The Dump is:
For posting comments that don’t get up at the Drum, and for having a pleasant, mirthful or enlightening off-topic discussion.
It’s not for personal abuse of other commenters.
Please do that somewhere else if you must.
Play nicely or piss off.
However, why doesn’t a poster add a link for us to read and comment on here, much quicker. Maybe we can do a bit more bagging here, not that I speak for the moderators, yet.
NB: Being tiresome and boring, racist, sexist or just plain creepy is not playing nicely.
———-
The Pig’s Arms exists because a dozen or so years ago our other favourite playpen – the ABC’s Unleashed blogsphere started to go off. Like a sack of prawn heads in the sun. Something had to be done.
Moderation was taking forever. Comments seemed to be rejected randomly – outrageous ones appeared and reasoned ones were pinged. When they released the Drum / Unleashed ….. things actually got worse !
So many pieces from professional writers appear with no obvious merit. And the moderation has become, to put it frankly, appalling.
As a former contributor and a commenter, I was deeply disappointed at the plummeting quality from our pre-eminent media empire. And I resented so many challenging or dare I say, witty or funny posts in which we’ve invested seconds of our precious time – getting the chop.
So here, for all our benefit – is an open slather blog. Copy and paste your best rejected comments here for posterity. Does not matter whether you’re posting on the Guardian, First Dog on the Moon or wherever else.
And sprinkle pointers to the Pig’s Arms amongst your comments. Let’s try to rescue some of the old faithful.
Cheers,
Emm.
Window Dresser's Arms, Pig & Whistle 
Mr Fascist and Mr Commie.
Mr Fascist goes to the doctor and says, “doctor, doctor, what can I do, I have three balls?”
The doctor makes Mr Fascist take off his pants, examines him thoroughly like all good doctors do, finds out that there’s nothing clinically wrong with him and tries to calm him down.
“What are you worried about, Mr Fascist? You have three testicles. You are special. Everyone else, even I, a doctor, have two! You should feel very proud!”
Mr Fascist now sees things differently! Yes, he says to the doctor and to himself twice! “I am indeed special! Better than every one else! I have three balls! I am the best!” he said with escalating arrogance (hubris, if you’re an ancient greek).
So he leaves the clinic and heads for home.
On the way he meets his mate Mr Commie. “Ah, he thought, this will be a good time to make the announcement to the rest of the world so that they may bow to my specialness and uniqueness and my greatness.”
So smiling, he approaches Mr Commie and with the smugness and idiocy of a suppository, says to him, “Guess what mr Commie?”
“What?” asks his friend.
“Between us, Mr Commie, we have five balls!”
Mr Commie turns and looks at him with shock.
“What do you mean, Mr Fascist, you only have one ball?”
That’s what fascists are like. They have a buck more than others so they think they’re better than them… until a commie turns up and tell them just how wrong they are!
Now, remember that, you fascist bastards!
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‘Waterloo Sunset DD 2016:
21 Aug 2015 4:02:51pm
I must lead a sheltered life. I have never heard any of these, ‘3 word slogans?
Where can I find them? Can anyone help me?
Reply Alert moderator
Jean Oliver:
21 Aug 2015 4:30:32pm
Are you fibbing Waterloo Sunset or are you just having a laugh?
What is WS smoking, and can I get some?
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🙂
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It was the conversation afterwards where he thought he’d try and cover up his brain fart I liked.
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Like Abbott, he’s totally lost the plot. (Never had it as we say.)
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How’s this from today’s SMH: Our daily slogan
“Mantra du jour” is a brilliant description of the offensive three-word slogans churned out by the Coalition. Gary Wulff (Letters, August 21) has added an important descriptor to the political lexicon.
John Casey North
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There is many a good wit in our area vivienne
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Mantra du jour sounds more polite than ‘today’s brain fart’.
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Suppose they both have three words in them so they both fit
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Gerard,
Tabanus claims, on the Drum, that he has worked more than anybody else in his life and read about 10,000 books. You are a gentleman and a scholar. What do you think?
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Only 10,000 ! Piss weak.
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🙂
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Tabanus has read one copy of the New Idea 10000 times
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Too intelligent Hung, Perhaps The Daily Telegraph and the musings of Piers Ackerman.
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Piers is still blaming Labor for everything. Maybe someone should remind him that we had an election 2 years ago and Labor are no longer the government.
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But that’s the Liberal party and their coterie of brown noses Hung. They still brain fart like it’s 2013.
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Piers, WS, gbe, Alfie, and a couple of others beleive the current government is doing a great job. Even rank and file liberal MPs don’t think they are doing a good job!
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I see that they’ve pre selected someone from the SAS who it’s alleged may have cut the hands of a dead person. They were definitely in the troop. Fits into Adolfs perverted idea of being strong I suppose.
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…New Idea… 🙂
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p.a.travers:
19 Aug 2015 7:25:49pm
The war going on,and the remains of factual journalism within the fighting areas alongside Syria,will never be found at the ABC,or by the Liberals who show no intelligence much,but assuming Governance will lead eventually to them being respected.There will be little respect for Labor,because every starving kid,every harsh winter of health destruction,whilst they build up their personal confidence and perhaps following,is no substitute for the fact too much damage has already occured.No attempt by Labor to pick what type of Jews they support in Russia and the Ukraine.Head ducking all the way with Netanyu and Obama.This queasy in the stomach manifestation of powerful American and British interests,that are Australian governments,has no brevity for hog washing brain suicide poisoning anyone and everyone who can think for themselves.The ABC the greatest Hoodwink that relies on the regular insult from a distance,to champion its heroes of attention seeking like themselves,provides the perfect cover for the phoney journalism it can only aspire too.So a sense of caring now dominates the Europeans,still hoping that nothing of any merit will disguise the stupidity they engage in for wondering how much they actually still believe about Auchswitz!? They theorise, when it may still be possible to contact Assad for aggregating some intelligence to apply to the circumstances of getting people back to basics of eating and the proper use of medicine,than what one hears from the Dictates of ABC Radio PM. So chew on each others arses.Only you lot know a hoodwink when you see one.Now practice what your hoodwinking intelligence makes you think!
…
[Couldn’t agree more. well said.]
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Yep.. Sweep under the carpet important facts and knowledge which may cause a dangerous awakening among people, a change in peoples’ minds, and consequently a desire and a will to change ‘the system’ … Drown us in the banality of every day local politics of self-interested politicians … Drown us in the banality of whinging, cat fighting twitter-chats and narcissistic Look-What-I-Am-Having-For-Lunch-Now selfies. … Meanwhile (shhhh…) obediently follow our shepherd from a distant land. Kill the conversation.. Delete comments! Allow only those whose aim is to preserve ‘the status quo’
So. Don’t make waves.
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Surplusvalue:
19 Aug 2015 8:32:05am
Thanks Mungo. The thing I find amazing is all the liberal supporter commentators who can’t see the ethical problem in Heydon’s appearance at a Liberal Party function (fund raiser or not). Does this mean that their understanding of ethics is distorted or non-existent? Or does it mean that they see Liberal Party functions as so normal and natural, like say a Rotary or Lions club function, that appearance at it could not possibly raise any ethical dilemmas for a Royal Commissioner.
On the other had if say the Rudd Labor Government had held a Royal Commission into the AWB scandal which questioned former Howard Government ministers, and the Royal Commissioner presiding had accepted an invitation from a Labor Lawyers function under the Labor Party logo, to speak at a Lional Murphy oration, what would the Liberal Party and their supporters’ response have been?
Is it possible that the right are morally bankrupt or outrageously hypocritical or that they believe that they are the only legitimate ideology and that only the left should be subject to stringent codes of conduct.
[Spot on]
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Father O’Way:
17 Aug 2015 3:07:34pm
Amazing, a former federal liberal advisor telling us that Abbott will win the next election based on, no not good policy or good governance, but because a book maker says so. Well I never.
Reply Alert moderator
Helvi :
18 Aug 2015 9:20:42am
Thank you Moderators, for letting some humour to slip through in these difficult times.
[Thanks Helvi, still missing you here by the way]
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HPH:
18 Aug 2015 12:31:09pm
Well said papa.
🙂
Reply Alert moderator
[Cheers]
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QandA tonight:
Brendan O’neill is a dipstick.
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Just an awful awful man.
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That’s being polite about the man.
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🙂
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Who thinks this SSM issue is a matter of national importance?
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What does the Gay and Lesbian Community think about refugees and asylum seekers? And what are they doing about it?
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Every time when I see the suffering of the refugees around the world, I’m getting really really pissed off. Grrrr….
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I think its important but there are far more important things to be occupying the national debate. As a list of priorities its about a 9th order. Same Sex couples have all but marriage anyway. They are considered in law to be the same as de facto marriage. I think there is an awful lot of bigotry on both sides of the argument. The SSM lobby has taken it to a level if you are against them then your homophobic. Thats a silo mentality.
I support Same Sex marriage BTW.
I’m with you though the plight of asylum seekers is a far more important issue than SSM.
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Some of us can walk and chew gum. That’s what I expect of a good government.
Many of my colleagues, and I, have become so bloody enraged at the Border Force Act, and the treatment of refugees, that we are rioting in the street, here in Newy, or at least quietly listening to health care workers who have been to places like Nauru, and hoping the general public catch on!
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Power to you guys at Newy.Thanks Big M.
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Pity your football team is shit
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Yes, they are!
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That’s not like you to agree with me Big, feeling okay?
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Fuck yeah!
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Thanks Algernon. My thoughts exactly.
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10 days gone by and Gerard still heads the Drum comment box.
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He’s a legend Viv
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🙂
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-15/australian-comedian-mocks-celebrities-with-social-media-campaign/6699842
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Good on her 🙂
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Geee… I loathe those middle-of-the-road bastards too.
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Sorry. My bad.. I should have typed “middle-of-…. people”
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At the time I was thinking about 2000 dollars per refugee, per day, we are paying to a Company to torture them in concentration kamps.
365 x 2000 = ……
Unbelievable! …Unbelievable!
But it’s true.
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The duration of the news on Channel 7 about the plight of the refugees in Macedonia was 6 seconds. If you were sneezing while watching the news, you would have missed it.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3197605/Sleeping-tents-beach-promenade-Refugees-shelter-just-yards-seafront-restaurants-cruise-ship-sent-Kos-deal-growing-migrant-crisis.html
Abbott, this is what you do with boats!
Daily Mail.
Sat 15th Aug, 2015
Ferrying people to safety: Thousands of people board ships in Kos as part of emergency measures to relieve Greek island of migrant crisis
• Greek government has sent a cruise liner for people to register and ease growing migrant pressure on island of Kos
• An estimated 200 people arrive on the tiny island every day, where around 7,000 refugees are sleeping on the streets
• Thousands of people are stranded on the island, waiting to be processed to continue their journey into Europe
• Giant vessel will act as a floating registration centre, as volunteers say they can’t cope with numbers
By IMOGEN CALDERWOOD and KATE PICKLES FOR MAILONLINE
Two huge ships have arrived in Kos as part of emergency measures to ease migrant pressures on the holiday island.
The Greek government dispatched the Eleftherios Venizelos, which can hold up to 2,500 people, and a large ferry as ever-growing numbers of migrants arrive on the tiny island.
The ship is being used as a floating registration centre while the ferry is transporting hundreds of migrants to Piraeus, the port close to the Greek capital.
Pictures taken today show thousands of people queuing to board the vessels, while scores more are living on the streets of the island, which has a population of just 30,000.
An estimated 200 refugees are arriving on the island every day, after making the dangerous crossing from Turkey in dilapidated dinghies.
Local authorities of Kos Town appealed to the government yesterday to send in the army, to help maintain order and to distribute aid packages.
Volunteers, who have been handing out food and water for the past weeks, insist that they are no longer able to cope with the numbers.
It is hoped the cruise liner, which has arrived at the island today and is expected to be moored for a fortnight, will act as a floating registration centre.
Kos Mayor Giorgos Kyritsis said: ‘It’s not going to be used as a camp. As soon as it is filled with migrants, the ship will depart and another ship will come.’
The European Union pledged today to fast-track new funding to help debt-hit Greece cope with the surge in migrants.
Brutal conditions were reported on Kos earlier this week, with a single water hose and just two toilets for over 1,000 migrants crammed into a football stadium under baking sun waiting for travel papers.
Greece is just one of the flashpoints of a migrant crisis erupting across Europe. Housing is particularly a concern, with rights activists slamming conditions for refugees in Austria and asylum seekers in Germany getting a decidedly mixed welcome.
‘Today the world finds itself facing the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War,’ EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told a press conference.
In response to the situation in Greece, the European Commission is fast-tracking a Greek request for 2.7 million euros ($3 million) to support UN efforts to deal with the migrants arriving on the Aegean islands, Avramopoulos said.
Greece will also soon receive a first disbursement of 30 million euros from a total of 2.4 billion euros ($2.6 billion) of funding for all 28 EU member states to cope with the flood of migrants until 2020.
The money comes as the number of people driven from their homes by conflict and crisis has topped 50 million for the first time since World War II, with Syrians hardest hit, the UN refugee agency said.
Some 124,000 refugees and migrants landed on the Greek islands during the first seven months of the year – up 750 percent from 2014, according to UN figures.
And about 102,000 people have traveled from Libya across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy so far this year – compared to 2014, when 170,000 made the trip during the entire year, the International Organization for Migration.
All new arrivals to the island must be processed and issued with papers by local police before they are able to continue with their journey.
But with an estimated 200 migrants arriving every day, from war-torn countries such as Eritrea, Sudan and Syria, the authorities are unable to keep up with the crushing demand.
A separate ship carrying migrants to Athens from Kos had to turn back after a pregnant woman suffered complications.
The ferry was able to carry on later in the day, after the woman had been treated at a hospital on the island of Kos.
It delivered 1,350 people to Piraeus, the port closest to the Greek capital, according to the website The Rhodean.
Although around 1,800 migrants who had received their papers also left the island on a boat on Wednesday night, there is still a massive backlog.
One effort to cope with the escalating demand for documentation nearly ended in disaster on Tuesday and Wednesday, when 2,000 mainly Syrian refugees were locked inside a stadium in soaring temperatures for more than 12 hours.
The crowds of people had no access to water, no food and no toilets as they queued in temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius.
Inside the stadium, three police clerks were struggling to register hundreds of refugees, and were forced to use fire-extinguishers to control the jostling crowd.
The office on Kos for Doctors Without Borders, the medical charity, strongly criticised the conditions in the stadium, where most refugees were sent after being evicted from makeshift camps all around the town.
‘What we see now is a completely disproportionate focus on security management of these people without the relative humanitarian assistance that they need,’ said Vangelis Orfanoudakis from the charity.
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Thanks for the updates Ato. I had not caught up with the arrival of ships.
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George Bush’s Road Map: From Morocco to Kazakhstan:
After Plan A, B, C… and so on, they also had plans to destroy Libya and Syria; Ged rid of Kaddafi and Assad who were able to keep their societies together. Kaddafi not only fed his own people but he was also able to provide economic assistance (from his petro-dollar income) to African countries south of Libya. Now that the USA had destroyed these two countries they opened the flood gates to economic refugees and those who are running away from wars migrating to Europe in their tens of thousands every month.
The military industrial complex is very clever.
1- Divert the Money from those who need it to Oil corporations/multinationals
2- Create more wars for people in these regions; hence more Arms manufacturing and profits
3- Let the poor of Africa and the survivors from war zones to migrate to Europe; create political chaos and division in Europe; hence the rise of terrorism, racism and the right wing politics.
Meanwhile the Banksters are destroying the lives of ordinary people in Spain, Greece etc..
This is a lovely planet to live on. That is, If you don’t get blown up for some rich bastard in the first place.
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Does anyone know how much money our government is paying for jet fuel and missiles in bombing missions? The U.S. is not giving them away for free you know!
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Some of our money is precious and some is not.
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And when I use Eisenhower’s words “military–industrial complex” the right-wingers jump up and down: “these are left wing conspiracies…”
Conspiracies ???
Pig’s ass!
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“..left wing conspiracy theories..”
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http://www.channel4.com/news/mark-regev-expected-to-become-israeli-ambassador-to-uk
It could be worse. He could have been made their ambassador here in OZ!
Imagine the telly: From Abbott to Regev. Over and over again!
Mark Regev tipped to become Israeli ambassador to UK
Mark Regev, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman, is expected to become his country’s next ambassador to the UK, according to widespread reports.
Mr Regev, who was born in Australia and emigrated to Israel in 1982, has a large international profile because of his media appearances on behalf of the Israeli government.
Outgoing ambassador Daniel Taub ended his term in July, and Mr Regev has been named in Israeli media reports as his most likely successor.
He has been a regular interviewee on Channel 4 News, questioned repeatedly throughout the 2014 Gaza conflict,
Mr Regev, 55, has described his role as Israeli government spokesman as “accidental”. His father, Martin Freiberg, was a Holocaust survivor and as a young man, he joined the socialist Jewish youth movement Habonim Dror.
‘Didn’t seem right’
When he moved to Israel as a 22-year-old, he changed his surname to Regev because his parents’ name sounded German, which he said “bothered me at the time…It didn’t seem right”.
He worked as a teacher at the Tel Katzir kibbutz in the disputed Golan Heights region of Syria that Israel occupies. Reports have suggested he was nicknamed Cyril.
“When you look back at and analyse what has happened to me since then, much of it is accidental,” he told the Jewish Chronicle in 2008: “I spent a year unsuccessfully doing a doctorate at Tel Aviv University. I never finished it.
“Had I been a better academic, I might never have joined the foreign service. Had my wife been in love with the kibbutz, we might never have left and I might still been teaching at high school.”
‘It’s bad news’
He responded to a newspaper job advert join the civil service in 1990 and rose quickly through the ranks of the diplomatic corps, serving at embassies in Beijing, Hong Kong and Washington before being appointed foreign ministry spokesman and then the prime minister’s spokesman.
Speaking about his media appearances, he once said that “usually when you see me, it’s bad news”. Here are some of our interviews with Mark Regev, during and after the Gaza conflict:
16 July 2014: following the deaths of four boys in a shell attack in Gaza, he said the Israeli military did not target civilians.
21 July 2014: he said Israel’s goal was peace and quiet for Israelis, while Hamas, which runs Gaza, was the antithesis of peace and reconciliation.
27 July 2014; he said Israel did not want to see any Palestinian casualties and suggested Hamas could be responsible for an attack at Beit Hanoun school.
3 August 2014: he told Channel 4 News an air strike on a school in Gaza, which killed 10 people, was targeted at Hamas terrorists and his government was investigating why civilians had died.
7 August 2014: he told told Krishnan Guru-Murthy that allegations of misbehaviour by Israeli soldiers must be investigated.
22 June 2015: he responded to UN claims that Israel may have committed war crimes in Gaza.
9 July 2015: he told Jon Snow that Hamas had provoked the Gaza conflict.
Article Tags
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With Swedish prosecutors dropping some of the sex crime allegations against Julian Assange and one more allegation expiring August 18, the WikiLeaks founder still cannot leave the embassy because he will be arrested “no matter what… because of the US,” Assange’s attorney tells RT.
Prosecutors have withdrawn two out of the four sex crime allegations against Assange as they had run out of time to charge him, according to Swedish law.
Another allegation against him will also expire within the next five days. The last one will remain in force for another five years.
Under these circumstances Sweden said it would speed up the investigation into the last remaining allegation of rape made against Assange in 2010.
READ MORE:‘Campaigners are key to getting secret TPP and TTIP trade deals published’
Following the announcements from Sweden, Britain said it would officially declare a protest to the Ecuadorian government over its decision to grant asylum to the WikiLeaks founder, thus preventing his extradition to Sweden.
“Ecuador must recognize that its decision to harbor Mr Assange more than three years ago has prevented the proper course of justice,” British Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said in a statement.
RT discussed the developments with the whistleblower’s attorney Carey Shenkman.
Carey Shenkman: Results of today are ambiguous because after five years of doing nothing in Assange’s case, the Swedish prosecutors decided today to drop most allegations against him. But it has been almost five years since Julian Assange has been detained without charge, which is absolutely unacceptable for his health, his family and his reputation.
READ MORE:Double standards? Sweden interviews 44 in London, but not Assange
RT: The allegation of rape will not expire until 2020 – does Assange believe he’ll have to stay in the embassy until then?
CS: Assange will not be able to leave the embassy in no matter what Sweden does because the UK actually said it would arrest Assange no matter what and it made no promises it would not extradite Assange to the US.
And after all these years that Assange has been detained you have to ask yourself what this case is actually about – it is about the United States.
For all this time the US has been building a national security case against WikiLeaks. The Federal Court in the US confirmed in March that the case against Assange and WikiLeaks had been ongoing.
In fact, over 50 free speech organizations around the world have condemned the US Justice Department because of the effects this precedent could have on the freedom of speech and the news gathering process.
Just yesterday, an alleged WikiLeaks source was threatened with indefinite solitary confinement, which is actually widely recognized by the UN and the international community as torture. So Assange has every right to fear similar or even worse treatment if he ever risks extradition to the US.
RT:Is it possible the allegations which have expired today can be renewed?
CS: There would be no precedent in Swedish law for that and our view is that this case simply needs to be dropped. For years now, the UK, Ecuador, the Swedish courts, our legal team and Assange have been asking the Swedish prosecutor to come to London.
In fact, nearly nine months ago a Swedish court said that the prosecutor was not doing her duty with the investigation. That was when there were four allegations, while today there is just one and he is still stuck in the embassy. This is unacceptable. And the prosecutor has failed to move the case forward. So the case really needs to be dropped, it is about time.
***
The Australian computer expert, 44, has been seeking shelter in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London since 2012, when the country gave him asylum. Britain has refused to allow Assange to leave for Ecuador and said it would arrest him over the Swedish allegations. The UK has made no promises not to extradite him to the US.
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http://www.rt.com/news/312385-assange-attorney-uk-arrest/
Assange can’t leave embassy as UK wants to arrest him, no matter what – attorney to RT
With Swedish prosecutors dropping some of the sex crime allegations against Julian Assange and one more allegation expiring August 18, the WikiLeaks founder still cannot leave the embassy because he will be arrested “no matter what… because of the US,” Assange’s attorney tells RT.
Prosecutors have withdrawn two out of the four sex crime allegations against Assange as they had run out of time to charge him, according to Swedish law.
Another allegation against him will also expire within the next five days. The last one will remain in force for another five years.
Under these circumstances Sweden said it would speed up the investigation into the last remaining allegation of rape made against Assange in 2010.
READ MORE:‘Campaigners are key to getting secret TPP and TTIP trade deals published’
Following the announcements from Sweden, Britain said it would officially declare a protest to the Ecuadorian government over its decision to grant asylum to the WikiLeaks founder, thus preventing his extradition to Sweden.
“Ecuador must recognize that its decision to harbor Mr Assange more than three years ago has prevented the proper course of justice,” British Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said in a statement.
RT discussed the developments with the whistleblower’s attorney Carey Shenkman.
Carey Shenkman: Results of today are ambiguous because after five years of doing nothing in Assange’s case, the Swedish prosecutors decided today to drop most allegations against him. But it has been almost five years since Julian Assange has been detained without charge, which is absolutely unacceptable for his health, his family and his reputation.
READ MORE:Double standards? Sweden interviews 44 in London, but not Assange
RT: The allegation of rape will not expire until 2020 – does Assange believe he’ll have to stay in the embassy until then?
CS: Assange will not be able to leave the embassy in no matter what Sweden does because the UK actually said it would arrest Assange no matter what and it made no promises it would not extradite Assange to the US.
And after all these years that Assange has been detained you have to ask yourself what this case is actually about – it is about the United States.
For all this time the US has been building a national security case against WikiLeaks. The Federal Court in the US confirmed in March that the case against Assange and WikiLeaks had been ongoing.
In fact, over 50 free speech organizations around the world have condemned the US Justice Department because of the effects this precedent could have on the freedom of speech and the news gathering process.
Just yesterday, an alleged WikiLeaks source was threatened with indefinite solitary confinement, which is actually widely recognized by the UN and the international community as torture. So Assange has every right to fear similar or even worse treatment if he ever risks extradition to the US.
RT:Is it possible the allegations which have expired today can be renewed?
CS: There would be no precedent in Swedish law for that and our view is that this case simply needs to be dropped. For years now, the UK, Ecuador, the Swedish courts, our legal team and Assange have been asking the Swedish prosecutor to come to London.
In fact, nearly nine months ago a Swedish court said that the prosecutor was not doing her duty with the investigation. That was when there were four allegations, while today there is just one and he is still stuck in the embassy. This is unacceptable. And the prosecutor has failed to move the case forward. So the case really needs to be dropped, it is about time.
***
The Australian computer expert, 44, has been seeking shelter in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London since 2012, when the country gave him asylum. Britain has refused to allow Assange to leave for Ecuador and said it would arrest him over the Swedish allegations. The UK has made no promises not to extradite him to the US.
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Had a better day today on the Drum. Still missing a few of my really really good ones though.
Heydon is stuffed, the RC is stuffed and so is Abbott. What a fool.
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And I, just the opposite. Yesterday was good for me, Today I tried many times to respond to only two people who had replied to me but I didn’t have any luck. 🙂
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The NSW Liberal party at their very best vivienne. I think Abbotts only chance at re-election is to go to an early poll but even thats a risk. They are stuffed completely stuffed. I think the opinion polls are how at a high point for them they wont get better unless the get rid of him which they won’t. There are Liberals who would rather cut the heads off rather than put Turnbull in charge.
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It has been a good week. The Liberal disasters just keep on coming. Wonder what is in store next week.
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This is even worse than when Labor was in Government and unable to get clear air. Its multiple foot shooting by multiple buffoons. Even Adolf’s coup de grace the royal witch hunt into unions has been tarnished to the point where the commissioner has little choice but to resign. What have they got to go to an election on. A bunch of three word slogans and a shed load of debt.
They’re almost at the stage where they are unable to govern.
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The LNP disintegration continues. 🙂
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Maybe they will all f f fade away.
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Or perhaps off
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(I thought this was funny….)
Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon didn’t know he had been booked to speak at a political fundraiser –
Christine:
13 Aug 2015 4:51:55pm
What else does he not know? Sounds very muddled to me!
Reply Alert moderator
Son of Zaky (aka MJLC, A pocketful of Barley ) :
13 Aug 2015 5:39:26pm
1. Why dogs spin around with a startled look on their faces when they fart.
2. Why the postman was ringing twice in the first place.
3. Why buying Duran Duran records seemed like a good idea at the time.
4. Why Westernport Bay isn’t actually west of anything that warranted naming something to the west of it as such.
5. Why you can usually never spell “Machiavellian” correctly first time, and rely on a spell check to help you out.
6. The capital of Burkina Faso.
7. Why the name “Cecil” never really made a comeback.
8. Why “Dentist Who” never got thought of as an alternative conceptual name for a 1960s BBC Sci-Fi series.
9. Why every time a large quantity of water is discussed it’s always spoken of in terms of how many Sydney Harbours it equates to – as if that means anything to anybody.
10. Why puffins don’t laugh (if I looked like that, I would).
I’m sure there’s others, but I hope that helps.
…..
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This came across my desk today, I’m sure you’ll all enjoy
The Thug from Northern Beaches
There was movement in the party, for the word had passed around,
The Thug from Northern Beaches could not stay.
He had told so many lies that the punters had surmised,
They could not believe a thing he had to say.
So the politicians plotted, from locations near and far,
As the centre fought against the rabid right.
They all agreed the thug was becoming more bizarre,
But they knew he’d not go down without a fight.
Turnbull’d made his score, from banking and the law,
But he’d lost out to the thug some years ago.
His plan was just to wait, for the thug to meet his fate;
He did not quite have the numbers yet to show.
And Bishop from the west, played at sitting on the fence,
Though she thought to throw her own hat in the ring.
She was quick to take offence as the thug became more tense,
And like Malcolm she could stay on a good thing.
Some others liked their chance so they jockeyed to advance:
Scott Morrison and perfidious poodle Pyne.
They gave the Thug some space but in case he’d run his race,
They positioned to survive in Turnbull’s line.
Others from the right, thought the Thug must win the fight:
Andrews, Corman, Brandis, Hockey and Robb.
By far their biggest fear was for their own career,
As Turnbull might relieve them of their job.
As the leaks came in a flood, you could smell the scent of blood;
Even Murdoch’s mob were calling for the end.
The Thug was sticking fast but his fate it seemed was cast;
It was not a case of if, but only when.
The party had a spill but they couldn’t make the kill,
Though the Thug was nearly beaten by a chair.
With hand upon his heart, “Good Government would start,”
But still the smell of failure filled the air.
As the time flew past, the thug kept up the farce,
With help from Smokin Joe and his big mouth.
With a blunder every wee,k they went further up shit creek,
And the polls just kept on trending further south.
When Bronwyn got caught out, the public had no doubt,
The Thug and all his crew were on the take.
They tried drag in Bourke but it really didn’t work,
And another Captain’s Call was a mistake.
Now we’re six months on, the Thug looks to be gone,
As lies and bad decisions take their toll.
The public have concluded, the Thug is quite deluded;
They know it’s the Thug’s head that’s going to roll.
Has the party got the guts, to remove someone who’s nuts,
Or will the Thug just take them to the grave?
Disunity is death, but then in the same breath,
To keep the Thug is surely crazy brave.
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And the thug did rig the Royal effing Commission into those evils unions and Labor PMs.
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Its so good seeing everything this thug touches turn to mud. He’d be best going to an election now to limit the damage. If he stays another year the LNP will be nothing but a rump. Time to shut down the witch hunt royal commission.
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Does anyone watch Kevin McCloud’s man made home?
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Yep. Watch most of his shows. Some people do very crazy things – very entertaining. Last night’s family in the wild thing – interesting but weird I reckon. They could come to Australia and get a lovely bush block and build in mud or hay (or bottles) and live off the grid and feel just as smug without plonking themselves where they don’t belong. There’s getting away from it all and then there’s getting away from it and putting your family in danger.
Can’t get a look in at the Drum. Raining all day (again). Off to visit granddaughter etc again tomorrow – we are all in love.
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Big M didn’t get a look in, but Another Bloke did. Mrs M loves Kevin McCloud, and always sings out for me to come and look at the outlandish bits. Some of those parents are just a bit crazy.
Go on, Viv, spoil the kid rotten!
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Agree with you and Vivienne. The family in last night’s episode are in the wrong place. The husband was bit odd. The children were fantastic. The poor wife was a typical 19th century classic English wife.
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This is a test…testing…testing..PA 1.2.3.
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At this stage just cuddles and lots of loving looks. I’ll be spoiling the parents today instead (will arrive with oysters and fresh fish!). They already have a selection of my frozen home cooked meals which have been much appreciated.
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Ben’s either off his medication or on ICE:
Jean Oliver:
10 Aug 2015 11:55:31am
Perhaps a week in the big chair first and then pass judgement. It would probably be impossible for him not to be an improvement on the horrific Bishop. Smith began with the IPA as a researcher so I hope he knows where to look matters up when in doubt and not make up rules on the run.
Reply Alert moderator
Ben Nallay:
10 Aug 2015 12:15:28pm
” him not to be an improvement on the horrific Bishop.”
Can you please provide some examples to support your accusation? Is it okay with you if I just accuse anyone I like of whatever makes me feel nice and mandatory suspension of disbelief is required for the justice which suits me to take its course and I could have every single one of you all locked up in jail for the rest of your lives because you are clearly all just obviously horrific in the intense physical and emotional pain you have just unleashed on the innocent population of this land you may have just found yourself accidentally posting on the wrong website to. This is Earth. Australia. Perth actually with two transparent elles and a silent TRP. Don’t incriminate yourself now Jean. It’s not a good thing to do to yourself.
Just show me your best horrific. Horrific question time eh? I think you might have been dreaming because I watched it too. She’s a hard act to follow, but as you mentioned maybe a week for our new speaker to get his mojo working. I hope his wit can get upto speed with the rest of us in the audience, or Bronnie will be more missed by at least one Australian even this sad time of grieving for the death of all known logical sense in Canberra. Maybe it’s something in the water over there?
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Ben is always off his medication. I’m still trying to decipher his response to me at Ian Verrender’s blog. He needs fish-oil. Good for brain 🙂
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I saw this at lunchtime. I’m amazed the mods allowed it not once but twice. They appear to have serious issues. The I could say that of most the right wing nutters there, they’re like tom cats marking their territory.
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Exactly Algernon.
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I just finished reading Ben’s posts. Seriously, he needs treatment. This is no joke. He might hurt himself. He is also projecting. He has an intense hate against women. Maybe because of that incident he mentioned sometime ago, when his ex-wife tried to slash him with a knife.
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Maybe one of these days I’ll set aside some time and read Venus in Furs, Marianne Faithfull’s maternal great great uncle Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the 19th century Austrian nobleman whose erotic novel spawned the word “masochism”. 🙂
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News: Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has defended taking his family with him on a work trip to Perth, costing the taxpayer around $8,000 in airfares. The total cost of the trip was more than $14,000. — You can survive a year and a half with this amount (if you own your own place)
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If you are as frugal as I am, maybe three years. You see – I only drink alcohol at the parties. But they don’t invite me anymore. I get drunk, and then I speak the truth 🙂 They are all lawyers, accountants, doctors, engineers and businessmen. There is not a poet or a musician or a painter among them. 🙂
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Of course fat Joe windbag snouts at trip to Perth for the family. He was taught by the best. Tony Burke snouted a trip to Uluru no better really but at least he didn’t try to justify it like windbag. Poodles thought the kids might like to see the Sydney fireworks and snouted up a sum as well, meetings apparently when nobody was in town.
Went whale watching this morning. plenty of choppers out looking for Bronnie, or perhaps she just needed the lift
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Did you see many whales Algernon? I like whales. I like dolphins. I like sharks when they eat right wing politicians.
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We did, many heading south, we also saw a few stragglers heading north. One came right up to the boat another went straight under as well . None breached for us though. Had two solid hours of following them. Quite a spectacular sight. Many on board were calling out for Bill and Ruth.
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I wish I had been there… Lucky you
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Cold to start nice out on the water though. Last weekend would have been great weatherwise.
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It’s nice and sunny out here. I think I’ll take the dog for a walk: Roger Daltrey style. Be back soon. 🙂
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It’s not a cav perchance? 🙂
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hah haa. I never thought of it before.
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🙂
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hph – I’m just back from visiting new baby and on the way there and home I The Who CD on – Substitute, Shacking all Over etc. The radio was crap.
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Vivienne, if you have a USB connection to your car radio you can listen to anything u want. Good old Who, eh. Ps. I would stay longer with the baby but she must be asleep. 🙂
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How is the bairn vivienne, Parents and Grandparents doing OK?
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I saw a video of a whale breaching in Middle Harbour, Friday. They often come into Newcastle beaches for a rest (whales, not Bronny Bishops). We had a mother and baby at Merewether Beach for some weeks a few years back.
I’m glad that we have stopped using them for their clean burning lamp oil, and keep them for us and tourists to watch.
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No usb in 2001 model cars.
Mother and baby doing very well. I’m able to give some much needed advice and ‘guidance’ and reassurances. Olivia Jean is beautiful – really top stuff.
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I used to see some politicians at those parties. When I used to make my entrance and they saw me, they would huddle into some nook and whisper whisper and every now and then lift their heads up, look in my general direction and then go back to whispering again. Dipsticks! 🙂 They all know me.
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Gerard made the front page.
The other one: …short end of the stick. 🙂
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Noticed that. He’ll be there for weeks. They don’t update it for bloody ages. Why bother?
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True…. Still better than Ravensclaw, Zing or APM 🙂
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Painful isn’t it? That moderator is brainless.
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This is what we should do with our refugees:
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2015/08/04/the-greek-aegean-university-could-soon-enroll-refugees/
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The Greek Aegean University Could Soon Enroll Refugees
With the Greek Aegean islands, having received an unprecedented number of migrants and refugees in 2015, most of them hailing from Syria, the Greek Aegean University is considering enrolling refugees in its various departments.
Aegean University Dean Stefanos Gritzalis told ProtoThema that the goal is to internationalize the university and to respond based on the realities that have developed on these islands. Gritzalis plans to establish a framework that will help students transition to learning in the Greek language and choose their appropriate field of study.
The Aegean University consists of departments located on the islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios, Rhodes, Syros and Limnos.
The Council of the Aegean University decided that it will send a letter to the European Commission and the Council of Europe to inform them on their plan and emphasize the necessity of inclusion of these refugees in European society.
Furthermore, the Council of the university will ask the Greek Ministry of Culture to grant this request to enroll more students than the official limit.
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whatif:
if ruddick is to old for the job, how old is bishop???????
Reply Alert moderator
R Supwood:
They say she was a waitress at the last supper.
Reply Alert moderator
… 🙂
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Yes I like Spurwoods work. Brilliant line
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