Friday 29th of March 2024

banking on rattus .....

banking on rattus .....

Rattus says the states are putting upward pressure on interest rates by going into debt.

Rattus was speaking ahead of a decision on interest rates by the Reserve Bank of Australia next week, which analysts suggest could lead to a rate rise of one quarter of one per cent.

"At the present time, the federal government is not putting any upward pressure on interest rates because we don't run any deficits. We in fact, have a huge budget surplus, or a big budget surplus," he told reporters.

bushit's wmd .....

bushit's wmd .....

Having destroyed Iraq to save us from horrors that did not exist, bushit now wants to save us from Iran's future nukes by selling American weapons of mass destruction.

Over the next decade, the bushit crime family wants to give Israel $30 billion in military aid, a nearly 43 percent increase over what that nation received over the last 10 years …..

magic porkies .....

 

magic porkies .....

Iemma 'wouldn't trust' Govt hospital takeovers.…..

from the ABC

New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma says he would not trust any Federal Government offer to take over hospitals in his state.

Mr Iemma says there has been no progress on a proposal earlier this year by Health Minister Tony Abbott for a federal takeover of hospitals.

'ello 'ello 'ello .....

'ello 'ello 'ello .....

‘Two years ago, in an article entitled “It Can’t Happen Here,” Congressman Ron Paul cautioned, “We are not yet living in a total police state, but it is fast approaching.”

A lot can happen in two years.

In fact, a lot has happened over the past two years, most of it aimed at amassing greater power for the government while undermining the rights of American citizens. And I would venture to say that Rep. Paul’s fears may have come to pass.

in rat sh .....

rat sh .....

govt's IR ad blitz backfiring …..

‘The Howard government's latest advertising blitz is reportedly reinforcing fears surrounding its Work Choices reforms rather than dispelling them.

A research firm has surveyed worker reactions to the series of ads that feature Workplace Authority director Barbara Bennett.

It found the images of workers talking about losing holiday entitlements and penalty rates, and fears surrounding job security and conditions for young workers, was having an unintended effect.

rattus tricks .....

rattus tricks .....

from Alan Ramsey …..

‘Be careful of your friends.

And watch out if you see Kevin Andrews coming.

John Howard's Australia four months before an election is an absurdly melancholy place to be.

To watch Howard take his bottomless bucket of money to Tasmania this week is to know how absurd. To read the transcripts of 13 radio and TV interviews the hapless Andrews gave on Tuesday and Wednesday is to know the Immigration Minister is only doing his Prime Minister's bidding, however clumsily he is doing it.

tha war on terra .....

tha war on terra .....

’The entire world was shocked beyond belief when the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon building were struck on 9/11 by US planes hijacked by Arab young men. There was sympathy for the victims and justifiable anger in America.

rattus medicine .....

rattus medicine .....

from Crikey

Winning in marginals: any pork in a storm

Christian Kerr, Lauren Parle & Jane Nethercote write:

“I can feel a dam coming on,” the legendary Bert Kelly used to say. But why stop at a dam?

meet the press .....

meet the press .....

Dow Jones & Co said on Thursday it did not know that one of the people named to protect its editorial independence after it becomes part of News Corp runs a foundation that received a donation pledge of $2.5 million (1.2 million pounds) from News Corp.

Rupert Murdoch's global media conglomerate selected Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Nicholas Negroponte to be part of the five-member special committee that will oversee the editorial independence of Dow Jones's news operations including the Wall Street Journal.

shared values .....

mishap accomplished .....

Gordon Brown told George Bush this week that Britain has a "shared destiny" with the United States" founded on "shared values". Even as Brown spoke, the consequences of those "shared values" in Iraq were spelt out in horrific detail by a report from Oxfam and over 100 other NGOs.

protecting our way of life .....

protecting our way of life .....

‘Police and security agencies will be given unprecedented "sneak and peek" powers to search the homes and computers of suspects without their knowledge under legislation to go before Federal Parliament next week.

The extensive powers - which also give federal police the right to monitor communications equipment without an interceptions warrant - come amid growing public disquiet about counter-terrorism powers following the bungled handling of the Mohamed Haneef case.

giving keystone cops a bad name .....

giving keystone cops a bad name .....

Poor Keelty has really lost it ….

Is this really the man who is supposed to be keeping us safe?

Whilst his mate Joe took the decision to release Haneef, who he could have detained indefinitely given his authoritarian powers under the Discrimination Act, the chief feral footpad moved effortlessly from ridiculous to incredible mode today, alleging that the innocent arch-terrorist, who is no longer here, could still face charges!!

Talk about “Commissioner Wrongways” …..

rainin' prosperity .....

rainin' prosperity .....

Australia has recorded its worst monthly trade performance in more than a year, partly because of adverse weather.

June's balance on trade in goods and services was in the red to the tune of $1.75 billion, more than $500 million worse than expected on financial markets, and the biggest shortfall since May last year.  

The value of Australia's exports dropped 3 per cent.

Trade Balance Takes A Hammering

imagine .....

imagine .....

‘Parenti explains our founders created a system of checks and balances by separating government into executive, legislative and judicial branches, even though the idea sounded better than it actually was. Today it's barely noticeable with two branches overtly supporting the chief executive's right to do as he pleases with no effective check on his power or lawlessness. One reason is because of who gets to Congress and the courts. They're mostly plutocracy members in good standing there to take care of their own. Half of Senate members are millionaires, and one critic believes the lower body is more "a House of Lords" than a House of Representatives.

Haneef Guilty For Doing 60 Minutes Exclusive- Andrews


Andrews was looking peeved but tolerant tonight on Lateline as he spelt out how it had been his job to have a suspicion of an association. He didn't mention any process involved in what might happen if that association was proven irrelevant.

He believes Haneef to be guilty, it would seem, saying that Haneef had left Australia "on a false pretext."

Andrews had a new angle, and as he delivered it light glinted in his eyes and his lips twisted in the failed suppression of a smirk as he said:

"Why didn't he have a press conference before he left Australia?. He did a paid exclusive interview for 60 Minutes... he could have fronted up and answered all these questions... now, he didn't do it."

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