Mining Rents and Spies, Timor-Leste, New Zealand Journey
Very good turnout to the Isocracy mining resource rent forum last Saturday week. Key speaker, David Collyer (campaign manager, Prosper Australia), gave a good outline of the key distinction between profit derived from site monopoly and the onerous taxes applied to others (in particular small business). Felt that the mining rent could be expanded and the expenditure by the opposing mining companies was actually rather small compared to what they could have used. Meanwhile, Fortescue Metals is preparing for a High Court challenge (which will almost certainly fail). We can be reminded of how much (PDF) provision to the public purse Fortescue current makes to public purse. In related news, much attention has been drawn to landlord class member Clive Palmer, with his crackpot conspiracy theory that the CIA is funding the Greens to wreck Australia's mining industry.
Also related to spies (and East Timor), is the heroic efforts of Associate Professor (and former army intel) Clinton Fernandes to have the Australian government release thirty year-old records concerning Timor-Leste. This follows from attempts by the Australian army to prevent publication of his book "Reluctant Saviour" and prevention of the release of daily situation reports from Timor-Leste in 1975. Of other note of the shifting alliance in Timor-Leste is that following the first round of presidential elections, Ramos-Horta is now seeking an alliance with the social-liberal PD.
In news that doesn't relate to relate to comrades and former employers,![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
caseopaya and I are heading to New Zealand for a fortnight; first to attend Multicore World, where I'll be MC, and caseopaya will be handling registration and second to inspect our still vacant (any people from Dunners reading this?) property. Hoping to make it to Farewell Spit this journey, one of the few corners of NZ that we haven't been to.
Also related to spies (and East Timor), is the heroic efforts of Associate Professor (and former army intel) Clinton Fernandes to have the Australian government release thirty year-old records concerning Timor-Leste. This follows from attempts by the Australian army to prevent publication of his book "Reluctant Saviour" and prevention of the release of daily situation reports from Timor-Leste in 1975. Of other note of the shifting alliance in Timor-Leste is that following the first round of presidential elections, Ramos-Horta is now seeking an alliance with the social-liberal PD.
In news that doesn't relate to relate to comrades and former employers,
caseopaya and I are heading to New Zealand for a fortnight; first to attend Multicore World, where I'll be MC, and caseopaya will be handling registration and second to inspect our still vacant (any people from Dunners reading this?) property. Hoping to make it to Farewell Spit this journey, one of the few corners of NZ that we haven't been to.
no subject
What happens when Situationists take over the marketing department.