Just amazed that anyone would pay to hear Carr. However I can see why he would appeal to some here. Carr, "I soar above the mundane and serve my country". What an ego and a hugely expensive one too. Sadly, Carr is still costing the long-suffering Aussie taxpayer heaps.

Paul 1405,
You must be turning your 'Watermelon' Greens blind eye to your Matilda site, where there has been a series of most unflattering articles about Carr. They do turn on one another. No surprise there that you haven't said anything about Carr and Obeid,

<No-one wants to seem too close to a corrupt colleague, but even for a profession that routinely sews its fabrics with the thread of hypocrisy, current efforts by Labor luminaries to dissociate themselves with the now-scandalous Eddie Obeid are pretty impressive. Many of the people claiming to have been bitter opponents of Obeid's rise through the party are the very same ones that promoted him.

Carr is one of them. As journalist Alex Mitchell pointed out yesterday, Carr was instrumental in Obeid's appointment to Carr's first ministry in 1999. Carr convened the factional meeting that put Obeid's cabinet spot to a vote. And then, according to Mitchell, Carr voted for Obeid himself.

Like much of what Carr told Wilkinson, the idea that the former premier was swept unwillingly along by the irresistible force of Obeid's factional strength doesn't pass the smell test. Carr was a part of the same broad faction as Obeid. What he is really apologising for is under-estimating Obeid's organising abilities.>
https://newmatilda.com/2013/03/12/why-bob-carr-should-thank-eddie-obeid

....In times of bad polls and desperation, shonky govts always reach for the "ACME - We're Under Threat" slash Patriotism button.

Well Poirot, I would suggest you have a head start there as your beloved labor government has the patient on poor polls. But, polls mean little inn the real world.

Abbott is merely trying to do something about riding our nation of these grubs. The trouble is, he is going about it the wrong way. what he should be doing is to let them leave to fight their war, then cancel their passport because, by not allowing them to leave is simply retaining the hate here. These people will vent, but I would much rather fight to keep them out, than to fight them here.

Allowing these people to immigrate here will go down in history as one of our most costly mistakes ever. Evidence that it has been a failure can be seen by the number of Australian born Muslims, leaving, or wanting to leave to fight for the IS.
We need to take a tough line, or bend over, they are our two choices. Personally, I'm for the tough line approach.

Beach, I have known Bob Carr for a rather long time, in his days on Randwick Council, being a "local" Labor member and all. Never warmed to him. I always thought Carr to be rather arrogant, talking down to people. At the time I found politicians like Laurie Brereton and Lionel Bowen much more in tune with the party than Carr. Bowen was a real gentleman and a very good local member.
As for Eddie (who must be) Obeid, you obviously do not read lots of my posts, I have mentioned the criminal Eddie countless time, and never favorably. Never met Obeid, and never want to. Are you too busy watching that Miss Marple of yours on 'Youtube'? Don't forget to post the link I want to watch it again for it crackup value no less.

Dear SteeleRedux,

I haven't as yet read Bob Carr's book - but I will.
I envy your being able to hear him speak in person.
It's always interesting to hear things straight
from the horse's mouth, so to speak - as there are
undoubtedly so many questions that need exploration
and analysis. That's why memoirs are one of my favourite
genres. "Inside The Third Reich," by Albert Speer,
being a favourite.

As for our PM wanting to get us involved in another war?

I think we should wait and see before making judgements
on that issue.

At present it seems that the government is
taking precautions regarding giving the country new
counter terrorism units at our airports to be operated
by customs and border protection. And this is something
I think most people will approve of as a necessary measure.
However ASIO Director David Irvine pointed out - it
would be wrong to blame our Muslim population for the
acts of these extremists.

I'm keeping my finger-crossed of course that we don't get
involved in another war. But if the United States should
get involved - I don't see us staying out of it.
And no matter who the PM is or will be in the future -
Australia has always supported the US. We can't just blame
the current government should we get involved.

The Islamic terror machine in the Middle East? Why fund its rebellion, then, against the secular regime in Syria? Is it to create the likes of ISIS and the consequent demand for permanent war embroiling the same Coalition of the Lying that drove us into Iraq? Bully for the Yanks’ military-industrial complex then, and tough bikkie for Australian budgets and the lives of Australian soldiers. The alternative is opposition to the bought pollies led by Abbott and Shorten.

The Islamic terror threat at home? Why persist in importing it then? Why promote mass immigration by people whose declared religion is to oppose the Enlightenment freedoms that have made Western countries worth fleeing to and whose denial makes their Islam-ruled countries worth fleeing from? Is it to “justify” creeping degeneration into a police state with ever greater powers and budgets for political police surveillance over us all? Because that's what's happening like a ratchet that can move in only the one direction. The alternative is opposition to the dhimmi pollies led by Abbott, Shorten and Bandt and PC spruikers over-represented in the ABC. Islamophobia. Y'know, crimethink like Naziphobia.

I am reminded of Rwanda, remember the group guilt when it was realised
that perhaps 100,000s or a million were slaughted and everyone said
"Why wasn't something done about it ?".

This war has been going on for 1400 years and is built into the religion.
All our waffling here will not change anything, I am afraid that we
will need another party to come into being that is dedicated to either
changing Islam or removing it.
To bring this subject into a political contest would not be good.
Perhaps something that is horrible enough will happen and all parties
will agree that Islam has to go.

Idealy we need a new crusade to raise an army that can go to Africa
and the Middle East to pacify the Islamists. I do not see the UN ever
being able to do something like that.
If nothing is done then I think it is not unlikely that all Christians
in the Middle East will be killed. The IS will then decide to have a
go at Israel and then nuclear weapons will be used.
The Jews were the very first victims of Islam.
Remember the jews said "Never again !".