Month: November 2005

The Swords of Righteousness in for a torrid time

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Four peace activists taken hostage in Iraq were shown in an insurgent video broadcast on Arab television today, with a previously unknown group claiming responsibility for the kidnapping.

The Swords of Righteousness Brigade said the four were spies working undercover as Christian peace activists, al-Jazeera television news reported. The station said it could not verify any of the information on the tape.

The Swords of Righteousness and four righteous, holier than thou peace activists…should make for some cutting conversations but then they are most probably just being briefed.

What’s the odds the Swords of Righteousness will get sick and tired of the activists simpering, snivelling preaching and throw them out?

UPDATE: The group’s media advisor has obviously told them that The Swords of Righteousness tag is too clumsy in English so today they are reported as the Swords of Truth Brigade.

If it’s all about truth I wonder then, what they will make of this statement.

A statement released by the Christian Peacemaker Team said: “We are angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of the actions of the US and UK governments due to the illegal attack on Iraq and the continuing occupation and oppression of its people.”

I would’ve thought what happened to their teammates was the result of;

? putting themselves in a position to be kidnapped, and
? being kidnapped by the Truth chaps.

A bit old-fashioned of me, I know, but it comes under the heading of being responsible for your own actions.

War on Terror

Possible closure on Hill 82, Vietnam

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In 1964 I joined 1 section, 1 Platoon, A Coy, 1RAR as a very raw recruit fresh out of Infantry Centre, Ingleburn. The Section 2ic was Lance Corporal ‘Tiny’ Parker and one of the other diggers in the platoon was Peter Gilson.

‘Tiny’ Parker brought me up to speed in Infantry Section work and was a patient and friendly proffessional soldier. We had many a friday happy hour over that year after a weeks hard training or after major exercises, and the team spirit that becomes apparent in infantry developed. Tiny was married then and at Platoon parties I met his wife and the girlfriends and parents of the others in the section and platoon.

In March 1965 I was posted to 5RAR as I was a month too young to deploy with 1RAR on their first tour of Vietnam so I left that small band, that team that took me from recruit to soldier and gave me many life-time friendships. We had worked hard and played hard and I was saddened to leave my new ‘family’.

Time marches on. I continue training with 5RAR while my old 1RAR platoon was in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. 1RAR was the first Australian infantry unit to serve in Vietnam and was one of the three battalions of the Brigade. On the 8th of November, forty years ago this month my old section and platoon came to grief.

Last night Lateline carried a story that may offer closure to all those who fought on that day, to the relatives who have suffered for all these forty years and to me who counted Tiny and Peter amongst my many army mates.

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Vietnam

Joyce slowly coming to heel

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BARNABY Joyce has dropped his push for mandated penalty rates on “iconic” public holidays, saying he will accept a compromise ensuring Australian workers cannot be sacked for refusing to work on Christmas Day.

I’m not surprised. Joyce was obviously going to be brought to heel sooner or later after certain home truths were pointed out to him.

The outspoken Queensland Nationals senator last night gave his strongest indication that he would not block the Government’s industrial relations changes, telling The Australian he would not push for penalty rates if the Government guaranteed workers could not be sacked for refusing to work on significant public holidays.

That’s a start. Now we should see the bill passed before Christmas

Senator Joyce said later making it impossible to sack workers for refusing to be rostered on during holidays would effectively force employers to have to offer more money on those days. “If it is really essential to work I would imagine people would have to pay you double,” Senator Joyce said last night. “My protection is then the ultimate protection. Iconic public holidays will remain such — as compass points in the Australian calendar.”

Extra money for working iconic public holidays like Christmas, Australia Day and ANZAC Day seem reasonable to me but not just for working Saturdays or Sundays. It is worthy of note, however that not all workers demand extra money for working Christmas Day and neither do all unions

Sharan Burrow attacks what she perceives as the weak link in the governments armour, Barnaby;

While ACTU president Sharan Burrow tried to sway the Queenslander yesterday, delivering an 85,000-email petition imploring him to block the Work Choices Bill, Senator Joyce was leaning towards a more traditional Nationals constituency, the farmers.

Knowing it’s not difficult to programme emails and mass produce them with different signature blocks I’m less than impressed with Sharan’s 85,000 email petition than I am with Joyce’s apparent change of heart.

I note that ABC radio has transformed the email petition to 85,000 signatures

I also heard Anna Booth, saviour of the outworkers some years back, complaining on ABC radio about the requirement for secret ballots meeting a minimum of 50% voter return in the positive before a union can call a strike. I understand the idea is to send a postal vote to each member for them to decide on the issue.

It can easily be said that it is mainly true believers that attend union meetings where a good speaker can, and often does wind the troops up to such an extent that they would kill Howard should he wonder by. In these circumstances a vote to strike is a given. I would rather the vote be considered in the cold light of the domestic scene; the kitchen table awash with bills and due mortgages and a clear thinking wife to counsel other avenues of dissent.

Politics

Another drug conviction imminent

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INDONESIAN prosecutors have demanded an 18-month jail term for an Australian mine worker accused of using methamphetamine.

John Michael Kelly, 45, from Warwick on Queensland’s Darling Downs, was arrested in September in Sangatta, East Kalimantan on Borneo, after a tip-off by hotel security guards.

Mmmm…Middle aged… working…. anglo sounding name and most probably not as pretty as Michelle or Schappele but we will have another press frenzy tomorrow with demands from Beasely, Rudd, Brown and Nettle etc to have his case taken on by the Government.

Won’t we?

Uncategorized

No Last Post for Nguyen

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Nero fiddles while Rome burns and Howard plays cricket while civilization as we know it dies.

THE PM’s XI cricket match should be called off because it is to be played on the same day of Australian Nguyen Tuong Van’s scheduled execution, a Labor senator says.

Senator George Campbell said today it was insensitive for Prime Minister John Howard to attend the match on Friday.

Australian Democrats senator Natasha Stott Despoja agreed, saying she felt sickened by the prospect that Mr Howard would attend the game on the same day that an Australian would be executed.

If we needed any proof that Nguyen’s imminent death is being used as a political cosh to attack Howard then this is it.

Ian Moore in an article in todays Australian says Don’t blame PM for other people’s sins;

The belief seems to be that their predicament is not the result of their own illegal behaviour; it is all the fault of the Prime Minister. This is not some fanciful notion; this charge has come from the families of those concerned, and from Opposition Leader Kim Beazley, no less. The problem is, they appear to believe it.

Michell Leslie

“What has really shocked me is the amount of anger levelled at me, especially from the Prime Minister,”

Her Father, Albert

…complained about the “un-Australian” treatment of his daughter and blamed Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for taking no interest in his family.

My father, Leslie Albert, always said

Son, once you are an adult, you are responsible for your own actions

I hope the PM enjoys his day at cricket. God knows he doesn’t get much free time and I will spend Friday doing whatever I have to do. I will pause, and I think the PM will as well, and feel sad about Nguyens fate but I will not afford him the honour of a minutes silence.

That I reserve for Veterans who died honourably in the service of their country.

Politics

Liberals trounced in by-election

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THE NSW Liberals have been trounced in the by-election to replace former state opposition leader John Brogden, losing one of the party’s safest state seats to independent Alex McTaggart.

Commentators had anticipated a backlash against the Liberal Party for choosing as its candidate Paul Nicolaou, who did not live in the electorate, and the way the party had treated Mr Brodgen.

I could be wrong but it looks like a local issue to me but the ALP/ACTU will be not see it that way.

You watch tomorrows headlines…..Howard in trouble and the people are sending Howard a message – they don’t like the IR laws

There could be a bit in that but IR will be dead issue by the time the next election is called.

General Musings

Howard not doing what Glen Milne wants

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PRIME Minister John Howard has made a deliberate decision not to consider his retirement despite pressure within the Liberal Party to make a decision over Christmas.

I would think it’s more of despite pressure from Glen Milne.

Glen has a weekly column where he raises the hope that Howard will retire. He is continually quoting back-bench pressure, Costello’s supporters, informed sources and his interpretation of his reading of the tea leaves that says retirement imminent.

I think it’s just wishful thinking on Milnes part.

General Musings, Politics

Decaf Coffee bad for you

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DECAFFEINATED coffee may raise the risk of cardiovascular disease more than regular coffee does, Atlanta investigators announced at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2005.


The subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: noncoffee drinkers, coffee drinkers and decaf drinkers, who drank three to six cups a day for two months.At the end of the study period, Superko found no significant differences in fasting glucose or insulin (measures used to diagnosis diabetes), total cholesterol, HDL2 (the very good cholesterol) or triglycerides among the three groups.

However, decaf coffee significantly increased free fatty acid levels, which in turn led to an increase in apolipoprotein B, which is associated with LDL cholesterol.

Decaf always amazed me as the reason I drank coffee was for the caffiene kick. If there is no caffiene kick then what’s the point of drinking it?.

You might as well wear baby clothes and drink warm milk.

General Musings

Bali mourners were terror target

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JEMAAH Islamiah mastermind Azahari bin Husin was planning a suicide bomb attack on the memorial service held in Kuta last month for the 202 people who died in the Bali nightclub bombings three years ago.

Intelligence sources in Indonesia told The Australian the document, found on a computer disc carried by one of Azahari’s JI colleagues, detailed the plan to bomb the memorial service.

It was abandoned only because of the high level of security at the service.

Australian and Indonesians agents have saved lives but certain Australians will still complain about the draconian anti-terror laws that impinge on our rights yet enable the agencies to protect us.

Strange.

War on Terror
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