Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

One of the very scarce reports on what is going on in prisons in Papua came earlier from Oswald Iten, a journalist with the Swiss quality paper Neue Zuercher Zeitung, who was imprisoned in Jayapura for twelve days in December 2000. He had allegedly violated the conditions related to his tourist visa (he had been making photographs and since he was a journalist that counted as working without a work permit). I can’t recall that that report got much attention in this country...

It does sound like some of the measures PM Gillard's been announcing will be  of help, and a long way ahead of when Nick X campaigned for clocks in SA Pokie rooms so people could keep track of time.  However,that the $1.5 billion  (a driop in the ocean of accrued profits and taxes) cost of implementation is being used by the Government as its primary vindication for reneging suggests they've been bought by the lobbyists.

This appendix is provoked by the first skirmish in this year's Culture Wars, relating to Morals campaigner (and bully?) Meryl Tankard Reist's legal attempt to stifle the small, eclectic and amiable blogsite, No Place For Sheep,a newish site operated by psychologist Dr Jennifer Wilson.

You begin to suspect that governments here will be thinking more carefully about where shrinking revenues might be used and the question that comes to mind is, who/what will be preserved and who/what what may be jeopardised or jettisoned.

Would I suspect Military propagandists of timing the withdrawal with the calculable resurgence of the song's popularity to trigger a fee-good sensation surrounding the departure of the invasion?

So the real question is: are gay marriages (and Big Love) harmful to the individuals or their children? The little research I've found is neutral.

UPDATE: Webdiary is unsinkable once more, thanks to the wit, wisdom, and work of Nigel Sim. Many thanks, Nigel.

[T]he arrest of carbon emissions may not be sufficient to halt the current trend, except if accompanied with global efforts at down-draw of atmospheric CO2 using a range of bio-sequestration, organic and chemical methods.

I think the time to start establishing a world government has come. It’s not going to be particularly fast or easy, but it is a path to many of our global problems that we do need to bring to the centre.

Their reasons for why Israel should be abandoned have been getting thinner for some time now. It has now reached the point where they can point at a single man. People who talk like this have concluded that the Jews are not worth the trouble and they have already primed themselves for what that means.

Tony, who knows a few mongrel tricks himself, apparently didn't see this one coming, and it puts him in a quandary:  if he sacks Slipper from the LNP they won't even have the advantage of his vote in a tied poll.  

What’s driving this show of meanness? You might say it’s just what the electorate—or some loud part thereof—wants. It seems like there are some seriously angry voters out there these days, and I’m sure the recession is taking a toll on people’s patience and generosity. And yet, I suspect this is no fleeting trend, but something with deeper ideological roots. In short, I sense Ayn Rand. (Firmin DeBrabander)

If many of us had heard Bush and Howard explain how America was boosting itself in the Pacific, planting more troops and bases on our soil, basically actively taking over South East Asia (did someone say "Deputy Sheriff"?) the street protests would've been strong and loud. But seeing that it's not the baddies but the goodies moving their lips, we're supposed to be happy.  That inference in itself makes me feel ill.

The International Energy Agency is not a bunch of green tree-huggers. The following Executive Summary from their new report is a significant input to other debates here and elsewhere. Headlines: "Oil could hit $150 a barrel soon if investment in the Middle East and North Africa fails to rise with demand" : "If fossil fuel infrastructure is not rapidly changed, the world will 'lose for ever' the chance to avoid dangerous climate change." : "Delaying action is a false economy: for every $1 of investment avoided in the power sector before 2020 an additional $4.3 would need to be spent after 2020 to compensate for the increased emissions."

The passing of the carbon tax bill today is a victory for future generations and for the planet. The money raised will be used to fund alternative energy and new industries for Australia. We can all stand proud today.

With challenges like these confronting mankind, can we continue with a business as usual approach? Are the current institutions capable of addressing these challenges? I think not. To fix these problems governments will need to raise a lot more revenue.