Election 2004 | Day 12 | Shameless Advertising + Roundup

you're australia's national shame
stand up and take the blame

That's Toekeo singing John Howard Is A Filthy Slut. Which is on the second CD of the Rock Against Howard compilation, that I picked up from the Plaza this arvo. Yes, totally full of evil lyrics that will no doubt corrupt our youth and incite mass riots. Speaking of which, fuck News Ltd for calling Magic Dirt "obscene." That really got me riled. Magic Dirt have done a shitload more for Australian music that any Channel Ten sponsored reality popstar with a short-term career ever will.

Anyway, half the songs suck my arse, the other half are alright. Senator Andrew Bartlett provides a track on it which proves that he should stay the hell in politics. But it's the thought that counts. All profits go to refugee charities, and at $20 for 34 tracks it's pretty good value. There's a more comprehensive review over at channel c. An interesting point raised over there is something major must've happened if people are pissed off enough to start releasing compilations like this (or this).

Oh! Howard gets the Pauline Pantsdown treatment too!

Media Generated Hysteria
Doing the rounds today, I came across an editorial by Greg Sheridan of News Ltd's Australian, titled Proof We Are A Prime Target.

"Ooh," thought I, "someone has researched what the motivations were for this attack! Now I'll finally know!"

But alas, it was just a whacked out editorial that in no way approaches anything level-headedly. I then turned my attention to The Daily Telegraph, knowing I could at least count for them to say something stupid. And, amazingly enough, I found this brilliant piece called We Are Left With No Option But War. I shit you not, that's what it's called. It kicks off like this:

In the aftermath of yesterday's latest terrorist attack – this time a car bomb attack outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta – the normal response of rational people is to ask why.

Why are they doing this? What is it that they hope to achieve? To what cause do they believe they are committed? Are they fighting against something, or for something? And who are they?

Which are good questions! But unfortunately this article goes on to make a heap of speculations, contradicts itself...

But in a sense, the ideological associations of the perpetrators of this murderous attack are not important.

...then goes on to advocate war.

Peter Hartcher, for the Sydney Morning Herald, seems like someone who isn't itching for us to blow something up. He wrote a good editorial that unfortunately has a stupid title, Terrorists Win if They Destroy Friendship.

Brian Deegan, dad of one of the Bali bombing victims, reckons we should negotiate. While I reckon he shouldn't have said "negotiate," as it automatically means everyone will ignore his opinion, I think some sort of an understanding should be reached before any action is taken.

"He [Alexander Downer] should speak to the head of JI and ask him: 'Why? What's the problem?'"

There's two sides to every story. I think we should at least try and figure out what the hell the motive and purpose of this is before we stick our heads in the sand and let the military deal with it.

And meet the unfortunate girl that will be centre stage in a story that'll be flogged to death.

Money Related Stuff
The Treasury has released a "pre-election economic and fiscal outlook 2004." If you enjoy staring at lots of numbers until your eyes roll back in your head, then go for it here. Here's a summary here. Buggered if I know what it all means, but there was twice as much cash lying around as they expected.

And other than that, Day 12 has been fairly quiet!