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The Forum > Article Comments > A sceptic's guide to politics > Comments

A sceptic's guide to politics : Comments

By Stephan Lewandowsky, published 16/11/2007

A healthy dose of scepticism is crucial to our ability to process information, especially during an election campaign.

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Is the amount of deliberate misinformation increasing? Anyone tried to measure? What is the difference between propaganda and the common messages of today?
Were the opposes of Iraq invasion a majority? I guess it matters not for as Senator Hill was want to say ‘we have moved on since then’.
But memory hole, how many have forgotten we are signatories and ratifiers of the Rome Statute, incorporating much in our criminal law.
As seen on the web-must be correct!
Our A/G is obliged to investigate war crimes and assess whether a case can be mounted. If this is not done then the ICC may make its own investigation. We all know the invasion was illegal, that behaviour as occupying power breached the Geneva convention indeed a site http://australianwarcriminals.jitgrade.com has after three years over 300 signatures supporting prosecution. A very large number!
But maybe cognitive dissonance prevails, adding to memory hole evasion or readers think the site a stalking horse bringing to light the disaffected.
Maybe!
Noted is the absence of Iraq war from the current election debate, perhaps no time to fit such in between the bribes!
The UN after undermining , remember Boutros-Ghali Mary Robinson Robert Watson? Just a few who have been replaced at American machination. Remember Yugoslavia where the UN charter was really watered down to accommodate NATO, read USA
Afghanistan where terrorist trained by our side turned on us after taking out the USSR and the pride of Brzezinski and Reagan’s secretary of state at their antics. The terror of G W Bush, an evil to be fought! Britain was there holding the tatters of her used by date empire supporting the supplanter.
All conniving in the demise of the rule of law.
Except where it suits International law is dead, we may collect purported offenders against girls but little else.
Do we want to attend the wake or try to revive the patient?
Posted by untutored mind, Friday, 16 November 2007 3:50:47 PM
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Not Rocket Science. 'Lest we Forget '.

Record the Truth about the IRAQ FIASCO

Diversionary breakdown of Best Practice,.

Analyses Australia's role and remember how these practices were cultural motivated through management chains. It is most unfortunate.

Retrace, The AUSTRALIAN WHEAT BOARD CRISIS? The matter of illegal administration processes of Federal Government Officials. (paying out contracts with counterfeit bribes)?

CLEAN _ UP AUSTRALIA!

We Need to put TRUST into the SEOUL Declaration.

We ought to practice what we preach everywhere.

Revisit UNPAN's download.

Give it your 10 Points.

Motive for " ...Reinventing Government
Towards Participatory and Transparent Governance"

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:KFJSS0vcSSsJ:unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/UN/UNPAN020949.pdf%2BUN%2BSeoul%2BDeclaration&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&ie=UTF-8

Let us end the distortions.

Fettering with non transparent polices in trading exchange . Creates vaild distrust in mass public opinion.

"we have every reason (and every right) to be sceptical" said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan;

"The leaders were legally wrong to launch an invasion that then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called illegal; they were wrong about the expected outcome because according to the UN, torture and violence are now worse in Iraq than under Saddam; and they were morally wrong because the invasion caused hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths. It doesn't follow that our leaders are always wrong, or that intelligence is necessarily false, but it does follow that as citizens (the majority of whom in this country opposed the invasion) we have every reason (and every right) to be sceptical."

And by the way, I remind you of civilian street efforts.

The need for inclusive dialogues are best heard through a tall canvas. Lets celebrate hope through the eyes of Iraqs people and their Street Mural of the Horses.

May their prayers of hope, liberty and peace call all peoples.

May mothers and children sleep, may the sound of wildcats play their traditional folk oud music in streets safe.

See and hope for action in this Art of the Iraqi Horses.

Faces of momental intension reflected as the message held sacred, that beloved, of a country-life behind the Iraqi's peoples diverse culture and passion.

http://www.miacat .com
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Posted by miacat, Friday, 16 November 2007 4:55:42 PM
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If only the application of the four rules were so simple.

My problem is that I refuse to believe most of the lies that our politicians tell us, that is I am a cynic.

My range of verifiable, concrete, trustworthy information is very very limited. I listen to TV, I read newspapers, I try to read both conservative and radical magazines, and in my scepticism (sorry cynicism) I am reduced to the effectiveness of a cabbage.

In local matters such as dealing with my lawn-mower repair man, eye tester, roof insulation salesman, I can apply the rules pretty effectively. But on world affairs, Iraq, etc, I am completely at sea. The basic information is not reliable - even the contemporary "certainty" that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So I am close to being one of those dogmatic and gullible people who still believe that there may have been bad stuff in Iraq. I would prefer to wait another 20 years before having to make a final decision on that.
Posted by Fencepost, Saturday, 17 November 2007 5:59:24 PM
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Cotstello lays ORDER on Rudds Government. ORDER to hand their Budget figures. (Where will this end).

The Bullying is shameful.

Rudds Government has been insulting Rudds Government.

Howrd's Immigration department need to address their NOT suppling Rudds Government with the Immigration inforrmation, as sought,

Ie: files requested for Mr Tony Tran.

These files are legally requested, These are issues concerning the "safet"y for mant at present.

Mr Tony Tran' and the others need those files ASAP. Th help people regardless of those poltical.

htpp:www.miacat.com
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Posted by miacat, Sunday, 18 November 2007 6:07:46 AM
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I must be very slow, but I cannot work out how posters conclude that the war in Iraq is illegal.

Some say it is because the Secretary-General said so.

By what right does he say this?

Does the Australian Constitution delegate any power over Australia to him?

Does the Constitution empower the Federal Parliament to delegate power over Australia to him?

People talk about international law. When did the people grant power to anyone to legislate internationally?

What about the UN general assembly? An organisation where India has the same representation as Nauru would hardly seem to have any legitimacy at all.

As for the Security Council, there is no pretence of legitimacy. But somehow some say it has the power to decide the legality of wars.

As a legal novice, it would seem to me that a law passed by federal parliament authorising our participation in the Iraq war is a valid exercise of the defence power, and that as the Constitution itself says that it is the supreme law in Australia, this must make the war legal.

Remember that I am only a legal amateur, and that higher legal minds that have effectively repealed section 41 of the Constitution (which guarantees the right to vote federally if you can vote in a State), or denies the right of Parliament to deny the vote to prisoners in for less than three years, when the Constitution gives Parliament plenary powers in the matter, demonstrate the limits of my legal ability.

(By the way, why 3 years? Why not 2 or 4? After all, the constitution is silent on the matter).

To me the most hilarious High Court decision is the one that means that our Constitution is now in force on foreign ships bound for Australia.

The conclusion I come to is that many High Court decisions in Australia are a farrago of political biases, and that the people have just cause to be extremely wary of lawyers, and should keep on voting "no" to all proposals for constitutional change, if for no other reason than to upset the lawyers.
Posted by plerdsus, Sunday, 18 November 2007 9:54:21 PM
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OF ONE THING....you may be absolutely certain.. woffling on about 'International Law' is the quickest way to alienate any serious minded Australian who cares about the sovereignty of this nation.

There are more corrupt holes in the UN than a very large sea sponge, and the UN consists of COUNTRIES who have AGENDA'S and who seek to manipulate other countries to persue those aganda's. Japan and whaling is one example. Security issues and OIL is another.

I hate to be the one to let you leftoids know this but sorry, YOUR UTOPIAN dream of a one world government is a pipe dream.

The people pushing hardddddest for 'International law' are those who also have an IMMORAL agenda.. or.. better put, an agenda to spread immorality far and wide in the name of 'progressive politics'.

Now.. call me every name under the sun..but don't call me confused, I know exactly where I stand and why.

If there IS such a thing as 'morality' and I surely believe there is, it must have a reference point. The lack of one will inevitably mean many voices, many opinions, many 'moralities'.

So, as far as I'm concerned, you can take 'International Law' and shove it down the nearest and deepest toilet. I have zero use for it as a citizen of sovereign, democratic Australia.
Posted by BOAZ_David, Sunday, 18 November 2007 10:15:37 PM
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