Tutorial Seven Task

How many of the following can you achieve while sticking to your political beliefs?

1. Sign an e-petition:

I signed an e-petition to stop the proposed construction of high voltage overhead power lines by Powerlink from Ridgewood to Eerwah Vale. Below is the website link:

http://www.saveeumundi.org/2009/08/sign-the-e-petition-now/

2. What is Barak Obama up to today?

President Barack Obama addressed the nation today on his plans for Afghanistan in a speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He divulged details of his new Afghanistan strategy that will order an expected 30,000 to 35,000 additional soldiers and Marines to war, the largest single U.S. deployment since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php?splash=false

3. Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are:

Federal representative: Margaret May
State representative: Raymond Stevens
Local representative: Christine Smith

http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/advocacy/advocacy_article.jsp?articleId=2386#QLD

4. Look up the Queensland or Australian Hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament.

Christine Smith last spoke in parliament on the 22nd April 2009.
Below is a quote from her speech:

"Am pleading with the Minister for Health—to review the
funding of Mirikai residential beds and I need members to assist me in supporting this"

http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/doc/Christine%20Smith%20spk%20Burleigh%202009_04_22_88.pdf#xml=http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/hilite/


5. Read the lecture and the readings, pursue a couple of the topics that you find most interesting and then post your blog with your well-considered thoughts about the theory and practice of politics.

When reading over the lecture for today I start to see the interaction between politics and the internet. Before this lecture, I was actually very unaware of the certain things, related to politics, that were being shown/promoted through the internet. One example that I found very interesting was how, particularly in America, the internet (such as Youtube) was used for political campaigning. The Obama campaign example was very entertaining and I think, as it was proved, very successful. This politics/internet relationship just proves how technology is continually advancing in our society, and will continue to.

Other Questions:

1. What do you think of the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")???

“Clean Feed” is a content blocking system which has been discussed in Australian parliament. The aim of the system is to block certain websites or content that has not been approved (by the government). I really DISAGREE with this new system. I think this goes against our privacy rights and will make the internet less appealing. I think the internet is great and so widely used because of the freedom associated with it. I don't think that allowing the government to filter and control this freedom will be fair or just (especially in a democratic society). Consequently I believe it clashes with our democratic rights and should NOT be passed by parliament.

2. What place does censorship have in a Democracy?

I think censorship is important in certain domains of society- for example the film making industry. I think it is necessary and is used as a form of protection against certain content. I do think the government has a responsibility towards society to censor these types of industries because, for example, films are freely available to everyone and are inexpensive. I know I contradict myself (as the internet is also freely available to everyone and FREE) however, censoring the internet will be an expensive process, possibly inaccurate and limiting towards society’s freedom (by decreasing our privacy and freedom rights).

In summary, I believe the Government has a responsibility to censor certain domains in a democratic society; however I believe the internet is not one of those domains.