Tuesday, January 25, 2005



Political history is vital and enjoyable so we should focus on teaching it properly
As long as children are children, there is hope. Young people have a natural curiosity about where they and their families come from. They are always interested in how the world began, in where castles, machines or flags come from. Even six-year-olds are ready to embark on the adventure of tracing their ancestors and thus gaining a sense of real history.
Guido of Rank and Vile victories acts as a guiding librarian and political historian who focuses his torch on the vital issues and observations of the day. Today. Tomorrow. We need more than just a leader.
If following Guido blog leads readers to present future tense, Cut Price Commentariat tends to put no-frill, relaxed insider’s insider, sign posts along the road less travelled Whoever leads, I beg of you Labor, change! Give Australia the reason it needs! What’s wrong here? Is it just me who thinks that the idea of factions binding their members to vote certain ways in a vote which defies the factional makeup, is crazy? It’s a ballot between two Right-wingers! For the words of the prophets were written on the leadership walls The Triumph of Gesture Politics

Eye on Politics & Law Lords: The Dark Side of Journalism We Can Never Escape
Can a single woman without children become Prime Minister? Strictly short in stature Glenn Milne certainly doesn't think so... Have a look at Altered Statesmen on the ABC for insights in to the shortcomings of great leaders! If you want to view weaknesses of Crocodile Dundee knife proportions czech out the documentary.

No one person can encapsulate everyone's life experience. A man doesn't know what it's like to be a woman, a person with children doesn't know what it's like to be a person without children, a person from a wealthy background doesn't know what it's like to grow up on a housing estate. In terms of whether being childless counts in politics, well, someone better explain that to (NSW Premier) Bob Carr, and whether being single counts in politics, well, someone better explain that to (South Australian Premier) Mike Rann


Marital status of women in politics ; [Reflecting the views of the factional chieftans ; It is better to be talked about than not to be talked about; Ech ... Crikey! Latham is a Winner ]
• · The president of Harvard University, Lawrence H. Summers, sparked an uproar at an academic conference Friday when he said that innate differences between men and women might be one reason fewer women succeed in science and math careers Summers' remarks on women draw fire ; [You look at foreign affairs through the wrong end of a municipal drainpipe How the west followed Bin Laden's script ]
• · · Conservatives no longer believe in Australia's tiered federal system because the states were wasteful and inclined towards socialism Federalism isn't working: Abbott ; A new push to create more states in Australia is coming from country people who think they are being ignored by the big cities ; Issues Great and Small: Nick Greiner; [Tsunami toll passes 230,000]
• · · · No issue, not one, threatens to do more damage to the Republican coalition than immigration Samuel Francis: on weak reasons for immigration control ; [ The cutting edge of illegal immigration used to be L.A. Now, it's Owensboro ; The Ethics and Culture of nomands ]
• · · · · The question of Lincoln's sexuality can never be answered. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be asked. Every generation and country, it seems, gets the Lincoln it deserves The gay Lincoln controversy What's wrong with The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln. The Gay Emancipator? The author answers Andrew Sullivan. Honest, Abe? [The Inquisition worked "fact finding" pretty much like the American Congress works such things. In other words, after deciding what the "facts" were, they set out to find them. And, in this case, they "found" that Girolamo Savanarola was a heretic ; Chinawords searches for words to honour Comrade Zhao Shall we abolish the political copyright? ]
• · · · · · Histories of the Hanged; Britain's Gulag: At one level, the story of what we allowed to happen to Kenya is a giant corrective. Britain may sneer at French frailties in Algeria or Israeli raids inside the West Bank, but, in the wrong place at the wrong time, we were full, functioning members of the wild bunch. Civil service integrity and ministerial piety went for nothing. The press was too dozy. Parliament - putting gallant warriors like Barbara Castle and Fenner Brockway to one side - was pretty toothless. Ministers ritually covered their backs. In the midst of the war, draconian anti-terrorist laws were introduced, suspending the human rights of subjects, imposing collective punishments ; [My truth is as valid as yours, whatever the evidence It is fashionable to say 'my truth is as valid as yours'. But it's not true ; Sun Herald, 23/01/05, by Alex Mitchell and co: The 20th annual report of the NSW Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Fund for 2003-2004 has been sent to MPs giving details of their booming super scheme after an 18.2 per cent return. Among shares held by the fund are $168,582 worth of James Hardie Industries NV... But Aussie shares dropped to 35.62 per cent of the protfolio to 35.62 per cent last year while more international stocks were added. Super Time for State Mps (not on line) (Trustees of the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Fund: Mr Campbell, Mr Humpherson, Mr McLeay, Mr Mills and Mr J. H. Turner); With Michael Egan shuffling off to become an unlikely amateur fisherman, the diminutive former state treasurer leaves a substantial legacy in the increasingly politicised senior ranks of the NSW public service. Three of Egan's former staffers have key roles outside Treasury. His most recent chief of staff, Michael Coutts-Trotter, got in just in time, being recently elevated to the lofty ranks of Sir Humphreydom as director-general of the Department of Commerce. Mark Duffy, another former chief of staff; the former Egan press secretary John Lee ... Sir Humphreydom ]