An Australian Knives Out — OR — Who Firebombed friendlyjordies?

Jordan Shanks is an Australian comedian, also know as freindlyjordies, who fell in to doing YouTube videos about Australian politicians and powerful companies over the past few years. Along the way he became a journalist, the only journalist covering some of the things being done by the government and the corporations. Then in November of 2022 his house was firebombed. It was only by chance that he wasn't in the house at the time.

And hey, if that sounds too dry, well you kids like Knives Out or whatever. Stick around. It's a pretty interesting whodunit.

Most of the Australian press is even more in the bag for the powers-that-be than the US national media is for the Democrats. There were numerous stories, all but ignored by the mainstream. One example, the Premiere of New South Wales was under investigation. That was all but ignored by the press until she resigned. Then there were the antics of her Deputy Premiere, John Barilaro.

That is the most entertaining — or damaging to powers that be — story friendlyjordies covered.

As a result of that coverage, the Australian anti-terrorism machinery was directed at Shanks and his employees. Of course that turned out to be a group of Keystone cops, which got their own exposure on freindlyjordies. Along the way he exposed the abuse of the anti-terrorism squad, the relationship between some of the politicians and large corporations and perhaps organized crime. Then in November of the last year, after the lawsuits failed, the anti-terrorism actions failed, and the intimidation failed, someone moved to direct action, and tried to kill him.

All of that and more is detailed in the 40 minute (or so) video below. Even freindlyjordies admits that the video is too long, but I can recommend that you watch as much as you can. It will show you that no matter screwed up we are in America, with corrupt politicians, and lapdog media, an out-of-control state that has been weaponized against the population, especially anyone who dares to disagree, things can be a lot worse.

This is the video who firebombed friendlyjordies?

One of the stories mentioned by Jordan Shanks is the appointment of John Barilaro as trade representative for Australia to New York. From The Guardian we get John Barilaro’s NY trade appointment showed signs of a ‘job for the boys’, NSW inquiry finds.

Months after Barilaro’s appointment as a senior trade commissioner caused a storm of controversy in Macquarie Street, the cross-party parliamentary inquiry issued a scathing assessment of the process which led to him receiving the $500,000-a-year position.

“Despite assurances from senior public servants and ministers that the appointment process was conducted by the public service under a merit based process, it is clear that the process was flawed and that the Executive was not at arm’s length from the process,” the inquiry chair, Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, said in the report.

The former trade minister quit the cabinet over this, though he was "clear of wrongdoing." That is what happens to the powerful in Australia, nothing. And Barilaro is still collecting his $500K per year.