Learning from the Offspring

I’m pretty well informed when it comes to politics, or at least, I thought I was. As a result, when the Offspring first introduced me to the Friendly Jordies Youtube channel, I didn’t pay as much attention as I should have. I regret that.

Today, the Offspring sent me a link to one of Friendly Jordies videos about the power of the mining industry here in Australia. And what I learned truly shocked me.

If you are my vintage you may remember a former Australian Prime Minister by the name of John Gorton, or John Grey Gorton as he was [affectionately?] known. Gorton was a Liberal, but he was a man of integrity, so even a staunch Labor supporter like me had a lot of respect for him.

Gorton was ousted. I remember that. What I didn’t ever really know was why he was ousted. The answer seems to be that certain interested objected to him trying to introduce legislation that would have reduced some of the mining industry’s profits. Clearly he had to go.

I knew the mining industry was powerful, but I had no idea how powerful, or how much Australian taxpayers are being ripped off by this cartel of bastards. Almost all of the tax burden falls on us, while magnates like Gina Rinehart make sure they pay next to nothing.

If you have any interest in Australia’s future, please watch this video:

I admit, I had no idea that corporations, many of them American, had such a stranglehold on Australia. Until today, I honestly thought that Australia was a little bit immune to the threat of oligarchy, but history shows that we’ve been owned for a very long time.

The only difference between today, and when I was a girl, is that ‘they’ don’t try to hide it any more. And we don’t seem to care.

Meeks