=== Todays Toon ===
Heath depicted in a political cartoon as a uniformed British soldier in conflict with the Irish in Northern Ireland
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was a British Conservative politician, who served one term as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and the Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath's accession marked a change in the leadership of the Conservative Party from aristocratic figures such as Harold Macmillan and the former Earl of Home, to the meritocratic Heath and Margaret Thatcher, his successor.=== Bible Quote ===
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17=== Headlines ===
Men and women are doing tough work away from home and around the globe to protect America's freedom every day.Israel Defends Actions to U.N.
Under pressure from even its allies over incident that killed nine people, Israel fires back against idea ships were peaceful, unarmed and humanitarian
IAEA: Iran Boosts Enriched Uranium
Iran has two tons of enriched uranium, enough for two nuclear warheads and prompting concerns from the West
Hurricane Season Sparks Oil Worries
Administration says BP better equipped to deal with Gulf spill as worries grow over the impact of hurricanes
Israel has defended its deadly raid on a flotilla of ships carrying aid to Gaza, saying "what kind of peace activists use knives ... and fire from weapons stolen from soldiers?"Patients 'deliberately infected'
A DOCTOR may have deliberately infected more than 40 women undergoing late-term abortions.
'Swinging' left wing voters opt for Greens
GREENS support soars, leaving Labor and Coalition with smaller margins.
Dad 'will never recover' from boys' deaths
THE father of two brothers found dead in their bedroom is inconsolable, his mother says.
Folau signs $3m deal to switch codes
ISRAEL Folau walks out of rugby league and signs three-year contract with new AFL team.
Psychologist quits over jail love affair
PRISON psychologist gives up career for love after falling for convicted armed robber.
ALP Defends ridiculous tax
LABOR MP Gary Gray, the party's election committee chairman in Western Australia, has dismissed saturation TV advertisements attacking Labor candidates over the mining tax, describing them as "lazy and inflammatory". And former Carpenter Labor government minister and candidate in the Liberal-held seat of Canning, Alannah MacTiernan, said she was determined to win the contest of ideas against the "doom and gloom" campaign. But a recent poll found strong opposition to the resource super-profits tax could cost Labor two of its four federal seats in the west. The Liberals hold the other 11.Australian war hero rejects PR role
A YOUNG Australian of the Year and VC holder declares he does not want to do any more PR tasks and plans to return to the army.
Women divided over paid ALP's abysmal parental scheme
HALF of Australia's mothers will not qualify for the new paid parental leave scheme next year because they earn too much. Many other women who have their children more than mid-way through the financial year will be better off claiming the $5185 baby bonus rather than $7342 paid parental leave. This was because the paid parental leave payment will be taxed at a woman's marginal tax rate and tax clawbacks could eat into the new payment, which begins in January. Mothers whose babies are due in February would be better off with the baby bonus, while those expecting in July would get the most from the new scheme, retired State Bank executive Peter Apps, who has studied the tax effect, said. A war has broken out between working and non-working mothers over the fact working mums will get $2000 more when they have babies.
=== Comments ===
On foreign policy, Rudd doffs the dunce’s hatPiers Akerman
MANDARIN-speaking Kevin Rudd has lost the voters he once impressed with his self-proclaimed diplomatic skills. - The Alan Jones interview with Iemma and Costa was enlightening. It is good that both of them are out of power, as we were able to hear of the inner compromises of the ALP first hand .. something we would never have been told about by them were they still in government. Rudd comes off looking like the blind among them blind, a true spineless wonder. Rudd is threatened by the wind, and must bend whichever way it blows. Which may be why his unpopularity is cause for a declaration of a national emergency and 38 million dollars being spent on promoting Rudd.
But the truth is far worse than what Iemma and Costa paint. They weren't competent in office either. NSW had been given a great gift by Mr Greiner (and Mr Fahey) which the ALP squandered in the fifteen years since. NSW had sidestepped the '80s recession of Paul Keating and avoided the collapse of financial institutions that the ALP gave WA, SA and Victoria. NSW ALP inherited an opportunity in the form of the Olympics and they butchered it, turning it into a pork barrel and squandering the opportunity for long term reform or development of infrastructure.
Rudd is abysmal, but none in his party are better. With the spotlight so consistently on ALP failure, the Greens are looking good to 'swinging voters' who only ever vote left. But only the conservative parties offer long term prosperity, long term reform and long term development. - ed.
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A Tale of Two Americas On Memorial Day 2010
By William Forstchen
So what the hell do these conservatives want out of Obama? And does it matter if Obama throws some leaves on a tomb?Memorial Day. Those of us old enough to remember might recall a parent or grandparent who referred to it as “Decoration Day.” We might recall as well that “Memorial Day,” was not on the last Monday in May, serving as an endcap for a three day weekend of sales and vacations, but instead was observed on May 30, no matter what day of the week that was.
--David Corn
It started shortly after the Civil War when General Logan, who was part of the forces occupying the South, supposedly observed Southern women laying spring flowers on the graves of both Confederate and Union dead. Logan wrote of it, urged a national day of commemoration and thus “Decoration Day” became a tradition in nearly all states.
After World War One, the fallen of that conflict became part of the memorial services as well. (more at the link)
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VOICES HEARD
Tim Blair
Q & A host Tony Jones joins South Australian Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi, Labor member for Bennelong Maxine McKew, singer Clare Bowditch, former Young Liberal Mitchell Grady and Miriam Lyons from the Centre for Policy Development in this week’s discussion:
1:25 – 8:48 Mealy-mouthed mush about the Gaza flotilla. Claims Grady: “It’s taking wheelchairs and blankets and medicine.” Audience member: “It’s racism.” As John Hawkins says: “It’s at times like these when you get to see which side really supports Israel.”
9:01 – 18:01 McKew faces the first question on her government’s mining tax and Kevin Rudd’s hypocrisy. People laugh at her. Lyons makes excuses for the government. McKew raises the crucial subject of swine flu. Bowditch is upset about a “minority of people who are gaining a whole lot of wealth”. Yes; people who work harder. The Grady lad makes a good point badly.
18:10 – 26:30 Something about Norway’s sensational socialism from an audience member. Lyons totally agrees. Another good point made in poor style by Grady, who is a former debating champion and for some reason wants people to know that. McKew begins talking about Port Hedland. Bernardi draws mixed reaction on mentioning the government’s overall record.
26:45 – 34:21 Audience member asks if Facebook and other social media encourage a culture of self-obsession. Host Jones refers this to singer Bowditch. Her answer runs for nearly two-and-a-half minutes during which she refers to herself more than 20 times.
34:22 – 35.53 McKew announces: “I’m not a libertarian when it comes to the internet.” The rarely-sighted member for Bennelong opposes anonymous online comments.
37:00 – 41:07 Audience member asks about a burqa ban, which Bernardi has previously supported. Says Bernardi: “The very least that we can expect is that people can see other people’s faces.” Confusingly, Bowditch responds: “This sort of approach is playing the ball not the game.” Weaving all over the place, Bowditch eventually decides that we “need to tread carefully when we’re talking about imposing our culture on other people.”
41:12 – 42:27 Grady, the youngster, is yelling. He isn’t shy. I don’t think he’s spent a great deal of time in pubs outside of urban centres. He is tolerated here.
42:30 – 43:06 McKew, whose ultra-stern attitude is undermined by the giggly audience, plays the Nazi card: “I also look at what happened in the last century in Europe, and when countries in Europe felt the chill winds of economic fragility, they targeted people on the margin. Let’s keep that in mind.” Note that McKew opposes anonymous internet commentary while also opposing a ban on the anonymity provided by burqas. Her opposition is a big tent, as it were.
43:08 – 43:13 Exchange of the night:
McKew: “I have yet to see a burqa in Bennelong.”
Bernardi: “You should be there more often.”
The subsequent laughter and applause runs for a full eleven seconds. McKew’s laser Rage Glare kicks in at 43:15, after which she defaults to Nurse Ratchett mode, first blaming the likes of Bernardi for Malcolm Fraser leaving the Liberal party then delivering this: “It is a basic tenet of liberalism that you allow people freedom of expression, and I’m afraid one of those freedoms of expressions is the freedom to dress how you wish.”
Fraser, a famously expressive dresser, might agree. But someone who fears physical and cultural reprisals unless she wears a burqa might not.
45:29 – 45:50 Grady is shouting, again, this time about the lack of compassion in the Liberal party and throughout conservatism. Margaret Thatcher, he claims, was merely “successful in that she won elections”. Then she ruined everything. Grady‘s authority isn’t tempered by the fact that he wasn’t alive at the time of Thatcher’s first election and was only one year old when she left office.
45:50 – close Can’t watch any more.
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Israel faultless over Hamas provocation
Andrew Bolt
A great victory for Hamas:
ISRAEL today blamed activists on board the Gaza aid ships for the bloodshed which broke out when Israeli navy seals stormed the boats in a raid which killed at least 10 passengers…Israel will need to provide some evidence of that claim. If video from protesters contest it, this could prove a PR disaster.
The Israeli army said four soldiers had been injured, one of them severely, in the clashes on board one of the boats in which live ammunition was used by both sides…
Israel’s army radio said between 10 and 14 people had been killed in clashes which broke out after the passengers allegedly tried to grab weapons off the naval commandos who tried to storm one of the boats.
UPDATE
Some BBC footage here shows (particularly near the very end) Israeli soldiers being attacked.
UPDATE 2
One of many reports being pumped out by Iran’s English-language and anti-Israeli news service, taking in also the attack on Israel’s consulate in Istanbul. This smells of someone’s cooking.
UPDATE 3
Not all those on board seemed committed to peace:
On the day before the Gaza flotilla confronted the Israeli navy, Al-Jazeera TV documented the pre-battle atmosphere created by men on board the flotilla, who chanted a well-known Islamic battle cry invoking the killing and defeat of Jews in battle:UPDATE 4
“[Remember] Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!”
Khaibar is the name of the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad’s army in 628. Many Jews were killed in that battle, which marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia. There are Muslims who see that as a precursor to future wars against Jews. At gatherings and rallies of extremists, this chant is often heard as a threat to Jews to expect to be defeated and killed again by Muslims.
Al-Jazeera also interviewed a woman who said that the flotilla participants’ goal was “one of two happy endings: either Martyrdom or reaching Gaza.”
Israel said its soldiers were attacked - and the video (UPDATED: now with sound) above confirms it:
Video images released by the Israel Defense Forces show activists on board the deck of the largest ship in the flotilla, a Turkish vessel, using metal bars to beat Israeli commandos who had boarded the ship on a rope from a helicopter overhead.The video shows not only soldiers being mobbed and beaten with poles while lying on the ground, but another thrown overboard.
Israeli military officials said the soldiers were carrying paint-ball guns and had orders to use their pistols only to defend themselves. They said the activists took the guns from two of the soldiers and used them to fire at the commandos, who then returned fire.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says his soldiers were just defending themselves after being mobbed on one of the six ships:
“They were mobbed, they were clubbed, they were beaten, stabbed. ... Our soldiers had to defend themselves, defend their lives, or they would have been killed.”UPDATE 5
He said the boarding came as the Israeli navy was checking for any rockets, missiles or explosives that might have been headed for Gaza and destined to be fired into Israel.
Violent protests break out in several cities, including Paris, which is reminded of a little Gaza of its own:
Hundreds of protesters have been clashing with police near the Israeli Embassy after blocking traffic to protest a deadly commando raid on ships carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.UPDATE 6
Protesters, some covering their faces in black-and-white Palestinian scarves, threw stones at police as they charged toward the Embassy to protest against the commando raid in which nine people were killed.
Police responded by firing tear gas, and some officers used police batons to beat back protesters. Paris police headquarters said later Monday that around 1,200 people had joined the demonstration.
Demonstrators shouted “Israel, Assassin!” and “We are all Palestinians,” while youths near the front of the sought to pierce a police line, many waving the Palestinian flag or flags of North African countries.
The marginalisation of Israel continues, so that soon it will stand almost friendless in its own defence against a war to come:
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday that he condemned the Israeli attack on the aid flotilla heading for Gaza...UPDATE 7
Video, apparently shot by the protesters, shows an Israeli soldier being stabbed:
UPDATE 8
It seems the Israeli soldiers had no idea how violent this would get:
The Navy commandos were prepared to mostly encounter political activists seeking to hold a protest, rather than trained street fighters. The soldiers were told they were to verbally convince activists who offer resistance to give up, and only then use paintballs. They were permitted to use their handguns only under extreme circumstances.Some of the weaponry allegedly seized from the “peace” activists:
The planned rush towards the vessel’s bridge became impossible, even when a second chopper was brought in with another crew of soldiers. “Throw stun grenades,” shouted Flotilla 13’s commander who monitored the operation…
The forces hurled stun grenades, yet the rioters on the top deck, whose number swelled up to 30 by that time, kept on beating up about 30 commandos who kept gliding their way one by one from the helicopter. At one point, the attackers nabbed one commando, wrested away his handgun, and threw him down from the top deck to the lower deck, 30 feet below. The soldier sustained a serious head wound and lost his consciousness.
Only after this injury did Flotilla 13 troops ask for permission to use live fire. The commander approved it: You can go ahead and fire. The soldiers pulled out their handguns and started shooting at the rioters’ legs, a move that ultimately neutralized them. Meanwhile, the rioters started to fire back at the commandos.
“I saw the tip of a rifle sticking out of the stairwell,” one commando said. “He fired at us and we fired back. We didn’t see if we hit him. We looked for him later but couldn’t find him.” Two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds to their knee and stomach after rioters apparently fired at them using guns wrested away from troops.
Another video of the “peace” activists’ violence:
UPDATE 9
The “peace” protesters injured four Israeli soldiers (above), says Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs:...more than four naval personnel were injured, some from gunfire and some from various other weapons. Two of the soldiers are moderately wounded and the remainder sustained light injuries.UPDATE 10
Having been engineered by a pro-Hamas group, the confrontation becomes the excuse for a world-wide intifada:
Hamas reacted angrily to the deadly raid.UPDATE 11
”We call on all Arabs and Muslims to rise up in front of Zionist embassies across the whole world,’’ said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, using the Arabic word ‘intifada’…
Melbourne Palestinian supporters have already announced their intention to protest here later today…
In Turkey crowds took to the streets in several cities to vent fury ... “Damn Israel!,” “A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, revenge, revenge!” yelled protesters in Istanbul where about 10,000 people converged…
In London more than 1000 people - some with friends aboard the ships - protested outside the residence of British Prime Minister David Cameron and the Israeli embassy.
In Paris about 500 people joined a noisy protest near the Israeli embassy, waving Palestinian flags and shouting “Palestine will survive, Palestine will conquer!"…
And in Greece, police used tear gas to force back around 1500 protesters outside the Israeli embassy in Athens…
In Lebanon thousands of Palestinian refugees and activists waving Palestinian flags and banners marched in the country’s 12 refugee camps.
“God is great and America is the greatest evil,” they chanted. “Give us weapons, give us weapons and send us on to Gaza,” some chanted at the Beddawi camp in Tripoli…
And in Iran’s capital Tehran, dozens pelted stones at the UN office chanting, “This savage regime of Israel must be wiped out.”
There were also protests Pakistan, Bosnia, Geneva, the Netherlands and Egypt.
The violence occurred in just one of the sixships in the “peace” flotilla - thehttp://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=176998” title=” Mavi Marmara"> Mavi Marmara, which was sponsored by the Turkish IHH (Foundation for Human Rights, Liberties, and Humanitarian Relief) organisation.
Here is what the Danish Institute for International Studies has found about the terrorist links of the IHH:
Turkish authorities began their own domestic criminal investigation of IHH as early as December 1997, when sources revealed that leaders of IHH were purchasing automatic weapons from other regional Islamic militant groups.43 IHH’s bureau in Istanbul was thoroughly searched, and its local officers were arrested. Security forces uncovered an array of disturbing items,including firearms, explosives, bomb-making instructions, and a “jihad flag.” After analyzing seized IHH documents, Turkish authorities concluded that “detained members of IHH were going to fight in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Chechnya”.(Thanks to readers TQS, Mark, Peter and Shaun.)
According to a French intelligence report, the terrorist infiltration of IHH extended to its most senior ranks. The report, written by famed counterterrorism magistrate Jean-Louis Bruguiere, revealed that IHH President Bulent Yildrim had directly conspired in the mid-1990s to “recruit veteran soldiers in anticipation of the coming holy war [jihad]. In particular, some men were sent into war zones in Muslim countries in order to acquire combat experience.”
Furthermore, in the hopes of “obtaining political support from these countries, financial aid was transferred [on behalf of IHH], as well as caches of firearms, knives, and pre-fabricated explosives.” An examination of IHH’s phone records in Istanbul showed repeated telephone calls in 1996 to an Al-Qaida guesthouse in Milan and various Algerian terrorist operatives active elsewhere in Europe – including the notorious Abu el-Ma`ali, who has been subsequently termed by U.S. officials as a “junior Osama Bin Laden.
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Rudd Government lies yet again about its lying ads
Andrew Bolt
They lied when they said they’d ban this kind of taxpayer-funded propaganda,and they lied when they gave their excuse:
THE RUDD government had already called in advertising agencies to pitch for a $38 million taxpayer funded campaign to sell the mining tax before announcing the new tax, despite arguing it was a campaign of misinformation by mining companies that justified the “urgent” expenditure.In my opinion, Rudd is the greatest liar to hold and disgrace the office of Prime Minister.
Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig today released correspondence confirming that Kevin Rudd’s kitchen cabinet consisting of the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, Wayne Swan and Lindsay Tanner approved the $38 million campaign to sell the mining tax reform package on April 20, several weeks before it was publicly announced on May 2.
The government has argued it was a matter of urgency to rush out the taxpayer funded advertising campaign because of a campaign of misinformation by the opposition and mining companies.
But the correspondence released today reveals that when Wayne Swan had already commissioned advertising companies to work on the campaign before he wrote to the Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig on May 10 asking for an exemption from guidelines that would prohibit the advertising campaign.
UPDATE
Former NSW Labor Treasurer Michael Costa steps up his attack:
ONE of the critical issues at the next federal election will be the character of Kevin Rudd. After a string of broken promises, the public is asking: is the Prime Minister believable? Is he to be trusted? Does he believe in anything other than himself?UPDATE 2
Simon Benson’s new book, Betrayal, sheds light on this issue. I and others involved in the attempt to privatise sections of the power industry in NSW to fund an ambitious transport plan have known the answer to these questions for quite a while....
(Labor) machine men no doubt are closely watching the opinion polls and planning to politically execute him if his standing in the polls continues to decline.
From someone who knows:
The total amount currently allocated to advertising by the miners is $12M – the governments $38M is a bit of overkill.(Thanks to reader Marg.)
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Where there’s a will, Nauru has the way
Andrew Bolt
So Tony Abbott’s plan to revive the old off-shore processing of boat people should be a doddle:
THE tiny nation of Nauru has welcomed the Coalition’s plan to revive the Pacific Solution as the island’s phosphate industry dries up.UPDATE
The Nauru high commissioner to Australia and Fiji, Jarden Kephas, told The Age his government would consider reopening the disused detention centre if asked. ‘’The infrastructure that they had before is still on Nauru,’’ Mr Kephas said. ‘’Nauru would be open for negotiation to see how it would benefit everyone.’’
SBS Insight will tonight interview a people smuggler:
This week an alleged people smuggler speaks exclusively to Insight about why he thinks more boats are arriving.(Thanks to many readers.)
And his comments are explosive.
He says that if Australia wants to stop the boats, they shouldn’t accept any more people.
”People see Australia as easy. After three or four months it’s done. The important thing is we definitely get citizenship. We will become Australian citizens immediately.”
The Opposition echoes this sentiment that the Rudd Government policy is soft and they have pledged a return to Temporary Protection Visas, off-shore processing and the possible turning back of boats.
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Can’t really argue
Andrew Bolt
Says Entertainment Weekly:HOMER Simpson has been named as the greatest character created for TV and film in the past 20 years.
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She sees nothing
Andrew Bolt
The new denialism, and one that’s costing us billions:
JULIA Gillard will push ahead with the troubled $16.2 billion schools stimulus scheme after claiming an investigative taskforce had not yet uncovered any evidence of problems.If Gillard can’t see billions being squandered, right under her nose, what else is she missing?
UPDATE
Another thing Gillard missed - how yet another school could build more for less:
St Joseph’s Primary School at Junee, near Wagga Wagga in southwest NSW, received $925,000 under the BER program, which it self-managed to build a multi-purpose centre that included seating for 600, a stage, canteen, art room, drama room, uniform shop, playing courts, mezzanine, storage areas and change rooms.Nearby Junee North Public School received $2 million under the BER, which was managed by main contractor Laing O’Rourke and used it to build a 272 sqm library that included a storage room, computer hub and interactive whiteboards, as well as a special programs room and a staff carpark. The largest building component at Junee North was the prefabricated modular “14 core” library, which cost about $4425 per sqm.UPDATE 2
More that Gillard failed to notice:
A FEDERAL government audit has contradicted Julia Gillard’s claims that 90 per cent of primary school principals back her school building program, suggesting as many as 42 per cent have strong reservations.(Thanks to readers CA and Michael I.)
An Australian National Audit Office assessment of the Building the Education Revolution program for primary schools shows a wider level of dissatisfaction than publicly disclosed and raises concerns that sample data has not been fully investigated.
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Line ball, but the tide is against Labor
Andrew Bolt
Newspoll calls it as Essential Research did yesterday - Labor ahead by the merest whisker, with both leaders seeming to drag down their party’s vote:
THE Greens’ electoral support has soared to a record high, leaving Labor wallowing at its lowest levels of support in four years, while the leadership ratings of Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott have collapsed to their all-time worst…
After two weeks of intense fighting among the Rudd government, the Coalition and the mining companies over the proposed resource super-profits tax and attacks on the credibility of both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader, the Greens have recorded their highest primary vote: 16 per cent, up four points from two weeks ago…
Based on preference flows at the 2007 election, Labor’s two-party-preferred vote rose from 50 per cent in the previous Newspoll two weeks ago to 51 per cent, while the Coalition’s support went from 50 to 49 per cent.
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Maxine jeered: Labor becomes a joke even on Q&A
Andrew Bolt
How dramatically things have turned against Labor. Maxine McKew nearly got laughed out of the ABC studios last night when trying on Q&A to defend Rudd Government’s lying excuses for embezzling public money for party advertising. It got so bad that Tony Jones had to step in to protect her from the jeering.Watch from 8.55 how Labor became a public joke.
UPDATE
Tim Blair watched for as long as he could take it, and in his live-blogging noted this as the exchange of the night, with the crowds roaring as Liberal MP Cory Bernardi topped off a fine performance at the expense of the Invisible Member for Bennelong:
McKew: “I have yet to see a burqa in Bennelong.”(From 43:10.)
Bernardi: “You should be there more often.”
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