Australia - Austraian Defence Force - Twitter PsyOps, Cultural Marxism, Ideological Wars & Censorship

ꕤ Twitter PsyOps  [CLICK image for enlargement / clarity] SOURCE http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/mona-shindy-case-defence-impartiality-caught-in-a-twitter-trap/news-story/54a5bed01d0df3425e3c6d5f761d60e2 Australia - Austraian Defence Force - Twitter PsyOps, Cultural Marxism, Ideological Wars & Censorship http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/mona-shindy-case-defence-impartiality-caught-in-a-twitter-trap/news-story/54a5bed01d0df3425e3c6d5f761d60e2 Mona Shindy case: Defence impartiality caught in a Twitter trap     The Australian     January 9, 2016 12:00AM     Leo Shanahan     Reporter, Sydney Zimbabwean Muslim cleric Mufti Ismail Menk runs a kind of benign Twitter account that projects a “can’t we just all get along” schtick appealing to Western sensibilities. Menk tweets out statements such as: “Learn to make the most of each day. Once over, it’ll never return. So be wary of what you put in a day. Fill it with good deeds & kindness.” No doubt it was with such sentiments in mind that Captain Mona Shindy, the navy’s most senior Muslim officer and the naval chief strategic adviser on Islamic affairs, at one stage describing him as “a source of wisdom”, retweeted Menk’s advice not to get “rude abusive or insulting”. More discreet are his views on homosexuals, whom he calls “filthy”. A recent tour of British universities was abandoned after videos of sermons surfaced in which Menk claimed gays “are worse than animals”. There is no suggestion Shindy endorses Menk’s views on gays, but it neatly illustrates the trap of social media for a member of the Australian Defence Force. Shindy’s Twitter account @navyislamic was shut down by Chief of Navy Tim Barrett in December after tweets endorsed the Australian Grand Mufti’s response to the Paris terror attacks, made gibes at Tony Abbott and questioned Australian foreign policy in Iraq. The social media and political activities policy of the ADF demands strict political neutrality from members when commenting in a capacity identifying them as ADF employees.  [comment:  no such thing as 'strict political neutrality' -- even benign schtick & infomercial messaging IS POLITICAL & IDEOLOGICAL dissemination / influence / opinion shaping] How does an organisation that has to be absolutely neutral in its political positioning exist in the politically febrile world of social media? How do you engage in identity politics, creating positions such as “Islamic cultural adviser” that almost by their nature attract political comment, without endangering the impartiality of the officer or the ADF?  [comment:  'impartiality' -- got to be kidding -- position itself is indicative of political state messaging role]   The position of Islamic cultural adviser was established in 2013 by Barrett’s predecessor Ray Griggs. According to the navy, “the position … was established to help improve Navy’s understanding of the cultural issues of the many Muslim navies/nations that it operates with … Capt Shindy also provides advice on how Navy can become a more attractive employer from an Islamic perspective as part of our broader diversity approach.” At the end of last year, the ADF had 103 permanent members who identified as Muslim, 26 of them in the navy. Rodger Shanahan (no relation), a research fellow at the Lowy Institute and a former army officer, believes Shindy clearly crossed the line of what is acceptable political comment from an ADF officer. “She showed poor judgment, stepped over the line and should’ve known better,” he tells The Weekend Australian. He believes the Twitter controversy points to problems the ADF faces in its determination to have a social media presence. “The military is not really allowed to enter into” all the “meaty stuff that makes social media ­interesting and dynamic”, Shanahan says, so “it almost becomes an infomercial”. The second problem is the nebulous nature of Shindy’s role as an Islamic cultural adviser. Shanahan says defence forces can only “be concerned with operational not social outcomes” and it’s unclear what operational benefit is being provided by the role. He claims the ADF would be better off following a US model of employing foreign area officers, who can be of any religion but trained in particular geographic areas to offer cultural advice. Neil James, executive director of the Australia Defence Association, says the ADF needs a diversity policy in the interests of a representative workforce, but the Islamic cultural advisory role has failed. “I think the experiment of an Islamic cultural adviser hasn’t worked. They do have indigenous cultural advisers and they do work, but they are advising on culture largely and not religion. In this case they did not have a definition of what a cultural adviser actually did.” Another problem, says James, are the inconsistencies in the ADF crackdowns for breaches of its social media and political commentary policies. “One of the problems they have had is that what you might loosely call the right-wing commentators have been punished and what you might call left-wing commentators haven’t been.” He also says the navy’s excuse for closing the @navyislamic account — that it was attracting “contentious comments” — was disingenuous given that many would regard Shindy’s comments as contentious. “You have comments on a navy website which a lot of people would consider an apologia for Islamist terrorism,” James says. While accepting the Shindy case is very different from that of Bernard Gaynor — who was sacked for making a statement about military marching in Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras — experts and former ADF members accept it puts the ADF in a bind over what is considered acceptable political commentary. The ADF is appealing Gaynor’s recent victory in the Federal Court, which found his decommissioning was invalid on the grounds his comment was made as a private citizen and was protected under the implied right to political communication. Gaynor has been a long-time critic of Shindy and transgender Group Captain Cate McGregor. He was crowing this week that the removal of the @navyislamic feed was a victory for him and the Australian Liberty Alliance. It may be galling for it to be lectured by Gaynor, but when the ADF chooses to navigate the minefield of social media and identity politics, allies can just as easily turn out to be enemies. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/mona-shindy-case-defence-impartiality-caught-in-a-twitter-trap/news-story/54a5bed01d0df3425e3c6d5f761d60e2 ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT NOTE - follow up U.S.A. STATE STASI PROPAGANDA - 'FOREIGN' MODEL  [CLICK image for enlargement / clarity] Found my first Aussie state Twitter PsyOps. Aussie State Stasi at work right here. Need to think about this before concluding what I think overall.  But I tend to be as opposed to state propaganda as I am to state (and corporate media / social media platform) censorship. Setting it aside for the moment. Lowy Institute is just another state Stasi ideology & corporate propaganda echo chamber (retail magnate / corporate established), so anything they have to offer in this or any other debate  is automatically suspect. Lowy Institute Australia's leading foreign affairs think-tank objective:  to influence Australian foreign policy Lowy Institute established 2003 with a gift from Frank Lowy AC  [think-tank 'trojan' ... lol] Frank Lowy Chairman of Westfield Corporation global shopping centre co. US$29.3 billion of assets USA, UK & Europe Chairman of Scentre Group Scentre Group ASX listed created 2014 when Westfield separated USA & European business from operations in Australia & New Zealand ownership development design construction funds/asset management property management leasing marketing activities for Westfield centres 2015 - assets under management:  A$39.4 billion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scentre_Group Frank Lowy b. Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) lived in Budapest, Hungary WWII caught en route to British Mandate of Palestine deported by British to camp in Cyprus Lowy joined the Haganah (then Golani Brigade) active in:   Arab–Israeli War in the Galilee & Gaza 1952 - left Israel joins family in Australia starts small-goods delivery business 1953 - hook-up with fellow immigrant John Sanders partner with Sanders --> found Westfield Devel. Corp. develop shopping centre Sydney west, Blacktown Reserve Bank of Australia Lowy appointed Director:  1995, 2000, 2003 (term end 2005) US Senate probe & Aust. Tax Office audit re:   tax havens in Liechtenstein & Switzerland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lowy Haganah Zionist military organisation representing Jews in Palestine from 1920 to 1948 under the influence of Histadrut (“General Federation of Labour”) outlawed by British Mandatory authorities initially reportedly opposed politics & terrorist activities of Irgun Zvai Leumi & the Stern Gang However:  1941, a full-time commando force, the Palmach Hebrew acronym:  Pluggot Machatz, “Shock Companies”) was organised Post WWII when British refuse to open Palestine to unlimited Jewish immigration Haganah resorts to terrorist activities: bombing bridges, rail lines, and ships used to deport illegal Jewish immigrants 1947 - United Nations resolution to partition Palestine Haganah the terrorist org becomes the defence force of Jewish state clashed openly with British forces defeated Palestinian Arabs & allies 1948 - creation of state of Israel Haganah controlled: most of the settled areas allocated to Israel plus:   Arab cities eg, ʿAkko (Acre) & Yafo (Jaffa) May 31, 1948 - Haganah disbanded as private org by Israel provisional govt -->  it then became the national army of the state: name perpetuated in official name of Israeli armed forces: Tzva Haganah le-Yisraʾel (“Israel Defense Forces”) http://www.britannica.com/topic/Haganah 1946 - Bombing of King David Hotel, Jerusalm British admin HQ for Palestine 91 (various nationalities) killed & 46 injured by militant Zionist underground org Igrun plan finalised between Amichai Paglin (Irgun alias 'Gidi') Chief of Ops of the Irgun +  Itzhak Sadeh, commander of the Palmach bombing of King David Hotel, Jerusalem approved by Moshe Sneh, chief of the Haganah General HQ in 1946 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel_bombing   Lowy Institute Australia's leading foreign affairs think-tank objective:  to influence Australian foreign policy established in 2003 with a gift from Frank Lowy AC  [think-tank 'trojan' ... lol]     International Security     East Asia     G20 Studies Centre     Melanesia     Polling     International Economy     West Asia offers publications for free download regular talks began to be recorded available on website 2007 - launched a blog 'The Interpreter' Board of directors Ambassador Chan Heng Chee DUBC – former Singaporean ambassador to USA David Gonski Robert Ferguson – former managing director, Bankers Trust Australia Martin Indyk – diplomat; former United States ambassador to Israel Frank Lowy – Lowy Institute founder and chairman; co-founder, Westfield Group Peter Lowy – group managing director of the Westfield Group Steven Lowy – group managing director of the Westfield Group Ian Macfarlane – former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia Mark Ryan – company director Judith Sloan – economist Michael Thawley – former Australian Ambassador to the United States Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC, DFC – former Chief of the Australian Defence Force The Hon. James Spigelman AC - Aust. Broadcasting Corp. Chair     James Spigelman former Chief Justice NSW Supreme Court 1998-2012 2012 - Chair Aust. Broadcasting Corp. - 5-year term Thus:  incumbent ABC Chair Court Final Appeal Hong Kong (2013) b. Poland 1946 served as Sen. Advisor & Principal Pvt Sec. to PM Gough Whitlam 1975 - appointed Sec. of Dept. of the Media member Aust. Law Reform Commission former Queens Counsel Appointed Chief Justice by NSW Prem. Bob Carr https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Spigelman Notable staff Michael Fullilove, Executive Director and Director of the Global Issues Program Rory Medcalf, Director International Security Program James Brown, Military Fellow Alan Dupont, Non-Resident Fellow   Former staff Allan Gyngell, Executive Director (2004–2009) - subsequently Director General of the Office of National Assessments [spy agency] Michael Wesley, Executive Director (2009-2012) Mark Thirlwell, Director International Economy Program (2004-2013) REPORTS - Quickie insight into agenda: New Voices 2004     Australia's transforming borders New Voices 2005     Binding the World Together New Voices 2006     Technology and International Relations New Voices 2007     International Leadership New Voices 2008     Responsibility in a Globalised World New Voices 2009     Networked New Voices 2010     Global Encounters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowy_Institute_for_International_Policy Dr. Michael Fullilove executive director Lowy Institute for International Policy Rhodes Scholar University of Oxford MA & PhD International Relations worked as a visiting fellow at Brookings Institution in Washington, DC former adviser:  Australia PM Paul Keating remains:   nonresident senior fellow at Brookings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fullilove Reserve Bank of Australia est.  Reserve Bank of Australia Australia's central bank & banknote issuing authority Reserve Bank Act (1959) removed central banking functions from Commonwealth Bank Components: Payments System Board governs the payments system policy of Reserve Bank Reserve Bank Board controls:  all other monetary & banking policies of bank board composition: * Treasury & other Aust. govt agencies * civil leaders of economy structure consistent since 1951 Governor {appointed by: Treasurer} chairs: 1. Payment Systems Board 2. Reserve Bank Board DISAGREEMENT between  board Payment Systems &  board Reserve Bank = resolved by Governor 1911 - est. Commonwealth Bank without authority to print notes {only Treasury could do so} movement to re-establishing gold standard post WWI 1925 - gold standard for British pound sterling & Australian pound Great Depression (1929-late 1930s) -- Australian pound devalued -- below value of pound sterling Commonwealth Bank Act (1932) -- Aust pound sterling departs from gold standard 1945 - private banks regulated by legislation -- opposed by HC Coombs -- Coombs pro flexible interest rate -- allowing bank to rely on open market ops -- tap system issue of bank bonds (ie price set) -- altered 1980 to short term (13 wk & 25 wk) tender -- volume of stock set but price determined by market -- tender system extended, soon after, to longer term govt bonds 1983 - float of Australian dollar --  financial system in Australia deregulated 1998 - admin of banks -- transferred from the Commonwealth Bank to:     - Aust. Prudential Regulation Authority     - Payments System Board (created)     - bank granted power in board same year Current Governor of Reserve bank:  Glenn Stevens appointed:  2006 b. Sydney 1958 Sydney University, BA Economics University of Western Ontario, MA professing Christian, Baptist church long-time:  Sutherland Shire southern region of Sydney, NSW council predominantly Liberal 2011 - Anglo-Saxon (72%) Shire: home to Westfield Miranda 'Miranda Fair' & others https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutherland_Shire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Stevens *partial summary Reserve Bank ꕤ