Christopher Hitchens actually had himself waterboarded by the US Military to see whether it felt like torture to him. It did.
via Pharyngula, who has links to video.
Christopher Hitchens actually had himself waterboarded by the US Military to see whether it felt like torture to him. It did.
via Pharyngula, who has links to video.
One of the most striking things about the Rudd era is the virtual disappearance of terrorism as a political issue. Aside from a passing reference in his 2020 Summit introductory speech, I have barely heard the words mentioned. While this can be partly attributed to the passing of time, it’s not the only reason. Read more »
One thing that’s puzzled me for a long time is how Australia has been able to continue to deploy soldiers to all manner of risky spots without significant casualties. Did our diggers have some kind of movie-style good-guy bullet repulsion field? Read more »
Jeff Kennett was notorious for his dislike of inquiries, particularly royal commissions. But there was one that even he had to commission immediately, when the Longford gas plant suffered an explosion in September 1998, killing two people and shutting down Victoria’s natural gas supply system for nearly three weeks. I remember it well, living on-campus at Melbourne University at the time. It was three weeks of barbecues, and boiling kettles to have a bath. Read more »
Kim mentioned the PM’s new nuclear disarmament commission yesterday. I figured some context might be in order. Read more »
Our security services - ASIO, ASIS, and the AFP - have expanded a great deal recently, and we essentially have to take it on trust that this is a) a good use of money, b) being used to perform the intended goal - no more and no less, and c) being done in such a way that it doesn’t impede everybody else’s rights to be left alone. Read more »
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