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)

labour and nuclear power

I'm amazed that the Labour party is going to consider nuclear power generation. Labour figure Bob Carr writes

Australia has a theological objection to nuclear power. It’s illogical. Polls have been moving and younger people are more open-minded than those who come of age politically in the 1980s. It remains the only serious base-load alternative to incinerating more coal.

Yep, base-load is a problem in which I'm sure will be worked out in the next couple of years. But Some reasons why I think it a Labour policy not to change is::

::An increasing erosion of Labour to the Greens.
::Chernobyl disaster. No way are these things ever safe. It's not worth the risk.

Related articles

• Labor MPs call for nuclear power debate (news.theage.com.au)
• World nuclear power generation 2010 (nextbigfuture.com)

Good bye family first...

When Mark Latham was defeated in 2004 the 'Family First' candidate snuck under the radar of all major political parties.


Yesterdays agreement by the Greens and Labour appears to mark the end of 'Family First'.

At the 2004 Senate election in Victoria, the Coalition polled 44.1% (3.1 quotas), Labor 36.1% (2.5 quotas) and the Greens 8.8% (0.6 quotas). The Coalition had a clear three quotas, Labor two full quotas, with Labor and the Greens competing for the final seat seat normally won by the left of politics. Labor's preference deal with minor parties was done to get Labor's third candidate ahead of the lead Green candidate. In the end, Labor's vote was lower than expected, and the preference deal with Family First and other micro-parties put Fielding ahead of the third Labor candidate, resulting in Labor's preferences being distributed instead and electing Steve Fielding. Fielding effectively grabbed one of the left's seats.

I can remember in 2004 there was more "Christian" motivation in the election than I've ever seen. Danny Nahlor was on the tick as was Alan Myers from Careforce. It seems with Rudd in 2007 the Labor party made a decicive effort to neurtralise the Christian partys.

In some ways I find the 'Green's' more in line with Jesus bringing in the kingdom. While tradition 'Christian' parties are about 'morals'. Its interesting.