“Nation building” is a vogue expression: today London-linked are still on the top, managing the rest with very biological principles, which means that out-of-their-tribe allowed being underlaying nonenties only --- will it still satisfy the growing number of OUTSIDERS, where non-Christians is a significant part of a population present by Muslims?

And this is a visible tip of an iceberg, where so-called “Australian anti-terrorism law” looks rather as a next stick to force a cattle into royal stables than really workable tool in "multicultural" environment especially.

These new laws are a perfect political solution. They don't cost money so no unpopular increases in taxes and they win votes because the government is seen to be "doing something." It does not matter that the "something" the government is doing is wrong or unconstitutional or won't even work. The government must love all the controversy over the laws because it helps to emphasize the idea that they are "fighting terror." Who cares if it won't work and makes people who hate Australia, hate it more.

Winners are grinners in politics and the coalition has the numbers so they are grinners. They can now develop policies that will keep themselves there. It is not about solving the problem, it is about being seen to be "doing something." It is so elegant a solution that all the State Premiers (Labour Party men) are in complete agreement. Kim Beazley loves the idea as well. So who do we vote for to get rid of these bad laws?

What is a better way to combat terrorism? Do more police work. Get better police. Work with the muslim community. Develop relationships with muslim leadership. Rethink foreign policy. All these are too hard. Better to be able to throw somebody in jail for 14 days without a charge against them. If something bad happens Phillip Ruddock can say "We tried our best." Then we can look forward to 4 weeks in jail with no charges and another win for the current regime at the next election.

What happens if a Muslim political party wants to give their preferences to Labour at the next election? One of the members of the party might say that Australia's involvement in the Iraq war is wrong. Two weeks before the next election just throw a couple dozen of the party organisers in jail without charge. That would limit the vote for the muslim party, therefore limiting the preferences for Labour and keeping the Liberals in office.

I hope and pray that there are better ways to fight terrorists than throwing civil rights at them.

My thoughts are with victims, families and friends of the latest Bali bombings.

With heavy heart.
Kay

To the lord Mr Gerrit H Schorel-Hlavlka,

What children overboard thing? You mean when those ungrateful middle-class Pakistanis/Iraqis threw feaces at our well intentioned navy? And how, considering history, it was a common tactic used by
some baot people to threaten to throw their children in the water so as to blackmail the Navy into bringing them ashore?

In regards to the terrorist being Western Governments. I agree that it is a horrible thing that the whole world isn't as enlightened as Europe now is. Europe has been through war and learned much from it, one thing is not to trust the emerging powers of nations such as China, the Middle-East etc. It would really be a good thing to bring decent work conditions to the world's poor but while China continues to use hundreds of millions of slaves to build their empire the civilised world unfortunately has to, yes, stoop to their level occasionally in order to make ends meet, sometimes out of greed, sure.
One thing you need to get clear : exploitation is a worldwide phenonemon stretching back in time forever. If you look carefully you will notice that exploitation of the poor and the weak to a disgusting level still only really occurs in all non-western nations. In the middle-east, asia, Africa, the gap between rich and poor is enormous, and the west is in a dispicable position of having to do business with murderers and tyrants because there are no other options in some countries. And if wanting to force stability onto an important market, such as oil in the mid-east, is a crime, I agree in as much that it is criminal not to re-institute colonialism so that once and for all the third world can be civilised with a "benevolent" dictator. Yes, benevolent. If you find yourself laughing, take a look at Japan. If the US or the West were so evil, then why would they have let Japan become so successful?

We will not resolve the worlds problems, where we ourselves have ample of problems to address. Who are we to try to dictate our brand of democracy which often itself is nothing but tyranny!
As for people having allegedly thrown feaces, well while I do not approve of any such alleged conduct, one must consider the desperate conditions they were in.
And, when one considers what is going on within the armed forces, and by soldiers not even desperate to find a homeland, then if feaces throwing was anything to go by then the armed forces would be numerous times far worse of by its own conduct.

Look at Vivian Solon and how neither Ruddock or Amanda are willing to be a “responsible Minister”!
What kind of democratic process do we have if they are themselves flaunting constitutional provisions?

I for one knows and understand what bring people to contemplate suicide/murder, and while I have always disapproved of this, I am too well aware that to fight terrorism is to fight the cause of terrorism, and that is often the injustice done or perceived to be done.
Regretfully, too many Australians rather sacrifice their liberty for the sake of the unknown or the political propaganda of the major political parties, then to realize that to relinquish ones rights is to give in to the brand of terrorism political parties use upon electors.

Only a fool could justify an unconstitutional war for the sake of allegedly making the world a safer place.
Once a government itself ignores the rule of law then how can it blame terrorist for doing the same.
Bali is terrible, but when we as a nation demonstrate to use “SHOCK AND AWE” to terrorize innocent Iraqi’s then we can expect nothing less but others learn from this to use this kind of terrorism in kind.
I spend decades of my valuable time (unpaid) to get people to accept that to resort to violence is not the way to go, only to find that the Australian government itself instigate violence, to the extend of mass murder!

"Those who suppress freedom always do so in the name of law and order" - John Lindsay

"Freedom comes from human beings, rather than from laws and institutions" - Clarence Darrow

Phil,

What a croc mate. You are handing to the people of Australia, a beautiful wrapped present with paper of sweetened incense. Inside this present, is a book telling the people that they must hold loyalty to the Commonwealth Government of Australia. In this case, the Howard Government.

Phil, I hold no loyalties to any liberalist government. I am a Libertarian Nationalist which means that the government must hold loyalty to the people. Not the other way around.

This piece of dictatorship spells out that were I to walk down a street in a peaceful protest against the government of the day, I can technically be swooped on by your secret police. This is a laugh at freedom and liberty. We went to war along with the father and grandfather of John Howard. You lot are rubbing their faces into the stench of rotting corpses created by past wars.

I have a question for you Phillip. Were someone to go into a website of a group such as; NAZI, S11 etc and argued for the case of the need for change in Social Order, would that person be able to get taken by your secret police? I reckon they will be.

Look at how Pauline Hanson and David Etteridge were illegally trialled and imprisoned by the corrupted old guard(Coalition and ALP). Under these laws, I would expect them to disappear...POOF!

You lot use fear and intimidation as well as abusing the naivety of the average Australian. Your government of so called Christian values disgusts me.