Australian Political & Infrastructure Discussion Thread

[Australian rePublic]

As the USA is looking to ban TikTok, we have to ask ourselves why Australia isn't doing the same, and there are only two explanations I can think of:
- Albanese is too weak to do so
-Albanese is too busy kissing Jin Ping's arse to do so
Probably both

Why is there a great need to ban TikTok?

Because it's Chinese government spyware

[Australian rePublic]

Wow the load of BS that came out of the green's leader's mouth in Tas after that election.

So when she giving her house over to them?

The Greens being cancerous rot masquerading as a political party? Who would have seen that one coming?

I'm sorry but I have no interest in Chinese spyware overrunning our country. Or are just an other Wu Mao?

Most software has built in spyware in it these days anyway (you only have to look at facebook, youtube etc), even hardware such as your computer is required to have backdoor access for the FBI and other state organizations. We already have spyware on our computers, yet the government is has done nothing about that (because that spyware is convenient for them).

Again proving my point that this is not about "protecting citizens" or "national security" this issue is just being used to distract people from more pressing circumstances. It's interesting to note as well that the 'banning tiktok' narrative is mostly coming from legacy media, who seem to be pissed that they no longer have a monopoly over information and people can get it from elsewhere.

Call me crazy but I'd rather give my information over to a compny who wants to sell me stuff than a genocidal dictatorship

[The Xenopolis Confederation]

Why is there a great need to ban TikTok?

Because it's Chinese government spyware

Should we ban Microsoft then? (U.S. government spyware)

[Washington Resistance Army]

As the USA is looking to ban TikTok, we have to ask ourselves why Australia isn't doing the same, and there are only two explanations I can think of:
- Albanese is too weak to do so
-Albanese is too busy kissing Jin Ping's arse to do so
Probably both

Why is there a great need to ban TikTok?

The general consensus, at least in the US, is that the platform functionally serves as a cyberwarfare unit for the PRC and can feed propaganda to young Americans in a way that is tremendously more effective than legacy media. You then add the concerns about data harvesting and the impact it has on mental health and attentions spans and all that and a lot of everyday folks will start nodding along at the idea of banning it.

It seems pretty silly to me though, if you're not also going to get rid of Twitter and Instagram and all the others it feels like very selective outrage. God knows Twitter has rotted even more brains than TikTok, and is a wildly useful cyberwarfare platform.

[The Xenopolis Confederation]

Why is there a great need to ban TikTok?

The general consensus, at least in the US, is that the platform functionally serves as a cyberwarfare unit for the PRC and can feed propaganda to young Americans in a way that is tremendously more effective than legacy media. You then add the concerns about data harvesting and the impact it has on mental health and attentions spans and all that and a lot of everyday folks will start nodding along at the idea of banning it.

It seems pretty silly to me though, if you're not also going to get rid of Twitter and Instagram and all the others it feels like very selective outrage. God knows Twitter has rotted even more brains than TikTok, and is a wildly useful cyberwarfare platform.

Do you have more information on TikTok being used as cyberwarfare by the PRC?

[Washington Resistance Army]

The general consensus, at least in the US, is that the platform functionally serves as a cyberwarfare unit for the PRC and can feed propaganda to young Americans in a way that is tremendously more effective than legacy media. You then add the concerns about data harvesting and the impact it has on mental health and attentions spans and all that and a lot of everyday folks will start nodding along at the idea of banning it.

It seems pretty silly to me though, if you're not also going to get rid of Twitter and Instagram and all the others it feels like very selective outrage. God knows Twitter has rotted even more brains than TikTok, and is a wildly useful cyberwarfare platform.

Do you have more information on TikTok being used as cyberwarfare by the PRC?

Not off the top of my head, its 2:30 in the morning and I'm about to go to sleep, but the gist of it from the hearings and what I've read online usually comes down to the differences in the algorithm between China proper and western nations. In China there's time limits (to prevent you from scrolling for hours and hours), child friendly versions, the algorithm tends to recommend more educational content, etc etc. Whereas in the west there's no time limits and the app tends to recommend all sorts of crazy stuff if you use it long enough.

Though it's also worth mentioning the American "ban" possibly wouldn't actually result in a ban, they'd have 180 days to sell to an American company, in which case if they did it's likely little to nothing would change.

[Perikuresu]

It's been a long time since I've been on here, another thing that's gonna take a long time is the Tassie election finishing. Ik it's old news, we know Liberals will run as a minority government

Despite Labor's loss, there were some speculations on a potential coalition with the Greens and the 2 elected independents; one which is progressive and the other a former Labor member. The concept of a Labor-Greens coalition has been tried before in Tassie, but it only lasted 1 term before they lost reelection. So far, Labor shows no interest in forming a coalition.

However even though they don't have enough seats to reach the 18 required seats needed to form government (ALP: 10, GRN: 4, IND: 2) Based off current result we could see the Jacqui Lambie Network providing confidence votes for the coalition or potentially create a "Traffic Light coalition" in Tassie.

I have some doubt the Liberals could form a minority government, I've already explained the Independents, the Greens need no introduction and the Jacqui Lambie Network is pretty pissed with the Liberals for making a website with a very similar domain name (the only difference as a ".au" at the end of the link) with her party's website to attack her. (Also the fact that she state the Liberals have been crap at governing)

Unless some of the JLN MPs decide to support the Liberals (Jacqui says it's their own decision), I find it possible that a coalition will be formed, especially since the Tassie ALP leader resigned from her leadership position meaning a new Labor leader might be open for a coalition.

However if things go well for Labor in either Lyons or Franklin then they probably will have enough seats to combine with Greens and Independents to become government without the JLN Confidence votes.

[Kaumudeen]

Call me crazy but I'd rather give my information over to a compny who wants to sell me stuff than a genocidal dictatorship

Kind of strange that you want to give your information over to a secretive company at all, but you be you.

Besides, Facebook and Google have been known to indirectly collaborate with repressive regimes and made no efforts to mitigate such risks, so your point is moot.

[San Lumen]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-68710502

Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden: Murder suspect loses council re-election bid in Australia

[Australian rePublic]

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/103661790
The NSW state government is working with the Rugby League yo get kids away from crime and into sport

Starting with Moree (probably the worst part of the state for youth crime), the New South Wales state government is working with the Rugby League (one of Australia's largest sports) to get kids, especially troubled kids to play sports instead of comotting crimes. Premier Chris Minns is a bloody legend for coming up with this initiative! Especially considering that Indigenous youth, those who are most at risk of comitting crimes, are typical partial toward sports. It genuonely warms my heart to see this intitative. Unlike the states, the federal government can constitutionally take direct control of the jurisdiction, whi h is home to Alice Springs (possibly the worst place in the country for the crisis). Alice Springs is so bad that there was a riot which lead to a temporary emergency youth curfew. If prime minister Anthony Albanese wasn't useless in an emergency, he'd have intiatives like thos too. I at least hope he copies the NSW intitative

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/103667888
Alice Springs' tourism industry is crumbling (at least partially) because of this shit and are requesting federal assistance. Now if the feds don't assist the Alice Springs tourism industry (and I hope they do), it'll just be an other point in showing how shit Albanese and government are

[Australian rePublic]

Albanese might be a shit prime minister, but at least he's not an idiotic clown like Trump or Biden

[Australian rePublic]

Can we all just agree that Albanese is EXTREMELY incompetent as a prime minister?

[Kaumudeen]

Can we all just agree that Albanese is EXTREMELY incompetent as a prime minister?

I think he is marvellous.

[Australian rePublic]

Can we all just agree that Albanese is EXTREMELY incompetent as a prime minister?

I think he is marvellous.

Despite his complete incompetence with the youth crime crisis and the freeing of the refugees who comitted crimes?

[Kaumudeen]

I think he is marvellous.

Despite his complete incompetence with the youth crime crisis and the freeing of the refugees who comitted crimes?

That's Queensland for you. Besides youth crime in general has been on the decrease in Australia, it seems that only break-ins among Queensland youth are on the increase. Seems to be a deeper problem that is the result of state as opposed to federal incompetence, get the kids playing sports or working.

[Australian rePublic]

Despite his complete incompetence with the youth crime crisis and the freeing of the refugees who comitted crimes?

That's Queensland for you. Besides youth crime in general has been on the decrease in Australia, it seems that only break-ins among Queensland youth are on the increase. Seems to be a deeper problem that is the result of state as opposed to federal incompetence, get the kids playing sports or working.

Not in Alice Springs. I already went on a long rant about his quarter-arsed approach to Alice Springs. But yea, the Queensland government are completelg shit, even worse than Albanese:

Please read my posts in this thread to see why I think he's incompetent
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=546836

[Chrysanthemum State]

Do you have more information on TikTok being used as cyberwarfare by the PRC?

Not off the top of my head, its 2:30 in the morning and I'm about to go to sleep, but the gist of it from the hearings and what I've read online usually comes down to the differences in the algorithm between China proper and western nations. In China there's time limits (to prevent you from scrolling for hours and hours), child friendly versions, the algorithm tends to recommend more educational content, etc etc. Whereas in the west there's no time limits and the app tends to recommend all sorts of crazy stuff if you use it long enough.

Though it's also worth mentioning the American "ban" possibly wouldn't actually result in a ban, they'd have 180 days to sell to an American company, in which case if they did it's likely little to nothing would change.

It is also worth mentioning that the more-sanitised version of Tiktok in mainland China is like that most likely due to their stricter digital regulations and not due to some Bejing conspiracy against the world. For example, screen time limits also exist for Chinese video games. Western countries could implement stricter age verification and content guidelines for social media in line with China if they wanted to, but most choose not to.

[Shrillland]

Keppel, QLD MP Brittany Lauga reportedly drugged and sexually assualted, informed police last week, test confirmed the presence of drugs she did not consent to using