There is a number of large decisions being made in the world right now. Many people are rethinking their financial future, others are wondering if they will have a financial future. There are even others that are thinking of how to get out of it all with the shirts on their back.
While I understand (and share a lot of these concerns) one thing that is really worrying me right now is how much power a very small section of the Australian government has over the rights of the adult population.
Yes, this might be a political issue and it might be something someone will comment on saying "but it's for the good of the xyz". But really, I am more concerned about this than I am about the financial "crisis" that is happening right now.
The "crisis" we at least have a way out of, we can tighten out belts live a little quieter and survive through it. Our grandparents did through the Great Depression, the 1970s and 80s in Australia had the crazy interest rates. People survived those and in fact some even blossomed.

What we don't have a choice in though - is the dickhead Christian tosser sitting in South Australia branch of the Federal Government deciding that the entire Australia public can't decide for themselves what they wish to watch, see, listen too, experience. Hell, even gain pleasure from.

Yup, I'm talking about the bullshit "Internet Filter" that is going on right now. We have an entire government jumping to the tune of one fucktard in South Australia and a very small section of people in Canberra. All of these "people" assume that the adult population of Australia can't handle what the see, watch, listen, etc to without restrictions.

Because we're obviously not adult enough to make these decisions.

There has been an arguement lately about introducing an R18 rating for computer games. Since a large university has just released a study saying that the average age of gamers in this country (yes, girls are even gamers these days!) has actually increased. Know what? It's increased from 28 to 30.

Mmm, that to me looks a little bit more than 18. But no, games are for children, so we can't have an R18 rating system for something children play.

Wait, but if the average age of gamers is 30 ... doesn't that mean that there are a LOT of people over the age of 18 playing these things?

No, of course not - games are for children. We must protect the children. ... If you missed it, there was a fucking truckload of sarcasm in those sentences.

On top of this "games are for children" fucktardary, there is the stupid-fucking "Protect the children" arguement. The Federal Communication Idiot is still pushing his "Internet Filter" to "Protect the children" from the nasty big bad world.

You know, that nasty big bad world that parents down the ages have protected their own children from. But apparently parents aren't allowed to do that anymore. Everyone has to think of all the children and live their lives as if there is a child, a priest/nun and some form of politican in the room.

The major thing that has happened in the last week, has been the "announcement" by (I believe, can't find the link) the "Family First" Fuckwits - they not only want to push this filter, but they want it increased to include ALL material that is not currently classified by the Australian Classification Board.

Therefore anything that is not "G, PG, M, MA15+, etc" you won't be able to access from anywhere in Australia (legally). Anything - and I mean any sorts of porn (unless you're in Canberra of course), any sorts of gambling sites (of course I'm sure TAB will get an excemption) and so many other things.

Then we get to the serious problem. As if the restrictions of what adults in this country wish to do with their spare time.

The department that will be "controlling" what we can and can't see - will answer to no one.

If they decide to block a site. It will be blocked. No ifs, buts or whatevers. If someone "persuades" the government in power that the australian adult population "shouldn't" see ... let's say "ways that the christian bible is wrong" (as I know the fucktards in Family First are pushing) - then anything on the web regarding this topic will be blocked. No one else will have a say in this and at this point in time there will be no way to get this decision reversed.

This sites will be blocked forever and a day. Or more if they decide it is so.

The world is changing at a rate that is unprecidented. I cannot deny this. But trying to drag the adult population back to the "good old days" when the government knew best and the people had no idea (or were told they weren't to have an idea) isn't going to stop progression. It will get a LOT of people pissed off at a select group.

The problem being, the pissed off people won't stay pissed off for long. These people will get around these stupid "filters" by means of the same technology. It's not going to protect anyone and all it will do is slow down an already disgustingly slow internet and stop any potential for Australia to be in any way part of the technological future.

I remember reading once - the Australian Government, many years ago, was given a choice. To invest in either continuing farming (in places that farming was and still is the worst choice) or invest in the first computers. The "government" decided to pushing farming. We could have had our own Silicon Valley - we could have been at the forefront of technology today - we could have had more and more money rolling in as people in other countries said "Wow, Australia is really going places with those computer things.

No, we decided to fuck the environment even more with sheep and cows - just because that's how we did things last week.


I really am pissed off by these decisions. I have even written to local members of state and federal parliament. I have signed petitions and had I not been so busy today (and found out before it had finished) I would have been out today at the State Parliament Offices to take part in the peaceful protest. I for one am sick and tired of being looked down the nose by every other major country in the world for the decisions of the dinosaurs and the scared whipping boys in our Government.

End rant. At least for now. Just wait until Blogger is blocked because no one can rate it!