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November 2002 | |
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Interview: Life After Keating Industrial: That Friday Feeling Bad Boss: Begging to Work Organising: Project Pilbara Unions: Off the Rails International: Brazil Turns Left Environment: Brown Wash History Special: Learning from the Past Corporate: Will the Bullying Backfire? Technology: Danger Lurks For The Passive History: In Labour�s Image Politics: Without Power Or Glory History Special: A 'Cosy Relationship' Culture: Blood Stains the Wattle Satire: Iraq Pre-empts Pre-emptive Strike Poetry: The Executive Pay Cut Review: Time Out
Month In Review The Soapbox The Locker Room Indigenous Postcard Bosswatch
Why The User Should Pay
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Month In Review War and Pieces of Work
************** Even the RSL, hardly known as a bunch of peaceniks, have counselled that Australian military involvement in any future strike on Iraq may compromise Australia's interests at home. Donald Rumsfeld is increasingly looking and behaving like Doctor Strangelove and it is not too hard to see that it will all end in tragedy before too long. Why a leader would propel this country into an unpopular war remains unfathomable, as Australian Public Opinion against an attack on Iraq remains as solid as ever, despite the tragedy. The Australian reaction remained rather restrained, at least from the wider public. The attack once again brought out the lunatic fringe, leaving many in the Muslim community living in fear because of an increase in the number of racially motivated attacks against them.
There was a fair bit of hype about Australia being a target of the attacks, but cooler heads counsel that the attack is more likely directed against stability in Indonesia "Having the Australians become victims is both tragic, ironic and very strategic to drive a wedge between the Indonesian and Australian people," says Academic Professor Wimar Witoelar, who was also reported as saying that American facilities would have been targeted if the attack were motivated against the West. ************** Speaking of hype, the Greens win in the Cunningham by-election sent a signal to some that the Labor Party was unravelling before their eyes, but the blind giant keeps on dancing. The NSW head office will no doubt be on the back foot for a while, but the six ALP State governments are proving to be the effective Federal opposition, at least in terms of the realpolitik. Their effectiveness will be tested over the appointment of former Liberal party treasurer, Greame Samuel, to effectively succeed Alan Fels at the ACCC. *********** In the middle of shootings, train smashes, live TV hostage dramas, the NRMA tearing itself apart and two headed cows being born the media still managed to find a fair amount of space for the mendacity of disgraced former Howard government minister Peter Reith to take centre stage. After the expose of lies and damned lies we had unemployment statistics that showed that underemployment is growing as a serious issue for Australia, with nearly three quarters of a million Australians complaining of under-time. If these people have kids it isn't any wonder that they are complaining, as further studies reveal that it costs $500,000 raise two children in Australia. And the War on Terror may not be the biggest battle facing the PM, after his government appeared to be making policy on the run regarding what they'd do with the proceeds from flogging off Telstra. Honest John was laying it on thick on talkback radio, while his sensibly dressed Finance Minister, Nick Minchin, assured Financial journalists that it was merely palaver for the shock jocks audience. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "cash for comment". ************** Across town, at the big end of it, the sale of Telstra got a big boost from Rupert the M, who threw the weight of his newsprint being the FarmHand smokescreen - which looks like it will do a great job for the government in subsidising Centrelink payments in the bush. Meanwhile, the bush came to the city, well at least in the form of several millions of tons of dust. The dust storms are further evidence that the various Federal and State policies on halting soil degradation are working smoothly. How can we degrade the soil when most of it has disappeared into the Tasman Sea? Finally, Brian Henderson stepped down after four and a half thousand years on Australian television. How do I know that? Brian told me so...
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