An entire country in a tinnie

Iron skin John:

Prime Minister John Howard says he is not embarrassed by the fact Australian of the Year Tim Flannery remains a strong critic of his government's environmental record.

Professor Flannery, who won the honour yesterday, has been warning about sustainability and the risk of climate change for decades and says the government has been "dragging the chain" on climate change.

"Does it embarrass me? No it doesn't," Mr Howard told Southern Cross Broadcasting today.

Yes, why would the leader of our country acknowledge that he has f*cked up. Not done these days. Everyone, except a few ideological shills like crazy Bolt, have accepted and have a fair appreciation of the environmental issues we face. Not ol'John. Walks to a different beat he does.

Nature of the threat

Qantas bans Bush T-shirt passenger:

Reading from a prepared statement, a Qantas spokesman said: "Whether made verbally or on a T-shirt, comments with the potential to offend other customers or threaten the security of a Qantas group aircraft will not be tolerated."

The t-shirt had a picture of the Lying Disaster Monkey and words suggesting that he was, in fact, the #1 terrorist. Take that, long-dead Osama!

Not so perfect execution

Execution of Saddam's henchmen stirs more criticism:

"Reports that Barzan Ibrahim Al Tikriti had his head severed during the hanging only emphasize the brutality of this already cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment," Amnesty spokesman Malcolm Smart added.

Oh, well boo-hoo. Tell that to the tens of thousands of civilians killed as a result of the invasion Mr Amnesty sookster.

What a sook. Someone else's children are dying for your freedom. Think about it.

Where there's a Wilfred

Iraq: If you don't like it, then leave.

Instead, they stay and continue to hurl ordnance about in an attempt to change it.

Oh, sweet Imperialism.

These days, I see and hear little talk of WMD. Perhaps it no longer sells papers? Or, maybe it doesn't fit well with the Vietnam analogy favored by the pundits. Then again, the much vaunted domino's failed to appear, much like WMD's, but that was post 'retreat'.

Besides, in this case the role of the domino is played by the terrorists, who will turn up on our shores (in greater numbers than they supposedly already are) if the US retreat from Iraq.

Whatever, war certainly ain't poetry.. rat-a-tat-tat.. boom-boom bap.

Haditha, chop!

What Haditha says about the warbloggers:

We should remember that the cretins (as Chris Matthews called them earlier this week) who put those guys in that terrible situation are just as responsible for Haditha as the men on the ground. If you put overstressed combat soldiers in an untenable situation, bad things happen. John Murtha, who was a Marine for 37 years, understood that. The warbloggers like Mobius Dick, who've never served, still don't.

And won't, ever. Facts, rational argument, human suffering, nothing will change the ideology of these clowns.

But more importantly for Warbloggers, John Kerry is lonely.

Dead men walking

Well, as they say, it took a woman to do it:

THE woman appointed the nation's first director of military prosecutions to the new Australian Military Court has described the treatment of David Hicks as abominable.

Brigadier Lyn McDade was made director of military prosecutions in July.

Though it did take her 6 months to test the independence of the position, she obviously has a fair pair of ovaries on her.

Ruddock's response is typically devoid of any sincerity:

Asked whether he agreed with Brigadier McDade's view that the treatment of Mr Hicks had been abominable, Mr Ruddock said: "I agree with the Prime Minister, who frequently says numbers of people express themselves in different ways but have the same meaning and intention.

"We believe the delay is very unreasonable and inappropriate, and that's why we've been arguing that [Mr Hicks's case] needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible."

In short, f*ck you, Ruddock. And get that Amnesty pin of your lapel, now!

Hicks has been locked up for such a time, now, that he must be little more than a shell of a man. The parallels with the state of the amoral Ruddock are ironic. The difference being Ruddock had far more autonomy than Hicks in reaching his current state.

Yeah, some consolation.