The fervour of the Olympics have died down, the patriotism of those countries that did well have not. Over the last few days, I have no doubt that I love my country, and the reasons I love my country are for all to see – however there are plenty of reasons why I should always question those that lead my country, and I will refuse to be blinded by patriotism. Collectively, Australia is a spirited nation, depicted by the surf, sun and sand – laid back and care free, however we have the dark ...
If you really want to antagonise the worlds super power, basically ignore their attempts at diplomatic discussion, and refer to their President as someone worse than Hitler… Go North Korea!!! Even though referring to Kim Jong II as a Tyrant probably isn’t the most diplomatic of methods when it comes to communication between the US and North Korea, this latest tirade from the ‘Axis of Evil’ administration creates a scary political climate that is not warranted. The DPRK (The Democratic P...
I don’t live in America, but the entitled statement was made by none other than George W Bush on the campaign trail in Washington on Monday. If I was Middle America, I would be concerned. It doesn't take a genius to work out the the ridiculously rich can avoid taxes... What kind of logic is behind such a statement, why do I have the mental image in my head of Cletus the slack jawed yokel merged with that of George W. Bush making such a profound remark? It would seem that G.W. Bush is...
Hi Guys I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 last night, and while it was nothing I didn’t already know, It was a bit wish washy, and not objective at all… I am looking forward to seeing a movie that tells the story in an objective fashion… I did learn something last night though – I was completely unaware that it only took one member of the senate to sign an objection to Bush becoming president in 2000 – I know, I am a bit daft, but could one of you please kindly tell me, in your opinion, why no memb...
Day in, day out, I struggle to articulate my thoughts and beleifs on the Middle East. I love it when others do it for me. The President is right about the lack of freedom in the Middle East, but wrong about its causes, says Jonathan Freedland. George Bush may not have read much history, but he likes making it. The recent run of insider accounts of the Bush White House show the President is a man with a constant eye on the historians of the future, anxious to lend every moment just eno...
I suppose deep wounds take a long time to heal, 60 years should be long enough though – you would think. The leaders of Europe successfully demonstrated that 60 years is indeed long enough to forget about the past, reconcile, and look to the future. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has demonstrated his nation’s guilt over WWII and desire for atonement over the past few weeks within the 60 year D-Day celebrations. It would seem that this is not enough for some people. The Netherlands pre...
“Maybe Rights are just more open minded than the left” – this has to be one of the most inflammatory remarks I have seen in my short blogging career! I found the comment on the JU feature page; you can read it here. I am not going to shirk any issues here – unfortunately, the term fascist is all too easy to bandy about, I myself am guilty of brandishing the term upon some in a not in-frequent fashion, alas, I know they are not fascists in the true sense of the word, but it is ever so e...
May 5, 2004 Friends, I would have hoped by now that I would be able to put my work out to the public without having to experience the profound censorship obstacles I often seem to encounter. Yesterday I was told that Disney, the studio that owns Miramax, has officially decided to prohibit our producer, Miramax, from distributing my new film, "Fahrenheit 911." The reason? According to today's (May 5) New York Times, it might "endanger" millions of dollars of tax breaks Disney receives...
I think I have identified the secret of running a successful government. In saying that, I have no idea on how to approach the problem, as it is a minefield of red tape and any approach would be likely to upset some people, but I believe if you achieve success in this area, a Utopian society will surely follow. It is an amazing task, and one that I am sure many a government of current and bygone eras have grappled with it, I am sure someone else has had the notion, but last night in a theolog...
The Prime Minister's stance on pre-Iraq war intelligence advice is untenable. "If, at the end of the day, it's conclusively and absolutely the case that there were no weapons (of mass destruction), then questions might be asked." - Australian Prime Minister John Howard yesterday. Welcome to the end of the day, Prime Minister. Just as almost everyone believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction before the war, there is now overwhelming international consensus that this was ...
Declaration of Independence from the War in Vietnam. Delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, April 4, 1967 at Manhattan's Riverside Church: OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for radical departures from the destruction of Vietnam, many persons have questioned me about the wisdom of my path. At the heart of their concerns this query has often loomed large and loud: Why are you speaki...
I have grown up in Australia, lived here all my life... and I love my country to pieces. Nationalism and Patriotism are definitely two attitudes that i have no problems understanding whatsoever. Arguing on the internet is rather stupid. The only time someone wins is when the other concedes or is humiliated and does not reply. The simple fact of the matter is that peoples ideals differ greatly, and there really isn't much one can do to change their own ideals if that is all they have known all...
An insider's account of the way George Bush governs, or misgoverns, should please the President's critics, writes Marian Wilkinson in Washington. The weekend after September 11, George Bush's then treasury secretary, Paul O'Neill, sat down at Camp David, the presidential retreat, to devour a pile of intelligence documents on al-Qaeda compiled by CIA boss George Tenet. A two-day crisis meeting of Mr Bush's senior advisers had ended, and the President had gone to bed. Across the room, Mr Bus...
George Bush has a secret weapon in his re-election bid If the title Stupid White Men doesn't mean anything to you, then you can't have been anywhere near a bookshop in 2003. Either that, or you are so used to picking your way through the piles of Michael Moore books that you no longer notice them, or the accompanying recommendation: "Staff pick! Really cool - the book that exposes Dubya as a fascist." Moore is the American slob in a baseball cap who likes to hint - only hint, mind - that P...
I have noted a few articles on the site, one in particular from Calor - http://calor.joeuser.com/index.asp?aid=1869 and it sparked quite a debate on the issue... well - it wasn't really much of a debate, because there isn't much representation from Calors point of view - however, there are a lot of valid points, and it is very interesting to know what this community thinks of taxes. In Australia we are a bit further toward the left of the political spectrum - the difference is negligable thou...