As always Peter Fitzsimons in his Fitz Files on Sunday digs deep into the memories and gives us another catchy headline: Carr Bonfire Mystery I too recall how a certain fevour swept the Parliament House when Terry Metherell gave his diary to public servant at our ABC, Quentin Dempster, so no one was surprised to learn that a number of pollies caught a disease called pyromania (an irresistible impulse to set things on fire) For a footfaller, Peter Fitzsimons, has a memory of an elephant who is able to weaves together many extraordinary stories: ‘Something is not sitting quite right. In 1992, the Herald’s Stay in Touch column reported: ‘In an orgy of pyromania, Bob Carr fed eight volumes of his secret diaries into a backyard barbie on Saturday night, cheered on by close mates. One of the politics’ most prolific diarists, Carr’s ceremonial burning resulted from a fear that hiss diaries may be subpoenaed and published by newspapers.’ Although the then Opposition Leader did not believe at the time his scratchings would have ‘induced heart failure, mass arrests, isolated suicides or hastily booked flights to Paraquay,’ they did record ‘day-to-day political comments and throw-away comments’ by political personalities. Yet now, with the Latham book, we have the second example in recent years of Bob Carr selectively planting extracts from his most recent diaries with the biographers. What gives? Was there a bonfire? Does he have a complete dairy? How big is it now? Will we ever see it in full?' [Ach, my spies report recent sightings of Mike Egan in Praha the city of thousand spires ;-]
Eye on Politics & Law Lords: Bob the Builder
Anyone who has breezed through the diaries of our Premier, Bob Carr, knows he has a healthy ego and is susceptible to a few soaring vanities that occasionally hit the middle-aged man.
And the ego was well and truly on display at the Park Hyatt 15th anniversary bash this week. Guests feasting on the spread from chief chef Danny Drinkwater could have been forgiven for thinking Emperor Carr was responsible for the swank hotel. Indeed, during his speech, Mr Carr pulled out a dog-eared sheet of paper dating back to his days as Planning Minister in 1987, showing the crowd an original concept for the waterfront site. With the stroke of a pen, Mr Carr said, with suitable theatrics, adding that he oversaw the development of the top end of town which paid for heritage restoration of the Rocks.
• What a single-handed mastermind he is! [ The Limits of 'Live 8' and the G8 in Making Poverty History ; Whenever public officials and community leaders propose a policy to make business act more responsibly — such as reduce pollution or improve working conditions — some business leaders react in horror that it will destroy the incentive to invest and hurt the business climate Call it the Chicken Little syndrome ]
• · The end of democracy? Philosopher Peter Sloterdijk talks with Marius Meller about Europe's crisis and authoritarian capitalism Damned to expertocracy ; Is That a Pool Cue in Corporate America's Pocket, Or Are They Just Excited About the Supreme Court? Story about how Corporate America is already scheming
• · · It looks more like a convention centre for God's delegates than a church, but Hillsong, with 18,000 Pentecostal Christians, represents the largest single congregation in Australia Hillsong: Songs of praise — and politics ; "The pursuit of happiness" is about more than private pleasures A Right, From the Start ; I am willing to love all mankind, except an American. They are a race of convicts, and ought to be thankful for anything we allow them short of hanging Dr. Johnson's Revolution
• · · · Decaying state of teeth in children ; $100M RSS Fund Launched ; Pliant American Press Behaving Like Pravda in Coverage of the U.S. President Replow it further? How about plowing it once?
• · · · · Some Republican lawmakers don't think George Soros should be permitted to purchase a Major League Baseball team because he's too liberal and he has some wacky notions. Political football: Taking Aim At Soros Is Hardly Politic ; Perhaps the first thing that should be said about the new edition of Main Currents of Marxism concerns the peril it presents to those with weak backs or delicate wrists. Marxism, says Leszek Kolakowski, was a stupendous fantasy: at once scientific, prophetic, fantastic, utopian, and irrational – a caricature and a bogus form of religion The anatomy of totalitarianism
• · · · · · James Cumes on VOW and Direct Democracy ; James also remembers Ray Parkin: The flowers in that area are among the most beautiful I've ever seen A Fortunate Life