incontrovertible proof of their disgusting, criminal perfidy [politicians, economists, fat-cats]

.. use ...

  .. your own ...

    .. senses = eyes + ears & brains

Thesis/Subtitle: We have a full-blown crisis; democracy failure.

[update]

-=*=-

1. Liberal: Far from free.

2. Propaganda: The lie is in.

3. Neo-liberal: The $-fix is in.

4. Democracy: Of, by, for is out.

-=*=-

1. Lib vs. Lab *used to be* the great ideological divide; since now in at least one v.important aspect (neo-liberalism) Lib = Lab, any 'competition' tends to be more cosmetic than on substance. Makes the recent MRRT stoush strange; it's as if Lab went back to their roots. The reaction of the fat-cat miners plus entourage was 'perfectly' standard. The miners and cohort/apologists maintain a "born to rip-off" attitude, as the Liberals maintain a "born to rule" one.

The 'best' (of course, the worst) illustration of Liberals, perhaps for all time, was given to us in whimsy; a cartoon of Fraser on a cricket-pitch, blocking the Senate (and therefore Whitlam) with a brick-wall bat.

Apropos the MRRT (RR = resource rent), temporarily termed MSPT (SP = super profit), they are the same thing, namely an attempt at returning *some* of the mining profits to the people. It was quoted that the $-return to the sheople (via government) had fallen from about 1/3rd to 1/7th, and I have a) no reason to doubt this and b) all reason to expect it - given the penetration of neo-liberal economics. The reaction of the rippers-off was also as to be expected: disgusting. A democracy that allows itself to be bought and/or bullied is also a failure.

Libs are the party of the fat-cats, always have been. Why any 'wo/man in the street' votes *for* Libs and therefore largely *against* their own interests is an enduring mystery. But see next topic (2).

It used to be that the party for honest workers was Lab (and only scabs would vote against); now that Lib = Lab = both sell-out workers by implementing erring neo-liberal policies, any division is reduced, perhaps permanently and to insignificance.

2. That propaganda is typified by lies can hardly be in dispute; for definitive proof see "The Big Lie." Also we learned, thanks, but "No, thanks!" to Howard, that "All politicians lie!" Such lies are now professionally managed (PR), co-ordinated and 'herded' into an all-encompassing 'lie-cloud,' what I like to call the pushed-propaganda paradigm. Most so-called 'debate' takes place within this lie-cloud = cloud-cuckoo-land. This is the field upon which the corrupt and venal MSM cavort, including to their eternal damnation, 'our' AusBC. It should be clear that no meaningful debate may include lies; no person (i.e. voters) may make informed decisions based on lies.

3a. Neo-liberalism: How do I detest thee? Let me count the ways. Neo-liberalism appeared sometime before Fraser, we know this because of criticism that Fraser wasted time by not introducing any. Then came Thatcher, Reagan and Hawke/Keating. At least Reagan got something right by terming neo-liberalism "voodoo economics." Lets see now; "user pays" means convert to a toll-booth economy, adding charging infrastructure, administrative overheads and new sinecures for fat-cat CEOs plus their entourages. This may be likened to "enclosing the commons," to which add "privatisation" aka flogging off the (egalitarian service providing, income producing) family silver - or the other even more cynical variation, reducing -> cancelling egalitarian services outright. At the same time as crippling the government services sector, government income is crippled by tax-cuts, affectively to the richest and least deserving. Ever more vicious reduction in government income is called "starving the beast."

3b. Then, there's the industry/jobs sector, keywords "lean and mean." A short list, hard to assign "most vicious:" off-shoring, down-sizing, out-sourcing, sub-contracting, part-timing (extend the list yourself.) Oh yeah, and "union busting," often carried out by corrupting the unions themselves, i.e. blackmail threats like: 'reduce conditions or we'll close the business,' see Opel recently in Europe. That threat made simultaneously to governments.

3c. So, having crippled governments, unions and workers, the big threat now is "Jobs!" See the current MRRT / MSPT imbroglio; the already obscenely rich fat-cat miners threaten that they'll cut investment and therefore work and therefore jobs, and the whole country then jumps through the miners' hoops. Upshot: Our non-renewable mineral resources will continue to leave the country, as will some/most/all of the profits, depending on how far we allow foreign-investment to further rip us off. Most likely result: A broke country full of empty holes.

3d. Don't forget the banking sector, and the deliberately impoverished governments which have 'bailed-out' all those banks' bad *bets* with trillions of *our* $s. (Imagine! Bankers betting, losing, then crying poor! Then the govts *gave* the failed gamblers bail-outs, based on *our tax money*!) Filthy swine, on both sides of those 'transactions.' So now to the latest; we are getting austerity programs [see update, 7Jul'10] almost everywhere, *guaranteed* to accelerate the downward, race to the dead-end-bottom spiral of rip-off idiocy.

4. Democracy: Of, by, for is out. The lies - detected by me only relatively recently - I *trusted* the AusBC, but in retrospect, the lies have been heaped upon us for all of my life. Proof: After getting *all* my news from the AusBC, I fell for the "Israel as brave David" lying propaganda. That was back in the 60s & 70s; never again. In actual fact, Israel is a criminal oppressor, has been since its year dot. Lies mean no informed voting is possible. That Lib = Lab on critical issues means we the voters have no meaningful choice. Then, consider the bipartisan implementation of neo-liberalism. This is a *massive* sell-out of we the sheople, and means that our so-called representatives are not doing their notional job, but the 180-degree exact opposite, they are (traitorously!) working *against* our interests.

-=*=-

Fazit: Neo-liberalism has been *undemocratically* forced upon us, seemingly by politicians (if they are actually in control, and not 'merely' doubly-traitorous puppets.) Proof of 'undemocratic:' No worthwhile project needs a 'cover' of lies; neo-liberalism is replete with 'em. The obvious: "Here, take this or that neo-liberalism item - it's going to be *good* for you!" Like hell. It was always fishy (notably, how can sheople of ever more depressed incomes, fewer, less-well paid jobs and fewer working hours - support a consumer-led economy?) neo-liberalism is now clearly seen to be failing everywhere, even the hapless US citizenry is suffering, perhaps a bit in advance of Aus - so we can see what's coming - and it's by no means pretty (*massive* understatement!) Q: Given the obvious failure, why is it still being rolled-out in places? Are the rollers-out so stupid? Or 'merely' criminal? Since we don't 'do' conspiracies, and do not give much if any credence to coincidence, we have to conclude that neo-liberalism was forced on us consciously - by outright traitors to us, we the sheople.

QED.

-=*=-
 
Update, 7Jul'10; PS Apropos 'austerity,' here four items, publ-time-ordered:

1. Hudson suggests taxing property:

Euro-Bankers Demand of Greece
The wealthy won’t pay their taxes, so labor must do so.
May 11, 2010
  «... And taxes on labor now are about to be jacked up to pay off the public debts resulting from the asset-price inflation and financial wreckage that property tax cuts have helped cause. This is the cause of national debts. Governments have run into debt as a result of un-taxing the wealthy in general, not just real estate.» 
[Michael Hudson]

Comment: Where taxes *should* be levied is not really too hard, and could probably be best determined by surveying successful tax-regimes. Simply un-taxing the rich à la neo-liberalism is obviously disastrous.

Comment: Hudson concentrates on taxes, another damaging 'leg' to neo-liberalism is the privatisation of govt. services; turning them into lean and mean down-sized profit-seeking fee-for-service rip-off entities. Like 'medicine for profit,' the so-called 'financial geniuses' put profit before all else, here good health-care, there good services. Makes sense, eh?

Comment: The fat-cats must feel themselves quite fat enough; look at the new (pro-fat-cat) govt. in England; they propose to work their way out of the GFC-hangover by cutting 25-40% off their govt. budget, and sacking perhaps 600k govt. workers - clearly pro-cyclic and guaranteed to make things *far, far* worse. That in the face of their fat-cat class, who must calculate that even on a contracting economy, they'll be able to remain fat.

2. Marshall offers some hope:

The Global Political Awakening and the New World Order
The Technological Revolution and the Future of Freedom, Part 1
June 24, 2010
  «... not only is the awakening global in its reach, but in its nature; it creates within the individual, an awareness of the global condition. So it is a ‘global awakening’ both in the external environment, and in the internal psychology.
This new reality in the world, ... presents a challenge to elites seeking to dominate people all over the world who are aware and awakened to the realities of social inequality, war, poverty, exploitation, disrespect, imperialism and domination» 
[globalresearch/Andrew Gavin Marshall]

Comment: Looong, and little on the austerity theme. Important is that Marshall sees the masses awakening, and the ruling kleptocrats' lies, crimes & injustices coming under increasing pressure. Article strongly recommended.

Comment: By and large there is (or has been) enough for all. If shortages loom, we must accommodate; cooperation seems better than confrontation - but it looks like the existing 'rulers' have chosen a non-peaceful way. Q: Wonder why? A: Because they don't wish to surrender even one single sou of their ill-gotten plunder.

3. Pro-neo-liberal Ms Marcus spruiks status quo (via corrupt & venal MSM; what else?):

Pitfalls of Soaking the Rich
Jul 6, 2010
  «I’m all for a more progressive tax code. But consider: The Tax Policy Center examined what it would take to avoid raising taxes on families earning less than $250,000 a year yet reduce the deficit to 3 percent of the economy by decade’s end. The top two rates would have to rise to 72.4 and 76.8 percent, more than double the current level. You don’t have to be anti-tax zealot Grover Norquist to think this would be insane.» 
[truthdig/Ruth Marcus(washpost)]

Comment: I doubt Marcus' complete sincerity, especially in her 1st sentence.

Comment: Setting the bar @ $US¼mio is too high. A friend used to maintain that what you couldn't get in your mouth was wasted. He wasn't directly addressing nutrition, but the fact that obesity is wide-spread in the lower income groups indicates no lack of available nutrition, down to food-stamp level, say. High top-end marginal tax rates are not unknown; the Beatles sang "There’s one for you, nineteen for" the taxman. At a rough guess, I would say that anyone in and over the humungous SUV/4WD bracket has some taxable excess.

Comment: *Someone* must pay. The poor, as ever, are getting poorer, and now at a faster rate. Q: Why do crims rob banks? A: That's where the $s are. Q: How long before the currently (insane?) taxman *rediscovers* the fat-cat super-rich?

4. Wolff connects the GFC to austerity via G-20 = collusion:

Austerity: Why and for Whom?
Tuesday 06 July 2010
  «A capitalist system that generates so massive a crisis, spreads it globally, and then proposes mass austerity to "overcome" it has lost the right to continue unchallenged.» 
[truthout|Op-Ed/Rick Wolff]

Comment: The stimulus packages deployed are obviously Keynesian, otherwise banished. Possibly Keynes' biggest 'mistake' was his 'euthanasia of the rentier' idea; but that's *exactly* what's needed.

Comment: The mainly US neo-liberals group Marx, unionism, socialism and communism + all compassion and call the grouping 'anti-business;' problem is that 'business-as-usual' has crashed. Everyone needs (deserves!) their *appropriate* (fair!) share, but the fat-cats have stripped the workers bare. Some reversal is now due - in fact, a big reversal! - Back to truth & justice etc. - aka back to the Enlightenment. Soonest!

[«back»]

-=*end*=-

Ref(s):

[1] liberal -adj. 1 abundant, ample. 2 giving freely, generous. 3 open-minded. 4 not strict or rigorous. 5 for the general broadening of the mind (liberal studies). 6 a favouring moderate political and social reform. b (Liberal) of or characteristic of Liberals. —n. 1 person of liberal views. 2 (Liberal) supporter or member of a Liberal Party.  liberalism n. liberality n. liberally adv. [Latin liber free] [POD]

[2] perfidy n. breach of faith; treachery. perfidious adj. [Latin perfidia from fides faith] [ibid.]

[3] sense -n. 1 a any of the five bodily faculties transmitting sensation. b sensitiveness of all or any of these (good sense of smell). 2 ability to perceive or feel. 3 (foll. by of) consciousness; awareness (sense of guilt). 4 quick or accurate appreciation, understanding, or instinct (sense of humour). 5 practical wisdom, common sense. [ibid.]