Defending Democracy

Annoyed? Inconvenienced? Nah, just incandescent with rage

Webdiary - July 2, 2008 - 5:47pm

“An authorised person may direct a person within a World Youth Day declared area to cease engaging in conduct that … causes annoyance or inconvenience [my emphasis] to participants in a World Youth Day event...”

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Why I am not running - Morgan Tsvangirai

Webdiary - June 25, 2008 - 10:57am

"My people are at breaking point. World leaders' bold rhetoric must be backed with military force" - Morgan Tsvangirai in the Guardian

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The Ballad of Hillary and Barack

Webdiary - June 17, 2008 - 11:03am

The political landscape [in America] was fascinating last fall, intriguing on the Democratic Party side, on the Republican/GOP (Grand Old Party) side a congregation of rococo grotesques usually not seen outside a Sinclair Lewis novel or a Nick Cave murder ballad.

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Annoyed? Inconvenienced? Nah, just incandescent with rage ...

Webdiary - July 2, 2008 - 5:47pm

“An authorised person may direct a person within a World Youth Day declared area to cease engaging in conduct that … causes annoyance or inconvenience [my emphasis] to participants in a World Youth Day event...”

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The NT Intervention one year on: Brilliant idea or utter nightmare?

Webdiary - June 19, 2008 - 2:44pm

The document ..., entitled 'Northern Territory Emergency Response Situation Report as at 1500 hrs Wed 14th May 08', paints a picture of an incomplete roll out of the Northern Territory Intervention, an emergency response that Mal Brough recently admitted to ABC Darwin radio was put together in 48 hours. (Sophie Black, Crikey)

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Why banning human nature doesn't work

Webdiary - May 28, 2008 - 11:01pm

For much of my life I've been unable to understand why certain drugs were banned, why prostitution was banned, why certain forms of gambling were banned, why abortion was illegal, or why certain material was censored. The history of the consequences of banning these kinds of activity is well-known. First, they fail.

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