Speech bubbles set

Guy Rundle’s essay on the ties between the death of the liberal project and the death of Fairfax was widely read yesterday with many commenters suggesting its finals lines could at least offer some hope.

On Guy Rundle’s essay on the disappearance of Fairfax:

Carolyn Muir writes: I worked for Fairfax 50 years ago. My daughter-in-law holds a rather responsible position with them now, or at least we hope so. I had a lump in my throat and unshed tears burning when I heard of the takeover. Not necessarily a nostalgic reaction but a realisation of yet another shift in the balance of fairness and integrity. The last sentence in Mr Rundle’s comment perhaps echoes my own thoughts, that there are intelligent thinking people who will not lie down, who will not be silenced and will create those institutions and structures we so desperately need in this rather distressing world we have created.

Moving to Paraguay writes: Sobering. I like how you identify sliding door of history in the 1970s. We need to deep dive back to that turning point and learn how that promise was lost, in case it re-emerges. Meanwhile, we have Morry Schwartz who sustains the community of Don Watson readers. Can it be broadened? That leaves Crikey as all that stands between us and becoming “Aussies” chuffed at the New York Times local edition.

On the kids in Canberra taking on politics: 

Applet writes: Good on them for having a go, and I really hope the best for them. It would be interesting to see if they can retain their enthusiasm and integrity when they discover the power of branch stacking, donations and gold plated parliamentary retirement packages.

On Greg Hunt’s backflip on court orders in My Health Record:

John Zuill writes: I have spent the years since the invention of the internet wondering why no one seems to care about organising an international consensus on privacy. Is no one else astonished? Is Estonia the only advanced country in the world? What sort of idiot is Hunt? Was this humiliation completely predictable? I would have to say yes! Someone breaks into my credit card twice a year. But lets not talk about privacy, oh no. Are we really going to go on with our digital identity in slivers all over the internet? Is this really a good idea? We need laws. We need a constitutional right to privacy specific to data and enshrined in law and zealously enforced. We need digital identities that are secure from all unwanted intrusion including the government. We need it now. The situation is about to get worse. 

And on Coles’ decision to go back on its decision to ban free plastic bags:

Adrian Jackson writes: I am disappointing that Coles, a company I have shares in, is weakening their resolve on plastic bags. I am 65 and for the last decade I have take a cloth bags to the shops and keep spare ones in my car. I keep the cloth bag with the house keys so I dont forget it, its not rocket science. If I am buying takeaway lunch at the milk bar I ask for a paper bag and reject a small plastic one if offered. I only use china cups for coffee rather that a takeaway cup, just sit down and enjoy your coffee at the cafe. Plastic bottles have only been in vogue for a few decades because lazy, mostly foreign owned, drink companies wont take empty drink bottles back. I never buy drinks in plastic but buy a reusable local drink company’s glass bottles rather than dreadful American soft drinks. We used to got our shopping placed in large brown paper bags too. With seven days and early evening shopping life is much easier for shoppers. South Australians have solved this problems so why not citizens in the other states?

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