The great empire operators of today and their governments are as devious as those of the past, possibly more hidden in their intent, because the plebs, us, are more educated. 

If scientific method is only one form of a general method employed in all human inquiry, how is it that the results of science are more reliable than what is provided by these other forms? I think the answer is that science deals with highly quantified variables and that it is the precision of its results that supplies this reliability. But make no mistake: Quantified precision is not to be confused with a superior method of thinking.

Abbottism was going down like a lead balloon, so Abbott was replaced by Turnbull who made all the right noises that could have put the LNP back in the running. But the cabinet was still full of Abbottists, and the policies were still Abbottist. So nobody was fooled. Nobody outside the Liberal party anyway.

The caustic editorial followed similar comments made by The Project co-host Waleed Aly who on Wednesday noted Mr Turnbull had also failed to appear on their show.

Armytage said all of commercials networks had been frozen-out by the Prime Minister's office and suggested Mr Turnbull had no interest in talking to Sunrise viewers.

"We should point out we have asked Prime Minister Turnbull to appear on this show throughout the later stages of this election campaign," she said.

When Tony Abbott suddenly declared the push for marriage equality to be "an important issue" last year – breaking with the political right's belittling of it as a boutique pre-occupation of inner-city "luvvies" – it was tempting to imagine the Coalition had undergone an epiphany.

It's a neat pre-election trick in which the Coalition is taking the political dividend of appearing modern and progressive, while studiously avoiding discussion of critical details of its plebiscite. 

There was great anticipation as Trump stepped up to the microphone at a press conference on the ninth hole of the course, close to a cliff. Before he could say anything, a man wearing a Turnberry sweater jumped up to apologize for having forgotten to hand out golf balls to the crowd— then tossed dozens of red golf balls featuring a black swastika in Trump’s direction. Secret Service agents surrounded the man, British comic Simon Brodkin, and escorted him away.

You had high hopes... Malcolm was different. Malcolm was progressive... You have been disappointed. You don't know why.

You should feel robbed. Malcolm is a smiling con man. And the cover of the Daily Telegraph is proud to announce such, this morning as if it was a valuable feat of brilliant deceit.