Silenced All His Life
August 19, 2012 1:29 PM Subscribe
Crikey: "Like most egomaniacs who style themselves as prophets in the wilderness, Smith asserts that there’s been a media conspiracy to suppress his views." While the advertisement insert was rejected by News Ltd. it was carried by the Fairfax media is available online (PDF) - Dick Smith's Magazine of Forbidden Ideas That You Won't Read About in the Mainstream Media.
Show Dick some respect.
posted by vozworth at 1:49 PM on August 19, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by vozworth at 1:49 PM on August 19, 2012 [2 favorites]
I haven't pored through his magazine in detail, but at first glance, it seems to be mostly about "in-country-produced food good, multinational conglomerates bad." And that he wasn't able to even buy the paid advertisement space to publish it. It doesn't seem to me that he's in quite the same category as those here in my country (the US) who complain about a lack of access to the mainstream media.
posted by tyllwin at 1:50 PM on August 19, 2012
posted by tyllwin at 1:50 PM on August 19, 2012
I am not sure why the OP started his post with a quote from a 'enemy' of Dick Smith. It feels like editorializing.
His views are more clearly: Local ownership and production of goods, pro-population control and anti-infinite growth/unbridled capitalism.
It doesn't seem to me that he's in quite the same category as those here in my country (the US) who complain about a lack of access to the mainstream media.
I would remind you that the media you are talking about is owned by the same organization.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 2:12 PM on August 19, 2012 [3 favorites]
His views are more clearly: Local ownership and production of goods, pro-population control and anti-infinite growth/unbridled capitalism.
It doesn't seem to me that he's in quite the same category as those here in my country (the US) who complain about a lack of access to the mainstream media.
I would remind you that the media you are talking about is owned by the same organization.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 2:12 PM on August 19, 2012 [3 favorites]
In the US, complaints about being unable to get into the mainstream media are usually from a particular right-wing viewpoint, and the "forbidden ideas" are climate and evolution denial, fundamentalist Christian theocracy, and social Darwinism. I just thought US readers might see the complaint here and make incorrect assumptions about what Smith's beliefs were. I haven't studies Smith, but clearly those aren't the views he wished to get into print.
posted by tyllwin at 2:38 PM on August 19, 2012
posted by tyllwin at 2:38 PM on August 19, 2012
I am not sure why the OP started his post with a quote from a 'enemy' of Dick Smith. It feels like editorializing.
It is a direct quote from a very prominent news/politics/media commentary Australian website. I linkified some of the text to show what is being talked about - linked straight to Dick Smith's website. Here on Blue, we link to editorial opinions and sarcastic take-downs all the time. It would've been editorializing if I had called Mr. Smith names. I didn't.
posted by vidur at 3:14 PM on August 19, 2012
It is a direct quote from a very prominent news/politics/media commentary Australian website. I linkified some of the text to show what is being talked about - linked straight to Dick Smith's website. Here on Blue, we link to editorial opinions and sarcastic take-downs all the time. It would've been editorializing if I had called Mr. Smith names. I didn't.
posted by vidur at 3:14 PM on August 19, 2012
This type of advertising pitch is the slow jerk of be a man motivational triggers.
posted by vozworth at 3:26 PM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by vozworth at 3:26 PM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's a bit sad that this list of pretty reasonable items for discussion have to be pitched as "forbidden" to get raised in the national dialogue.
That said, I haven't noticed Dick lacking any attention lately.
posted by bystander at 6:28 PM on August 19, 2012
That said, I haven't noticed Dick lacking any attention lately.
posted by bystander at 6:28 PM on August 19, 2012
Radio New Zealands Mediawatch programme also covered this with an interview (about 10mins long, report starts about 11:10 mark) on Sunday.
posted by WhackyparseThis at 6:36 PM on August 19, 2012
posted by WhackyparseThis at 6:36 PM on August 19, 2012
The Wilberforce Award - "$1 million to go to a young person under 30 who can impress me by becoming famous through his or her ability to show leadership in communicating an alternative to our population and consumption growth-obsessed economy."
posted by unliteral at 6:44 PM on August 19, 2012
posted by unliteral at 6:44 PM on August 19, 2012
Not a single non-white person in any of that "AUSSIE PRIDE" stuff...not a shocker, I guess.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:36 PM on August 19, 2012
posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:36 PM on August 19, 2012
I like the broad thrust of Dick Smith's ideas. And I think his heart is in the right place, but he's such an attention seeker.
But he's still the anti-Gerry Harvey.
posted by Mezentian at 7:48 PM on August 19, 2012
But he's still the anti-Gerry Harvey.
posted by Mezentian at 7:48 PM on August 19, 2012
I think the anti-Gerry Harvey is pretty close, I'll steal that.
There is no shortage of shills for big business and economic growth in Oz, so I am happy to see more voices questioning, especially from a non-Green party perspective. Nothing against the greens, but they are routinely marginalised by the main parties, so I applaud alternatives.
Interesting also that the comments here are a bit scatter shot, as if people aren't quite sure where they stand on these issues as they are often outside the mainstream, and tend to be the hobby horses of the far right and far left.
Certainly, GDP growth is a core belief of the main political parties, even at the expense of wellbeing (cf. workchoices).
posted by bystander at 1:34 AM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
There is no shortage of shills for big business and economic growth in Oz, so I am happy to see more voices questioning, especially from a non-Green party perspective. Nothing against the greens, but they are routinely marginalised by the main parties, so I applaud alternatives.
Interesting also that the comments here are a bit scatter shot, as if people aren't quite sure where they stand on these issues as they are often outside the mainstream, and tend to be the hobby horses of the far right and far left.
Certainly, GDP growth is a core belief of the main political parties, even at the expense of wellbeing (cf. workchoices).
posted by bystander at 1:34 AM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
While reading his wiki page led to some interesting links about New Zeland and its geology etc, the page for Dick himself looks both self-authored (self-aggrandizing) and horribly clunky.
posted by k5.user at 9:12 AM on August 20, 2012
posted by k5.user at 9:12 AM on August 20, 2012
Be that as it may, his wiki pages seems to be fairly accurate of his major milestones, as I know them. Controversies, such as they have been, stem around O/S ownership and civil aviation safety, and they seem touched on.
And I think his position as Rear Admiral with the Lake Eyre Yacht Club is hilarious.
posted by Mezentian at 9:22 PM on August 20, 2012
And I think his position as Rear Admiral with the Lake Eyre Yacht Club is hilarious.
posted by Mezentian at 9:22 PM on August 20, 2012
And I think his position as Rear Admiral with the Lake Eyre Yacht Club is hilarious.
For those wondering why: "Typically a 1.5 m (5 ft) flood occurs every three years, a 4 m (13 ft) flood every decade, and a fill or near fill a few times a century. The water in the lake soon evaporates with a minor or medium flood drying by the end of the following summer."
posted by vidur at 11:57 PM on August 20, 2012
For those wondering why: "Typically a 1.5 m (5 ft) flood occurs every three years, a 4 m (13 ft) flood every decade, and a fill or near fill a few times a century. The water in the lake soon evaporates with a minor or medium flood drying by the end of the following summer."
posted by vidur at 11:57 PM on August 20, 2012
Well, no, it's because he supports the boy scouts and he's a REAR Admiral.
:)
(And also I forgot to link to said Yacht Club website).
posted by Mezentian at 3:26 AM on August 21, 2012
:)
(And also I forgot to link to said Yacht Club website).
posted by Mezentian at 3:26 AM on August 21, 2012
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posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:49 PM on August 19, 2012