Good. Now you understand that basic concept do something about the schools of hate you run. I read on to note that the President of Pakistan agrees with me to a point. General Musharraf told more than 20 world leaders and foreign ministers attending a counter-terrorism conference that the Islamic world had an obligation to reform the religious schools, or madrassahs, that “preach hatred” and to “shun militancy and extremism”. But he said this would only “be feasible if the West joins us by helping to resolve all political disputes involving Muslims with justice”. I agree with this but point out that the Islamic world is still on the back foot here. They produced the hate mentality that resulted in the WTC and Bali obscenities, not the the west. Throughout my years of education and that of my five children, not once did I hear the term “How to hate Islam” mentioned as a study subject. Start rewriting your school curriculum now and try teaching maths, science and language! In case you haven’t worked it out yet, that is the basic difference between our societies. Teaching kids religion, and one based on hatred at that, never put food on peoples tables or produced a work force smart enough to create an economy with the ability to lift the poor bastards above the subsistance level. I can just hear the Left winding up. The core of the problem is the US attitude to Israel. Supporting Israel against Palestine enrages the Islamic world and while the BBC and it’s Australian clone support the PLO cause the people in the West don’t. When the PLO stop sending their kids to blow themselves and Israeli women and kids into small pieces, Israel can stop killing the perpetrators and we might be able to talk. Until then stop teaching hatred. Read more>>

Over at my Wontoks site in Texas is an article by Rand Simberg. It deals with the similarities of the post-war Iraq and post-war Germany. Interesting reading and well worth the time. Go there

Try this for a confused loyalty background. Grew up in West Australia and played Aussie Rules until 17 when I enlisted. Rugby only in the Army! (I nearly lost my chance of a commision when in answer to a General’s question of ‘what position do you play? I answered ruck and full forward!) Spent 4 weeks in a RAAF hospital next door to a rabid Essendon supporter and followed them for years. VFL goes AFL and the Eagles join the league. Change to barracking for my home state. I then resign from the Army and move to Brisbane. Now I follow the Lions but if the Eagles or Essendon come good I’m not that distressed – but Collingwood……………..no way. It promises to be a good match as Collingwood aren’t there by accident as they were last year, and after watching the Swans fold under attack this weekend just gone, I have high hopes for next Saturday. It’s refreshing to be able to disagree with Tim Blair on something. His site is currently the cyber equivalent of wearing your heart on your sleeve. Great graphics though and easy to change to ‘in-mourning all black’ next week.

Now the wowsers are attacking ‘shouting’, at least in NSW. Shouting a mate who’s had a few too many may soon prove costly. The state’s liquor watchdog has proposed a fine for drinkers doing what many Australians would consider is their moral duty – buying a round. The fine could be as much as $5500. In this article in the Sydney Morning Herald the Nanny State strikes against society. The proposal arises from a submission to the alcohol summit by the Liquor Administration Board, calling on the Government to consider making it an offence to buy alcohol on an intoxicated person’s behalf. How are they going to police this piece of loony thinking? There is enough arguements in pubs now over who’s shout it is, let alone when admission could incur a fine of $5,500. I can just see those we all know, with long pockets and short arms, using this as an excuse not to shout. It also fails to take into account that shouting presumes all drinkers in the shout have had an equal amount of drinks so who’s going to be sober enough to make the call. This is not to say that we don’t have alcohol related problems, we do. But might I suggest that the answer lies more with education than baseball-bat type Nanny State laws. Still, once the wowsers start talking you know it will gather speed. I think it’s time to start dusting off the bar at home. No, they wouldn’t, would they…..I mean come around home and book me for having that last beer I didn’t really need?

If this doesn’t worry you, it should. Australian prime ministers should be stripped of their power to send troops overseas, according to Australian Democrats Leader Andrew Bartlett. Senator Bartlett said the approval of both houses of parliament should be required before Australian troops were committed to any conflicts. A referendum should be held to change the rules, he said. I can see it now. The Indonesians..oops, the Musorians, are landing at Cape York and when the bill gets to the Senate Bob Brown points out that all problems between Australia and Musoria are our fault as we blatantly enjoy life, drink alcohol, fornicate heterosexually and do other unspeakable acts in defiance of the Word of the Prophets and we should negotiate and apologise. During the debate, Senator Bartlett tables a private members bill demanding we apologise to the aborigines first as if we don’t, we have no rights to the country, let alone the right to defend it. The Indonesians, oops the Musorians, advance down the penninsular and are on the outskirts of Brisbane while the debate, back to the Senate for the second reading, rages. Carmen (I can’t remember) Lawrence, the new President of the Labor Party makes a public denouncement of those people who support defending Brisbane as acting in defiance of the UN Human Rights Charter, of which Australia is a signatory, that clearly states all human rights abuses originate in the West and for the well fed, educated, testosterone overloaded and smugly superior Australian diggers to attack and possibly kill the poor disadvantaged starving Musorians (I got it right this time) would run the risk of 144.5 million innocent victims somewhere in the world. All of these victims would be cute looking seven year old kids with Aunties working in the ABC. She also stated that on previous performances the Jakarta Museum would be ransacked and the Borobudur temple and surrounds would be destroyed by unthinking and unfeeling F111 pilots. I wonder how Bartlet’s referendum would go?

I agree, Latham, Singleton (and Keating as well), could all do with some remedial ‘English language useage’ to lift their game above ‘arse licking, scumbag’ type comments in the House. They are all ‘the same type of fellas’. ‘Bovver boy’ Latham, the same title I gave Keating, needs to lift his language to climb higher. Publicity from poor language doesn’t sit well with mainstream Australia and is indicative of poor debating skills. ‘My sort of fellow’ indeed – they deserve each other. I love and encourage the Labor Party infighting – bodes well for the economy. Read more if you must but it’s only on NSW League clubs and NSW taxes.

PETER Costello should be silently hoping Simon Crean is not hit by a commonwealth car after the Treasurer’s rather tasteless joke in question time yesterday. Costello explained how he was occasionally asked what would happen should the Opposition Leader fall under a truck: “To which I said he would not be run over by a truck – if he is run over, it will be by Carr.” Come on, Matt, it’s not that tasteless, not particularly funny but it’s drawing a long bow to call it tasteless. I just hope it raised a smile on poor Simon’s face….. he needs something to lift his spirits. >>more

Update from yesterday. Australia wants to send a large contingent of federal police to ensure law and order in Papua New Guinea and place its officials in high-level positions in key ministries. Wow! The government is listening to me at last. Australia now tells PNG that aid comes with reponsibilities. They want to send over 200 Australian Federal Police (AFP) with the aid cheque. PNG is a hot-bed of trouble that needs to be sorted out very quickly. The last thing Australia needs is discontented uneducated, unhealthy people on our northern flank. That flank is already too busy! The problem centres around corruption being endemic in PNG. The AFP will be good at sorting that rot out and setting an example for the locals – this is how you do it. Discussions with government ministers and heads of departments starting with..’the aid money is actually for the country and the people, not you personally’…would be a good starting point. <<more

Foreign Minister Downer risks inflaming tensions with Papua New Guinea over Australia’s hardline aid policy when he reads them the riot act tomorrow. Michael suggests we are ‘disrupting’ PNG’s sovereignty while our government is suggesting that corruption is incompatable with aid and the money is for the people, not the PNG ministers holiday homes in Cairns. I trust it will eventually sink in to PNG and all the other small Pacific nations we help – receiving aid from Australia has certain responsibilities associated with it. Update: Reader Dave points to a political development in PNG and leaves some good links in ‘comments’.