PEOPLE often remember the past with exaggerated fondness. Sometimes, however, important aspects of life really were better in the old days.

During the three decades after World War II, for example, incomes in the United States rose rapidly and at about the same rate — almost 3 percent a year — for people at all income levels. America had an economically vibrant middle class. Roads and bridges were well maintained, and impressive new infrastructure was being built. People were optimistic.

It likes to present itself as a grassroots insurgency made up of hundreds of local groups intent on toppling the Washington elite.

But the Tea Party movement, which is threatening to cause an upset in next month's midterm elections, would not be where it is today without the backing of that most traditional of US political supporters – Big Oil.

The billionaire brothers who own Koch Industries, a private company with 70,000 employees and annual revenues of $100bn (£62bn), used to joke that they controlled the biggest company nobody had ever heard of.

Tony Abbott (''Soldiers thrown to wolves, says Abbott,'' October 13) seems to be suggesting that Australian troops should not be subject to the rule of law. Imagine the outcry if he were to suggest that a priest accused of sexual abuse should not have that claim tested in court because we should support priests who are working for the good of the community.

China overnight slammed the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo as a violation of the award's ideals, while the laureate's joyful wife led calls for his immediate release.

Beijing - which has repeatedly branded the 54-year-old writer a criminal following his December 2009 jailing for 11 years on subversion charges - also warned Norway that ties would suffer over the Nobel committee's decision.

"The Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to those who work to promote ethnic harmony, international friendship, disarmament and who hold peace meetings. These were [Alfred] Nobel's wishes," foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.

While Ms Gillard said yesterday she no longer intended to comment on the saga and thus fuel it, Mr Abbott said he needed to keep defending himself because he was the gatekeeper of the nation's values.

''One of the things that so disappoints me about the election result is that I am the standard bearer for values and ideals which matter and which are important and … as the leader of the Coalition, millions and millions of people invest their hopes in me and it's very important that I don't let them down.

''When I am unfairly attacked, I've got to respond and I've got to respond in a tough way.''

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded with a firm "no" to claims she has been involved in "back alley bitchiness" over her spat with Tony Abbott about visiting Afghanistan.

Coalition frontbencher Christopher Pyne yesterday suggested Ms Gillard was using "back alley bitchiness" to hurt the Opposition Leader.

"It's not my intention to add to this matter in any way, shape or form," Ms Gillard told the Queensland Press Club today.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/i-am-not-being-bitchy-gillard-20101012-16hc5.html