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There are rights and there are privileges. We have only minimal basic rights in Australia, but a lot of privileges extended to us. Privileges such as drivers licences, and firearms licences, and fishing licences. All those privileges can be restricted or withdrawn, according to the Govt of the day, reacting to pressure from parties involved with those issues, or the courts responding to offences against the Acts that govern those privileges. Ever-increasing restrictions on firearms ownership and use, is what seems to get a lot of people going - along with restrictions on fishing. Most people seem to accept the ever-increasing restrictions as regards driving on public roads. Ever-lowering speed limits, increasing levels of driving penalties, and intrusion by automation, such as AI-assisted cameras. Radar detectors are banned in every State and territory, another restriction that seems to cause great levels of complaint about Govt becoming Big Brother. We definitely have a vast array of major restrictions now, that we didn't have in my youth. I could buy explosives in any co-op and go and blow up anything I liked - all I needed was an explosives permit handed out by the local policeman, who just asked a few perfunctory questions. I could get multiple firearms and a licence with ease, along with unlimited amounts of ammo, and no need to tell any authority where I was going to shoot, or what I was going to shoot. I could go fishing nearly anywhere with only minor restrictions. I didn't need a boat drivers licence, I could go buy any boat and roar off in it anywhere. There were no demerit points and the fines for traffic offences were mostly mere annoyances. Drunk driving was regarded as a no-no, but no-one did anything about it, and it took a very drunk driver to get arrested. Even then, they were just released when they sobered up. We could knock down trees and vegetation wholesale and no-one could stop us. But nowadays, clearing bans and massive fines for "environmental damage" rule the day. Our basic human rights are still the same as they always were. We have no Bill of Rights, as America has, and the writers of the Australian Constitution decided there was no need for one, as we were a civilised country who treated people with respect. Well, the white Europeans, anyway. The Aboriginals rights were trampled for decades until they started taking Govts to court, aided by smart white lawyers - and they won a lot of concessions and reparations. That seems to stick in a lot of white Europeans throats, too. All in all, I think the biggest problem we have today is excessive bureaucracy. There are Depts and Divisions for everything, and ever increasing regulation of every single thing you want to do. Somewhere along the line we have lost a lot of the old "freedoms" - to do what we liked, when we liked, and where we liked. The cause of that has been vastly increasing numbers of people, increased numbers of badly-behaved people, and increased disapproval of activities that were formerly tolerated - not necessarily because they were harmless, just that few people saw it happening, and few people were affected by what is now regarded today, as unacceptable behaviour.

Prince William is going through the business affairs of his Royal relations and pulling the rug out from under a lot of them. Actually, it is William, his aunt Princess Anne and his uncle Prince Edward who are running the show. William hates Camilla. Anne doesn't like her. The three of them are sick of the likes of Andew's kid sponging off their Royal links. I think William is trying to improve the image of the Royals.

Yes Nev, we have wandered off topic.

I don't think that the basic Human Rights have been stripped awy. It's the more trivial that people whinge about. It's hard to come up with a list of Rights that people seem to think they have lost, or the extent of former rights.

He's probably also mindful that his cancer diagnosis might curtail his time in charge.

I don't think anything has changed since WW2. America only ever sees Australia as a convenient Southern base to protect its national and corporate interests. During 1942, the Americans moved in and took over a lot of Australian real estate, built a substantial number of airfields on land they didn't own (and the Australian Govt was very slow to compensate for land losses during WW2, not making reparations in some cases until 1947 and 1948. And even then, the compensation was poor), and set up "joint forces" command groups - where the Americans had virtually all the say. That was because they had an Army, Navy and Air force, that dwarfed ours. We built three new hospitals and turned them over to the Americans for their exclusive use, for their injured and sick military men. That grated on a lot of Australians who had to go without medical assistance during WW2, simply because it wasn't available. We both built and requisitioned vast amounts of military accommodation for American servicemen during WW2. Some of the those installations held up to 20,000 American troops. We supplied about 90% of the food the American servicemen consumed in the South East Asian region. At the end of the War, the bills were totalled (with "Reverse lend-lease" included, where Australia supplied goods and services for American military use), and the final result was that the Americans got more from us, than we got from them. The only real gain Australia made was the purchase of all the remaining U.S. military equipment left in Australia after the War. This was purchased at a value of around 5% of its manufactured cost, and it was nearly all sold at the Commonwealth Disposals Commission auctions held between late 1945 and early 1950, and these CDC sales reaped a very substantial profit for the Australian Govt. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/69591061

That is not really my point. I was commenting on the notion that our freedoms now are less than before. Sure, religion seeks to influence the government, but in terms of personal freedom, religious folks are not in any real sense degrading my freedom. I am saying that in the past, religion did have great control over the average person, but this power has decreased with time. So yes, I agree that religion does attempt to influence the government and does have its little victories; however, in issues like same sex marriage, divorce, etc., society has moved on from the old repressive rules (for most of society at least).

Wille, You've wandered off topic. Which is Australia is a Vassal state of America. Nev

The Soviets got 440,000 trucks during WW2 from the Americans. They received nearly 2000 locomotives, and tens of thousands of railcars. They also got the manufacturing machinery to build a lot of American machines and equipment. Entire factories in the U.S were dismantled and re-erected in Russia - such as complete tyre factories. They received tens of thousands of machine tools, vital for manufacturing and repair of equipment. America provided almost half of the high octane aviation fuel used by the Russian Air Force during WW2. Even Stalin admitted privately, if it were not for American equipment and logistics assistance during WW2, Russia would have been overrun by the Germans.

What about the Pressure they bring to Bear on governments? (as well as their OWN flock. ?) Remember the DLP? It wasn't the Labor Party It was a Catholic Party. Look at the Australian CHRISTIAN Lobby , and Rupert Murdoch is a PAPAL Knight. as well as Various Jewish Associations. Don't kid yourself Religious groups Have No Political Input. HERE. Nev

After the longest apprenticeship in history, Charlie probably doesn't have much left in the tank. After Andrew's behaviour it makes sense to skip that generation and stick Will on the throne.

Absolutely, but I don't think this means we are losing freedom or rights. In our society, religion has lost much of its power to repress.

The religious tend to want to restrain Freedoms.. Look around the World, and down through History. Nev

Small numbers when you think of the Soviets building 36,000 Ilyushin Il-2's, second only to the Cessna 172 in build numbers. I think the Ilyushin Il-2 numbers include the Il-10 made late in the war and post war.

I guess I was referring to Australia. No doubt in the US, there has recently been a drift towards fewer rights for some, but I think the wealthy are doing fine! The reason I asked is that I am wondering if many people tend to fall into the "help, help, I am being repressed" way of thinking. My life has had much more "freedom" than my father's life.

It's hard to comprehend the sheer volume of lend-lease gear during the war. The Soviets received more than 1,300 Spitfires from Britain and almost 3,000 Hurricanes from Britain and Canada. The big item they needed from the US was trucks. Lack of German trucks was a big part of Hitler's downfall on the Eastern Front.

In America.. A lot. Nev

I'm wondering what rights people think have been stripped away?

You have it R'S About . Menzies got kicked out during WW2 Abott said to Turnbull "Your JOB is to DESTROY the NBN" THAT alone accounted for about 50 Billion. Overseas Commentary On How Australia is Managing things is VERY Complimentary, by and Large. Remember .. IS it the TRUTH? or did you read it in the Murdoch Media? IF you think it's HARD times now, just wait till Pauline gets into Power. AT present she HAS ONE person LEGITIMATELY in the Lower House.. She HAS ILLUSIONS of Grandeur and IS a "Would BE if she could Be", if ever there weas one. Nev

Trump treats former reliable allies as Enemies or Freeloaders. USA made lot's of Money out of WW2 with Lend- Lease and didn't come in to the War till after Pearl Harbour. The Russians had the Most casualties by far and didn't Pay the Lend Lease bill. Nev

Australians don't have Rights, there is only laws that are supposed to protect us. Whenever people say: "You have the Right to do this", they really mean there is a law that gives us permission to do it ... and that law can be changed, unlike an inalienable Right, which can never be changed. PS, I thought that we always moved to the left in hard times. It's hard times now, and mostly Labor is winning power. They hand out more freebies than anyone else, but they can only do that if there's an adequate National income. When that is skint, the right-wing parties start to look good.

It would appear that there is a silent coup going on in Buckingham Palace. King Charles seems to have given a bit of responsibility to Prince William and he has been doing things that reduce the power of Queen Camilla. William has sacked a number of Camilla's relations from powerful jobs within the Court. People don't seem to be showing Camilla the trappings of courtesy one whould expect. Queen Elizabeth made a decision that was important in maintaining the Monarchy by permitting William to marry outside the aristocracy. That has introduced fresh genes into the Monarchy, reducing the dangers of inbreeding that dogged European aristocracy over the centuries.

It is interesting that in times of hardship people seem to move to the Right. Over the last half century laws have been passed that are supposed to enshrine the Rights of individuals, but many individuals feel that their Rights have been stripped from them, or are never available to them. Those feelings allow the sort of Right Wing movements to take hold.

The Demographics bloke mentioned Malcolm Turnbull in the context of a centrist party but I have no idea whether he's still interested in active politics or not. The Lib/Nat coalition won't go back to the centre under the current leadership team. Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan as parlimentary leaders and Tony Abbott party president, plus Peta Credin's husband has taken on the role as temporary Victorian party president. It will leave space in the centre and a few unsatisfied Liberal moderates.

Teals are still discussing whether to form a party too. If they did I could picture a few moderate Libs jumping ship. And Teals would poll a lot better than PHONey in urban electorates.