🚀 go-pugleaf

Chris, Australia has never been the Land Of The Free.

It has a long history of suppression of ideas, censorship and human
rights abuse.

Only now is this becoming more commonly known.

Beginning with the treatment of Aboriginals, the Australian government
has demonstrated gross intolerance for the views of so-called
"minorities" in terms of race, opinion, cultural difference and
sexuality.

Even Universal horror films were banned in Australia from the 1930's
up to the late 1960's while minorities (women) were denied the vote.

Women were treated appallingly for many years, Greeks and Italians
were subject to gross racial abuse during this same period.

Not surprisingly, Australia lacks constitutional protection of free
speech and assembly.

Religious dogma dominates the ruling parties, homosexual activities
are still frowned upon in some areas and opponents of censorship are
branded "pedophiles" and "subversives".

Interesting for such a government to link pornography to immorality in
a country with more poker machines per capita than any other in the
world and escalating poverty, drug use and crime.

Unlike the U.S., where freedom of speech is entrenched in law (though,
admittedly, sometimes challenged), Australian politicians do not hold
democratic principles in high regard.

The recent on-line censorship legislation (coming into force January
1, 2000: a terrific beginning to the New Millenium!) is THE most
regressive piece of internet censorship legislation yet proposed in
the Western World. Only Burma (another gross human rights abuser),
where the internet is banned,  can boast more draconian interference
into citizens' on-line lives.

The Labor government may make a stand in their campaigning during the
next election to reppeal this drastic legislation. It is a platform
they should not underestimate the value of as more citizens are
connecting to the internet daily in massive numbers.

The issue is not access to pornography: it is access to information,
even if that information is deemed inappropriate or obscene by
another. This is the basis of a democracy.

Australia's ongoing abuse of citizens' rights is being reported to the
United Nations and will, according to an e-mail I received, be
addressed soon  in an international venue.

With regard to deteriorating health services, on-line censorship,
Aboriginal human rights abuse (reconciliation and Stolen Generation),
Olympic corruption and refusal of government to condemn China's and
Indonesia's human rights atrocities, the Australian government will
soon be forced to hang its head in shame.

The Rumpus