Facebook Hopes Renaming Internet.org App Will Shut Net Neutrality Critics Up

Australian Government Warns That Alternative Rock, Teenage Rebellion Could Lead To Radicalization

from the but-what-of-dubstep? dept

Mon, Sep 28th 2015 10:34am — Tim Cushing

The Australian government is fighting back against the unrelenting terrorist threat that threatens to consume every Western nation. It, too, has noticed that youngsters and their SnapChats are particularly prone to radicalization from outside forces. As Richard Chirgwin of the Register points out, it has chosen to address this threat to Australian society in the way only a government agency can: with a blend of the bizarre and the tone deaf.

Launched this week by justice minister Michael Keenan (who also glories in the title Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Terrorism), the Radicalisation Awareness Kit is supposed to help school teachers identify which of their students is going to enter the adult world with a penchant for bomb-throwing.

Cue the cheery faces of unradicalized youth:

The 32-page booklet starts with a long definition of radlicalization, hedged by warnings that not every diversion from the mainstream will result in violence. Then it heads into a series of "case studies" that indicate every deviation from societal norms is a warning sign of impending unlawfulness.

The case studies are the best kind of hilarious: inadvertent.

"Erin" joined a "hate group" and committed crimes against Muslims. After a stay in jail and laying off the booze, "Erin" turned her life around. Not completely, but it's a start.

It is now a number of years since she left the group and Erin has sought treatment for her depression, reconciled with her family, is studying and has made some new friends. However, it was a difficult and slow process. She has moderated her beliefs significantly and makes a point of educating herself on issues rather than just accepting what others tell her. She does not entirely trust the government or police yet – it takes a long time to change some habits of thinking.

If nothing else, this fabricated tale shows the government to be overly-concerned about its place in the world. "Erin" is still partly broken because she doesn't "entirely" trust the government or police. What a shame. But it is hoped "Erin" will be made whole in the near future -- full of trust in the government and prone to only tempered beliefs.

But that's not the worst of it. Much like the Homeland Security Advisor's ridiculous claim that teens acting like teens pose a threat to national security, the Australian government's concerns about future radicalization are also tied to the hallmarks of adolescence.

As Richard Chirgwin points out, the radicalization anecdotes reach their nadir with the story of "Karen," starting with setting these ground rules for Normal Existence.

Karen grew up in a loving family who never participated in activism of any sort.

This is called foreshadowing. Karen soon deviates from her family's path of loving do-nothingness.

When she moved out of home to attend university Karen became involved in the alternative music scene, student politics and left-wing activism.

And there you have it: alternative music is the gateway drug to terrorism. As is politics, oddly enough, considering this narrative has been written by a political agency. And let's not forget the activism -- the kind of thing her normcore family never felt compelled to participate in.

Strangely, the government chalks this up to "normal teenage rebellion" before going on to warn parents about normal teenage rebellion.

One afternoon Karen attended an environmental protest with some of her friends. It was exhilarating, fun and she felt like she was doing the ‘right thing’ for society. She enjoyed spending time with this crowd. Over the next six months Karen progressively dropped out of university in order to live full-time in a forest camp, where she remained for a year. Her family were confused and disappointed and stopped supporting her financially.

:(

You can guess what happened next. Logging operations were screwed with, Karen was arrested multiple times and, finally, she became disillusioned with her radical brethren and sistren. She chucked it all for a staid job at a "mainstream environmentalist organization." Happy endings all around, especially for Karen, who now realized the only way to fight the system was to become part of the system.

She now thinks illegal or aggressive direct-action campaigns only produce short-term solutions, and she is much more interested in working towards developing a sustainable solution using the legal system.

The warning signs the government says to look for are basically A Day in the Life of a Teen.

Issues that can help push someone onto a path of radicalisation may include:

• changes in living or employment
• anxiety, depression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts or other mental health issues
• personal issues such as health problems, addiction, anger or social problems
• dropping out of school or university
• negative changes in friendships and/ or personal relationships
• confrontations with family members
• discrimination and social unfairness
• exposure to hateful attitudes and actions, either as victim or perpetrator, and
• overseas events that may harm their community.

Now, the report does go on to caution that these are normal and don't necessarily signify Early Onset Radicalization. However, the report does make it clear -- especially through its anecdotal evidence -- that these can lead to radicalization when combined with activism, alternative music and an apparently unearned distrust for the government.

Perhaps sensing the sort of response this document might generate, the hefty propaganda leaflet also makes an effort to assure Australians that ASIO (the MI5/FBI of Down Under) is not allowed to crack down on radicalization warning signs -- at least not without going through the pre-lubed proper channels.

There are concerns that ASIO has extraordinary and unaccountable power. A review by the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor has found that ASIO’s powers have been used appropriately and effectively, with no evidence of abuses. As at November 2014, ASIO has not used its powers to detain anyone at all, and has used its questioning powers only 16 times since 9/11.

BUT OF WHAT YEAR?

These questionable anecdotes notwithstanding, the document takes a fairly restrained look at radicalization and its causes. But the nuances of its more cautious wording are undercut by stories that equate trusting your government and steering away from activism with normality, not-so-subtly suggesting any deviations from the norm should be viewed with suspicion.

Preventing Violent Extremism and Radicalisation in Australia (PDF)Preventing Violent Extremism and Radicalisation in Australia (Text)

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: australia, children, moral panics, radicalism, teenage rebellion

81 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Michael, 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:41am

She has moderated her beliefs significantly and makes a point of educating herself on issues rather than just accepting what others tell her. She does not entirely trust the government or police yet – it takes a long time to change some habits of thinking

Yup - her government needs to choke that out of her as quickly as possible.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:42am

I don't see that Rock-and-Roll Devil Music on this list. And that Elvis guy - have you seen the way he gyrates on stage?! That sort of thing can only lead our children to immorality and anti-social behavior! IT MUST BE STOPPED! THERE NEEDS TO BE A LAW!

---
That sound about right?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Chris ODonnell (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:51am

Kids have it so much worse today. Back in the 80s, rebellion only led to worshiping the devil.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Bamboo Harvester (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:56am

Not the music...
...but the music "scene". I worked a lot of punk clubs in the seventies, and I saw a lot of people redline back then. I suspect the same percentage of "impressionable youth" is "at risk" today from whatever "scene" (drugs & orgies in the seventies) is current.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Bamboo Harvester (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:58am

Re:
Nonsense - kids have never worshiped The Man. :)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
TheResidentSkeptic (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:59am

And before that...
... it was those Hippies.
... and before that, it was those beatniks.
... and before that, it was those flappers.
... all the way back to those kids banging the rocks together...

History keeps repeating itself.

Every generation believes the next is doomed based on the actions of the prior..
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:02am

So whats a group that goes into a muslim country under false pretenses, distablelizes and kills hundreds of thousands called?

A muslim "love" group

Hypocrates!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:03am

This is what propaganda looks like in a police/surveillance state.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:05am

THIS is why their spying on everyone, they've come to realize that people are'nt buying their bullshit like they used too
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:08am

So - not trusting the government and/or the police indicates potential problems for the government and/or police.

Seems legit
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ninja (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:08am

Reminds me of a song from Cherlie Brown Jr:

Eu vejo na TV o que eles falam sobre o jovem não é sério
O jovem no Brasil nunca é levado a sério

Translation: I watch on TV what they say about teenagers is not serious/Teenagers in Brazil are never taken seriously

Replace Brasil with any country and it applies just as well. Government, the media. How come people that have gone through their teens doing all sorts of stupidly teenage things can be so dislocated from reality?

This campaign is so full of wrongs that I'd take a long post to address them all but a few struck me:

• anxiety, depression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts or other mental health issues

As someone who dealt with close depressive individuals twice now this is very, very, very troubling. It is not a sign of radicalization, it's a sign that the person is ill and needs help.

• personal issues such as health problems, addiction, anger or social problems

Health problems, really? I'm not even commenting. Social problems, really? So everybody society chooses to make an outcast either because we humans are stupid bigots by nature are now radicals?

And the story about the girl that went into activism is simply enraging considering THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF often escalates the violence nowadays.

No, seriously, I hope this is one of these ads of olden we see today and, roll eyes and shake heads while laughing at how pathetic society was.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Annonimus, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:14am

I'm not suspicious
I'm not suspicious of the Australian government at all.

I mean the image in this article look like it is a copyright violation of a toothpaste commercial.

But I'm not suspicious of the Australian government.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
sorrykb (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:17am

Re: I'm not suspicious
We do not believe you. Please stand by for immediate re-education.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:19am

They seem to be more comfortable in creating propaganda thats obvious these.......maybe it was the obvious push of theirs over the last couple of months, to give the impression that propaganda was CREATED and only USED, by "terrorists", maybe they feel they succeded in giving this impression, a subtext to deflect propaganda accusations against them or the "justified retaliation" defence for their own propaganda, that they are only now vomiting up, and totally not started by them during the world wars, and totally not used and refined after the world wars.......hell, pretty sure it doesnt go back even further

Im implying it goes back further

Government propaganda, the original extremists....refined
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:20am

Some of this stuff sounds hilariously like the kind of thing you'd see on one of those Fallout propaganda posters.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:24am

One afternoon Karen attended an environmental protest with some of her friends. It was exhilarating, fun and she felt like she was doing the ‘right thing’ for society.

Ahhhhh, look, their using quote marks to imply something else......
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:26am

'Erin' once killed a koala, stuffed $50 in its mouth, and left it in a police station's driveway.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:29am

What is radicalism or extremism?
I'm worried about this new nomenclature. If it's violence or support of violence, let's just call it that. Radicalism or Extremism makes it sounds like you're dangerous if your views differ too much from mainstream.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
David, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:31am

How I learnt to love Big Brother...
I mean, seriously? What is this shit about "trusting" your government? The whole point of a democracy is that the populace is not supposed to trust but to control the government. Whenever they pull shit that "you don't need to know about", they are exceeding their authority and are spiraling out of control.

This is nothing but totalitarian propaganda, and Karen would be smart not to fall for it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Hero, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:32am

Crushing student loans will cause dropping out of school/university. Lack of a degree will lead to a lack of employment and change in living in the shitty economy. The lack of employer/friend/family-sponsored healthcare will lead to health problems. The need to be supported by friends and family will lead to negative changes in those relationships, which will cause anxiety and depression. Being poor, and now sick and emotionally troubled will lead to discrimination from peers, and perhaps law enforcement.

But! At least the overseas events in the middle east have a positive effect on the community, because we're totally safe! So, we're cool, right?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Paul Renault (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:33am

Re:
..habit of thinking?

More like a habit of NOT thinking.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:42am

I dont get it. Aprils fools has been a while ago.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:44am

"Over the next six months Karen progressively dropped out of university in order to live full-time in a forest camp, where she remained for a year. Her family were confused and disappointed and stopped supporting her financially."

sounds like someone following their own beliefs with conviction in a world actively built to punish such sentiments of individual thought

'Karen', seems very courages, courages then i infact....., more courages then 99% of the worlds `representation` looks like

Doing the right thing in a world actively designed to punish you for doing so.....oh yeah, why WOULDNT, i, want to live in that fake ass hypocritical world

Can i vote for karen!?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:53am

Hint at Gov
Before you release something like this do yourself a favor and ask these questions:

1. Does it sound like a quote from "1984" ?
2. Can you imagine a leader in a dystopian movie saying it?
And, of course...
3. Could Hitler have said it?

If you answer any of those questions with a "yes" then DO NOT publish it!
Resign, play some golf or do some gardening because you are really scary.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 11:54am

"Issues that can help push someone onto a path of radicalisation may include:

• changes in living or employment
• anxiety, depression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts or other mental health issues
• personal issues such as health problems, addiction, anger or social problems
• dropping out of school or university
• negative changes in friendships and/ or personal relationships
• confrontations with family members
• discrimination and social unfairness
• exposure to hateful attitudes and actions, either as victim or perpetrator, and
• overseas events that may harm their community."

So, basically, EVERY teen, is a radical.......boy! its a good thing that new invasive laws and tools are'nt being created, and "restricted" by law to apply to....shock,..teens.....uhh, i mean....everyone.....uhhh, i mean....radicals
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:00pm

"There are concerns that ASIO has extraordinary and unaccountable power. A review by the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor has found that ASIO’s powers have been used appropriately and effectively, with no evidence of abuses"

This is how this reads to me

Ive created this very bad thing, in secret, and i am inflicting it upon you without your consent, but be assured, its within the law, and i assure you with no facts to back it up, that its not being abused
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:04pm

Re:
Yeah, she needs to accept what government tells her, ....but not others
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Personanongrata, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:06pm

Pot Calling the Kettle Black
Australian Government Warns That Alternative Rock, Teenage Rebellion Could Lead To Radicalization

The Australian Government is correct in that rock and roll can lead to radicalization although it is not teenagers they should be on the lookout for but rather senile/corrupt US politicians like the singing-senior-senator from Arizona John Sidney McCain III and his disgraceful use of Beach Boys song lyrics from Barbara Ann:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-zoPgv_nYg

Advocating the unprovoked bombing of another nation is that radical or sensible? (It is also a war crime)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:08pm

Re:
Dont forget about the devils music......classic oprah
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:12pm

Re: Re:
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled, was convincing people he never existed"

Quote
Some actor, from some movie
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:16pm

Re: And before that...
How did the caveman deal with the intrusive internet surveillance
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:18pm

Re:
yep

Their solution

Do more shit to make people not trust them
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:20pm

Re: Re:
While not rectifying the previous things that made people not trust them yesterday
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:21pm

Re: Re: I'm not suspicious
Please sir! Can i have some more
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Bamboo Harvester (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:25pm

Re: And before that...
That's my point. You've always got a small percentage of youths who get so far into a "lifestyle" that they can no longer handle it. WHAT that lifestyle ("scene") actually IS doesn't matter.

And the do-gooders who try to "help" that tiny segment get all the air time. Squeaky Wheel Syndrome.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:27pm

I dont understand why their deviating from the tried and tested

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/10563822.jpg
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:31pm

Re:
...I don't see that Rock-and-Roll Devil Music on this list...

Probably because AC/DC and their fans 'educated' them.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:31pm

Re:
Shhhhh, watch what you say about the future president
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:35pm

Re: How I learnt to love Big Brother...
You made me think of this quote
"When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:36pm

Re:
Right!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:37pm

Re:
Your forgetting about the jet lag
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:40pm

Re: Re: Re:
Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects

https://youtu.be/EgSL3hY5iPE
[ link to this | view in thread ]
peasofgreen (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:43pm

Detecting radicalization of teenagers in Austraila
Many young people explore alternative methods to approach world problems. I did this when I was young. Radicalization: meaning using lethal force and killing other people or destroying property ---- these activities were TOTALLY never in my mind, scope of activities and would have horrified of me if they were even mentioned. So awareness of this distinction, needs to discussed and identified in any handbook on detecting radicalization.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
AC, 28 Sep 2015 @ 12:43pm

old methods are best methods
The torture will continue until compliance improves.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 1:36pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
I thought it was Cat Branchman...

https://youtu.be/6haBMbtXSLg
[ link to this | view in thread ]
JoeCool (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 1:48pm

Re:
How come people that have gone through their teens doing all sorts of stupidly teenage things can be so dislocated from reality?

Because they don't want to deal with kids like they themselves were, and unlike their parents, they'll actually be able to do something about it!

/s
[ link to this | view in thread ]
JoeCool (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 1:50pm

Re: What is radicalism or extremism?
You ARE dangerous... to those fleecing the mainstream. They'll do anything to protect their ill-gotten gains.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
JoeCool (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 1:56pm

Re: Hint at Gov
This should win Most Insightful Comment of the YEAR. How can the vast majority of politicians go to the movies or watch the history channel without recognizing themselves as the villain? It almost seems like most ARE watching... with a notebook and taking notes. "Ooooh - that Hitler guy had some great ideas!"
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 2:41pm

Re:
...and who said kids weren't learning?

'Erin' once killed a koala, stuffed $50 in its mouth, and left it in a police station's driveway.

This is the politically correct version of a pig with an apple in it's mouth.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 2:44pm

Re: Re: And before that...
He killed a Mastodon, a Saber Tooth Tiger, and the neighboring caveman. Not necessarily in that order.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 2:49pm

Re: Re: Re: I'm not suspicious
Ahhhh, we see you understand, said a high representative of the Australian government, as he took another toke.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 2:50pm

Most every teen comes out of school with the idea they are going to change the world. It is that change governments fear. None of the examples provided in the article are of much concern as they are all normal teenage behaviors. Teens are still coping with how to get along with society and pushing the boundaries to find where those are. It's part of growing up.

With all the crap these governments have been pulling about secrecy, the right to spy on everyone, and making examples to point to for the populace, no damn wonder no one trusts the government. Here in the US, the very things that led to it's creation of unwarranted spying and searching by the king's men, of locking victims up for long times until they could decide what should be done without charges (how terrorism is dealt with today when someone is arrested with this tag)or legal representation, smacks of the same as what led to a revolt. No wonder governments are scared (and not just Australia).

I can not help but wonder if any of these governments have considered the type of citizen they are producing with these actions?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 3:07pm

Re: How I learnt to love Big Brother...
Careful there, those in power never like to be reminded of their tenuous status. Which is why they do everything in their power to maintain that power, and those opposed are designated enemies of the state where they are really just enemies of totalitarianism.

Have an insightful anyway. If there are enough of 'us' then their watching 'everybody' makes no difference. Just ask the Stasi.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 3:14pm

Re:
"Most every teen comes out of school with the idea they are going to change the world"

Where employment takes over and beats it out of them
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 3:35pm

Re:
Right, a la:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_Went_Down_to_Georgia

Now there's a bunch of conflicted persons...oh....wait...???
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 4:07pm

Re:
"I can not help but wonder if any of these governments have considered the type of citizen they are producing with these actions?"

Oh, yeah. They've considered it: they are producing the best kind of citizen for them.

- A citizen that will believe what they say, that will do what is told to and that will jump when he hears the whistle (that doesn't blow).
- A citizen that won't do anything even if they steal money, accept bribes, commit crimes and a long list of "you're not supposed to do this"'s.
- A citizen that won't ask about their secret deals with corporations, and particularly, that won't ask for things like "environment friendly" or "safe", those things aren't modern anymore.
- A citizen that will trust them even if they are the worst kind of criminals.

Yup, that's the kind of citizen they hope to produce.

For them, the kind of people that reported the Volkswagen scam are the radical extremists (akin to terrorists, I guess), even if they are doing it for their (and ours) health.

Of course, what you want and what you get isn't the same. This isn't the 50's and people are getting some immunity to this kind of propaganda (my parents' generation were more gullible about these things). If they are hoping that people won't laugh at these fake stories, they should do it better.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Glenn, 28 Sep 2015 @ 4:10pm

Here's a radical idea: enact laws that actually represent the wishes--and protect the basic human rights--of your citizenry.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 5:20pm

There was a leadership coup in Australia a couple of weeks ago - because governing party had had 30 election-losing polls in a row and the previous leader was so widely despised. Mainly because they he/they were CONSTANTLY doing stupid shit like this. The new leader is not a lunatic. But half of the government still are. Hoping that this latest bullshit is just something that was already in the pipeline before the coup. Ironically, the far right ministers in the government are more deserving of the label "extremist" than the case studies in this propaganda.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jigsy, 28 Sep 2015 @ 5:28pm

At what point did Australia come to a big fork in the road where reality took a left and they hung a sharp right?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 5:33pm

I could re-caption that as "Preventing Genital Herpes" and that photo would still work pretty well.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Agonistes (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 5:59pm

I heard somewhere that she killed a koala and stuffed $50 in it's mouth.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 6:06pm

Re:
Damn. I didn't realize the ol' "dead Koala in the driveway" mystery had been solved. I gotta do a better job keeping up with Transactions of the Arboreal Herbivorous Marsupial Working Group.

(http://www.standard.net.au/story/2486479/mans-bizarre-50-police-protest-solves-dead-koala-stu nt)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
R2_v2.0 (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 6:15pm

Correction
You're misinterpreting the quote:
"has used its questioning powers only 16 times since 9/11."

Australia has a 2 hour time difference between it's eastern and western states. So 9/11 is the time of day depending on where you live.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Spaceman Spiff (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 8:05pm

So, we are not alone.
It's nice to see that ours isn't the only government in the world that has totally lost its mind and taken an overdose of "Stupid Pills". I need to back to work on my vaccine that will be given to all candidates for government office which will avoid these problems. There is no cure for those already so infected unfortunately.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:12pm

Re:
Congratulations!!

You are the 1000000th terrorist that visits this site!

You won a 2x1 permanent stay in a resort in Guantanamo.

Get it by clicking here:

[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:12pm

Re: Re:
Oh, well, stupid tags. They screwed my joke.

Now I won't get the Most Funny.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:17pm

Re: Detecting radicalization of teenagers in Austraila
Why?

They are not interested in truth, just in their pockets.

Alternative = We won't be filling our pockets.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:18pm

Re:
There have been 5 PMs in the last 5 years. The loons were able to take advantage of the chaos.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Padpaw (profile), 28 Sep 2015 @ 10:23pm

Be blindly loyal to your government. Refuse to believe anything you hear that portrays them in a negative light. Report anyone that tells you such things to the nearest thought police coordinator.

Give up your rights because your government tells you, defending your rights equals terrorism. Become a slave because its the patriotic thing to do, etc.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
me@me.net, 29 Sep 2015 @ 4:22am

kinda hard
Not to notice that TRUST THE GUBMENT AND THE POLICE part....

Never trust them, they are there to justify their own existence
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 29 Sep 2015 @ 6:14am

Tipper Gore Does Australia
"Alternative Rock"....? Seriously?

If the American joke about Canada being behind new tech was actually true..well, Australia is stuck in the 80's socially...it's not like they even have a band that's considered a threat to the establishment like the Dead Kennedys were when they were the spearheads of the american hardcore punk rev.

And that picture...a black guy? Australia? There should be 4 asians and 3 white people.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
E. Nigma, 29 Sep 2015 @ 6:26am

Are You on the Drugs!?
I have a hard time believing that the parents of teens in this day and age could be coerced into believing this propaganda.

Although I wonder what this booklet would sound like if you recorded it and then played it backwards...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 29 Sep 2015 @ 7:33am

Re: Not the music...
Those are risks only if you're idiotic about safety ;)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DNY (profile), 29 Sep 2015 @ 7:34am

Political Correctness run amok
I think most of the posters are missing what's really going on here. Australia, despite having recently elected a right-of-center government, is about as politically correct as an American college campus -- or at least that's the impression I had from living there for three months in the '90's -- an impression confirmed on a subsequent shorter visit and by the very fact that Julia Gillard could ever become PM.

The lame stupid examples like radical extremist alt rockers are there as a cloak for the one relevant example in the middle of the booklet, a fellow who published al Qaeda approved propaganda, so that mentioning it won't be regarded as "profiling" or "racist".

Last I checked, the only really notable example of violent extremism (itself a PC euphemism) on Australian soil was committed by a(n older than teenage) loon who for years had fraudulently passed himself off as a moderate Shi'ite cleric, had a sudden conversion experience to Sunni Islam, declared himself a supporter of IS, and took hostages in a chocolate shop in Sydney. I don't think alt rock was involved at all.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 29 Sep 2015 @ 7:45am

Re: Re: How I learnt to love Big Brother...
It's incredible that "left wing" is a warning sign. The "Liberals" (my god that country is reverse in so many ways). Gillard/Rudd's whatever the party they were in, wouldn't have ever approved or even made such a pamphlet and they wanted a damn China-like Internet Firewall!

Australia is really America in the 80's socially, goddamn. I know because I got lots of friends from there, they themselves aren't like that (they don't vote mostly) but yeah, they're nice people. Nice people at the mercy of a crazy government become crazy later...like the US in the 80's under Reagan (who am I kidding), Bush Sr for 12 years.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 29 Sep 2015 @ 7:45am

Re: Re: Hint at Gov
Given all those normal feelings that are turned into a bad thing to have I don't really think about the whole Hitler thing but more about the "2." thing or especially the movie "Equilibrium". Feeling anything is bad and given that most of those symptoms on the list are rather normal for teens I assume the Australian Gov doesn't want anyone to feel anything as seen in the movie mentioned above.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 29 Sep 2015 @ 7:49am

Re: Pot Calling the Kettle Black
Australians have some blood on their hands re: East Timor.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 29 Sep 2015 @ 7:57am

Re:
That's what they do in North Korea. The thought police coordinator is the block Matron though. I know cos I read books! Gasp! A radical!

I guess they'll have to censor Milhouse when he says that word on TV too down there,
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Kronomex, 29 Sep 2015 @ 2:37pm

I think I read in one of our papers a couple of days ago that one of the authors of this piece crap...ah, found the article -
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/25/anti-radicalisation-awareness-kit-never-meant- for-use-in-schools-says-key-author

Could it be that he's realised that he has made a laughing stock of himself and is now trying to worm his way out of the hole? Our gubmint here just keeps going from one disaster to another.
Also really looking forward to our trade minister, after he removes the corporate pushbike from his arse cheeks, announcing the "momentous" signing of the TPP. Oh, let the joy bells ring and big business dance in the streets.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Pseudonym, 29 Sep 2015 @ 8:11pm

Re:
She has moderated her beliefs significantly

...and that's kind of the point. The authors who wrote up the original case study have since pointed out that this is a story of someone not radicalising.

Alternative rock: it works.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 30 Sep 2015 @ 10:43am

Re:
The need to be supported by friends and family will lead to negative changes

So instead of being supported by the government as the first of your statement implied, its only the need to be supported by family and friends that will lead to negative changes? Government good, family/friends bad. Got it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]