Earlier this year, I highlighted how the UK government was cheerfully stretching the boundary of terrorist fear-mongering when it made it policy for registered childminders to “report toddlers at risk of becoming terrorists.”
No, that’s not a joke. Here’s an excerpt from the post, The War on Toddler Terrorists – Britain Wants to Force Nursery School Teachers to Identify “Extremist” Children:
Nursery school staff and registered childminders must report toddlers at risk of becoming terrorists, under counter-terrorism measures proposed by the Government.
The directive is contained in a 39-page consultation document issued by the Home Office in a bid to bolster its Prevent anti-terrorism plan.
But concern was raised over the practicalities of making it a legal requirement for staff to inform on toddlers.
Clearly not wanting to be outdone when it comes to bureaucratic buffoonery, the Commonwealth of Australia is fighting back. We learn from ABC Online:
Environmentalists and teachers are up in arms over a new Federal Government anti-radicalisation kit that links green activism and “alternative music” to terrorism.
The Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Terrorism Michael Keenan launched the Radicalisation Awareness Kit in the form of a 32-page booklet on Monday.
Australia has a Prime Minister on Terrorism? Are you kidding me. You’re more likely to get scratched to death by a koala than die in a terrorist attack.
Through a series of examples and fictitious case studies, the booklet aims to illustrate the circumstances which can lead young people to become radicalised.
But one surprising example cites the power of the alternative music scene and environmental activism in the radicalisation process.
He said the kit was designed to help teachers understand how the radicalisation process worked, and how to respond if they felt there was somebody in their community who is susceptible to it.
“We wanted to explain to teachers who are really on the frontline of this – because we know that school children are being radicalised – to look out for certain signs that would lead them to be concerned about somebody, and if they are concerned about somebody moving down the dark path of radicalisation, moving down the path of violence, then they’ll know what they can do about it,” Mr Keenan said.
Should we really be surprised? After all, here are a few headlines from Australia over the last couple of years…
October 13, 2015 – The Day Digital Privacy Officially Dies in Australia
Australia’s Prime Minster Admits Metadata Collection is for “General Crime” Not Terrorism
Video of the Day – Meet Australia’s Creepy Prime Minister, Tony Abbott
Anti-Protest Law Passes in Australia – Punishment Includes Fines and Imprisonment
Australian Government to Seize Cash from Inactive Bank Accounts
Australia’s New Law Destroys Internet Freedom
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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Lighten up, Mike. They’re just keeping us safe.
I’m always amazed when people say they want to leave the US and go somewhere they can be free. With all our faults, we’re not at the point that the UK and Australia are, at any rate. And we sure as hell are well beyond them in civilian fire power.
I think I’ll just hang out here and see what I can do to help my country.
Being freedom hating seems to be a prerequisite for being a politician these days. Every time we turn around there is some politico doing all he/she can to destroy the constitution of the country they are supposed to be serving, bringing in the most draconian legislation possible and acting as if this is all fine and well.
That’s because most people still don’t get it. The prime job of a politician is to control the population. The second job of a politician is to make the laws to control the population. End of.
Respectfully, we don’t have a “Prime Minister on Terrorism”. Where it says “The Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Terrorism Michael Keenan”, it means that Mr Keenan is a Minister, who assists the Prime Minister (our national leader), on the issue of terrorism.
This story is quite big in Australia. Many people who attended a peaceful rally against shark-culling are incensed that they are now associated with “extremism”. The government has since removed that image from the website, but the printed booklet for teachers has not been recalled. If I was in that photo I would seek to organise a class-action lawsuit against the government.