Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

Systems fail us again

This SMH story demonstrates exactly why civil liberties are important, and why the "war on terror" is a pretext for an assault on human rights across the board.

"ASIO has been made to pay $200,000 to a refugee who was mistakenly classified as a security risk and locked up for two years in a detention centre.

An inquiry by the inspector general of intelligence and security found ASIO had classified the Kuwaiti man as a risk to Australian national security solely on the basis of information provided by the secret police who had persecuted him, The Age newspaper reported.

The man spent two years in the Maribyrnong detention centre on the basis of the reports, attributed by intelligence sources to Kuwaiti intelligence although one legal report on the case said the information came from the Iraqi secret service."

Despite A-G Ruddock arguing fallaciously that the compensation payout showed that "checks and balances in the system are working", the Inquiry very importantly found ASIO had a responsibility to accord him natural justice. If the "checks and balances" worked, this man would never have been imprisoned for a day, let alone 2 years on the word of a foreign secret service which 2 years ago we were moving towards war with.

The ABC's AM this morning had a revealling interview this morning with "A Liberal Party MP in Western Australia [who] says he's been dumped from the leadership of Family First because the Party has caved into pressure from pro-life groups."

Completely gives lie to assertions these are separate parties doesn't it? Apart from some obvious implications for ethical conduct and public misinformation, it also means that the Coalition had up to four overt candidates running across the country's electorates exchanging preferences - Liberal, National, Family First, and Liberals for Forests, with the possibility of other "independants" and not to forget One Nation (Remember Pauline was a Liberal candidate before starting her own sideshow - but the preferences went Liberal.) All very cosy:

The Liberal Member for Ningaloo, Rod Sweetman, wanted to extend his political career. The Liberal Party released him from a commitment not to run against any Liberal candidate in the upcoming WA election."

Note the Liberal's acquiesence to the arrangement: Liberal running "against" Liberal in the guise of Family First. Hence preference flows ensure return of Liberal government despite fostering perception of separate parties. A clear abuse of the democratic process, but who cares?

Item posted by AutoEditor at 9:53 am ::