Saturday 20th of April 2024
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the threat of manifest destiny

Today, says Howard Zinn, we have a president, who more than any before him, claims a special relationship with God.

Zinn worries about an administration that deploys Christian zealotry to justify a war against terrorism, a war that in reality seems more about establishing a new beachhead in the oil-rich Middle East.

He also sees great danger in Bush’s doctrines of unilateralism and pre-emptive war, which mark a great leap away from international standards of morality.

The Myth of American Exceptionalism

Lecture and Questions and Answer session. MIT - March 14, 2005

Bipartisan goonery

From the Moscow Times
Global Eye Motion Sickness
By Chris Floyd Published: May 20, 2005

"They keep going through the motions in Washington..."

Then read on, in Gus' View, a little insightful snipet from that article...

taliking to myself

Public resigned to Telstra sale: Anderson

WHO'S THE PUBLIC?

Nationals leader John Anderson says he believes there is now an acceptance that the rest of Telstra will be sold.

HE HAS SOLD OUT

Mr Anderson has told the National Press Club in Canberra that it is time for a broad reassessment of the future telecommunication needs in rural Australia.

HE HAS SOLD OUT

He says if gaps are identified, the logical first source to fund improvements should be money from any further sale of Telstra.

WHAT?
PAY WITH PUBLIC MONEY STUFF TELSTRA SHOULD HAVE DONE? SHOULD BE DOING? SHOULD DO IN THE FUTURE? HOW MUCH MORE?

Mr Anderson says people do see the sale as inevitable.

WHAT PEOPLE? PROPORTIONS PLEASE....

"I wouldn't kid myself that people are absolutely over the moon about it," he said.

JOHN HOWARD AND MYSELF ARE RUBBING OUR HANDS WITH GLEE

"It varies from area to area, I suspect it has a lot to do with local leadership and what's said in the area.

WHAT PEOPLE PLEASE? WHICH AREAS?

"It's very easy to stir up people's feelings about this.

SURE IS! BUT EASIER TO GIVE UP...

"But right across the country, I don't think there's an urban-rural divide on it.

OKAY, PASS THE MUSTARD...

"I think there's just a belief that it's going to happen."

BETS ANY ONE?
100 % SURE THING, SO WHY FIGHT IT...

LET’S ROLL BACK AND ENJOY IT... WHILE WE THINK OF... WHAT WAS IT?.... ENGLAND?

J A knows his stuff

Hey Gus, enjoyed this one particularly. I always enjoy a J A interview. He is just so full of information and is so knowledgable on all topics.

I recall hearing him on a talk back show about a year ago when he was being PM for a week (How much shame can one country take?). He was asked about Iraq and Australia's contribution. He started out OK, lauding the troops and their commitment. All good stuff which is fairly safe ground.

But then he went a bit further than his knowledge allowed him. He started to talk about how complex it is to be in the Forces today. He was going alright there too until he came up with words something like this "... and there is so much complex equipment for troops to operate. They need to know so much. You know, I'm talking about things like (there was a short silence here)... helicopters and other stuff."

That's what he came up with, helicopters and "other stuff". Good to know what our troops deal with isn't it. I felt reassured and relaxed again, knowing our country was in good hands.

Keep us laughing Gus.

rough treatment of 'exceptionals' .....

‘American students are quitting Queensland universities in the face of hate attacks by Australians angry at US President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq’, reports Ainsley Pavey at News.com.

 

Students Quit Over Anti-US Slurs

 

Perhaps if our ‘exceptionals’ enrolled at the University of Baghdad, they might be made more welcome or perhaps they’ve been away from home for far too long?

 

America Turns On Bush Over Iraq