1837
I've been reading Gotham for something like the last year, dipping in when I'm staying up late or don't have a stack of New Yorker's to get through, and have finally reached the economic crisis of 1837 and the subsequent depression. Speaking of which, the conditions that brought about the the hard times then sound so very much like those prevailing now - with the two notable exceptions of war (none then; lots now) and the "independent" Reserve bank system presently in place (which had been defeated in the marketplace just prior to the crash then) - that I was getting pretty depressed over the economic prospects we face in America and Australia right now.
While the Federal Reserve is a strong and effective institution now, it cannot control every aspect of the economy, and recessions and depressions are nearly inevitable. And while the central cause of America's foreign debt is the war in Iraq, which is ostensibly a temporary situation and one meant to eventually result in better world economic conditions (among other, more immediate and stated goals), the nation's currency is still being substantially propped up by China. If they call in even a portion of that debt. . . .
Meanwhile, in Australia, I can't speak knowledgably about foreign debt, although I understand it's pretty substantial, one of the other key conditions is teh battle against inflation and the relationship of the government to the management of labor vis a vis management, which the present administration seems intent on reverting to conditions more akin to the nineteenth century than the twentieth. In 1837 the government frequently and harshly intervened in labor disputes, prosecuting unions and unionists, supporting strike-breaking, even sending in the troops periodically, to the point that unions were effectively abolished. If anyone looks at the Howard industrial relations laws and says that's not what he's up to in this instance, they're lying or deluded. The argument then, over 150 years ago, was whether the worker had any right to set the worth of his or her labor or if that could only be set by free market forces. Wages went down and prices went up and the depression that resulted was devastating, with little or no assistance provided by the government, which had determined to rely on the same charitable impulses and institutions that the Bush administration has been trying to use as a replacement for welfare. Howard's been pushing for government to get out of the business of providing a social safety net, too, and I fear we're headed for a fall.
If you've got a credit card with any debt on it, pay it off fast, I'd say, and cut the damn thing up. I also had a moment of panic, thinking that selling up our mortgaged-to-the-hilt property might put us in a position to weather the coming storm, but really, our ability to ride out any substantial economic downturn is more reliant on my ability to hold a job than anything else, and the unit is really all we've got. Once the IR laws go into effect, it will be a year at least before the true effect is felt, or more, since I've got a contract for that period. Then we'll see what has to be done or if my utter lack of economics training has just led me into doomsaying.
24 November 2005
Thanksgiving
While the Podeans gather in NYC without us this year, M. and I have failed to institute the tradition here in the antipodes despite our firm resolutions of the last two years. Nevertheless, I blame not ourselves nearly so much as the fault that is in our season. Thanksgiving is always a cold weather holiday to me. Yes, I know it’s celebrated pretty much the same way all around the U.S. and the weather in Atlanta is not so dissimilar from that of Sydney, or Melbourne Florida from that of Brisbane Queensland, but still, like Christmas, there seems something wrong with roasted foods for dinner when the temperature is over 20°.
While the Podeans gather in NYC without us this year, M. and I have failed to institute the tradition here in the antipodes despite our firm resolutions of the last two years. Nevertheless, I blame not ourselves nearly so much as the fault that is in our season. Thanksgiving is always a cold weather holiday to me. Yes, I know it’s celebrated pretty much the same way all around the U.S. and the weather in Atlanta is not so dissimilar from that of Sydney, or Melbourne Florida from that of Brisbane Queensland, but still, like Christmas, there seems something wrong with roasted foods for dinner when the temperature is over 20°.
’Blog Notes
You may recognize Thomas Ashelford’s name from Ether Productions, because that’s the outfit, formed of himself and his wife, Ingrid Spielman, that produced Upskirt, but he’s also got a ‘blog: Wood & Wire. Posting seems to have gone into hiatus nearly immediately upon (re-)startup, but it’s a nice looking ‘blog, as I’d have expected given Thomas’ expertise in matters webish. Right now he’s finishing the sound edit on Upskirt, but later we also look forward to seeing The Pure Drop, Ether’s world music documentary.
You may recognize Thomas Ashelford’s name from Ether Productions, because that’s the outfit, formed of himself and his wife, Ingrid Spielman, that produced Upskirt, but he’s also got a ‘blog: Wood & Wire. Posting seems to have gone into hiatus nearly immediately upon (re-)startup, but it’s a nice looking ‘blog, as I’d have expected given Thomas’ expertise in matters webish. Right now he’s finishing the sound edit on Upskirt, but later we also look forward to seeing The Pure Drop, Ether’s world music documentary.
State Watch
2006 can be the year we take back Congress, and in case you don’t know what’s going on around your state, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has provided this handy little web app. It’s just the House, so don’t forget to keep an eye on Senate races, too.
2006 can be the year we take back Congress, and in case you don’t know what’s going on around your state, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has provided this handy little web app. It’s just the House, so don’t forget to keep an eye on Senate races, too.
Bagging the Minister
I’m not a fan of Amanda Vanstone, Immigration Minister in the Howard government, but calls by the opposition for her to be sacked over comments about the governments anti-terror efforts seem counter-intuitive to me. When a minister speaks out against the party line, I’d think her comments at least might be applauded for their worth to the opposition . Besides, she’s right: most of what’s being done is just for show. The example she cites, outlining a plan for an in-flight attack, is insensitive, but everyone who’s had to give up a nail-clipper at the airport has thought much the same way. Until the airlines start handing out “sporks,” the existing measures are just an annoyance at best. Sure, the cockpit’s been “hardened,” but taking over a flight isn’t the only method terrorists have for wreaking havoc. So Vanstone’s point stands: address the substantive, strategic issues, or you’re just treating the symptom and not the disease.
I’m not a fan of Amanda Vanstone, Immigration Minister in the Howard government, but calls by the opposition for her to be sacked over comments about the governments anti-terror efforts seem counter-intuitive to me. When a minister speaks out against the party line, I’d think her comments at least might be applauded for their worth to the opposition . Besides, she’s right: most of what’s being done is just for show. The example she cites, outlining a plan for an in-flight attack, is insensitive, but everyone who’s had to give up a nail-clipper at the airport has thought much the same way. Until the airlines start handing out “sporks,” the existing measures are just an annoyance at best. Sure, the cockpit’s been “hardened,” but taking over a flight isn’t the only method terrorists have for wreaking havoc. So Vanstone’s point stands: address the substantive, strategic issues, or you’re just treating the symptom and not the disease.
Please, Sir, May I Have Some More
The Howard industrial relations laws have come through the Senate committee with a recommendation for seven changes, but also that the laws should be passed even if no amendments are made. A bad result, and no surprise: the committee, is, of course, the Coalition’s. The news has been reporting various levels of discontent even within the Coalition, suggesting that amendments would inevitably be proposed, but it’s still surprising how the committee acted. If the laws as presented for inquiry don’t contain sufficient protections, then they don’t, and amendments are needed. Otherwise, no amendments. Instead, the committee has said the laws are inadequate but they don’t care. Either they are so in thrall to Howard they can no longer think for themselves or they hold the Australian public in contempt. Assuming Labor (28) have the courage to stand together against this and are joined by the Greens (4) and Democrats (4), it would take only a handful of Coalition (38) backbenchers to put an end to this monstrosity. With their party’s polling numbers falling dramatically, it may be that there are enough Liberals concerned for their seats two years from now to do the trick, but that’s a long way off, and the public has serious ADD problems. While some among Howard’s triumphalists claim a Labor win in two years would allow them to reverse these hideous laws, that isn’t true: they’d need to have a Senate majority itself at that time to ensure a reversion to labor-management equity. It has to be stopped now, before we end up with debtors’ prisons and workhouses.
The Howard industrial relations laws have come through the Senate committee with a recommendation for seven changes, but also that the laws should be passed even if no amendments are made. A bad result, and no surprise: the committee, is, of course, the Coalition’s. The news has been reporting various levels of discontent even within the Coalition, suggesting that amendments would inevitably be proposed, but it’s still surprising how the committee acted. If the laws as presented for inquiry don’t contain sufficient protections, then they don’t, and amendments are needed. Otherwise, no amendments. Instead, the committee has said the laws are inadequate but they don’t care. Either they are so in thrall to Howard they can no longer think for themselves or they hold the Australian public in contempt. Assuming Labor (28) have the courage to stand together against this and are joined by the Greens (4) and Democrats (4), it would take only a handful of Coalition (38) backbenchers to put an end to this monstrosity. With their party’s polling numbers falling dramatically, it may be that there are enough Liberals concerned for their seats two years from now to do the trick, but that’s a long way off, and the public has serious ADD problems. While some among Howard’s triumphalists claim a Labor win in two years would allow them to reverse these hideous laws, that isn’t true: they’d need to have a Senate majority itself at that time to ensure a reversion to labor-management equity. It has to be stopped now, before we end up with debtors’ prisons and workhouses.
21 November 2005
Bondi Weekend
Yet another weekend packed with entertainment. After the movie premiere, with houseguest in tow, we headed out early for the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition (re the article linked here: didn’t much like the faces; oh, well), marching along the cliffwalk from Bondi to Bronte. As usual, for me, the best part of the exhibition is at Tamarama, where much of the beach is devoted to very large installations, including, this year, a giant beach chair, which I rather liked.
Also as usual, there were a couple of instances of Christo-lite: wrapped or netted rocks. They look good, but they’ve been done enough at this stage. After a period of recovery we made our way to Café Pacifico, one of the few places around town doing Tex-Mex food, since our guest is an expatriate American and expressed a hankering for something with chillies from that side of the Pacific.
This suited us, too, and we made a fine meal of margaritas, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas and so forth. Rather done in, we elected a quiet remainder of the evening at home following gelato in Stanley Street, where we watched the bats make their way out of the Botanical Gardens, with a bit of music before our guest left the following morning.
Yet another weekend packed with entertainment. After the movie premiere, with houseguest in tow, we headed out early for the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition (re the article linked here: didn’t much like the faces; oh, well), marching along the cliffwalk from Bondi to Bronte. As usual, for me, the best part of the exhibition is at Tamarama, where much of the beach is devoted to very large installations, including, this year, a giant beach chair, which I rather liked.
Also as usual, there were a couple of instances of Christo-lite: wrapped or netted rocks. They look good, but they’ve been done enough at this stage. After a period of recovery we made our way to Café Pacifico, one of the few places around town doing Tex-Mex food, since our guest is an expatriate American and expressed a hankering for something with chillies from that side of the Pacific.
This suited us, too, and we made a fine meal of margaritas, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas and so forth. Rather done in, we elected a quiet remainder of the evening at home following gelato in Stanley Street, where we watched the bats make their way out of the Botanical Gardens, with a bit of music before our guest left the following morning.
19 November 2005
More Adventures in Movies
Last night was the gala premiere of Upskirt, the 15-minute short film M. wrote and co-produced, inspired by research she'd done for an article in Salon.com. When I read the script, I thought it was one of the very best things M.'s done, so the production was a little fraught for me, although never quite so much as it was for M. herself, or the director, Antonella Franchini, and producer, Ingrid Spielman, both friends of ours, the latter of whom, with her husband, Thomas Ashelford, have a production company, Ether, which has largely focussed on broadband video and similar output (and all three of whom, along with Astrid Spielman, of whom I've written here previously more than once, form the occasional band, The Yokos, whose music is featured throughout the film).
Well, it was all worth it. Upskirt is a finely realized short, with emotional depth, humor, and sensitivity dealing with a subject not often addressed, fetishism, as well as the overall topics of desire, sexual power, and emotional need. The performances by Emma Grant and Graham Harvey, along with support from Lena Cruz and Oriana Panozzo were first rate, as were those turned in by veteran character actor Gary Waddell, and Stewart Armstrong, Madison McKoy, and Brett Danalake, all of them volunteering their efforts, as did the production crew, notably director of photography Steve MacDonald and editor Karin Steininger.
I'll come back in later and add some links, but the important one is the film's website itself (again: Upskirt-the-movie.com, which I recommend using, and not just because trying to do a Google search is going to get you in trouble at work if you're not careful). The website's got some scenes off the cutting room floor, a slideshow of stills, and the usual site material.
The movie was great fun, and our after-party at the new Hilton was a worthy celebration. Congratulations all around and many thanks for everyone's efforts.
Last night was the gala premiere of Upskirt, the 15-minute short film M. wrote and co-produced, inspired by research she'd done for an article in Salon.com. When I read the script, I thought it was one of the very best things M.'s done, so the production was a little fraught for me, although never quite so much as it was for M. herself, or the director, Antonella Franchini, and producer, Ingrid Spielman, both friends of ours, the latter of whom, with her husband, Thomas Ashelford, have a production company, Ether, which has largely focussed on broadband video and similar output (and all three of whom, along with Astrid Spielman, of whom I've written here previously more than once, form the occasional band, The Yokos, whose music is featured throughout the film).
Well, it was all worth it. Upskirt is a finely realized short, with emotional depth, humor, and sensitivity dealing with a subject not often addressed, fetishism, as well as the overall topics of desire, sexual power, and emotional need. The performances by Emma Grant and Graham Harvey, along with support from Lena Cruz and Oriana Panozzo were first rate, as were those turned in by veteran character actor Gary Waddell, and Stewart Armstrong, Madison McKoy, and Brett Danalake, all of them volunteering their efforts, as did the production crew, notably director of photography Steve MacDonald and editor Karin Steininger.
I'll come back in later and add some links, but the important one is the film's website itself (again: Upskirt-the-movie.com, which I recommend using, and not just because trying to do a Google search is going to get you in trouble at work if you're not careful). The website's got some scenes off the cutting room floor, a slideshow of stills, and the usual site material.
The movie was great fun, and our after-party at the new Hilton was a worthy celebration. Congratulations all around and many thanks for everyone's efforts.
18 November 2005
Christmas Comes But Once a Year
But it seems to arrive earlier every year and stay longer, too. Eventually the decorations will stay up year ‘round. Last night, we were riding the bus down to Circular Quay, and as we passed Martin Place I saw the annual tower of fake-fir plastic already in place. I’ve got to speak to the mayor about this: why plastic? This country’s got plenty of very nice Norfolk pines, a favored configuration for ein Tannenbaum, so other than because they put these up down by George Street, where the Anzac cenotaph is, why not plant one and just decorate it each year, leaving the tree bare the rest of the year to provide a nice bit of shade and comforting greenery in the midst of the CBD?
But it seems to arrive earlier every year and stay longer, too. Eventually the decorations will stay up year ‘round. Last night, we were riding the bus down to Circular Quay, and as we passed Martin Place I saw the annual tower of fake-fir plastic already in place. I’ve got to speak to the mayor about this: why plastic? This country’s got plenty of very nice Norfolk pines, a favored configuration for ein Tannenbaum, so other than because they put these up down by George Street, where the Anzac cenotaph is, why not plant one and just decorate it each year, leaving the tree bare the rest of the year to provide a nice bit of shade and comforting greenery in the midst of the CBD?
14 November 2005
Wildcat
The Australian Industry Group, an employer representative organization, has issued a broadcast warning to all employees of member companies that they may face penalties for attending tomorrow’s anti-IR rallies around the country. The AIG is recommending to its membership that they take action against any employee who goes to a rally. I expect some employers to so act, but if the proposed changes were actually fair, none of this would be necessary. Since they’re patently unfair, I’d prefer to see employers actually work with their employees to allow attendance, and, in fact, many employers are doing just that. The debate in the Senate begins today and will last only 5 days. State IR Ministers get 7 minutes apiece to address their concerns, but even if all 5,000 submissions on the matter were to be addressed, hope resides only in the actions of the Coalition itself, that some backbenchers might stand up and do the right thing. Little chance of that, when even the “WorkChoices” call center staff are under threat already. (Thanks to Larvatus Prodeo on that last bit. Meanwhile, check in with the ACTU on tomorrow’s rallies.)
In other labor-related news, the PM won’t step in to help resolve a strike between Boeing and 25 engineers, for which the strikers have expressed their disappointment. Given the last time Howard meddled in a labor dispute, maybe they should be grateful instead.
The Australian Industry Group, an employer representative organization, has issued a broadcast warning to all employees of member companies that they may face penalties for attending tomorrow’s anti-IR rallies around the country. The AIG is recommending to its membership that they take action against any employee who goes to a rally. I expect some employers to so act, but if the proposed changes were actually fair, none of this would be necessary. Since they’re patently unfair, I’d prefer to see employers actually work with their employees to allow attendance, and, in fact, many employers are doing just that. The debate in the Senate begins today and will last only 5 days. State IR Ministers get 7 minutes apiece to address their concerns, but even if all 5,000 submissions on the matter were to be addressed, hope resides only in the actions of the Coalition itself, that some backbenchers might stand up and do the right thing. Little chance of that, when even the “WorkChoices” call center staff are under threat already. (Thanks to Larvatus Prodeo on that last bit. Meanwhile, check in with the ACTU on tomorrow’s rallies.)
In other labor-related news, the PM won’t step in to help resolve a strike between Boeing and 25 engineers, for which the strikers have expressed their disappointment. Given the last time Howard meddled in a labor dispute, maybe they should be grateful instead.
))<>((
M. and I went to see Me and You and Everyone We Know over the weekend. Somehow, when we make the effort to go see something in the cinema, it’s always, well, almost always, a good pick, whereas renting ends up being a much lesser experience, by and large. I suppose I’m just being reactive to how much I enjoyed Miranda July’s movie. After all, Batman Begins wasn’t bad, really. Me and You is, for a commercial film, quirky, which I hate, but it’s also not a commercial film. This is an art movie, a performance piece, with very little story, very little connection between the characters, except for a very desperate need in each of them to find some connection somewhere. The broader outlines of the different failures and forms of success in establishing relationships are seemingly all encountered and treated with great sympathy and humor. I’d be interested to see some of Miranda July’s performance pieces, to find out if they’re anything like the work her character creates in this movie, if this movie is anything like what else she’s done. I’m not expecting her to become a new cinematic presence of any particular note, but this movie is enough to her to have a place as an artist of film.
M. and I went to see Me and You and Everyone We Know over the weekend. Somehow, when we make the effort to go see something in the cinema, it’s always, well, almost always, a good pick, whereas renting ends up being a much lesser experience, by and large. I suppose I’m just being reactive to how much I enjoyed Miranda July’s movie. After all, Batman Begins wasn’t bad, really. Me and You is, for a commercial film, quirky, which I hate, but it’s also not a commercial film. This is an art movie, a performance piece, with very little story, very little connection between the characters, except for a very desperate need in each of them to find some connection somewhere. The broader outlines of the different failures and forms of success in establishing relationships are seemingly all encountered and treated with great sympathy and humor. I’d be interested to see some of Miranda July’s performance pieces, to find out if they’re anything like the work her character creates in this movie, if this movie is anything like what else she’s done. I’m not expecting her to become a new cinematic presence of any particular note, but this movie is enough to her to have a place as an artist of film.
Transparency
Sunlight is a great disinfectant, so I agree with the lawyers for Sydney’s terror suspects: open the proceedings to public scrutiny. I don’t think the need for this is entirely or even in any large measure to maintain government accountability, but rather because the more we all know, the safer we actually become. Ignorance of the threat of terrorism, whether internal or imported, has been more the source of the present precariousness than other factors, that and ignorance of the internal and external conditions that have given rise to such hatred. Our own lack of knowledge and understanding is where our efforts need to be concentrated. Once it comes to arrests and prosecutions the damage is already done, even without any bombs going off. So let’s see who these people are, let’s hear the evidence, let’s hear all of it, and let’s really pay attention.
Sunlight is a great disinfectant, so I agree with the lawyers for Sydney’s terror suspects: open the proceedings to public scrutiny. I don’t think the need for this is entirely or even in any large measure to maintain government accountability, but rather because the more we all know, the safer we actually become. Ignorance of the threat of terrorism, whether internal or imported, has been more the source of the present precariousness than other factors, that and ignorance of the internal and external conditions that have given rise to such hatred. Our own lack of knowledge and understanding is where our efforts need to be concentrated. Once it comes to arrests and prosecutions the damage is already done, even without any bombs going off. So let’s see who these people are, let’s hear the evidence, let’s hear all of it, and let’s really pay attention.
10 November 2005
24/7
So the five-day week is dead? Anyone could have told you that, but it doesn’t mean the same thing the Prime Minister says it does. He wants to eliminate penalty rates, the excess paid for overtime and shift work and weekends at the office, but wouldn’t it be better to use the demands for a 24/7 lifestyle to create rather than destroy? If the demand for the goods and services is that high, the supply can be raised to meet it, and the workers can be paid to provide it. Tanya Plibersek’s right: there isn’t the child care infrastructure to support Howard’s changes, but that’s just one of the problems working men and women will face once employers have been given the freedoms the PM is proposing. And before anyone claims I’m proclaiming some kind of apocalypse, no, the effects won’t occur overnight; it will take years. And that’s what the Liberals are banking on. By the time the full effect is achieved, the public’s attention will have shifted elsewhere. The time to oppose the change is now. The bill’s already through the House, with Tony Abbott playing standover man to gag debate. 24 working hours isn’t a long time to discuss the effects of over 600 pages of legislation, but it’s on its way to the Senate. Call, write, make yourself heard. By the time Labor gets back in power it’ll be too late.
So the five-day week is dead? Anyone could have told you that, but it doesn’t mean the same thing the Prime Minister says it does. He wants to eliminate penalty rates, the excess paid for overtime and shift work and weekends at the office, but wouldn’t it be better to use the demands for a 24/7 lifestyle to create rather than destroy? If the demand for the goods and services is that high, the supply can be raised to meet it, and the workers can be paid to provide it. Tanya Plibersek’s right: there isn’t the child care infrastructure to support Howard’s changes, but that’s just one of the problems working men and women will face once employers have been given the freedoms the PM is proposing. And before anyone claims I’m proclaiming some kind of apocalypse, no, the effects won’t occur overnight; it will take years. And that’s what the Liberals are banking on. By the time the full effect is achieved, the public’s attention will have shifted elsewhere. The time to oppose the change is now. The bill’s already through the House, with Tony Abbott playing standover man to gag debate. 24 working hours isn’t a long time to discuss the effects of over 600 pages of legislation, but it’s on its way to the Senate. Call, write, make yourself heard. By the time Labor gets back in power it’ll be too late.
09 November 2005
Off to See the Wizard
So Kansas has not only decided that creationism is science, but that science isn’t science. I’d expect to see Harry Potter in the Physics curriculum, except it’s about witchcraft and these nuts wouldn’t put up with that. Really, they just never got over Scopes, did they?
So Kansas has not only decided that creationism is science, but that science isn’t science. I’d expect to see Harry Potter in the Physics curriculum, except it’s about witchcraft and these nuts wouldn’t put up with that. Really, they just never got over Scopes, did they?
Music
I’d heard about this new performer, Bright Eyes, some time ago, on Gothamist, I think, and thought, “yeah, sure, Bright Eyes . . . how good can he be? But it stuck in my head, so when a friend turned out to have a couple of Conor Oberst’s discs, it was a short time thereafter before I had a chance to hear the songs for myself. Well, they’re that good. The music itself may not be the most inventive, especially on I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, where it’s largely acoustic, but the lyrics are the most poetic stuff I’ve heard in ages, highly inventive, highly evocative. Listening to the second of his recent releases, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, the cumulative effect is like an audio version of the movie Tarnation. I think some of his recent notoriety would have to be due to the song, “When the President Talks to God,” but that’s all right; it’s a good tune and a fine protest piece.
I’d heard about this new performer, Bright Eyes, some time ago, on Gothamist, I think, and thought, “yeah, sure, Bright Eyes . . . how good can he be? But it stuck in my head, so when a friend turned out to have a couple of Conor Oberst’s discs, it was a short time thereafter before I had a chance to hear the songs for myself. Well, they’re that good. The music itself may not be the most inventive, especially on I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, where it’s largely acoustic, but the lyrics are the most poetic stuff I’ve heard in ages, highly inventive, highly evocative. Listening to the second of his recent releases, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, the cumulative effect is like an audio version of the movie Tarnation. I think some of his recent notoriety would have to be due to the song, “When the President Talks to God,” but that’s all right; it’s a good tune and a fine protest piece.
08 November 2005
Immanence vs. Imminence
At the beginning of last week, our Prime Minister assured us that the word “the” needed to be changed to “a” in order for police to foil a terrorist attack. It now appears to have been foiled. These appear also, however, to be the same people identified a year ago as having been videotaping landmarks and industrial sites as part of a planning operation towards maybe conducting an attack of some kind. At that time, they were merely kept under surveillance as “persons of interest,” and nothing further was done. Now, however, that they can be arrested regardless of whether “a” terrorist action occurs, instead of the one they were planning under the old wording, arrests have been made.
Yeah, I’m being a bit snarky here, but not because alleged terrorists have been arrested. No, I’m mainly interested to see what will happen in the courts. The word change in the law under which they’ll be charged seems vague to me, suggesting that the government is attempting to reduce its burden of proof to such a level that the case may end up being thrown out. I don’t suppose I’ve got any Q.C. reading this, so it may be hard to find a solid opinion, and I’ll just have to wait to see if it travels up to the High Court.
Meanwhile, over in France, rioting continues, and while it has nothing to do with what many are taking the opportunity to describe as a clash of civilizations, linking the riots to terrorist groups without any regard to the facts, there is a concern that disaffected and marginalized Muslims in the slums of Paris are prime recruiting targets for terrorist organizations (n.b., the WSJ article – and, hey, look: the Journal’s free this week; thanks, Gothamist – is addressing mainstream groups gaining influence, not terrorists, although they still don’t like it), just as outfits like Hezbollah used the failure of the PLA to transition itself into a mainstream political party to gain support among Palestinians. France’s tradition of what might be called “monoculturalism,” which has always been a hollow promise of equality among its citizens, at least for those who come from former colonies and the like, is proving the success of multiculturalism, but also the pitfalls for any society where distinctions of class or race or ethnicity or gender or . . . are allowed to excuse prejudices. Reading Gotham regarding the rise of the Irish in NYC in the 19th century, it’s clear that historically, a failure to allow integration lies at the heart of conflicts between groups, rather than any refusal to assimilate, and this is where France is having its problems now. So while it’s important to note that what’s happening in Paris and increasingly around the nation is class-based, the potential for it to become cultural is a danger that must be addressed as much as the law-and-order issues, and one that even multicultural societies would do well to act on, too.
At the beginning of last week, our Prime Minister assured us that the word “the” needed to be changed to “a” in order for police to foil a terrorist attack. It now appears to have been foiled. These appear also, however, to be the same people identified a year ago as having been videotaping landmarks and industrial sites as part of a planning operation towards maybe conducting an attack of some kind. At that time, they were merely kept under surveillance as “persons of interest,” and nothing further was done. Now, however, that they can be arrested regardless of whether “a” terrorist action occurs, instead of the one they were planning under the old wording, arrests have been made.
Yeah, I’m being a bit snarky here, but not because alleged terrorists have been arrested. No, I’m mainly interested to see what will happen in the courts. The word change in the law under which they’ll be charged seems vague to me, suggesting that the government is attempting to reduce its burden of proof to such a level that the case may end up being thrown out. I don’t suppose I’ve got any Q.C. reading this, so it may be hard to find a solid opinion, and I’ll just have to wait to see if it travels up to the High Court.
Meanwhile, over in France, rioting continues, and while it has nothing to do with what many are taking the opportunity to describe as a clash of civilizations, linking the riots to terrorist groups without any regard to the facts, there is a concern that disaffected and marginalized Muslims in the slums of Paris are prime recruiting targets for terrorist organizations (n.b., the WSJ article – and, hey, look: the Journal’s free this week; thanks, Gothamist – is addressing mainstream groups gaining influence, not terrorists, although they still don’t like it), just as outfits like Hezbollah used the failure of the PLA to transition itself into a mainstream political party to gain support among Palestinians. France’s tradition of what might be called “monoculturalism,” which has always been a hollow promise of equality among its citizens, at least for those who come from former colonies and the like, is proving the success of multiculturalism, but also the pitfalls for any society where distinctions of class or race or ethnicity or gender or . . . are allowed to excuse prejudices. Reading Gotham regarding the rise of the Irish in NYC in the 19th century, it’s clear that historically, a failure to allow integration lies at the heart of conflicts between groups, rather than any refusal to assimilate, and this is where France is having its problems now. So while it’s important to note that what’s happening in Paris and increasingly around the nation is class-based, the potential for it to become cultural is a danger that must be addressed as much as the law-and-order issues, and one that even multicultural societies would do well to act on, too.
07 November 2005
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02 November 2005
15 November
Via the masked ones, notice arrives that this will be the day we gather to let Parliament know we value our rights at work and put them on notice that we're not fooled by the AU$55 million ad campaign. Spread the word and join in.
Via the masked ones, notice arrives that this will be the day we gather to let Parliament know we value our rights at work and put them on notice that we're not fooled by the AU$55 million ad campaign. Spread the word and join in.
01 November 2005
Le Fee Verte
I’d be interested in trying out some absinthe sometime, but at AU$130 for some Nouvelle-Orleans, it might wait until I’m more solvent.
I’d be interested in trying out some absinthe sometime, but at AU$130 for some Nouvelle-Orleans, it might wait until I’m more solvent.
New Justice
Is Samuel Alito a Constitutional constructivist? So far it seems so. I’m opposed to that line of thinking on the bench, preferring Breyer’s approach, if anything. So it’s been interesting reading the New Yorker’s occasional series of the present set of Justices, Breyer’s being the most recent. It was also fascinating to read what Ann Althouse, University of Wisconsin law professor, has to say on the latest candidate to the highest court in the land. Her opinion of Judge Alito is based on decisions regarding the establishment clause, protecting the free exercise of religion and in apparent opposition to the Supreme Court Justice Alito’s most often compared to, Antonin Scalia. It’s nice the Native American got to keep his bears and the cops their beards, but there’s a lot more at stake than religion. Yes, indeed, Professor, liberals will “anguish” over Planned Parenthood v. Casey, in which Judge Alito decided that a woman is merely her husband’s chattel when it comes to child-bearing. And regardless of whether we commend Bush for “nominating someone with so substantial a judicial record,” let’s keep in mind that this is his second appointment and the first hadn’t nearly the record. So warning’s that the Democrats will find their nominees thwarted someday in the future, while not falling on deaf ears, are nevertheless insulting. Either the man’s qualified for the role or he isn’t. And he’s not looking all that good right now.
Is Samuel Alito a Constitutional constructivist? So far it seems so. I’m opposed to that line of thinking on the bench, preferring Breyer’s approach, if anything. So it’s been interesting reading the New Yorker’s occasional series of the present set of Justices, Breyer’s being the most recent. It was also fascinating to read what Ann Althouse, University of Wisconsin law professor, has to say on the latest candidate to the highest court in the land. Her opinion of Judge Alito is based on decisions regarding the establishment clause, protecting the free exercise of religion and in apparent opposition to the Supreme Court Justice Alito’s most often compared to, Antonin Scalia. It’s nice the Native American got to keep his bears and the cops their beards, but there’s a lot more at stake than religion. Yes, indeed, Professor, liberals will “anguish” over Planned Parenthood v. Casey, in which Judge Alito decided that a woman is merely her husband’s chattel when it comes to child-bearing. And regardless of whether we commend Bush for “nominating someone with so substantial a judicial record,” let’s keep in mind that this is his second appointment and the first hadn’t nearly the record. So warning’s that the Democrats will find their nominees thwarted someday in the future, while not falling on deaf ears, are nevertheless insulting. Either the man’s qualified for the role or he isn’t. And he’s not looking all that good right now.
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