Posts by George Darroch
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I'm not sure about its press, but Indonesia has some human rights issues that wave 'not that liberal a democracy' flags for me.
The West Papua situation is complicated - I just submitted a thesis on how the province is represented, particularly focused on human rights issues. There's poverty, health problems, and advocating independence is illegal. There's a general discontent with the Indonesian Government, manifested in widespread support for the idea of "freedom", usually interpreted as support for independence. But it's not a dire place of terrible repression or of genocide, as many would imply.
Pornography, communism, and independence movements step firmly outside the limits of acceptable discourse in Indonesia, and are barred by law. There's no way I'd defend any of those limitations, but these things don't impact (currently) on other many other political issues or freedoms. As always however, the space available to express ideas is a moveable one, and encroachments should be resisted and the space opened.
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Similarly, Indonesia is a relatively liberal democracy and country with the freest press in its region.
But encouraged by a range of forces, its telecoms ministry is proposing an internet code that threatens to ban all content that is indecent, or upsets public order.
You can imagine how that could work out.
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Here's a pretty interesting example of censorship:
I want to shout from the rooftops to proclaim a triumph of online journalism. But I can't. I want to show you all a prize-winning piece of video. But I'm banned from doing so; the threat of an $11,000 fine hangs over me and this site.
Last year an Iranian woman, Neda Soltan was shot in election-related protests, and the video of her last moments (graphic) was seen around the world, including on Australian television.
The anonymous videographer was awarded a George Palk Prize for journalism. But the Australian censors have refused the video classification, and all links to the video are now illegal under Australian law, and liable to being blacklisted under the filter.
It is a very worrying precedent. If footage of violence taken in these or similar circumstances, presented in ways that manifestly do not intend to titilate, is declared illegal, then our ability to publicise such atrocities and stop them prevent them from happening again is limited.It was public slideshows of images of gruesome abuses, such as children in Belgian Congo with their hands cut off that birthed the modern human rights movement. Censorship has a funny way of having impacts well outside the limited grounds that its defenders claim.
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I'm not remotely interested in yachting, but the America's Cup hoo-ha made for a great, vital time in Auckland. It was, y'know, fun having a major event in the city.
I didn't like it. On the other hand, the Commonwealth Games, way back when, were quite fun. Mainly because I was a kid and got to watch the opening ceremony.
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Surrounding retailers might not like the free barbie idea much though.
If they can't compete with a free sausage, then they're not very good then, are they?
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The Air New Zealand Cup has had more wardrobe changes than a Lady Gaga concert
Best analogy I've read in a while.
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To get everyone from Eden Park to the waterfront I'm thinking we need a monorail.
Can we have a high speed underground travellator?
Or perhaps, I know I'm being completely outrageous here, an inner city rail loop?
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Fuck it. If we're going to have a "Party Central", we might as well just get lots of barbeques and kegs and hand out free booze. $23 million buys a lot of beer and sausages.
Actually, I'm only half joking about that - having a very large barbeque going every night would be a great way to show hospitality, rather cheaply, and would contribute to a warm atmosphere. People are always happier with hot food in their bellies.
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We should use the Viaduct and Aotea Square.
Absolutely. The Viaduct Basin was good enough to host the stupidity of the America's Cup, it should do fine with a few thousand rugby fans. Aotea Square will by then have its super-screen in place. This screen, despite its $1.5m price-tag is actually something that will be of ongoing use to Auckland - a very similar one adds huge value to Melbourne's Federation Square, contributing to a great number of public events.
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Hey, don't be too hard on Key. It's not just him being ambitious for his country
Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott wants to catch up with New Zealand.