The Journal
Politics
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Somali Pirates and Abu Sayyaf – Paying Bad Guys Doesn’t Work
Having made millions from ransoms in recent years, Somali pirate gangs are using increasingly sophisticated boats and radar equipments to spot, chase and capture other vessels. On average a ship is attacked every day. About one attack…
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Varied Responses to Barack Obama. From ‘Non’ and ‘Nein’ to ‘No’
And yet, the things the Europeans said ‘no’ to were things I would have said ‘yes’ to. Namely, a stronger response to North Korea’s missile launch (which was meant to be threatening, demonstrated an ability to strike as far Alaska…
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Barack Obama Won’t Visit Normandy to Avoid Upsetting Germany
It’s 65 years since the landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy. Over 9,000 Americans are buried at the American cemetary there, including the eldest son of President Theodore Roosevelt. President Sarkozy invited President Obama to visit…
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Couldn’t Some of the Internet Cash go to Emergency Medical Care?
Emergency medicine specialists say as many lives are lost in Australia each year because of inadequate ER resources (including staff), as are lost on our roads. Time to think about your priorities, boys and girls. Or…
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President Barack Obama, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton
No that’s not just a grab for more visitors by using three of the most requested search terms in one heading. Though I’d be quite happy if it worked that way. Remember the McCain ad that…
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Bad Behaviour in the Class Disrupts Learning – Well Done Sherlock!
Via John Ray’s Education Watch, this article from The Age about the damage caused by bad behaviour at school. My wife is a teacher, as are many of my friends. Disruptive behaviour is endemic in Australian schools. Not…
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Climate Sceptics Invited to UN Conference
Alas, not so. The fact that Jennifer filed this under ‘Humour’ and posted it on April 1st should have been a giveaway. The references to Irving Janis are entirely accurate, and that, along with references to…
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Stimulus Package Worse Than Useless
Professor Neal Stoughton, head of Banking and Finance at the Australian School of Business at the University of New South Wales, has come out in support of my argument of several weeks ago that the stimulus…
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Senior Iranian Official – No Dialogue Till We Have Nukes
Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer Kharrazi is a member of the Iranian Guardian Council – according to some, the most powerful body in Iranian politics – and is also Secretary General of the Iranian Hezbollah. This is someone…
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Has Abu-Sayyaf Already Killed Its Hostages?
The deadline of 2pm Tuesday has passed with no further word on whether three Red Cross workers kidnapped by Philippino terrorist group Abu-Sayyaf are still alive. The terrorists demanded the withdrawal of government troops from ‘their’ territory…
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Dalai Lama Ban Delays Conference
If it is true that maintaining good trading relationships with China is more important to South Aftica than an open commitment to human rights, and that this was the reason the Dalai Lama’s visa was refused, then…
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TB, HIV, the Recession and the Pope
There are clear, long-recognised links betwen HIV infection and infection with other opportunistic infections such as TB. It is these secondary infections which normally kill HIV/AIDS patients. It is interesting, however, that monitoring of TB deaths…
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The Governor of the Bank of England Agrees With Me
You cannot spend your way out of debt. If debt is the problem, to the extent that neither lenders nor borrowers are confident, then manipulating the economy to increase debt, hoping thereby to encourage spending and so…
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Half a Ton of TNT and 500 Sheep
Egyptian police have seized half a ton of TNT and 500 sheep being smuggled into Gaza. One of my WoW characters is an engineer. I can make exploding sheep. They are fun, but not very useful,…
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Abbas: No Mideast Peace Without Jerusalem as Palestinian Capital
And that demonstrates clearly just what the problem is. The Palestinians make demands. ‘Just give us this and there will be peace.’ And everyone says that would be lovely, if only the Jews would agree. And Israel…