The image of Islam, this immense and diverse faith, has been of the robed and bearded man, rifle in one hand, Qu'ran in the other, a bomb around his waist and hate in his eyes. They are everywhere, and their diabolical hand can be seen in every disaster. They are poisoning water supplies, raping white women, using their loathed petrodollars to take over our businesses and corrupt our governments. The only possible response has been decried unto the masses, and they shout their slogans with...

`As an Australian I have no rights. As a Canberran I have a few, but as they would never stand up in court I will neither name them nor consider them important. Instead I have responsibilities. I have a responsibility to my fellow citizen. I pay taxes on my assets and on my income in the full knowledge that that money will be spent/wasted/whatever to Advance Australia Fair. I have a responsibility to ensure that the skills of my fellow citizens are not going to waste. I have a responsib...

Today I voted for the first time in my country's elections. There were five names on the house of reps ballot and 13 on the senate one. And while I spent a few minutes thinking about who I would rather have in power, I knew all along that what I voted was irrelevent, that I knew before voting that even if there was a change in the elected officials it would have no effect on my life. I am one of the forgotten people. As a young man with no children, moderately wealthy parents and in t...

Personally I don't like link articles, but just this once check out this article before reading further: Link Somehow I think this article sums up all the problems we face in this world. If someone's not in our monkeysphere, we're just incapable of feeling any of the compassion that we might show to someone who was. That's why the bum on the street is ignored but a struggling friend will get a helping hand (even if it's just holding a beer). Suicide bombers? They do it because th...

Over the past few weeks this site has seen an upsurge in the number of articles attacking Islam for failing to police its more militant wings. Comparisons have been made with the failure of church leaders to condemn Nazism in the 1930s and the failure of American pastors to condemn racism in the 19th and 20th centuries. In nearly all cases Muslims are labelled wrong because they fail to condemn that which my ancestors (I make no claims about the courage/cowardice of yours) failed to condemn...

There has been a lot of calls for the eradication of the martial technique known as terrorism recently. Terrorism has always been with us. Roman legions were let loose on civilian camps who defied them in order to spread fear and terror amongst the restless peasantry. Crusaders used catapults to launch the severed heads of the dead over the walls of Jerusalem. Ninja hunted the powerful by night and spread fear and paranoia amongst the upper crust of the Shogunate. Anti-abortionists used ...

It's a common thing these days to hear various places thrown around as the first democracies. Greece, Rome, certain islander tribes, France, the US, they're all there. But really, can we consider any of them real democracies as we know them? Greece restricted voting rights to native males with property whose age lay within a set scale. Rome lumped the majority of its citizens into just four houses, leaving only the Tribunes as a source of vague democratic power. The islander tribes are...

Last week there was a terrorist event 15km from my home. I say event, because while apparently somewhere between 2 and 11 bombs exploded, it happened in the process of catching a terrorist, so realistically it doesn't count as an attack . The bomber and a handful of his servants, friends family and assorted other hangers-on were killed in the blasts. No one is entirely sure (at least no one I've spoken to) whether these blasts were accidents or deliberate attempts to destroy evidence a...

Everyone out there should be aware of this particular gem of a website: Link But I'd like to draw your attention specifically to this article: Link We all know that the French, whether you love them or hate them, have a reputation for being more sophisticated than our American cousins. I think the article says it all: whether throwing a pipebomb or demolishing a McDonalds, the beret is vastly more sophisticated than the baseball cap. C'est la vie, gitu deh and she'll be right ma...

I've been in Indonesia for a little over a month now, and I think I'm finally starting to understand what many on this have spoken about before - the high price of living in a society where law enforcement is simply a matter of paying support to the biggest gang of them all - the police. In Indonesia it seems it's not uncommon to be asked to provide supplements to a policeman's income if you require their aid or if you are pulled over on the road. If you break the law on anything but drug...

There seems to be an inordinate amount of worry amongst many Americans in particular about the axis of evil getting nuclear weapons. Why? The US president has recently restarted research into the use of nuclear arms on what would previously be considered conventional targets, in particular as bunker-busters. So to the US government an increase in the use of nuclear arms is merely good policy, and certainly not something that has to be stopped. Of course one could reply that Iran and Nor...

In recent times I think we've all grown aware that there seems to be a thriving trade in insults on the political pages of Joe User. From the Right's stock phrases "Go back and look at Clinton" and "loony loopy/lopopy luddite" (Drs. Guy et Miler, 2005) to the leftist's "shut up you ignorant moron" and vitriolbot (Myrrander et al, various), I think JU is seeing a renaissance in insults not seen since the height of the pre-election fervour. I for one applaud it. I think it's time for eve...

The political commentator (mindus numbingus) is a fairly common animal, and one that can be found throughout the known world. Split largely into two seperate strands (socialus and liberalus) the displays and posturing of these creatures has entertained many throughout known history. The species can be broken down into a number of sub-species or genus - both strands appear to be found in roughly equal amounts in all genii, and scientists are still working to unlock the hidden secrets of ...

In recent days a number of writers on this site have released their manifestos about patriotism. Conservatives like Draginol have argued that to be a critical leftist is to be unpatriotic. Liberals like Same Old Rat have plaintively asked, "Why?" In response it has been said that to believe that the US is anything but a force for the greater good in this world is to be unpatriotic. Fair enough - blind patriotism requires unending support in the face of any evidence, whether manufactured o...

I came across an interesting article today which talked about McCain and his charming tendency to describe every international situation as Armageddon cometh. I had never really put it all together in my head previously, but news.com.au blogger Tim Dunlop (blogs.news.com.au/news/blogocracy/index.php/news/comments/foreign_policy_hyperbole_ah_mccain) has brought up an interesting point about America's favourite former POW/senator. As president, his authority and international capacity for actio...