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from the I've-still-got-a-phobia-about-2G dept.
Feds prescribe $9m cash injection to counter 5G phobias
The federal government has gone on the offensive against a growing anti-5G movement in some communities, freeing-up a cash splash of $9 million over four years to get back on the community relations front foot with “additional scientific research and further public education”.
The move, announced on Monday, comes amid broader government and industry concern that US-style conspiracy theories – which cover topics ranging from public health immunisation, water fluoridation and the electromagnetic radiation – are quickly taking root in some communities.
The proliferation of community based opposition to the rollout of 5G, which is just starting to occur across Australia, is potentially a major headache for the government and telecommunications industry because of its potential disrupt infrastructure renewal and substantially increase costs.
While most anti-5G groups initially muster and organise their actions online, the political trench warfare typically starts at the local government level in the form concerned resident opposition to the construction and placement of new infrastructure.
A major issue for governments to date has been that campaigns run by groups opposed to 5G and mobile infrastructure can often move much quicker than government responses and fire a barrage of alarming claims that often go unchallenged because of slow responses.
Opposition to 5G, like the anti-vaccination movement, also straddles socioeconomic groups with growing support among both low income and high income demographics.
That sub-optimal public situation now needs to be urgently addressed, judging by the federal government’s response, with Communications Minister Paul Fletcher saying that “the Government recognises that there is significant community interest in being satisfied that rigorous safety standards are in place as new 5G mobile networks are rolled out around Australia.”
Fletcher also wants the science to do the talking – a slightly awkward tightrope to walk given previous antipathy towards the broader scientific community on issues such as climate science by parts of the Coalition, which has even extended to the health impact of investigating wind farms.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 16 2019, @09:13PM (2 children)
OP sounds like a good parody of the incoherent rambling one can, sadly, too frequently read all over the internet today. Seems you've been a too easy victim of Poe's law.
Merry Christmas. Start early, you need it.
The TL;DR: whoosh
(Score: 4, Insightful) by ikanreed on Monday December 16 2019, @09:22PM (1 child)
I don't buy your parsing.
Someone lampooning the psychos wouldn't make bones about being unreasonably described as a Russian troll, something that itself, is overdone by people who are tritely dismissive of internet criticism. Their core message was built on a basically sound argument: i.e. that tech companies don't give a fuck about you. If you wanted to make a parody, you'd pick a core argument that clearly doesn't hold any water at all, and and stick to it to the point of farce. Like you'd say "tech companies want to take creep shots of my dog naked" or something. That kind of joke betrays an understanding of milimeter wave but also gives the game away.
I don't know, they could just be really fucking bad at parody. That happens too.
Poe's law has its place, but it also gives every dumbfuck an out of "you took my bullshit seriously, even though it's actually what I believe, so actually you lose"
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 16 2019, @10:16PM
Have you considered OP wasn't actually parodying any single particular position, but rather an inconsistent combination of them and the smug indignation that usually accompanies them?
Have you considered why this got you so clearly upset when you obviously agree with exactly half of it?