Wikileaks and truth

I've enjoyed the revelations from Wikileaks. In many ways it has increased my cynicism of Government. Some of articles which confirm my discomfort with government.

:: "The Age" RIO Tino giving evidence to Chinese authorities regarding one if its employees. Why isn't the Australian government responding to this?

:: "The Age" Mark Arbib one of labour 'faceless' men, telling the US that Rudd would be replaced months in advance from when it happened. Giving the US the low down on how Australian government decisions are made. What a RAT!

:: "The Age" Kevin Rudd reporting that the Afgan war 'scares the hell' out of him. It makes you wonder was the whole parlementary debate was about? What are we doing there if Rudd has such resovations?

:: The ABC Paypal refusing payments to wikileaks? Yet takes money from the porn industry, the klu klux klan. What is it about company's that make moral judgement about what is right and wrong?

I certainly don't think wikileaks is doing the wrong thing. I'm sure the Murdock press and other media moguls would publish whistle blower material if it was in there interest. But I fear that Murdock has to much money and to many friends in high places, its not in his interest to be the first to publish. Sure his paper rats on small local stuff. But this, no way.
One of the good thing about the internet is that we don't have to read media moguls material. We have a choice. Murdock et als  power base is been chipped away.
The thing which is most worrying is governments not doing things because they are the 'right thing to do'. Rather there motivations are about alliances, what's best for business, what makes our country look better.
Is there such a thing as open government? Honest government? Honest people in power?
It just makes the Greens party look better and better.

Related articles

• Arbib revealed as secret US source (theage.com.au)
• ABC The Drum - Rudd and Arbib duck the North Korea of the internet (angryindian.blogspot.com)

Get the Afghanistan out...

I think we should get our troops out. Enough is enough this war is primarily George Bushes' when he decided on the vengeance option after the twin towers of 9/11.
As a Christian I don't think the 'just war' theory adds up. Maybe in defence but not for offence.
Australia is just tagging along with what George Bush started.
If you look at the military deaths in Iraq they are 4744, in Afghanistan they are 2166. The casualties for the 9/11 are 2977. Something is not adding up here!
For me I'm convinced there would have been a better way. Vengeance has not worked.

Thus for me I'm disappointed that both major parties in Australia are for keeping the troops in Afghanistan. I'm also saddened that there are not so few Christian voices speaking up about pacifism as an option.
Not surprising the Greens are walking the line that Jesus would have taken...

Related articles

• Security strategy: The age of uncertainty | Editorial (guardian.co.uk)

politics and compromise

The government started the ball rolling with starting a committee on Climate change. The coalition where given a spot and the the shadow environment minisiter, my representative in Flinders Greg Hunt ruled it out:: From the SMH

The federal opposition has ruled out joining Prime Minister Julia Gillard's climate change committee, calling the idea "repugnant" and possibly in breach of the parliamentary committee act.
Coalition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt rejected yesterday's offer by Ms Gillard to join the multi-party committee because, he said, it required a preordained belief in carbon trading and would cause electricity prices to rise.
"The Australian Labor Party went to this election with the bedrock, fundamental pledge to the Australian people that they would not have a carbon tax," Mr Hunt told reporters yesterday.
"This committee is repugnant because it has a test that someone must sign up to a preordained outcome.
"I am not aware, and we are not aware, of any such belief-test on a parliamentary committee in the past 110 years.
"That appears to be in breach of the Parliamentary Committee Act."
One of the committee's terms of reference is to consider mechanisms for introducing a carbon price, either through a broadly based emissions trading scheme, a carbon levy or a mixture of both.

What I find frustrating in politics is opposition for oppositions sake. Hunt just seems to be toeing Tony Abbotts line.


The ABC 's"The Drum" pointed this about Hunt::

Hunt himself has bitten the bullet. His intellectual position is in favour of a carbon tax. We know this because he was one of the fiercest advocates of Turnbull's position when Malcolm was Liberal leader.

What I find frustrating about Hunt is that he is a smart. I actually think out of all the heads in government he probably is the best environmental minister there could be. My issues is he is going to play the Tony Abbott line.
So what is the best for Australia? Putting the best man for the job into power only to be muzzeled by Tony Abbott?
Politics and compromises. Maybe ever moral compromises...