octave

Defuse or appease? I am betting that Putin will get to keep what he has stolen. A couple of years down the track when Putin has rebuilt his forces he will go back and finish the job.

Fact-checking the Trump White House’s claims about illegal immigration dropping sharply

Something that is being missed by most people is that Trump is NOT conservative, he is radical. Consider the separation of powers. We have the Legislative branch (Congress etc.) The Executive (President and Cabinet) and the Judicial. These checks and balances have pretty much always been respected. Vance has openly stated that the trump administration may just ignore the courts. As well as this Trump is removing anyone he deems not to be loyal enough (not to the Constitution but to him) This is terrifying. it is basically a coup. We have seen this before in other countries and it never ends well.

No working on facilitating Ukraine surrendering to Putin. It is disgusting that Trump is pushing the line that the war is Ukraine's fault. Rewarding a country for invading its neighbour is idiotic and cowardly. I won't say he played any part however however Trump seems to believe he is solely responsible. The recent hostage release between Israel and Hamas was achieved through negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. Key figures in these efforts included U.S. President Joe Biden, who announced the ceasefire and hostage-exchange deal in his farewell address, and President-elect Donald Trump, whose incoming administration played a significant role in the negotiations. Qatar's involvement was particularly notable, leveraging its established relationships with both Israel and Hamas to facilitate dialogue. Egypt also contributed to the mediation process, drawing on its regional influence and historical role in Israeli-Palestinian affairs. The collaborative efforts of these nations and their leaders were instrumental in brokering the agreement that led to the release of hostages and the establishment of a ceasefire. I am not sure this has actually been achieved as yet. Remember that sacked workers have been offered many month's salary and then there have been the "buyouts" The problem though is that this is being done indiscriminately. In the worst cases nuclear safety workers and people working to keep bird flu at bay only for them to panic and rehire these crucial workers. Sacking huge numbers of FAA workers with Elon suggesting he will get Space X to do the job. Rocket engineers are brilliant people at building rockets but I do not want them in running ATC when I am flying somewhere. Apart from this, it is an enormous conflict of interest for Space x to have anything to do with running the FAA Really, this might require some hard evidence. Time will tell but Tariffs If cuts are going to be made they need to be done intelligently and not by a ketimine-fueled lunatic. Earlier I made a reference to cutting with a scalpel and not a chainsaw. low and behold Musk was presented with a chainsaw

Facts and figures are always impressive. That statement was attributed to Pauline Hanson The problem is that what Hanson can understand may be different to what I can understand. I have always thought that statement was quite demeaning. If my doctor offers me a new drug, I don't say derp, I don't understand, I seek out the information. There are statistics and perceptions. Most people will watch the news and believe that crime is out of control. Of course, any crime is bad however most categories of crime have decreased. (see AIC website) What an odd place to go. I don't know the answer to that and it is a difficult statistic to find but I would suggest that the rate has stayed relatively stable. Any evidence to the contrary would be interesting. Again we need statistics. I don't know what the facts are but I would feel better about taking a child to the hospital now Vs the 40s, 50s, 60s 70s, 80s 90s etc. Death rates for children appear to be trending down. I suppose they want to avoid justice. Is this a new phenomenon? So you don't like Medicare? Would you rather have the system they have in the US? Yes to provide healthcare to the whole population does cost billions. This cost is shared by taxpayers. Would you rather we did not have Medicare and paid no tax BUT when we got sick we privately employed a doctor or a surgeon? I imagine that you benefit from Medicare. JKustr out of interest when was the last government in Australia that you thought was far enough to the right?

I have no problem with interacting with people with opinions that differ from mine. The problem is when assertions are made that are so vague such as "we have to swing back from the far left". I don't accept that we are in extreme left times. I am open to being persuaded but I need something that I can actually engage with such as examples of far-left legislation etc.

So once again you can not come up with specifics, I am actually wondering if you are actually a Russian bot or something.

Grumpy, again just a load of vague bollocks. Can you give practical and personal examples of how you are oppressed by this so-called; left-wing era you believe we are in? What do you hope to achieve if (and it won't happen) Palmer ends up in a position of power?

I mean perhaps the worm is turning. Even Republican voters are p1ssed off. Maybe eventually even Grumpy Old which see the light.

lol this is going around a few of my local Geelong groups.

Is it bipartisan? I think whilst there are areas of agreement there are many differences. You know I think a lot of what you say is imagined or exaggerated. Perhaps this is why is "grumpy" Australian immigration policy has historically had elements of bipartisan support, but there are significant areas of disagreement between the major political parties—primarily the Liberal-National Coalition (center-right) and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) (center-left). Bipartisan Aspects There is general agreement on: ✅ Skilled Migration: Both major parties recognize the importance of skilled migration to support economic growth and address labor shortages. ✅ Family and Humanitarian Visas: Both parties support a mix of family reunification and humanitarian intakes, though they may differ on numbers and processing priorities. ✅ Border Security: Both support strong border protection, particularly against unauthorized boat arrivals. The policy of offshore processing for asylum seekers began under a Labor government and was later expanded by the Coalition. Areas of Disagreement 🔴 Asylum Seekers & Refugees: The Coalition has taken a hardline stance, including policies like "Operation Sovereign Borders" and indefinite offshore detention. Labor has supported offshore processing but has at times proposed a more humane approach, such as increased refugee resettlement. 🔴 Migration Caps & Temporary Visas: The Coalition has historically favored temporary visas (e.g., for skilled workers and international students) over permanent migration. Labor tends to prioritize permanent residency pathways and is more open to increasing the permanent migration cap. 🔴 Citizenship & Pathways to PR: The Coalition has tried to make citizenship harder to obtain (e.g., tougher language and residency tests). Labor has generally opposed such restrictions and supports easier pathways for long-term visa holders. Current Trends (2024-2025) Under the Albanese Labor government, there have been policy shifts, such as reducing the reliance on temporary visas and reviewing Australia's migration strategy. However, bipartisan agreement remains strong on border security and the need for skilled migration. Would you like insights on any specific aspect of immigration policy?

Once again Grumpy you make this vague sweeping assertion that we are living in some left-wing hellscape but you don't give practical examples. I would suggest that our present government is pretty centre. Give us clear practical examples of left-wing legislation.

Could it be that people are boycotting in anticipation of tarrifs? I know that in Canada people are boycotting American goods

This video is a bit of an investment in time but quite worthwhile I think. Trump is an idiot. I say that because the man who claims he is a tough negotiator states before the negotiation that Ukraine will probably have to give up territory. What kind of a negotiation tactic is that? This is from the man the "wrote: the book "The Art Of The Deal" Actually written by a man called Tony Schwartz" In an interview with him that I heard recently he said that "not only did Trump not write the book he most likely has not even read the book"

I think that would be over-rating him. I have read a few detailed books about Trump including the one by his niece who combines inside family knowledge with the expertise of a psychologist. Trump is transactional, everything he does is not for others or the country but for himself, either for money power or self-aggrandizement. It is not controversial to say that Trump has a history of ensuring that when one of his businesses fails someone else will pay the price. Trump is well known for not paying the contractors he has employed. This is verifiable, you can look it up. As much as I hate Rudy Giuliani he lied for Trump and defamed 2 innocent people (and continues to) Despite Guiliani being now effectively bankrupt, Trump has still not paid the legal fees he owes and will never Giuliani Says Trump Campaign, RNC Owe Him $2 Million in Fees (1) Trump does not give a sh1t whether Putin rolls through Ukraine and even the rest of Europe as long as Trump can gain wealth or power or even just proximity to a powerful figureI like Putin., When Trump says that Ukraine started the war I am sure he doesn't really think that, but he knows his moron base will swallow it just as when he said "They are eating the dogs in Springfield" that this will only resonate with morons.

The things is that this is not a left-right issue, it is a sane vs crazy issue I never thought I would be quoting Tony Abbott however............

As usual, this is pretty vague. What specific policies or pieces of legislation are you referring to? How do these policies negatively impact on your day-to-day life?

What exactly do you consider the far-left policies of today? Can you give examples? Do you believe today's government is further left than the Whitlam government? Please be specific.

Musk helped fire hundreds of FAA workers. Now, his SpaceX employees could fill the void No doubt the use of Space X employees will not be free of charge. This appears to me to be a massive conflict of interest. He sacks all the workers and then offers to replace them with his own. To be clear I think that Space X has achieved amazing things within the space industry. There are brilliant people working there. But do I want Space X to perform surgery on me? No, I don't because this is not where their expertise lies. Aviation is a conservative area. Change needs to occur incrementally not by tearing down the whole system. ATC also needs to be somewhat standardised around the world. Is Space X going to come to Australia and redesign our ATC system? I am sceptical that Space X has the expertise to redesign ATC. Build rockets - sure, transport astronauts to ISS - yep .

Rubbish. Whilst this thing may be slowly creeping in there is a history in this country of not purging public servants. I guarantee that whilst some department heads may be moved sideways there have never been full-scale purges like Trump is doing. Whilst I regularly have debates with people who are on the other side of the political spectrum but I have respect for them because they attempt to put forward rational arguments. Unfortunately, you tend to divert from the points being made and you also give one-sentence answers. A point I made was this (in a little more detail) There is a shortage of air traffic controllers in the US A recent fatal accident occurred when there was only one controller on duty when normally there would be two. (we wont know the significance until the investigation is finished) Trump has fired a whole bunch of air traffic controllers New government hires are required to prove their loyalty to Trump/Maga. This is monumentally stupid. His requirement for arse kissers is dangerous. You seem to be OK with this as long as he gets rid of the nasty brown people and gets Ukraine to surrender to his buddy Putin.

Great comeback. I am guessing you have no intellectually based arguments to put.

True but many of the people around him have been appointed Project 2025 Author Russell Vought Confirmed By Senate: Here Are All The Trump Officials With Ties To Policy Agenda Project 2025 openly states that its adoption will change things for many years to come.

BS You are saying that aviation safety ??? That is idiotic.