Oz Crying

  There’s a strange phenomenon in NSW: Every time public transport gets an “upgrade,” the experience gets worse. New timetables? Slower trains. New safety announcements? More confusion. More staff? Less information. It’s almost impressive — like watching someone renovate a house and somehow end up with fewer rooms. ⭐ The Announcements That Tell You Everything Except What You Need Sitting at the station, you hear the same loop: “No smoking or vaping is allowed at this station or on trains.” “For your safety, CCTV cameras operate 24 hours a day.” “In wet weather, take extreme caution.” “Police patrol stations 24 hours a day.” It sounds reassuring… until you think about it for more than three seconds. If CCTV is for “my safety,” can it be used if someone burns down the station? Or is it only for catching someone who dared to stand too close to the yellow line? What’s the difference between caution and extreme caution? Do I walk slower? Do I squint harder? Do I hold the handrail with t...

  Every school teaches the same rule: “No means no.” Children are taught: Respect boundaries Respect bodies Respect personal space Stop when someone says stop Consent matters Power doesn’t give you special rights If a child ignores someone’s “no,” the school steps in immediately. There are consequences — counselling, suspension, parent meetings. But then children turn on the news and see adults in power doing the exact opposite. What the News Shows Instead Children hear about: high‑profile abuse cases powerful people avoiding consequences child exploitation networks trafficking scandals legal teams trying to silence victims settlements instead of accountability “non‑disclosure agreements” used as shields They see headlines about: people with money escaping justice people with status rewriting the narrative people with influence bending the system people with power deciding which “no” matters If a child behaved like this, they’d be removed from the classroom. When adults do it, it b...

Every school assembly teaches the same message: “No racism. Treat everyone equally. Everyone deserves respect.” Children understand this. They’re taught: Don’t judge people by their background Don’t call people names Don’t dehumanise anyone Don’t exclude people Don’t decide who “deserves” to be here If a child breaks these rules, the school steps in immediately. There are consequences — counselling, parent meetings, suspension. But then children go home, turn on the news, and see the exact opposite from the adults running the world. What the News Shows Instead On the world stage, racism isn’t just present — it’s normalised. Children see: entire populations labelled as “less than” groups described as “animals” civilians treated as disposable whole regions punished for the actions of a few leaders deciding who “deserves” to live freely They hear statements like: “They’re not like us.” “They don’t deserve the same rights.” “They’re the problem.” “They need to be more like us.” If a child ...

 🏆 The Liverpool Council Peak‑Hour Achievement Award For Outstanding Excellence in Turning a Functioning Road Network Into a Stationary Parking Lot. Liverpool has achieved what many councils only dream of: turning major roads into full‑time car storage facilities , transforming peak hour into peak immobility , and creating a traffic experience so consistent you could set your watch by the standstill. Some councils build infrastructure. Liverpool builds character — specifically, the character you develop while sitting in traffic for 47 minutes to travel 1.2 kilometres. ⭐ Special Mention: Revenue Innovation Through Red‑Light Cameras We also recognise Liverpool’s commitment to financial sustainability . Not through: efficiency, cost‑cutting, or responsible budgeting. No, no. Liverpool has pioneered a far more elegant solution: Strategically placed red‑light cameras that generate enough revenue to keep council fees “stable.” Why raise rates when you can raise eyebrows with your month...

Double demerit points were introduced in NSW with one simple message: “It’s about safety.” The idea was straightforward: On public holidays — when traffic is heavy and people travel long distances — penalties would be doubled to discourage dangerous driving. That was the original story. But like most government policies, once they realised how much money it made, the “safety measure” quietly evolved into something else entirely. ⭐ From Public Holidays Only… to Entire Weekends Double demerits were originally for: Christmas Day Easter Australia Day Long weekends Now? They cover: the day before the holiday the day after the holiday the entire weekend sometimes four or five days straight So here’s the obvious question: If double demerits apply all weekend, does that mean the whole weekend is now a public holiday? Because if the government is treating it like one, then: shouldn’t workers get public holiday penalty rates? shouldn’t businesses get public holiday trading rules? shouldn’t the e...

Australia spent more than a decade telling the public that extreme tobacco taxes, plain packaging, and constant price hikes were “for our health.” They said the goal was simple: Make smoking so expensive that people quit. But now, after pushing legal cigarettes above $50 a pack, the government is quietly admitting something they never expected: Their own policies created one of the biggest illegal tobacco markets in the world. And now they’re trying to walk it back. The Government Is Now Considering Dropping the Price of Legal Cigarettes Retailers and industry groups are openly calling for the government to slash tobacco excise by 50% , dropping legal cigarette prices to around $25 a pack , because illegal cigarettes are selling for $15 and dominating the market. Think about that: After years of punishing smokers After plain packaging After graphic warnings After moralising campaigns After telling people “price is the solution” The government is now being told the only way to fix the ...