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"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted" -- Martin Luther King, Jr
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 Howard’s Line
peptide, Friday, Aug 5 2005, 5:09am
Since the London bombings the Australian mass media has been serving up a steady stream of garbled diatribes from local radical Muslim clerics. One wonders why these fanatics have been kept ‘on tap’ by local security agencies. But after a week of media ‘interviews’ with these unrepresentative Muslims, all becomes clear! Conservative (government) political strategists and media consultants are behind these latest ‘media events’. These relatively easy to locate (moron) fundamentalists are utilised to good advantage by the Howard government and some local political commentators as a means of distracting the public’s attention away from sensitive issues for which the government is directly responsible. It is hoped that public anger, in the likely event of a terrorist strike, will be vented on the local Muslim community rather than Howard and his stooge government.
international /
mass media /
opinion/analysis
Shoot First
cleaves, Wednesday, Jul 27 2005, 5:54pm
The UK has recently undergone a social regression to a period in its history (many centuries past) when summary executions by the King’s representatives were common fair. Performing summary executions in the street is not new in England; this practice, however, was determined by the ancient powers to be counter productive – more revolts resulted from this practice than subjection/subjugation. But today, Blair’s England panders more to the racist sentiments of its people than good political sense. So be it, history has already dictated the inevitable outcomes.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Howard and the US
cleaves, Monday, Jul 18 2005, 1:42pm
John Howard, presently visiting the US, ‘leader’ without a national or personal identity and cringer extraordinaire (would someone remind him it’s not an embarrassment to be an Australian). Like his conservative predecessors, who looked to England for an ideology and identity, Howard looks to the US for guidance and direction. Australian history will not be kind to this pathetic, cringing little lackey.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Regarding
fish, Sunday, Jul 17 2005, 8:27am
Poetic intercession - We are One - All is One.
international /
prose/poetry /
literature
Gospel of Thomas - The Commentary
fish, Wednesday, Jul 13 2005, 2:00pm
The Gospel contains 114 sayings -- due to the limitations of this site the Commentary will be published in two sections -- the first will contain verses 1-66, the second verses 67-114.
international /
theology /
commentary
Gospel of Thomas - The Commentary
fish, Wednesday, Jul 13 2005, 7:48am
Second and final section -- verses 67-114.
international /
theology /
commentary
Antics of ASIO
finch, Tuesday, Jun 28 2005, 5:13am
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is at present scurrying about attempting to gain some credence by engaging in a series of raids in Sydney and Melbourne. The focus of these “raids” has not been clarified – the term “terrorists” was of course mentioned but no arrests were made. The raids were described by ASIO liaison as “preventative measures,” designed to disrupt “future” organised terrorist attacks! Therefore these raids could be accurately described as pre-emptive actions; we know the result of pre-emption without accurate, solid evidence. If the evidence does not exist the raids would then be pure harassment and illegal.
international /
human rights /
commentary
Liberation of hostage Douglas Wood
plait, Thursday, Jun 23 2005, 11:10pm
[We would like to extend our gratitude to those who were directly involved in the release and rescue of Douglas Wood.]
The context of this event is the criminal US invasion and occupation of Iraq and the subsequent opposition to this invasion by the Arab Resistance. To state that this invasion is not going well would be the understatement of the twenty first century. The invading forces are faced with a (growing) concerted and effective resistance, not an unusual or unexpected response in the circumstances.
international /
imperialism /
opinion/analysis
Media Strategies and Revolving Spin
peptide, Saturday, Jun 18 2005, 9:33am
Should anyone be in shock or awe over the fact that Bush, Blair and Howard still lead their respective governments? What are the results of international exposure regarding the lies they promulgated in relation to the Iraq invasion? It is highly unlikely that any of these leaders would have survived the public outrage generated by these exposures in a historical setting a few decades earlier. But today leaders are comfortable in the knowledge that the public is not as it was and times are not conducive to integrity or public outrage.
international /
mass media /
opinion/analysis
The Art of Distraction
tide, Wednesday, Jun 15 2005, 7:28am
The most effective form of crowd control is distraction, from the Roman Colosseum to Mao Zedong’s domestic steel furnaces, leaders of the past and present all understand that the focus of the masses should never be directed at government or its leaders. Few (if any) of today’s leaders or governments could withstand the rigour of sustained attention from the population.
international /
social/political /
other press
Chinese Spies and Defectors
lao lin, Thursday, Jun 9 2005, 9:08am
The recent bid of a disaffected Chinese consular official to defect in Australia has displayed some curious behaviour from all concerned, not the least being the ineptitudes of Chinese government officials. Representatives of sovereign powers are not usually intimidated by journalists; however, during an interview (on the Australian media) the Chinese ambassador’s response to a question regarding the claim that three thousand Chinese 'spies' were operating in Australia, exhibited all the inexperience expected from Chinese officials in matters of international espionage.
international /
social/political /
commentary
  Semantic Subterfuge and Semiotic Terrorism
nano, Monday, May 16 2005, 9:23pm
This paper is an attempt to distinguish between the background (passive) and the foreground (active) in the social dynamic and the (foreground) passive and (background) active in the textual/cultural dynamic. If layers of meaning develop as a consequence of a chance semantic juxtaposition – be assured they are unintended or accidental. However, the writer would intentionally introduce a discursive contrivance, the textual 'dis-incorporator' or the "semiotic terrorist" – those who are able to reverse the prevailing method of reading/writing. (story and 2 images and 1 attached file)
international /
social/political /
feature
Intelligence USA
cleaves, Saturday, Apr 23 2005, 7:28am
It’s now official, but do these admissions carry even a vestige of credibility? The US administration recently announced that it was grossly in error regarding internal intelligence assessments of the existence of WMDs in Iraq. Someone forgot to inform neo-con PR that the bull has already wrecked the China shop.
international /
social/political /
feature
Once Lucky
cleaves, Saturday, Apr 9 2005, 8:05am
“A slave is he who cannot think for himself.” (Euripides)
“As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.”
(Abraham Lincoln)
“The worst form of delusion is self-delusion and the most amenable slave is one who thinks he is free.” (Anonymous)
In today’s world the above quotes could not be more relevant, the whole social world drama in which we all find ourselves cast has become a master-slave dichotomy. Subservience is now the modern way of life for the majority. Few are ‘free’, if any. It would be preferable if we all took stock of our real-life circumstances before resorting to indignation born/e of denial.
international /
social equality/unity /
opinion/analysis
The Jackal
cleaves, Tuesday, Mar 29 2005, 9:40pm
What stares you in the face is invisible! Who would suppose that Mr. “bouquet of flowers”, architect for the US world domination model, best friend of the Tel Aviv government, student of mass murderer Kissinger and neo-con extraordinaire, Paul Wolfowitz, would be allowed to run a drink stand [erratum] vie that is for presidency of the World Bank. – what next, a Kissinger nomination for the Nobel Peace Price?
international /
social/political /
feature
UN Strikes Back
cleaves, Saturday, Mar 12 2005, 5:32am
Kofi Annan recently announced the UN is attempting to define “terrorism” in a universal sense; he hopes that a ‘new’ definition would apply both to States and groups. In view of the flagrant disregard for international law and convention by the US, one wonders whether this is a flight of fancy or a feeble attempt to regain some relevance for the UN. This new definition largely hinges on ‘civilian’ attacks. Analysts would view this as a purely ideological manoeuvre. The definition of “civilian” is no longer clear.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Modern Warfare
cleaves, Tuesday, Mar 8 2005, 3:49am
A popular myth of today is that America is the “undisputed” leading military power of the world. However, does this claim stand up to the scrutiny of even the simplest analysis? All things are relative in a military context so the obvious question is against whom is this ‘power’ dominant? The combined nuclear assets of the Sino-Russian alliance alone is enough to dispatch the entire American continent, if the sheer force of numbers (manpower) is included, the ‘winner’ would be the Chinese and Russians. In the context of all-out war the one absolute fact (that the US attempts to ignore) is mutual assured destruction. The Zionist lunatics (Perle, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld) who persuaded Bush to abandon nuclear disarmament treaties, thereby giving other nations similar license, have put us all in jeopardy.
international /
peace/war /
feature
Bush and EU (Update)
cleaves, Friday, Feb 25 2005, 11:31pm
For pure entertainment value the gloved Punch & Judy or Balinese shadow puppets are preferable to Bush and the EU leaders. The images the media presents of these flesh and blood puppets, all ‘stringed’ by their respective Transnational Corporations, are amusing if not entertaining.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Chieftain’s Lament
cleaves, Sunday, Feb 20 2005, 9:11pm
Are we fools that we cannot see that America has become everything it once despised? Is the Bill of Rights merely a fanciful document to be disregarded whenever it suits. Have the words freedom, liberty, equality been reduced in meaning to the level of advertising slogans, or worse, utilised as a veil to cloak despotism, conquest and exploitation? Are we so stupid that we believe the absurd proposition that we must surrender our liberties in order to safeguard our liberties? Reality signals an unambiguous yes to all the above. A nation is only its people and there is no blame to lay elsewhere. How profound is the contradiction that is ourselves?
international /
social equality/unity /
opinion/analysis
State of the Union
cleaves, Tuesday, Feb 15 2005, 5:32am
There has never been an instance in recorded history when a nation that achieved military superiority did not attempt to dominate other nations. This is the inevitable result of gaining a strategic or technological ‘advantage.’ In view of the historical record, is it unusual that America would abandon its founding principles in favour of despotism and the pursuit of world domination? The path the US has taken is not new; it is a tired well-worn path that leads to certain destruction.
international /
peace/war /
feature
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