Loved the book, just sorry I've not had the time to get it around more. Unfortunately here we have Patrick (the weasel) Secker as our local member. Get this, the member in South Australian who's ENTIRE electorate encompasses the Murray comes out and says that we should not increase flows. Oops I'd better change what I think I said (he said he didn't really mean it). However with a margin of 17% even the drovers dog would win here, if it had a blue ribbon round it's neck. How do I get the stickers or do I print my own?

Sorry, but anyone who seriously thinks Liberal MP Trish Worth deserves the bollocking she's getting on refugees for her passing 'cats & dogs' comment just hasn't been paying attention.

Trish Worth-Voting-For is in fact one of the few Howard government medium-l 'damps' with a fine public track record on refugees, and she's earned it the hard way by going against the prevailing grain both inside her party room and in most of her local mainstream press (= 1 crappy Murdoch tabloid, basically). Toughish gig for a bleeding-heart.

Oh yeah - she's also quietly achieved a lot of good for specific asylum seeker families, even in cases where mammal-analogies - and now reportedly seeking a pro-bono Rights lawyer to pursue a Class Action - are these cuddly chappies.

Thank you, Margo - you are a national treasure!

Your book makes a strong case against the regressive nasty politics that I've witnessed in disbelief in the last 8 years, and I suspect the issues you've discussed are only the tip of the iceberg!! For some time I've been worrying about the government's willingness to put its own survival ahead of our national interest and good governance in Australia. This has been at enormous cost to our national values of equity and diversity, generosity and community, and it may take decades to repair the damage. I am excited by your idea of more participatory journalism and the increasing role of the internet in making governments more accountable to us.

It's been weeks since I read your book. I have to admit it seems strange to me that some people find it depressing. I personally found it uplifting and hopeful. It simply confirmed what I already knew but there it was, in public, in print for all to see.

It seems that Australians, and democratic populations generally, have forgotten what Democracy is and what it's supposed to be. Margo, your next book should be a Democratic tutorial - 'Democracy for Dummies'? I'm serious. You could write it by interviewing politicians from all parties over a couple of schooners of beer and getting them to declare themselves, to put in print their names and their idea of their contract with the Australian people. What I've gleaned from the Liberal voters I know is that they care more for the money than the system of government, which is to say the product rather than the process. This is not to say the ALP, Dems or Greens voters are not similarly weighted towards their own concerns. There seems

Great book, I would love to see it as madatory reading for all our college and university students.

Now that our political leaders are seamingly joined at the hip never to be separated, there appears to be just one remaining policy where Australia has not aligned itself with our American friends. An American Citizen can still expect the full support of their Government and all its resources to extract them from difficulty anywhere in the world.

If David Hicks had been an American and it was Australia which had jailed him without charge, John Howard would very quickly learnt how little respect America has for his Australia. They would simply recover the guy at any cost, with absolutely NO concern about the impact on our Diplomatic relationship. Our Foreign Minister would probably come out in praise of the America for having the guts to do what he is unable to even contemplate.

Many other countries have negotiated the release of the countrymen for trial in thei

Status Quo, Not good enough!

The Sunshine Coast Daily editorial today has confirmed that the sitting coalition party members representing the Sunshine Coast are likely to be returned with an increased margin. This has shocked me into action. I am still maintaining the rage after the last election.

How deplorable that the lazy, laid-back

We are horribly sorry.

We have sent out thousands of stickers and have hundreds more requests, but Penguin, who have been extremely generous, can not provide any more.

John Valder's NHJ! campaign can though. I think they might charge ya, which means you get the bonus of being able to contribute directly to a very important campaign.

Go to www.nothappyjohncampaign.com to check out his site, or email anyonebutjohn@yahoo.com, or call 02 9929 6818 or post to
NOT HAPPY, JOHN! Campaign
c/o PO BOX 735 Epping, NSW 1710

I want to help start up some 'Grass Roots' action in support of 'Not Happy John' and against John Howard.

I live in Leonay, NSW - in the Lindsay electorate - Let's get rid of Jackie Kelly as well!!! How do I go about this? Any guidance? I've never done this before.

Please help.

Thanks,
Stel.

NHJ!(HA): Best of luck Stel. Unless there's something I don't know, there's no chance an independent or small-party candidate can win Lindsay from Jackie Kelly, but it's not out of the question that the ALP's David Bradbury will get the required 5.5% swing to do the job.

You could support Bradbury, by volunteering, but although they are small, it would be better to check out your local Green branch (or Dem or independent if that's your preference, so long as they are preferencing Howard LAST). Although the wide field in Lindsay is totally dominated by the Libs and the ALP, the election will still be won on preferences.

Here's some general

A number of people have enquired about local NHJ! groups for their area or, more generally, what to do. The most recent is Steliano Cusmiani, who queries:

I want to help start up some 'Grass Roots' action in support of 'Not Happy John' and against John Howard.

I live in Leonay, NSW - in the Lindsay electorate - Let's get rid of Jackie Kelly as well!!! How do I go about this? Any guidance? I've never done this before.

Please help.

I sort of brainstormed a reply, which I published under his query. But it seems to me that for many individuals who have read Margo's book, 'What do I do, like NOW, to defeat this bastard?' might be a prescient question. So I republish my thoughts here and invite replies and additions, from my collegues and from anyone else. Just post them as a 'Corrections/More Info/Queries/Direct Action

For many years I've felt like a leper whenever I've tried to talk about the Aust political system. I read 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed' several years ago & wondered how the author actually got the people interested enough to attend lectures/workshops & then take action. I have attended functions of or belonged to the main political parties (the Greens being the exception) in Aust and am dissillusioned with the experience.

However, I'm a person who can't shrug it off & say there's no hope. So if you have any contact in the outer Eastern Melb metro area, that isn't going cost an arm & a leg to join, please forward the contact details to me.

NHJ!(HA): On ya Gaye. What electorate are you in?

Does anyone have any suggestions for Gaye? Post them here.

The bastion of economic conservatism, The Economist, has this week featured NHJ in its city round-up. International coverage has arrived:

'With a general election looming, John Howard, Australia

Tex Murdoch and his tabloid propogandists love and respect the Australian people and our democratic processes very, very much. Why, so deeply does he love his former fellow Citizens that he regards it as his personal responsibility to ensure we're all well aware before the election date that that well-known Nazi Bob Brown intends to provide crack cocaine free to our pre-school kids...among many other 'kooky' policies:

- LAWS to force people to ride bicycles more often and eat less meat; [Oh, but do go and check for yourself, voters];
- DRIVING farmers from their land; [Oh, but do go and check for yourself, voters]
- MEDICARE funding for sex-change operations. [Yes, do go and check for yourself, voters]
- CAPITAL gains ta

A-a-a-a-a-h-h-h-h!!!!! Well done Margo!!

I have long been an admirer of your passion which results in an uncommon directness.

Now you have thrown light on the current erosion of our democracy what will we do about it?

This remains to be seen, of course, but I hope your 'laying it on the line' so eloquently may stir the mob, us that is, to further scrutiny of the Canberra lot (this includes those journalists who fail us.).

My feeling is that as you have provided the diagnosis; we need to seek out the solutions without expecting you to come good with the prescription.

Look after yourself as Australia needs you for a long while yet.

A.

The extreme Right has taken hold largely because they have control of talkback. Talkback creates a community of thought for Right wingedness to fester and blossom. Righties backslap and encourage each other to go further.

We in the Left or the sane Right need to speak on a level that ordinary Aussies can understand and will get them excited.

I think if Australia had a left wing shock jock, that would help get the word out. Someone who is perceived as firmly opposed to JH, possibly insulting, but clearly rational. Humour is important to get people to relate.

I have started a weblog mainly in an attempt to oust John Howard. It was free and the more left wing bloggers, the more our community grows and will whoosh people along with us. Right Wingers are quickly taking hold of the blogging community too. Without wanting to sound like a plug for my own blog, it is at http://champas-socialist.joeuser.com and I will