Friday 4th of July 2025
Home

Blogs

Overwhelmed by emails, MK in Adelaide, John Valder on <i>Sunday</i> ()

Hi all.

'Scuse us if we're taking a while to get back to you on your latest emails. We've been a bit swamped by requests for stickers. MK's in Adelaide just now, but she'll get back to you asap. Also, be watching Nine's Sunday this weekend for a feature on John Valder's 'NHJ' campaign in Bennelong.

The Daily Telegraph mention ()

The Murdoch press have virtually ignored NHJ. Rather unsurprising really, considering the book takes aim at the Murdoch philosophy and concludes his vision for media consolidation is an anathema to a healthy democracy.

So it is with some surprise that the Daily Telegraph's Malcolm Farr mentioned the book at all, albeit in passing, on August 2.

Writing about the alleged rush of political books in an election year, Farr couldn

Angus & Roberston stocking situation (Cheryl Weisenberg)

Angus & Robertson here in Toowoomba don't have Not Happy John, even though they've got most of the other current political books. I asked about it and was told they could get it in for me within two weeks. I just bought it elsewhere instead (Mack Campbell's). I've emailed head office for an explanation and will let you know if I get a reply.

Small Businessman (Michael McCluskey)

I heard of your book via Steve Austins programme in Brisbane and requested and received it as a recent birthday gift. It is a truly disturbing book for anyone who cares about our country.

If economic management was the only basis upon which people could vote, then the Howard Government would quite rightly deserve to be reelected. It isn't and the Government's actions regarding Iraq, children overboard and refugees have illustrated they hold the people in utter contempt and believe they can get away with it. They are a government that has abused the ultimate trust and as a result are no longer fit to hold office.

What has troubled me for a long time is that both of the major parties do everything they can to distort and hedge on issues. It is little wonder why people generally think little and expect the same from our politicians. At the crux of it in my view is career politicans who are so desperate to stay in parliament they will say and do anything to get reele

A&R feedback (Derrick Ashby)

I bought my copy of NHJ from A&R in Melbourne, for what that's worth.

NHJ! (HA): For what it's worth, I'm pretty certain there is no conspiracy at a book-distributor level to not stock Margo's book. Instead, what people are finding is the result of sales far outstripping expectations very quickly. As a rule, booksellers sell books because of the profit margin, and not many would bother cutting profits for the sake of some political point in full knowledge that other shops will just say, 'Thankyou very much'. If individual booksellers here and there choose not to stock the book for their own quixotic political reasons that is another thing, but not of much concern to our democracy. There might be a fine line between a healthy nose for problems in our democracy and paranoia. I might be wrong.

Still, Angus and Robinson's reply to Cheryl Weisenberg might be worth noting, but I suspect it wi

Re Shirley Blair and compulsory voting (Derrick Ashby)

Shirley wants to know what other countries in the world have compulsory voting. Don't know the answer to that, but I do think that having it improves our democracy. How many other democracies in the world actually work as well as ours (as badly as it does sometimes work...)? She would like to ensure that only committed people vote. I sometimes think that being committed is just what the people who voted for our current government need to be. Most people faced with a compulsory vote actually do think seriously about the choice. The main problem is that they are not provided with the information required to make an informed choice because both politicians and media organisations lie to them. You only need to look at the United States to see what happens to a democracy where not only voting but registration to vote is voluntary.

NHJ! (HA): See also the comments of
I have thrown my lot in with the Greens. I am their candidate for Hughes in the nex

Seeking others in Brisbane (Robyn McGee)

The other day I read an article about the Reid group (I think - can't find the article again) and was wondering if there's a Brisbane 'branch' or if there are any similar groups in Brisbane or if anyone knows of any grassroots groups of interested people who have concerns about our democracy and the direction it's taking?

I'm sick of seething in silence - I want to get involved! Are there others out there in Brisbane who are equally appalled at the state of our democracy and have been encouraged by Margo's book to get involved? I can be contacted on rlm312@hotmail.com

NHJ responds (AL): Check out http://www.reidgroup.org/ for further info. I'm sure like-minded invidivuals in Brisbane are out there. If not, maybe you, Robyn, could start a Reid Group branch?

Television Campaign - I can make TV or radio ads (Darrell Rigby)

I want to take action. I own a post production company in Wollongong and make TV commercials, doco's etc etc for the Broadcast Television industry. I can write & make some TV commercials espousing the feelings of the Not Happy John book & website. To get them on air we need to buy airtime. If it could be co-ordinated we could all donate money into an account solely to get airtime and spread the message once the election campaign starts. We probably can't afford metro Television rates, but regional television airtime is pretty cheap. Grass roots democracy electronically - works for me.

NHJ responds (AL): This sounds like a wonderful idea. If anybody has any ideas and/or contacts in regional TV areas of Australia, don't hesitate contacting NHJ or Darrell.

NHJ! and the League of Rights (CILLA TEY)

I was googling 'League of Rights' + 'Howard', after hearing the rumour regarding Howard senior being a member. I was so surprised to find that they are selling NHJ! (refer below, I have cut and pasted from www.alor.org). Maybe I should also check out www.pm.gov.au!

BOOKS FROM THE MAILING SERVICES: 'Not Happy, John' by Margo Kingston: Solicitor, lecturer in business law and political commentator, Sydney Morning Herald journalist Margo Kingston thinks its crunch time for Australia. She tells us she isn't interested in the old, out-worn left-right rhetoric, what she is interested in is the urgent need for Australians to reassert the core values that once made this nation a humane, egalitarian, liberal democracy - the core values with which she agrees. We could agree with her on many issues. She writes that she is not happy with the way Howard: o He snuck us into the Iraq war without ever really telling us why. o Trampled on our democratic right to know. o Wants to give the Me

Such books don't make a difference ('Lewis Outrider')

Having recently decided that the mainstream media was not a place to get quaility information anymore I began to feverishly buy any books I could find on political and social issues. Having enjoyed some of Michael Moore's scathing observations of America I was pleased to come across your recent publication which has a similiar message pertaining to Australia.

For fifteen years I have been a stress therapist and have chaired a self awareness group. The experience was enriching in many ways, but I was left rather jaded. What I learned was that only about 1 in 20 people have really developed past the level of selfishness that one sees in a new born baby. Once a child discovers the needs of others he/she must learn to accomodate them and this could be be considered the beginning of real awareness.

This growth has become severely stunted in today's society and what gain there has been is usually lost again by the time an individual reaches middle age. (a person's p

We need Swiss style direct democracy for anything to change (Dominique Longheon)

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

A&R Chatswood (Troy Rollo)

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.

Artist (Lawrence Winder)

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.

Echo News takes in NHJ! + The President Vs. David Hicks ()

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

Syndicate content