• “selfish manipulation of the public mood by the media; and
• selfish manipulation of the public mood by the government.
Eh? What?

In expanding the first claim, the author points to ‘negative reporting’ by the media following 9-11, as though the Islamic barbarism of 9-11 wasn’t fairly negative! How would Holden report ‘positively’ on such a thing, and on any subsequent material available in the wake of such an atrocity? He also throws in the Haneef case. He must be the only person in Australia who thinks that the media didn’t give the Government a hard time over Haneef. They almost succeeded in making him look like a saint!

His mention of non-Islamic turmoil being ignored indicates that the media is concentrating on what affects Australia (a nice change), and the Islamic threat which lurks constantly in our region – not Africa.

Holden also voices concern about the “hundreds of thousands of UNQUESTIONING minds” being affected by material heard on radio. Now there’s a man who really knows how to alienate!

At the end of his first “explanation”, he goes right off Muslims and talks about “smearing”: ‘a race’, ‘nationality’, ‘social class’. He doesn’t have the nous to distinguish between these things and what he claims to be on about – RELIGION.

His second attempt at explanation starts of with the tired old sneer about fridge magnets, and again puts us all down by suggesting that we can be whipped into mass paranoia by a mere politician. He then meanders back to done-to-death events of 5 or 6 years ago, and advises that not a single person has been killed in Australia by terrorists since 9-11.

Perhaps this good fortune is the result of an alert media and security-conscious government, Mr. Holden?

Peter Holden and those of his kind will only ever wake up to themselves (maybe) when terrorism does hit Australia

Former National Party senator John Stone posed the question last year:

"... while I am open to correction, I believe the evidence is incontrovertible that Islamic and Western cultures are today, within any single polity, incompatible. Certainly, I know of no example that can be cited to the contrary."

I'm still waiting for an answer. So why is Australia boldly going where no democracy has gone before? Trying to assimilate Islam is mission impossible. A very strange time for Australia to develop a superiority complex:

http://australiatomorrow.blogspot.com/2007/07/3-uss-australia.html

The real "dangerous game" is the slow creep of Islamification that is happening all over Europe with Muslims outbreeding secular folk. Brian Holden is happy to give away Australia slowly, without resistance. Mr Holden is happy to submit future children of secular Aussies to the "will of Allah".

The fact is Muslims choose to differentiate themselves visually, behaviourally and conceptually. I don't blame Muslims, that is their identity. But as Melanie Phillips says: "if there is no longer an overarching culture, there is nothing into which minorities can integrate".

This divide is doomed from the start. The "evidence is incontrovertible". Irreconcilable differences. Too little, too late. Too far gone. Time to put a stop to this dangerous game.

I would disagree to the extent that I think there is real evidence that type casing Muslims or Islam as the enemy has been as active as using fear. In fact it is fear of the other of difference.
Most terrorism has as its basis a desire for freedom from foreigners territory or perceived wrong. Terrorism is old and Islamic Fascist terrorism just the latest. The fact that at present the majority of Muslim’s have not risen to make a Caliphate might suggest such is separate from say the purported aims of Al Qaeda, and that Islam or rather Waahabi sect is being used as excuse for terror. Rather as Boat People have been used.

Fear as Herman Goering has pointed out is a useful tool, indeed a Russian has written of The Politics of Power: Truman and Bush www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=13430&sectionID=11
The truth of his observation can be found by searching the records.

Reading Steve Coll’s Ghost Wars to-gether with his references leads one to think that in large measure the extent of current terrorism is our own fault. Further reading might help to put terrorist activity in context of probability of being hurt and how often historically terrorist activity has occurred and how small the damage has been.
G W Bush’s outline of foreign policy in his national security statement to congress in September 2002 is more scary than Osama

It is merely the Howard Government's way of dividing people by any means the politics of fear. More and more Australians are beginning to wake up to this tactic and turn against Howard for using the tactic.

Australia as a nation has always produced better outcomes when we have been united rather than split. Playing the race card can potentially be explosive, as we saw at Cronulla beach. It's time to stop the divisions and throw Howard out.

Certainly Howard uses this issue, Islam and the fear of terrorism, as vehicles to promote fear. It's his only weapon. Laughingly I heard Joe Hockey accuse Labor of using fear in their campaign. Oh dear, can't take their own tactics. Labor's campaign is on IR, not people and religion as Howard's is.

I have to agree though that history shows that Islam and the West do not mix. If we abolish religion we have a chance but with the ever increasing number of Muslims here we are certainly creating the climate for battles between religious believers.

If we want to stop this the answer is simple. Just ban immigration for anyone who follows Islam. Sounds like bigotry etc but think about it. Why do we spend so much time protecting ourselves against these supposed terrorists when there is a simple approach. Don't let any Islamic follower into Australia.

Those that are here should adapt to our country and become Australians. Not Lebanese Australians, Iraqui Australians or any other ethnic mix than Australians.

Get rid of this constant protection of countries and "cultures" our immigrants have run from but seem hell bent on re creating.

After you jump up and down and accuse me of racism have a think about it. Why do these immigrants cling so desperately to their former country when they couldn't live there? Why do they want to change Australia into another Lebanon or Palestine? Why? Or any Vietnamese city. Greeks are still much the same despite decades of living here. They call themselves Greek Australians. If so, live in Greece etc. I note here that Italians are not of this ilk and many other countries people now settled here are not either. So it can be done.

RobbyH, you obviously don't know Italians very well. You only have to walk down Lygon Street in Carlton to think that you are still in Italy.

On another subject, banning immigration does not work either. Japan is the most xenophobic country in the world but it still managed to produce home grown terrorists. There are other screwy religions out there besides Wahhabi Muslims.

David