We Like you...But pity about your President.

PM's friendship with Bush sours view of US: poll
Craig Skehan
SMH

In the new opinion survey, conducted for the Lowy
Institute for International Policy, 57 per cent of
respondents believed Australia should not continue
to be involved militarily in Iraq.

AUSTRALIANS still generally like Americans,
but a new survey says a low opinion of their President,
George Bush, has eroded support for the US's political
role in world affairs and there has been a dampening of
enthusiasm for the once-sacrosanct ANZUS alliance.

"Although attitudes in general were more favourable
than not, there was still a substantial body of negative
opinion," the survey said in reference to the US.

Some 69 per cent said Mr Bush caused them to feel
unfavourably towards the US, while 63 per cent said
American foreign policies had the same effect.

But US culture found disfavour among only 41 per
cent, while personal dealings with Americans prompted
less than 20 per cent of Australians surveyed to hold
an unfavourable view of the US.

Three-quarters thought the US paid little heed to Australia
in its foreign policies.

The Lowy survey found Australians were divided on
whether it would be good if US political power waned,
with slightly more respondents thinking it would be
a mainly positive development.

Two-thirds of Australians believed Mr Howard's support
for Mr Bush on issues such as climate change and Iraq
had hurt Australia's reputation.

Report

A report has been published that indicates 2 million Australians ( out of 21mill) are living below the poverty line.
We are constantly being reassured that we are in economic "boom" times, that we have 'never had it so good'.
As suspected there is a huge gap widening in our society that has never been there before.
We are following a road we neither asked for nor desired.
The rich getting richer and blaming the poor for their circumstances.
The poor getting poorer and not being able to work long enough, hard enough to gain what they believe is possible.

It was not in our imagination after all. It is real, very real.
Where are we going now?



Sir William Deane’s Message on Fairness in Australia
‘Let us rejoice and be grateful for all the achievements of our past.
At the same time, let us be honest and courageous about the failures
and flaws which mar those achievements. The damage we have done to
the land, its rivers and coasts, notwithstanding our love of its beauty.
The unacceptable gap between the haves and the have-nots, in this the
land of the "fair-go" for all. How far we still have to travel on our
journey towards genuine reconciliation between Australia's indigenous
peoples and the nation of which they form such a vital part. Together
we can overcome these flaws and look forward to a fairer Australia’

Sir William Deane, former Governor General of Australia (1996-2001).

http://www.australiafair.org.au/upload/site/pdf/publications/3078__Australia%20Fair%20Report.pdf

ON: Those whose need is religion/cults/sects

From a book I am reading by Susan Hepburn,
an English author.
No don't bother reading it
...not great literature at all,
but this one passage struck me.



"It's fascinating the way the group mind can work
- or the individualmind, in cases like this.
People want something to believe in, but nine
times out of ten, they can't be bothered to
think for themselves.Want someone else to work it
out for them and tell them what's so. It ultimately
comes down to an abnegation of personal responsibility
- let the leader decide - whether that leader is Stalin,
the Pope, or somebody like Jim Jones or David Koresh.
And that gives power to the ones they put on a pedestal.
Their word is law, because their word is God's word.
On the other hand, of course, in the less hierarchical
types of sects or cults, the set-up attracts those who
are powerless or marginalised in modern society. In the
world, they're nobody. In their group, they can be a
prophet or speak in tongues. They have their own
hot-line to God without the mediation of a leader,
 and that validates them,gives them a sense of
self-worth, makes them feel they're important after
 all - in the divine plan, if not the cultural one.
A great deal is down to psychology
and the power of suggestion." 

How the Cartoonist sees the Truth

attachment (JPEG Image, 470x332 pixels) - Scaled (97%)

Of Interest.

Laurence W. Britt's analysis of the seven major fascist regimes in
recent history reveals fourteen common threads that link them in
recognisable patterns of national behaviour and abuse of power.
The Howard Government gets a score of 14 out of 14 on Britt's
following fascism characteristics:

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism and xenophobia.

2. Disdain for the importance of human rights.

3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause.

4. The supremacy of the military and police.

5. Rampant sexism.

6. A controlled mass media.

7. Obsession with national security.

8. Religion and ruling elite tied together.

9. Power of corporations protected.

10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated.

11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts.

12. Obsession with crime and punishment.

13. Rampant cronyism and corruption.

14. Fraudulent elections, referenda, plebiscites or public opinion polls

Howard is now 'spinning' the idea for all the so called 'security' for APEC is to protect the visitors from the 'violent demonstrators' not from a threat of 'terrorism'. What the hell are we raving on about democracy for if demonstrators are not allowed anywhere near the power pussies of the world???
This is facism!

BTW Bush's early arrival for APEC is costing the tax payer an extra $4mill. Could we send him the bill for this? It could go a long way in helping to address the shortages in our hospital system, our public education system, the disabled services or any number of needs.

AWE!

And the stars rained down on me
"Oh say can you see...?"
Beautiful from above, the showers of light.
Pyrotechnic, bonfire of their vanities.
Showering of fire above our heads.
What is this for?

Oil, freedom, democracy, money.
Centralised ideas, hegemony
And the blinding future.

Ripped, rent, between poverty and wealth
Star, sparkled, lighted tails..tales -
ending where?

In the life, in the death of my baby.
Standing over the fields of time and dreams
Power and glory, for ever and ever


And I am left without my baby, without my dreams
Without a belief in any of this.
And they say, as more stars rain down on me,
They say;
"This, this, is for you!"

It is done...

- - what have they done?
Their will be done, their coalition of their wills be done.
Forever and ever....

"Aspiration"

This term that has been spouting from the mouth of Howard and should be reviled and viewed with suspicion. It is meant to be aimed at those who 'want better' for themselves, their families and their future.
It has come to mean those who are greedy, judgmental, wealthy and comfortable.

"Aspirational" was intended for the lower to middle class worker who had a hunger for an upper class job and life style, but turned into a distortion that gave permission to those whose nature revelled in bigotry, racism and an excuse NOT to be generous to the needy.

Howard has now made a new declaration:
"Aspirational Nationalism" to be taken yelling and screaming into the up-coming elections.

As soon as this term was coined and spewed forth the mind turned immediately to the fist thumping pictures of a little man with a moustache and a huge ego back in 1933. He was whipping up support for his Nationalist Socialists to raise their nation from the ashes of WW1.

So what does Nationalism really mean and what is intended by its aims?
This parochial and dangerous term has precedents and no one need look very far to see the resultant effects of what Nationalism produces historically.

We have seen the syrupy cloyingness of American nationalism, the flag-waving dangers of each end of the spectrum ( Fascist and Communist), and the 'us and them' mentality on the sports field during the Olympics or even a local school game.
It is time we moved on from such archaic and parochial attitudes and realise with relish that we are children of the Universe, brothers and sisters of the planet, and we all should be working as One to combat global warming, poverty, drought, flood, food shortages, AIDS and other diseases and to aim for Peace in all corners of the globe.

So all Australians who hear this term "Aspirational Nationalism" should reject totally the notion of any form of nationalism in any Australian Government now and into the future.

The speech (see below) shows an arrogance and an ability to shove statistics around like they were writ in stone.
(BTW - The reason for a rise in 'volunteerism' is that HE has made it apart of the "Work for the Dole" mantra. It is no longer a altruistic ideal, but a carrot and stick approach that can be utilised so that the poor can get their meagre and mean social security.)

http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Speech/2007/Speech24507.cfm

A sense of aspirational nationalism in the Federation

PM J.W HOWARD:
We should be aspirational nationalists, and applying this spirit to the governance of the Federation will be my third goal of a next term.

I've often said that there are two powerful trends in Australia today: localism and nationalism. Neither are of a brash, exclusivist variety; both embody a very Australian brand of quiet, understated pride and patriotism.

This is dangerous, selfish and twisted logic that demeans the real meaning of being a citizen of this country.

Roll on elections!!!