Mood:  accident prone

Arguably overfed police minister David Campell was exposed recently for alleged 'travel rorts':

17 May 2008 Surf-and-turf police jaunt costs $40000 - National - smh.com.au

David Campbell.

He needed a new media focus and quick smart especially in this phase of public energy sell off 'friendly fire'.

Now he seems to have tasered (if such a word exists) the travel rorts allegation story via his loyal Police Commissioner Scipione and 229 tasers.  Ex Premier Bob Carr would be proud of the spin management:

Taser guns rolled out to cops | NEWS.com.au

 NSW top cop says tasers not fatal - Breaking News - National ...

He'd be alive if we had tasers: police chief - National - smh.com.au

More NSW police to be issued Taser guns - ABC News (Australian ...

As for tragedy of Roni Levi shooting in 1997, as local Bondi Ward Councillor 1995-99 we helped his relative organise an art exhibition of his art after the death, and helped staff the Bondi Safety Committee during that time against riotous behaviour. Significantly there is a major art work in the offices of Justice Action led by Brett Collins featuring Roni surrounded by officers with guns drawn. It's very sad and moving.

Later we also helped police peacefully arrest/help a confused and paranoid neighbor with a pot habit who was shaking the kitchen draw - meaning searching for a knife as we stood at his door. I intervened actually. We think this might have saved the neighbour's life by getting him to open the door without dramas and be admitted to an outpatients service. Next morning he was back at home on planet earth.

Frankly these tasers scare the hell out of us, not least in public protest situations, after APEC 2007, or as below in close quarters in the anti Forbes protests 2005 (!?):

Police Liaison for the 30A Forbes Global CEO Protest, 30 August 2005

Just imagine Chas from the ABC Chasers writhing in pain on the ground in his Osama costume. It's quite a worry, especially if its media cycle spin related policy making?

By the by, the first picture of Forbes 2005 collage below shows a cheeky editor of SAM here, holding a bundle Sydney City News free press work, normally hand delivered to the Opera House as advertising client for same published by Alternative Media Group (also publish Sydney City Hub). Clearly we couldn't access the public's Opera House which was the point of that photo and lawful presence, to make the point about Forbes disruption of commerce and tourism and public space. Yes it was cheeky.

Posted by editor at 10:46 AM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 20 May 2008 1:58 PM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  accident prone

Author’s general introductory note (skip this bit if you know this regular weekly column):

This is not a well packaged story. It’s a contemporaneous traverse of the Sunday television free to air political talkies indicating the agenda of Establishment interests: Better to know ones rivals and allies  in Big Politics and Big Media.

Indeed it’s the tv version monitoring task similar to what Nelson Mandela refers to here in his book Long Walk to Freedom (1994, Abacus) written in Robben Island prison (where he was meant to die like other African resister chiefs of history in the 19C), at page 208

“..newspapers are only a shadow of reality; their information is important to a freedom fighter not because it reveals the truth, but because it discloses the biases and perceptions of both those who produce the paper and those who read it.”

Just substitute ‘Sunday tv political talkie shows’ for "newspapers" in the quote above.

For actual transcripts go to web sites quoted below except with Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

- 17 May 2008 "Nelson nitwits" - Libs hash the Budget strategy | The Daily Telegraph

9 Sunday 7.30 – 9.30 am

Features on bikies and civil liberties, flesh eating bug drug resistant – ate young man’s lungs! Yuk.

Footage damaging from NBC (?) of China chaos in rescue effort there of 50K fatalities earthquake.

Good roundup of Forescue and emotional Twiggy Forest on his patriotic vindication via magnetite in Pilbara at say 40% quality ‘which is high’, comparision by Ross Greenwood with Norway high class problem of how to manage ‘resource curse’ namely $300 billion (US, Aus $ ?) for 4.5 million citizens (re oil there), compared to $100 b for 20 million citizens here. Implication that it is low compared to Norway.

Need sovereign funds to manage for the future this blessed financials. But vote at the ballot box re whether it should be held by super funds, and private savings than govt funds like $40 billion.

Interesting feature on civil liberties for freedom of association of bikies [political winner though even though in SA after murder of Brendan Keilor, my school mate actually, in Melbourne last year]

Strong feature about MRSA, staph infection. [exhortation to healthy living, for natural immunity, no smoking, drinking, exercise, fresh whole foods, not processed. Natural immunity is the key probably and care with wounds. Exponential growth.

Young adult son killed by MRSA – missed most of this but a really good worthy story I thought.

………………………………..

Laurie Oakes ‘forensic test of shadow Mal Turnbull – going to be rough. “free kick” first re health funds major leakage to public system. LO in attack mode.

[It’s the leadership interview]

Surcharge intro to high income folks to join, now affects middle lower income folks. Tax policy previous govt carryover, addresses that. Consequence now says MT must be worried.

Inconsistency – carrot and stick approach to medical insurance.

Budget in reply – cut in fuel excise, block tax alcopops. Where $ from – out of surplus or savings. Not in govt to really give chapter and verse. LO on high horse. Costello demanded costing. Turnbull concedes point “as Dr Nelson said” which is subtle departure dumping responsibility on Nelson for his approach. Too cavalier. MT concedes “is a large amount of money” …. “not in govt” another subtle message to party about quality fo leadership. Hits govt about watching not doing. Cut on exercise. Moderate measure.

Technical analysis of GST on excise back to states anyway. Explaining Nelson quite patronizing ‘what he meant’ ouch.  MT red tie is a real look at me choice. Smile by MT on bit of a rabble comment by LO. MT very relaxed at the accusation. Ouch again. The fin is in the water!

Alcopops – John Herron ex Lib minister council on drugs,  likes Govt approach – support for battling bingeing. [‘White spirits/dark spirits’ – what a bogus distinction also used by Riley. ] MT refers to economic evidence alcohol use is inelastic – not responsive to price increase [maybe true like petrol?, only 4% less on youth drinking.

LO refers inequity of anamolies re alcohol products wine, to pops to beer etc. Joe Hockey referenced, more anomalies. Needs to be fixed right across the board. Henry Ergas tax review to look at this.

http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp

Footage of Wayne Swan, flattering. Press leads with Fairfax SunHerald on health funds leakage claimed. Swan is guest which is high kudos to early MTP show and possibly a quid pro quo to Paul Bongiorno for his general moderation in news work.

Swan looking settled, still a hint of smart arse in his presentation but well hidden now [you see it in absolute language ‘no economic credibility of coalition’ truth is adjusted cuts because of the business sensitivity to swingeing cuts and cycle inflation coming down by late 2009/10, and smarter politically to offer faint praise to Nelson for ‘trying’]

Chat about reception of the budget. Health funds story. States cost 1.7 billion$ worse off. Says bigger investments in hospitals infrastructure.

Petrol pricing thrust by Nelson, says 22b cost to budget and too uncertain. Petrol prices will rise says PB, re greenhouse for instance. Yes agrees. Emissions trading system later. PB re solar panels cut in subsidy. Means testing of solar panels. Fully subscribed – means test as responsible – gives the game up – too successful.

Out take of Costello hitting at Michelle Grattan – reported first (?) by SAM here as improper attack on admired icon of the gallery, but more revealing the accuracy of MG observation he is indeed feeling “sensitive”.  Footage bears it out.

Adbreak skip to 9.

Panel Hartcher Fairfax – insufficient downward pressure on inflation [fact is inflation cycle up then down, so Swan actually responded to Turnbull analysis by lessening cuts to steady as she goes, a non debate, more adversary masking consensus].

Says 7 b cuts, but PH net increase and stimulating tax cuts.

Jennifer Hewitt – The Australian (?) on panel.

Mis timed says PH? Swan says cuts demand. Costello spending inflationary last 4 budgets.

Alco Con? Asks JH. Substitution affect?  Sticks to his guns.

Footage of big funds accusation re slush fund 40b. Swan refers to [pious] BAF evaluations etc. PH still notes political control. 

Amusing re trust us, we are the govt. An old ironic cliché. Both laugh.

Footage of Tuckey (?). Out take about middle class winners versus over 150K Bentley drivers Zannetti cartoon.

Carer call in, sober Rudd listening in radio station. Contrary to stupid Harris demand. Swan sympathy mode to carers. Rudd wants to act – the mother’s voice is his mother talking. He is an open book to such women and it’s also a very appealing aspect to this PM’s character. Who cried at the loss to his colleague Latham. Keep going carers and mothers.

Meet The Press - Watch Political Video Online - Channel TEN.

Riley Diary 7, 8.35 am

Budget coverage – Robinhood  - fox cartoon character. Elephants trumpeting. ‘working families’. Satirical music. Works over those clichés. Riley recall is highest paid press gallery 200K plus – calls up Bulworth classic movie. Ethical moral debate in cartoon characters. Whinging wendy type pensioner.

Double triple the taxes with. Missed visual pun. Nelson Turnbull inconsistency. Nelson knives in back budget in reply. Spending too much, spend more. High taxing high spending high interest rates.

Nelson lower taxes on petrol, watching doesn’t. Pensioners stripped, Family First, strip stunt. Naked ambition of Steve Fielding.

Q&A - Mark Riley – what does it mean as rich media folks whinge themselves – suggests keep going , Riley notes the same point, quite good self awareness that. Working man drink habits tactic by Nelson. Notes health funds story over million going back to public health. Sam says very scary, big worry. Arc up over the next week.

No follow up Q& A Ellen to LO? Would be good tv that, but conflict with Insiders bang on 9 am too.

Insiders 2: 9- 10am

Fat Tony on news footage.

Cassidy intro flatters Federal ALP budget. Swan at press club – first one tougher? Don’t confuse tough with stupid. Not slam economy into wall.

Nelson says block tax on a pops. Got a laugh on watching petrol price. ALP govt says nothing in silence – quite eloquent that.

Panel is Annabel Crabb. Re NSW Lib director.  [Good story about low range speeder Della yesterday human normal thesis].

Funding medicare surcharge – 425K, may be double. Sunday press says Gerard Henderson drop out or not join close to 1 mil. PWC figures or treasury unsure but it’s a big figure.

Don’t accept says Swan on MTP. Questions modeling of treasury.

Meglo says private health framing the debate as a ‘public good’. Playing govt off a break. What going to do on public health.  GH says elective surgery private, Meglo public for emergency.

Nelson feisty and confident performance – Nelson is the cross. Rings/bags under eyes are alarming. Hair and eyes. May be falling apart? Turnbull also looked weary but still together with LO on 9.

Confirm block alco con? Get’s on positive foot – “yeah” which is a good sound. BC – leadership off the floor? Rudd govt not evidence based. Showing his medical expertise here on the stats. Not integrated approach re alcohol abuse. Price signals part of it but RTD to other drugs. Long list people who do support Govt, disagree with you, for Rudd policy. Says happy to address because they have a lot more in policy more integrated. Chair of govt policy.

Nightwatchman [our metaphor and it’s a cutting one] looking and sounding fairly okay actually. Hair a bit greyer and flattened, speaking strongly. Arguably make it worse. As much as says stupid to swap baggy green cap for beer commercial.

On petrol exercise policy – practical thing to do – expects to be bagged. Duck savings to fund hole from this? Says it’s an election policy. NRMA notes difference – [petrol is a public good natural monopoly?!]

Notes pre election ALP didn’t submit to treasury costing – fair point from memory.

Confusion about pensions coalition policy – plays sympathy mode, increases by them in past, Rudd ignores in this budget (high profile naked protest echoes). How improve? Too soon hedge but inquiry conducted, deserves “hell of a lot more”. Sledges Cate Blanchett baby visit not protest in Melbourne.

“Madness “of cutting solar subsidy [reached saturation] destructive of small business. On a winner with this critique. Unity ticket with Bob Brown. Christine Milne by the sounds on this.

Chat in panel re ‘fraud’ of both sides re alcopops.

Paul Kelly soliloquy – very targeted pain. Not a robinhood budget. Private health insurance – policy and politics. Mildy deflationary. Big picture – sustainable re inflation – questions sustainable or not. New funds 40b infr health and education. Not locked box. Draw down capital. Immigration 300K strong immigration prime minister. Says right thing to do. Signficant political problems. Nelson had to give back bench some red meat. Understands re morale boost. Weak opp leader pop tactics, bear in mind, Lib party one great asset ec policy credentials of Howard govt. Great risk will walk away from those credentials.

Everyperson panel of fashion models, modest presentation, eyes glazed.

Back to panel – Costello face – poker face on Nelson petrol price. Footage of Howard 2006 no simple way, cutting excise, 10c a litre meaningful. Not a durable undertaking says AC. Absolute disastrous policy says GH. Reluctant conclusion only 2 capable PC and MT. What fundamentally wrong? Bad economic policy. GH goes across the bridge against Nelson. Where’s the $ coming from [as per MT on with 9 with LO]. Trashing policy for survival says AC in so many words. Listener parrot.

GH goes back to Menzies, leadership unpopular decisions and worked. As did Howard/Costello. Populist leader. Nelson correctly predicts thrashing from ‘the couch’. AC warns couch it’s a fight Nelson chooses.

Footage of 9 LO with MT – clear split MT and BN. Interesting development, too right, leadership is correctly in play.

MG says leadership is terminal references BC, didn’t know MG gone so far. Too late for fruit and too early for flowers.

[Panel in real time news mode can see it’s on, ready to jump to their keyboards as soon as cameras stop rolling.]

Hockey, alco props nice use of language.

AC is very cute with her flouncing wordage.

Footage of Rudd Garrett pre election, inconsistency re solar. Very hard on young people. Transcript April 2007 250K not a lot of money – bogus – draw down on assets if not. Have equity as reassurance – move location. GH argues very serious mistake. Hardly. GH squealing for his constituency works in big media with Howard closed shop on power but that’s all gone to smithereens.

Meglo big picture slaps down GH and BC adds to that. GH has lost the plot in this political economy respect. GH goes way too personal with Meglo shows his underlying thuggish nature post Howard.

High achievers should have foals. Class snobbery there. From Tuckey footage.

Environmental and economic madness claim by Nelson applies to petrol too.

Which all reflects the 20C economy settings of both ALP and Coalition.

Latham sly dig at Rudd, very amusing re fiction or true. Rudd response – not credible panel concludes. Rudd is indeed an elitist. And Mark is indeed highly envious.

Cornwall from crikey.com.au good kudos, mainstreaming consolidates access to budget lockup. Looks like the proverbial cartoonist too. He’s smart as, sometimes over my head.

Peter Costello ‘luxury liberal party airbag’ . Mike Bowers self referential but it’s a stunningly good photo – beautiful work MB.

Footage revenge as per 10 MTP re sledge on Michelle Grattan, on Peter Costello about theatrical attacks on media. AC says shrinking band of pirates for PC.  No truth at all in quokka cruelty from blogger source.

UK politics – Gordon Brown, junior PM .

My friends in the ALP says GH, Costello would have done better to JH, not beaten him. Missed time not second half of 2007.

Roxon footage on ALP spin.

Moving tribute to Irene Semmler rescuer of 2000 Jewish kids in WW2 by GH.

Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/ 

Posted by editor at 12:02 PM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 18 May 2008 1:25 PM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  special

As indicated in this profound film, staff of Enron (a US $65 billion corporation, 7th largest in the USA, which went bankrupt in 24 days in 2002) were regarded as the "best and brightest" in business. This has an eerie ring to it echoing a phrase for those selected for the recent 2020 summit blessed by PM Rudd.

PM Rudd also as it happens has endorsed the public energy sell off plan of the NSW Premier Morris Iemma who is in China as we write presumably to further progress the $15 billion sale  'the best and brightest idea' he can come up with for future governance of NSW! Enjoy (!?) the film. We will.

When you've digested that "magic of the market" and "de-regulation", have a look at this 60 minutes plus BBC doco on Youtube of the history of the public relations industry based on the theories of psychoanalyst Freud. It's a cracker.

And if you are still up for it this chestnut, less than one minute:

Posted by editor at 10:28 PM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 18 May 2008 12:49 AM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  sad

Media Release from Ian Cohen MLC                                       
                                                 

15th May 2008
 
Greens to Coca Cola: “stop political donations, start container
deposit”
 
As Coca Cola Amatil (CCA) emerged from their AGM today, Greens MP Ian
Cohen called on the company to refrain from using their influence to
frustrate community efforts to expand South Australia’s successful
container deposit scheme.
 
“Coca Cola have donated almost two million dollars to the major
political parties in this country over the last nine years,” said
Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen.
 
“What the developer donations scandal has revealed in NSW is that
political donors make donations in order to gain preferential access to
and/or treatment from MPs and Ministers.
 
“He who pays the piper calls the tune. There should be a moratorium
on all political donations from beverage companies, particularly while a
national review of the viability of a container deposit scheme is
underway.
 
“Voluntary waste management schemes have consistently failed to
achieve targets for recycling and resource recovery.
 
CCA’s Chairman David Gonski today told the AGM that the company has
‘engaged a sustainability manager to work with our customers and
we’re gathering ideas from many of our people on ways to reduce waste
and maximise resources’.
 
“Container deposit is a proven system for minimising waste. If Coke
were serious beyond greenwash, they’d be heeding calls supported by
90% of the community to introduce a cash back scheme for bottles and
cans.
 
“Self regulation has maintained status quo where recycling rates of
beverage containers have been stagnant for years. Is it a coincidence
that nine years of donations have coincided with nine years of self
regulation and nine years of chain dragging on waste issues?
 
“Once the company has embraced container deposit, they might like to
look to their sister company in Germany for guidance on how to set up a
refillable system. The German PET Coca Cola bottle on my desk has been
refilled 20 times – now there’s an idea,” said Mr Cohen.
 
For more information: Ian Cohen 0409 989 466 or Nic Clyde 0417 742 754

Posted by editor at 8:49 PM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  sharp

Reuters Marina Silva: departure greeted with dismay

Our comment extracted from a string on crikey.com.au string here:

Tom McLoughlin

Saturday, 17 May 2008 4:10:54 PM

The pimping of the good reputation of Marina Silva, now ex minister for the environment in huge country Brazil, has a parallel in NSW. On Friday the SMH reported ['NSW attacks climate report' Marian Wilkinson, Environment Editor May 16, 2008 ] that Jeff Angel who sat on an 'independent committee' appointed by the govt to assess the public energy sell off plan, and indeed endorsed it 'on condition of no exemptions from the emissions trading scheme', this same Jeff Angel, was brushed aside after doing his PR dance, in a strong submission for the whole of NSW govt to the Garnaut Inquiry. The submission urges exactly those same ETS exemptions. In other words Angel was pimped. But we say he already knew that was his role and purpose. Silva has resigned so she can be her own person again. This "duchessing" is EXACTLY what founder of Total Environment Centre (1972) Milo Dunphy mentored me to avoid. And so it shall be. May he rest in peace. Listen up Jeff you're on notice a long time now.

Posted by editor at 6:13 PM NZT

Updated: Saturday, 17 May 2008 7:26 PM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  not sure

The Herald is carrying a front page story today about some 5 cubic metres of concrete sabotaging the toilets to the Hordern Pavillion where the after party for the Gay Mardi Gras was to be held as usual in March 2008.

This follows a spate of attacks earlier this year late January and February (also analysed at that time here on SAM) with some common threads - areas of high ethnic or religious minority concentration, or refugee/immigrant nature. Only this time it is a minority alternative sexuality. Another aspect - the attacks are all highly effective and damaging and involve very serious destruction but as yet no loss of life. From months long closure of a suburban library to partial destrcuction of a religious temple to fire destruction of a chicken shop and substation fire at a shopping mall. Lastly, no one has been caught for these events.

Maybe there is no pattern to these events. We wonder.

Intuitively more than anything we feel there is a pattern behind these attacks suggestive of an evil genius for disruption, misery, corrosion of harmony in diversity. In short fascism.

Past reportage here:

And here:

Friday, 15 February 2008

Another suspicious fire in Broadway retail area?
Mood:  on fire
Topic: local news

Wednesday, 6 February 2008

Chicken shop explosion calls up range of possible motives
Mood:  quizzical
Topic: local news

Burnt out ... fire has damaged Sydney's oldest Chinese temple.
Photo: Andrew Meares

Posted by editor at 4:15 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 20 May 2008 9:12 PM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  chatty

Our second installment on an influential conference held early May 2008 at the ABC Ultimo headquarters venue involving various heavy weights in the Big Media sector.

[under construction]

Posted by editor at 2:10 PM NZT

Updated: Saturday, 17 May 2008 2:17 PM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  quizzical

This week we took a cycle around the new Fairfax base at 1 Darling Island Pyrmont, just over the water from old digs at Sussex St, Darling Harbour.

We also took quite a few pictures above and below looking for visual metaphors - like the giant ship propellers from yesteryear meaning whatever. It was sunny but we felt a chill all the same perhaps because the sleek dark lines reminded of Governor Macquarie Tower home of the NSW ALP Govt.

We met a senior media figure Bruce Wolpe out front catching a taxi and asked his view on the USA election 'will Barak beat Mr McCain?' "Yes Tom he will.". And was politely told to shove off by front desk security in case we were a foreign copyright stalker of some kind:

Then it got more interesting when rival News Ltd veteran John Lyons was monstered by Federal Police security in a cramping of the freedom of the press. It was always advertised as only a picfac says Labor but Rudd did more than pose for pictures inside the building evidencing media favouritism. As if to smooth over the whole sour grapes the provincial ALP machine took an expensive 1/4 page advert in rival News Ltd broadsheet which they cutely placed right next to the report about their man Lyons getting the shove: p3 9 May 2008 The Australian here;

Posted by editor at 1:59 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 20 May 2008 8:41 PM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  down

There is a disturbing pattern of 'coincidental' PR violence against the careers of those not ideologically committed to a public energy sale within the NSW ALP Parliamentary party.

We've reported on Della Bosca copping heaps over his driving license suspension in these articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. He has got some back too here and moderate pieces here and here on SAM too. Seems Della Bosca was trying to mediate a deal on the public energy assets rather than an outright split with the union movement.

Then it turns out Mike Veith MP who also opposes energy privatisation was starting to turn up in Butcher of Bega stories. That's pretty rough.

Lynda Voltz MP has been reduced to tears by somone, reportedly, though energy sale backers say they are comforters not harrassers. Mmm.

And then as far back as 11 Dec 2007 we were sniffing the wind regarding Phil Koperberg getting done over by a mystery leak from within the ALP itself. We don't know if this means he is for or against the sell off but he is from the Left Blue Mountains faction.

Posted by editor at 1:50 PM NZT

Updated: Wednesday, 21 May 2008 9:06 PM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  quizzical

 

May 14 2008 Exhibition axed after police visit - National - smh.com.au

and melodrama over concurrent events at NSW Parliament as per Senator Kerry Nettle here (Green Party):

 15 May 2008 Parliament fails to acknowledge Palestinian loss

But on New Matilda with their centre left readership and free speech principles? That's a bit counter intuitive. It's taken a full week to nut out how best to approach this blocked feeling. And of course it's by publishing right here.

The string is

israel/palestine 8 May 2008 

Israel at 60: Where Did We Go Wrong? By Mustafa Qadri

Our first comment was fine along these lines and no problem:

I make the same comment as on crikey.com.au today with the Lowenstein article "I still remember a Palestinian lawyer giving a lecture in the mid 80ies to ANU law school though I don’t remember exactly what was said. I imagine about the need for a rule of law per se. Which bring me to a direct challenge to the loyal supporters of Israel - am I correct to say there is no written constitution for the State of Israel? Happy to be told I am wrong, but my understanding is that if there were it would be necessary to codify a non racial and maybe non religous social contract, or at least delimit rights accruing to such race or religion … transparently, and legally enforceable. (It’s true the UK doesn’t have a written constitution but that seems to be the exception in democratic jurisprudence.) Indeed isn’t this all a rotten trick on democratic western allies when as Lowenstein says "including news about the allocation of building permits in the West Bank to only Jewish settlers". In Australia we have the Racial Discrimination Act. What say you?"

It's a busy string of some 30 comments and we made a second comment in conversation with other contributors:

Which is a bit like saying all English speaking westerners are one monolithic nation. Hardly. Quite incredible really to be so cavalier. Paranoid even, which is the psychology of the abused child State grown to adulthood and recently come into great power.

I wonder Denise do you reflect how haughty that reads with the confidence of nuclear weaponry of both of Israel and USA?

So I take it you concede that Israel is effectively an aparthied state.

The sooner Israel gets a written and honest constitution the better off the whole world will be, just as fences can bring neighbours together for the clarity of both the physical and intangible meaning - yes we live close but we want our privacy and quiet enjoyment too.

There is no agreed fence in that part of the world and this is a recipe for confusion and tit for tat that is a damnable spiral of anger and hate, and yes institutionalised violence of thought and deed. And I tell you the whole world is sick to the stomach with it, and don’t buy half the propaganda that comes out of the loyal diaspora Jewry. Indeed we only need to google the local English speaking Israeli press to get far greater diversity of opinion that what can be ‘properly’ discussed here in Australia.

The truth is there are many beautiful Arabic and Jewish people in that part of the world but the rest of the world are constantly prevented from enjoying that potential. Frankly I’m sick of hearing and reading about. Get your house and your neighbourly relations in order for God sake.

And since we were named in fairly mild response, and felt it important to go on the record about some things, we have tried to add this third one, which is blocked for all time it seems:

I tried to make a [third] comment here earlier but it was blocked .... 3 times. It was to say given the carnage of WW2 in the tens of millions it's pretty easy to see why country boundaries were so plastic in resolving the peace dividend in that shell shocked world. In that context one well understands the creation of Israel and the alternative non Zionist/Diaspora approach too, but not the cruel disenfranchisement of the Palestinians from their homes.

Secondly it must be stated endlessly that Israel with some 200 nuclear weapons will ALWAYS exist from here on in the history of this planet, or until they agree to disarm. This is the point of Mordechai Vanunu - as here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordechai_Vanunu

and lastly this link which I found interesting given vexed functions at NSW Parliament, Leichhardt public library and frankly everywhere these days:

"Cordell Jewish Dating Singles Personals @ JLove"

http://jewishsingles.jlove.com/cordell/

Over to you NM.

Actually the last bit was flippant but it has a meaning. The editor of New Matilda is Marnie Cordell. Whether this is relevant we just have no idea. Should SAM blog ask her on a date to get the comment on the string? No worries. She is attractive. More attractive than we no doubt. The official NM line is shown in red top right. Which is red for stop one presumes.

There are several other readers who have commented way more than 2 times on this string. Which is exactly why we maintain our own blog micro news website with some 20k readers per month (!) - because there is always the risk someone somewhere who doesn't want you to publish something probitive. Otherwise we love New Matilda, swear, and like it when they provide us with a story too as here.

We may have to return our gratis ticket from New Matilda to their sponsored event at the Sydney Writer's Festival because we obviously were not meant for The Simple Life.

Other views on the actual Israel Palestine question can also be found here in the Sydney press:

13 May 2008 A shared land as one state the way to peace - Opinion - smh.com.au

12 May 2008 Survival despite the odds

14 May 2008 Real nowhere land | The Australian

And one can always count on The Australian for some hyperbole on this subject:

14 May 2008 Roll up for the show trial with the Jews in the dock | The Australian

..............................

Postscript #1 20 May 2008

Correspondence with NM's editor says it was merely a web code glitch: She says she let the 3rd omitted post through. But it's not on the string all the same. We will try again. Our suspicion remains that there is something particularly controversial or sensitive about the reference to Israel's nuclear arsenal AND in particular the case of whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu. But to who exactly? NM, or someone looking over their shoulder? The secuirty agencies have the capacity to go straight through standard website security, at least as we understand.

As to the referencing of that Israeli nuclear arsenal:

Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 4:11 PM

Subject: still waiting .... Israel nuke arsenal, Federation of American Scientists

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/israel/nuke/

"Israel could potentially have produced a few dozen nuclear warheads in the period 1970-1980, and is thought to have produced sufficient fissile material to build 100 to 200 warheads by the mid-1990s. In 1986 descriptions and photographs of Israeli nuclear warheads were published in the London Sunday Times of a purported underground bomb factory at the Dimona nuclear reactor. The photographs were taken by Mordechai Vanunu, a dismissed Israeli nuclear technician. His information led some experts to conclude that Israel had a stockpile of 100 to 200 nuclear devices at that time.

By the late 1990s the U.S. Intelligence Community estimated that Israel possessed between 75-130 weapons, based on production estimates. The stockpile would certainly include warheads for mobile Jericho-1 and Jericho-2 missiles, as well as bombs for Israeli aircraft, and may include other tactical nuclear weapons of various types. Some published estimates even claimed that Israel might have as many as 400 nuclear weapons by the late 1990s. We believe these numbers are exaggerated, and that Israel's nuclear weapons inventory may include less than 100 nuclear weapons. Stockpiled plutonium could be used to build additional weapons if so decided."

....................................

http://www.fas.org/about/index.html

"The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) was founded in 1945 by scientists who had worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs. These scientists recognized that science had become central to many key public policy questions. They believed that scientists had a unique responsibility to both warn the public and policy leaders of potential dangers from scientific and technical advances and to show how good policy could increase the benefits of new scientific knowledge."

Posted by editor at 10:43 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 3 June 2008 8:30 PM NZT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink