How the 1984 ‘Orwellian state’ has been growing for a long time

1984
George Orwell’s 1984 is a classic book depicting a populace ruled by a political regime that persecutes individualism and independent critical thinking as “thoughtcrimes” that must be enforced by the “thought police.” This party seeks power above all, and, through the propagandist Ministry of Truth, presents the people with their version of truth. Sound familiar?
Within the past few years, so much information has come out contradicting the mainstream rhetoric. Election fraud, as made evident by Wikileaks, is one example, and false flag terrorism, with 9/11 being the perfect example, is another. The elite has been thriving off of shaping our perception about events to justify their actions in response to these events, all while manufacturing them in the first place. Perhaps one of the best examples comes from 2016, when the Pentagon was caught paying a PR firm more than half a billion dollars to create fake terrorist videos.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also called out the desire by the elite for a New World Order, which would see the “powers that be” use “imaginary and mythical” threats to control us. If you’d like to learn more about the New World Order, you can read an article I wrote about it in 2015 that goes into more detail here.
“The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception.”
– Mark Twain (source)
Keep in mind, this just pertains to geo-politics; there are several other examples within the health, food, education, finance, and other industries. We live in a world of manipulation and propaganda, handed down to us by the global elite, who would like us to believe this is simply a conspiracy theory.
Now can you see the correlation between our modern day world and 1984?
Recently, Gizmodo.com reported that Amazon sold out of 1984, and within recent days it occupied the number one spot on Amazon’s best-selling books list. The rapid sell-outs of the book were also reported by mainstream media outlets like CNN, only they tied it to Trump’s administration. The New York Times reported that this started when Kellyanne Conway, an adviser to Donald J. Trump, used a turn of phrase that struck some observers as reminiscent of the dystopian world of 1984.
This is clearly just another attempt by mainstream media to smear Trump. This was not done at all with Hillary because she is backed by the elite. Any opportunity they have to smear Trump, they’ll take, that being said, he makes it easy for them to do so. Neither are fit to be president.
This, unfortunately, is what politics has become — a cesspool of corruption completely devoid of a suitable leader to choose from. Any leader worthy of the name is ignored, because guess who controls our attention? Mainstream media and the handful of powerful people who run it. We saw this with Dr. Ron Paul all three times he tried to run for president.
It’s ironic because the move toward tyranny, and a ‘big brother’ type of state, which desires a heightened national security state, a watchful eye on citizens, and an enormous amount of propaganda to shape our perception of events happening around the world while, at the same time, encouraging us to continually consume, is and has been in the works well before Donald Trump. The agenda has been an American-dominated global empire where a tiny minority of people control and own all aspects of our everyday lives, from water, GM foods, minerals, and everything else worth owning in this world.
We must understand why Trump was demonized by the mainstream media, beyond the fact that he made it easy for them to do so. He has made plenty of sexist, narcissistic, racist, and other statements that have offended many, but the fact remains that Hillary Clinton was the ultimate representative and puppet for the American establishment, which seeks to control the populace through various means, and is leading many people to believe that the country is heading toward a state of complete tyranny.
Author Richard Dolan puts it quite well:
If you are concerned about fascism coming to America, don’t look for a fist pounding demagogue. Look instead at a government that can read every email you have ever written, GPS you at any time, know your internet habits better than you do, surveil you literally wherever you go in any major city, and use your information against you if they decide, however loosely, that you are an enemy of the state. That is fascism, and the U.S. has been living that bipartisan nightmare for 15 years. Thank you George W. Bush. Thank you Barack Obama.
Trump might make that situation worse, or he might not. But without a doubt his rhetoric has spoken directly to those who feel left behind by globalization, to a middle class that has been effectively disemboweled over the last generation, in which economic hope has all but evaporated. Trump has played to that part of the electorate, and only time will tell whether or not he is sincere, or can deliver. (source)
Whoever these people are, and the agenda they are pushing, it’s clear that Trump, despite his power and privilege, is not in the same boat as the Clintons, Bush, or Obama.
This does not mean I’m a Trump supporter. At the end of the day, the real “menace of our Republic,” as former New York City Mayor John F. Hylan put it, is the “invisible government, which like a giant octopus sprawls its slimy legs over our cities, states and nation.” It is the “little coterie of powerful international bankers [who] virtually run the United States government for their own selfish purposes,” controlling both parties and the majority of newspapers and magazines. “They use the columns of these papers to club into submission or drive out of office public officials who refuse to do the bidding of the powerful corrupt cliques which compose the invisible government.”
According to CNN, 1984 also saw a spike in sales during 2013 when leaks by by Edward Snowden made NSA surveillance a huge international story.
Who knows, perhaps Trump is also a part of this agenda — after all, there can be disputes and disagreements among the elite, too.
The Orwellian State Has Been Growing for a Long Time
The state described in George Orwell’s books has been in the works for a long time, and for the past few decades, politcal parties have not existed to secure the will of the people. Theodore Roosevelt, former President of the United States, was another among many who tried to warn us that both parties have strayed from their original purpose:
From these great tasks both of the old parties have turned aside. Instead of instruments to promote the general welfare, they have become the tools of corrupt interests which use them impartially to serve their selfish purposes. Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government, owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people (source).
For mainstream media to tie Trump to this book is ridiculous, given the fact that the power that’s controlled the presidency for so long is clearly the correct comparison.
What Can We Do About It?
The good news is that more and more people across the globe are starting to wake up to all of the misinformation being spread on a daily basis, and that includes the agenda of those behind it. Even a decade ago, the mass populace was not as aware that all is not as it seems, and as a result of this mass awakening, our perception, our thoughts, our collective consciousness is beginning to shift. We no longer see the world the way it has been presented to us, and we are starting to realize that simply waking up to all of the propaganda that surrounds us is creating big problems for the global elite. The very first step to changing a problem is to first recognize that problem, and we are still in that process.
Having worked in this field for almost a decade, it’s quite amazing to see what’s taking place, and how many people are having those ‘ah-hah’ moments. The quest for world domination does not sit well with the citizenry, and democracy has become nothing but an illusion, with political parties serving the interest of their ‘owners,’ not the people.
The more people recognize what’s really happening in our world, the more people will take a stand and do whatever they can to change it. This is happening now, in several different ways, and it starts with you and me.
The more we try, and the more we ‘wake up,’ the closer we get to actions and ripple effects that will change our world.
https://nexusnewsfeed.com/article/geopolitics/how-the-1984-orwellian-state-has-been-growing-for-a-long-time/

Polluting Is Gross Irresponsibility!

I received this email from Greenpeace:
Hi Tom,
It started as a low haze on the horizon. As strong winds pushed the wall of dust over Port Augusta, we realised our problems with the defunct coal-fired power plant were far from over.
We were facing choking dust and an unbelievable stench, and it felt like the power company and the Environmental Protection Authority didn’t care about the aftermath of the power plant’s closure.
With our throats burning and our eyes stinging from the fine coal dust swirling around us, we knew we had to take this into our own hands.
That’s why we’re taking this message to the next Premier of South Australia: clean up the defunct coal power plant site, for the health of our town.
Help us get our video out to thousands of people in the lead-up to the election. https://give.greenpeace.org.au/justice-for-port-augusta
Dr Amanda Bethell, GP of the Year and Port Augusta resident with a message for the next Premier.
Port Augusta’s a great place to live. I brought my kids up here, and I run the local cinema. I hate seeing my community’s health at risk. I’ve been fighting to get the old power plant site cleaned up since it was shut down in 2016. I don’t think what we’re doing here is heroic – we just care about our community’s right to breathe clean air.
With the help of thousands of people like you, Tom, we got an independent air monitor installed last year so we can keep the power company and the EPA accountable.
But our plea to be able to breathe clean air is going unheard. That’s why in the lead up to South Australia’s state election, we’re asking the next Premier of South Australia to commit to cleaning up the defunct coal power plant site.
We want a proper remediation of the site. That means research into best practice for coal power plant closures. We want an independent investigation into the health effects from the dust events that left us coughing and struggling to breathe. And we want the restoration of the polluted Bird Lake to a scenic attraction, rather than a stinking mess.
We know our state’s politicians are sensitive to public pressure during elections – any bad press could wreck their chance at becoming SA’s Premier. We want them to feel the pressure of knowing that their voters care about Port Augusta, and that we’re all watching their next move. Let’s show them this isn’t an issue they can just sweep under the rug.
?$20 will get this video out to 1000 South Australians on Facebook
$50 will get this video out to 2500 South Australians on Facebook
$250 will get this video out to 12,500 South Australians on Facebook
With $2500 we can run a half-page ad in local newspapers for a day
With $6000 we can run a half-page ad in the Adelaide Advertiser for a day
We’ve got even bigger ideas brewing: help us make them a reality!
CHIP IN NOW
Our community is taking our power back, with the help of all of you. We’re not going to be the last community to face this problem, which is why it’s so important that our leaders start taking us seriously and take action to clean up after coal.
We’re ready. Are you?
Michelle, Port Augusta resident
PS. We’re so proud of our local doctor Amanda, who was voted Australian GP of the Year for 2017! She’s on board with our campaign, for the health of our community, past and present. Watch Amanda’s video message here. https://give.greenpeace.org.au/justice-for-port-augusta
https://give.greenpeace.org.au/justice-for-port-augusta

Russia In the Crosshairs by Paul Craig Roberts

Defending the latest round of US/Israeli aggression against Syria, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert struck a Hitlerian note when she blamed Syria and Iran for an act of overt Israeli aggression, saying “The United States . . . strongly supports Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself,” and when she lied that “Iran’s malign activities” and “calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance places all people in the region at risk.” https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201802111061547754-state-department-syria-israel-escalation/
Adolf Hitler covered his “projection of power and dominance” and his invasion of Poland with the same blatant lies that Washington and Israel use to cover their aggressions. Hitler claimed that Polish forces had crossed the frontier and attacked Germany. That is the excuse used by Israel and its puppets in the White House and Pentagon that blames Iran for Israel’s attack on Syria. When Washington and Israel are shameless in their lies, why does Russia think they are “partners” with whom agreements can be reached?
Eric Zuesse notes that only Syria and Russia complain about Washington’s illegal occupation of Syrian territory, an occupation that has no UN authorization and is a complete and total violation of international law, and Israel’s continual attacks on Syria. Washington’s continuing support for war against the legitimate government of Syria and support for Israeli and terrorist attacks on Syrian and Russian forces are undermining Russia’s efforts to bring peace to the region. Zuesse also notes that Washington and its UK puppet block all UN action against Washington’s illegality. http://rinf.com/alt-news/editorials/u-s-not-globally-condemned-military-occupation-syria/
Zuesse is correct. But is the continuation of Washington’s campaign against Syria and Russia largely the fault of Russia? Stephen Lendman makes a case that it is Russia’s fault. https://www.globalresearch.ca/russia-blasts-us-attack-on-syrian-and-allied-forces/5628740
Why? It appears to be the case that the Russian government is so anxious for Western approval that it ends its successful military campaigns before the job is finished. It was Putin himself who declared “victory” in Syria and withdrew some of the Russian military before clearing all of Syria of foreign and jihadist occupation, thus leaving in place US beachheads for renewing the conflict.
It couldn’t have taken more than two more weeks for Russia and Syria to liberate all of Syria from the US backed jihadists, but apparently Russia was afraid to annoy Washington that much and to risk contact with US personnel, even though Russia is in Syria legally under international law and the US is present illegally.
Again trusting to international law, the UN, and “our Western partners,” Russia quit prematurely. As Lendman says, the complaints by Zakharova, Lavrov, Russian Defense Ministry spokesmen, and Putin himself are based in absolute fact. But the question is, when will Russia learn, if ever, that facts and law make no difference whatsoever to Washington? Washington’s interest is in its hegemony over the world and in Israel’s hegemony in the Middle East.
Lendman makes the point that “As long as Russia maintains the myth of partnership with Washington instead of giving Washington a taste of its own medicine . . . conflict will likely continue escalating.” https://www.globalresearch.ca/russia-blasts-us-attack-on-syrian-and-allied-forces/5628740
Lendman might be correct judging by the reported heavy Israeli attacks on Syria on February 10 after Syrian air defences damaged Israel’s image of invincibility by shooting down one of Israel’s US-supplied war planes that was attacking Syria and reports that the conflict might be escalating and involving Iran. RT reports that the Kremlin is worried that the de-escalation zones are threatened and that Putin got on the telephone with Netanyahu urging restraint.
All of my life US presidents have been urging restraint on Israel to no effect whatsoever. Putin’s urges will have no more effect, unless Putin takes the card from Lendman’s playbook and tells the war criminal Netanyahu who heads the illegal Israeli state, which is based on land stolen at bayonet point from Palestinians, that any more of this and Russia will take Israel out. Lendman thinks that no other way of talking to the crazed zionist state, or to Washington, will have any effect, and history seems to be on Lendman’s side. http://stephenlendman.org/2018/02/syrian-air-defense-downs-israeli-f-16/ and http://stephenlendman.org/2018/02/israel-escalates-aggression-syria/
Either Russia is unsure of its power or Putin is prevented from using Russia’s power by the treasonous Atlanticist Integrationists who constitute Washington’s Fifth Column inside the Russian government and economy. It is a mystery why Putin tolerates a small handful of traitors who have minimal public support while the West and Israel become daily more aggressive against Russian national interests.
Putin sensibly avoids escalating a situation, but one gets the impression that there are constraints on Putin’s ability to stand up to Washington. The Saker identifies the problem as the pro-Washington “Atlanticist Integrationists” who for personal career reasons, personal business reasons, and because they are supported by Washington-financed NGOs and media inside Russia, have sold out Russian sovereignty to globalism. Putin, apparently, is unwilling or unable to move aside those who serve as Washington’s check on Russian nationalism, which prevents any real Russian victory. If the “Atlanticist Integrationists” inside Putin’s government are able to block more decisive responses, the question arises: how powerful, really, is Putin? Did Putin win Syria only to lose it to Washington and the Israelis? How can we imagine Putin, the head of a powerful state, on the telephone pleading with an Israeli war criminal who heads a tiny state? We know that Israel owns Washington, but does Israel own Russia also?
How many times did Putin announce victory in Syria, pull out, and then have to go back after Washington’s forces had recuperated? Why does Putin refuse the reincorporation of the breakaway Russian provinces in Ukraine? He allowed Crimea back in because of the Russian naval base, but he has refused the Russian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. Consequently, the Russian people in these provinces continue to be subject to attack, and Washington has now armed its Ukrainian nazi state with weapons to reconquer the breakaway republics.
This entire conflict, primed to grow in intensity, could have been stopped by Putin acknowledging the same overwhelming majority vote as occured in Crimea and reincorporating the provinces in Russia.The nazi government of Ukraine even with Washington and EU’s support is not so completely insane that it would attack Russia and expect to continue to exist.
Putin can entirely end the Ukrainian conflict by accepting the former Russian provinces back into Russia. We can understand that Putin might be thinking long term, as were the Soviet leaders who put Russian populations into Ukraine, to balance the Ukrainian state with Russian populations so that the West cannot completely turn Ukraine, a historic part of Russia herself, into a completely hostile state against which more military forces must be directed. Clearly Putin is a long term strategic thinker, but Russia’s fate and that of the rest of us will be decided in the short run.
We can also understand that Putin, by continuing to stress international law, is trying to bring Europe to the realization that Washington operates outside of and above law. Putin is wasting his time. For decades European leaders have been on Washington’s payroll. They don’t give a hoot about anything other than their bank balances.
The neoconservatives who rule in Washington believe that Putin’s removal will restore Washington’s hegemony over the world. They regard China as a country that will accept American leadership in exchange for riches. This is most likely a mistaken view of the Chinese government, but it serves to concentrate the attack on Russia, within whose government Washington has allies.
Can the Russian government successfully withstand Washington without Putin dispensing with the Atlanticist Integrationists?
I understand that the views expressed here might be wrong. Zuesse perhaps is wrong. Lendman is perhaps wrong. The Saker is perhaps wrong. And perhaps I am mistaken in my reading of them. No one should underestimate Putin. Nevertheless, Russia should be aware that she is perceived by neoconservative policymakers as a weak state lacking in courage that Washington, and even tiny Israel, can push around, as Washington has done since the collapse of the Soviet Union and as Israel is doing now in Syria. There is never any cost to Washington of blackening Russia’s eyes and Russia’s reputation. Russia’s passivity is inviting nuclear war or Russian surrender. Russia’s passivity might also explain the exclusion of Russian athletes from the Olympics. https://russia-insider.com/en/viewer-stats-crash-winter-olympics-without-russia/ri22509
Whether or not Russia wants to acknowledge it, Russia is in a fight for her life. There is evidence that top Russian leaders are unaware of this. Sergei Chemezov says that Russia is willing to sell Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft system to Washington so Washington can learn how to defeat it and catch up with Russian military technology. Unless Chemezov is making a joke, there is a problem in his perception of reality. http://www.fort-russ.com/2018/02/head-of-rostech-us-may-buy-russias-s.html
Putin damaged himself with people who have a moral conscience when he met with the criminal-in-chief of the Israeli state and treated Netanyahu as if he were not a war criminal who belonged on the scaffold but a world leader worthy of Russia’s recognition. This act of folly deflated Putin’s reputation as a leader who stood for moral outcomes and not merely for self-interested, negotiated outcomes.
The world needs a leader. The hopes were on Putin.
The America-worshipping Russian Atlanticist Integrationists must have many screws loose to want to be part of degenerate Western civilization:

https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2018/02/08/sarah-silverman-i-want-to-eat-an-aborted-fetus/

https://www.infowars.com/journalist-calls-for-profs-to-drown-conservative-students/

https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/little_barbies_sex_trafficking_of_young_girls_is_americas_dirty_little

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/nation-now/2018/02/08/boys-silent-victims-sex-trafficking/1073799001/

https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/02/11/russia-in-the-crosshairs/

From Barak to Trump

Ehud Barak has “broken the silence”. He has published an article in The New York Times attacking our prime minister in the most abrasive terms. In other words, he has done exactly the same as the group of ex-soldiers who call themselves “Breaking the Silence”, who are accused of washing our dirty linen abroad. They expose war crimes to which they have been witnesses, or even participants.
But apart from the attack on Binyamin Netanyahu, Barak has used the article to publish his Peace Plan. A former chief-of-staff of the Israeli army and a former prime minister, Barak is obviously planning a comeback, and his peace plan is part of the effort. There seems to be, anyhow, open season for Peace Plans in our region.
I respect the intelligence of Barak. Many years ago, when he was still the deputy chief-of-staff, he unexpectedly invited me for a talk. We discussed the military history of the 17th century (military history is an old hobby of mine) and I soon realized that he was a real expert. I enjoyed it very much.
On a spring evening In May 1999, I was part of a huge jubilant crowd in Tel-Aviv’s Rabin Square after Barak had won the Knesset elections and become prime minister. He promised us “the dawn of a new day”. In particular, he promised to make peace with the Palestinians.
Intellectually, Barak is superior to all other politicians on the Israeli scene. Soon enough it appeared that this may be a handicap.
Intelligent people tend to be arrogant. They despise people of lesser mental powers. Knowing that he had all the answers, Barak demanded that President Clinton call a meeting with Yasser Arafat.
On the morrow I spoke with Arafat and found him deeply worried. Nothing has been prepared, no prior exchange of views, nothing. He did not want to go to the meeting which he thought was bound to fail, but could not refuse an invitation from the president of the US.
The result was catastrophe. Barak, sure of himself as usual, presented his peace plan. It was more accommodating than any prior Israeli plan, but still fell far short of the Palestinians’ minimum. The meeting broke up.
What does a diplomat do in such circumstances? He announces that “we had a fruitful exchange of views. We have not yet reached total agreement, but the negotiations will go on, and there will be more meetings, until we reach agreement.”
Barak did not say that. Neither did he say: “Sorry, I am totally ignorant of the Palestinian point of view, and I shall now study it seriously.”
Instead, Barak came home and announced that Israel had proposed the most generous terms ever, that the Palestinians had rejected everything, that the Palestinians want to throw us into the sea, that we have “no partner for peace”.
If this had been declared by a right-wing politician, everybody would have shrugged. But coming from the leader of the Peace Camp, it was devastating. Its effects can be felt to this very day.
So here comes Barak, the new Barak, with a brand-new Peace Plan. What does he say? The aim, he writes, is “separation” from the Palestinians. Not peace, not cooperation, just separation. Get rid of them. “Peace” is not popular just now.
How separation? Israel will annex the new Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and the “settlement blocs” – the clusters of Jewish settlements beyond the Green Line but close to it. He agrees to “land swaps”. And then comes the killer: “overall security responsibility in the West Bank will remain in the hands of the Israel Defense Forces as long as necessary.”
And the sad conclusion: “Even if it is not possible to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at this stage – and it probably is not…”
If there is one Palestinian who would accept these terms, I shall be surprised. But Barak, then and now, does not care for the views and feelings of the Palestinians. Just like Netanyahu, who at least has the decency not to propose a “Peace Plan”. Unlike Trump.
Donald Trump is not a genius like Barak, but he also has a Peace Plan.
A group of right-wing Jews, including his son-in-law (also no genius, he) have been working on this for months. He has proposed it to Mahmoud Abbas, Arafat’s successor, to the new Saudi Crown Prince and other Arab princes. It seems to provide for a Palestinian State composed of several small isolated enclaves on the West Bank, without Jerusalem and without an army.
This is sheer lunacy. Not one single Palestinian and not one single other Arab would accept this. Worse, anyone proposing such a caricature of a state betrays utter ignorance.
That’s where the real problem lies: it is much worse than just not knowing. It demonstrates abysmal contempt for the Palestinians and for Arabs in general, a basic belief that their feelings, if any, don’t matter at all. This is a remnant of colonial times.
Palestinians, and Arabs at large, do have deep feelings and convictions. They are a proud people. They still remember the times when Muslims were incomparably more advanced than the barbarian Europeans. To be treated like dirt by the US president and his Jewish entourage hurts them deeply, and may lead to a disturbance in our region that no Arab prince, hired by the USA, will be able to control.
This especially concerns Jerusalem. For Muslims, this is not just a town. It is their third holiest place, the spot from where the Prophet – peace be upon him – ascended to heaven. For a Muslim to give up Jerusalem is inconceivable.
The latest decisions of Trump concerning Jerusalem are – to put it mildly – idiotic. Arabs are furious, Israelis don’t really care, America’s Arab stooges, princes and all, are deeply worried. If disturbances erupt, they may well be swept away.
And what for? For one evening’s headline?
There is no subject in our region, and perhaps in the world – that is more delicate. Jerusalem is holy to three world religions, and one cannot argue with holiness.
In the past I have devoted much thought to this subject. I love Jerusalem (contrary to the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, who was disgusted by it and left it in a hurry after one single night). The early Zionists disliked the city as a symbol of all that is wrong and foul in Judaism.
Some twenty years ago I composed a manifesto, together with my late friend, Feisal al-Husseini, the leader of Jerusalem’s Arabs and the scion of its most noble family. Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians signed it.
Its title was “Our Jerusalem”. It started with the words: “Jerusalem is ours, Israelis and Palestinians, Muslims, Christians and Jews.”
It went on: “Our Jerusalem Is a mosaic of all the cultures, all the religions and all the periods that enriched the city, from earliest antiquity to this very day – Canaanites and Jebusites and Israelites, Jews and Hellenes, Romans and Byzantines, Christians and Muslims, Arabs and Mamelukes, Othmanlis and Britons, Palestinians and Israelis.
“Our Jerusalem must be united, open to all, and belonging to all its inhabitants, without borders and barbed wire in its midst.”
And the practical conclusion: “Our Jerusalem must be the capital of the two states that will live side by side in this country – West Jerusalem the capital of the State of Israel and East Jerusalem the capital of the State of Palestine.”
I wish I could nail this Manifesto to the doors of the White House.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/12/11/from-barak-to-trump/

A petition for you to sign…

http://www.jamieparker.org/icac_petition?utm_campaign=ihearticac2
And we desperately need a Federal ICAC too!
If the reports I hear are true, maybe Malcolm Turnbull might be a little less cosy with Big Pharma if he knew there was a chance of it outing.

Goodbye St George/Westpac. Hello Bendigo!

I came to Sydney 30 years ago in November. I opened a bank account with the Advance Bank who were later taken over by St George. Later again St George were taken over by Westpac.
Last week I authorised a training provider to debit my credit card for some training. The bank foreign currency fees of 3% added up to nearly $900!
When you can do a Telegraphic Transfer for $25 I consider it outrageously unconscionable to charge $900.
Of course I contacted St George but they refused to so anything about it saying it is in the terms and conditions of the credit card.
Goodbye St George/Westpac. Hello Bendigo!
Takeaway to you, before doing large transactions, check the bank fees.