A reminder that this year the unemployment rate has gone up 0.56%pts - roughly an extra 87,000 unemployed. So in 15 min when the RBA raises rates again just remember 35-44yos on Jobseeker are almost 10 times more likely to die than those not on welfare: www.theguardian.com/business/gro...

Unbelievable this exists in a modern "democracy" - worth signing if you are in Melbourne: petitions.getup.org.au/petitions/on... @getup.org.au

One Vote Should Mean One Vote

Melbourne is Victoria’s capital city. Its council elections should be fair, transparent and democratic. But right now, City of Melbourne elections are run under special rules that give some interest...

petitions.getup.org.au

Labor backbenchers have been out in force the past few days spruiking "increases" in Centrelink payments. To be very, very clear: this is absolute bullshit. This is an automatic CPI adjustment, not an increase. Labor is still keeping people on income support in poverty.

www.humanetech.com/podcast/the-... The author of this independent investigation, AJ Kotra, said, "This was 50% of the way to a full AI takeover."

The Most Hopeful (And Concerning) Moment Yet in AI

We're a nonprofit exposing the negative effects of persuasive technology and social media and empowering people to take action. Discover The Social Dilemma, our podcast, course, and more.

humanetech.com

Scientists warned for years: if we clear 20-25% of the Amazon, we cross the point of no return. We've already cleared 17%. We are right on the edge.

“Two things could protect participants. 1. A cooling-off period for NDIA executives moving into the market would stop insider knowledge being used commercially. 2. A plan management tender designed to preserve smaller operators would keep the people currently catching fraud in the scheme.”

Michael West@michaelwestbiz.bsky.social · 3w ago

Inside Job. How former insiders and corporateers are cashing in on the NDIS Claudia Weisenberger reports. Read it here: https://michaelwest.com.au/inside-job-how-former-insiders-and-corporateers-are-cashing-in-on-the-ndis/

*sigh* “A suite of potential rules would have set design standards for packaging, for example by prohibiting use of certain chemicals, restricting unnecessary or excessive layers of packaging, or limiting the amount of empty space permitted within packaging” www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Labor ditches new packaging laws to cut plastic waste, sparking unprecedented ‘scale and breadth of outrage’

Federal environment department tells industry representatives the government does not want to ‘exacerbate cost of living pressures’

theguardian.com

“The evidence is irrefutable: this is the spiralling price of humanity’s fossil fuel addiction, and the global #ClimateCrisis it is fuelling.” So the Australian govt is leading the charge against global heating with, um... dodgy carbon offsets and approving new fossil fuel projects. 🙄🤪😬 #auspol

Tim Stephens@proftimstephens.bsky.social · 3w ago

"August was the joint-hottest month ever recorded around the world, with global temperatures reaching 1.65C above preindustrial levels" www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Not really “wildfires” eh? “Indonesian officials said the fires were deliberately caused, either by individuals or corporations. A Kompas newspaper report found that wildfires are detected on the same sites year after year, with 50% occurring in oil palm concessions.”

Jenny Schwartz@jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 3w ago

We have mild smoke haze in Perth and I hate it. This is a nightmare.

“newspaper Haaretz published a report detailing a conversation between Mr Netanyahu and United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed 10 days before October 7, in which the sheikh warned him that Hamas was planning an imminent attack”

3wombats@3wombats.bsky.social · 3w ago

Of course he does

Your treasury cannot run out of dollars to pay a decent retirement to everyone. The issue is always the resources, which includes a habitable planet…. #learnmmt

Jim Chalmers@jimchalmers.bsky.social · 3w ago

New projections from the Intergenerational Report show how important superannuation is in delivering a decent retirement and a more sustainable budget. The median retirement age balance is set to approach $450K over the next decade, up from around $200K in the latest data.

"Oh, you're criticising data centres? But you USED A DATA CENTRE to publish your post??? Hypocritical much????" Time to put this fossil fuel PR inspired talking point to bed forever. Why the 'Mr Gotcha' gambit is wrong in two very important ways:

Yep… a kind of ignorance that seems to come with the anti-democratic territory

Jane Doe, pretty hate machine@noticingclimate.bsky.social · 4w ago

@annemaxwell.bsky.social "With a degree in finance, Guy understands that Government debt created today will ultimately be left for future generations to pay." Guy Cooper is the One Nation candidate for Mildura, who works for Westpac Bank. Who has zero understanding of government debt. #AusPol

“they want to "exit" (i.e. abandon) democracy, with its laws and regulations and fiat currencies, and create new forms of government and new jurisdictions… that use digital currencies” Until we have CBDC’s (central bank digital currency) the use of cash is a small rejection of privatised money…

Greg Jericho@grogsgamut.bsky.social · 4w ago

Gil Durán: "We can have billionaires, or we can have democracy. We cannot have both" Excellent article by Gareth Hutchens

The degrowth alternative could start with a pay rise for workers in the form of a 4-day work week without loss of pay.

Eddy Jokovich@eddyjokovich.bsky.social · last mo.

Read the latest analysis from New Politics, the Weekly Brief: www.newpolitics.com.au/p/a-governme...

“It remained frustratingly unclear whether the university protests involved antisemitism”

Josh Bornstein@joshbornstein.bsky.social · last mo.

The antisemitism royal commission has failed. My column explains what happened:

www.youtube.com/shorts/fwuh_... Great summary of the viper's nest... Open AI > Adam Triggs > Andrew Charlton / Andrew Leigh Tom McMahon > Andrew Leigh / Kate Pounder > Andrew Charlton > Andrew Leigh > Open AI #datacentres

we are f*cked

YouTube video by Punter's Politics

youtube.com

The US fed govt cannot run out of dollars. This “debt” is a misuse of accounting terminology. It’s $40 trillion spent into the economy. The question is not “the size of the debt” but like the man said - what was it spent on? #learnmmt

Abdul El-Sayed@abdulelsayed.bsky.social · last mo.

US national debt just hit $40 trillion. Why? HINT: It's NOT because the government is trying to provide its citizens healthcare or childcare.

Australian government has funded millions to one of the world's largest fossil fuelled fertiliser projects with Perdaman Urea. fyi @drilledmedia.bsky.social @grilledmedia.bsky.social Dr. Mariangela Hungria may be alive, but deceive, delay, deny re: her fertiliser alternative will be in full force.

Perdaman Urea & Supporting Infrastructure | NAIF

Fertiliser manufacturing and enabling infrastructure in WA’s Pilbara advanced with NAIF finance.

naif.gov.au

Mrs. Betty Bowers@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · last mo.

I'm surprised big fertilizer corporations let this brilliant woman live. Her name is Dr. Mariangela Hungria.

What it looks like when the psychopaths are in charge podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/g...

The most important political scandal you haven't heard of

Podcast Episode · Geopolitical Economy Report · 28 August · 48min

podcasts.apple.com

If we have to change laws (eg copyright) to get them here, then our laws are not lagging behind and we do have the legal power to stop them.

Sirius Star 🍉 🍉 🍉@siriusstar3.bsky.social · last mo.

“We need a moratorium on data centres & we need it now, before it’s too late. While dozens of data centres are in the pipeline & the tech bros close in on us because our regulations are lagging behind - it’s our communities & our power, & our water resources that will be impacted the most.” #Auspol

www.commondreams.org/news/data-ce...

'Have Your Friend Elon Build One at Mar-a-Lago,' Says Sanders After Trump Comments on Data Centers | Common Dreams

"Trump thinks that every community in America should welcome a data center." If so, said Sanders, "Lead by example."

commondreams.org

Another thing you can do with the currency capacity of the federal government….

Henry @maxiedoggie.bsky.social · last mo.

No reason tradies could not use these in lieu of monstrous RAMMS/ F150 and other wankpanzers… If only @albomp.bsky.social would incentivise small EVs instead of Dual Cab Utes- maybe would see a decline in road accidents, damaged infrastructure and navigable suburbs #auspol

Given a country cannot run out of its own currency... here's one way to use the power of the public purse... "Japan and Korea poured A$31.2bn of their public money into Australian gas projects between 2008 and 2024" www.jubileeaustralia.org/news/latest-...

“the major supermarkets had a history of “using technology to fix problems which creates more problems”

Jessie L@jessielilley.bsky.social · last mo.

Supermarkets gathering surveillance data and colluding with cops. What could go wrong?

“Patriot Palmer”….And this is what buys politicians…?! “ISDS rules enable foreign (but not local) investors to bypass national courts and claim billions in lost future profits from national governments if they can…”

AFTINET@aftinet.bsky.social · last mo.

Australia has defeated Clive Palmer’s $300 billion ISDS claim, with the Swiss Federal Supreme Court rejecting his attempted annulment. Three more claims worth $120 billion remain, highlighting why governments worldwide need to withdraw from ISDS. aftinet.org.au/clive-palmer...

Australia Institute's research went viral: 69% of post-COVID inflation above RBA target came from excess corporate profits, not wages. Yet monetary policy ignores this, sparking fury over regulatory capture. 🧵2/3

Yes we have the money to do the second one, but not the political will.

Prof Ray Wills@profraywills.futuresmart.com.au · 2mo ago

A mining campaign in a farmer’s hat The choice regional Australia faces is not “keep diesel or lose money.” It’s whether we spend public money rebating legacy fossil fuel use Or invest in a once-in-a-generation, fastest energy shift in human history Let's not wait for fossil fuel's permission

The latest Cowboy Economist on how poorly the Federal Reserve addresses inflation. At best, they have no impact; at worst, they rub salt in our wounds. youtu.be/U7LSyr-gHuk?...

#32: "Fed" Up With Inflation!

YouTube video by Cowboy Economist (Cowboy Economist)

youtu.be

Trump’s ICE raids have reduced the employment rate of US-born male workers, according to a new study. The study also found that employers have not increased wages to attract US workers. Hello? Not only is Trump’s deportation agenda patently cruel, it’s also terrible for the economy. Despicable.

Study Shows How Trump's ICE Raids Cost Americans Jobs | Common Dreams

Trump's aggressive immigration raids are not only tearing families apart, but they're also destroying jobs for both immi

commondreams.org