The Iron Fist and the Velvet Glove

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The Iron Fist and the Velvet Glove episodes

August 06, 2019 Episode 214 – A Successful Livestream with Hugh Harris
In our first successful livestream we discuss 19 different topics and enjoy the contrary views of Hugh Harris. It’s a long one.
Falou – another twist in the saga
Josiah is sacked – by a private religious school
From The Australian
A cousin of sacked rugby international Israel Folau has been removed from his teaching job at a Catholic high school in Sydney’s south after calling the church’s mass a “paganistic ritual rooted in heresy,
…
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Mentioned in this episode:
Website
2 hr 21 min
July 30, 2019 Episode 213 – A Podcast to Indigenous Australians
Hello
I am asking if any indigenous spokesperson would be willing to be interviewed for my podcast.
My co-hosts and I produce a weekly podcast looking at news, politics and current affairs and we occasionally discuss Indigenous issues.
Our views are usually left-wing. We support higher taxes, increased welfare and progressive reforms in areas such as assisted dying, abortion law and marriage equality.
But in one area we go against the grain of a typical lefty. We have a real problem with laws that discriminate on the basis of race and it seems to us that providing a special voice to parliament to a group of people based on their race is not a good idea.
Some of our listeners have pointed out that we are privileged white guys and we really should try to get someone on to put forward the pro-indigenous argument.
We genuinely want to have a deep, respectful and honest conversation about this topic and indigenous issues generally.
Please listen to what we have to say and make contact if you would like to debate us.
Trevor
3:08 Racism
From Wikipedia: Racism is the belief in the superiority of one race over another. It may also include prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against other people because they are of a different race or ethnicity, or the belief that members of different races or ethnicities should be treated differently. Modern variants of racism are often based in social perceptions of biological differences between peoples. These views can take the form of social actions, practices or beliefs, or political systems in which different races are ranked as inherently superior or inferior to each other, based on presumed shared inheritable traits, abilities, or qualities.
7:10 Positive racism towards one race must necessarily involve negative racism to the other races.
7:48 Why are we concerned about indigenous people? It’s because we see that disproportionately, members of their group suffer disadvantage and injustices. It is the disadvantage and suffering that motivates us and we must keep our eye on that.
8:30 Ground Rules
We state a proposition and then the underlying principle which is being applied. We then apply that principle to other scenarios and check whether it seems to stack up.
Some people will say that as a white man I have not experienced persecution and without the lived experience I cannot comment.
If we can’t debate then what hope is there?
Christians say they are persecuted and discriminated against. I don’t live as a Christian and can’t speak about their human interactions but I can speak about our rules and systems and structures and say BS. Same applies to indigenous people.
I could use that argument and turn it around and say something similar. I could say that as a non-lawyer you can’t comment on laws. As an upper middle class media celebrity aboriginal person you can’t comment on the plight of remote aboriginal people. As an educated person you can’t comment on the uneducated. And so on …
What about trans athletes[1]? I’ll never be one and most of us won’t but we can have our 2c worth.
15:33 Terminology
From the ACT Council of Social Services[2].
‘Indigenous’ (capitalised) is a term extensively used throughout Australia when referring to the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, and related topics … The term is merely used for convenience, to alleviate repeating ‘Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander’.
‘Aboriginal’ (adjective, capitalised) is a term extensively used and widely accepted throughout Australia when referring to Aboriginal peoples and topics. Aboriginal peoples are the first peoples of mainland Australia and many of its islands such as Tasmania, Groote Eylandt, Hinchinbrook Island and Fraser Island.
‘Aboriginal’ (noun,
1 hr 38 min
July 30, 2019 Episode 213 – A Podcast to Indigenous Australians
Hello
I am asking if any indigenous spokesperson would be willing to be interviewed for my podcast.

My co-hosts and I produce a weekly podcast looking at news, politics and current affairs and we occasionally discuss Indigenous issues.

…

Read more ›

The post Episode 213 – A Podcast to Indigenous Australians appeared first on The Iron Fist and the Velvet Glove.
1 hr 38 min
July 23, 2019 Episode 212 – Calombaris, Grandfathering and Forgotten Classes
Calombaris has done a Falou, Falou’s sect is bonkers, Section 44, Iranian tanker swap, inequality, grandfathering, class distinctions and our thoughts on Indigenous issues for next week’s special episode.
1:45 It’s 50 Years Since the Moon Walk
July 20, 1969. Two men walk on the moon. The Earth stands still. More than a half a billion people watch grainy black and white vision of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin tread upon the dusty surface of Earth’s only satellite.
6:49 George Calombaris
Sacked for being a twat that made him unacceptable as an ambassador and role model. I hope all free speech Falou supporters come out equally in defence of Calombaris.
Some people will say that Falou did nothing illegal and that is the difference. That would be double jeopardy.

14:45 Back to Falou
By Kate McClymont in The Age:
The 30-strong congregation of the Truth of Jesus Christ Church, established by Folau’s father Eni in 2013, believes the “everlasting torture and doom” of hell awaits most Christians, with Catholicism seen as “the synagogue of Satan” and “masked devil worship”.
A Christian parent of a promising young rugby player was concerned when Israel Folau began inviting players to his church. The parent decided to find out for herself what the Folaus were preaching. What she discovered has disturbed her greatly.
“I honestly do not want my son involved in what I have come to understand is false teachings and counterfeit Christianity. I’ve gone, I’ve checked it out and I would call them an isolated hate group,” she said of her attendance at Bible studies at the home of Pastor Eni, as he calls himself, as well as discussions with Eni’s disciple, his 20-year-old nephew Josiah Folau.
The Folaus told her that if she had an accident on the way home from Bible study she would go to hell because she was not a “born again” Christian. Anyone who has been baptised in a different way to the Folaus is heading for perdition.
Pastor Eni preaches that someone is “a born again believer” when they renounce the evils of their ways and are baptised in the name of Jesus Christ and “reborn” in water. “If you’ve done it a different way from this then you aren’t born again,” Folau said on Twitter.
One of those who won’t be saved is Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose Pentecostal Horizon Church teaches the doctrine of the Trinity. When the parent asked the Folaus if Mr Morrison was a Christian, they laughed and said no, “He’s a Hillsong.”
“Only we have the truth,” the Folaus said.
Baptisms are conducted in the kidney-shaped pebble crete pool at the back of Eni Folau’s mansion on two hectares of land in Kenthurst, in Sydney’s semi-rural Hills District.
The parent was also told of the falseness of the doctrine of the Trinity – a belief held by most mainstream Christians. When she pointed out that most Christians would not be “saved”, Josiah Folau replied, “Look at what scripture says – doesn’t matter that there’s only a few of us actually believing in the truth … Only eight people were saved when the whole world was destroyed in Noah’s time.”
He also told her that the Trinity “isn’t taught anywhere in scripture and it’s the biggest deception which Satan uses today”.

Those close to Israel Folau say his father wields enormous influence in his son’s life. He is a director of his son’s investment vehicles. Folau, 30, has a vast property empire including two houses in Queensland and a multimi...
1 hr 36 min
July 23, 2019 Episode 212 – Calombaris, Grandfathering and Forgotten Classes
Calombaris has done a Falou, Falou’s sect is bonkers, Section 44, Iranian tanker swap, inequality, grandfathering, class distinctions and our thoughts on Indigenous issues for next week’s special episode.
1:45 It’s 50 Years Since the Moon Walk
July 20,
…
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The post Episode 212 – Calombaris, Grandfathering and Forgotten Classes appeared first on The Iron Fist and the Velvet Glove.
Mentioned in this episode:
Website
1 hr 38 min
July 16, 2019 Episode 211- Live Streaming to a Brave New World
In this episode we attempted our first Livestream. We had a lot of problems with buffering but it worked very well once we switched over to tethering off our mobile phones so I’m declaring it a successful experiment.
2:06 Queensland – Cue banjo music
LNP state convention.
Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington says she would consider a resolution passed at the LNP state convention to establish an “Office of Science Quality Assurance”.
Are we living in some sort of dystopian novel?
5:46 It’s very Orwellian when the title is the exact opposite of the nature of the institution.
Remember 1984? The Ministry of Peace was concerned with War. The Ministry of Love maintained Law and Order. The Ministry of Truth concerned itself with news and entertainment.
Now we have the fucking Office of Science Quality Assurance!!!!
… Former state LNP MP for Hinchinbrook Andrew Cripps brought one such motion urging a future LNP state government to establish the science office, which would have the ability to ratify or reject scientific reports handed to the government.
“We want this passed so our parliamentary members can point to this policy and say this is how we are responding to the challenge of people with alternative views to make sure we’ve got good data to back up rational decision-making,” Mr Cripps said.
In particular, he was concerned about the laws brought before Parliament by the Labor government in February, which seek to tighten regulations around farming and mining run-off into Great Barrier Reef catchment areas.
Mr Cripps claimed the science behind the legislation was “flawed” and a science office would be able to “objectively” rule on scientific advice handed to the government.
Ms Frecklington said she wasn’t ruling out the idea.
“It is something which my parliamentary team are keen to have a look at and we will certainly be having further discussions,” she said.
8:06 Battle lines drawn as LNP faces internal struggle over control of the party

From The Courier Mail
The LNP is in the midst of a civil war as the ‘religious right’ seeks to gain control of the party in the wake of the contentious abortion decriminalisation vote.

THE first real signs a civil war was brewing within the LNP became evident last year when about 100 unexpected faces turned up to the party’s Metro West AGM to turf out then chair Leigh Warren.

Her backers were blindsided.
It happened again just days later at the party’s Metro South AGM.
Many described it was the march of the “Christian soldiers”, those within the party who want the LNP to lurch further to the right on issues like abortion, euthanasia and religious freedom.
It was not until after this month’s North Brisbane AGM on Monday, July 1, however, that they were moved to act.
It was standing room only at the meeting at the Aspley Hornets football club as more than 100 new faces once again flooded into the meeting to replace newly appointed Brisbane councillor Tracy Davis as chair.
Those on the other side were ready this time, however.
They too ensured everyone who could attend was on hand to support their preferred candidate for chair – Lilley candidate Brad Carswell.
Such was the influx of voters that the meeting was delayed 45 minutes. Mr Carswell eventually won by a single vote.
It was these scenes that LNP president David Hutchinson slammed as “unedifying” on Sunday as he successfully moved to change the rules to “protect the ...
1 hr 33 min
July 16, 2019 Episode 211- Live Streaming to a Brave New World
In this episode we attempted our first Livestream. We had a lot of problems with buffering but it worked very well once we switched over to tethering off our mobile phones so I’m declaring it a successful experiment.
2:06 Queensland –…
Read more ›
The post Episode 211- Live Streaming to a Brave New World appeared first on The Iron Fist and the Velvet Glove.
Mentioned in this episode:
Website
1 hr 36 min
July 10, 2019 Episode 210 – The Persecuted Are In Charge
Another week under the Morrison theocracy.
Following up from last week
When will Americans realize “We’re Not the Good Guys”? A good summary of US aggression and hypocrisy.
On Incarceration. The 12th Man was not happy with Iran incarcerating atheists. What about Alabama where they try to incarcerate pregnant women for being shot?
Iran
TEHRAN – Secretary of the Expediency Council (EC) has said Iran should seize a British oil tanker if London doesn’t release the Iranian tanker which was illegally seized by its forces.
“The Islamic Revolution has never been an initiator of tension during its 40-year-old history, however, it has not hesitated to respond to bullies and thugs,” Mohsen Rezaee tweeted on Friday.
The former IRGC chief added, “If Britain doesn’t return the Iranian tanker, the duty of responsible [Iranian] bodies is to seize a British oil tanker in a retaliatory measure.”
The British Royal Marines seized an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar on Thursday for trying to take oil to Syria allegedly in violation of EU sanctions, a dramatic step that could escalate tensions between Iran and the West.
“Following the illegal seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar by British Royal Marines, the British envoy to Tehran has been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Thursday.
Acting Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell has said Gibraltar detained the supertanker Grace 1 after a request by the United States to Britain.
He added that Spain was looking into the seizure of the ship and how it may affect Spanish sovereignty as it appears to have happened in Spanish waters.
New Patron
G’day Trevor,
The guilt of enjoying the podcast had finally got to me and I signed up to Patreon specifically to support you guys.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Chalky
PS I’m a Trevor fanboy.
Also a lovely message from Donna basically siding with The Fist
but …
we received a message from Father Anonymous
Tax Cuts get waived through
This passed 56-9, less than ten hours after debate began…. and includes the $95 billion third stage that will overwhelmingly benefit wealthy Australians

Tax cuts that no-one wants
From Essential Report

How did it happen if few people want it?
The American Dream by George Carlin.
Language warning.
Tim Wilson

Victorian Liberal MP Tim Wilson set a new benchmark for originality in the House of Representatives yesterday, holding a copy of Milton Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom as he affirmed his allegiance to the Queen at the commencement of parliament.

“Traditionally you take the affirmation without a text in your hand. Characteristically I did something different and decided to hold a book that reflected...
57 min
July 10, 2019 Episode 210 – The Persecuted Are In Charge
Another week under the Morrison theocracy.
Following up from last week
When will Americans realize “We’re Not the Good Guys”? A good summary of US aggression and hypocrisy.
On Incarceration. The 12th Man was not happy with Iran incarcerating atheists.
…
Read more ›
The post Episode 210 – The Persecuted Are In Charge appeared first on The Iron Fist and the Velvet Glove.
Mentioned in this episode:
Website
59 min
July 02, 2019 Episode 209 – Iran, China, the Morrison Theocracy and Falou 101
A planned brief discussion over Iran morphed into a heated discussion over Iran and China and nuclear weapons. We then get back on track with discussions over the budding Morrison Theocracy, Tax, Christopher Pyne, Accounting firms, Falou and Deep Throat.
4:43 Secular Drinks
It was a big success.
It’s not surprising as Beer stabilizes society and keeps ‘people together’
Join us next time.

6:28 Iran
The Brisbane Times, our left-wing newspaper, spreads BS as fact.
Osaka: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backed Donald Trump in taking a harder line against Iran in an escalating dispute over its nuclear program after the US President came close to launching a retaliatory strike against the country last week.
Mr Morrison said the federal government would throw its support behind Mr Trump’s effort to force the country to the negotiating table as experts predict it will breach its agreed cap on low-enriched uranium within days.
Mr Morrison warned that it was “very premature” to canvass the ways Australia might back the Trump administration in the Middle East but he did not rule out options in the wake of the attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and Iran’s decision to shoot down a US drone aircraft.
From Wikipedia
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, is an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program reached in Vienna on July 14, 2015, between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany), and the European Union.
In July 2015 Iran and the P5+1 confirmed agreement on the plan along with the “Roadmap Agreement” between Iran and the IAEA.
Under JCPOA, Iran agreed to eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium, cut its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98%, and reduce by about two-thirds the number of its gas centrifuges for 13 years. For the next 15 years Iran will only enrich uranium up to 3.67%. Iran also agreed not to build any new heavy-water facilities for the same period of time. Uranium-enrichment activities will be limited to a single facility using first-generation centrifuges for 10 years. Other facilities will be converted to avoid proliferation risks.
To monitor and verify Iran’s compliance with the agreement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will have regular access to all Iranian nuclear facilities. The agreement provides that in return for verifiably abiding by its commitments, Iran will receive relief from U.S., European Union, and United Nations Security Council nuclear-related sanctions.
IAEA inspectors spend 3,000 calendar days per year in Iran,
1 hr 40 min