Smutty E-Mail Legal In Australia 128
spam-it-to-me-baby writes: "Welcome to Australia. Over the course of a few months, Aussies now can't gamble online locally, you soon may not be able to serve p0rn from a website, we have what could be the world's greatest luddite for an IT minister, but now we find there's nothing wrong legally with spreading a bit of bestiality via e-mail. Is something upside down Down Under?"
Wait - is it possible that this is a real story? (Score:1)
Australia and America (Score:1)
There are a plethora of dodgey/contradictorary laws here (www.dumblaws.com [dumblaws.com]) and this is a fine example of government hipocrasy. The article mentioned online gambling.. but forgot to mention the minister who enacted this owns a pub full of pokies.
At least you septics have a constitution! I think its still against the law to defame the queen, that bitch ;)
-Auslander
Re:Good for Australia! (Score:1)
Mod parent Up! (Score:1)
This is what makes
Outlawing is not a good idea (Score:1)
About gambling, mmh... I don't think that banning it is a good idea. Instead of legal casinos, you will end with illegal casinos in the hands of the Mafia, like many other things. Making something illegal will just let it be only in the hands of the illegal, and just by being illegal makes something more attractive to some folks. I know a lot of idiots that smoke pot just because it is illegal, and by doing so they are becoming the greatest rebels on town (at least in their stupid logic -_-)
I find laughable the sexual harassment laws of the USA. I remember a documentary by John Stossel in ABC's 20/20 about it, and how you must sign special contracts in the case you wanted to date a coworker, and how the harassment comes from the impression in the demandant, not by the intention of the demanded. With this kind of barriers to start a meaningful relationship (remember that a lot of couples meet in the workplace). I doubt that should come as a surprise the high popularity of pornography; maybe Americans need a study about the (just a theory, ok?) correlation between pornography's consume and strong sexual harassment laws.
And you shouldn't forget that jails work thanks to taxpayers, do you want to pay a pervert's roof and food?
Re:Taxation's not simply bad (Score:1)
How this ever got from bestiality to insurance no one will ever know... but I doubt very much anyone buying insurance is betting on getting sick and requireing expensive care. I mean, such things are very easily arranged, and a bet of this nature would be trivial to win. If you ever bought insurance you'd know that you're betting on _not_ getting sick, and buy the thing _in case_ you do, not _hoping_ to; it's not like it's all fun and games laying in a hospital bed with all your bones broken and tunes sticking out every which way, insurance funded or not.
Re:Give me a break. Mod this up! (Score:1)
Re:How about hate email? (Score:2)
You'll turn the world upside down if you call US down under!
Re:Sit on your laurals and wait. (Score:1)
Re:where can I live? please? (Score:1)
I tried living in other places (various parts of USA and Europe)... no where is any better ;).
the entire world is fucked
Re:Umm...okay (Score:1)
I don't know about you, but some amusing images about what happens inside government facilities are running through my head...
Re:Suggestion Made from Slashdot Reader (Score:1)
Or perhaps they coherently present a story, with good use of hyperlinks to referenced material, and anyone semi-intelligent reading the words instead of just trying to click randomly on links can easily see that the link to bestiality is indeed the main one of the story.
And it's rare that I'll get to say that on
~Cederic
Re:How about hate email? (Score:2)
Get a clue. Timothy (or, more accurately, spam-it-to-me-baby) is merely pointing out some factual information about Australian laws relating to the Internet.
It's not their fault that your country (which you love so much) has such a screwed set of laws. Face it, your government is rapidly becoming the laughing stock of the internet, and on-line ridicule like this can only help you in reversing such silly laws.
~Cederic
Smutty E-Mail Legal In Australia? (Score:1)
Any company/government agency that has an adequate Terms of Use statement regarding the use of their email system is covered.
Any company/government agency that does not is in trouble, as they cannot take actions to prevent its misuse and potentially open themselves up to hefty sexual harrassment lawsuits.
Further, as usual the predominantly US based slashdot crowd are quick to hold Australia and Australians up as the culprit for all things evil in IT related matters.
Take a look in your own backyard... DCMA, RIAA, MPAA, software patents are all US creations.
Its the governments that are fucked, not the people, on both sides of the pond.
Re:How about hate email? (Score:1)
--
Delphis
Re:where can I live? please? (Score:1)
Nothing.
The net is as free (as in speech) as it was 5 years ago. None of these laws have made any difference. Those that actually get off the drawing board go through so many committees and are so ludicrous they are easily circumvented.
Look at the Australian Internet censorship laws - in the first six months since they came into effect, how much porn has the government erradicated? All of it? Half? 1%? No, just 93 web pages [dcita.gov.au]! That's like shooting a hundred cows in England and declaring Foot and Mouth disease cured.
the sad thing... (Score:2)
It's sad that a country could build up a track record that strong.
Moderate this article out please! (Score:1)
Re:Australia is not really a federation ... (Score:2)
You are incorrect. According to the Constitution of Australia, if a State has a law that is in conflict with a Federal law, the Federal law overrides the State law. If you're Australian, remember the recent mandatory sentencing debate? There are also some areas where states are constitutionally prohibited from passing laws. States cannot have their own armed forces, for example.
--
Australia is not really a federation ... (Score:4)
What this means is that usually the government is too busy trying to sort out the mess in its own backyard to really bother the people that much (except for the recent introduction of GST which they've botched badly) so you can get away with some odd things. I believe someone mentioned that one of the world's biggest purchasers of SGI gear running a porn site is in Queensland which coincidenctally has one of the country's most conservative voters. Given the legal and economic stability and access to technology (some nice software hot spots around) it is not actually not a bad place to do IT work provided you focus on the export market and ignore the silly buggers down in the capital city.
LL
Re:Australia is not really a federation ... (Score:1)
Re:where can I live? please? (Score:1)
April Fools!! (Score:1)
hehe
Ms Jacinta Marie Allan is the only Jacinta.
Bad taste but legal (Score:2)
With all the latest hoopla about AU, it seems that the transition from Penal Colony to Modern Utopia is almost complete
Smear campaign by New Zealand...... (Score:5)
Re:And they say the US is weird? (Score:4)
All they have to do is show up for their shift (not discernably drunk or stoned), stay awake (mostly) for eight hours, and they're guaranteed to keep their jobs, pretty much.
In the US, somewhere around 40% of employees work for Local, State, or Federal governments. Scary, isn't it? Most of them vote, too, which is one reason it's so hard to pass meaningful tax reductions. In the UK, EU, etc., the percentage is probably even higher. Of course the idiot kept his job. H*ll, he'll probably get a raise this year! You have to be around "civil servants" for a while to figure out that they aren't motivated by the same incentives that lead most enterprise employees to be useful, productive, effective, and efficient. Public workers usually evince none of these characteristics. (But exceptions do exist.) For the most part though, "civil service" rules need changing.
That German Shepard (Score:1)
*sob, sniffle*
So, where is the problem? (Score:2)
Re:How about hate email? (Score:2)
Maybe replace with "The Warner Brother's Film Studio"....
Re:And they say the US is weird? (Score:1)
Re:And they say the US is weird? (Score:2)
This is obviously bogus. Think about your friends - do anywhere near 40% of them work for the gov't? Do even 10%? No. This wasn't even true during the world wars - there had to be many people producing war materials for each person on the front (and war materials were produced largely by private companies). Think before you post.
this can be solved... (Score:3)
So does that mean that all the Austrilan porn sites will now have to switch their servers from http to POP3?
How about hate email? (Score:2)
Re:How about hate email? (Score:2)
Re:How about hate email? (Score:2)
Re:How about hate email? (Score:2)
Re:How about hate email? (Score:2)
working for da man (Score:2)
Well if you count the military and govt. contract work, yes. Just because you might not think you know anyone who fits that description doesn't mean it isn't accurate. I live in the middle of one of the largest military areas in the nation and I'd say a lot more than 40% of the folks I know are paid by the govt. one way or another.
"Smear'd with gumms of glutenous heat, I touch..." - Comus, John Milton
Re:Australian Gambling (Score:1)
Yep, this country needs a Sir Donald for the 00's. Sport seems the only thing the Aussies have going for them ATM.
Re:And they say the US is weird? (Score:1)
Re:where can I live? please? (Score:1)
For our Australian friends... (Score:1)
Re:Umm...okay (Score:3)
And exactly what government facilities were the woman and her german shepherd using?
duck!
(Yes, I read the story; just poking fun.)
Ludicrous (Score:3)
April Fools? (Score:3)
More important matters at hand (Score:2)
(What? Those are the citizens?)
--
Re:Smear campaign by New Zealand...... (Score:1)
Informative? Didn't anyone get the joke?
Re:Beastiality and Aussies? Reminds me of a song.. (Score:1)
--
The People's Austrialian Government (Score:1)
Blame the original opponents, especially if what has happened is exactly what was predicted by said opponents
Ignore it (or many aspects of it) due to both ego and willful ignorance of reality
Pile even more fluff on top of the existing law/regulation in attempt to 'put out fires with fuel'
Act suprised that this happened, and forms a multimillion dollar 'Task Force' to look into the matter, usually ending with results that resemble the other results listed above
I for one, think I am able to protect myself and my family from what I consider not appropriate. If my government wants to assist me, then they should provide access to education (the enemy of ignorance and bigotry) and access (not to be confused with forcing companies to provide said service) to methods/products to perform said protection... but then again, that is what the founding fathers of the United States would want. And through misquoting and misrepresentation and hidden agendas of hate and personal vendetas, this country is NOT very free anymore. It would be solved however, if everyone would stop with the feuding behavior and look at the common denominators of problems, not the superficial instances of it, and then hypocritically attacking only those things that it is trendy to attack.
Re:No, No, No - The socialists lost (Score:1)
Seems like when socialism is brought up, people get very nasty. The point is, regardless of what you call it, it is socialism. Just because you switch some special interest group with a corporation doesn't really matter as far as results go. When government has the power to dictate to teh people how to live, what to like, what to dislike, how to think, who they should hire, etc... that is socialism and history has shown it does more harm than good.
The AC that said that it is conservatism and the line about GWB is not actually correct. First (and this is another example of fact overrulling theory), it should be noted that in the US, the majority of censoring/filtering and things like the ratings system for various forms of entertainment have been children of Democrats and their spouses. Just look at what the Clinton administration handed down, then look at what he signed, then look at bills author's or at the committe sponsors. What you find is a paper trail of dem's restricting your rights. If you just point at Republican's and especially if you take blame from the real culprits and put it on the Republicans to make it easier for you, you are dooming yourself.
I for one don't trust either of them and NEVER have. But I do observe reality and notice the dem's stripping away all my rights at a much higer rate than the republicans have. Hopefully GWB won't follow the dem's lead in that, but who knows.
Again, like you said... labels seem to be very misleading... just like political parties. I see Democrats who sell out land to be destroyed by developers, then not only looking the other way, but helping them (and themselves) to the profits it generates. Democrats that claim to be 'for the people' but only those people that will give them power. Democrats that spread lies and deceit instead of educating the public with facts. Then I see the army of supporters that not only defend them, but actually place blame on the Republican's. Just call it like it is, don't let the media or little angry men tell you how and what to think.
To the AC, I believe you need to get your facts straight on what the Republicans and Democrats have really been doing. If you choose to label it as conservatism, yet ignore the socialism inherent in it, that is your right. Whatever you choose to call it, it is control. If you excuse one sort of control because it doesn't 'effect' you yet, or because it only effects those whom you do not LIKE or AGREE with,then you are no different then the evil that you rage against. Put down the picket sign, and grap your phone or computer. Call the idiots that put this into place (in this case if you are an Australian) and make a difference. Don't rally to replace one evil with an even more intrusive and historically proven inneffective one.
Re:It's not the Americans - it's GWB (Score:1)
The Kyoto protocol is flawed and is designed to punish succesful countries
Excuse me if I'm wrong, but if a group of countries with less than 30% of the world's population use 90% of the world's resources (which are depleting at a rapid rate), then don't they deserve to be "punished" (where being punished is actually just being told to decrease their resource use)?
According to conservative estimates, we have thirty years to halve the world's resource use, otherwise we will descend into an ecological nightmare.
Basing you pollution credits on population is fundamentally flawed
This is incorrect, basing pollution credits on GNP is the only way to do it. The "North" (First World countries) was the one pushing for these measures, and in order to convince the reluctant "South" (developing nations) that the measures are reasonable, they will have to live with far smaller per-capita resource consumption. Could you imagine convincing a country like India that despite its' massive population, it has to live with a pollution quota smaller than that of the US because it has a low GNP? This would make industrial development impossible (because of the low pollution quota), and would result in India slipping even further behind the nations of the "North".
As an example of the vast difference between resource consumption in the "North" and "South", the resource consumption of an average German is ten times that of an average Argentinean. Basing the pollution quotas on population will cause the wasteful nations of the "North" to invest in resource-efficient solutions, and it may be possible to avoid an environmental disaster.
If you think that resource-efficiency on this scale isn't possible, I suggest you read "Factor Four", a report by the Club of Rome, it clearly demonstrates that fourfold increases in resource productivity are both possible and profitable.
Also, just to clear up a final point, you talk about socialist third world countries. This is a common mistake: First World countries are allied with the North-America/Europe/Japan bloc, Second World countries are those allied with the ever-shrinking Communist bloc, and Third world countries are those that are neutral. Thus, you should have said socialist second world countries.
Sorry this is getting off-topic, but I wanted to point out the flaws in the above post.
Re:How about hate email? (Score:1)
Face it, your government is rapidly becoming the laughing stock of the internet
Australia is only becoming a laughing stock because people make a big deal about these stories which would go unnoticed if they were about any other country. For example, the "illegal e-mail forwarding" story was a beat-up about a clueless article in a tabloid newspaper (and it has since been confirmed to be false by the Australian Attorney General). And if the Internet Censorship law was ever actually enacted, I sure haven't noticed... looking around the public library I'm sitting in now, half the people using the Web are looking at hard-core porn.
Most people I talk to see the US as the laughing stock... people can't believe the stupidity of the DMCA, and the Napster decision is baffling (what's next - banning FTP bacause you can get mp3s on it?).
Basically, I'm saying that while I can't wait for the Conservative Coalition to be beaten at the next election, Australia's track record on the Internet really isn't as bad as Americans pretend it is. From what I've heard, you can't get hard-core porn via the Internet in American public libararies :-)
Re:Genetic Influence? (Score:1)
Re:The old "aorta" syndrome at work again... (Score:1)
* Student politics is a vibrant, and crucial area of studies, much more so than in the US.
* Most Australians are overworked, the burn-out rate (and suicide rate) is the highest in the world.
So, I can't see how your comment about Australians being lazy is justified.
Why Aussie Laws -should- Suck... (Score:1)
The preferencial voting system facilitates (read: requires) a waste of time - used either negotiating or debating (e.g. in the media) the trade-off's of doing this or that "preference" deal with another political party...
The fact that the gov't can decide -when- to hold their next election (i.e. rather than "every 2 (or 4) years") makes similar time-/space-demands on medium.
RESULT: Less time to cover the implications of actual decisions on political issues.
People expend their energies discussing non-content issues like preferential voting alternative and/or when the next election should be held.
Genetic Influence? (Score:2)
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Mate... (Score:1)
The gambling legislation won't pass the Senate. (Score:1)
Re:April Fools - not (Score:1)
Jacinta Collins is noisy enough that you would have heard of her if you ever read a newspaper.
How about you look at the federal government site [aph.gov.au]?
Sure the article described her as "Victorian Labor Senator Jacinta Collins", which is a little ambiguous. In this instance, they meant "Senator for Victoria", not "Member of the Legislative Assembly in Victoria" nor even "Labor Senator during Queen Victoria's reign".
Re:And they say the US is weird? (Score:1)
This is obviously bogus. Think about your friends - do anywhere near 40% of them work for the gov't? Do even 10%? No. This wasn't even true during the world wars - there had to be many people producing war materials for each person on the front (and war materials were produced largely by private companies). Think before you post.
There is a very simple explanation for that. Government employees don't have friends. They probably aren't even born from natural human parents. Didn't I read a slashdot story about the government fabricating them to reduce training costs?
And they say the US is weird? (Score:1)
Excuse me? This person still works for the Austrailian government?
There is something VERY wrong with this picture.
DanH
Cav Pilot's Reference Page [cavalrypilot.com]
Re:How about hate email? (Score:1)
I totally agree we have twat as a IT minister. The Howard goverment knows NOTHING about how IT works and it sure as hell knows nothing about the Internet. Is it any wonder that most of the gob smacking WTF? arctiles about rights online are coming from here?
Dont expect it to get any better. The other bunch we could elect in are just as bad and the other choices dont even bear thinking about. Cant we have politicians with a clue for a change?
Oh wait. If that ever happened, the world would end.
Re:So, where is the problem? (Score:1)
What we have here is a double standard. On one hand, yuo have a governmet frothing at the mouth to get rid of all Evil On The Internet In The Name Of A Good Cause (Dunno what that is they cry, we will work that out later) and the people paid to enforce such laws, well, they are the worst offenders.
Usually, if I get a emial from a co-worker with something I dont like, I send back a fairly ppinted reply, requesting not to get similar again. That tends to work. Why cant we just have that and just move along as there is nothing to see here?
Re:How about hate email? (Score:1)
And MR Troll modder: This is actually something I've been wanting to say for a while. Moding someone down for getting Irate for having his country bagged is plain unfair. Hey We don't all live in the states, and some of us just happen to like our countries. Yes Our govt can be pricks at times, but if someone gets upset at someone bagging the country he loves, don't mod him as a troll. That's an abuse of the mod system and it's unfair.
Re:Australia --- Doh (Score:1)
Re:whats wrong with limiting gambling (Score:1)
So the gov tries to limit rights, so what - i can't see how that is a bad thing in a country with far to much rights (and if you don't believe aust has to much rights their is something wrong with you). Sure, maybe people can just go to overseas sites but one liberty i would like to take is that some won't. And even if only 1 person does not gain freedom than cannot afford than that is a victory. An addicted rights-activist with access to an oline site is quite scary. Self regulation does not work, slashdot is not very good at turning people away. Perhaps if various austyralian state goverments with an eye on easy living had not allowed such an explosion of rights in the last 10 years (here in queensland it is rediculess how much in the last 10 years) than it would not be such a problem. [snip blah blah]
ergo: get a life.
Re:How about hate email? (Score:1)
And what the hell is the US's obsession with calling us "down under"?!
Re:Smear campaign by New Zealand...... (Score:1)
I saw the rating and was thinking "Informative? wtf?!"
Taxation's not simply bad (Score:1)
I've never understood your problem with taxation.
You're forgetting that you also get something like good universal health care and public transportation for your tax money -- even to those who otherwise couldn't afford it (and unlike you Ayn Rand fanatics would like to believe not all of them are simply "lazy").
I had a tumour surgically removed from my stomach at a university hospital. I was admitted four days after I was diagnosed, had a smooth operation and got excellent care for two weeks at the ward. The immediate cost? $200. At a private clinic this would have cost me at least $5000, which I could not have afforded at this stage of my life (I've spent all my personal budget surplus on computers and stocks).
"Get an insurance. It's unfair that I have to pay for someone else's operation", you say? The problem with the health insurance is that it can severely restrict the way the doctors can treat you. It also promotes social inequality as only the rich can get proper treatment.
In the finaly analysis, yes I feel the 28% income tax is worth it. That way we get good services for everybody, which in itself makes me feel good.
Congratulating the Senator on his "award" (Score:1)
Re:How about hate email? (Score:1)
it goes like this: Seppo=short for 'Septic Tank'
'Septic Tank'=rhymes with 'Yank'
'Yank'=slang for 'Anyone from the USA'
gotta love Aussie Surfie Slang. All that salt water must do something to their brains.
GEV.
Re:Taxation's not simply bad (Score:1)
Until, god forbid, you actually get sick and use your insurance for what you purchased it for in the first place.
Good luck renewing your insurance should you ever find yourself in such dire straits. Medical insurance is a scam. It amounts to private companies taxing the public. They provide even worse service than government bureaucracies.
Re:Taxation's not simply bad (Score:1)
I couldn't agree more. Taxes pay for roads, airports, waste facilities, etc. They provide the infrastructure for the Universities, even private ones (albeit indirectly), which provide the private sector with educated graduates. Anti-tax proponents always try the "bad apple spoiling the barrel" argument, but this is truly a poor characterisation of the reality of taxes.
Landlords love tax reduction. Their tenants can pay more rent for the same real estate!
Re:Beastiality and Aussies? Reminds me of a song.. (Score:1)
Your ignorance of Australian culture is impressive...
In fact, it does (Score:1)
Ah, yes, Melbourne, one of the world's great cities. The restaurants on Lygon Street are fantastic. The Italian food is great, but don't forget the culinary contributions of the Thais, Indonesians, Malaysians, Turks, Indians, Greeks, and dare I say, Brits.
Australian and American cultures are similiar in many respects. They both honor self-reliance. They both have great literary traditions. However, the cultures differ in (at least) two fundamental ways. Australians are not as obsessed with money. Success is recognized in many forms. For example, the Wallabies is the Australian national rugy union team (rugby union as opposed to rugby league). This is a semi-pro team that boasts long, proud careers and garners international acclaim. Secondly, Australians are more inclusive and honor contributions to the community. A national motto is, "Everyone gets a fair go." Fred Hallows [achievers-odds.com.au] was a great Australian.
Notably, Australians have higher patronage rates of libraries, gallaries, museums, and stage productions. Here are some other bits and pieces:
The list goes on and on. I suggest you're quite mistaken about the nature of Australian culture.
Oh yes, let's not forget that it was the Australian culture that gave us the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, arguably one of most memorable games of the modern Olympic movement.
Re:Taxation's not simply bad (Score:2)
Some argue that the public transportation is pathetic because everyone takes cars, I believe everyone uses the car because the public transportation doesn't run to convenient locations on a convenient reliable schedule. But none of that matters,
because we're still taxed into 'barely getting by' status, and not seeing either of the benefits that you mention to justify such taxation.
Insurance works when your work provides it as a benefit, and if it doesn't, you're free to shop around to get the best coverage for your money. If you weren't taxed so heavily, you could afford better insurance. If the insurance companies wanted your business they'd invent a plan that fit into your budget. It's called lessaiz-faire economics, go and learn it. No one owes you these things, least of all a government funded on the backs of everyone else.
A host is a host from coast to coast, but no one uses a host that's close
Re:Taxation's not simply bad (Score:2)
HMOs are much more sinister, being that they get to choose the doctors and coach the doctors as to what treatments are permissible.
When I lived in Israel, I noticed that they do have a form of health care for all, but taxation is done far differently. They don't have a sales tax, and state tax/federal taxes don't hit one time a year, but instead are taken monthly from the paycheck and from the monthly property tax.
Here in the states, I have good medical insurance (and yes, I've had the misfortune of needing to use it, thanks) and of my bi-monthly salary of 2,479.20, I get to take home $1,661.75. And this is without your federal health care and a useless to non-existant public transportation system.
Thanks but no thanks, I'd like to start seeing more of the money I'm supposedly being paid.
The title of this thread is "Taxation's not simply bad," to which I answer, while nothing in modern Government is simple, taxation is bad.
Part of how we got to this position is that the law stopped being used to only make rulings on property and property rights, and began to be used for legislating social change. I contend that while this may have led to a few good results, it has also led to much abuse and distortion of truth. The end does not justify the means.
A host is a host from coast to coast, but no one uses a host that's close
Re:How about hate email? (Score:1)
no just stupid... they're dumb arses for pullin outta the kyoto protocol
but we're stupider... we're following them like sheep
Australia --- Doh (Score:1)
Umm...okay (Score:1)
1) If distributing porn via a web server is illegal in Australia, how come this isn't?
2) Why does this matter?
Re:Umm...okay (Score:1)
where can I live? please? (Score:1)
Im an Aussie, and im getting sick and tired of these stupid laws that Alston keeps passing to do with the net, and how he never helps internet business...
So... as soon as I get my uni degree, im outa here.. Where can I move? Somewhere were the government is reltivly intelligent, but not broke or curropt. Somewhere where its not illigal to play my DVD's or backup my cd's to mp3's. Somewhere that embraces IT, and has alot of jobs avaialable..
Where can I live? I'd like to think it was Australia.. but unless they fix up these stupid laws, not a chance!!
Re:where can I live? please? (Score:1)
Re:How about hate email? (Score:2)
Hmm lets see here...
Should I stop now?
Re:And they say the US is weird? (Score:1)
If countries were lead by people with the corporate mentality, we'd be really screwed. It'd be a damned police state where everybody would have to fear an execution for not performing well enough (or just because excess population must be "laid off" in order to "cut expenses").
The fact is that representative democracy does not work. The next best option after being able to really make a difference by voting is to have an inefficient government. The more inefficient the government is, the less chance it has to control our lives. That's why I favour big government. In fact, seeing how "efficient" the UN is, I would welcome even a World Government.
No, No, No - The socialists lost (Score:1)
> Yes, it is called "SOCIALISM", an
No, No, No - The socialists lost.
The ruling party is called "Liberal" the same way that East Germany was called a "Democratic Republic" when it wasn't.
The founder of the party, Sir Robert Menzies (alias Pig-Iron Bob, for selling iron to Japan during the pre-WW2 invasion of Asia) announced in the foundation speech that the profit motive is the highest form of human expression (or similar words). Think of the Republican party, but with a very small membership.
Re:The old "aorta" syndrome at work again... (Score:1)
I didn't know that all adult US citizens voted!
Personally I think that it is the duty of all citizens in a democracy to "get off their bums" and vote - and that is something that is enforced in Australia.
Re:Good for Australia! (Score:1)
I know this is a bit late but what the hell do bestiality pictures have to do with sexual harrassment?
Any workplace where employees send each other smut is a hostile workplace to women, and the people responsible ought to be sued, if not prosecuted and jailed.
Whoah! Easy tiger! So obviously porn creates the false idea that women are to be used for sex?
Nah! I still disagree because of a couple of points... 1. You're referring to smut in general and you've got to wonder what you think of women if you think that sex with an animal has anything to do with women.
2. Assuming you were referring to pictures of women - how on earth does a picture of a naked woman make a man hostile to women? You might be extraordinarily beautiful but I'm still going to obey you if you're my boss or order you if I'm your boss. If a man can't handle that then it's his misconception of women and circulating porn isn't going to create that misconception in the same way that circulating pictures of ugly women dressed in suits isn't going to destroy that mis-conception. In the end it's a picture and people who can't handle that (ie you) should get a grip on reality, close their eyes and listen to someone speak for a bit.
3. Men cannot deny their sex drive. It's like a womans period or a humans urge to protect the young. While we're jailing all the men for being natural why don't we just jail all the women as well? I'm sure that'll solve everything!
God: You've been accused!
Man: Off what?
God: Looking at naked women!
Man: Well maybe you shouldn't have required us to reproduce.
God: Well Terri accused you! It wasn't me!
Bah! What am I wasting my time for?
Pinky: What are we going to do tomorrow night Brain?
Re:it's not so ba-ba-ba-ba-bad (Score:1)
Pointless (Score:1)
So he was a little stupid, and he shouldn't have done that because of his office as a government censor.
I cannot see why this is interesting news. I don't see either how it merits the headline. The headline might just as well read the other way "Poor internet worker gets his salary docked because of writing email. What happens to our rights of free expression ?".
And anyway, did you know that the dirty email contained de-css source in the lower bits ? ;-)
Hand? What hand? (Score:1)
I won't ever be watching porn. I find it degrading to the human race, but I don't think government has the right to tell us that we cannot, let alone a government which has no idea what it is doing.
Australia - Land of the free choice? (Score:4)
I do however wish that Mr Alston hire someone with a brain before making statements that lead to unenforcable laws. Sh*t even a Marketing drone could tell you some of these laws sound implausible (ok ..maybe not a marketing drone). Australia needs more support for IT companies to whaul themselves out of the crap they have fallen into, not more stupid laws for people to laugh at.
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This may not be so simple... (Score:2)
At least one Democrat (whose name escapes me - can anyone clear this up?) has said he'll support the bill, on the grounds that Internet gambling is draining money from the pockets of middle- and lower-class Australia and must be stopped. (I'm not going to *touch* the reasoning behind this.) Bob Brown (Australian Greens: he's IIRC pretty conservative on social issues) may well support the legislation as well. Len Harris (One Nation, hysterically right-wing) I don't know about.
Let's take a worst-case scenario (from our POV). All of the minority parties vote for the bill, and that unknown Democrat breaks party lines to vote for the bill.
Doing the math (simple majority, 76 senators)...
39 votes are needed to pass the bill.
Liberal(31), National(3), CLP(1) coalition: 35 senators
Bob Brown (Greens): 1
Len Harris (PHON): 1
Brian Harradine (Ind.): 1
Unknown Democrat: 1
That's 39 votes in the Senate. The bill passes into law.
I repeat, I don't know if this is anywhere near fact - but it's a pretty scary theory.
Re:And they say the US is weird? (Score:2)
Re:Australia --- Doh (Score:2)
How to self-regulate gambling (Score:2)
Re:Genetic Influence? (Score:2)
Suggestion Made from Slashdot Reader (Score:5)
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Re:Give me a break. (Score:2)
In any workplace people should be allowed to mail stuff to each other, as long as it doesn't eat up too much work time. Public workers are human too, and some of them actually like to mail a joke or a funny picture to a co-worker every once and a while. This even saves time because you can relax a couple of minutes when you have some humor when working, after which you are more productive. If you expect people to work 8 hour (with lunch/coffee break) and expect them to pay full attention/concentration this full period without a minute of fun every once and a while, you start talking about slavery.
This tax paying thing is just like the typical hypocrite American reaction: we pay taxes and they shouldn't waste it. This is true in essence, but it doesn't mean you can deny a public worker any form of humor. Most programmers like funny stuff in the mail every once in a while, and so do government workers.
This is my first point. My second point is that the fact that bestiality is mentioned, as if this makes it worse. Also starts to look like the typical Americal reaction: violence is no problem, anything that has to do with sex is wrong/illegal/filthy/etc..
The person who told this story can A. not see that public workers are human too and B. doesn't see difference between bestiality and really illegal stuff. Therefore I (and any sane person) cannot take him seriously. It's just so clearly a populistic viewpoint ("look: we cannot do this and they can do this other thing which I personally find vulgar and therefore it must be made punishable to do it"). Sad, really.
Beastiality and Aussies? Reminds me of a song.... (Score:3)
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