“Elections matter.” We hear that over and over again (and a few of us actually say it), but most Americans largely ignore it. Even many active in politics discount the upcoming November (on the assumption they’re going to lose) in favor of future elections. We now have clear, unadulterated evidence of just how important elections are in Australia.
The current government there – a Labor “minority” government in Parliament that relies on the Greens and left-wing independents to maintain a one-seat edge in the lower house – has imposed a carbon tax despite promising to voters in 2010 that it never would. Now, in a desperate attempt to stave off relentless criticism for their ineptness and deceit, the Laborites put together a press inquiry that has essentially called for the end of free speech Down Under.
Labor never talked about killing freedom of speech during the campaign – but I’m guessing you knew that already.
Among the other interesting notes:
- The Media Inquiry – which would like to regulate all newspapers, broadcaster, and bloggers who get more than 55 hits a day (Andrew Bolt [1]) – acknowledges that most of the push for its regulatory drive came from Avaaz.org – a leftwing international advocacy group co-founded by Moveon.org and Res Publica, a group of mostly international bureaucrats that includes none other than Tom Perriello as one of its heavy-hitters (I can’t wait to bring up his role in this totalitarian nonsense the next time he ever tries to grace a ballot with his name).
- Amidst the various supposedly horrific problems with a free press . . . the Media Inquiry singled out skeptics of global warming alarmism for particular scorn (Bolt again [2]), and it didn’t take long after the Inquiry released its report that a Labor Minister openly expressed hope he could muzzle Bolt [3] (who is a well-known skeptic, and has had great fun pointing out some of the alarmists’ biggest whoppers [4]).
In other words, the international left wing has dropped its guard, and American lefties are now egging on their Australian brethren to silence opponents in the name of their doubly-reinforced, waxed, and super-shiny bubble, what they term “good government.”
That this is happening at all is bad enough; that Americans have a hand in it – however indirect – is despicable.
Cross-posted to the right-wing liberal [5]