“This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie but at ensuring that no one thinks anything anymore.
A person who can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot differentiate between right and wrong.
Such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, are, without knowing and willing it, wholly subjected to the rule of lies. With such a people, you can do whatever you want.”
Hannah Arendt
Terror threat on the rise
Shane Shmuel The Spectator Australian 8 August 2024
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Prime Minister Albanese and ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess raised the terror threat level from possible to probable. They urged the public to report any signs of radicalisation to the security hotline, emphasising the need to target and stop anyone involved. Albanese stressed the importance of unity, not division, in the community. Burgess and Albanese stated it is abnormal for political offices to be occupied for prolonged periods and urged people to stick to facts rather than misinformation. They expressed gratitude for living in a country where citizens can engage with their local MPs because they cannot in many countries and clarified that the increased threat level is not influenced entirely by the Gaza conflict.
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Despite the absence of the term ‘radical Islam’, terrorism is recognised as a threat to Australia’s multicultural society, exacerbated since October 7.
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Islamophobia and antisemitism are being treated equally, said Burgess.
‘One incident or a couple of incidents are not a reason to raise the threat level, but they are an indication of what we’re seeing in society across those eight incidents. Five of them involved minors or youth. The oldest was 21. The youngest was 14. Across the eight there’s an equal mix of religiously motivated, nationalist and racist violent extremism.’
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Weekly demonstrations featuring hateful chants, attacks on Jewish individuals – their businesses, and schools requiring additional security – have become common.
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University protests have included chants like, ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free [of Jews]…’ and statements such as ‘Jews do not belong on campus’.
The response from Labor, supported by the Teals and Greens, is to be criticised as appeasement under the guise of free speech.
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I still wonder how Islamophobia is equal to antisemitism.
Continue reading Australia: Terror threat on the rise
