedom and the right to free speech rather more seriously.
Paul Miskelly
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Thanks for that addition Paul.
Jefferson said Kościuszko was “as pure a son of liberty as I have ever known.”
The Australian mountain was named in honour of him by the Polish explorer Paweł Strzelecki in 1840. Unfortunately not because anyone in Australia actually believed in freedom of the kind brought by the American Revolutionary War of which Kościuszko was a participant.
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It took time for the concept of fighting for your freedom to be created in Australia. It happened somewhat in 1854 with the Eureka Stockade uprising on the Ballarat Goldfields. The leader of that ” rebellion” was Peter Lalor, who coming from an Irish background knew of the hard fist of British power. But there were other leaders, conspirators, influencers as well. Raffaello Carboni was one of them. Carboni had participated in the Young Italy group in the 1800’s, which was formed to create a one Italian country, rather than the collection of states it had been for centuries. Henry Ross ( Canadian) was another and it was believed he designed the Eureka flag based on the Southern Cross. They had all been a part of the Ballarat Reform League. Lalor himself went onto the Victorian parliament and the Eureka Stockade event probably had a big influence on votes for all men ( and eventually women) in the newly formed state.
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It behooves us to make sure that Mount Kościuszko keeps its name, otherwise the wokesters will name it for some unremarkable Aborigine.
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It seems, sadly, that “Once a Penal Colony; ALWAYS a Penal Colony” is more than a “throwaway line”.
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Some of the best colonists were effectively political prisoners. Rebels against the system and English autocrats from the start. Great breeding stock.
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Many of the rebels that we got were the grasses – the ones that turned in their co-conspirators (who got the gallows) and became State witnesses so they could just get transportation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cato_Street_Conspiracy
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Many? I doubt it. Over 200 crimes were punishable by death then. “The Bloody Code” would execute people for stealing sheep, cutting down trees, “stealing from a rabbit warren”. Since execution was so common, confessions can hardly be considered to be volunteered, can they? Political prisoners included e.g., Irish rebels, trade unionists (e.g., the Tolpuddle Martyrs), Scottish Jacobites.
In any case I was thinking of people like D’Arcy Wentworth — trained as a doctor, winning poker hands against the elite, but they wouldn’t pay, so when he recovered debts owed, they called it highway robbery. Eventually, they found him not guilty, but only if he went to Australia to be the first surgeon there. He worked without pay for six years on Norfolk Island before he got “permission” to leave. So he wasn’t a prisoner, but he wasn’t a free man. Later Captain William Bligh “had D’Arcy Wentworth court-martialed for disrespect, the result of conflicting instructions given by the Governor. As a consequence of Bligh’s belligerence, Wentworth supported Major George Johnston and John Macarthur in the Rum Rebellion on 26 January 1808, that overthrew the Governor and placed him under house arrest.” see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Arcy_Wentworth. So D’Arcy was a rebel. A smart man who opposed the establishment when it was justified. He went on to be a great leader in Sydney. In the 1800s the Wentworths became the richest family in Australia at one point, his son discovered the route through the Blue Mountains.
From the same wiki article on D’Arcy “… on Easter Monday 1810, Macquarie reported on what he saw was the Colony’s most pressing problem:
“I was very much surprised and Concerned, on my Arrival here, at the extraordinary and illiberal Policy I found had been adopted by all the Persons who had preceded me in Office, respecting those Men who had been originally sent out to this Country as Convicts, but who, by long Habits of Industry and total Reformation of Manners, had not only become respectable, but by Many Degrees the most Useful Members of the Community. Those persons have never been Countenanced or received into Society.”
Macquarie and Wentworth worked to get the prisoners accepted into society.
“The Monitor described D’Arcy Wentworth as “a lover of liberty on whom the people could rely, the natural protector of the people’s rights. He was a lover of freedom; a constant and steady friend to the people; a kind and liberal master; a just and humane magistrate; a steady friend”.[58] “
My point is that many people who were problems for the Establishment were sent to Australia, but they were good people. There was very much a rebellious instinct.
grasses = Typo?
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>grasses = Typo?
grass
noun
…
An informer, police informer; one who betrays a group (of criminals, etc) to the authorities (countable, British, slang)
“Don’t be a grass”
Synonym: informant
…
verb
…
To act as a grass or informer, to betray; to report on (criminals etc) to the authorities (slang, transitive or intransitive)
Synonym: rat out
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Funnily enough I’m reading “”Battle for the Bird”, Jack Dorcey, Elon Musk and the battle for Twitter” ATM. Written by a lefty who believes every left wing trope the Demoncrats and LW media threw at DJT. Twitter had overwhelming left leaning staff who wanted Trump banned vs hardhead executives who recognised his pulling power for ad revenue. Twitter didn’t make a profit for 10 years and it’s not clear to me how he was a billionaire other than shares owned x share price. It’s amazing what goes on behind the scenes at such companies and what their thousands of staff do. The banning of speech was high level and in policy but, as always, the interpretation of words, by the left, won the day – Trump banned from Twitter though the executive weren’t particularly for it. That’s as far as I’ve got and it’s not a great read and I realise I’m a dinosaur in tech.
On the other hand, now American Julia Inman Grant is an Aussie, can she not go home?
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Most of the real leftwards left X and went across to the alternate “blue” site. Gee, that site must be a real hoot, the biggest echo chamber of social media.
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And now, with Albo having more seats and likely a more pleasing senate, what laws will he pass for our own good?
Surely misinformation and disinformation is not only the tip of the iceberg but it’s not even the bit that faced the Titanic.
We already know that he’ll tax your virtual income but somehow he is exempt. Maybe he’ll bring in a digital currency and you’ll have no options but to comply.
In the future, you’ll own nothing and they’ll be happy.
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Their language says everything about them:
Misinformation And Disinformation = MAD
which also signifies
Mutually Assured Destruction = MAD.
At least the creators of the old comic, MAD Magazine, had a healthy & irreverent sense of humour as well as talent: these 21st century bureaucrats not so much.
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In Australia, almost without exception, every single action of Uniparty government is about removing freedom in one form or another, such as ever more censorship and control, more taxes, more regulations – endlessly, restrictions on the cars we drive (fuel efficiency standard), restrictions of access to national parks such as making access race-based, banning things, etc.
Freedom is not even an agenda item for politicians. And most young wokesters don’t even value, care for it or desire it.
Many of our politicians, including two of our most important, Albanese and Wong see the totalitarian CCP as the model of government to aspire to.
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“Freedom is not even an agenda item for politicians. And most young wokesters don’t even value, care for it or desire it.”
Absolutely DM!! ..and the problem came from not enough of our generation caring about it. A barbie and footy on the TV is enough for 90% of people, they just don’t want to think about politics.
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I pity the poor fools at our ABC!
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In other words: “Do as I say, not as I do”.
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What are you talking about?
TRUMP has been removing the free speech restrictions imposed by the DemonRATs and has warned social media that if they don’t stop censoring conservatives they will lose their Section 230 protections.
I know you Leftoids love censorship of anyone that doesn’t agree with you but that’s absolutely not cool.
Have you noticed that Jo let’s you come here to play but the Thinking Community are excluded from “your” Leftie platforms?
https://www.reuters.com/article/world/trump-vows-to-fight-censorship-of-conservatives-by-social-media-firms-idUSKCN1LG08O/
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Civil servants, university lecturers, foreign students, and most news outlets in the US have lost their right to free speech without fear of repercussion. Many people think that fascism comes wearing fancy dress but the silly uniforms appear only once free speech and civil liberties have been removed followed by the oppression of minorities.
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Just like the oppressive black uniforms the police donned in lefty states around Covid time.
Still wearing them too.
Not in my state, W.A. But the police commissioner was promoted to Governor.
Does all that wear well with you Simon?
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I loved the band Black Flag, but find a black flag on a cop deeply unsettling.
Modern Political Movements: Today, black flags are prevalent in political protests, symbolizing rebellion, unrest, and solidarity against authority, particularly adopted by groups like Black Lives Matter.
Cultural Significance: Across various cultures, black flags embody themes of resistance and solidarity, reflecting different regional interpretations, such as anarchism in Europe and calls for jihad in the Middle East.
Psychological Impact: The symbolism of black flags evokes strong emotional responses, with some seeing them as empowering while others associate them with fear and anxiety, significantly influencing public perceptions and political narratives.
https://brainwisemind.com/what-do-black-flags-symbolize/
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Cue tiny violins. Civil servants, university lecturers, foreign students, and most news outlets in the US have not had free speech for decades. Those who questioned the climate religion were sacked. Those who questioned vaccines were exiled. Those who said anything against DEI were ousted. Even the President of the USA was cancelled, subject to ludicrous legal warfare and his lawyers and friends subject to cancellation too. What the universities sowed, so shall they reap.
The voters have spoken and they wanted to clean out these decrepit institutions because they were not serving the people. Universities are racist pits of discrimination based on skin color. Their main purpose is to lobby for Big Government to fill their own wallets.
When the climate witchdoctors said “give us your money” the professors who knew this was wrong said nothing. When the government came to inject the babies and pregnant women with experimental new drugs, the universities cheered it on.
The workers won’t fill the streets protesting for the public servants and universities that hate them, sponge off them, and scorn them.
It’s too late now, but if the Universities had once, just once stood up for The People, they might not be facing this democratic wrath.
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The dumbest thing the previous Twitter managers did was ban Trump from that platform. Wouldn’t you agree Simon? It was probably the biggest own goal.
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Be a batter bot.
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Trump – he isnt for everyone – he does tend to drive some people up the wall – he doesnt do everything well – but he is the gift that keeps on giving – a Trollmaster General!
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Posting error, this belongs with Simon’s snide comment.
The highest policy for leftards.
“Socialists” with extensive property portfolios. “Men” (in the broadest sense of the word) of the people who glory in their membership of the QANTAS Chairman’s Lounge, and the chauffeur driven limos that keep then separated from those they rule, not govern.
Is that what you mean by “Do as I say, not as I do”?
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As Old Joh said about the striking Southeast Queensland Electricity Board workers,SEQEB, back in the early 80’s “they give you a problem you give them a bigger problem”.
Go back to work or you get the sack said old Joh, you can’t sack us said they, oh just watch me said old Joh and verily it came to pass they got the sack, and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst the former SEQEB workers.
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And old Joe had an extremely large pair Today politicians are akin to Goebels who as the song goes had none at all!
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He was a lot more open about what he did too. Strangely, with benefit of hindsight, he was approachable.
Every morning, 4ZZZ community radio would call him at his apartment or in Kingaroy, and he would take their call and ‘put those young whipper snappers straight’ (not a quote, but how I imagine him saying it) live on air.
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An E.U. bureaucrat on free speech was woken,
Thinking U.S. tech giants too outspoken,
At J.F.K. airport was shocked,
When free entry was blocked,
With no visa, back to Brussels, was broken.
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Trump works for the people. Our pollies laugh in our faces.
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Trump accomplishments in 4 months (May 2025)
Borders closed
Crime Down
Prices down
Gas prices down
Record Investment
Commitment to Global Peace
Men out of Womens sports
Universities told to balance ridiculous far left bias
Millions saved from fake NGO’s being shut
Tax reductions on Tips, Overtime, Pensions
Balancing Trade with China, India, UK and soon EU
Golden Dome
Exit of Paris Climate Scam
Record oil drilling
55% popularity (Rasmussen)
Reduction in government fraud
Investment in Nuclear
Record Defence spending
DEI out of military
Promotion of AI strategy in US
Actually doing what he said he would do … rare
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For some time the website Anglican Unscripted, mainly about bad leadership in the Church of England, has been hosted by two American episcopalians (in the USA) who are obviously fed by informants in England unhappy with that leadership. By this means the excessively stringent English laws of libel and even (on some subjects) falsely so-called hate speech are circumvented. The content might be of limited interest to Jo Nova’s readers but the principle is similar. And one can always get a VPN in order to overcome website blocking at national level.
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– stopping people professing things that “undermined trust in institutions” –
Trust in institutions is primarily undermined by the actions of institutions.
The actions of institutions (can hardly think of an exception) during ‘Pandemic’, collapsed the hallowed halls.
Nothing left to undermine.
Western managerial intelligentsia.
Utterly devoid of self-awareness … and after all that yoga and therapy.
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>Utterly devoid of self-awareness
Utterly devoid of anything except their overweening estimation of their own supreme importance.
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Australians … your situation vis a vis Trumpmerica explained.
‘Rise of the beta: why men today are so feminine’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5abU03jPWU
Hint: you live on a survivor island.
“Real men” … a term used by women that defines men focused on the basis of men’s relationship with women.
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You don’t know what you have got until it’s gone, and woke gullible Australia is losing their way of life, becoming extremely expensive, their freedoms, over governed,ove policed as fast as you can say Kokaburra….bwahaha
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