28 January 2005. Thought for the Week: "In war more than anywhere
else in the world things happen differently from what we had expected,
and look differently when near from what they did at a distance." Iraq's 'American' election: Sudad, the travel agent, said she too
would leave - if she did not have so much business making departure
arrangements for everyone else. Asked if she intended to vote, she
just laughed and said, "Come on."
"There's no cooking gas, no cooking
oil, no electricity and no gasoline. There's no security and everyone's
a thief
If Saddam participated in the election, I'd vote. Everyone
in Iraq is a thief, but Saddam was a good thief." |
FARCE OF THE CENTURYfrom Felicity Arbuthnot, U.K. "Under the Vienna Convention, an occupying force
has no right to change composition of occupied territories socially,
culturally, educationally or politically. This election was based on
the laws laid down by former 'Viceroy' American Paul Bremer and is entirely
unconstitutional. (When did the Americans bother with 'rules' anyway?
ed) Further, says Al Mukhtar the names of those standing for election are not widely publicised, many names are indeed unknown and little or no manifestos have been published. However, what is publicised are the names and addresses of all who register to vote, they are displayed - in Iraq and all voting centres abroad - at all polling centres. This is simply and purely "intimidation" says Al Mukhtar, it will "encourage some and discourage others - disclosing names and addresses is highly dangerous, no one will be safe within or without polling stations, now or later", he contends. Intimidation needs no encouragement Further says Al Mukhtar no one knows who has drawn up the electoral lists and on what they are based. "I am an Iraqi and entitled to vote, but no one has contacted me." As a prominent and internationally well known Iraqi he can hardly have been overlooked; one wonders how many other Iraqis who are hardly likely to have voted for puppet 'Prime Minister' Allawi and his gang have been similarly 'overlooked'. Further, allegation of intimidation of Iraqi expatriates abroad seems to be borne out by the fact that of an estimated seventy thousand Iraqis living in the north of England, just three hundred and fifty have so far registered to vote, according the Chair of the Manchester based Iraq Solidarity Campaign Hussein Al Alak. A strange reluctance in some cities to hold the elections in public buildings also appears to have crept in. Manchester Town Hall declined as a venue on the basis that there were too many weddings being held there on polling day. When the wily Al Alak checked, there was, in fact just one booked. 371 Oldham Road has now been designated in an area entirely dominated by the BNP. (British National Party ed) In Glasgow polling is inexplicably listed at two private houses, 71 Holland Street and 94 Elmbank Street. Where the external votes will be counted, and by whom, and under what independent monitoring body, is unannounced and unknown says Al Mukhtar. Further, he adds, that legally elections must be 'possible, fair and reasonable' - none of which apply in the chaos of occupied Iraq where votes are also being bought and even Iyad Allawi - who recently tried to buy favours from journalists with hundred dollar bills in brown envelopes - is complaining of being intimidated in spite of being surrounded by US soldiers and tanks. Oh, and the only 'independent' monitoring of the elections within Iraq are being carried out from Jordan - twelve hundred kilometres away. No wonder Allawi has kept his British passport and his mansion in leafy Surrey as insurance. Further trouble in Paradise has broken out in Amman, Jordan, between the International Organisation for Migration - who control overseas voting on behalf of Out of Country Voters. The IOM has stated that Israelis of Iraqi origin are eligible to vote. Asma Khader, Jordan Government spokeswoman and Minister for Culture says Israel-based Iraqis voting in Jordan is quite simply 'out of the question.' In Baghdad the Independent Electoral Commission's Farid Ayar also stated that those with Israeli papers would be barred from voting. Jordan is the nearest country designated as a voting point, to Israel. Further, looking at the list of countries where Iraqis can vote and the vastness of say, America, Canada and the US, many Iraqis will have to invest in an airline ticket to vote - even those resident in Ireland will have to travel to the UK. A nation of hostages for three days To add to the joy of Iraqis liberated from electricity, clean water, and largely too scared to venture out, they are also to become a nation of hostages for three days before and during polling day. Borders will be closed, phones disconnected, mobiles rendered useless - and US 'other forces' already murderous and unaccountable will be able to run riot and spill blood at will with not the slightest chance of the world knowing in this four day suspension of any semblance of 'freedom and democracy.' Cars will not be allowed near any polling stations so even those prepared to risk queuing to be blown up will certainly not risk walking to do so. 'Possible, fair and reasonable' the elections are not. A farce of historic proportions they certainly are. |
HO HUM LABOR TO - AGAIN - ELECT A LEADERby Betty Luks Do they have brains? Probably. But is that what the Labor Caucus wants for a 'leader'? So, what are they looking for? Probably, a Labor version of John Howard; someone who can be stood up in front of the cameras and parrot his lines, word perfect; just as he has been instructed by his 'advisers'. If such a person can fit in an early morning 'power walk'-- for the cameras - so much the better. What! Did I hear someone say Labor supporters want different policies from their party? Did I hear someone say they are sick to death of the Labor Party hacks presenting themselves as a pale shadow of the corporate-fascist-Liberals? Bernard Freedman of the Australian Jewish News, 21st January 2005 assures us: Former federal minister Barry Cohen believes Kim Beazley will be the new federal Labor leader. Why? Because he will "enhance its relationship with Israel, the United States and British Labour leader Tony Blair." According to the federal parliament's "only Jewish MP, Labor's Michael Danby both Beazley and Rudd had recently visited Israel." That should stand them in good stead. But not only that, "They had long standing friendships with the Australian Jewish community and supported the State of Israel " Julia Gillard thought the new Labor leader should have "a deep connection with the thinking and feeling of the Australian people." Not good Julia, that statement won't go down well with some people. The Labor Party's problems are much more than just 'image' problems. In fact the problems could be terminal without a radical change of policies. Policies which promote the well-being of all the Australian people! |
LABOUR PEER WITHDRAWS BILL TO AMEND ACT OF SETTLEMENT"The Monarchy does not belong to Britain alone but also to us of the Commonwealth Realms", insisted Phillip Benwell, National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League. The following report came from a colleague in Britain with a commendation for the work done by Philip Benwell of Australia: "In December 2004, Lord Dubs, a former Labour Minister and a member of the Executive of the Fabian Society, sought to implement the Society's recommendations on the 'Future of the Monarchy' by introducing an Act into the House of Lords entitled 'Succession to the Crown Bill (HL)'. The Bill was presented to the Lords for its Second Reading the 14th January 2005. Philip Benwell, National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League, wrote to all non-Labour Peers pointing out that the Bill was unconstitutional under the Statute of Westminster which required: "That any alteration in the law touching the Succession to the Throne or the Royal Style and Titles shall hereafter require the assent as well of the Parliaments of all the Dominions as of the Parliament of the United Kingdom." Mr Benwell also wrote in a like vein to the Clerk to the Parliaments and to all the Speakers of all the Commonwealth Realms. At its Second reading yesterday the Lord Chancellor, stated that the Bill was a "complex and controversial undertaking raising major constitutional issues." Lord Dubs then had no option but to withdraw his Bill. The situation became quite critical when the former Labour Chief Whip, Anne Taylor, mirrored the Bill in the House of Commons, thus giving a possible governmental imprimatur to the proposals. Mr Benwell made clear that his action to have the Bill withdrawn was not due to any religious concerns or about the issue of primogeniture but that the move to amend the Act of Settlement whilst appearing to be so reasonable, particularly in the current 'politically correct' environment, were so obviously a part of a programme to abolish the Monarchy. "Something, " he said, "they have no right to do, for the Monarchy does not belong to Britain alone but also to us of the Commonwealth Realms." Well done Mr. Benwell! Mr. Benwell retraced his efforts which led to the withdrawal of the Bill by fabian Lord Dubs. "Over the past five years I have spoken at a number of gatherings in the United Kingdom pointing out on all occasions how The Crown of the United Kingdom is linked to all sixteen Commonwealth Realms and how, under the Statute of Westminster, the British Parliament is fettered from enacting legislation 'touching the Succession to the Throne or the Royal Style and Titles' and that such legislation 'shall hereafter require the assent as well of the Parliaments of all the Dominions as of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.' Close to a thousand copies of my Address to a meeting in the House of Lords on the 21st April 2004, which went into great detail on this point and the interest that the Realms have in the European Constitution, have been distributed to people throughout Britain. However only one person in the whole of the United Kingdom thought to inform me of the Dubs' Bill in the House of Lords to amend the Act of Settlement! Lord Dubs is a member of the Fabian Executive and made no bones about his proposals being a part of the recommendations of the Fabian Commission on the Future of the Monarchy. Within a few days I had written personally to ALL non-socialist Peers expressing my concerns, as well as to the Clerk to the (British) Parliaments and to the Speakers of all Commonwealth Realms. A message received from a Peer sitting in the House of Lords at yesterday's Session at which the Second Reading was listed stated: "Without a doubt your message of concern coming as it did from Australia together with your reminder of the responsibilities of the British Parliament had an effect, particularly on those of the Lords who were undecided on this issue and facing its certain defeat, Lord Dubs withdrew his Bill". The point of these comments is that no one person and no one organisation can alone defeat the forces that are against us. It is likely that in 2005 Britain will have a referendum on the European Constitution, the results of which will have a grave effect on the Commonwealth Realms. The millions of British subjects residing throughout the Commonwealth have a moral right to vote in the Referendum. Whilst it is not likely that the Blair Government will allow them to do so (even though they will allow non-British citizens residing in Britain to vote) these people can influence their relations and friends in the United Kingdom. No stone can be left unturned in the battle to retain Britain's sovereignty and if we in Australia have any say, even if we have to fight alone by ourselves, no stone will be left unturned." |
UN REFUGEE AGENCY DECRIES CONDITIONS IN GAZA AS HORRENDOUSGenevieve Cora Fraser, The Electronic Intifada, 18th January 2005.Peter Hansen, the departing Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), spoke out about the conditions in Gaza at a recent conference sponsored by the Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace held in East Jerusalem. According to Hansen, the situation in Gaza is so horrendous that without the help of bulldozers you couldn't get through the debris and sand barriers thrown up to block traffic. "If you wanted to go into Gaza today you wouldn't be able to because there are tanks all along the main road to Gaza. All along the road you will see houses that have been bulldozed. As you move down through Gaza the situation gets even worse," Hansen stated. RAFAH CROSSING CLOSURE TAKES TRAGIC TOLL |
DUTCH STUDY FINDS MASS IMMIGRATION IS A DISASTERfrom Paul Fromm Now a devastating study from Holland proves that mass immigration is a disaster with none of the much repeated 'economic benefits', to say nothing of the social and cultural upset and destruction. IMMIGRATION AND THE DUTCH ECONOMY Introduction 2 The main results confirm findings in the US, Canada, and the UK that the benefit of large-scale immigration to the resident population is very small and can sometimes be negative. Main results 3 The study, published in June 2003, concluded
that immigration of labour has the following effects: 4 The effects of immigration on public finances were assessed by calculating the net lifetime contributions of immigrants and their effects on future budget balances. We conclude that: 5 An increasing population density brought about
by immigration might affect the economy. After a rough assessment, we
come to the following conclusions; |
BASIC FUNDThanks to the generosity of a number of supporters the figure for the Basic Fund has climbed to $11,504:60. Keep up the good work and we will reach the target which has remained at $60,000 for quite a number of years. |
LETTER TO EDITORSir, Congratulations on the first O.T. for 05. Jeremy Lee's contribution was excellent, just what we need. Even the village peasants can grasp the import of contrast! Some even know when the sun has gone down! We need to start calling this Tsunami what it
is, not what it is not. Tidal Waves, Tsunami's and shock waves, all
have different characteristics, as every seismologist is trying to tell
us. The real clue to all of this is the change of name before the event! How long ago were all the "seismographic" stations changed to "PWTC's" and "ICGTWS"? It's a case of "here we go again" - like changing "nuclear weapons" to "weapons of mass destruction" or "Judean" to "Jew". Can't we give a lead on this subtle but powerful method of disarming people of astute knowledge? If we go talking in the enemies' language, it's all a waste of time. A shock wave has very similar characteristics to the radio waves we send billions of miles into space. Their energy is only slowly diminished, by dissipation accelerated on hitting a solid object, and they are reflected with minute loss of energy. Christmas day and the strategic position of oil and mineral rich Aceh, and the arrival of the U.S. Army in the tender care of "Rusty" Blackman to protect the 'insurgents', not to mention the non-mention of the huge U.S. Base on Diego Garcia, plus all the other facts -- mentioned in O.T. are the makings of the conspiracy of the century. Just assembling the undisputed facts, makes the Media story look like exactly what it is! The most likely story that will accommodate the
known facts is this was a fusion (H Bomb) bomb explosion at an optimum
depth. A fusion bomb leaves no radiation, so there is no radiation evidence.
(But other evidence.) But it generates all the characteristics of a
SHOCK WAVE. If we call a spade a spade and assemble the facts, and then
dump the media misinformation, it will all become obvious. |
SYDNEY CONSERVATIVE SPEAKERS' CLUBThe first SCC meeting for the year will commence at 7.30pm on Thursday evening, 27th January, 2005. The venue is the Lithuanian Club, 16 East Terrace Bankstown. First time visitors are advised that the Lithuanian Club is situated approximately 600 metres from the Bankstown Railway Station. Proceed east along South Terrace past West Terrace. There is ample car parking space at the Club. Cost of attendance is $5.00. Guest Speaker will be, Kath Styles, and her subject: "The Inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia - William Lyne, the first constitutional crisis at Federal Level 1900-01". Kath is a retired school teacher with a great knowledge of the early history of Federation. She says political chicanery also existed at the time of Federation - hers is a story of political ambitions and reverberations, not unlike Shakespeare's MacBeth. Date for your Diary: Thursday evening 24th February, 2005. Guest speaker: Mr. David Duffy and his Subject will be, "Atlantis, a Drowned World." |
ADELAIDE CONSERVATIVE SPEAKERS' CLUBThe Adelaide Conservative Speakers' Club will hold its February meeting on Monday, 7th February. We are negotiating for a speaker to speak on the African Scene. Further details to come. The venue, as usual, is the Public Schools' Club, 207 East Terrace (Cnr. Carrington) Adelaide. The two-course dinner will commence near to 6.45pm and the Speaker's address at 7.45pm. Let's make the first meeting for the new year a resounding success; make every effort to bring some new people to enjoy the company at the dinner, and the speaker's address. Bookings for the Dinner must be in by Thursday, 3rd February by phoning 8296 4704. |
ADVANCE NOTICE FOR VICTORIA'S 2005 STATE LUNCH AND SEMINARVictorian supporters make note in your diary of the coming Victorian State Lunch/Seminar. It will be held on Saturday, 19th March 2005. The venue will be The Central Hotel, No 1 Princes Highway, Beaconsfield Vic. The charge will be $28.00 per person and RSVP's will be requested to be in by 10/3/05. The Hotel is on the old Princes Highway, just 5 minutes walk from the Beaconsfield Railway Station. Full details of the program will be announced in later editions of "On Target". |
INVERELL FORUM 2005 - MARCH 11-14There are some great speakers lined up including Jeremy Lee, Eve Hillary, Senator Len Harris and Tony Pitt. For further information contact: Inverell Forum Inc., P.O. Box 987, Inverell NSW 2360 or Phone: 02 6723 2351 or Fax: 02 6723 2364 |
HELP SAVE TELSTRA - WHAT HAS TO BE DONE· Inform your federal politicians, both Representatives and Senators, you do not want him/her to vote for sale of Telstra.· Insist Senators represent their State on this matter not a political party. · Contact all Local Government and State Government representatives, including the Premier, and ask them to support the campaign to retain Telstra for the people. · Write to as many media outlets as possible informing the readers of what is happening and asking readers to join in the campaign. · Write to local business leaders and community groups seeking their involvement in the campaign. Send for your supply of "Telstra" flyers. Addresses on last page of OnTarget. Prices include postage & handling: 5 copies $3.00; 10 copies $5.00; 50 copies $15.00 |
IMPORTANT NEW BOOKS"The Money Trick": Veritas Publishing
Co. is to be commended for bringing out an updated version of this valuable
Australian publication. This new edition needs to go out in its thousands
to people who still believe banks only lend out other people's deposits!
Creating money 'from nothing' is the banking fraternity's greatest 'black
magic' trick -- ever! Learn how your home-loan is created from nothing;
learn how we, the people, produce all the wealth, all the goods and
services, while the banks produce all the debts! Learn why Governments
are on a 'debt roller-coaster' -- and why under such a fraudulent system,
debt and tax increases are inevitable. "How to Kill a Country" by Linda Weiss,
Elizabeth Thurbon & John Mathews. Australians have been sold out by
their so-called political representatives for far too long. The Australia-US
Free Trade Agreement with the United States of America must be the last
straw. This book by three Australian academics discloses the devastating
trade deal our so-called political representatives and bureaucrats have
made with the Americans. "1215: The Year of Magna Carta" by Danny Danziger & John Gillingham. For one who had the sheer joy of visiting the Church/Cathedral at Bury-St-Edmunds and revelling in the historical display which included replicas of the shields of the Barons of Magna Carta/Runnymede fame, I found this book such a delight. It opens an historical window revealing the life and times of the people of Magna Carta and what this all means for western man today. The mediaeval design of the cover which features the baron's shields is just delightful and gives the right 'feel' and fixes the right time-frame for the contents of the book. Price: $29.95 posted. |