Excellent I'd like to add a few things Tim wrote
"What does it say about the Australian mass media that that it unanimously linked this bit of theatre to “democracy”? "

Well what it says is none of them are interested in journalism only opinion why because it is cheaper and gets better ratings.

But don’t worry the net is going to save us. There still won’t be much journalism but at least the number of opinion that can be heard will increase. Take this site as example there is a wide range of views expressed and the author of any article in some cases does little more then set the topic. Now I grant you we are not all scholars and most times our spelling and grammar leave much to be desired (mmm maybe Kev has a point :) ) everyone is able to have their say.

"The right of a people to self-determination" is a lovely phrase, but how do we define who is "a people"? Are Iraqis "a people" simply because they live within borders that someone drew some time ago? Are Australians "a people"? If so, how did we become one?

In the 1890s, there were Queenslanders, New Zealanders, Victorians, and so on, but there were no citizens of Australia, so, presumably, no "Australian people". Then in 1901, suddenly there were still Queenslanders, New Zealanders, Victorians, and so on, but some of them were Australians and some were not. Is that how "a people" comes into being? If New Zealanders were now to decide to join our federation, would we all suddenly become "one people" as if we had never been anything else? Does the fact that we can move freely between the two countries mean that we already are one people and just haven't noticed yet?

Until the 1970s all of us - all Australians and all New Zealanders, as well as all Canadians - were British subjects. That must mean that we were all one people, doesn't it? Then, in the course of a few years, we were all stripped of that status, without ever being asked if we would miss it. Does that mean we suddenly stopped being one people, just because our various governments of the day decided they didn't want us to be? Or does it mean that we are still one people, divided between a number of different countries but capable of one day asserting our right to self-determination?

Personally, I prefer the latter option, and I look forward to the time when the vast multi-ethnic, multi-religious people of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom can reassert the identity that was taken from us in the 1970s by short-sighted and parochial governments that couldn't see beyond the narrow limits of geography.

Pretty typical fare from the left. Shrieks of the “illegal” war. Who says? The French? The Germans? Both refusing to go to war to protect lucrative oil contracts yet this is seen as much more noble than going to war to remove an evil mass murderer and a major sponsor of world terrorism. “NO BLOOD FOR OIL!!” Exactly right.

No matter that our system of democracy in this country produced and maintains a peaceful society where people are free to live as they like and say what they like, they are free to get ahead enjoy the fruits of their labours, where most things get done and no one is starving. According to Tim this country is ……umm…..ahh…..well I don’t know exactly what Tim thinks but one is left with the distinct impression it is BAD!!

I don’t know what Tim has in mind. Probably a model along the lines of NZ or some of the European loons where you have coalitions of parties and nothing can ever get done. Or perhaps he favours something more along the lines of that beacon of the left – Cuba.

Tim also has to drop in the current new trend in left-thinking – anti-semitism. Note the increase of anti-semitic acts in Europe and around the world rising on the back of virulent and hateful attacks by the left on the state of Israel and their actions in the middle east. Both sides in that conflict have a lot to answer for, not just Israel. But in the typical fashion of the left, there is only one side to the story. I think we all know what the left would be saying if there was an increase in anti-Palestinian hate acts in Europe.

At the end of the day we are the “haves” and the Iraqi people are the “have-nots”. Typical of the left to want to keep it that way, no matter how much they bleat otherwise.

Kenny makes the point how wonderful and marvelous the internet and OLO is for people having their say. A bit rich when I notice him directing everyone to ignore comments from others on another post. Once again it’s typical of the left, “free speech for me and none for thee”.

Long live the democrazy.

ps. that isn't a spelling mistake.

Bozzie,

l think your post reflects the nature of our democrazy. Its divisive, each side attacks the other, we roll out the political slogans, cast aspertions... all in all we live in perpetual disquiet.

l tend to think we have it pretty good here, notwithstanding some of the practical limitations, like you can 'keep' the fruits of your labour as long as you cough up your 'fair share' which in this country is now approaching between 50-70% of the fruit grown and picked. Sure we have it good, but lm not sure how that sits against the fact that we spend nearly half the year to pay for the system. l think we have it good because this sort of discourse is a mark of people well fed.

Those countries where you say 'nothing gets done' are full of people getting things done, like living their lives. Without reference to political brandings like 'haves and have nots' (which l believe is a leftist slogan). Those Europeans strike me as pretty happy and they just laugh at the $5000 suited and $5000 accesoried nitwits in Brussells. On a recent trip to Spain, l was quite impressed with just how contented the people are. They have a strong sense of self and dont let the politicians highjack their purpose and direction in life. On return to Australia, it strikes me just how much people are plugged into the politic matrix in this country. How our public consciousness and discourse is dictated by the political spin machine.

In my estimation, they actually get a lot more done than we do.

PS. Israel is a Marxist leftist state. Quasi communist l would suggest. So l guess the lefties who attack Israel like to eat themselves. A bit like Israelis who criticise Israeli foreign policy are anti-semitic semites, or as the Israel lobby like to say 'self hating.'

bozzie. You wrote:

>>that beacon of the left – Cuba<<

To quote Andrew Kenny from The Spectator:

"...Fidel Castro. He persecutes homosexuals, crushes trade unions, forbids democratic elections, executes opponents and criminals, is a billionaire in a country of very poor people, and has decreed that a member of his family shall succeed him in power.

Is Castro left-wing or right-wing. Explain your answer."

Isn't it long past time we ditched these meaningless little crutch-phrases, left- and right-wing? As labels they are well past their use-by date, and it won't be long before they simply indicate laziness and a shallowness of intellect on the part of the writer.