The Journal
Politics
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The Whole Torture Thing Part Two
I wrote a couple of weeks ago that I hoped to do some serious thinking about torture, semantics and public policy over the weekend, and to something ready to post last Monday. That didn’t happen. I…
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Martin Bryant Not A Muslim
One of my close friends is a muslim and a teacher. She is a delightful and interesting woman with a bright smile. I speak with her three or four times a week. She is Indonesian, and teaches Indonesian…
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Imanutjob Welcome, Netanyahu Not
Hard to believe but true. ‘Israel should be wiped off the map, the holocaust never happened’ president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University on September 24, 2007. This was an example of the free exchange…
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What If Sarah Palin Behaved Like Obama?
Also in the Times, Gail Collins weighed in on the already-tired yokelism of the new commander in chief. “What we’re getting is Wasilla chic. That’s what we’re getting. She arrives in the Oval Office, and first…
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On The Meanings of Words
In this case, marriage. Inevitable disclaimer: I like some gay people, OK? I like about the same proportion of gay people I know as straight people I know. My brother is gay. My brother in law is…
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Worthwhile Comment On The Budget, But…
Paul Kelly makes some typically clear and concise remarks about the budget, and the options now open to both Labor and Liberal leaders. Budget details often obscure the bigger picture, but Australia is heading into a serious…
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Pelosi Lied, People Died
Oh sorry. That should read, Pelosi lied, some very nasty people were made a bit uncomfortable, and even scared with caterpillars. An interesting result in a Washington Post online poll: Do you believe the CIA lied…
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Is Obama The Anti-Christ?
Well, no. I don’t think he’s a closet muslim either. Nor is he the messiah, although perhaps he’d like to be: He is certainly a socialist. He has some very unpleasant friends. He has little understanding of Christian…
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Samson And Delilah
I would really like to believe that Samson and Delilah, a new Australian film produced on a very low budget with inexperienced actors, is the masterpiece some reviewers claim it is. But I am not hopeful. A…
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President Obama Hard To Keep Up With
From the Beaufort Observer. Is he for releasing Guantanamo prisoners, or not? Is he for higher taxes, or not? Is he for Israel, or not? This excerpt is a good summary of why higher taxes and…
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Labor Party – John Howard To Blame
But of course. Australian treasurer Wayne Swan says that tough measures to be introduced in tomorrow’s federal budget, are the fault of John Howard’s big spending policies. When John Howard and Peter Costello’s government left office…
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DDT – From De Facto Ban To Real Ban
And more people, possibly millions, will die as a result. Every 30 seconds someone dies from Malaria. The same number as were killed in the 9/11 attacks every day and a half. Most of these deaths…
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Federal Opposition To Offer Alternative ETS Scheme
The Australia Federal Opposition (The Liberals, which means the conservatives, or would do if they had any backbone) is planning to offer an alternative to the government’s proposed emissions trading scheme. Unless their proposed alternative is…
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Stimulus Plans As A Proportion Of GDP
This graphic from GlobeandMail shows the amount of ‘stimulus’ spending in selected G20 countries in dollars and as a proportion of GDP. I have linked to GlobeandMail, but article content is subscription or pay per view. Australia’s…
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On Foreign Aid
Know-it-all Sir Bob Geldof is the former front man of the Boomtown Rats, a one hit wonder band from the seventies, and therefore qualifies (in his eyes) as an expert on foreign policy and development. Well, Leonardo De Crapio…
