Monday, June 21, 2004

Allies helped bin Laden: US officials - Global Terrorism - www.smh.com.au

*COUGH*

Umm didn't Ronnie help the Taliban to keep Russia out in the first place? And let's not forget the US financing of Iraq in their war versus IRan.

Jesus.
Now Latham is putting the big banks offside - National - www.smh.com.au

Ironically it was his party that caused all the bank problems in the first place. Thank you Mr Keating for being the Liberal policy maker we had to have.
Saudi police assisted abduction of US hostage: report - Global Terrorism - www.smh.com.au

Goodness terrorists with friends amongst the general populous??!!
Al-Qaeda 'weakened by killings' - War on Terror - www.theage.com.au

Is it just me or is the press neglecting to look at all the intelligence that suggests the success of terrorists groups is that they operate as cells? None of which require the leader to remain operational.

In this war, the terrorists have the advantage, there is no front, there is no normal tactics that armed forces train for. A traditional army can not fight terrorist cells.

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

O'Kane won't give evidence: PM - National - www.theage.com.au

Of course he won't let him give evidence. He might tell the truth that the defence department certainly knew something was going on at Abu Ghraib.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Teen health fears spark MP revolt - National - www.smh.com.au

The fact that John Howard feels he needs to legislate values and morals is reprehensible. The fact that he has 1950's values and morals is tragic. You can't ignore stuff and hope it goes away.

Friday, June 11, 2004

Pub ends live mouse-eating competition - National - www.theage.com.au

"Chewing a mouse and spitting it out is not entertainment, it is barbaric."

Uh not to mention the risk of disease. Has to be uncomfortable for the mouse.

Blech.
US warning to Labor on spy secrets - National - www.theage.com.au

Sorry, but this is totally outrageous. Since when does the US govt get to influence policy in Australia? Will we see another Whitlam effort after we pulled troops out of Vietnam?

But I don't think you can pick like an a la carte menu - 'I like the intelligence sharing but I don't like to talk about global policies', or 'I'd like a strategic relationship but I don't want to be involved with the economic'," Mr Armitage said on the ABC's Lateline program.

Sorry Mr. Armitage but you CAN pick and choose what you want to do. Last time I checked we weren't a US territory and we were permitted to develop our own policy. Johnny might feel all tough with his big buddies sticking up for him and telling the world how Mark Latham is a bad boy who won't play along, but I honestly don't think this is going to play out well with the Australian Electorate. Surely Johnny is smart enough to realise this?

Although the rest of the country didn't seem to share my personal outrage at the Tamap affair in the last election.

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Has Bush doublecrossed an ally?

In February, the Iraqi Governing Council, which included all religious and ethnic groups, hammered out its only memorable work: a Transitional Administrative Law, which laid the groundwork for a constitution to be adopted later by elected officials in a sovereign state. Most important for Kurds, who have long been oppressed by an Arab majority, it established minority rights in a federal state - the essence of a stable democracy.

But as the UN resolution supporting that state was nearing completion, the Shiite Grand Ayatollah, Ali Husseini al-Sistani, suddenly intervened. He denounced the law as "legislated by an unelected council in the shadow of occupation". He decreed that mentioning it in the UN resolution would be "a harbinger of grave consequences".


The fact that Bush agreed to this goes to show exactly how highly they value their small allies. The fact that Bush agreed to this goes to show exactly how important democracy is to the whole Iraq process.
PM questions Garrett's credibility - Breaking News - http://www.theage.com.au: the basic right in a democracy is to vote"

But it is a right in a democracy, not compulsory. The "greatest" democracy of all has less than 50% of it's population who votes and it is normally around 30%.

Don't you have a right to NOT vote in a democracy?

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

John Howard: P.M.

Possibly the best political commentary on the web.
Zimbabwe to nationalise all farmland - World - www.theage.com.au

Obviously the US and the coalition of the willing will be stopping in to restore democracy any day now.