It was nice while it lasted

This has really annoyed me. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has announced that the Labor government is going to create an internet filter, that will block out a list of sites from being accessed, its done at the ISP (Internet service provider) level, so it will cover everyone.
I suggest getting a coffe because, me almighty, will I rant about this.
Ok, First and foremost, the most disgusting thing is that they are censoring the Internet. Once this starts it is a slippery slope. Once censorship starts then the internet will slowly turn into just another government controlled medium. Much like TV & Radio, there will be a LONG list of things you can and can't say. Fuck. There, if this was the TV or radio I would never have been able to say that. Many believe that this is ridiculous, that the government would never do that. Give it time. If the government is willing to curve to the religous right, it will continue to curve, bend and then brake. Do we really want another medium that talks about nothing but celebrities and tv shows. I use the internet because it is for the people, by the people (Not all of it but the majority of what I surf is). One by one these voices could be silenced. Hooray
Next is the comparison to China. Now I feel that any move towards Chinas internet is a bad one. The people in China cannot look up any sites that promote a free Tibet. This is the direction that Stephen Conroy wants to take us in. At least he is honest, people may say Howard was evil, but at least he was kind of subversive about it, this guy is just up front Super Villainy. I fully expect him to start wearing a cape, mask and cane, carrying around a cat and being flanked by two guys with ray guns.
Also in the article he compares freedom of speech to watching kiddie porn (Hereafter reffered to as kp, because even writing the words makes me ill). Now dont get me wrong, I COMPLETELY AGREE that kp is wrong. So wrong. If god and or hell really existed, I would personally send all those responsible (makers & consumers) there myself. It would not be a pleasant trip either, I'd make them suffer, my fury would be beyond compare. However, I dont think that freedom of speech = kp.
However again, you have to admire the villainy at work here, by making this comparison he has effectively written off his entire opposition, anyone that argues, much like I am doing now, he can turn to them and say, "Oh so you DO want kp?", which I will stress again. I DO NOT. He has created a straw man (as some may say I am) that is so one sided that it is almost impossible to argue with him.
This service will be an opt out program, so if you want access to everything the internet has to offer, you have to contact your ISP and say you want out. Again, because of the straw man Stephen Conroy created, this means that you are effectively telling your ISP, and by relation, the goverment that you want kp. This is another example of someone else having to take responsibility for those parents who dont want to parent. Rather than creating a service where responsible parents could opt in, ensuring that thier children are not exposed to erotic content (assuming here that the filter will block out the majority of erotic content, not just kp), they are blanketing everyone with it.
Another thing that irritates me is that there is no way for people to know what sites will be blocked. I can only assume the government wont give out a list (as that would essentially be a white pages for the real losers out there), so what is to stop them adding sites that speak out against the government. It won't happen (I hope), but there is realistically nothing stopping them.

There it is, my feelings, or as complete as I can get to them, on this piece of evil injustice. In summation, taking Chinas censored approach to the internet is a BAD thing, freedom of speech does not equal, or even compare to kp, and Stephen Conroy is months away from introducing to us his new secretary Darth Vader, and his deputy Sauron.

Hate to Say "I Told You So" but...

Another little rant. The entire time John Howard was in government he said he would not apologise for the stolen generation. I agree with him completely, for two reasons, first it makes no sense to apologise for something someone else did. We do not make Germany continually apologise for the war, because modern day Germany is not responsible. We had nothing to do with the stolen generation, we cannot apologise, because we are not at fault. This leads us to the second point, apologising means admitting fault, which leaves the government, as a whole, open to compensation claims. This is the more contentious issue. There is no reason why the current government should pay compensation to Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islanders for something that was done by someone else. Again, it would be like asking compensation from Germany and Japan.
An apology means one party taking responsibility for a wrong doing. There is no link between modern Australia, and the faults of previous generations. Without this link there can be no responsibility, there should be no apology, there most definately should not be one cent paid in compensation.

If the Aboriginals want to set up a compensation fund, that they foot the bill for, for the 10 year old girl that was repeatedly gang raped in the Northern Territory, by all means go for it. There is a direct link there. But no, white man can't interfere with anything that goes on, because that is their land, thier own style of justice will be handed out.
How dare they ask anyone to apologise when something like that is happening in thier own backyard. Get your house in order before you come and make demands of others.