The authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. - Galileo Galilei
In yet another example of the unintended consequences of foreign aid, it was recently reported that Australia may be paying troops who torture. According to the Associated Press: "Australia has sent an official to the Indonesian province of Maluku to investigate claims that Indonesia's elite counter-terrorism unit, Detachment 88, which receives millions of dollars from Australia each year, brutalised a group of separatists last month, repeatedly beating them in detention." Liberty Australia's Sukrit Sabhlok says that "Regardless of whether these claims are true, the fact that Australia is sponsoring an organization that actively cracks down on civil liberties is a cause for concern". He added, "Australia's own intelligence agency, ASIO, was the source of controversy a few years ago when it was implicated in the mistreatment of detainee Mamdouh Habib". "We need to stop sending money overseas to organizations that are opposed to the values of ordinary Australians." "It's time to end all foreign aid because much of it is misdirected into illegitimate causes, despite the good intentions of those who send taxpayer dollars abroad". |
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Who are we run by?
QandA on the ABC1 with Bob Katter and Nick Minchin on the Monday 6th sept 2010,
Q&A Series 3 episode 31
Nick Minchin at 13:50 odd seconds he says "a clever American once said 'no person's life, liberty or property are secure while a legislature is in session' and there is something to be said for this situation where we have no government I think because no legislation being passed to infringe on the property of the citizens and I find that so much of the legislation I deal with (an enourmous amount) is just making more rules, creating more bureaucracy, costing more tax payers money um, I am delighted there is a bit of a breather in the process"
Makes me think when this guy is a liberal senator...
At 17:30 odd seconds Bob Katter starts talking, he proceeds to tell that if he cant ask his own question, he will not ask one... Someone supplies him with a question he is to ask, WHY???
And at approx 30:21 seconds there is a leading question about tax to the green rep which she replies "thankyou for your question" just like they do in question time like Katter said they have known question (and probably answers)...
Or is she making fun of the Q&A process?
You should read the following too.
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s3005375.htm for transcript of how Ghoulia will treat climate forum.
9mins 20secs into the interview,
KERRY O'BRIEN: OK. If we can look at your early priorities in this Gillard Government. Climate change has had a very checkered career within Labor's first term, and even during the campaign. When your climate change committee that you've agreed to with the Greens has been set up - which it will be done as - I think by late this month - what timeframe would you want to see for that committee? And are you committed to seeing legislation come into the Parliament within this term of office?
JULIA GILLARD: Well, in the spirit of including people, Kerry, it's not for me to dictate. But what I would like to see from that committee is that we can genuinely include, across the Parliament, people who believe climate change is real and who believe we will only reduce carbon pollution and meet our 2020 targets if we price carbon. And then with all of those people in the room, we'd work through to look for the points of agreement. I'm not going to prejudge, Kerry, how quickly that can be done, but I believe that there's a determination to approach this in a different spirit than the way the carbon pollution reduction scheme ultimately ended up being approached, where consensus was shattered and it was a matter of high partisanship between the major political parties.
Ghoulia Jillards actual ABC Transcript answer...
Is this one like-minded group or not?
Judging by these three things alone, what conclusions do you come to?
What about the 'super profits' tax that turned into 'rent resource' tax, was this the banks and retail sectors leaning on the gov? Even had a Prime Minister sacked?
The FACT our elected Prime Minister (who is portrayed to us as our leader, But each passing week is seeming more like a SPOKESPERSON) can be ousted in the way that has been done, I don't care how you put it, If I couldn't have a vote He/She is illegitimate to me. Same with the United Nations. If this is what Australians will accept, I think I am going to have real trouble in saying I am proud of this country.
The moment Kevin Rudd was sacked, Labor should have told the citizens of Australia who their new leader was, and then we should have been at the start of a 4 week campaign to elect a new leader of the country.
I for one want out of TYRANNY.
Also, If you watch Q and A on ABC1, 6th sept 2010, please watch for the 'twit'ter comments at the bottom of the screen, are they as juvenile to you as they are to me? (for the majority of 'twats' or 'tweets').