That’s the question on the lips of many New Yorkers right now as the Empire State Building was bathed in red and yellow light, in honour of the 60th anniversary of China’s communist revolution overnight, US time.
The Empire State Building shone in red and yellow lights over New York City on Wednesday night to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the bloody communist takeover.
The building’s managers say they have honored a host of countries, including Canada, India and Australia, but as of Wednesday that list of honorees now includes one of the world’s last great authoritarian regimes.
Tourists were squirming as the city’s 102-story landmark — which gained a special significance for New Yorker’s after 9/11, when it again became Manhattan’s tallest building — was being converted into a shining red beacon for Chinese communism.
“I think it’s a bad idea,” said Dick Paasch, 69, from Billings, Montana. “The Chinese Revolution … in the years 1958-1960, there were something like 26 million people starved to death. Why would we want to celebrate something like that?
“I think the Chinese have come a long way since then, but I certainly wouldn’t celebrate the revolution,” he said.
[..]
New York politicians have paid notice as well, and say they are let down by the light-up. Rep. Anthony Weiner, [Democrat – New York], said it was a mistake to pay tribute to what he called “a nation with a shameful history on human rights.”
Historians of the revolution noted the unimaginable — and often forgotten — toll of the revolution and China’s communist rule, which has taken tens of millions of lives through years of war, famine, reeducation and wholesale slaughter.
“China gets treatment that other dictatorships can only dream of — a free pass on human rights,” said Arthur Waldron, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
The revolution and its aftermath may have been deadlier than any world war: though estimates vary, research from the historian Chang Jung shows that as many as 72 million people died as a result.
I was thinking much the same thing when Seven News covered the celebrations in China, with gushing praise for its choreography. Sure, cover the celebrations, but how can you claim to have a balanced news service if you’re going to praise one of the most lethal events in the planet’s history, without explaining the death toll properly? If the communist revolution had happened last year, then you could get away with briefly mentioning the death toll as it would still be fairly fresh in viewers’ minds, but a deadly event which happened sixty years ago needs much better coverage than what it was given.
As for the people responsible for colouring the building in this manner…where does free speech end and treason begin? Clearly it’s further along than this, but it couldn’t be much further along.
At the very least, this has rekindled passionate discussion of why we shouldn’t celebrate China’s dreadful communist history when it comes to its horrid human rights record.
US left-wing activist group ACORN (The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) will face court, charged with illegal activities which led to the registration of fake voters before last year’s US federal election.
ACORN (The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), and Amy Busefink, its former regional supervisor, are each facing 13 criminal counts for allegedly running an illegal incentive program that paid bonuses or terminated employees based on the number of voters they registered. Prosecutors say such policies are a violation of state law and directly led to the thousands of fraudulent voter registrations turned in by ACORN in last year’s election cycle. Arraignment in the case is set for October 14th.
Back in May on 1WAY FM’s morning show I discussed the charges with KXNT reporter Julianne Thomas. That interview contains a lot of background information about the charges so I’m reposting it now for your reference.
[audio:http://mediapoint.org.au/podcasts/0000016236.mp3] Download MP3
I really don’t comprehend the anger that so many people have for company directors and the like who are on multi-million dollar salaries. I mean, I understand the notion of not seeing how their office job could possibly be worth that much seeing as they get to sit in a nice air-conditioned office all day…but I don’t think people who have a problem with these salaries truly understand the nature of the work many of these people do, or how many people are affected by their position. These highly paid positions are enormously powerful and come with a great deal of responsibility…and as the saying goes, have you ever seen a poor man employing people?
The reason I mention this is that 2CC’s Mark Parton has written a blog post which knocked me off my feet, seemingly in support of changes to the Corporations Act which are being proposed by the Rudd government. To quote the relevant bits from Mark’s blog:
As I understand it, regular Joe investors will be given the power to sack entire company boards. I gather that ever director would be forced to stand down if as few as 20 percent of shareholders voted twice against executive salary packages…which may be a bit of overkill.
The big companies will be forced into greater transparancy and CEO’s will not be in a position to decide their own pay packets.
I understand that the report has dismissed calls to put a cap on how much CEO’s are paid.
We’ll see what gets put on the table later today. I think the mood is such that we need change in this area because a select few have just robbed us blind for far too long. It can’t continue.
Allan Moss formerly of Macquarie Bank is the most striking example. He was paid nearly $25 million in 2008. How can anyone be worth $25 million for a years work. That’s obscene !
I don’t usually get worked up enough to respond to Mark, but that kind of anti-business sentiment ruins economies, and it got me going (it probably didn’t help that I was already in an agitated mood). I have submitted by response to his blog, and am copying it here because I probably would have blogged about the subject anyway, and it saves me from writing another blog post about the same thing.
My response is below, in full.
I totally disagree. It’s called the free market, and directors are being paid whatever they’re able to be paid, just like the rest of us. In the case of Allan Moss, he was getting paid that much to deliver a strong return for investors, and in 2008 Macquarie had a 2.2 billion dollar profit before tax (1.8 after tax) which is a few hundred million dollars more than the previous year [1]. I’d say he earned his income.
As for the 20% can vote out a board…so much for a democracy. Hypothetically, why should I as a 60% or 70% owner of a company, be able to be overruled by a 20% minority…that’s like giving the Greens a pro-rata vote so that they’re equal to the Labor party in the legislative assembly even though they hold the least number of seats.
I agree in principle that directors shouldn’t be able to set their own remuneration without oversight from the shareholders (majority approval would be a working model), but I also believe that shareholders should also be able to vote to give the directors power of veto if that’s what the shareholders want.
The free market/capitalist system works when it’s allowed to work. Imposing socialist ideals on top of it such as income caps does nothing to incentivise people to work harder and help the business grow, which in turn leads to more employment, and more wealth for all, not just the people at the top of the pyramid.
Telstra have documented their efforts to repair the cables which were cut in the Sydney CBD by an Energy Australia contractor a few weeks ago, in a rather interesting video.
Even if I’ve achieved nothing else by watching this, at least I have seen another bit of the inside of a telephone exchange. One day I should ring Telstra and see how much I would have to pay for a guided tour of my local exchange.
Here’s some news that I find pleasing. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been re-elected in Germany’s federal election, and has had the good fortune of having the centre-right parties claiming a virtually unbeatable number of votes, allowing her to now form coalitions with the parties on her side of politics, rather than forming a squabble with the left-wing parties as she was forced to do in her first term.
This is not only a vote of confidence in Angela and her party (who claimed 34% of the vote), but in her side of politics (the main three parties of which claimed 49% of the vote), and a vote against the main left-wing party who recorded their lowest number of votes since World War Two (23.5%).
It’s nice to see these glimmers of hope occasionally, and see that bits of the world are waking up to the fact that governments and countries based on conservative and capitalist principles benefit everyone, not just in economic terms, but in terms of personal liberty and freedom as well.
I struggle to comprehend a situation where this would be acceptable. Surely this is why we have national anthems, so that children sing about their pride in their country, and not about their political leaders.
A video posted on YouTube appears to show a New Jersey elementary school class being taught to sing praises of the “great accomplishments” of President Obama.
The video shows nearly 20 young children taught a song overflowing with campaign slogans and praise for “Barack Hussein Obama,” repeatedly chanting the president’s name and celebrating his accomplishments, including his “great plans” to “make this country’s economy No. 1 again.”
The video identifies the kids as students at the B. Bernice Young Elementary School in Burlington, N.J., with taping taking place last June.
The song quotes directly from the spiritual “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” though Jesus’ name is replaced with Obama’s: “He said red, yellow, black or white/All are equal in his sight. Barack Hussein Obama.”
There are two songs in the video, lyrics in linked story and quoted below.
(The Fox video is identical to the YouTube video except for the Fox logo. I choose to embed the Fox video because it’s more likely to stay online. The YouTube video is linked above if you don’t want to take my word for it.)
Song 1:
Mm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said that all must lend a hand
To make this country strong again
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said we must be fair today
Equal work means equal pay
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said that we must take a stand
To make sure everyone gets a chance
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said red, yellow, black or white
All are equal in his sight
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
Yes!
Mmm, mmm, mm
Barack Hussein Obama
Song 2:
Hello, Mr. President we honor you today!
For all your great accomplishments, we all doth say “hooray!”
Hooray, Mr. President! You’re number one!
The first black American to lead this great nation!
Hooray, Mr. President we honor your great plans
To make this country’s economy number one again!
Hooray Mr. President, we’re really proud of you!
And we stand for all Americans under the great Red, White, and Blue!
So continue —- Mr. President we know you’ll do the trick
So here’s a hearty hip-hooray —-
Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!
One word: indoctrination.
Just to be clear, nobody, least of all me, is claiming or implying that Obama knows about or endorses this activity. The blame here appears to lie squarely on the shoulders of the teachers involved.
The Victorian Police have issued a blunt warning to drivers attending the AFL Grand Final on Saturday…you will be breathalysed.
Every driver will be tested as they leave the MCG carpark with the aim of removing drunk drivers from the road.
“We’re putting the message out early – if you’re planning to drink and drive, think again because there is a very high chance that you will be caught,” Superintendent Leane said.
“It’s a simple thing to avoid. If you want to have a few drinks on the day, organise a designated driver, take public transport or hop in a taxi.”
There will also be a higher-than-usual number of random breath tests conducted throughout Melbourne on Saturday night, and a large police presence at the Grand Final.
So, how many people will be arrested? Do Centrebet have a market on this?
The Australian Competition and Consumer Comission has won the first legal battle against Powerballwin.com.au, which claimed to be able to predict the Powerball numbers in a way which expands on a theory I have had for some time.
A SYDNEY company promising a guaranteed win at Powerball has had its assets frozen by court order following legal action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Powerballwin.com.au Pty Ltd offered a “100 per cent guarantee” to provide the correct Powerball number and help subscribers choose the next five numbers, Federal Court documents show.
The company claimed its system was based on “mathematics, statistics, computer modelling and the complex study of the theory of random probability”, court documents said.
However, the ACCC this week won a court injunction against the company and four men, suspending the scheme and freezing their bank accounts until a further hearing tomorrow.
The promoters disputed the theory that lottery balls fell in random patterns and promised subscribers a system to help them win “all divisions of Powerball”, court documents said.
[..]
However, the ACCC said in court documents the promoters did not have insider information, and were engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct.
[..]
One of the company’s ads included in the [ACCC] application stated: “Win Powerball this Thursday! The first Australian Powerball draw was conducted at 8.28pm on May 23, 1996. After analysing each number drawn excluding the Powerball number since its introduction, we have made an amazing discovery that disputes the theory of random probability and has totally shocked experts.”
I have disputed for a long time the notion that lottery numbers are drawn in a purely random manner for the simple reason that, for this to be true, the balls would all need to weigh exactly the same amount, have the exact same shape (including surface area covered by numbers) and receive an equal amount of the air being pumped in to the lottery machine.
Predicting lottery numbers accurately is, in my view, a simple (OK, simple might not be the right word) matter of knowing the original position of each ball, knowing the precise characteristics of each ball and the machine being used, knowing the characteristics of the air being pumped in to the machine, and then putting it all together with some physics modelling.
That said, knowing all of this information is more-or-less impossible, and knowing it far enough in advance to run a simulation which can predict the lotto numbers is even less likely. Knowing a subset of the information and making a “close enough” prediction is much more likely (and is similar to predicting the weather). I suspect that this lottery prediction service, if the people behind it are being honest, has monitored enough Powerball draws to gather a significant subset of the information.
If they are on the level, then they should have a high enough accuracy rate to prove their case in court…and if they’re feeling generous they might even give the ACCC a complimentary prediction so that the ACCC can cover the court costs without burdening taxpayers.
One thing about this court case will be very interesting though…if the lottery prediction service is legitimate, then it will be interesting to see how much of their research and formula ends up in public court documents. If enough of it is made public, then the business model will be void, as anybody would be able to predict the numbers for themself without the aid of the lottery prediction business. If that happens, you can expect the ACCC to be sued for destroying the business, and quite possibly for the value of every Powerball jackpot in the next decade or three.
News Limited papers today are carrying a story by Glenn Milne about Kevin Rudd’s latest outburst, and it’s rather interesting to see the various adaptions of it which are being run by the various editors of News Limited newspapers.
News.com.au is running the story from Melbourne’s The Sunday Herald Sun with the headline “PM Kevin Rudd swears at MPs over allowances”, Adelaide Now (Adelaide’s Sunday Mail) has the headline “Cranky Kev blasts MPs in @$%#! tirade”, while over at Sydney’s The Sunday Telegraph it’s “Rudd’s ‘f***ing’ rant at factions”.
The Adelaide and Sydney papers are running the same version of the story with minor alterations from the papers’ editors. The opening paragraph of the Adelaide edition reads:
KEVIN Rudd has had another expletive-laden brain snap – this time in front of a group of Labor’s faction bosses, including three women MPs.
Sydney is the same, except for using the term “brain explosion” rather than “brain snap”.
Anyhoo, the story…Kevin had another outburst, this time aimed squarely at his own parliamentarians.
The outburst on September 7, which shocked even the hardened ALP operatives who witnessed it, occurred after the faction leaders met in the Prime Minister’s Parliament House office to object to government plans to slash MPs printing allowances from $100,000 to $75,000 a year.
At the meeting were MPs Sharryn Jackson, Maria Vamvakinou and Senator Carol Brown, all from the Left faction and Senator Michael Forshaw, South Australian Senator Don Farrell and Senator David Feeney, from the Right.
Three of the MPs present put an initial case to the Prime Minister to retain the printing allowances, which the Government has decided to scrap after a report into parliamentary perks by the Commonwealth Auditor-General.
It was when Senator Feeney, a former Victorian State Secretary spoke up, that Mr Rudd “exploded”.
Mr Rudd then said: “I don’t care what you f—ers think!”
Singling out Senator Feeney, he said: “You can get f—ed”, before asking in regard to the printing allowance issue: “Don’t you f—ing understand?”
A much more detailed expletive-riddled verbal onslaught followed.
This is really a double-edged sword for Kevin Rudd. On the one hand, there are a lot of people who will identify with him as an “ordinary bloke” which will probably do his popularity a world of good in the short term, but more importantly it is another blow to the public image which Kevin and his PR team have worked hard to produce of a well-mannered diplomat with amazing negotiation and placating skills.
A lot of the credit for Kevin Rudd’s 2007 election victory belongs to his public image, and the fact that his public image is unravelling has to be a cause for concern…although as long as the opposition has a bigger concern in their rudderless leader Malcom Turnbull, Kevin’s job is almost certainly secure.
The New South Wales Police really do produce some amusing press releases in between the continual stream of carnage.
Shortly before 8am on Monday, 14 September police were conducting enforcement operations at the intersection of Park Road and The Northern Road at Luddenham.
Police stopped a car which had failed to stop at the stop sign and spoke to the driver.
The 67-year-old Wallacia man told police he had never held a licence during the 50 years he had been driving. He was charged with not stop at stop sign/line and unlicensed driver never held. He will appear at the Liverpool Local Court on 5 October.
If it has happened in the ACT, the press release would have been very different. It would have droned on and on about “compliance” and “lives at risk”…and the number would probably have been lower than 50 years. In New South Wales, they recognise it as such an annoying regular occurrence for Police that it’s hardly worth the extra effort of press release paperwork unless the number is a big one.
In the ACT, we would have also heard about how the wondrous technology of number plate recognition is getting these people off our roads on a daily basis…they may be right, and I have no doubt that it is harder to get away with unlicensed driving now than it used to be, but I am continually amused by the different approach used by New South Wales and ACT Police on the matter.
ALI MOORE: After today’s numbers though, and looking at the trends for the last couple of months, where do you think unemployment is going to peak now?
KEVIN RUDD: Well of course the Government, advised by the Treasury, will put out our estimates come the time for the mid-year financial and economic outlook.
ALI MOORE: But do you think 8.5 is still realistic?
KEVIN RUDD: Ali, I have been around long enough to know that you don’t pluck a number from space. We have had some encouragement in terms of these most recent numbers. Remember the unemployment rate in the United States at present is tipping 10 per cent.
And also bear in mind Treasury’s advice that had we not engaged in our stimulus strategy, our nation building for recovery plan that we too would have been headed in the direction of 10 per cent and right now we’d be in the depths of recession, but we still have a long way to go.
What? We haven’t reached US unemployment levels, and so we should be happy? Come off it Kevin. The US have a president who said unemployment would be kept below current levels, but has since been killing jobs with his policies. We would have to have a major collapse to reach US levels.
The reality is that, whilst the official unemployment numbers have not moved, the number of people in full time work has decreased significantly, and of course none of this takes in to account the people who can’t be bothered dealing with the Centrelink bureaucracy and therefore don’t register on the unemployment figures…me being one of them. The amount of time I have spent out of work this year far outweighs the amount of time I have spent in work, but from previous experience, I have no intention of dealing with the Centrelink paperwork nightmare surrounding my intermittent employment, or deal with their need to shoehorn me in to any old job they can push me in to.
Kevin, there is plenty of work to do. It is not the time, right now, to pat yourself on the back because you haven’t caused the carnage that your mate Barry Bamster has.
Victoria’s “10/30 right” land-clearing laws for bushfire protection were passed in to law yesterday, allowing landowners to take practical steps to help protect their property.
Landowners in Victoria now have the right to clear vegetation, including trees, from within ten metres of their house, and any ground fuel within 30 metres of their house without a permit.
The Local Government and Shires Association of New South Wales’ water conference wraps up in Deniliquin today.
The Victorian Government is reminding residents that the fruit fly season is about to start again, and that residents can help to control the pest.
Agriculture minister Joe Helper says disposing of old fallen fruit, harvesting and consuming fruit as soon as it ripens, and not leaving ripe fruit on trees are the best ways to help stop fruit flies from breeding.
Changes to Australia’s private health insurance laws were voted down in federal parliament yesterday, and federal member for Farrer, Susan Ley, says this is good news for the 70 per cent of people in the Farrer electorate who are covered by private insurance.
Police are still searching for an elderly Echuca man who has been missing since Monday afternoon.
The New South Wales government is reviewing its Bovine Johne’s Disease program, to see if restrictions can be lifted.
And Dr. John Williams, the New South Wales Natural Resources Commissioner is touring river red gum forests in the Riverina.
Greenham Murray Football and Netball is in Finley tomorrow. In the football seniors, the first preliminary final between Moama and Barooga, the winner will meet Tocumwal in the grand final, while in the netball A grade preliminary final, Numurkah verse Tocumwal for a spot in the grand final against Tongala.
In the Goulburn Valley Football semi-finals, Tatura verse Rochester in Benalla tomorrow afternoon, and Mansfield verse Kyabram in Maroopna on Sunday.
In GV Netball’s semi-finals, the Shepparton Swans clash with Shepparton tomorrow, and Shepparton United verse Echuca on Sunday.
The 125th Jerilderie Gold Cup is on tomorrow.
And in Deni Ladies indoor netball last night, Monkey Magic defeated the Mixtures 30 to 12. Odds n Ends were too good for the Amcal Crocs 33 to 18. The RSL Retreads had an eight point win over Whatever, 38 to 30. And the Mixtures returned to the court but went down again, this time to NSS, 38 to 27.
The Deniliquin Pastoral and Agricultural show, which celebrated its 130th year this year, has been cancelled for next year due to financial issues and the extended drought.
Echuca Police are concerned for the welfare of an elderly man who has been missing since Monday.
82-year-old Sydney Ferres was last seen at his home in Landsborough Street on Monday afternoon by a neighbour.
The Southern 80 Waterski race has put a call out to local businesses for help, as it struggles to find the funds required to continue beyond this year, after it posted its fourth straight annual loss.
The Victorian government is set to divert further water to Melbourne, this time taking 12,000 mega litres from the Wimmera Mallee pipeline, and ten thousand mega litres from the Thomson river.
10 school children and a bus driver were taken to Deniliquin Hospital yesterday after a school bus and a four wheel drive collided at the corner of Blackett and Ochetyre Streets in Deniliquin around 8:40 yesterday morning.
They were all taken to Deniliquin hospital in a stable condition. An eleven year-old boy has been transferred to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne since then for further treatment, the rest of the children have been released, and the bus driver remains in the hospital in a satisfactory condition.
51-year-old Des Campbell will face the New South Wales supreme court on the 2nd of October, accused of the murder of his wife, former Deniliquin woman Janet Anne Campbell in March 2005.
In round two of Deni Badminton’s spring competition, Mars 4 games 415 points were barred a win by Snickers 10 games 432 points on Monday.
In the night’s other game, Picnic 10 games 455 points defeated Aero 4 games 376.
And the Deni Rovers Football and Netball Club’s award and presentation night will be held tomorrow at the Deni golf club.
10 school children and a bus driver have been taken to Deniliquin Hospital following a collision between a school bus and a four wheel drive at about 8:40 this morning, at the corner of Blackett and Ochetyre Streets.
Police, seven ambulance crews and the fire brigade attended the scene and treated 11 people for relatively minor injuries. The ambulance service says one patient had a head injury, they’ve taken spinal precautions with another, and treated nine patients for minor injuries including abrasions, lacerations and bruising.
They are all in a stable condition.
The occupants of the four-wheel drive, believed to be a woman and four young children, were not injured or taken to hospital.
Police have seized a large amount of drugs, weapons and illegal fireworks in a series of raids in Cobram and Numurkah yesterday, putting a serious dent in the illegal drug supply in the region.
More than 150 delegates are converging on Deniliquin today for the start of the three-day Local Government and Shires Association of New South Wales Water Management Conference.
Hundreds of school kids across the region got a chance to meet their AFL heroes, and heckle their AFL opponents, when over half a dozen AFL players came through the area yesterday for footy clinics as part of the Toyota Aurion V6 All Star Tour Bus program.
Cattle graziers who formerly grazed their cattle in the Barmah Forest are being offered financial assistance and free professional advice by the Victorian government, now that grazing in the forest has been banned.
Organisers of the Deni Ute Muster are trying to set two world records this year.
And the Port of Echuca have announced that the annual Celebration Of Steam, showcasing 100 years of steam-powered transport, will be held on the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of October.
The lineup for this weekend’s Murray Football and Netball finals has been announced. It all takes place in Finley on Saturday from 9am.
In the footy, Barooga Verse Tongala in the reserves, and Barooga Verse Moama in the Seniors, whilst in the Netball, Numurkah verse Tocumwal in A Grade and Congupna verse Numurkah in B grade.
And finally, in last week’s golfing action at the Tocumwal Golf Club, Marg Lemsing, Edna Lloyd, Anne Brown and Gwenda Walsh won the ladies drop-out ambrose. Phil Dungan was the A grade men’s winner, and Pam Brierly was the ladies winner in the Legacy Charity Day stableford. And in Saturday’s medley stableford, Edna Lloyd was the ladies A grade winner, while Geo Martin took out A grade for the men.
Samuel
Note: Before anybody has a go at me for contradicting the police press release about the bus/car crash, the ambulance press release is the one I’m using for numbers as it is much more detailed and was issued locally, not through the Sydney Media Centre…and nobody in the local police is authorised to speak about the issue.
The building’s managers say they have honored a host of countries, including Canada, India and Australia, but as of Wednesday that list of honorees now includes one of the world’s last great authoritarian regimes.