Mood:  caffeinated

Picture: Recent press running in Sydney the biggest city and real star of upcoming APEC conference unfolding like a Raymond Chandler epic: Cops, drugs, killers (and that's just the politicians), civil strife promoted by vicious right wing press, helicopters, army bases. God knows what else. But we are struck by the similarities between John Howard (aka Rodent) and Joey Johns fallen star. Both sports tragics, both world beaters in their chosen field, both with serious moral worries. Whereas Joey admits he was a long time recreational drug user on a world class athletic frame, will Howard ever admit that he is a long time liar top performing machine politician?

This is not a well packaged story. It’s a contemporaneous traverse of the Sunday television free to air political talkies indicating the agenda of Establishment interests: Better to know ones rivals and allies  in Big Politics and Big Media.

Indeed it’s the tv version monitoring task similar to what Nelson Mandela refers to here in his book Long Walk to Freedom (1994, Abacus) written in Robben Island prison (where he was meant to die like other African resister chiefs of history in the 19C), at page 208

“..newspapers are only a shadow of reality; their information is important to a freedom fighter not because it reveals the truth, but because it discloses the biases and perceptions of both those who produce the paper and those who read it.”

Just substitute ‘Sunday tv political talkie shows’ for "newspapers" in the quote above.

For actual transcripts go to web sites quoted below except with Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Media backgrounder 

The irony of the Joey Johns affair is not lost on the Big Meeja or this writer noticing the above mailout top right of the image on doorsteps through the inner city this weekend and costing million$. If Johns has been taking drugs for the last 10 years at the top of his sport, idolised by hundreds of thousands, isn't it a bit late to be doing mailouts? Hasn't the proverbial horse bolted in terms of social integration of drug use, and all that implies with organised crime, destroyed lives, and burden on the health budget? Is PM Howard's drug policies just another lie, another example of authoritarian populism to borrow a phrase from Quentin Dempster of Stateline NSW last Friday night. Education material but actually electioneering material?

Last week were sent these stickers by a confirmed Howard Hater:

As we watch the first of several shows namely Meet the Press with Peter McGauran soft selling his government's 'huge failure' of the Eastern Creek quarrantine system sending the racing industry into meltdown one gets the impression of deep anger in the community at being told bullshit, a culture of avoidance of responsibility for failure.

It seems the Howard Govt have taken the Carr Govt option of $2 billion in advertising over policy substance which always catches up with propagandists in the end, not least little news websites like this one. For instance crikey.com.au last week pointed out that according to the US White House press briefing the official residence of the PM is in Kirribili Sydney. But it's not as Crikey point out.  The official residence of the Australian PM is The Lodge in Canberra and we believe the main reason Howard doesn't use it is because he is now too old to cope with the travel of a PM for a whole big country and prefers to rest in Sydney.

Our advice to critics however is 'beware bites from a cornered rat'. Crikey again, carries last Friday the Morgan Poll with a 4.5% recovery for the Federal Govt back to 41% two party preferred (said to relate to share market correction and Coalitin alleged economic superiority). Similarly we are noting endless govt tv adverts on diverse govt messages, as well as Rugby League charity spin. That's hugely wasteful incumbency taking its corrupt pound of flesh off the taxpayer.

Illustration: Ward O'Neill, Sydney Morning Herald

Meet the Press

Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran eats a sh*t sandwich on equine flu economic disaster for horse industry due to quarantine failure, and refuses an independent inquiry into the same [investigating itself, as per PM interview last Friday].

Panel Maria Hawthorne AAP, John Stanley 2UE.

Nicholson animation is risqué leveraging poll jump after strip club beat up in the News Ltd press

Veteran now retired diplomat Richard Woolcott re Bush visit on APEC.  Notes Rudd voted against Iraq war. Confirmed this recently. Outcomes measure Saddam gone, not the intention of the invasion, Iran is dominant power now, massive destruction there and huge number civilian deaths, huge number of refugees. Very difficult with only bad options to deal with.

At 1989 initial APEC conference held in Canberra only about 12 countries involved, now 21. Pre eminent regional forum Australia participates in – congenial atmosphere, Japan US China and Australia as host. Useful work behind scenes. Plenty of work still to do, says compere Paul Bongiorno looking a bit fitter.

Transcript in due course www.ten.com.au/meetthepress

7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary  -

Very good very insightful on Darwin shopping mall walk by John Howard. But first quite moving footage of Aboriginal kids hugging John Howard (even if not deserved?).

Vox pop friendly and hostile, including angry anti uranium protester. Water off ducks back for old veteran Howard, shows him at his toughest really facing his critics which will impress the Right. Quite apparent the less telegenic, ungroomed images were critics and  the friendlies were all so ‘nice looking’. That’s the shallow subliminals.

MR says Penrith mall walk previous week was much friendlier, a marginal.

Very amusing but also problematic footage of Chaser comedian and lithe stripper chasing after Kevin Rudd semi nude (the stripper not Kevvy turning at every chance to get the hell away).

APEC topic in Q and A at end: Climate change only aspirational target prompts compere Andrew.  Iraq surge, body count continuing Bush announcement in the next few says says Riley Riles. Sydney is very disrupted and 'not very free for the leader of the free world' – cute but also fair language, and brave comment.

http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend

Insiders ABC 2

Intro with good images of banners against pulp mill and weak Peter Garrett. Garrett interview from Tasmania, past caught up with the present.

Garrett claims opening of world’s best pulp mill by Visy in Tumut [we know a lot about his project, party in the Commission of Inquiry, totally different project not native forest].

Q&A PG mostly blather, hangs his hat on ALP policy ‘never changed’ [support pulp mill if world’s best practice – demonstrably not re Old Growth feedstock for a start, PG has always been a sleaze back to 1999 Sydney Town Hall meeting when he was at ACF and refused to attend.]

Parades his climate change advocacy, sledges Cousins ill informed.

Says ALP forest policy is a good policy that he supports – but its not a good policy.

Sledges Malcolm Turnbull as fed minister and Tasmanian process [but won’t use word Premier Lennon].

Any difference to Howard? Claims yes, ‘world best practice’ mill.  Big long procedural blather. Argues hand over to Chief Scientist by MT. Pleads for time to see latests documentation.  Claims best independent credible science is most important [but ignores best forest scientists as per their 2004 letter by supporting a pulp mill].

Will documentation MT getting be enough evidence base for PG/ALP? PG hedges on ‘all relevant material’, not all material on the website, always information exists in govt. Giving himself wriggle room. Court appeal in train – claims ALP not fully briefed, all public and other material. Reserve positon.

Moves onto whaling, whether navy intercept in Australian fishing zone. Claims difference actively surveil and monitor. See transcript.

APEC relevant forum on climate change.  Good line MT set bar low on pulp mill and Howard too high on climate change. UN FCC building on Kyoto. Turning up at its funeral? No G8 significant shift by USA. Howard dismissive of UN parallel process. Got to get on to reaching targets not

67% Australians unfavourable view of President Bush not Americans as such. Not a fan of Bush or his policies. Held the world back on climate change and Oz been part of it. Have to liberate the market to get on with it too. Been very obdurate.  If ALP wins you would seek environment. Up to Kevin but would love that job. Find the balance, always be tough, hope to be part of it.

Garrett was impressive hence the leading question about portfolio, but has a lot to answer for over sleazy ALP policy. Jim Middleton refers indeed to “wriggle room”. Akerman notes echo Rudd/Howard based on evidence forthcoming. Meglogenis – let it slide, caretaker position.

Paul Kelly soliloquy: MT critic of mill, Howard barracking for it, and big Liberal Party pressure for, so divided.  Unlikely to decide before election, any delay 100% be due to MT. Thinks MT stronger in Wentworth than most realize [tears for South African Jewery immigrants speech?].

Footage of Bush re meeting Rudd. PKelly thinks Rudd will be  friendly but firm to partially withdraw in a negotiated withdraw. [Covert meeting undemocratic] PK is salivating at wanting to be there.

Everyperson segment: 20 -30 year old professionals on environment – very skeptical of Turnbull and Peter Garrett, upcoming APEC should look at climate change coal use of China. Bit of friendly disagreement .

Discussion, Meglo notes govt average on polls is still flat lining at 40% primary vote.

Barry Cassidy and Middleton sledge lack of strategic sense of G8 protesters in Melbourne. [All reflects my paper on civil society groups sleep walking into a law and order trap - big ngo groups have pulled out to do a media room instead as per SMH

"A group of non-government organisations is setting up an alternative media centre instead of throwing its weight behind the protests. The centre will be staffed by Greenpeace, the Climate Action Network Australia, GetUp!, Tearfund, Caritas and the Christian World Service to give an alternative view of the summit."

Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/

Sunday 9

Coulthard looking into tough story of failed quarantine in equine flu scandal.

Oakes interview Robert McLelland Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister on Iraq mostly. Didn’t see much of it. Drug trade in Afghanistan financing Taliban and Al Qaeda. Competent, stolid persona, some good points about ‘weak’ Downer, agrees on other things.

Feature story on APEC protest and policing story. Dramatic footage of civil strife.

Heavily predictive of violence, lots of emphasis of police powers. Pip Hinman, Kerry Nettle, Police Chief Scipione, MUA rep in hushed tone Warren Smith, Barrister with NSW Civil Liberties Council

Fred Nile, a marginal fringe right winger not worthy of the air time.

............................................

This boosting of the $6 billion security industry as paragons, completely ignores this real Australian experience page 1, Sydney Morning Herald 12th Septemeber 2000 reporting on the World Economic Forum meeting in Melbourne that year where police thugs hurt protesters, with barracking by big centre right politicians dependent on corporation donations for their power.

which resulted 7 years later in this:

Bracks defends payout to injured demonstrators. 05/03/2007. ABC ...

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks says a decision to payout about $700,000 to demonstrators injured during violent protests six years ago was made based on ...

And the whole feature conspicuously fails to report police agent provocateurs in masks and carrying rocks in Quebec exposed by civil society as also reported by the SMH recently and other quality big media in Canada. That being said the .01% of deranged/egomaniacal protesters who cause violence are no loss to the peaceful protest march expected in their thousands.

.................................

Nice feature story here about cause related wild rockers in their youth, with some profound comments about shallow Australian society:

The Singing Priest
Father Themi was bass player in one of Australia's first pop groups — The Flies. But Themi — then a devout athiest and Marxist — had a vision of God that changed his life. He now works with some of the poorest people in the world, in the slums of Kenya, and he has been inspired by Mother Theresa to build schools, child care centres and teachers' colleges. more

http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp

Posted by editor at 9:33 AM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 4 September 2007 8:39 AM NZT

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