A recent study of political democracy has produced remarkable results. Bruno Frey has compared happiness in those Swiss cantons with the most frequent referenda with happiness in those Swiss cantons with the least frequent referenda. The resulting difference in happiness is roughly equal to the effect of a doubling of income. This has obvious implications for the rebirth of local democracy...

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We tell people that they are selfish and it is not surprising that they become more so. Robert Frank asked students at Cornell whether they would report it if they were undercharged for a purchase, and whether they would return a lost addressed envelope which contained $100. They were asked in September and again in December after one term's work. Students who took introductory economics became less honest, while astronomy students became more honest, and the difference was significant.

We should email and support this guy.

Five senior Liberal MPs have launched an extraordinary public attack on Nationals senator-elect Barnaby Joyce over his opposition to proposed legislation banning compulsory student unionism.

Link

The title to this also includes categories such as 'International' and 'Environment'. I became an instant fan of Dr. James Lovelock when he was interviewed on SBS some time back. All his gloom and doom predictions are now backed up by 1360 scientists from 95 countries. (The Age 31/3) We are heading for destruction of life as we know it within a very finite time and the major causers and greatest disregarders of this are the governments of Howard and Dubya! These two countries, Australia and US of A remain determined not to sign up with the rest of the world to the Kyoto protocol which itself at best provides lip service to a burgeoning problem and a schedule which is hopelessly too far down the track.

This is from www.sourcewatch.org.

In the United States, the Republican Party uses a network of conservative foundations, coordinated by the Philanthropy Roundtable, and described in an extensive report (March 2004) by Jerry M. Landay for Mediatransparency.org, supporting conservative think tanks, industry-friendly experts and subsidized conservative media that systematically spread their messages throughout the political and media establishment. Typically, the message starts when conservative voices begin making an allegation (e.g., Democratic candidates are engaged in "hate-mongering" with regard to Bush). Columns are written on this theme, first in conservative media (including blogs), but eventually appearing in mainstream media like the New York Times. This process can be used to turn an unsupported allegation or a partisan talking point into an "accepted fact."