Open Thread – Mon 14 April 2025


“Flevit super illam” (He wept over it), Enrique Simonet, 1892

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Indolent
Indolent
April 16, 2025 9:58 am

We’re on the same path.

@Rickster_75

This is bullsh!t. Minneapolis becomes the first city to let Muslim prayers to be played over loud speaker 5 times a day.

But we can’t ring our Church bell, they’re banned. Muslims would never let Church bells ring in their country.

Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
April 16, 2025 2:39 pm
Reply to  Indolent

How the West was won … no, undone.

Indolent
Indolent
April 16, 2025 10:00 am

@RepBrandonGill

Too many of our colleges are propaganda factories spewing anti-American, anti-Western, anti-Semitic and anti-Christian hate.

Their multibillion dollar hedge funds (endowments) should be taxed.

Indolent
Indolent
April 16, 2025 10:02 am

I find it extraordinary that he should even have to do something like this. I would have thought it was self-evident.

BREAKING: President Trump Signs Executive Order Barring Illegal Aliens From Receiving Social Security

Indolent
Indolent
April 16, 2025 10:04 am

@LauraLoomer

JUST IN:

Dan Caldwell @dandcaldwell, one of the top advisors for US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth @PeteHegseth, was escorted out of the Pentagon today after being identified during an investigation into leaks at the Department of Defense.

You’ll recall, Dan Caldwell was listed as the point of contact for the DOD in @MikeWaltz47’s SignalGate chat.

He has since locked down his X account.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
April 16, 2025 10:06 am

ABccess introducing its latest layer of story massager.

They have an “elder in residence” who just happens to be a lifelong ABccess catamite.

https://www.abc.net.au/about/plans-reports-and-submissions/indigenous-diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-inclusion-annual-report-2023-2024-part-5/104690716
Imagine having an awards night for…. 3% of your workforce – token much?

https://www.abc.net.au/about/media-centre/press-releases/abc-welcomes-professor-jackie-huggins-as-inaugural-elder-in-resi/105181848

A professional race pimp.
It has almost never removed its blood funnel from the jugular of the Australian people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Huggins

Indolent
Indolent
April 16, 2025 10:10 am
Roger
Roger
April 16, 2025 10:11 am

Muslim Votes Matter to preference Greens over Labor on HTV cards in several key seats:

The group, which is campaigning for candidates in 32 seats has endorsed Greens in the Victorian seats of Wills and Bruce, where Labor MPs are preparing for a backlash over the party’s response to the war in Gaza. Most of the 32 seats are held by Labor and have significant Muslim populations.

Muslim Votes Matter has also endorsed the Greens in the Queensland seat of Moreton, the South Australian seat of Sturt, and independents [i.e. Muslim independents – R.] in the western-Sydney seats of Blaxland and Watson, held by Labor ministers Jason Clare and Tony Burke.

Guardian Australia has also confirmed the political party launched by the former Labor senator Fatima Payman, who has a strong personal brand in suburbs with high Muslim populations, Australia’s Voice, will also encourage voters to preference the Greens above her former party and the Liberals on Senate ballot papers.

The Guardian (AU) 16 April 2025

I’m so old I remember when the left deplored sectarianism in elections.

Last edited 5 hours ago by Roger
cohenite
April 16, 2025 10:12 am

Great toon and one of the strangest acts by any politician ever. Whitmer is nuts:

391823_image.jpg (720×531)

Conversely Australia’s greatest female pollie is having her image desecrated by the fuking abc:

ABC targets Jacinta Price with ‘shocking’ racial discrimination and double standards

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
April 16, 2025 10:14 am

It is vital, nay essential that all the people involved in this report – even those reporting on it, and their extended families , be forced to do as they outlined in this report.
Any politician referencing it, any department head or pubic serpent must be named and issued with a food card which only allows them to purchase the items they talk about – forever.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/16/swapping-out-red-meat-and-creamy-pasta-sauce-could-significantly-cut-household-emissions-australian-research-finds

In Australia, there was currently no requirement for companies to include greenhouse gas emissions information on food labelling, something the George Institute would like to see change.

In fact, skip the card, it must be tattooed on their foreheads, with anyone caught supplying them with evil carbins subjected to the same punishment.
For the chiiiiildren!

Entropy
Entropy
April 16, 2025 12:07 pm

Written by vegans no doubt.

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 16, 2025 3:33 pm

They’ll have to prise the carbonara from my cold dead hands.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 16, 2025 10:17 am

Dogs are killing the planet.

Bad News for Man’s Best Friend: ‘Dogs Are Environmental Villains’ – ‘Significant’ carbon footprint (15 Apr)

Dogs have “extensive and multifarious” environmental impacts, disturbing wildlife, polluting waterways and contributing to carbon emissions, new research has found.

An Australian review of existing studies has argued that “the environmental impact of owned dogs is far greater, more insidious, and more concerning than is generally recognised”.

I think Curtin Uni drones like these two academics are killing the planet far more than doggies are. We can sure breed ’em here, and that’s not the dogs.

Eyrie
Eyrie
April 16, 2025 10:23 am

They should be doing something useful like breeding barkless dogs.

Pogria
Pogria
April 16, 2025 11:59 am
Reply to  Eyrie

Basenjis.

damon
damon
April 16, 2025 10:44 am

So the dingo, imported with the aborigines, is not part of our ‘cultural heritage’?

Pogria
Pogria
April 16, 2025 12:00 pm
Reply to  damon

We can make a slight exception for the Dingo.
Keep the mob on Fraser Island. Only feed them International Tourists. Win, win. 😀

Barking Toad
Barking Toad
April 16, 2025 12:41 pm
Reply to  Pogria

No, not tourists. International students.

damon
damon
April 16, 2025 2:08 pm
Reply to  Barking Toad

Labor voters for dessert.

Eyrie
Eyrie
April 16, 2025 10:21 am

It is vital, nay essential that all the people involved in this report – even those reporting on it, and their extended families , be forced to do as they outlined in this report.
?
I’d have thought hunted down and exterminated was more appropriate.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
April 16, 2025 10:37 am
Reply to  Eyrie

After 6 months of living the way they want everyone else to, they will do it themselves.

Cassie of Sydney
April 16, 2025 10:21 am

Muslim Votes Matter to preference Greens over Labor on HTV cards in several key seats:

How unsurprising, Jew haters always side with other Jew haters.

Roger
Roger
April 16, 2025 10:43 am

It’s an unholy alliance that bodes ill for our country.

Helen
Helen
April 16, 2025 11:15 am

My first thought, too.

Foxbody
Foxbody
April 16, 2025 12:07 pm
Reply to  Helen

As Muslim core beliefs are opposite to Green ones, it cannot be a permanent alliance IMHO.
The Greens think they will dump and discard their allies when no longer needed. The Muslim view would be the mirror image.
My suspicion is that the unnatural alliance will play out as it did in Iran.

Roger
Roger
April 16, 2025 12:14 pm
Reply to  Foxbody

Gaza unites them presently along with a broader commitment to socialism and the welfare state with Muslims a major beneficiary thereof as a permanent victim class.

Notable that the MVM spokesperson said they were endorsing Greens candidates despite Green policy on religious schools not being able to discriminate according to their religious beliefs in hiring staff.

Last edited 3 hours ago by Roger
Winston Smith
Winston Smith
April 16, 2025 2:22 pm
Reply to  Foxbody

Yep.
The MEK were as surprised as everyone else when the Victory Banquet turned into the standard Muslim Slaughter of the Godless Allies.
You’d think those who ally themselves with Islam would learn, but it seems not.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 16, 2025 10:27 am

Tale of woe.

Wash Post writer: ‘I made my home fossil-fuel-free. Why did my utility bills nearly double? (15 Apr)

After spending $41K to go all-electric, a California writer finds her utility bills doubled—proof that green dreams can come with a hefty, and ironic, price tag.

“I couldn’t wait to see our next utility bill,” she writes. “But to my dismay, the now all-electric bill was nearly double the total of what we’d paid a year earlier for both gas and electricity. This is, I’m sorry, a dirty little secret of switching your home to electric.”

While Ellison’s harrowing adventure would likely be a wake-up call to others with similar experiences, her faith is unshaken.

It’s a mystery. We should ask Chris Bowen to explain it to us.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
April 16, 2025 12:28 pm

Gullible nitwits paying a price for stupidity. Should be more of it.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 16, 2025 11:01 am

Richard Armitage has died.

Richard Armitage, Powell deputy and foreign policy heavyweight, dies at 79 (15 Apr)

I had a lot of time for him. Not least because the Left went apeshit when Valerie Plame was outed as CIA. They blamed Bush, and the howling went on for months and months, but Armitage legally released that information.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
April 16, 2025 11:27 am

132andBush

 April 16, 2025 6:28 am

 Reply to  Beertruk

This is all part of a long term strategy.

First Australia Day, then ANZAC Day.

And “Change the Date” is the most deceptive and disingenuous slogan of all.
The minute the date is changed there will be “growing calls” to “re-imagine the celebration in a more inclusive way”.
Which will mean another multi-culti fest with extra added burning gumleaves and nappy dances.

Ceres
Ceres
April 16, 2025 1:22 pm
Reply to  Sancho Panzer

Don’t forget to include the other protected species – islam

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
April 16, 2025 11:37 am

saying Zelinsky started the war

In three sentences or less, what is the best reason for believing that Zelenskyyyy started the war?

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
April 16, 2025 11:54 am

I think the case could be made that the “colour revolution” was a US/EU orchestrated coup in effect.

https://insightintelligence.com.au/colour-revolutions-the-most-sophisticated-warfare-method/

Putin the shirtless definitely started the shooting war though.

Roger
Roger
April 16, 2025 12:32 pm

Remember, in 2019 Zelensky was elected as a peace candidate. The Americans would have preferred a Poroshenko victory.

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
April 16, 2025 1:37 pm
Reply to  Roger

Their parliament had already amended their constitution in Feb 2019 to make NATO membership a national goal. I don’t know enough about Ukraine law to know if Z even had authority to change direction on that issue, at least not without parliament undoing the amendment. Hard to see how Z was going to be the peace candidate.
Z was pushing Biden for NATO membership in Sept 2021, so if Z had any authority to switch to a Russophile policy he certainly had not used it in the intervening 2 years.
The direction set by Poroshenko, public support, and Parliament and immediately adopted and sustained by Z, was provoking Putin and risked escalating war.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
April 16, 2025 12:56 pm

The war doesn’t start with the first shot.

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
April 16, 2025 1:07 pm
Reply to  GreyRanga

The war doesn’t start with the first shot.

Yes it does. Anything that happened before that is used as a justification by the side that starts the war by firing the first shot.

Zatara
Zatara
April 16, 2025 3:38 pm

“War is the continuation of politics by other means.”

Clausewitz

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
April 16, 2025 1:03 pm

Agreed but that doesn’t finger Zelenskyyy specifically.
During Z’s time the war didn’t officially begin until Russia invaded Ukraine. Any appeal to a prior provocation on the part of Ukraine has to go back to 2014 – a time before Z became president. So there’s no conceivable argument that Z started the war.

Perhaps I should have given more context. I was responding to something Cohenite said yesterday about Bolt:

Blot is outraged that Canavan won’t agree with him that Trump is a Nazi for saying Zelinsky started the war.

Calling him a Nazi is pretty stupid, obviously.
The only thing left to check is, did Trump really blame Z for starting the war?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RTrgtSG08M
Yes.

P
P
April 16, 2025 11:40 am

Holy Week at White House features dinner with Christian leaders, religious service
President Trump has placed two figurines, representing angels, to guard and keep watch over the Oval Office.

Zippster
Zippster
April 16, 2025 11:56 am
Steve trickler
Steve trickler
April 16, 2025 12:16 pm

Kaitlin. I lover her to bits. It’s good she has bodyguards behind her.

Anti-Trumpers Don’t Know What They’re Saying

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
April 16, 2025 2:28 pm
Reply to  Steve trickler

She needs to have a good look at her diet, but.

Pogria
Pogria
April 16, 2025 12:20 pm

I stopped for a cuppa and was channel surfing. Came across “The Promise”, on world movies. Sounded interesting so I looked it up on imdb.
It’s about the Armenian Genocide.
I need to go back to work, but I can’t drag myself away.
There is much info on the film at imdb.

Arky
April 16, 2025 12:31 pm
Reply to  Pogria

I need to go back to work

Brain surgeon? Professional race car driver? Dare devil? Romance novelist?

Arky
April 16, 2025 12:31 pm
Reply to  Arky

Pirate?

Arky
April 16, 2025 12:32 pm
Reply to  Arky

Chimney sweep?

Arky
April 16, 2025 12:33 pm
Reply to  Arky

You work in a liquorice factory cutting the lengths.

Arky
April 16, 2025 12:33 pm
Reply to  Arky

Give us a hint.

Arky
April 16, 2025 12:34 pm
Reply to  Arky

Zoo keeper?

Arky
April 16, 2025 12:35 pm
Reply to  Arky

Bar maid at a seaside tavern frequented by grizzled mariners?

Arky
April 16, 2025 12:38 pm
Reply to  Arky

Does the work require eye protection and a whistle?

Arky
April 16, 2025 12:39 pm
Reply to  Arky

Do you tattoo the ears of livestock?

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
April 16, 2025 12:49 pm
Reply to  Arky

Oi

johnjjj
johnjjj
April 16, 2025 12:38 pm
Reply to  Arky

Connoisseur collector of pavement durries.

Pogria
Pogria
April 16, 2025 12:42 pm
Reply to  johnjjj

Bingo!!!

johnjjj
johnjjj
April 16, 2025 12:43 pm
Reply to  johnjjj

“I say that looks awfully like a White Ox stubbie”

johanna
johanna
April 16, 2025 12:48 pm
Reply to  johnjjj

Nah,

White Ox smokers save the butts for recycling into subsequent durries.

johnjjj
johnjjj
April 16, 2025 12:54 pm
Reply to  johanna

Well spotted. Exactly and that is why they are rare. A CCPD,Connoisseur collector of pavement durries, would salivate if they found one.

johnjjj
johnjjj
April 16, 2025 12:59 pm
Reply to  johnjjj

Pogria, I do hope you open your collection for a public viewing. At least pass it onto a museum when you reach the designated smoking lounge in the sky.

Pogria
Pogria
April 16, 2025 2:28 pm
Reply to  johnjjj

No can do john.
I need the leftovers to pad out my wooden leg. aaargh!

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
April 16, 2025 12:24 pm

dover0beach
 April 16, 2025 9:21 am

Incredible news overnight. 4chan was hacked and stats revealed nearly half of all comments in /pol/ were from Israel. Almost double the comments of the US with less than 3% of its population. That suggests a gov psyop.

Whilst every online comment in support of Hamarse, Pukin or the CCP is the totally spontaneous thoughts of individual independent citizens, right?

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
April 16, 2025 2:04 pm
Reply to  Sancho Panzer

A more startling implication of that hypothesis is that the denizens of /pol/ are so influential in American politics that it was a worthy target of a psyop.
Never would have guessed.

Steve trickler
Steve trickler
April 16, 2025 12:28 pm

That chick at 11:00 on the Kaitlan clip looks like she is of her of head on opiates.

Any bloke sliping one up on her is f*cked in the head.

Last edited 3 hours ago by Steve Trickler
Winston Smith
Winston Smith
April 16, 2025 2:33 pm
Reply to  Steve trickler

The tongue movements – Stelazine?

Last edited 1 hour ago by Winston Smith
Steve trickler
Steve trickler
April 16, 2025 12:47 pm

That chick at 11:00 on the Kaitlan clip looks like she is of her of head on opiates.
Any bloke sliping one up on her is f*cked in the head.

Look at her. Her body language suggests she is f*cked in the head.

Last edited 3 hours ago by Steve Trickler
Steve trickler
Steve trickler
April 16, 2025 12:53 pm

Steve trickler
 April 16, 2025 12:28 pm

That chick at 11:00 on the Kaitlan clip looks like she is of her of head on opiates.
Any bloke sliping one up on her is f*cked in the head.

Who is the downticker? Someone rooting a bushpig?

Last edited 3 hours ago by Steve Trickler
Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
April 16, 2025 12:54 pm

dover0beach
 April 16, 2025 9:21 am

Incredible news overnight. 4chan was hacked and stats revealed nearly half of all comments in /pol/ were from Israel. Almost double the comments of the US with less than 3% of its population. That suggests a gov psyop.

OK.
So possibly the most sophisticated and innovative security service in the world … who brought you the entertaining spectacle of mass simultaneous castration by pager, followed by remote controlled walkie-talkie decapitations, not to mention multiple targeted assassinations abroad … is running a psy-op via an obscure website which probably isn’t close to the top 100 views in the US.
Oh, and they forget to cover their tracks by using disguised IP addresses.
Sure.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
April 16, 2025 12:56 pm

From the Oz.

Hamas has accused the Israeli military of trying to kill the last Israeli-American hostage in Gaza, after the military group was forced to admit it had “lost contact” with his captors.
The inflammatory claim came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed the group would continue to “suffer blow after blow” unless it agreed to a truce.
In a statement on Telegram, Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, whose release reportedly takes centre stage in Israel’s latest proposal for a renewed ceasefire.
“We announce that we have lost contact with the group holding soldier Edan Alexander following a direct strike on their location,” Abu Obeida wrote. “We are still trying to reach them at this moment,” he added.
However, he continued: “It seems that the (Israeli Defence Force) is deliberately trying to kill him and relieve themselves from the pressure caused by the dual-citizen prisoners in order to continue its genocide.”
Hamas’s military wing also released a video addressed to the families of the remaining hostages, warning them that their loved ones were likely to return in coffins if Israel kept up its bombardment of the territory.

Lysander
Lysander
April 16, 2025 12:59 pm

Should be pretty straightforward response now:

“Hamas has said <ENTER LIE>>”

Boambee John
Boambee John
April 16, 2025 1:34 pm

Translation: Bugger, the infidel died on us after not being fed tor a month. How can we capitalise on this?.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
April 16, 2025 1:05 pm

Greens’ Franklin candidate quits over dual citizenship in possible boost for George
Matthew Denholm
A Greens candidate hailed as the party’s “face of the future” has been forced to quit the election contest over dual citizenship concerns.
As forecast by The Australian, the Tasmanian Greens on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of their candidate for the southern Tasmanian seat of Franklin, Owen Fitzgerald, after legal advice he is a New Zealand citizen.
This makes him ineligible to stand for election to federal parliament under Section 44 of the constitution.
Greens senator Nick McKim said fault lied with the part’s “vetting process”. “This situation is not Owen’s fault,” he said.

Zippster
Zippster
April 16, 2025 1:16 pm

Of course, he has no idea which sh!thole he was spurted out of

Lysander
Lysander
April 16, 2025 1:16 pm

Face of the future?

Does he have a toothbrush moustache?

Roger
Roger
April 16, 2025 1:36 pm
Reply to  Lysander

Doesn’t look like he could even grow a moustache.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
April 16, 2025 1:21 pm

Gosh, I must stand for parliament. Wait a minute, I’m not a citizen, duzznt madda.

Roger
Roger
April 16, 2025 1:24 pm

While on the subject of s.44, may I suggest that our PM is an Italian citizen by virtue of his Italian father and Italy’s jus sanguinis citizenship law.

This is why he did not include his father’s name on his parliamentary citizenship declaration.

Why the LNP has not pursued this baffles me. It’s not just the question of Albanese’s dual citizenship but that his attempt to obfuscate on the issue goes to his character.

Last edited 2 hours ago by Roger
Eyrie
Eyrie
April 16, 2025 2:11 pm
Reply to  Roger

Oh please, we’re talking about the SFL’s.

Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
April 16, 2025 2:49 pm
Reply to  Roger

Fatima Payman cough…

shatterzzz
April 16, 2025 3:17 pm
Reply to  Rockdoctor

Wasn’t she supposed to be off to Afghanistan to sort her “dual” status out a coupla weeks ago ..?
Haven’t heard anymore about it ……..!

Foxbody
Foxbody
April 16, 2025 3:02 pm
Reply to  Roger

The Greens kicked off the recent major punch-up on MPs being ineligible for election due to foreign citizenship – part of an internal brawl.
The Liars and SFLs joined in happily – then the issue went vewy vewy quiet-
the adults in the back rooms realised many Hon. Members were neither, not being constitutionally entitled to sit.
Abalone is not alone in being invalid – I am sure he regrets the ABC fluff piece about long lost dad Carlo – ironic if Carlo was not even his true father.

shatterzzz
April 16, 2025 3:15 pm
Reply to  Roger

I still reckon Luigi’s “dad” is the bloke with the tie on not the waiter ..!

Fibs
JC
JC
April 16, 2025 3:26 pm
Reply to  Roger

Roger, some time ago, I think I read that Italian citizenship can only be claimed through the maternal line. In other words, the mother has to be an Italian citizen. For obvious reasons, I found this kind of funny.

Foxbody
Foxbody
April 16, 2025 3:55 pm
Reply to  JC

Hmmm – then why has Daddy Mollusc been disappeared from Lil Abalones records?

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 16, 2025 3:39 pm
Reply to  Roger

Haven’t we already been down the Papa Luigi (MIA) road?

Top Ender
Top Ender
April 16, 2025 2:27 pm

“This situation is not Owen’s fault,” he said.

Or alternatively:

“Owen was too stupid to read the rules and just thought he’d have a go at getting into the trough.”

Roger
Roger
April 16, 2025 1:07 pm

Apropos saving the West…

The divorce rate and the abortion rate in Hungary have both halved since 2010 (or very nearly so for the abortion rate, from 16.9 per 1000 women to 9.6; by comparison our abortion rate is estimated to be 19.7).

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
April 16, 2025 1:33 pm
Reply to  Roger

Hungary seems to be run by sane, intelligent people. For another thing, they want to avoid getting into a war with Russia, unlike most of the EU leaders. And they won’t take in Muslims.

Roger
Roger
April 16, 2025 1:38 pm
Reply to  DrBeauGan

It’s not without its problems, chiefly the economy (not helped by the recent drought), but the government has excellent social policies.

I suppose it’s too late to send any of our ostensibly “conservative” Liberals there on a study tour to learn something.

m0nty
April 16, 2025 1:50 pm
Reply to  Roger

So apart from terrible results on income, education, health and the environment, Orban made Hungary great again. Hmm.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
April 16, 2025 2:05 pm
Reply to  m0nty

They rank as pretty solid middle of the pack on most metrics you mong.

Lysander
Lysander
April 16, 2025 2:19 pm

Indeed FM, notwithstanding they didn’t get their share of the EU “redistribution funds” that other EU nations get. The equivalent of Australia’s entire agricultural GDP for a year.

Yet they have only **slightly higher** inflation than us and if not for the suspension of EU funds, their GDP would be a full % above ours.

Their health system is in the top 15%.

So, not world class but hardly “terrible.”

shatterzzz
April 16, 2025 3:19 pm
Reply to  Roger

Our lot only do “study” tours to places the “Hollywood type” folk frequent .. FFS!

Last edited 45 minutes ago by shatterzzz
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 16, 2025 1:35 pm
Reply to  Roger

Costello backs baby boom as birth rate dives (Paywallian today)

Australia’s fertility rate will plunge to a record low this year without a single policy from either major party to address it, raising concerns from ‘baby bonus’ treasurer Peter Costello that ­productivity is about to crash further.

One for mum, one for dad, and one for the country.

Lysander
Lysander
April 16, 2025 1:45 pm

What’s it plunging to Bruce? 1.4?

In 2023 it was 1.5.

bons
bons
April 16, 2025 3:52 pm
Reply to  Roger

A number of years ago I sat through a Brookings sponsored seminar on the EU. It was pitched at foreign (non-EU) corporates working in Europe.

Some of it was informative, but what stood out was the EU officials’ inability to not drift into slamming Orban. Some of it was Bolt level crazy. Absolute derangement over someone daring to go counter to “ever closer integration” dogma.

I didn’t know much about Orban, but I left when the American Brookings host referred to him as a fascist.

Many of my colleagues refused to believe me when I briefed at our weekly meeting.

Zippster
Zippster
April 16, 2025 1:48 pm

The video from Lei’s Real Talk covers a leaked Chinese Communist Party (CCP) document detailing China’s comprehensive strategy to counteract former President Trump’s tariff war. The host reveals that this strategy is not just economic but spans diplomatic and military dimensions, indicating a “total war” as declared by Beijing. Key takeaways from this strategy include: 1. **International United Front Strategy**: China aims to form global alliances with countries frustrated by the U.S.’s trade policies, isolating the U.S. economically. Target countries include major economies like Germany, France, the UK, and others. 2. **Financial Strategies**: The document outlines financial war plans, asking officials to transfer foreign assets back to China and prepare for potential financial confrontation by selling off U.S. investments, hoping to destabilize U.S. financial markets. 3. **Domestic Economic Preparations**: The strategy includes enhancing self-reliance, possibly reviving rationing systems reminiscent of the 1970s post-Cultural Revolution China as a secret weapon against economic pressure from the U.S. 4. **Strengthening Political Alliances**: China plans to deepen ties with Russia, Iran, and North Korea, aiming to counter U.S. global influence and weaken NATO. 5. **Military Preparedness**: The document highlights military strategies, particularly focusing on a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait, which would give China a geographical advantage over the U.S. The leaked document has reportedly caused significant anxiety among Chinese officials, primarily due to instructions that could substantially affect officials’ personal wealth and political stability. Xi Jinping’s aggressive stance stems from fears of being held accountable for issues like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is skepticism within Chinese technocrats about the feasibility and realism of Jinping’s strategies. The video suggests that while the CCP wants to project strength, internal confidence is shaken, and these moves might be politically self-destructive due to the potential for economic turmoil and social unrest. The host suggests that this situation exposes a fragile political reality in China, potentially marked by future internal and external conflicts.

Zippster
Zippster
April 16, 2025 1:51 pm

(Reporter Li Jingru of Watch China) According to comprehensive reports from overseas media, recently, while announcing a 90-day postponement of reciprocal tariffs on countries other than China, US President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%. With the previous 20% surcharge on fentanyl, the final tariff is 145%. Beijing also announced a tit-for-tat increase in tariffs on US goods to 125%. The escalation of the US-China tariff war has attracted attention from the outside world. Watch China reporters interviewed Professor Yuan Hongbing, a famous legal scholar living in Australia who often discloses the inside story of the CCP’s top leaders.

The real purpose of Trump’s tariff war has become clear

Regarding Trump’s move to suspend reciprocal tariffs for 90 days but increase tariffs on China to 145%, some reports said that Trump’s decision was sudden and caught the world off guard. Yuan Hongbing said: “I think Trump’s overall strategic arrangement is an overall strategic layout. The fundamental reason for this strategic layout is very simple, that is, the strategy of the global expansion of the Chinese Communist totalitarianism and Trump’s ideal of making America great again are natural enemies in destiny. Generally speaking, this time it was Trump who first launched an economic war and tariff war against the Chinese Communist tyranny, and it was a decisive battle. The Chinese Communist Party obviously lacked sufficient preparation for Trump’s decisive economic war attack. Of course, they had some strategic thinking in advance, but they were not fully prepared. However, due to the pressure of the overall situation, it had to fight a comprehensive battle, which is what the media now said that Xi Jinping was resisting Trump’s economic war attack. As for this incident, we can get a deeper understanding from a document within the Chinese Communist Party that was just issued by a conscientious person within the Chinese Communist Party system.”

The CPC Central Committee issued a secret document to deal with the escalation of the US-China tariff war

Yuan Hongbing disclosed the main content of this secret document of the CCP in an interview. “Now let us introduce to the international community the general content of the document just issued by people of conscience within the CCP system. That is, the CCP’s provincial and ministerial officials, prefectural and county-level officials will enter the confidentiality rooms of their respective regions on April 7, April 8, and April 9, 2025, and read a document of the CPC Central Committee. They are not allowed to record, excerpt, or take photos. This document is the resolution of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on responding to the tariff war of the Trump administration in the United States. The title of the resolution is ‘Through decisive great struggles, firmly grasp the initiative and dominance of the great changes that have not been seen in a century.’ The above title of the resolution is the general policy and principle proposed by the CCP to respond to Trump’s tariff war. This resolution claims that the US tariff war is not an isolated economic challenge, but an initiative initiated by Trump. The first battle of the total war of politics, economy, military and culture. This is also the content of this document. The resolution states that the entire party and the entire army of the CPC Central Committee must respond to the wise strategic call of General Secretary Xi and defeat the hegemony of the United States in the economy, military and international politics since the end of World War II through a decisive great struggle. This resolution has a total of more than 7,000 words, and makes a series of so-called strategic guidance deployments for the CPC to conduct a so-called decisive struggle with the Trump administration in the United States in various fields of economy, politics and military. Since this resolution is only allowed to be read in confidential rooms in various places, and it is not allowed to record, excerpt or take pictures, it is because of the fear that the content of this confidential document will be known to the US authorities. Therefore, people of conscience within the CPC system can only rely on their memory to make a report on the general content of the resolution.

The resolution first proposed guidelines for dealing with the tariff war, requiring the CCP’s United Front Work Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cooperate with each other and take a two-pronged approach, and to regard international united front work as a top priority in the future. The key point of international united front work is to make full use of the widespread dissatisfaction of the international community that will inevitably be caused by Trump’s tariff war, and focus on forming a strong international economic united front against Trump with economically developed countries such as Germany, France, Britain, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and China ‘s neighboring countries, and resolutely safeguard the globalized economic order with the World Trade Organization as its core. If Trump insists on fighting the tariff war to the end, then the power of the international economic united front must be brought into play, and India, Vietnam and other wavering countries must also be united. Taking advantage of Trump’s self-isolation of the United States, the United States must be kicked out of the globalization process of the international economic united front, and the era of American economic hegemony must be ended in one fell swoop.

In order to implement the above-mentioned guidelines for economic warfare, this resolution specifically proposes two international financial action plans. The first one is that the state should be aware of the deposits of party and government officials and state-owned enterprise officials in foreign countries totaling more than 200,000 US dollars. Once it is necessary to implement a major decoupling from the US economy, the families of these officials will be immediately required to transfer their deposits in the United States back to the country or to other countries. Anyone who disobeys will be severely punished for treason. The second international financial action plan is to make so-called full preparations. Once the central government decides to decouple from the US economy, it will be able to complete the sale of 1 trillion US dollars of US Treasury bonds and 2 trillion US dollars of US corporate stocks and bonds in the shortest possible time.

In terms of economic warfare, this resolution emphasizes the need to further improve the mechanism for achieving self-circulation in China’s huge domestic economy. At the same time, in the face of Trump’s declaration of a state of emergency in the United States, the CCP’s resolution requires governments at all levels to be fully prepared to partially or fully restore the supply system to cope with possible difficult situations. Moreover, this resolution also calls the restoration of the supply system the trump card to defeat Trump’s economic warfare (Yuan Hongbing: You can see that the entire CCP is now completely returning to a policy in the desperate situation of history, but it regards it as a trump card.)

In the field of international politics, the resolution requires the CCP’s International Liaison Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consolidate their strategic cooperative relations with Russia, Iran, and North Korea, respectively, as the cornerstone of international politics to cope with Trump’s challenge. On this basis, China should continue to deepen its relations with neighboring countries and southern countries, especially to strengthen its economic, cultural, political and military presence in Southeast Asian countries, especially Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and even Thailand. At the same time, China should grasp the Marxist law that economy determines politics, promptly discover and use the anger and dissatisfaction of European countries and Canada with Trump’s tariff war, divide and disintegrate, at least weaken the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and knock down the support point of NATO’s political and military strategy of the United States after World War II. And use this conflict of economic interests to weaken the international political relations between the United States and Japan, the United States and South Korea, and the United States and Australia and New Zealand, gradually making the United States not only autistic in the economic field, but also losing its status as an international policeman in international politics, and handing over the international political hegemony of the United States that has lasted for 80 years since the end of World War II.

In the so-called military struggle, the resolution requires the entire party and the entire army to deeply understand and resolutely implement President Xi Jinping’s strategic concept of a military decisive battle with the United States in the Taiwan Strait. The resolution believes that if the economic war with the United States eventually develops to a white-hot level, then a military decisive battle between China and the United States is inevitable. Taking the initiative in choosing the battlefield for the decisive battle into one’s own hands is the first step to victory. Therefore, the resolution believes that by launching a decisive battle in the Taiwan Strait, the CCP can rely on the strategic depth of the mainland and gain a geographical advantage over the United States.

The resolution also defines the war in the Taiwan Strait launched by Xi Jinping as a new type of conventional war with systematic informationized battlefield full-area control under modern high-tech conditions backed by a strong and reliable nuclear deterrent. The purpose of this war is to destroy the US military bases in Japan, South Korea, and Guam in the Philippines under the condition of US military intervention, and to use this war to withdraw the US military presence to the east of Hawaii, that is, to turn the United States into a regional country. The resolution finally declares that only by bravely accepting the challenges of the stormy waves can we win a great victory. After defeating the total war launched by Trump, which is led by the tariff war, the so-called ideal of a community with a shared future for mankind advocated by the CCP will become the direction of human development in the 21st century. The above content is roughly what the conscientious people in the CCP system expressed from memory. ”

Central secret documents cause widespread and extreme concern among CCP officials

Yuan Hongbing quoted the words of people of conscience within the CCP system and further disclosed: “People of conscience within the CCP system believe that the CCP obviously intends to use this resolution to stabilize the extremely chaotic state of people’s hearts within the CCP caused by Trump’s tariff war. But the result is contrary to expectations. After this secret resolution was transmitted to officials above the county and regiment level in accordance with the aforementioned confidentiality procedure, it not only failed to stabilize the hearts of officials, but on the contrary, it was like pouring a bucket of cold water into a hot oil pan, causing widespread extreme anxiety among officials.

According to people of conscience within the CCP system, a new theme immediately emerged in the whispers and heated discussions in Beijing’s official circles. This theme is that Xi Jinping’s so-called decisive great struggle against Trump is likely to become the last and biggest unfinished project of Xi Jinping’s rule. After this project is unfinished, it will be the time for the CCP to perish as a party and a country.

The official circles in Beijing have been talking about the fact that the main reason why Xi Jinping decided to react fiercely and take on Trump’s tariff war is that the think tank of the CPC Central Committee has convinced Xi Jinping that if he backs down on the tariff war, the United States will inevitably join other countries to re-raise the COVID-19 pandemic and hold the CCP accountable for its crimes against humanity and economic responsibilities. This is exactly what Xi Jinping fears the most. So some people call this worry about the international community holding the CCP accountable for crimes against humanity and economic crimes for the COVID-19 a political Achilles’ heel of Xi Jinping. Because it was Xi Jinping’s direct instructions that caused the Wuhan virus pandemic to lose its initial effective epidemic prevention time and spread to all of China and the world.

In private conversations among the CCP’s technical bureaucrats in the economic and diplomatic fields, Xi Jinping’s attempt to unite Europe, Japan, Australia and other countries to kick the United States out of the international political circle is generally ridiculed. They generally believe that Xi Jinping’s idea is a completely unrealistic dream. Its consequence is bound to repeat the Cultural Revolution when Mao Zedong once wanted to form a United Nations annex to exclude the United States. In the end, it can only leave a historical laughing stock and there is no possibility of realization.

At present, the Beijing officialdom is filled with an unprecedented atmosphere of despair. Officials generally judge that the shock wave of Trump’s tariff war may form a tsunami of unemployment in China this summer. Because last year, less than one-third of China’s college and technical school graduates actually achieved formal employment, and the rest were some temporary employment, some underemployment, etc. In 2025, more than 12 million college and technical school graduates will flood into society, so these officials judge that the mutual stimulation of unemployed college students and a large number of unemployed migrant workers after graduation will constitute the first wave of “storms” in Trump’s tariff war. This “storm” will impact and shake the CCP’s stability maintenance mechanism.

Beijing officials are whispering that the final strategy that Xi Jinping can come up with is to return to the state-monopolized economy and the supply system or semi-supply system under the wartime state during the Cultural Revolution, and then launch a war in the Taiwan Strait to solve the economic crisis he is facing. Officials believe that all the above strategies and tactics to deal with Trump’s current tariff war are actually seeking death. Because the implementation of a state-monopolized economy and supply system will inevitably lead to the extreme desolation and extreme hardship of people’s livelihood. And this consequence is very likely to ignite the long-accumulated anger in Chinese society against Xi Jinping’s retrogression. The most serious threat to Xi Jinping from launching a war in the Taiwan Strait does not come from outside, but from within the Chinese Communist Party’s military, especially among the current senior officers of the Chinese Communist Party, there are generally two-faced people who are absolutely not loyal to Xi Jinping. According to a second-generation red person familiar with the situation in the Chinese Communist Party’s military, many high- and middle-level officers are now eagerly waiting for Xi Jinping to launch a war in the Taiwan Strait. As long as China enters a state of war, these officers will find a historic opportunity to launch a mutiny and completely get rid of the tyrannical communist emperor Xi Jinping. This is the reaction we are seeing now from this document within the Chinese Communist Party system.”

The high-level political purge in the military is far from over. Has the CCP’s attempted armed invasion of Taiwan been postponed to 2027?

According to the overseas Chinese media “The Epoch Times”, recently, multiple departments of the Chinese Communist Party simultaneously issued new policies related to conscription and war preparation drug management, encouraging and guiding college students, especially fresh graduates, to join the army, which has caused concerns from the outside world that the CCP is preparing to invade Taiwan by force at an accelerated time. Yuan Hongbing analyzed this and pointed out: “Now the large-scale conscription of college students is to alleviate the inevitable dilemma of unemployment after graduation, and also to prepare for launching a war in the Taiwan Strait. Moreover, according to conscientious people in the Chinese Communist Party system, a symbolic phenomenon is that all the advertising videos in Beijing Airport have been replaced with the blood-red word “unification”, which looks extremely creepy and extremely murderous. Conscience people in the system believe that, in general, this historic decisive battle between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party’s tyranny is inevitable. The reason is simple, that is, there is an irreconcilable and fatal hostility between the two political wills of Xi Jinping’s communist totalitarianism global expansion and Trump’s “Make America Great Again”. This hostility is objective, and it cannot be eliminated by anyone’s will or through any political strategy.

In order to realize his ideal of making America great again, or to prevent America from further weakening, Trump took the initiative to launch this tariff war against the CCP tyranny. As you can see, the tariff war seemed to be aimed at all countries, but it was a surprise. Only the CCP and the United States were left on the battlefield to fight an economic duel. The final result of this economic duel is that the United States will win the final economic victory, and the CCP will suffer a heavy blow. The reason is simple. The size of the US economy and its potential for economic development are far greater than the CCP tyranny. So when the CCP is forced into a desperate situation economically, Xi Jinping has only one way to fight back, that is, to launch a military war. The most likely place to launch a military war, or a place that the CCP has long dreamed of, is the Taiwan Strait. So it may be inevitable that the century-long decisive battle between China and the United States will break out in the Taiwan Strait, or more accurately, a military decisive battle between the CCP tyranny and the liberal democratic front led by the United States. However, due to the current large-scale purge of the army within the CCP tyranny, the purge in the army caused by Miao Hua’s disloyalty case and Miao Hua’s accusation has not yet ended. Therefore, the conditions for Xi Jinping to launch a war across the Taiwan Strait are insufficient before 2025. However, launching a war across the Taiwan Strait before January 2027 will be a highly likely event. And now the two words “Beijing Airport” have created such a bloody and murderous atmosphere, which is to a certain extent a psychological warfare. “

Last edited 2 hours ago by Zippster
thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
April 16, 2025 2:13 pm

Oh noes.

Monty was wrong!
Inconceivable!

Dems purity spiraling into arson.

The suspect who tried to murder Pennsylvania’s Dem Governor and his family told the police he was doing it due to what Shapiro “wants to do to the Palestinian people”

https://x.com/AGHamilton29/status/1912352703428108483

Zippster
Zippster
April 16, 2025 2:28 pm

no one beats smutley in wrongology!

Pogria
Pogria
April 16, 2025 2:32 pm

My name, is Inigo Montoya…

Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
April 16, 2025 2:45 pm
Reply to  Pogria

A Florin for your thoughts.

Tom
Tom
April 16, 2025 2:54 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

Florin is one of our marvellous forgotten words.
For those under 70, a florin is two bob (translation for milennials: 20 cents),

Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
April 16, 2025 3:07 pm
Reply to  Tom

And also the country of origin of fictional character Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride.

Entropy
Entropy
April 16, 2025 3:20 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

Now there is a movie that unfairly denigrates the polydactyl.

Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
April 16, 2025 3:08 pm

They spiraled into full retard some time ago.

Entropy
Entropy
April 16, 2025 3:24 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

Never go full retard.

P
P
April 16, 2025 2:20 pm

Zippster
April 16, 2025 1:51 pm

Too much scrolling required.

Lysander
Lysander
April 16, 2025 2:26 pm
Reply to  P

“Scroll on, scroll on, with hope in your heart, and you’ll never scroll alone.” 😛

Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
April 16, 2025 2:32 pm

Ms. Hamer, candidate for Kooyong, owns two properties and the media are going crazy. She’s not even in parliament yet, and plenty of MPs own more than one property.
Paul Murray will have plenty of ammo to continue his exposure of media bias in the way conservatives are treated by the media compared to the soft questions to Labor/Green/Teals.

Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
April 16, 2025 2:44 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

Have “journalists” checked on the property interests of Allegra da Big Spenda lately?

Foxbody
Foxbody
April 16, 2025 3:57 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

The harborfront apartment where she is “ not authorised” to install solar panels among them?

MatrixTransform
April 16, 2025 3:31 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

you gotta watch out for those “candidates from Kooyong”

… some of them are shady cats

*wink

Last edited 27 minutes ago by MatrixTransform
Boambee John
Boambee John
April 16, 2025 3:37 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

Doesn’t AnAl have at least three?

Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
April 16, 2025 3:05 pm

Oh Noes! O’Neill.
Claire O’Neill says that the coalition policy will have young people bidding against each other at house auctions.

Eyrie
Eyrie
April 16, 2025 3:07 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

Facepalm. Maybe double.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
April 16, 2025 3:31 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

If you’re a chesty blonde, you don’t need brains as well.

shatterzzz
April 16, 2025 3:36 pm
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

Can’t be right ..! Whoever heard of people “bidding” at auctions .. LOL!

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
April 16, 2025 4:03 pm
Reply to  shatterzzz

Yeah, its a new thing shatterzz, try to keep up.

Steve trickler
Steve trickler
April 16, 2025 3:15 pm
Top Ender
Top Ender
April 16, 2025 3:25 pm

Just breaking now on Sky:

Bombshell hush money scandal: Parliament House researcher asked to sign NDA over rape and bullying claims
A Parliament House researcher was twice asked to sign a confidentiality agreement by the Albanese Government over allegations she was discriminated against and bullied when she disclosed how she was allegedly raped as a young woman in politics.

Anna Hough, 46, a mother of three, received legal letters from Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus’ department offering her a low-ball sum of money and asking her to sign a confidentiality agreement.

This is despite his public insistence that the Albanese Government would never demand a sexual assault victim sign non-disclosure clauses to keep their claim of assault or harassment secret.

And Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, who weaponised the treatment of women against the Morrison Government, allegedly declined to meet with the public servant and long-term Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) member and delegate.

More at the Link

Boambee John
Boambee John
April 16, 2025 3:40 pm
Reply to  Top Ender

Usual Liars hypocrisy. Mean Girrrl Gallagher has no self awareness at all.

Foxbody
Foxbody
April 16, 2025 3:59 pm
Reply to  Boambee John

Plenty of self awareness – and a f’n strong sense of self preservation.

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 16, 2025 3:43 pm
Reply to  Top Ender

All the usual Brittany Blob crew.

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 16, 2025 3:44 pm
Reply to  H B Bear

The timing of historical sexual assault allegations makes you wonder …

Indolent
Indolent
April 16, 2025 3:26 pm
Boambee John
Boambee John
April 16, 2025 3:42 pm
Reply to  Indolent

Wussia, Wussia, Wussia?

Or Chinerr?

shatterzzz
April 16, 2025 3:33 pm

Does the NSW Public Service still have “written” entrance exams ..?
Just had a coupla blokes at the door, wearing NSW “Houso” safety officer badges & couldn’t understand a word either was saying .. Ended up having them ring “Houso” so someone could explain what they wanted ..
Turns out they wanted to “check” the fire alarms .. Brought ’em in pointed out my two alarms .. they took a pix of each, gave me a thumbs up & that was that, they left ..
So 10 minutes to work out why they were here and 45 seconds to take the pix ….. Some , bloody, good “houso” jobs around, obviously .. beats being on the “rorters’ or the “dole” .. FFS!

Entropy
Entropy
April 16, 2025 3:49 pm
Reply to  shatterzzz

I would have rung “houso” myself.

Indolent
Indolent
April 16, 2025 3:34 pm

@MikeBenzCyber

Yes. ABA’s USAID-funded Rule of Law programs to influence courts and judges around the world began in the CEELI Institute right after the Berlin Wall fell. It’s headquartered in Czech Republic, where Norm Eisen was Ambassador 2011-2014. In 2012, Norm Eisen gave remarks there.

Boambee John
Boambee John
April 16, 2025 3:36 pm

LOL. Just got back from a few days in Canberra visiting family.

After the usual question about where we had been, the cabbie from the railway station to home offered a few robust unsolicited thoughts on Idiot Bowen, solar and wind power.

AnAl shouldn’t count on that cabbie’s vote.

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 16, 2025 3:46 pm
Reply to  Boambee John

Well done finding one who speaks English.

Indolent
Indolent
April 16, 2025 3:39 pm
Helen
Helen
April 16, 2025 4:08 pm

Forced to watch Pravda last night being held hostage in a motel room with a dicky lock, I took some heartening messages on board.
Bandit is so sure the ALP will have to do a deal with him to be able to form government, he is in effect, campaigning for the LNP by laying down his demands, and aligning himself with the Teals.

Then the Ali party is also aligning with the Greens, in preference deals. Now they have joined up of their own volition, it should be so easy to pick them off with messaging –
Vote ALP and get PM Bandit and deputy Faruqui. High tax, super tax, no capital gains, no dividends, they want your hard earned savings to waste on their pipe dreams.

Especially with the expose of the SEC supposed charity which is really a Chinese funded front against the LNP.

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