Comments on: Why is there no media scepticism about these terror raids?

By: Heathdon McGregor

Heathdon McGregor — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:57:13 +0000

perhaps a competition for crikey

A news event is announced by crikey and the readers can supply what bias each news outlet would exhibit. It seems nowadays that they fit the news to their style not their style to the news.

By: bakerboy

bakerboy — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:45:54 +0000

Why are the media not questioning this matter? Because when it comes to police and security matters, they behave like tarts. They also want to be players in the game and the police, who are master manipulators, use the media to make themselves look good. The AFP are notorious for leaking information on planned raids so they can be on camera and look gung ho. They did it again in Melbourne this week when the AFP leaked to ‘The Australian’ who had the raid up on their website at 1.30 am, hours before it started. There is no love lost between the State police and the AFP - in fact they hate the AFP. The Staties are real police while the AFP are just glorified security guards, mainly chasing dope peddlers.
On the matter of these ‘dangerous terrorists’ , just how much of a threat were they? Real terrorists actually do something, they carry out their attacks. What were these guys doing for the last 5 months ? planning to infiltrate an Army base. Big deal. It seems these guys are Muslim versions of David Hicks, seriously misguided incompetents who are no real threat to anyone.
I spent 25 years in the ADF and later in an area connected to national intelligence, holding the highest level of security clearance. We have be prepared for some form of terrorism in Australia but these arrests of low level amateurs should not attract the overblown publicity that the AFP and their sister incompetents, ASIO, seek. Regards, Alex

By: Patrick Tatam

Patrick Tatam — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:41:07 +0000

Thank you Greg…a lonely voice of rational comment in this modern world of Orwellian “hate sessions” and “beat ups”.

I go back to the Hilton bombing (would love to hear Greg’s commentary on the real background to that event!) which led to more powers for ASIO and weapons for the AFP, to Andew Wilkie’s lone (and forthrightly honest) reaction to the “Weapons of Mass Destruction” evidence in Iraq pre 2003, to the anti-bikie legislation in NSW (I witnessed two garishly coloured NSW police vehicles bailing up one or possibly two elderly bikers {possibly members of the Ulysses Club?} outside Lithgow three weeks ago), and to the strange media build up of this amorphous Al Qaeda grouping all over the world………..

And then I link to Eric Beecher’s Andrew Olle Memorial Lecture quite some years ago, where he pointed the correct finger at the profit motive (as against the “truth” motive) which he forecast as being the driving force behind all major media endeavours of the future…

And finally I revert to Eric Fromm’s fabulous book (1968?) “Escape From Freedom”, wherein he postulated that man has not yet evolved out of that genetic code labelled “FEAR” (Remember? Kipling referred to it as being “The Law of the Jungle”)…..

Greg, I think that you’re quite correct in your angle….I just wish I could stir up the strength of conviction to argue your case. Unfortunately, I too have almost been beaten into submission by these fear-ridden termites that now seem to inhabit ALL the remaining corridors of power!!

By: Liz45

Liz45 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:08:52 +0000

I heard a woman on Talkback(Soapbox) this afternoon, who rang about the invasion of Iraq. She stated, that as Saddam was a dictator etc, it was good that the country was invaded and got rid of him? She went on to say, that “they”(Middle Eastern ‘terrorists’) aren’t like us are they? They don’t think like us? I just groaned!
It’s an old tried and true. You demean people; make them out to be criminals at best, and then it’s so much easier to treat them in an appalling manner. Remove their rights and treat them worse than animals? I wonder how I’d feel if I was overseas, and some country had invaded Australia and was killing hundreds of thousands of my compatriots? For what? Our coal? Uranium?

I don’t condone any violence, but I could sympathize with what one of the people recently charged, said in Court today. That we are involved in killing innocents in Iraq & Afghanistan, and Israel is treating Palestinian people in a horrific manner(or words to that effect). It would appear, that people like the woman who rang the Soapbox don’t stop and think of state sponsored terrorism. It’s apparently OK to break international law, the Geneva Conventions, rules of the UN etc. Even Kofi Annan said the invasion of Iraq was illegal.

What’s the US doing in Somalia anyway? Could it be that there’s a large amount of oil in the region? No, surely not!

By: Jim Reiher

Jim Reiher — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 06:05:54 +0000

You raise important considerations Greg. I agree with your caution, examples, and concerns.

The general population will be in a difficult place with such thoughts though. The logic will go something like this:
- If this is fairdinkum, then it is good the police and ASIO did the raids and arrests. (And that much is true).
- If it is not fairdinkum, but they thought it was, then it is good to see them on top of possible situations. “Better safe than sorry”. (mabye…)
- If it is fabricated like the Haneef case (and most Aussies wont remember his name), and those in authority know it is phoney, then it still sends a signal to potential terrorists that they will “get you” if you try anything. (I don’t like the logic of this line of argument. It could actually be reversed: unjust heavyhandedness can help create tensions and growing discontent with the country a person lives in: it can create future terrorists).

Sadly, real people (again, like Haneef) can be chewed up and spat out for all sorts of other agendas.

But is this real this time? Not showcasing for other agendas? I guess time will tell.

By: Heathdon McGregor

Heathdon McGregor — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:58:14 +0000

Media? What is that?

By: stephen martin

stephen martin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:23:32 +0000

400 Police and ASIO officers from several jurisdictions involved in a pre-dawn raid,allegedly as a result of months of investigation, and 5 suspects detained and apparently now charged.
When the Police make a major drug bust we see photos of police officers boasting about the size of the bust and it’s street value etc etc.
If this terrorism attack was “imminent” where are the arms and explosives required for the attack?
Surely it couldn’t be hyped up exercise that just happens to be occurring at a time that politicians are considering beefing up our anti-terrorism legislation?