Corruption
Lebanon faces bankruptcy while Central Bank head evades justice
Lebanon Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh has denied statements made that the bank was bankrupt. Salameh has led the bank for 30 years and claims it is going about its legally-mandated role despite losses in the financial sector.
When the Wheels fell Off
The 100 years from 1870 is described as the innovation century in which there more more inventions, starting coincidentally with the light bulb, than in the rest of mankind's history. For the most part their roll-out into society was slow enough to dampen the impact of the invention. Electricity, for instance, wasn't connected fully in Australia until 1989.
Video: Property off the plan - Residents' rights hijacked in an unregulated industry
This is the second in a series of interviews with Nerrida Pohl about lack of proper regulation of the construction and development industry in Australia. Nerrida talks about the 30 story appartment building in Victoria, where she bought two appartments 'off the plan'.
Fire, cladding & high-rise in Melbourne Australia - Nerrida Pohl interview
Australia's construction industry is corrupt, but protected by government. This has left building consumers in a terrible situation. A current scandal is that they are being forced to pay billions for builders' mistakes in a situation where no building over 3 stories is insured.
Time for a Royal Commission to examine the Developers' World
How dare the Urban Development Institute of Australia tell the State Government that it should set housing targets for each council to cope with Melbourne's rapid population growth and then if we don't meet the targets they set we will be victimised. [1] They even specifically mentioned Boroondara and Stonnington as not pulling their weight and referred to NIMBYs.
Population, corruption must be addressed to halt biodiversity loss, scientists say
This is the first time, to our knowledge, that the ABC has departed from its growthist mantra, allowing its reporters to describe the problem and really let the public know how bad it is.
A tale of three cities - and there's a sting in the tail
"This proposal by Ms Turnbull is just a diversion, an absurdity not worthy of being called a thimble and pea trick, but the agenda behind her smokescreen is worth examining. The GSC is a body set up by premier Baird who, you will recall, had been elected in 2011 on a platform of getting rid of what was undoubtedly the unaccountable and corrupt planning regime of the Labor government.
Practical Ways in Which Everyone Can Improve Society
Broken Borders
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While the media and political debates focus on cracking down on boat people, Fairfax media have exposed that rampant visa fraud is happening. It's a multifaceted yarn. Up to 9 in 10 skilled migrant visas are bogus. Militants are suspects in visa frauds. Afghan applicants 90% flawed! |
Kleptomania and the Contract State: the political threat to Melbourne’s liveability (Article by Kenneth Davidson)


U.S constitution was a 'coup' by the oligarchy (Article by Riviera Sun)
This article contains very interesting information of which I was unaware. It's judgement on the American Constitution confirms my own impression that the US constitution is an empty and ridiculous document compared to the French Civil Code (which was taken up by all European nations eventually, inc Russia). In my view it is not possible to have significant real democracy with the British land-tenure system that dominates much of the United States because of its tendency to accumulate vast amounts of land and significant assets in private hands. The Napoleonic system (which built on the French Revolution) preserves power in local hands to regulate use of public land, which the inheritance (land tenure) laws tend to keep topping up. In fact, I have found that the contribution and example of the US revolution to the French Revolution, though much touted, was actually very weak and that one of the famous actors in both the US and the French Revolution, La Fayette, was suspected, with good grounds, of being a double agent.
Where is Billy??!! Thai human rights activist disappearance alert

Spain: Popular resistance against corruption and privatization delivers results
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"Resisting is pointless," we hear endlessly repeated. "So many years of protest but the crisis continues, why bother?" insist others, inoculating us with apathy and resignation. "Protests could lead to something that's even worse," whispers the machinery of fear. They want us submissive, heads bowed. Dreams of change are forbidden. However, history rebels, indomitable. And it shows us, despite the naysayers, that struggle is worth it. |
Topic:
Sunshine Coast not so sunny for native animals and people with a conscience
On the Sunshine Coast development has destroyed a great deal of the beautiful natural surroundings that attracted people there in the first place. Native animals are being cruelly decimated by starvation and exposure.
Developers seem animated by greed alone, machinally moonscaping lots when buyer uptake has dropped to 1996 levels[1] in Australia, despite constant mass immigration. The developer lobbies have not been able to restimulate demand, even by touting for overseas immigrants and selling property to foreign investors off the plan. (That doesn't stop them charging huge fees for membership.)
US Center for Public Integrity on Chromium VI in US drinking water and big business influence
WASHINGTON (March 13) – Tens of millions of Americans drink water contaminated with chromium (VI), a compound the Environmental Protection Agency was poised in 2011 to conclude likely causes cancer.
The anthropology of possum-banding trees and possum-hating humans
Why do some focus energy
to stop the little possum he
from strutting very naturally
upon the branch that be?
Friendly fascism, Corruption and the property lobby in Spain and Australia
Richard Laverack writes about the connections between the Spanish property development lobby and the shocking systemic corruption issues in Spain. There are many similarities between the Spanish and the Australian banking and property development lobbies and their relationships with government.
A Symbiosis Of Corruption And Ecological Destruction: Deforestation in Sarawak And Empire-Building In Ontario
Too often we fail to see the connection between the ecological destruction and cultural genocide of so-called "developing" nations and the lax immigration policies of those nations like Canada which play host to both the victims and the perpetrators of the tragedy.
Auditor General's report on hopeless state of Public Housing in Victoria 2012
Public housing’s operating model is unsustainable. Costs are outstripping rental income and the division is forecast to be in deficit in 2012–13. Full report here.
Australian forests narrowly escape furnaces, no thanks to Oakeshott
"Oakeshott has been very vocal about the need to "challenge the power of money in politics" yet he seems to have been strongly influenced by the desperate native forest logging industry to support forest furnaces. We are very disappointed with his actions on this." (Prue Acton, Australian Forests and Climate Alliance.)
US: Fracking film-maker Josh Fox arrest and money behind US Science subcom on energy and environment
Privatisation, Population, Oil, Food Security - Auditor-General Vic's plans 2011-12
Increasing private-public partnerships, contracting out, privatisation, creation of authorities 'outside government' etc over the past 20 years in Victoria "has led to a steady erosion of accountability to Parliament and the public, as these services and the public monies that fund them fall outside existing accountability frameworks and the mandate of this office." (Auditor General, Victoria)
Why most natural disasters aren't natural at all
Royal Commission needed over developers' power and planning
Please see nimby's comment. - Editor
Supreme Court: Victory for Brown Mountain against VicForest loggers
Congratulations Jill Redwood, leader of Environment East Gippsland! In a landmark decision today, the Supreme Court has found that the government has a responsibility to look for and protect endangered wildlife before logging in the contentious Brown Mountain forests of East Gippsland.
Building materials dive signals end of Oz property and population 'boom'
Schapelle to be sent to die in remote Java prison
Topic:
Madang landowners fight ecologically devastating Chinese mining invasion
Article originally published as "Resistance Growing to Ecologically Devastating Chinese Mining Invasion of Madang, Papua New Guinea" on rainforestportal.org o 1 Apr 10.
Queensland Population Growth Management Summit - Australia tied up in plastic and turning out all wrong
Article by Amanda Burchell
Aesthetics of a prosthetic and over-regulated world
One of the suggested topics for this discussion was: The aesthetics of a prosthetic and over-regulated world.
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