IF ONLY THE WORLD HAD LEADERS WHO DARED TO KNOW!?

 

Increasingly it becomes obvious that representational democracy populated by self-nominated candidates in no longer the needed replacement for direct deliberative democratic decision making. I Europr The Industrial Revolution, The French Revolution and The Russian Revolution in sequence disrupted autocratic governance. Along with it the autocratic governance of the colonised world was disrupted. Arguably, the two world conflicts of 20th C are deeply implicated in the relatively fruitless struggle to find a manifestation of democracy that delivers safe secure and sustainable homeplaces for individuals, communities and nations alike.

Unenlightened, self-imposed immaturity in those who lead isc everlikely to lead to dystopia as it has before. Outsourcing 'the knowing', morality and responsibility to an ideology or a deity, or a servant cum surrogate of either, is bound to end in dystopia. It always has up to now and it is ever likely to.

Dare to know! Dare to find a way forward collaboratively and cooperatively. Premeditated ignorance compounds dystopia.

https://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/kant_whatisenlightenment.pdf

What is Enlightenment?    IMMANUEL KANT (1784)

1. Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity.[2] Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Sapere Aude![3] “Have courage to use
your own understanding!”--that is the motto of enlightenment.

2. Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why so great a proportion of men, long after nature has released them from alien guidance (natura-liter maiorennes),  nonetheless gladly remain in lifelong immaturity, and why it is so easy for others to establish themselves as their guardians. It is so easy to be immature. If I have a book to serve as my understanding, a pastor to serve as my conscience, a physician to determine my diet for me, and so on, I need not exert myself at all. 

I need not think, if only I can pay: others will readily undertake the irksome work for me. The guardians who have so benevolently taken over the supervision of men have carefully seen to it that the far greatest part of
them (including the entire fair sex) regard taking the step to maturity as very dangerous, not to mention difficult. Having first made their domestic livestock dumb, and having carefully made sure that these docile creatures will not take a single step without the go cart to which they are harnessed, these guardians then show them the danger that threatens them, should they attempt to walk alone. Now this danger is not actually so great, for after falling a few times they would in the end certainly learn to walk; but an
example of this kind makes men timid and usually frightens them out of all further attempts………………………https://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/kant_whatisenlightenment.pdf

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DARE TO KNOW!

AUSTRALIA'S/TASMANIAN'S POLITICAL DYSTOPIA

 

Police seize posters from ACT venue under new hate-symbol laws ...Newstime Media February 19, 2026

A City venue was forced to temporarily close and cancel a gig after ACT Policing seized five posters from the licensed premises following a complaint about possible hate imagery.

Greens and independents have condemned the police action as worryingly ‘Orwellian’ and overriding free speech.

Earlier this week, police received a complaint regarding artwork displayed at Dissent Bar and Cafe. On Wednesday 18 February, officers attended and spoke with the owner, requesting the posters be removed as part of their investigation.

Police said the owner declined the request and a crime scene was subsequently established.

“Five posters were subsequently seized and will be considered under recently enacted Commonwealth legislation regarding hate symbols,” ACT Policing said in a statement.

“Enquiries in relation to the posters are continuing, including seeking legal advice on their legality.”

The posters appear to depict US President Donald Trump, US vice president JD Vance, tech billionaire Elon Musk, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu portrayed in stylised Nazi-era military uniforms.

The ACT Criminal Code 2002 under Section 752 (iv) highlights that displaying a Nazi symbol is not an offence if it is displayed in opposition to fascism, Nazism, neo-Nazism, or other related ideologies.

Police added they remain committed to ensuring alleged antisemitic, racist and hate incidents are addressed promptly and thoroughly, and that where possible criminality is identified, appropriate action will be taken.

The venue posted on social media that police had “declared a crime scene” and cancelled a scheduled gig.

In a series of posts, the business described the posters as “clearly and obviously parody art with a distinct anti fascist message”.

“The full weight of the law apparently applies to artistic parody,” the venue wrote.

Dissent also claimed it had been closed for “2 & 1/2 hours on a gig night” and they will be “Back open tomorrow for the next instalment of how to shut down the night time culture in the CBD.”

Police minister Dr Marisa Paterson MLA said she had asked ACT Policing for further clarification.

“I understand that the events of last night at Dissent Cafe and Bar have caused concern for members our community,” Dr Paterson said.

“I will continue to seek advice from ACT Policing on the application of this Commonwealth Legislation.

“I thank our community for your patience while the investigation continues, and will update you as further information becomes available.”

Thomas Emerson: ‘Orwellian’

Independent MLA Thomas Emerson has asked police minister Dr Marisa Paterson MLA to explain the police actions.

“This seems pretty Orwellian to me,” Mr Emerson said.

“ACT law makes it clear that publicly displaying a swastika is not an offence if it’s for artistic purposes or in opposition to fascism. Both exemptions would seem to apply here.

“Having spoken with the venue owner, I’ve written to the Police Minister to seek an explanation for why these exemptions were not applied.

“Art intends to provoke and challenge us.

“In attempting to foster social harmony by preventing offence, we can’t afford to create more division. Government suppression of artistic expression and dissenting voices is incredibly divisive.”

ACT Greens condemn ACT Policing

The ACT Greens strongly condemned ACT Policing’s raid of a local Canberra bar and removal of the anti-fascist posters and artwork, calling the action “an alarming consequence of Labor’s rushed and harmful hate speech legislation”.

“At a time when our community should feel confident that laws are being applied carefully and proportionately, this heavy-handed response raises serious concerns about freedom of expression and the unintended impacts of hastily drafted reforms,” the party said.

Andrew Braddock MLA, spokesperson for Anti-Racism and Democracy and Integrity, said: “Art has always played a vital role in protest and political expression. ACT hate speech laws explicitly provide space for artistic expression. However, the new federal hate speech provisions override aspects of our territory framework, which appears to be the grounds on which police have taken this action.

“This situation highlights the real-world consequences of poorly considered, fast-tracked legislation, concerns that our Federal Greens colleagues consistently raised during the parliamentary debate.

“Hate speech laws are too important to be rushed. We must draw a clear and careful distinction between genuine hate speech and satire or political commentary. If we fail to do so, we risk both allowing serious offenders to evade accountability and unfairly penalising legitimate artistic and political expression.”

At the federal level, Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson for justice, said: “Labor’s first scalp under their new hate laws isn’t a Nazi group, it’s a Canberra bar with an anti-fascist poster.

“Pauline Hanson can spend decades demonising Muslims in the Senate and the media — but stick ‘punch a Nazi’ on your wall in Canberra, and the AFP comes knocking.

“Laws rushed through parliament to fight antisemitism are now being used to attack people fighting fascism.

“These laws were never seriously about hate; they have always been about shutting down dissent.

“The Greens warned these laws would be weaponised against people who use their conscience to speak out for humanity. It took barely a month to be proven right.”

Canberra Liberals: ‘Responses must be proportionate’

Canberra Liberals Leader Mark Parton MLA called for restraint.

“Police are navigating new Commonwealth hate-symbol laws and are obliged to act on public complaints, even in complex situations like this,” Mr Parton said.

“I understand the bar owner’s frustration, but the matter is under investigation so we can’t discuss specifics.

“In a sensitive climate around vilification and hate speech, responses must be proportionate, lawful and calm.”

DIRECT DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY

 

If we imagine that the world is ever going back to the way it was pre COVID-19 it is almost certain it will not. In local governance in Tasmania, we have seen instances of almost incredulous level of bureaucratic dysfunction that cannot be attributed, directly, to the COVID-19 Crisis. Quite simply the crisis exposed it. History always has something to teach us!

The dysfunction has nevertheless, been there in background and while extreme instances have been, and are being, ‘smoothed over’ it is increasingly evident that the ‘elected representative democracy model’ ERDM (AKA indirect democracy) once might have been adequate, increasingly, in local governance at least, its shortfalls are revealing themselves. 

ERDM has evolved out of the Roman Republic and has since taken on various machinations to the point that in the Western world in the 20th Century ERDM became the standard to be aspired towards by the dominating ‘world powers’. ... Click here to read more

LAUCESTON'S CEO'S FOUR DAY WEEK FLOPS

 

Launceston council set to scrap four-day week proposal after business backlash

The contentious proposal for a four-day working week from Launceston council has collapsed with a more refined plan now on the table. Why nobody is happy with how it’s panned out. Nick Clark 2 min read

The City of Launceston council proposal for a four day working week has been sabotaged by business groups, sources close to the negotiations say.

The Mercury understands that a meeting between the City of Launceston and the Australian Services Union on Tuesday heard that the council was proposing an alternative arrangement and would not go ahead with the four day working week. “Let me be absolutely clear – we believe in this model,” he said.

.... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

MONIED PEOPLE

 

The wisdom is well known and itis almost a cliche when it brought to out attention yet again but when Alanis Obomsawin, said: "Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money". Here she emphasizes that human greed for wealth will eventually destroy the natural resources necessary for survival. Most MONEYpeople do not have the wisdom and spend their lives figuring out how to protect their wealth.

This one figured out how to let it go. In September 2022, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, made a decision that challenged traditional ideas of success. ... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

KANAMALUKAechos #! Resource Sustainability & Forestry

READ MORE HERE & HERE

 

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BAMBOO & AGROFORESTRY

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ABOUT THE NETWORK

Tasmania's recent State Government election has raised community consciousness in regard to the increasingly evident failures of the two party syndrome in Tasmania – in fact Australia. Also, many in the community are becoming increasingly concerned about the ways political party's are failing to take their concerns and aspirations on board and reflect them in policies.

It all become more than concerning when party compliance effectively dumbs down a candidate's potential input and it all become insidious when the policy development process stifle ideas. We are in crisis mode and we cannot tolerate any longer the aspirations of the power hungry who are bereft of ideas to match their aspirations.

Both major parties seemed to have lost their way and the yawning gap between the policies they deliver on, and the policies they espouse after watering them down to match their backer's objectives. All this is becoming a real concern.

Political parties will, and do, promise to do things they know they cannot do, or should not do, if there is a belief that they can amass enough voters to get them across the line and into power by promising the world. We have just seen this in action.

Tasmanian politics needs independent candidates standing for election in every jurisdiction and every constituency – Local, State and Federal Governments.

Against this background there is a growing number of people looking to support independent political candidates and likewise looking to identify people who might wish to stand for election if they had an independent support base to back their candidacy. 

Members of Institute 43 Network have agreed to support the development of a cohort of independent candidates for the upcoming Local Govt elections. Given that 2026 is an election year for Local Government in Tasmania, and there are changes afoot, there is real need to have members who are truly independent and who wish change the way communities are governed.