Vignettes
December 2003 John Howard's Christmas gift to Asylum Seekers |
Photo-Op Georgie took a phony turkey to his troops in Iraq
So Copycat Johnny took a phony handshake to his troops in the, er, Solomon Islands
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The Father of Lies
An Aussie bloke died and went to heaven. As he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind the Celestial Guardian.
The man asked, "What are all those clocks?"
St. Peter answered, "Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on Earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time you lie the hands on your clock will move."
"Oh," said the man, "Whose clock is that?"
"That clock belongs to Phillip Adams. The hands have never moved, indicating that Phillip has never told a lie."
"Incredible," said the man. "And whose clock is that one?"
"That clock belongs to Harold Hark. The hands have moved once, indicating that in his long, honourable life he has only told one lie."
"Where's John Howard's clock?" asked the man.
"John's clock is in Jesus's office. He's using it as a ceiling fan." |
AXIS OF WEEVILS
We know how the Iraqis felt at the capture of this man
Imagine the jubilation at the demise of this man
And this man
And this man
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ON FRANKENSTEIN'S CAPTURE
Thank God Saddam is finally back in American hands! He must have really missed us. Man, he sure looked bad! But, at least he got a free dental exam today. That's something most Americans can't get.
Michael Moore: We Finally Got Our Frankenstein...
Around 2000 years ago, as the legend goes, the three wise men from the East trekked to a manger in Bethlehem, bearing their gifts of gold, myrrh & frankincense. This scene is now re-playing as a black comedy, starring three hit men from the West, armed not with aromatic herbs of purification, but with warheads of depleted uranium, concentration camps and dodgy building contracts. They come not with gold, a symbol of rare spiritual worth, but with golden arches. The birthplace of civilisation will be drained of its black gold to further to enrich the billionaires at the top of mammon's pyramid, the same ones who instigated the invasion. The story of Jesus is supposed to celebrate the qualities of mercy, voluntary simplicity and truth, not revenge, greed and spin doctoring.
Richard Neville: The three hit men from the west
Saddam Hussein is one of the world's great monsters. Nothing would be more welcome than to have him put on trial, a trial which could offer Iraqis and the world an honest accounting of his many crimes. However, as so often happens, when a trial is organized by those who are themselves guilty of serious crimes, truth is not the goal. Instead the historical record is falsified to make the one monster seem uniquely blameworthy and the ones running the show above criticism.
Stephen R. Shalom: A Saddam Chronology
...nor is it safe to assume that the pro-Saddam faction is now beheaded. U.S. military officers said that, when they pulled Saddam Hussein out of his hole in the ground, he had no radio or other communications equipment. Clearly, he wasn't coordinating any attacks, issuing any orders, or in charge of any guerrilla movements.
Maria Tomchick: Got Saddam But Not Much Else
It is hard to believe that either Washington or London would relish the prospect of an open trial. They would not want Saddam to adumbrate their support for him - credit-by-credit, pathogen-by-pathogen, weapon-by-weapon - during the 12 years before he became an official enemy by invading Kuwait in August 1990.
Margo Kingston's Web Diary > Scott Burchill: Hoping for amnesia
Ok, he looks like Saddam Hussein. He sounds like Saddam Hussein. And, yes, he has the same DNA. But can we be sure that it is, in fact, the former Iraqi leader? And not just some poor turkey? Another of his hapless body doubles? Or even a clone? I'm not convinced. The bloke they pulled out of that hole looked more like Willie Nelson.
Phillip Adams: Bush's photo-op turkey was fake; maybe this Saddam is too |
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One of the saddest things I have seen Max Liddell and Chris Goddard's article (The nightmares of detention) about the double-talk and manipulation conducted around asylum seekers in Australia (Opinion, 8/12) could not be more true.
I have recently returned from visiting a detention centre, where I witnessed asylum seekers being lied to, lied about, infantilised, criminalised, manipulated, ignored and humiliated. The fact that children are being raised and having their personalities formed in this environment is more than a national disgrace.
These children and their families will probably never fully recover from their treatment in detention centres. Watching a parent's authority over a child being usurped by a detention centre guard is one of the saddest things I have ever seen.
Emma Corcoran: Letter to The Age |
Mark Latham on asylum-seekers and a whole lot more.
Dated from January 2002, maybe he's softened his views, maybe not.
Thank you for your recent letter introducing me to the Labor for Refugees campaign. I am sure this is a well-intentioned body with some good people among it membership. From reading your charter, however, it also appears to be a misguided organisation with little understanding of the practical issues surrounding asylum seeker policy.
A letter written by Mark Latham: Regarding Labor for Refugees
Matt Walker: Reply to Latham's letter |
Petition to John Howard and Amanda Vanstone Australia currently holds more than 94 children in Immigration Detention in Australia and 90 in the Pacific.
Villawood: 32 children
Maribyrnong: 1 child
Baxter: 22 children
Woomera Housing Project: 7 children
Port Hedland: 15 children
Port Hedland Housing: 2 children
Christmas Island: 15 children
Nauru: 90 children
(November 2003 figures from A Just Australia)
End detention of children and separation of families in Australia: Sign here |
AUSTRALIA, CRUELTY BE THY NAME  Afghan Sarah Noori, centre, is comforted by friends yesterday when she told a press conference she has 28 days to leave Australia. Photo: Pat ScalaEnd harrassment of Sara Noori |
POSTER:
John Howard Cages Children. So Did The Nazis. Below is a simple poster depicting what Australia stands for today. Print and photocopy and plaster 'em on every telephone pole you can find. Put them at busy intersections, in car parks at shopping centres, at crosswalks, everywhere. I'll be doing the same. This stark message must reach the people out there who are refusing to see the depths of shame John Howard has taken them to.
Poster in colour
Poster in Black & White |
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