Can you see? Reflections on the Australian Government's strangulation of expression

Hello from the past. I am writing this post on Sunday, 9 June, 2019. I have scheduled it via Steempeak and my google calendar to go live on August 6, local time for me.

Image by Ryoji Iwata, via unplash

There's no rhyme or reason for the use of these two particular dates.

I wanted to write something reflecting upon the events on the past week. Through time travel, I will then see if my views have changed.

Fair warning: this will be a post discussing many political issues that have occured in Australia. Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere. It is home to just over 20 million people, and it is a place that doesn't get a lot of rain. It is far, far away from everywhere, but it's an advanced nation.

It is also a nation where journalistic integrity continues to be threatened by acts of force. Last week, the Australian Broadcasting Company was raided by Australian Federal Police. This was due to the fact that some information about misconduct in the military had allegedly leaked to the press. A story about this was published years ago.

The information in these documents was pretty damning and unfortunate for the Australian Government, and I'm sure the alleged individuals mentioned in the documents wouldn't want that information in the public domain.

But, it was. One journalist was even live-tweeting the fact that federal police officers were rifling through journalist's computers, and sources, while in the very same room as that activity.

Some months ago, Australia weakened the ability for its citizens to use encryption in messaging programs, email, basically anything. The government doesn't have to play by the same rules - it can keep encrypting everything that it wants.

Years ago, the government also formed strong "sedition" laws where only "genuine" satire could be written about them, arguing that it would be impossible to determine what satire is genuine and what isn't for the average Australian.

That isn't too far from the truth.

Walk through a city street in any major Australian town. You'll see the normal sub-sections of a multi-cultural society. You'll see mothers, fathers, children. You'll see people going about their business.

But, what you won't see is the freedoms and liberties that are constantly swept out from underneath each and every individual's feet. In the guise of "if you have nothing to hide, its okay if we look, right?" privacy and your ability to do what you want, when you want, and how you want is increasingly under threat.

Remember what I said about Australia being in the Southern Hemisphere? If this stuff keeps going the way it is, I'm sure this information will be the subject of a federal police raid one day too, and not just due to the fact that shifting tectonic plates will change the location of the Australian continent.

Unabridged access to the truth, and unabridged access to all sides of a story will be the only way that anyone can ever make a decision on what to believe.

You need all sides of a story for it to be complete.

History is indeed written by the victors. That's because there's no losers left, or they have had their voice systemically eradicated with prejudice.