Of course the converse of this situation was the fact that not one single member of the Howard government ever expressed a dissenting view when the Lying Rodent joined up in the coalition of killing shock and awe invasion of Iraq, and by extension the never-ending war on terror (whatever that could be).
Then of course the Lying Rodent was duly awarded a "freedom" medal by the lying village idiot from Texas.

@Daffy Duck. It is a measure of how far we have declined as a democracy that the fundamental principles laid down by the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials 1946-1948 and the Geneva conventions that were established in 1949 have been allowed to diminish to vanishing point insofar as those principles could be applied to the actions of western governments, including the US, UK and Australia.

Those principles meant that persons who waged wars of aggression (i.e. not coming within the defences of Article 51 of the UN Charter); committed war crimes or crimes against humanity, were held to account.

Not only did all the members of the Coalition, including the erstwhile Julie Bishop, agree to the attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan, they have been conspicuously silent on issues of war crimes or accountability. Labor to their undying shame have been no better. Indeed, there is presently no more fervent supporter of the US and Israel than the current PM.

Unless and until we recover the notion of accountability for crimes waged by the state our democracy is doomed. OLO ought to be offering an alternative view to the supine mainstream media but as long as it goes on regularly publishing articles as manifestly awful as those by the Member for Curtin that may be a vain hope.

James "OLO ought to be offering an alternative view to the supine mainstream media but as long as it goes on regularly publishing articles as manifestly awful as those by the Member for Curtin that may be a vain hope."

I don't think you understand one of the basics of OLO which makes it such a refreshing change from a lot of whats out there. It provided one of the most open forums for putting differing perspectives on contentious issues that I've come across. Not perfect but you will struggle to find genuine evidence that views are censored based on the ideas behind them. OLO publishes articles by Julie Bishop but it also publishes articles by John Pilger. Those who comment on either author pieces can be confident that they won't be censored for expressing a contrary view, if the view is expressed in abusive terms they may be censored but I've never seen evidence that view put within reasonable bounds of politeness are removed.

Thats something those who value freedom should cherish.

I didn't like this article but it gave me a space address some of whats bothing me about the way the side of politics I normally support is currently behaving. If enough use this space constructively perhaps it may give some inspiration for some of our elected representatives to do better whatever party they are from.

R0bert

RObert: Point taken. I do not seek to censor anyone's views, but there is a distinction in my mind between publishing material that is someone's opinion, and imposing some degree of editorial standard. My objection to most of the pieces that Ms Bishop publishes in OLO is not that I disagree with them but that they are so often appallingly ignorant.

That wouldn't really matter but for the fact that she is the Opposition spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and presumably will be the FA minister in the next Coalition government. It is then that those views get translated into policy, and I firmly believe those policies are not in Australia's best interests.

Similarly I don't expect everyone to agree with my stance on issues. I like to think that my views have a basis in historical reality and actual facts. People may challenge my interpretation but I am rarely successfully challenged on facts. I also only comment on topics of which I have some knowledge. I often wish many OLO commentators were similarly constrained.

Does this mean you'll be voting labor, greens or independents in the vein of Oakshott and Windsor in future Robert?

Or should the Opposition behave as John Hewson acted ... totally positive ... releasing alternative policies early only to be crushed by the antic's of labor and the backflipping and lying Keating, well before the election? Would you like to see a repeat of that?

Of all the muck thrown this year most has been by Labor. At Rudd by most of the labor cabinet, at Abbott by nearly every labor member led by Gillard and at Gillard by labor members who raised and pursued the AWU disgrace.

I'm sure my view is a commonly held view and reflected in current poling. However I think a great many people have disengaged with the process and won't express their disparaging view of the lying Gillard and the corruption in the labor party.
At question time I'd love someone to show me how you can dish out personal abuse when asking a question. It is in the answering where abuse occurs.

Julie while I disagree with the Coalition policy on Israel and Palestine I have read your contributions over time with interest. I've seen a growing confidence and broadening understanding of nuance and diversity. I'd like to see that applied in evaluations of the mid east, in future.

James O'Neill is right about the illegal war mongering both major parties in Aust have been indulging themselves in.NATO is seems is resolved to invade Syria under the pretext of humanitarian grounds and according to this article is going to bypass the UN and start another illegal war.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/meetings-in-london-plotting-secret-war-on-syria-without-un-authotisation/5315176

Both Russia and China have warned the West against expanding these wars since they fear for their own loss of sovereignty.

Once Syria goes down Iran knows that it will be next.Both the West and East have developed these stategic mini nukes in which they think war can be won without destroying the planet.The USA has these defence shields which they think can repel most attacks.Add into the mix an over riding opinion by the elites that the planet is over populated and WW3 can be justified more so. It is about time both major parties here stopped this insane march to WW3.