from our friend Vacy Vlazna

For years, economists have posited that prosperity requires growth, with environmental damage as the regrettable but unavoidable consequence. A growing number of critics are now challenging this equation, though, calling for a radical revamping of the economic system.

The income tests for Family Tax Benefits A and B, which cost $20 billion a year according to the budget papers, are far too high, which also results in the Schoolkids Bonus and the Baby Bonus also being poorly targeted as safety net measures.

The Illuminati were amateurs. The second huge financial scandal of the year reveals the real international conspiracy: there's no price the big banks can't fix.

The United States' military expenditures today account for about 40 percent of the world total. In 2012, the US spent some $682bn on its military - an amount more than what was spent by the next 13 countries combined.

We all can have a different view about Anzac day, including this date taking too much importance in the Australian psyche... but there are points at which trespass is unwelcome...

From the Sydney Gazette,

Saturday April 27, 1850.

Late last month, a woman stood alone on the forecourt of Canberra's Parliament House, inhaling gulps of cigarette smoke. ''All very nice,'' she said. ''Too late. Tomorrow it'll be wrapping chips.''

She was, in her knowing bitterness, more prescient than she could have guessed.

So far, Bush has been pursuing the brilliant PR strategy of saying absolutely nothing and never appearing in Major National News. It’s worked remarkably well. It’s the only surefire way to avoid gaffes.

Genuine council reform will fail unless the NSW government takes a plan for forced mergers to the next election, former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett says.