I remember a Muslim friend of mine telling me over morning coffee at work about her train trip about a year after 9/11. There was this radical guy on the train reading the Koran out loud (in a crazy manner). She said everyone including her and her husband vacated the carriage. She was more afraid than I was at the time perhaps because of her family experiences in her home country. Also I drove in, though at times when I was crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge I thought this would make a great target. Now I live in the back of no-where. No-ones going to bother me here.
What lucky timing for the countries larger anti-terrorism raids. Not only just after the alert was increased but just before new anti-terror laws are due to hit the parliament. Waterboarding for one and all!
Appearently the AFP made use of some new powers - they are able to arrest and detain without charge. Would like to know which bunch of goatfuckers passed that through the parliament.
I thought they already had those powers for a while and have used them before. Just checked. It seems I was half right. The powers were introduced by Howard, but they've never used them before. I really thought they used them back during the arrests of the Melbourne group a couple of years ago.
Watching Insiders, wow Jacqui Lambie is incredibly ignorant or very badly advised. I don't think she's dumb, so probably the latter. Wow. She needs better advisers.
Well better advisers would fix both problems but she's changing her story about the burqa photo like she changes her nickers - once a day and twice on sunday.
And now is the time to join ASIO for your 00 license. http://www.9news.com.au/National/2014/09/21/08/47/New-anti-terror-laws-will-give-ASIO-power-to-kill
^ I like how that story ends with that ASIO and the AFP are happy with the planned changes. Has any government agency in the history of time ever thought it getting more powers and less restrictions were a bad thing, especially those in the law enforcement and security areas? With ASIO wanting licenses to kill I'm surprised the AFP isn't asking for a couple of ASLAVs and an Abrams or two.
More power for ASIO, tougher restrictions on what people can report about them. Win, win for the government.
some-one must have the collected backbones of the ALP on a shelf somewhere because the Labor Party is lacking them.
Sadly, when it comes to the terrorism stuff, they don't want to be ignored or seen as wimps, so it's "me too!" all the way.
In non-political news, Cadel Evans has given the news that everyone who follows cycling thought was coming in that he is going to retire from professional road cycling at the start of next year. Fittingly he'll take part in one last Tour Down Under and then his last race will be just after it in the inaugural Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. He got me interest in the sport and watching him ride and win the 2011 Tour de France is one of my favourite sporting highlights. He has to rank right up there was one of the greatest Australian athletes and hopefully in retirement there will be nothing that comes out that diminishes that.
In more non-political news - the bunnies are through to the Grand Final. What a game of rugby league.