This is because the first thing a kidnapper does is gag the victim so they cannot sound the alarm...If speaking out feels dangerous now, just imagine how much more dangerous it will get should we stay silent.
"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." —Benjamin Franklin
"At no time in history were the ones censoring speech the good guys." —RFK Jr.
"No right was deemed by the fathers of the government more sacred than the right of speech. It was in their eyes, as in the eyes of all thoughtful men, the great moral renovator of society and government." —Frederick Douglass
Because:
"Why should freedom of speech and freedom of press be allowed? Why should a government which is doing what it believes to be right allow itself to be criticized? It would not allow opposition by lethal weapons. Ideas are much more fatal things than guns. Why should any man be allowed to buy a printing press and disseminate pernicious opinions calculated to embarrass the government?" —Vladimir Lenin
"Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins." —Benjamin Franklin
"nor am I aware of any such nation that has done away with a bill of rights once it has been put in place.”
Well Prof. Williams of Melbourne U., I hate to disagree. It may still exist here in the US in documentary form and in theory. But in practice? -- Not so much.
"A normal, healthy person would look at Australia’s lack of free speech protections and say “Hmm, Australian leaders should be extremely resistant to new laws and policies which restrict speech then, because it would be very easy for those restrictions to become abusive.”
Australian leaders look at our lack of free speech protections and say “See? This means we get to take away your right to protest genocide!”"
Like most other countries, Australia is ruled over by sociopaths.
Anyway, a Bill of Rights or whatever is worth anything, only if and to the extent that it can be enforced.
Yet, a Jewish woman can sue a person, because of a blank message that she, a non-semitic person considers was anti-semitic. I get phone calls that leave no messages every day, I don't run to the police and take is far as the courts because these non-messages could be anti-Scots, or anti-Australian. Talk about desperate for exposure. I hope she has lost any customers she could have had before she did this, and even jewish customers leave.
Only to the extent that the majority of the populace believes in it, and that they retain and are willing to show their power in whatever forms necessary to enforce it.
Here in Australia we actually have no rights. Even our much vaunted 'Right of political discussion' is only 'Implied' in a single High Court ruling. It would not surprise me if some ambitious, avaricious, bottom feeding law firm was hired to try and overturn that ruling.
The lack of free speech means Australians can no longer talk about the colonialist settlers in this country and their actions to wipe out first people. Is that sobering enough!
Colonialists wrote about their actions proudly. Their attempt to complete the genocide failed.
The Federal Labor government has now introduced laws to ban those who speak about Australian history based on facts of what took place.
Fast forward to 2026, Israel is attempting the complete genocide of Palestinians (and others). At the behest of the perpetrators, the Australian Government has banned speaking about Palestine and genocide activities because an insignificant part of the current Australian population gets hurt feelings when the genocide is discussed.
We must reflect deeply about First Australians in this discussion about "free speech." Minns shows his closed mind.
Has Albo become the "real Nowhere Man"? "He's as blind as he can be, just sees what he wants to see, Nowhere man can you see me at all?" The pain of First Australians remains raw.
The national sorry day re Bondi contrasts with the current position of indigenous Australians. Let us have open discussions about history past and present.
Well put, Les. We get mealy- mouthed utterances from Albo's star-studded line-up while remaining firmly up the collective arses of Uncle Sam, Netanyahu and the Zionazi lobby. 'Straya', the gutless country. And don't get me started on AUKUS. AUKUS? FUKUS.
"That kind of arrogant, abusive authoritarianism deserves nothing but ferocious defiance."
Ferocious defiance--that's what we ALL need today... We need it to overturn the global fascist empire and bring the power to the people.
I'm so sorry that there isn't a Bill of Rights in Australia, but it sounds like it's time to agitate for one. But can't you just shut up Mr. Minns since HE doesn't have any rights to free speech, either? (Maybe just tape his fat mouth up... Yeah, I know politicians hate being gagged, but it's often necessary.)
As I stated before, we need to start using slogans and coded words to descrine Israel and those Jews who support this terrorist state. Jewish lobby groups will be out there demanding thier withdrawal and seen as a hate crime. When our government starts to ban words and slogans, they will look very stupid indeed
Have you read Orwell's 1984? That's what the Govt. did - ban common words - hence newspeak and doublespeak. They (the Govt.) don't care about 'looking stupid' as long as they have the power to control people.
Suppose you do have a "bill of rights". So what? It's just a piece of paper. Who gives a shit what they wrote on it? You don't need anyone's permission to speak. Stop playing their game.
When the killer says to the future executee, put your hands behind your back, walk over there, kneel down; I always wonder why the victim complies. You’re going to kill me anyway right. So fuck you, I’m not making it easy for you.
You’re right, compliance with many of these rules is voluntary.
The censoring favoring fascist thugs can, that's right, fuck right off. We'll say WTF we want, speech based on objective facts and the mother fucking truth. You Zionist Muslim hating racist supremacists don't like the truth? Too fucking bad. Eat shit and drop dead. Fuckers
Good grief. So you’re saying the people of Minneapolis should start blasting away at ICE goons? Yeah, that’ll work.
People have to be willing to put themselves in harms way via mass nonviolent civil disobedience, à la Gandhi and MLK, to break the back of tyranny by turning the majority against it.
Thinking a personal arsenal, or even militias of personal arsenals, will will win out against Palantir, drones, and the military hardware of a tyrannical government is ludicrous.
I'm all for nonviolent civil disobedience, but people who are completely disarmed pose zero threat to tyrannical governments. However, if people are armed, it will give the tyrants pause, because there are many more of us than there are of them. and there is always such a thing as the breaking point of a society. What you propose is nothing short of national suicide of a bunch of sheep. You are making the mistake of thinking that governments are benevolent instead of malevolent. No wars have ever been won by disarmed peoples.
Yeah, because life is all about winning wars for you Manichaean lickspittles. What you propose, is, in fact, the national suicide, and we’re living it here in the apple pie USofA. ICE, cop killers, school shootings, assassinations, mass casualty events. We’re awash with guns, and that has posed zero threat to what has been a tyrannical imperialist government for the entirety of my 70+-year lifetime. Grow up.
I’ve been banging on about this for years but the independently funded Human Rights Law Centre is currently working on a Bill of Human Rights - as recently as last month.
This is because the first thing a kidnapper does is gag the victim so they cannot sound the alarm...If speaking out feels dangerous now, just imagine how much more dangerous it will get should we stay silent.
"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." —Benjamin Franklin
"At no time in history were the ones censoring speech the good guys." —RFK Jr.
"No right was deemed by the fathers of the government more sacred than the right of speech. It was in their eyes, as in the eyes of all thoughtful men, the great moral renovator of society and government." —Frederick Douglass
Because:
"Why should freedom of speech and freedom of press be allowed? Why should a government which is doing what it believes to be right allow itself to be criticized? It would not allow opposition by lethal weapons. Ideas are much more fatal things than guns. Why should any man be allowed to buy a printing press and disseminate pernicious opinions calculated to embarrass the government?" —Vladimir Lenin
"Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins." —Benjamin Franklin
Yes, Yes, Yes....thank you for posting...YES!
"nor am I aware of any such nation that has done away with a bill of rights once it has been put in place.”
Well Prof. Williams of Melbourne U., I hate to disagree. It may still exist here in the US in documentary form and in theory. But in practice? -- Not so much.
"A normal, healthy person would look at Australia’s lack of free speech protections and say “Hmm, Australian leaders should be extremely resistant to new laws and policies which restrict speech then, because it would be very easy for those restrictions to become abusive.”
Australian leaders look at our lack of free speech protections and say “See? This means we get to take away your right to protest genocide!”"
Like most other countries, Australia is ruled over by sociopaths.
Anyway, a Bill of Rights or whatever is worth anything, only if and to the extent that it can be enforced.
Yet, a Jewish woman can sue a person, because of a blank message that she, a non-semitic person considers was anti-semitic. I get phone calls that leave no messages every day, I don't run to the police and take is far as the courts because these non-messages could be anti-Scots, or anti-Australian. Talk about desperate for exposure. I hope she has lost any customers she could have had before she did this, and even jewish customers leave.
Only to the extent that the majority of the populace believes in it, and that they retain and are willing to show their power in whatever forms necessary to enforce it.
Adorable he pretends USA has a constitution that’s still applicable… sorry you’re as fucked as USA
Our (HUMAN) Rights were given to us by Our Creator.......which means that NO ONE, including 'government', can take them away!!
If ANYONE ('govt') states that they have POWER over you, challenge them!
If they BELIEVE that they do, remind them that SLAVERY (the OWNERSHIP of another Human, by a Human), is UNLAWFUL!!
Does Australia have Slavery Laws?
If so, then SUE the 'Slave Master(s)'!
(after one has filed criminal charges, of course)
Here in Australia we actually have no rights. Even our much vaunted 'Right of political discussion' is only 'Implied' in a single High Court ruling. It would not surprise me if some ambitious, avaricious, bottom feeding law firm was hired to try and overturn that ruling.
The lack of free speech means Australians can no longer talk about the colonialist settlers in this country and their actions to wipe out first people. Is that sobering enough!
Colonialists wrote about their actions proudly. Their attempt to complete the genocide failed.
The Federal Labor government has now introduced laws to ban those who speak about Australian history based on facts of what took place.
Fast forward to 2026, Israel is attempting the complete genocide of Palestinians (and others). At the behest of the perpetrators, the Australian Government has banned speaking about Palestine and genocide activities because an insignificant part of the current Australian population gets hurt feelings when the genocide is discussed.
We must reflect deeply about First Australians in this discussion about "free speech." Minns shows his closed mind.
Has Albo become the "real Nowhere Man"? "He's as blind as he can be, just sees what he wants to see, Nowhere man can you see me at all?" The pain of First Australians remains raw.
The national sorry day re Bondi contrasts with the current position of indigenous Australians. Let us have open discussions about history past and present.
Well put, Les. We get mealy- mouthed utterances from Albo's star-studded line-up while remaining firmly up the collective arses of Uncle Sam, Netanyahu and the Zionazi lobby. 'Straya', the gutless country. And don't get me started on AUKUS. AUKUS? FUKUS.
FUKUS - absolutely!!!
"That kind of arrogant, abusive authoritarianism deserves nothing but ferocious defiance."
Ferocious defiance--that's what we ALL need today... We need it to overturn the global fascist empire and bring the power to the people.
I'm so sorry that there isn't a Bill of Rights in Australia, but it sounds like it's time to agitate for one. But can't you just shut up Mr. Minns since HE doesn't have any rights to free speech, either? (Maybe just tape his fat mouth up... Yeah, I know politicians hate being gagged, but it's often necessary.)
Love the suggestion TRC, I really wish we could gag ALL the politicians!
As I stated before, we need to start using slogans and coded words to descrine Israel and those Jews who support this terrorist state. Jewish lobby groups will be out there demanding thier withdrawal and seen as a hate crime. When our government starts to ban words and slogans, they will look very stupid indeed
Have you read Orwell's 1984? That's what the Govt. did - ban common words - hence newspeak and doublespeak. They (the Govt.) don't care about 'looking stupid' as long as they have the power to control people.
Suppose you do have a "bill of rights". So what? It's just a piece of paper. Who gives a shit what they wrote on it? You don't need anyone's permission to speak. Stop playing their game.
When the killer says to the future executee, put your hands behind your back, walk over there, kneel down; I always wonder why the victim complies. You’re going to kill me anyway right. So fuck you, I’m not making it easy for you.
You’re right, compliance with many of these rules is voluntary.
The censoring favoring fascist thugs can, that's right, fuck right off. We'll say WTF we want, speech based on objective facts and the mother fucking truth. You Zionist Muslim hating racist supremacists don't like the truth? Too fucking bad. Eat shit and drop dead. Fuckers
Kike boy Minns is a disgusting Traitor of all patriotic Australians .Its time Australians stood up to these illegal Govts and Pollies
I didn't know this about Australia.
If you want freedom of speech, you first need the weaponry to defend yourself from tyranny. Without guns, you have no way to do that.
Good grief. So you’re saying the people of Minneapolis should start blasting away at ICE goons? Yeah, that’ll work.
People have to be willing to put themselves in harms way via mass nonviolent civil disobedience, à la Gandhi and MLK, to break the back of tyranny by turning the majority against it.
Thinking a personal arsenal, or even militias of personal arsenals, will will win out against Palantir, drones, and the military hardware of a tyrannical government is ludicrous.
I'm all for nonviolent civil disobedience, but people who are completely disarmed pose zero threat to tyrannical governments. However, if people are armed, it will give the tyrants pause, because there are many more of us than there are of them. and there is always such a thing as the breaking point of a society. What you propose is nothing short of national suicide of a bunch of sheep. You are making the mistake of thinking that governments are benevolent instead of malevolent. No wars have ever been won by disarmed peoples.
Yeah, because life is all about winning wars for you Manichaean lickspittles. What you propose, is, in fact, the national suicide, and we’re living it here in the apple pie USofA. ICE, cop killers, school shootings, assassinations, mass casualty events. We’re awash with guns, and that has posed zero threat to what has been a tyrannical imperialist government for the entirety of my 70+-year lifetime. Grow up.
Censorship is the tool they use when their lies lose their power.
I’ve been banging on about this for years but the independently funded Human Rights Law Centre is currently working on a Bill of Human Rights - as recently as last month.
www.HRLC.com.au