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Re: [ProgSoc] Re: TPG sucks dogs' balls



* John Elliot <jj5@xxxxxxx> [2007-08-11 13:22]:
> John Elliot wrote:
> >http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/isplevel-filters-unworkable/2007/08/10/1186530595566.html 
> 
> Andi, you're good with bureaucratic red-tape and whatnot, aren't you?
> 
> Perhaps you know how to go about sticking the wind up Little Johnny for 
> us before the Illuminati takes *complete* control of the internets?

Don't panic.  I know it sounds like a policy announcement, but it's
really an election promise.  Cf some of Honest John's other recent
announcements: 

- $10M takeover of state water policy: unplanned, infeasible, derailed
- Federal takeover of that hospital in Tasmania: unplanned,
  infeasible, won't happen
- Great Wall of Australia for Internet filtration: unplanned,
  infeasible, announced at a Christian rally, won't happen

Things that happen are one or more of: important to big business, have
national security implications, are actually feasible.  Some recent
things that were promised and did actually happen:

- Sending the troops into the NT and rolling back the permit system:
  important to mining companies
- APEC restrictions, loudspeakers on poles through the CBD (and come
  on, this one is seriously spooky): national security

Casting our minds back slightly:
- Senator F'n Coonan's brave new media ownership laws that have
  concentrated more media outlets in the hands of far fewer people:
  important to media barons, which is very important in an election year
- WorkChoices: important to big business

Central internet filtration doesn't stack up as important to anyone
except individual Christians, and they don't count beyond the
election.  Coonan, bless her, actually knows it won't work and has
already laid foundations for a face-saving abandonment of the policy
post-election.

regards,

-- 
Matthew Beauregard 
Casual Academic
Faculty of Information Technology, UTS
http://www-staff.it.uts.edu.au/~mbeaureg

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