"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy: that is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."

John Kenneth Galbraith

'The Bush administration has leaped toward war with Iran by, in essence, declaring war with the main branch of Iran's military, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which it plans to brand as a terrorist organization.

A logical evolution of US President George W Bush's ill-defined, boundless "war on terror", the White House's move is dangerous to the core, opening the way for open confrontation with Iran. Thismay begin in Iraq, where the IRGC is reportedly most active and, ironically, where the US and Iran have their largest common denominators.

Nelson admits strip visit as Rudd fallout continues …..

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson has admitted visiting a strip club when he was younger.

As Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd comes under fire for a night at a strip club in New York four years ago, Dr Nelson has admitted visiting one almost 30 years ago.

"I remember being at one when I was 20, in Adelaide," he told ABC radio in Adelaide.

ben eltham writes …..

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson: shopaholic

When it comes to problem shoppers, one Australian is in a class of his own: our Defence Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson. There aren't too many of us wealthy enough to shell out $6 billion on a whim. Brendan Nelson is. And he's not afraid to slap the plastic down on the spur of the moment.

This week rattus announced the sale of uranium yellowcake to India & that it was also considering sales to Russia.

The rodent solemnly declared that no yellowcake will be sold to India, unless the Indian Government agreed to a set of strict conditions aimed at preventing that uranium from being used in nuclear weapons. Of course the little trickster ignored the obvious fact that India’s current uranium supplies would be able to be redirected into its nuclear weapons programs, as they are replaced with uranium from Australia.

‘Someday, we will undoubtedly discover that, in the term "surge" - as in the President's "surge" plan (or "new way forward") announced to the nation in January - was the urge to avoid the language (and experience) of the Vietnam era.

Wall St up and down as Aust dollar slumps …..

It has been another testing night on global financial markets.

Stock prices on Wall Street have slumped, then recovered, while the Australian dollar has been subjected to another drubbing.

Wall St Up & Down As Aust Dollar Slumps

’Given the nation's tottering infrastructure, imperial overreach abroad and vandalized constitutional process by a lawless executive branch, what will it take to scare the general public, mainstream press and political classes into immediate action to bring about meaningful change? At this twilight hour of the American republic, there must come a paradigm shift of seismic proportions or else the republic will perish. I'm less than optimistic.

Peter Andren

Peter Andren, the Independent MP for Calare, has announced that cancer has forced him to withdraw from his campaign for a Senate seat. He has been a strong campaigner for democratic integrity as well as a supporter of the Audit. We send him our very best wishes for his recovery.

Victorian premier resigns

After eight years in office, Victorian premier Steve Bracks stepped down on 30 July 2007. His contribution to restoring democratic practice in the State, including entrenching the independence of the Auditor-general and of the Director of Public Prosecutions, is discussed in this article by Joseph O'Reilly in New Matilda:

Alberto Gonzales

US Attorney General

Counsel to the President, Judge Alberto Gonzales

Alberto R. Gonzales was sworn in as the nation's 80th Attorney General on February 3, 2005.

‘Investigative journalist Mark Schapiro discusses why companies that manufacture hazard-free products for the European Union often produce toxin-filled versions of the same items for America and developing countries.

‘The concept of a pre-emptive war should be an abomination to every American. Pre-emptive war is a war of aggression. It was the policy of Hitler's Germany and of the Japanese imperial government. To our national shame, apparently many Americans support the concept. They should never again criticize the Japanese for Pearl Harbor, the Third Reich for the invasion of Poland, or the Soviet Union for the invasion of Afghanistan. Click your heels and salute. You are no different from the people who cheered for Hitler.

from Crikey …..

Revelations that Peter Costello shot his mouth off over dinner with three senior Canberra journalists in 2005 should probably be filed - along with the small legion of other Costello indiscretions - under P, somewhere between petulance, Peter Principle and pique. None of these continually reported digs amount to much more than verbal pouts, and none look likely to trouble Costello's stubbornly persistent nemesis, the PM.