Good on you for trying to do something to bring back Democracy in Australia. Unfortunately the old saying that

Re: Peter Hackney's Query about Angus and Robinson

I picked up my copy of NHJ at Angus & Robertson in Chatswood. They had a few stacks of them at the time, so they must have simply sold out.

Congratulations MK for clinically exposing these psuedo-democratic thugs to a wider audience... I only fear that it is too late and that Labor having lost its reason for existence by embracing conservative values is now just a plaything of the same forces that the 'assistant-managers' of Liberalism historically have long toadied up to and will not make any significant difference, even if they do manage a win. But thanks for putting it on the record and attempting to tweak our fighting spirits...

Ohh, and I miss your contributions to LNL.....any chance of a come-back?

Lawrence Winder.

Byron Bay's Echo News features a review this week of NHJ and Andrew Wilkie's Axis of Deceit.

One correction, however, with this paragraph:

'Her [MK's] lengthy book includes website contributions, an examination of the Zionist lobby's influence (being Jewish, Kingston is on safer ground than many) and a full-frontal on the Tony Abbott-led 'Australians for Honest Politicians' that led to Hanson's jailing.'

Margo isn't Jewish. At all. I am Jewish, however and I presume that the reviewer is referring to my Hanan Ashrawi chapter.

In other news, the movie, The President Vs. David Hicks opens this Thursday around Australia.

Season commences in Sydney, this Thursday, 12th of August 2004, at the Valhalla Cinema, 166 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe Ph 9660 8050.

One of the directors, Curtis Levy or Bentley Dean will be present at every Sydney screening for a discussion a

Julian Burnside, Robert Manne, Young Australian of the Year Hugh Evans, and Malcolm Fraser have joined forces in a project to co-ordinate an effective campaign in the lead up to the Federal election, for a fair and humane refugee policy for Australia, and to provide resources for this campaign. This includes letting voters know where each candidate (in his or her electorate and in the Senate) stands on our refugee reform policy, as well as producing a range of campaign materials.

The Justice Project needs people to donate their funds, time and skills. For more information, go to: www.thejusticeproject.com.au or write to The Justice Project Inc, P.O.Box 2595 Fitzroy, 3065

Margo - the book has been a great conversation-starter for me, on planes, at airports where I've been reading it and across dinner tables. With passion, clarity and balance, you've opened up stories that we'd only been half-told, and I was both devastated and thrilled in the reading of your stories. Devastated at the wreckage that this Government, its friends, and sometimes its opponents have wreaked on our system. Thrilled that someone had the guts to call the tune honestly, and call us to action, and generate a bit of hope.

Some of the ideology that's gobbling up the Church right now finds a pretty good parallel with the Howard-Bush-Packer-Murdoch club. I'd love to see you doing a bit of unpacking there!!

Cheers,
Kevin Bates

Dear Margo,

Thanks for listing the eminent signatories to the statement calling for honesty in Australian politics. Many media reports mentioned that there were 43 signatories. But of the two websites that have offered a list of signatories, neither have 43. Yours had 39 at: http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/09/1092022386212.html And there are 42 at: http://www.politicsinthepub.org/stoppress.htm

I wonder why it's taken so long for the list to come out and even then not have all the names. I think the signatories need a better media liason officer!

Cheers, Philip

NHJ responds (AL): This is indeed a mystery. I've just done a Google search, and have come up with nothing more substantial. If anybody has further info, please let us know. As you say, Philip, this kind of information should be a public service.

Not Happy, John!

Australians have a reputation for understatement, and the title of this book - to me - is a paradigm example. Margo Kingston and other contributors write with a passion for democracy and a fair and just Australian society, and a white-hot anger at what has been done to, if not destroy, then at least tarnish them by John W. Howard and his cronies.

This book strikes me as being incredibly valuable for a number of reasons. It is written by someone who is passionate about our democracy, and ensuring its ongoing health and vitality - and that she sees that a critical and honest media is as essential to that as honest and caring politicians. Margo is also well placed to access information and stories that we'd never otherwise hear about - I've learned a lot about the ins and outs of cross media ownership for example from this book.

But one of the most impressive things is that the anger and the passion do not drown out the humanity of either the au

NHJ is happy to report that the book just keeps running out bookseller's doors.

We've been informed that an additional 3K were placed on order last last week - that brings us up to 32K in print. Amazing numbers after only 6 weeks.

The Herald Sun printed the top ten sellers at Angus and Robertson in their Saturday edition - happy to report than NHJ was sitting at number 7! They're the biggest player in Australia's book trade.

Thanks for your continued support and long may it continue.

What I believe we are seeing is the death of representative (Westminster) democracy, as we know it. Although necessary, just outing 'grease ball johnny' isn't going to stop it all happening again - the quote in NHJ from Hermann Goering says it all.

We actually need to start to truly understand the psychology of fascism in all its forms and the limitations of hierarchical structures or it will just happen again, which is why it isn't just a case of strengthening the 'rules'. In fact JH is actually doing us a favour - representative democracy needs to become dysfunctional before there is the momentum dissatisfaction/outrage/energy) to evolve into something better - participatory democracy.

Maybe there has to be a stage in between where there is a functional balance between representative and participatory democracy, but isn

If you want to volunteer your time, skills, ideas or your money then here is the contact number for John Valder's NHJ campaign office: (02) 9929-6818. See http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/07/1091732135091.html for John Valder's statement.

Just adding to the comments regarding 'Not Happy, John!' at Angus & Robertson bookshops. Looking through their store at Chatswood the other day, I couldn't find NHJ anywhere - and upon asking, was told that they don't have it in stock.

I found this situation quite strange, considering the book is one of the political works of the year, is distributed by a major publisher and has maintained respectable sales positions since release. While A&R not stocking NHJ mightn't seem particularly grave (one can always buy it elsewhere), the fact is that they're Australia's largest bookseller - and in many suburban, provincial and rural locations, the most accessible (and sometimes only) bookseller. So if they don't stock it, the message of NHJ is definitely curtailed.

So here's my suggestion: How about a little grassroots campaign encouraging the chain to stock the book? I'd encourage anyone who's 'Not Happy, A&R!' to send an email to the feedback and general enquiries address -

G'day. Dr Russell Darroch in Canberra is steamed up about the Howard regime's response to the unprecedented plea for truth in war and politics by 43 of Australia's most senior retired defence chiefs and diplomats (the text and signatories are at Webdiary):

'The behaviour today from Howard and co proves how out of touch and morally bankrupt they are as a group and as a government. How dare they, any of them, be so dismissive and disrespectful of senior Australians who have given so much for OUR country on the behalf of ALL Australians. How dare they not at least engage in the basics of common courtesy to which all 43 of these people are fully entitled, never mind treating their public statement of serious democratic issues with proper respect for honest discourse in a democratic society.

'In line with Margo

Margo, I once had you as a Law Lecturer at what was then the Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education, you were and still after 3 degrees are my favourite Lecturer for your no nonsense make it real approach to knowledge. I find your comments re the state of our democratic process very interesting and largely accurate, but I wonder if there is more to it?

Perhaps my 3 favourite books are Jared Diamond

Critics' complaints that Fahrenheit 9-11 is propaganda rather than documentary is more understandable having seen the film myself, but I was never under any illusion that Michael Moore would present anything other than his own perspective. That's OK; in a democracy we're supposed to be open to dialogue, to allow airtime for opposing views. What was disappointing for me was that Moore's selective use of information, while targeted to a US audience, detracted from the potency of his message.

The clearest example of this selectivity was in Moore's roll call of the 'Coalition of the Willing'. Omitting to mention Australia (or the UK) as collaborators in the Iraq invasion may have passed unnoticed in the US, but here it contributes to the sense of helplessness I feel in the face of a government that cynically distorts facts to suit its own purposes.

It is clear from the opening scenes of Fahrenheit 9-11 that Bush should never have been elected President. However, it i