If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man. All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened.
-Gen. George S. Patton
NSW Godfather Bob Carr and his new apprentice John Watkins today gained first hand experience of Sydney's late-running trains.
Mr Carr and Mr Watkins were almost 10 minutes late for a media appearance at Sydney's Central Station after the train to Waterfall they were travelling on was delayed. [We've got a plan in place to do that: AAP is actually for real]. Yes Minister re-run series are back harder, grittier and more entertaining than in living political memory As one observer noted re-arranging deck chairs on the infrastructuresque-titanic will do some wonders for the people of NSW ... Boilermaker Bill on Carr's reshuffle Left winger Ken Booth had a Treasury stretch in the 80s
One of Australia's three richest men, alongside Kerry Packer and Frank Lowy, he said: "The time has come to take on new debt to help secure our nation's future. Debt is good. At least the right kind of debt is good Debt is good, business leader Richard Pratt
Eye on Politics & Law Lords: Hidden Wounds: conspiracy of silence
This was sent to me this week by West Point chaplain, let us never forget. Lets us take out the politicians off the ugly picture in Iraq and think...
"I don't think Americans understand what the country is asking of these soldiers," he said. "They are doing wonderful things over there. Soldiers aren't afraid of bullets, they are afraid of being forgotten."
There are two rules that warriors have lived by across the centuries. Rules that were learned the hard way and passed on from generation to generation. The first rule is that it is okay to weep at a funeral. Every warrior society has understood the need to mourn the loss of a comrade.
The second rule that warrior societies have always understood is that it is not okay to weep at the memory of battle. A warrior who does is like a firefighter who weeps at the memory of fire or a pilot who weeps at the memory of flight. The firefighter and the pilot can mourn comrades killed in fires and crashes but still find satisfaction in what they do. Combat is what warriors do, and if the memory of battle is unbearably painful to them, then they will have great difficulty doing it again. Like a widow dealing with the loss of her husband of 50 year, the veteran must come to terms with what has happened, and he must de-link the memory from the emotions.
Extracted from "On Combat" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, with Loren Christensen
As we often point out, political assessments are frequently viewed through changing lenses. The war in Iraq saw some of the most frightening days over the disastrous Christmas season. An Iraq soldier killed an American policeman during his leave. Two Australian soldiers have also been injured this week. But the war is in such a bad shape that the Iraq election is viewed as positive news. It would help if more western politicians were like soldiers and served more time telling the troops on the ground that their efforts will not be forgotten. Will Opposition leaders be brave in countries like US, Britain and Australia and visit the troops on the ground? We disapprove of torture whether done by Sadam or George. Havn’t we learnt anything from history?
• Dave Grossman on War [Review; Mercy Buckets Psychology of killing]
• · Can you imagine this in Sydney? (smile): The Salem Statesman-Journal reports that Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s office has billed the Statesman Journal $2,084 to respond to a public-records request for e-mails and other correspondence between the governor’s staff and former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt’s consulting firm The newspaper used the e-mails and Kulongoski’s daily calendar for a Dec. 19 package of stories documenting the Goldschmidt firm’s unmatched access to the governor’s office; [Tim Novak and Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times used city contract records to show that the sister of a top aide to Mayor Richard Daley was able to win a city contract for minority and women-owned businesses despite the fact that her company, Toltec, had to purchase supplies from a white-owned firm and subcontract the work to another white-owned contractor Sister gets sweet deal]
• · · Journalists sure do have a hard time of it. Forget reporting from war zones and natural disaster zones, it seems some of the worst conditions hacks have to endure are here at home. On Tuesday, at the less than exotic locale of Ingleburn Park, a gaggle of reporters were obstructed by police and threatened with arrest after Mark Latham's resignation speech, according to the federal secretary of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Chris Warren.
"These actions are in direct violation of press freedom, and we urge the NSW Government to take all steps necessary to ensure respect and promotion of a free and independent media in NSW." NSW police media had no comment yesterday. With hard labor times: The Rise of the Underdogs
• · · · Crime doesn't pay? It does for the Mafia, which is raking in $172 billion a year in Italy alone - nearly as much as General Motors does worldwide. Costa Nostra, N'drangheta and Sacra Corona Unita
• · · · · It is a fascinating coincidence that the release of the 1974 Whitlam cabinet documents, which establish conclusively when and how foolishly the Great Man began to commit political suicide, came just before Latham's own political suicide. P.P.McGuinness is the editor of Quadrant magazine and a great mate of Bob Carr; Editorial states how Mr Carr is fast running out of chances. This is the team which must dig NSW out of the deepest hole it has been in for several decades. Cabinet reshuffle the Premier's last big chance; Son of tram driver, guard and railway fettler and friend of Packer family ]
• · · · · · Mike Steketee: Good reasons to doubt Beazley again ; [ The ailing ALP desperately needs a makeover if it is to win back its supporters. Marketers spell it out Brand Labor ]