ELSEWHERE

Keith Burgess Jackson has put up a rather touching tribute to his adopted State of Texas. It sounds like a place I would like. I feel I should say why I still live in my home State of Queensland -- even though I have travelled all over the world. All four of my grandparents were born here so if I cannot praise the place, who could? But in fact I feel that I could be perfectly happy in many places of the world so I am not a good spruiker for any one. The subtropical climate and the laid-back, friendly and conservative attitudes of the people here have a lot to be said for them, however. And our media cover not only our own country but also give extensive coverage to two other related countries: The USA and the UK. I am sorry to say that John Kerry pops up on our TV occasionally too. So it is easy to feel a world-citizen here while in reality being in a peaceful and prosperous place far away from most of it.

Speaking of what we see on TV here, I will never forget sitting in my big and comfortable old classic Queensland house and seeing on TV Ronald Reagan's speech in the immediate aftermath of the first space shuttle loss. It fixed in my mind forever the view of America as the last hero nation that will dare to push forward all of humanity's frontiers despite the risks and costs involved (And see here and here for the latest space achievement). Europeans cosseted away safely in their welfare States look contemptible by comparison. And I think Europeans know what girls they look by comparison. That's why they hate America so much.

It's probably not much consolation but the GOP is not the only conservative party spending public money like a drunken sailor. Australia's conservative government has just spent $2 billion on building a railroad to nowhere -- or almost nowhere. As an Australian businessman who knows the transport industry well summed it up: "They've spent $2 billion building a railway for five trains a week and a few cartons of beer, and I've described the financial returns on that as being smaller than a tick's testicles". And for once I cannot blame some of the Left for having a bit of a field day with it. But guess whom they blame for the whole boondoggle? You wouldn't believe it: Halliburton! I kid you not. Back in the 60s the Left used to see the CIA under every bed. Now that we all know what a comic opera the CIA is, Halliburton is the all-purpose villain. See here.

There is a good article here on what a lot of bunkum psychological "counselling" often is.

Dick McDonald is mounting another attack on the dangerous distortions of the American Leftist media.

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The Left have always wanted more spent on welfare and made "Fascism" a swear-word. President Bush deposed a brutal Fascist dictator and sponsored a big expansion of welfare. But instead of being admired by the Left, he is hated with a passion. What does that tell you about the Left? It tells you that they have no principles at all: That everything they have ever claimed to stand for is fake.

Three more examples of Leftist dishonesty: They blame the 9/11 attacks on "poverty" in the Islamic world. Yet most of the attackers were Saudis and Saudi Arabia is one of the world's richest countries! They also say that they oppose racism yet support "affirmative action" -- which judges people by the colour of their skin! They say that they care about "the poor" but how often do you hear them calling for the one thing that would bring about a worldwide economic boom in poor countries -- the USA and the EU abandoning their agricultural protectionism? Leftists obviously care more about conservative farmers than they do about the poor!

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