This week's stories: CNN Rules!...Absolutely Fascist...Telstra Getting Better And Better, From Some Points of View... I Don't Read Files, But I Do Read Bank Statements...Thanks Losers...Not-Wanting-To-Be-A-Mormon Disease Spreads...Quote of the Week.
A poll has found that a third of people in the United States believe that weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. 22 per cent believe the Iraqi government used them during the war. Before the war, roughly half of those polled said the Iraq regime was responsible for the bombing of the World Trade Centre. (SchNews news report, June 20) Gay activist Nick Toonen has been awarded an Order of Australia, in recognition of his work in fostering a greater understanding of gay and lesbian rights. He will be travelling to Australia from New Zealand to accept the award. His partner will be unable to accompany him because Australian law discriminates against gay couples. Telstra has shed 11,423 jobs in the 3 years to April 2003. Over the last decade they have cut close to 50,000. Telstra concedes that it may get rid of a further 3000 jobs in the coming financial year. Telstra spent $100,000 on Christmas lunches for its customers, $30 million on corporate sponsorship deals in the last financial year, and $58 million on corporate entertainment since 1998 including $10.7 million in the last financial year. Telstra also made a $3.6 billion profit last financial year. (Community and Public Sector Union). The Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock, says it is "naive" to expect him to read visa applicants' complete files before deciding whether to intervene in their cases. The comments followed an admission by Mr Ruddock on Tuesday that he had overturned five rejections and granted a protection visa to a Lebanese man, Bedweny Hbeiche, without reading his file. Mr Ruddock intervened soon after Mr Hbeiche donated $3000 at a Liberal Party fundraising dinner. (Sydney Morning Herald, June 19). Productivity has risen so greatly in the last 10 years in Australia that "it would have funded an extra month's leave for workers", according to Barbara Pocock, from the Centre for Labour Research at Adelaide University. Instead, most employees surveyed reported that work was having an "increased - largely negative" impact on their personal lives. (Sydney Morning Herald, January 31 and March 10, quoted in Shorter Work Week News report, May/June edition). An American anarchist has been held in a 'boot camp' run by the Mormon church since he was 16, diagnosed with a pyschological disorder that seems to be little more than disagreeing with his parents. Alex Asch had been prescribed sedatives, sent to psychiatrists and put in special programs, all against his will, because of an ongoing conflict with his parents based around his political beliefs. In August 2002 they had him taken by force to a Mormon-run 'juvenile rehabilitation program', where he will be held until his 18th birthday. Alex has been diagnosed with "Oppositional Defiance Disorder", whose 'symptoms' include arguing with adults and refusing to comply with adults' requests. (www.wiretapmag.org via Ainfos news report, June 19). Quote of the Week: "Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business." Michael Ledden, holder of the 'Freedom Chair' at the American Enterprise Institute. anarchist news service write to James, PO Box 503, Newtown NSW 2042 or email [EMAIL PROTECTED] contact us to get ATNTF emailed directly to you. If you like All the News That Fits, forward it on to people or lists who might be interested in it, or post it on your local Indymedia http://www.indymedia.org. Some other Australian anarchist contacts: Love and Rage is an anarchist, non-profit record label. Our CD is available by mail order. 20 songs for $10 within Australia, $15 in New Zealand, $10 in the USA, $10 in Canada, 5 pounds in Britain, or 10 euros in the rest of Europe. Other countries, or enquiries from shops and distroes, email us and ask. Address for orders is PO Box 1191, Richmond North VIC 3121 (Australia). Please make cheques or money orders out to J. Hutchings. http://www.loveandrage.rocks.it http://www.angry.at/thegovernment - anarchist website with fliers for download, contacts etc. http://www.angry.at/racists - Anarchist/anti-racist music site with free mp3s, Real Audio, Real Video, internet radio, band interviews etc. Also includes the text of 'Escape', an anarchist novel - http://www.geocities.com/skipnewborn/novel.doc http://www.dolearmy.org - information for unemployed people. http://www.activate.8m.com - anarchist magazine aimed at teenagers. All the News That Fits appears in the Anarchist Age Weekly Review (http://www.vicnet.net.au/~anarch - PO Box 20 Parkville VIC 3052) and The Ham (http://www.theham.cat.org.au). Media outlets mentioned in All the News That Fits are sources - items are not direct quotes from news media. Background information may have been gathered from sources in addition to media outlets cited. Where no source is cited, the information has been gathered from direct sources. .. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
