4 ms·
>The key to being free and open is not putting up with corruption, not having too much of an ideological divide, and good investigative journalism that people c
by oilbagz 6y ago
>The key to being free and open is not putting up with corruption, not having too much of an ideological divide, and good investigative journalism that people care about.
I do not agree with this position at all.
The people can be easily manipulated into caring about only things the government allows them to care about - as is seen in the case of Australia's recent war crimes, for example, where the warrior culture has effectively suppressed any legitimate discussion of Australia's involvement in committing crimes against humanity with its ADF - who, incidentally, do not answer to the Australian people, but rather their sovereign - and she can do whatever she wants without oversight.
>Ideological divide?
The very definition of a free society is the allowance for, encouragement of, and accomadation for, ideological divides. Who gets to determine 'too much'?
- ucosty 6y agoWith all due respect the notion that the Queen of the United Kingdom somehow rules over the ADF is nonsense. The Australian constitution places the Governor General in charge of the ADF [https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Constitution/chapter2 https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practi...], who by convention defers their powers to the Minister for Defence.
- oilbagz 6y agoShe's also the Queen of Australia, and in that capacity she can declare secret anything she wants to declare. The Australian Parliament needs permission from the Governor General to investigate the ADF - it doesn't have that oversight by default.
- mickotron 6y agoYes, the governer general is the "commander in chief", and the governer general is the queen's power proxy, so technically Lizzy is the head of the armed forces, despite polite conventions.