CJ says:

"Pilger's analysis is usually pretty close to the mark."

errr.. which mark ? the only mark I can see is "All have sinned" and continue to do so. He simply narrates the foibles of the human heart but arrogantly and in complete error..he seems to imply that there are those among the unregenerate who would actually do a better or more honest job.
He provides zero 'hope' or foundation for optimism, he provides zero answer to the root cause "The heart is evil and desperately wicked..who can know it"..

The reasons of course are that Pilger is (surprisingly to some of his supporters) ..'human'.. he is also (like all of us) sinful...his mind is operating on the natural carnal unrenewed level of Nichodemus who asked "How can a man be born again" but Mr Pilger appears not yet to have asked that question of our Lord... When he does, he will see the answer "That which is born of the flesh is flesh..and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit".

Like Pilger.. Nichodemus was a learned man, but Jesus says the same thing to him as to Nichodemus "You are a teacher of Israel, yet you do not understand these things?"
The result of his (Pilgers) operating level is the incessent and carnal output (or more accurately 'put downs') such as we read here in his article.

CANDIDE.. you read my posts :) I'm touched.

Johnj, my contention is not whether or not the intervention has worked or not, that's another argument. I disagreed with Pilgers para where he maintains that the Lateline expose was a smear and a distraction. Pilger says 'the source' was discredited by the NT Chief Minister. There were 6 sources on the show, including the 2 aforementioned. Does the fact that Clare Martin knew of and had failed to act on Greg Andrews claims 18m earlier not tell you something?

Anyway Pilger is just factually wrong in this paragraph.

I too have a friend at the coalface, still working in the NPY lands who is at best cautiously optimistic that good will come of it all. They have had to set aside their purist Leftist sentiments because the situation had become so dire.

I think we need to be very careful about adopting the "white man's burden" approach in analysing the intervention. Every colonialist or imperialist invasion is justified by saying were are making the conquered safe, better off etc. They never are since that is not the reason for the invasion.

I understand John Pilger may be speaking at Marxism 2009, organised by Socialist Alternative over Easter 2009 (which I believe is early April next year.) Details will be available from Socialist Alternative closer to the date. (See www.sa.org.au).

If he does speak, he will of course be speaking in his role as one of the great left wing journalists of our time.

And to those who have been berating him (unfairly in my opinion) all I can say is stick to the force fed Janet Albrechtsen diet. Unfortunately such a diet only worsens mental constipation.

By all means, disagree with Pilger's assessments, but please provide some facts to show us where he is wrong or present some contrary evidence of your own.

A "not-in-front-of-the-children" denial is not an argument.

Dissent is both the privilege and the responsibility of everybody living in a so-called Democratic society and this is what Pilger does.If you don’t see a problem with what he says then say why.

If you just look the other way and don’t speak out about injustice you are giving it your defacto approval and if you approve of it there is no need for politicians to ever change it and it remains in place.

To simply dismiss such things without just cause demonstrates that you believe your personal right to ignorance is greater than the rights of those who suffer needlessly. If the drunkard next door beats his wife every night, then turning up the volume on the TV so you can’t hear it isn’t really a solution but it may make your evening more enjoyable and hey, he may stop by himself eventually anyway.

Funny how it’s those who claim to know The Truth that are the ones most uncomfortable about hearing it, always ready to justify it and even less interested in doing anything about it.

Yep, the truth hurts.
John Pilger for Prime Minister.