A German woman in her 80s says she has been ordered by her pension fund to produce a certificate to prove she is still alive ...
Through the roof -- home prices set another record Bay Area median reaches $622,000 - In America and Australia sanity will return eventually, but with an awful cost to the people who speculated late in this crazy game Bubble, Bubble, Bubble, Bubble
Eye on Politics & Law Lords: Torture, anyone?
The original article by Margo Kingston whether to torch or not to torch has generated 125 comments so far. One commentator wonders how many of us are students of history and proceeds to describe the tragedy of 20th century in a few sentences:‘WWI was the 'war to end all wars'. 10 million men died. In WWII, the toll went up to 50 million including civilians. That is three times our current population or the whole polulation of the UK.’
The Allies in the two world wars were united in their principles and morality. From the gross stupidity that brought that carnage lessons were taken and conventions applied and The League of Nations, later the UN, were born.
It seems that none of the lessons of two wasted generations have been learnt, least of all by people like yourself. You say "Yes I am a peace lover. I like peace through decisive victory not appeasement, real peace that can benefit society." 60 million dead and many more since are not enough for you ...? We need another "decisive victory" to really seal it?
• Indecisive Cold War vs. Decisive Hot War [What is it about blogging that lends itself to buzzmaking? Political Bloggers and the National Discourse ; Talk about Politics and Religion: The internet has become almost like a 21st-century church or temple They're all god movies, in mysterious ways
• · History shows that there have been very few successful Independents, and it remains very difficult for an Independent to get elected Getting elected as an independent: electoral laws and party favouritism ; The Role of Collaboration
• · · Tim Blair: In certain circumstances, who wouldn’t resort to torture? ; Back in 1980 the Villawood Hostel was my home and then the Polish children next door were able to play wherever they liked: When three-year-old Naomi Leong left Villawood yesterday to attend a playgroup, she spent the morning painting in vivid colour. It was the first time she has played with children outside the detention centre Free to find her true colours, if only for a day
• · · · Rivers, rivers of water everywhere and hardly a drop to drink; People are under no obligation to rescue strangers in peril Court clears way for rude Samaritans
• · · · · Peter Costello, the self-proclaimed working-class Treasurer, was having trouble squeezing into his new blue singlet yesterda Treasurer Pete joins shame offensive against executive salaries ; The 4WD has begun an arms race on the roads, with many family sedans increasing in size Wheels of misfortune
• · · · · · It was a Jerry Springer moment in the NSW Supreme Court. The chief judge in equity, Justice Peter Young, in determining who owned a $500,000 lotto ticket Judge gets down to the naked truth ; Legalising torture would neither enhance intelligence gathering nor save lives because most suspects are willing to say anything to stop their pai No role for torture in fight against terrorism