Labor has traditionally been a party of bigotry, a party of ruling class bigotry. Its formation after the defeats of the strikes of the 1890s saw many workers and their leaders substitute Parliament for direct action as the motive force of history, as the agency of change.

The Priestley’s are due to be forced out of their farms in a few days due to unconscionable conduct by the NAB, says Assoc Prof Evan Jones, yet the courts don’t care.

Odd, isn’t it, how our “collateral damage” is different from their “collateral damage”.

A simple twist of fate has set President Obama’s second Inaugural Address for January 21, the same day as the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday.

Have you heard about the trick they use in fruit shops? If they want to make money from a large load of lettuce they divide it into two. They put half in a ''bargain bin'' and charge something like $3 a kilo. They put the other half at the quality end of the store and charge $6. The well-heeled and uncertain pay $6. Those with less money and keener for value pay $3.

He ditched his father’s media empire, lost a fortune in Vegas and used gaming to get his financial strength back. Now a slimmed-down, cashed-up James Packer is showing his muscle, powering his casino plan into Sydney Harbour’s last prime real estate site.

getting a perspective …. 

from Crikey …..

the moral inconsistency of Australia's stance on Iran

from Independent Australia ….

the US - alongside Saudi Arabia - fights for freedom & democracy in the Middle East

The ability to persuade people that the US opposes tyranny is a testament to the potency of propaganda.

I hesitate to say this but the Prime Minister is living in sin. I don't give a damn. Nor do most Australians. But that sort of thing bothers religious leaders. So much that Labor's Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill will renew their authority to bar anyone in Julia Gillard's shoes from any job in any of their schools, hospitals and charities, even those they run with public money.

Australia at the UN: an obstacle to World Peace …

Tony Abbott probably knows where his first dollar came from. His preoccupation with how much money is coming through the door is legend in Canberra amongst his colleagues.

from Crikey ….

Rundle: taking offence at Roxon's human rights laws

The resulting personal freedom index and overall freedom index looks about right in that most countries fall into the spectrum of freedom that would be generally expected. The top three jurisdictions in the freedom index are New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, in that order.