I am with John on this. Excellent article.
If the spooks "know" of 800 people who are a threat, they should share that information with us and let us make up our own minds. If someone in my street is a threat to my safety, the government has a duty of care to let me know. Personally I think it is all just part of the government's scare tactics and obviously some have fallen for the bait. There are far bigger threats to our daily safety than any possible terrorist attack. There is more chance of being picked up and interrogated by the secret police than there is being killed by a bomb.

Well Col Rouge doesnt mince words; he strikes me as a mans man - a self made man. And possibly a man with a military background. I think he doesnt suffer fools gladly - if at all.

I am glad he knows evil people do evil things and they have to be stopped well before they do more evil. Its that kind of talk this country needs to highlight the depth of paranoia and fearfullness to which we have sunk.

CR also knows, and doesnt care I might add, that people who suicide are weak willed and spineless: so we can add degrees in psychiatry and orthopaedics to his lengthy CV (he's also had first hand experince of London bombings you know). Nothing like the smell of death to heighten your analytical powers and rights to claim authoratative knowledge over all manner of subjects

He clearly isnt a fan of the left. And he asserts trade stops wars. His reason. Self interest.

Well he would seemed to have missed his economics lectures while developing hisself into such a well rounded kind of guy.

There is evidence that trade prevents conflict - bilateral more so than multilateral arrangements; but there is also evidence that suggests multi lateral trade agreements leave negotiating nations more susceptible to war (Martin, mayer and Thoenig). Beare and Fisher argued that some factors that promte trade also have a tendency to engender conflict - but what would they know? they're academics, of the left no doubt and are probably knee deep in spilt chardonnay and latte's, they probably got some government grant as well adn rides push bikes to work They might even be homosexual and have never fired a shot in anger eh Col. Of course there was also the Opium War - a trade War - driven by imperialism no less.

But as long as the old Col has the answers we can all sleep safely at night.

We might not have much choice once the feds bring in the 1800 hour curfew to appease the chronic bedwetters waiting the bomb to go off.

Good one John;
Pretty sure more readers got your drift than the survivor of a London Bombing, Col Rouge. I guess he was too alert to sprint for a train wearing a bulky jacket though.. Pity about that.

As a sensible, viable tool for fighting terrorism, this bill just doesn't cut the mustard.

As a shield for a Prime Minister, who may one day be called to account for his actions over Iraq, it is just the ticket.

Needed - a firewall with the real potential to limit the bounds of public discourse.

"Disaffection with government" indeed. Read the damn thing.

Now add ASIO into the mix and you have what amounts to a force-field.

In time, there may be no more posts like this one. A good thing?

Where to begin on this diatribe? First point I'll make is that I agree that no new laws are required to make the blowing up of people illegal. As far as I know, but I might be wrong, it has always been illegal to strap explosives to yourself and blow others up. Similarly planning to do so as well.

Notwithstanding this common ground though, I'm left gobsmacked at the attack on the tate for not doing enough. It is one "Won't somebody think of the children" argument against another "Won't somebody think of the children" argument, with common theme is that it is the government's fault for everything, people commiting suicide (blowing themselves up or otherwise), dying prematurely, beating up their wives, etcetera, etcetera, ad naseum.

The state is extremely limited in its ability to solve problems, and often exacerbates problems in unforeseen ways. I don't understand why these "progressives" have so much faith in government's ability to fix the world when they've been let down so many times before. Isn't there a clue in there somewhere, or is it just wishful thinking that if they ran the government, they'd do a better job and be able to shape the world to their liking? Just as state intervention can't completely stop Australians getting killed by terrorists, state intervention can't make Aboriginals live longer more productive lives, or depressed people happy or unemployed people employed, or save starving Africans from genocide by their own governments, or prevent muslim women being mutilated, or any of the innumerable ills that plague Australia and the world.

Better to rely on individuals and small groups of individuals to make the world better, not the state.

Good piece John, The dedication to paranoia is fueled by a dedication of the Howard government to always push the fear button.

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...And that fridge magnet Howard sent me is starting to lose its sticking power. This new anti terrorism law sez nothing about replacing this magnet. What does this mean for thousands of families across our nation with week magnets falling off their fridges?

Will my family be safe? Will yours?