First, China. Next: the Great Firewall of... Australia?

[Klaw117]

Just because it wouldn't be illegal doesn't mean it's right.

Not a point I was making but Ok and I agree mate, I think that's the basis of the debate really.


Unfortunately you're probably right, guarantee's are for election campaigns and as all Australians know, our governments often go back on election promises.


That's a question I often ask too? I think the answer is none, except for referendum's

Is there a mechanism by which the people can amend their constitution to override "lesser" laws?

To put it very loosely - first we must get Bill submitted to parliament (this is the hardest part and can either be a Draft Bill, a Government Public Bil or a Private Member Public Bill). This goes through all the usual process that must end in assent (i.e. passed by both houses). Within 6 months the Bill must be put to a referendum where we all get to vote on it. If the vote succeeds in a double-majority i.e. majority of votes in a majority of states (except NT and I can't remember why, somehow they are included in the national total) and a National YES vote majority then it can be ratified and with 28 days must be commenced.

So In short we must get the government to agree to not be dodgy first and then make that law..... this will never happen.... so I guess we're stuffed.

-Timo

Ouch ... in the States we have a process that can be used to amend our constitution without any support/agreement from the Federal government at all. Yeah, if everything has to go through the parliament, that's going to be difficult to deal with. Unless you could just get a simple free speech provision passed, and then any Internet censorship laws could be challenged in court (if you have such a system).

We have the Bill of Rights over here, as you're aware, but all it's doing is slowing these laws down a little. If we can get the censorship advocates out of public office over here (the ones that are apologizing to China), then we'll have a chance, and maybe we'll even be able to influence other nations away from these dangerous filter systems.

It's worth hoping for at least...

P.S. This whole topic has me wondering exactly HOW the "no political discussion" rule is applied. It's obviously a fine line (which I hope I'm not crossing).

The line is probably drawn at political debates such as Democrats vs. Republicans. This topic hasn't had heavy debate at all yet, so I think we all should be fine.

 

[smarteyeball]

An old fella I worked with once said to me (during the glorious Th*tch*r years, spit!):-
"They're lucky in Communist / Eastern Bloc countries. They live in a police state and they're aware of it".

So very true

P.S. This whole topic has me wondering exactly HOW the "no political discussion" rule is applied. It's obviously a fine line

It is indeed a fine line.

You'll know when it's been crossed when the the thread is closed

 

[tomdrane]

*sigh* It's amazing what a frontal lobotomy can do for a persons outlook

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me..........

 

[electrotune1200]

*sigh* It's amazing what a frontal lobotomy can do for a persons outlook

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me..........

I didn't say that

 

[TimStitt]

A change of Prime Minister for Australia this morning (but the same party), time to see if our new Welsh PM Julia Gillard will avoid this issue as badly as the Queenslander Kevin Rudd did.

 

[Persons Can Wai]

However if it only blocks kids access to things that are strictly AO, as well as racism, child pornography, death sites and all the nasties that you wouldn't want your kids or neighbors involved in AND as long as the government is totally transparent about the blocked sites.

How can they be transparent? If something is blocked, they can't show you it for transparency, that would be breaking their own rules. Then they can claim anything is "bad" and nobody would be able to tell since it was off limits to the public. They could use this to suppress free speech or anything they want in the name of protecting the public, exactly like China does. And how would the computer know if you're a kid or not? Would you have to sign in to tell you're an adult? Or would there be additional software needed to be installed?

 

[smarteyeball]

A change of Prime Minister for Australia this morning (but the same party), time to see if our new Welsh PM Julia Gillard will avoid this issue as badly as the Queenslander Kevin Rudd did.

Same party, same song, different DJ.

The beats not going to change

 

[A Guy]

The future of the great Australian firewall is beginning to look decidedly shaky, as electoral calculations and widespread condemnation from politicians and industry alike begin to take their toll.

Source

A Guy

 

[smarteyeball]

Sanity and logic may actually prevail?

With any luck, this government (along with this particular minister's firewall circus ) will be shown the door.

The writing on the wall seems to be that the current filter as we know it may not go ahead after all.

However, what it's replaced with... place your bets people

Then again:

That's the analysis from Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlam

The Greens aren't exactly synonymous with ' political power or sway'....

 

[BCXtreme]

You read about all these things that governments around the world are doing, supposedly to protect us, and you wonder:

Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

 

[smarteyeball]

Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

It's in an museum exhibit, one along from the dinosaurs I believe...

A relic from a bygone age.

 

[BCXtreme]

Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

It's in an museum exhibit, one along from the dinosaurs I believe...

A relic from a bygone age.

Well, we need to get it out of there and bring it back to life! Anyone seen the Tablet of Ahkmenrah lying around?

In all seriousness though, we need to recover that idea. History shows us that when people surrender personal responsibility to government, very very bad things happen...

 

[smarteyeball]

We'd have to find and reinstate 'common sense' first. That's the first and most paramount key to this puzzle

 

[BCXtreme]

We'd have to find and reinstate 'common sense' first. That's the first and most paramount key to this puzzle

We can do it. An estimated 2/3 of Americans still believe in "old-fashioned" ideas such as "personal responsibility," "common sense," and "accountability." Hopefully the numbers are still similar in Australia and other countries.

Hey, did you know we use these ideas here on these forums, when performing tech support? A lot of the advice we give out encourages people to adopt "common sense" and "personal responsibility" when dealing with computers!

 

[smarteyeball]

That's the sad irony - it still exists in abundance, yet somehow the minority have tricked us into believing otherwise...

All that's missing is a united front.

As it stands, those of us who do remember and still daily practice / acknowledge 'common sense, personal responsibility and accountability' need a serious prod to help us tell the few that 'play times over' and for them to step aside and let logic reign once more.

Unfortunately, I lament that the prod may come too late

 

[BCXtreme]

That's the sad irony - it still exists in abundance, yet somehow the minority have tricked us into believing otherwise...

All that's missing is a united front.

As it stands, those of us who do remember and still daily practice / acknowledge 'common sense, personal responsibility and accountability' need a serious prod to help us tell the few that 'play times over' and for them to step aside and let logic reign once more.

Unfortunately, I lament that the prod may come too late

The minority tricks people into believing that a LOT of things are "fringe," "radical," and "dangerous." In reality, the ideas they criticize are the very ones that used to ensure our freedom and prosperity before the minority started messing with them, introducing double standards and relativity.

You are absolutely right about the united front, and the fact that we're talking about this same issue from opposite sides of the globe shows that that is still possible.

We're getting prodded by various issues over here, and it looks like the censorship thing is prodding people over there. Hopefully enough people will "wake up" in time to take action. If there is one thing we still control in both our respective governments, it is this: who is and who is not a lawmaker.