The war on terror and the arduous job of collecting everyone's personal data is a very serious business indeed, says Dr Martin Hirst (AKA @ethicalmartini), which makes it all the more important we take the piss out of it relentlessly.
THE WAR ON TERROR AND SPYING ON EVERYONE are both very serious matters. Indeed, the war on terror is killing people all over the world — including, sadly, here in Australia this week.
The tragic death of Abdul Numan Haidar is not a laughing matter. The confusion, misinformation and outright lies being spread about this young man are appalling. That the news media is buying into it with awful headlines and front page stories vilifying him, his friends and even random, totally unconnected young men should shame some journalists into silence.
At the same time, the rush to cut into our liberties in the name of ‘protecting’ us from a shadowy threat that kills less people than bee stings is also not something to joke about, or is it?
In the last 24 hours, a new Twitter hashtag, #HeyASIO, has burst into prominence to take the piss out of Raging Bedsore’s new surveillance powers.
#AUSPOL did you know GEORGE BRANDIS is an ANAGRAM for: RAGING BED SORE ( not my IDEA, not ALL my meme,NO CREDIT) pic.twitter.com/k6ip325LIK
— Contessa JenRed (@JustJen64) April 20, 2014
Now that our security services have the right to monitor the whole of the inter-webs with just one warrant allowing them to tap into any computer ‘network’, it seems that nothing we do online is going to be private anymore.
Well, Twitter has always been a bit irreverent – do you remember the wonderful #TonysMovieNight, for example?
And this week, #lifebeforeabbott has been trending too:
#lifeBeforeAbbott when sleeping safely at home meant not falling out of bed. pic.twitter.com/PaUKspxYe0
— Jasper Blues (@jasperblues) September 25, 2014
The rightwing trolls don’t like it and curmudgeonly columnists like Andrew Bolt complain (without even having a Twitter account) that social media is dominated by “the left”, but for those of us who:
- don't like the Abbott Government;
- think the terror threat is overblown;
- don’t like the idea of ASIO snooping on us around the clock and, more importantly;
- have a sense of humour…
… then #HeyASIO is a great way to get your message across while having a bit of fun.
#HeyASIO, it looks like you're trying to monitor Australia's internet. Would you like some help? #Auspol pic.twitter.com/RKz3fx9EC0
— Matthew Howard (@MatthewamHoward) September 26, 2014
Check the stream yourself and prepare for a few belly laughs.
Here’s my highlights so far.
Ethical Martini’s top 10 #HeyASIO tweets
#HeyASIO quick question - what *is* metadata anyway?
— Lachlan Williams (@lawksland) September 26, 2014
#HeyASIO Is that one of your guys going through the bins behind Safeway? Or just another leaner?
— OperationSamidog (@Nihilon45) September 26, 2014
#HeyAsio Can you tell us where that budget emergency is hiding?
— Pariseve (@ParisandEve) September 26, 2014
#HeyAsio What's it feel like to have lost the respect of the Aust ppl and made a total laughing stock at the hands of this Lib Govt?
— lorraine (@lorrainewhat) September 26, 2014
#heyasio is your surveillance of twitter getting out of control yet? pic.twitter.com/h7xHZMxtwE
— Team Insouciant R Us (@geeksrulz) September 26, 2014
#heyasio no need to introduce myself! you’ve been spying on me since 1976. I have the files til 1985. What have I been doing since then?
— Ethical Martini (@ethicalmartini) September 26, 2014
#HeyASIO will you go out with me? ☐ Yes ☐ No
— Jono with an 'o' (@jono_hayward) September 26, 2014
#HeyASIO where did I save that picture of my cat with his head stuck in the ice-cream container?
— Lady Sonia McMahon (@soniaahhh) September 26, 2014
#HeyASIO I have dark brown hair and brown eyes. And I own a 'Fuck Tony Abbott' t-shirt. Wanna back up my iPhoto library??
— Kara (@MissMonty) September 26, 2014
#HeyASIO I have a smart phone and a knife, but I'm just trying to tweet and butter toast. It's not going well.
— Señor Goat (@Senor_Goat) September 26, 2014
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Ladders have killed more Australians, than terrorism in the last 30 years #HeyASIO #BanTheLadder pic.twitter.com/ed3G31oNns
— Dan Ilic (@danilic) September 26, 2014
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#HeyASIO, what's my password again?
— Dave Donovan (@davrosz) September 26, 2014
#HeyASIO Every move you make Every vow you break Every smile you fake Every claim you stake I'll be watching you. http://t.co/SpfSClkZOZ
— Rowan (@Rowan_olmanbob) September 26, 2014
