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This is absolutely not @murpharoo’s best work. Right out of the first paragraph she’s presenting #robodebt as a “mistake” rather than a deliberate strategy. Also exemplifies a press gallery fetish of prioritizing voices of authority figures over facts. theguardian.com/australia-news…
@murpharoo It’s funny because @murpharoo often says the facts are important, but she spent four years missing that basic year 7 maths says #robodebt averaging could not POSSIBLY be right, but maintained a “deep respect” for institutions doing it regardless.
@murpharoo It has always been 100% obvious that #robodebt has been about extorting poor people in the service of ideology. It’s about causing the same effect as a welfare cut without having to “own” it by making welfare unsafe to claim. Absolutely fraudulent, run by frauds.
@murpharoo But there’s apparently still “deep respect” for the institutions of government that deliberately set about doing it? And the benefit of the doubt involved in proffering it as a “mistake” or “botch” after 4 years of warnings from victims who know maths?
@murpharoo Australia’s government institutions are not, generally, worthy of respect. They exist to maintain the solidity of the State in the service of privilege. If you’re a wealthy white landowner they’ll absolutely look after you, but if you aren’t they will grind you into oblivion.
@murpharoo That is how Australia works, that is what Australia is. To spent decades enmeshed in the machinery of government and not see that is weird. To see a court case which lays it bare and still claim our institutions are worthy of respect? Goddamn, what are we supposed to say to that?
@murpharoo Maybe respecting our government less, and the people who run it not at all, would produce better journalism capable of successfully belling cats half a decade before a court says what #robodebt activists have been saying for years. Why is that even hard?
@murpharoo Good journalism is being able to distill facts and draw conclusions before anyone else. Good journalism is not condemning #robodebt as a “botch-up” 5 years after it was obvious, but only after a court case judged by a government authority has pointed it out.
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