[LINK] Information controls in the Age of Information

[Leah Manta]

At 12:10 21/03/2009, Kim Davies wrote:
>Hi Leah,
>
>| Seems most governments don't want to admit that within their own
>| countries people are abusive, conduct torture (as defined by the
>| United Nations which includes psychological abuse, unfair power and so on.)
>
>What about the "United Nations Convention against Torture and Other
>Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment"? Australia is a
>signatory. It compels countries to legislate and act against torture.

Sadly being a signatory to such conventions doesn't mean the 
application of them.  Worse still, we all know there are no human 
rights in Aus!  Well not in the constitution and without that, there 
is no basis for a legal process of human rights in Aus.

Even copyright, privacy, free speech, are considered Human Rights, 
but none are really written into law in Aus in a way that complies 
with the concepts.

In the USA the Amendments go a long way to covering some things and 
the Bill of Rights covers others.  In the UK, they whinge about 
having to abide by the EU Human Rights protocols.  So much effort is 
often given to delaying or avoiding meeting those conventions in law.

So where does this put Australia?

Well, in a weird position indeed!  And lets not forget Australia 
(well the 'white' government) isn't all that innocent when it comes 
to 'abuses' of Human Rights.  David Hicks, Haneef, and the list goes on.

Anyway, sorry I,we, have kinda digressed a bit too far now, even if 
at the end of the day it's all about Information and how to deal with 
it.  Like I keep being told - The Computer Doesn't lie!

Yeah but the data entry operator might!