Or perhaps I automatically made the mistake of thinking the worst?Perhaps he’s a champion of journalism to you, your mentor perhaps? I recall an interview with Tony Jones on Lateline a couple of years ago, and I was appalled and ashamed by his absolute rudeness to John Pilger. But then, there was the revelation re NT sexual abuse, and the bloke who ‘blew the lid’ and what the truth revealed, and then I realized he was just as bad as the Telegraph so-called ‘journalists’ and I rarely watch him now either. I refuse to be a masochist and watch Bolt or Abbott or ?? on Q & A?Of course, if your brand of journalism is to repeat the official and ‘safe’ line and keep your journalistic nose clean, then I can understand, that journalists like Seymour Hersch and John Pilger, and sadly, too few others (except maybe some brave ones in Israel and Al Jazeera - (those who the US haven’t murdered yet (in Iraq)of course!) I forget the numbers of murdered journalists - is it 30 or 60, perhaps I’m getting confused with trade unionists and/or doctors). How many stories like this have you covered Bernard? Why don’t you publish the essays and articles by people like these journalists?

And don’t get me started on John Pilger.

Glenn Brandham-Thanks mate! It’s good to know that some people aren’t conned by the bullshit of our compliant media. When it comes to journalists in this country, our news media ranks about 67 out of 100 for honest reporting of FACTS! People like Hartcher and others just parrot the war mongering, conservative, capitalist, worker stomping status quo - usually straight off the press from the US and/or its allies. Sickening!

As for the ALP? Rudd’s response to the democratic vote re Tasmania’s selection of a Senate candidate for the 2010 Federal election is disturbing! Just because he’s a staunch trade unionist, has been fined under the hideous ABCC, that makes this bloke an unsuitable candidate. Kev said he has, “no chance and Buckleys”. A fine upstanding adoption of democracy in action. Kev, it’s not up to you, and it’s none of your business - get over yourself! It’s their vote and their business! Next thing you’ll be calling on Cuba to adopt democratic selection of candidates and a national vote by the constituents of that country? But at home???

I love John Pilger. He’s earned more recognition via international awards for his journalistic courage and commitment; something that most so-called journalists in this country don’t even know about, let alone ponder on independent and fearless commitment to the truth!
Long may he seek the truth and tell us what it is!

As for the wicked Libs, takes an ALP machinista to know them I would say. The general thesis from Bob Ellis here could be applied to the ALP’s approach to the Greens this last 18 years or so: Censor and monster where ever possible.

After 4 years at close quarters on a Labor Left dominated council one became attuned to the tag team caucus choreography which too often resembled barely any relation to evidentiary reality. What mattered was the ALP caucus perceived corporate self interest. And so the argument was constrained. Quite souless I thought.

Indeed one ALP councillor lent me book by Ken Livingston - If Voting Changed Anything They Would Abolish It. How cynical eh?

Which philosophy of getting and holding power is a critically important aspect of the current pro coal policy settings of that ‘wonderful workers party’ the ALP. They will probably never get it - that some jobs are not worth having - ever. Mining coal is almost certainly one of them.

although think you may be a paranoid leftie commo that is stuck in the past

the suppression of relevant information is not something that liberals do

however modern laborites do something much worse called spin which doesnt suppress information but twist it for their own benefit

Let’s be clear here, when Bob Ellis said let’s out all Liberals (in the article above) … that was really his code for let’s go ape over Palestinian autonomy, the CIA, Iran, that frumpy English woman with the good voice, Ben Cousin’s ‘bird’, Medicare funding, two referees in the state of origin, what’s replaced ‘Dirt Game’ on the ABC, Julia Gillard’s purple embossed jacket, cancer sufferers and the ideals of a Sunday morning.

You left out: Dafur, the Tamil Tigers, the Bulldogs being stripped of 2 points, British MPs’ rorts, the problems with my iPod, the over funding of cancer compared to say mental illness, the intercene war in Gaza and the subjegation of Kurds. And don’t the Dragons look good this year Liz45?

To call bullshit on just one issue, I would estimate that 80% of responses to Gerard Henderson’s Tuesday column (when it’s not mind-numbingly boring) are negative.

Because I have to listen to the likes of David Marr. It’s called ‘balance’. Get over it.

Put CIA + Drugs into Google, and do the same with Afghanistan. Read who’s making money out of the poppies in Afghanistan. Ask Rudd why he’s also allowing our military to bomb the already impoverished people of Afghanistan. And then there’s Sharmon Stone, dragging up the nonsense of Afghanis sitting in front of their Plasma TV’s nudging each other with a wink and a nod about the relaxed laws under the Rudd govt.(They’re living in bombed buildings, or out in the elements or walking around trying to get used to their artificial limbs, caused by us or our ‘mates’ so they can try and support their families?) And 96% of asylum seekers arrive by air anyway! How’s that for a rant Walter?

As for Julia Irwin? I’d support her brand of peace over Kevin Rudd’s any day. Funny how the Palestinians are always reminded of their ‘responsibilities’ but Israel can ignore at least 100 UN Resolutions to date; have nuclear weapons but don’t allow inspections; aren’t members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty(Iran is) but they’re allowed to do as they please, including using prohibited weapons against innocent women, the elderly and babies! How the US can supply them with billions of dollors of “weapons of mass destruction” every year, without a blink or a nod, but David Hicks is called a supporter of terrorism - even the US Military agreed, that he’d never threatened another human, let alone used a weapon - didn’t supply any either.

Or maybe it’s getting angry when a sole parent(usually a woman) is harrassed and had her money cut off for not disclosing her full income(even though she rang them 4 times) but those rich bastards can steal billions in unpaid taxes, but you don’t hear the shock jocks getting stuck into them. How about you 2 upholders of human values checking out how much this govt and Howard’s spent chasing after both types of ‘crooks’? Big difference, HUGE! And, why are some of the riches private schools keeping ‘mum’ about their millions in the bank, but will still hold their hands out for more $$’s this year, while a state school runs another raffle for gym mats or library books? Why is Turnbull so uptight about rich bastards not getting Medicare funds, so they can go and have cosmetic surgery or whatever?Let’s not get angry at the cancer sufferer having their surgery put off, yet again? Could Bob be angry about that? How thin skinned he is, truly?

Perhaps like me, Bob is just pissed off with the cow-towing to the US’s revolting actions due to its energy and foreign policy being intrinsically linked, and he’s sick of the crap! I am! They’ve either invaded or interfered with over 40 countries since the end of WW2. I suppose you think Al Qaeda is in Somalia? No, it’s oil and gas that’s the motivation there too! And I’m sick of people like you two, who obviously don’t bother to find out the truth, otherwise, you’d be angry too! Perhaps you feel you too have a ‘divine right’ to be; far more important than the lowly ones like Bob and I!(incidently, Bob doesn’t know me from adam, or eve in my case?)
And Bob, I gave up watching Insiders a good while ago. Piers Ackerman is too much for me, particularly on a sunny sunday morning! He’s just obnoxious!Andrew Bolt is in the same boat! Miranda and Gerard?I read the first few lines/paragrah and then usually sigh and turn the page?Just more of the same ‘guff’! I can do without it these days!

The insidious and cynical progress in Australia’s recent past of the avoiding of spade-naming in political and public affairs has led to this Babel-like confusion, where in a not dissimilar manner to Lewis Carroll’s Humpty Dumpty character, who famously said “When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean-neither more nor less,” it appears that those in power will manipulate the truth to serve their own ends, whatever the cost.

Ellis is a good example of a public intellectual who hasn’t been gulled or hypnotised by the grubby process of seduction via the honey-traps of access, flattery or reward. Long may he write.

But, in the interests of balance…what make you of Krudd’s defence of 1st class airline travel for his ministers and their staffers with the pathetic rejoinder “Little Johnny did it!”? Hardly the stuff of vintage socially conscious Labor governance is it?