This latest cartoon concerns itself with the news as a consumer product. The real news still exists but, we see the sports and consumer products etc dominate. Politics remains prominent but that is a necessity of corporations to use the media to ensure the correct political entity remains in power. If you watch commercial TV and accept the news from it chances are that you will sway in your voting towards a specific desired corporate outcome.
Enough said, the ideas come from a variety of sources. This from CBC News is a good example about the refugees, but hidden in world news after sports and local lesser stories.
Keep thinking. Be critical. Don’t believe a word I say or draw.
The News: Sport etc. Weather etc. Celebrities etc. Mick 31-01-16
Today Hillary Clinton in trouble for her E-mail security. read all about it in Slate. Liberal policy in this case extends beyond the voters to e-mails.
While reading a little about the Zika Virus here in the Guardian I had a terrible thought. What if the worlds betting agencies took odds on various health/disease events and their annual outcomes. I know it’s one of those things the brain should just hold on to; but, well I could not quite put it to one side.
Betting is known to be a disaster for many families, it is highly addictive and promises riches. It escapes regulation and seems to have become a major pervasive sponsor of our sporting and drinking establishments. Always good to know that betting here in Oz is essentially illegal unless through some institution where the odds are stacked. Go figure.
Anyhows; I reckon that these betting companies and those that support them could chip in and do something for the world instead of a general money harvesting machine for the already rich.
Biological Control: PARASITES Versus VIRUSES. Mick. 2016
News today that an artist will remove exhibits from Denmark in protest to danish governments decision to take non sentimental valuables from refugees. This is how Denmark treats its welfare recipients. Read about it in the Telegraph here.
Sometimes I think that this is just another excuse to use that Shakespeare line about SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN THE STATE OF DENMARK. I would like to bring up the point DON”T THROW STONES IF YOU LIVE IN A GLASSHOUSE. Yes Denmark may be wrong but the percentage of refugees in Denmark is still way more than most other rich “western” countries.
So the Swedes can take the piss. This will concern Denmark more than a bit of Artistic sensionalist headline grabbing tantrum.
By the way the artists exhibition in Copenhagen was supurb.
The use of this Lego Block has not in anyway been sanctioned by Lego and represents the artists views and not that of Lego. Said Lego block was purchased at a shop for ordinary consumer prices. Mick at Sausages and Sauce.
Todays little info-matic is inspired by todays news that Denmark will take refugees valuables as a contribution for their staying in Denmark. See this article join the The Guardian here. I don’t want to judge Denmark on this single point because there are just so many variables and questions to ask to complete the picture.
To highlight this I have chosen one variable and used the numbers provided by Wikipedia. The variable is simply the number of refugees countries have accepted per capita. You would also need to look at countries GDB, democracy, agricultural capability, population saturation, religion etc.You can find the refugee per capita data here data here.
From Wikis figures we can see that each country needs to accept approximately one refugee per 500 people on average. That sounds simple. It’s not of course and I will avoid some of the sticky questions.
My position is simply that we should not feign outrage over other countries refugee policy when it is obviously superior to your own. Yes Denmark has a problem because it absorbs so many refugees per population. Sweden could say not enough. But Sorry Australia, USA, New Zealand your opinion is worthless in the debate. Similarly other countries should not discuss Australia, USA and New Zealand because they are so appallingly bad themselves (thats Japan, China, Brazil etc)
If you look at the numbers you will see that its is confusing and thats just the way many of our politicians want it to be.
Anyway for whatever reason the higher the balloon floats the higher the contribution to taking refugees is, whether by compassion or geographical location.
Refugees; World population 7.3 Billion. Refugee population 15 Million. Thats one for every 500 people give or take a few. We should be able to deal with that. 27-01-16. The higher the balloon the more refugees per capita the country takes. the central line represents the break even point and the scale in the vertical direction is exponential downwards.
Hello Australia Day and the naming of David Morrison head of the Diversity Council of Australia as Australian of the Year. He will obviously be of some concern with the old guard conservatives, royalists and general advocates of inequality everywhere. That story will unfold throughout the year and I hope it will be colourful and newsworthy for the right reasons or for satire possibly the wrong reasons.
Anyway while doing this little cartoon today I had an idea. It has often been of concern that the day we call Australia Day ( Jan 26) does not work for everyone. Also it is noted that we already have a holiday associated with hangovers and whatnot on January 1 which would be Constitution Day or Federation Day.
The solution I propose is that without delay we put aside all our problems and become a Republic with our very own Head of State. We could then have an Australia Day on the day we become a Republic. Problem solved except how do we choose exactly what day this would be.
Gotta love Straya day. Buy your local beer from the supermarket chains. Flags and vegemite, fluffy kangaroos and koalas to. But it all looks a bit sad when the proud Aussie supermarkets leave Tasmania of the map, invert various bits of the flag and are still probably struggling to see whats wrong. Its also great to see that the newspaper picked up the fact that one of the stars was in the wrong place and not that constellation was completely reversed or that the Union Jack was also mirrored. Read more about that here.
So much for that: I think we should have a clear flag to indicate what are true National values for Australians and what are the commercial money grabbing lot.
As for beer we actually don’t own a major brewery anymore. Even half the beers that pretend to be micro brewery product are just the big players in disguise. Luckily if you do your research you will find we have a wonderful burgeoning micro brewery sector. Start with Coopers and go from there.
Commercial sector Aussie Emblem. Remember all they want is you money.
In a country where Mateship, individual rights, equal opportunity and easy going liberal attitudes are how we identify ourselves on the world stage we really can be downright stodgy and conservative. The closing down of Yepoon based Facebook community beer bartering site really is the last straw.
If we look at the liquor laws in Queensland you really have to say, WTF. You can go to almost any drinking hole get wasted all day loose all your families money in the gambling machines go out for a smoke (if you can afford them) so long as you do not drive home. But go to the beach for a romantic evening and share a glass of Aussie bubbly and you have broken the law. That picnic in the park, Seriously leave the beer at home, you are damaging some business tycoon down in Melbournes right to have complete control of your imbibing a beer.
Lets take another view. You’ve invited your mates over to move your stuff do a few minor reno’s on the new house and give the car push start. Think again about offering them a beer this would be bartering alcohol for labour. ILLEGAL.
Get the gist, this is not the Queensland we want. I don’t want a bunch of boof heads ruining my day either but seriously what are our public drinking laws and alcohol bartering laws really about.
What is it for? This seems to be a persistent question I have to ask when looking at the laws we pass here in QLD. Violent behaviour, public nuisance, etc fair enough but standing in one place for too long.
Luckily my potentially tourist friends bringing their money from overseas to spend in our almost paradisical world think I’m joking when I tell them about our draconian alcohol laws.
So who drives these laws, the misguided religious right certainly help. The tax has already been taken by the government at the original sale point, surely they don’t want to double dip. The big push must surely come from the cashed up, politically persuasive booze and gambling sector that want everything done within their domain.
The purpose of all of these organisations, whether Government, Business or Religion seems to be to crush any social gathering that they do not control.
Social network economics (whether about beer or not) needs to be encouraged. Direct dealing with farmers, artisans and trade workers benefits everyone. Except of course the parasites that exist in-between the public and the product.
The Darkside versus Vibrant Community. Mick at Sausage Rolls with Sauce this 22.01.16
The Carrot Conspiracy 