MisterFrog
@MisterFrog@aussie.zone
- Comment on Palestinian Australian author dropped from writers' festival after Bondi 6 days ago:
How is it promoting community cohesion for barring someone based on race?
Seems like open-and-shut racial discrimination to me.
- Comment on Explosions heard, low-flying aircraft seen over Venezuela's capital 1 week ago:
I appreciate that you are able to alter your position slightly, to recognise that this is how the US operates. It’s not a conspiracy to say that the US has engaged in regime change in dozens and dozens of countries over the last 75 years or so. The former CIA chief openly admits this.
Too many people online can’t admit when they’re mistaken, so I applaud you for it.
I want the exact opposite for Ukraine and Greenland and anywhere else that are objectively good guys
I don’t think there are any objective good guys.
Ukraine’s (to my cursory understanding) voting system seems more democratic than what’s taken place in Venezuela (which I don’t have much understanding of), but from what I’ve read there were serious problems with corruption in Ukraine, also. (Prior to the war)
Doesn’t make it okay that Russia unilaterally decided to invade after a pro-EU party came to power. That’s not their prerogative. Ukraine has just as much as right to exist as any other country, flaws and all.
The only way I could accept such an invasion is if aid were requested by grass roots movements that want to install democracy (actual democracy, including proper voting systems like preferential or proportional, and not vulnerable to gerrymandering), and it be done by a coalition of countries, and only if no resource deals are done.
Basically, if an invasion isn’t purely for self-defence or philanthropic reasons, it’s always unjust.
Can be justified if it’s retaliation to neutralise another aggressor (I wouldn’t be upset if Moscow were invaded for example. And the invasions of Japan and Germany during WWII were obviously justified).
I also wouldn’t be sad if the North Korean government were toppled from power, but again, I would be mad if it were a unilateral resource grab by China, Russia or the US.
In all other cases, invasions without international cooperation are not a great solution for liberating the common people, in my opinion.
And in the case of Venezuela, none of these conditions were met. So I’m against the US showing up and acting like they’re allowed to do it without asking. Even if the government there is illegitimate in many people’s eyes.
I would be shocked if the US invites international observation of newly run elections, and even if they do, I would be shocked if any government that is elected doesn’t bend over and sign resource deals with the US - because they obviously know they’ll just be coup’ed if they don’t.
- Comment on Explosions heard, low-flying aircraft seen over Venezuela's capital 1 week ago:
The image in question I yoinked from here (not part of this group): …org.au/…/emergency-actions-hands-venezuela-stop-…
I just found out about this via word of mouth (well, via chat groups).
This came about very last minute, I don’t think any one group in particular organised this.
aussie.zone does not seem to be somewhere for organising (communities need to be approved by the admin). Though haven’t actually tried to make a “activism”/“events” community, so it may well be approved.
Else, I’ve just had a bit of a search on quokk.au:
Perhaps I’ll encourage people to post there.
- Comment on Explosions heard, low-flying aircraft seen over Venezuela's capital 1 week ago:
I’m not defending the Venezuelan government.
But this 100% a US imperialist war for natural resources. This is their bread and butter.
If this was actually about intervention into Venezuela in a benevolent way, it would have been brought in front of the UN, or at the very, very least NATO. Or something. Anything.
Make no mistake, this has nothing to do with toppling a dictatorship, and everything to do with oil. Again.
It’s an open secret.
We’re going to protest to tell our government to stay the fuck out of it and condemn the US’s unilateral actions.
There is no “rules based order”, only might makes right.
This and the Venezuelan government being a dictatorship are not mutually exclusive.
- Comment on Explosions heard, low-flying aircraft seen over Venezuela's capital 1 week ago:
If you want to make sure that happens, please show up tomorrow:
Let the PM and the cabinet know we won’t accept another US imperialist invasion.
(That’s who has the power to send troops: pmc.gov.au/…/memorandum-government-conventions-ar…)
- Comment on Explosions heard, low-flying aircraft seen over Venezuela's capital 1 week ago:
Let’s be real, they’re doing a coup to hand over oil rights to US companies.
It’s the only reason they’re there
- Comment on Aussie travellers who criticise US most at risk as Trump administration proposes social media disclosures 4 weeks ago:
It’s always projection
- Comment on Right faction stages walkout at Labor conference over CFMEU motion 5 weeks ago:
(not a Labor member, much further left) Sorry, but at least Labor has some semblance of party democracy. Hearing about the Greens from past members, it’s a bloody top-down dictatorship where membership don’t get to vote on policy at all (well, they can “recommend” but that’s about it)
I’d strongly argue that the reason many Labor Left members aren’t members of the Greens is because the Greens are a feel good org that doesn’t actually listen to the membership.
Disappointingly, many Labor Left members seem open to the idea that capitalism is actively hostile to our well-being, but continue to support the party, even if it’s pro-capitalism, and pro-neoliberalism (it is these days, anyway).
I’ll still preference the Greens over Labor for jow, but they are not a serious alternative.
Any party that isn’t internally democratic is not a serious alternative.
Coincidentally: victoriansocialists.org.au/node/238
- Comment on 'Carspreading’ is on the rise - not everyone is happy 1 month ago:
The visibility argument is also dumb because in general these cars have much, much worse visibility
Maybe you can see over the top of other cars roofs, but that’s about it
m.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo
(Most of this video is about American style utes, but the same applies to SUVs and larger cars in general)
- Comment on 'Dirty, disgusting money': The heiress giving away her entire fortune 1 month ago:
I love this, because she’s covered all possible vectors of attack the corporate media might level against her.
Wealth inequality has always been bad, but it’s getting absurd.
- Comment on Right faction stages walkout at Labor conference over CFMEU motion 1 month ago:
Labor Right is the biggest misnomer in Australian politics.
It’s also why Labor being referred to as “left wing” is a joke
- Comment on As of December 10th, You need to be sixteen to use Aussie.Zone 1 month ago:
I suspect if this comes to a head you can just change instances to one offshore .
If they start blocking tiny websites “not complying” then shit has really hit the fan.
My pet conspiracy theory is that corporations pushed for this so they can collect your ID and even more personal information you should never share with anyone on the internet.
Fuck this law is so dumb
- Comment on What are “rusted-on” Labor voters thinking ? 1 month ago:
I started writing out a massive rebuttal but realised I should source it to back myself up, and then writing it became a task I didn’t have time for 😅
I haven’t forgotten about this, just shot myself in the foot.
I’d have to look further into this particular sources but this seems pretty subjective.
Which, I grant the phrase “life is pretty good” which I took issue with, also is.
I just posit that there is a lot wrong in Australia that is getting worse, and there are a number of areas where Labor is tinkering, and not making large changes like they once did decades ago, and still could.
As for a longer sourced comment, shall have to wait until I have time. Working overtime like crazy this week :/
- Comment on What are “rusted-on” Labor voters thinking ? 1 month ago:
Tell me your age group without telling me your age group lol.
Younger people who are themselves doing well, at least would recognise how much the ladder has been pulled up behind the older generations.
Housing is an absolute joke in this country, and for some reason no one really wants to fix it. (The reason is greed/entire life savings in the unproductive asset they live in)
“Labor” has been a misnomer for a long time. Hopefully a true left-wing party can gain some traction (not the greens, who are champaign socialists who don’t even democratically form policy within their party, their membership gets no say in anything)
Life is not pretty good right now.
- Comment on The Whitlam Dismissal - 11 November 1975 | Constitutional Clarion [50 year anniversary] 1 month ago:
The crown, who was complicit, including our current king. The LNP who’ve never apologised?
There’s plenty to rage at about this.
Conservatives, when presented with a choice between upholding democracy and seizing power, choose the latter every time.
- Comment on WA Labor senator opposed to proposed reduction of speed limits on unsigned roads 1 month ago:
we have much safer cars [for occupants] than when our standard speed limits are set
FTFY
This is a rant, which is not specifically directed at you:
I don’t really have an opinion on rural speed limits, but it’s just good urban design for us to take back our streets from car-centric planning.
Cars have a place: renting a van, emergency services, disabled people, delivery for businesses, but we accept WAY more deaths, noise and pollution that much better designed cities overseas. Not every trip should be by car, but we’ve planned our cities that for many it has to be.
Speed limits are in general too high in our urban areas (not talking about freeways, I’m talking 60 km/hr through shopping strips and 50 km/hr on side streets), that’s too high.
But people get up in arms at that thought of driving slower, because apparently we just have to accept a certain number of deaths (which have stopped dropping since these US-style emotional support vehicles have come on the scene).
For your viewing pleasure: m.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo
Anyway, Speed Kills. That ad campaign wasn’t making it up.
You’re not wrong that people should drive to the conditions, but speed limits still must be followed, because they’re set based on design guidelines, and most often, people aren’t as good at driving as they think they are.
Don’t speed, I don’t care how good at driving anyone thinks they are.
Cheers for letting me accost you ;)
- Comment on TOOT TOOT CHUGGA CHUGGA MOTHERFUCKA 1 month ago:
I dunno about everyone else, but these middle fingers seem extremely well humoured and friendly.
Is this just an Australian thing?
Middle finger is a cheeky way to have fun with your friends.
- Comment on CSIRO to cut up to 350 research jobs in major overhaul 1 month ago:
Our country is going to shit.
Meanwhile, we spend billions on bloody consultants doing the work government employees used to do, for less money, might I add.
- Comment on Liberal Party formally abandons net zero by 2050 climate target 1 month ago:
Voting on party policy only within your parliamentary party is really dumb, for this reason.
- Comment on Rental prices have risen almost 44 per cent in five years, Cotality review finds 2 months ago:
Hey folks, when in the world are we going to do something about this?
And I really do mean all of us.
We are all partially vindicated by the fact we’re in the capitalist game, and as individuals, all we can do is play the game.
But Christ, this is gonna break.
Please next time you meet someone who’s talking about their house price going up. Please say, we really can’t keep going on like this.
It’s gonna break eventually. People are paying stupid percentages of their income on rent or mortgage.
Eventually we’ll simply not be able to afford to live.
Housing is a stupid, non-productive (past the base value of providing somewhere to live) asset that we could be investing practically anywhere else in our society.
We’re sitting on piles of gold (metaphorically).
At least you can make electronics with gold.
- Comment on Julia Gillard endorses Donald Trump 2 months ago:
(it’s satire)
- Comment on A deserved defeat for Albanese on freedom of information 2 months ago:
Wow, this is welcome news. I 100% expected the Libs to go along with it
- Comment on Victorian Pill Testing Service opens in Fitzroy 4 months ago:
Quite funnily, it also acts as a consumer protection. If word gets out that a dealer’s product is bad, people will stop buying from them haha
- Comment on 'No doubt the media are going to make fun of that': Bruce Lehrmann finds new ways to suffer in court 4 months ago:
Lol, his barrister is brutal haha
- Comment on More AZ issues 19/8/25 4 months ago:
Dang, perhaps time to start singapore.zone? (I jest, it’s unfortunate that a few bad actors ruin it for everyone)
- Comment on Australia picks Japan to build $10b frigates after fierce contest 4 months ago:
Indeed.
Rare point of agreement between us on Lemmy lol (if I’m not confusing you for someone else)
I’m very anti-war, and a pacifist, but given the world we live in, we need to have our own independent military capability. Independent of the US, UK, or anyone.
We have everything we need to manufacture all our own weapons and vehicles here, it’ll just require actual government investment, instead of paying private, overseas companies.
And apparently “big gvmnt bad”, despite us at least getting to vote on it, unlike private companies, or public companies for which you need to be a shareholder.
Just my 2¢
- Comment on Australia picks Japan to build $10b frigates after fierce contest 5 months ago:
What gets me is that if we’re gonna have a military, you’d really think it would be strategically necessary for us to have our own ship building capabilities.
Else, what, a war breaks out and we just twiddle our thumbs if we then need to repair them? What is the point of a military if we can’t provide our own weapons?
May as well just save the money and spend it on something that improves the material lives of people
Why are we not employing our own people to build these? Makes no sense, to me at least
- Comment on FBI opens first office in New Zealand ‘to counter China and cybercrime’ 5 months ago:
You’d think you could do that from practically any where, unless they’re actually bolstering local server security, which I doubt.
I really wonder when we (Australia and New Zealand) will wake up to the massive geopolitical risk it is to be tied to any one super power.
As middling powers (well, us, not New Zealand), we really ought to not attach ourselves to the US.
- Comment on Police escort neo-Nazis in early morning march through Melbourne’s CBD 5 months ago:
Powerless my arse, that should surely qualify under EPA noise laws. They were extremely loud, at 12:40AM
How could they not be moved on for that?
I just assumed it was some football hooligans or something benign like that
Fuckwits
- Comment on Negative gearing reform is back, but young voters now hold the power 5 months ago:
Again, this is what we call investment risk. Investments that don’t up beyond inflation are a bad investment. Which is the risk you take in order to see a potential profit.
That’s not our collective problem.
Giving people a discount to subsidise their profits is not a worthwhile way to spend our tax dollars.
People still invested before this discount was granted, so I’m not really convinced it would break anything by getting rid of it
