Tuesday, November 29, 2011
More money wasted & Weimar redux
Never renowned for his modesty, Speaker John Bercow has outdone himself this week: unveiling not only his £22,000 official portrait, but also its £15,000 frame, which includes a new Bercow coat of arms. He used to best David Cameron on the court regularly.
IMO: We are not getting value for money with these politicians. That sort of thing may have made some kind of warped sense when a UK boast used to be that 'everywhere on the map you will see pink' (i.e. a British colony). But nowadays the Foreign Office is even warning embassies about doubts as to the safety of UK citizens in the German Eurozone. And Germany is printing lots and lots of currency - IN DEUTSCHEMARKS NOT EUROS !!
IMO: We are not getting value for money with these politicians. That sort of thing may have made some kind of warped sense when a UK boast used to be that 'everywhere on the map you will see pink' (i.e. a British colony). But nowadays the Foreign Office is even warning embassies about doubts as to the safety of UK citizens in the German Eurozone. And Germany is printing lots and lots of currency - IN DEUTSCHEMARKS NOT EUROS !!
Monday, November 28, 2011
NATO under fire from Pakistan
The NATO air attack on Pakistani military outposts over the weekend, in which 24 soldiers were killed, was an accident waiting to happen.
Military sources said that a US-Afghan special forces mission had been in the area, where they believed a Taliban training camp was operating.
They said the mission came under fire from a position within Pakistan, and they received permission from the headquarters of Nato's Isaf mission to fire back.
IMO: Obviously if NATO was attacked by Pakistan, they had to defend themselves. If Michelle Bachman supports US aid to Pakistan, something has to be very wrong. The point is that the US has to defend itself against the clear nuclear threats by such as Musheraff, and the US state department has tended to lack knowledge of the situation as it is. Pakistan is a failed state. It has survived through US support and now will seemingly get Chinese 'support'. If I were in Pakistan, I would not gripe about the US troops defending themselves and ultimately Pakistan. The Pakis are making things worse for themselves and must try harder to rid their country from extremism. Pakistan needs decent knowledgeable leaders, and it is hard for anyone to get those nowadays
Military sources said that a US-Afghan special forces mission had been in the area, where they believed a Taliban training camp was operating.
They said the mission came under fire from a position within Pakistan, and they received permission from the headquarters of Nato's Isaf mission to fire back.
IMO: Obviously if NATO was attacked by Pakistan, they had to defend themselves. If Michelle Bachman supports US aid to Pakistan, something has to be very wrong. The point is that the US has to defend itself against the clear nuclear threats by such as Musheraff, and the US state department has tended to lack knowledge of the situation as it is. Pakistan is a failed state. It has survived through US support and now will seemingly get Chinese 'support'. If I were in Pakistan, I would not gripe about the US troops defending themselves and ultimately Pakistan. The Pakis are making things worse for themselves and must try harder to rid their country from extremism. Pakistan needs decent knowledgeable leaders, and it is hard for anyone to get those nowadays
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sule at Matoshree sets tongues wagging
Supriya Sule's visit to Matoshree on Sunday sent ripples in Mumbai's political circles. Sule is Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar's daughter and NCP MP. Sule said she called on Sena chief Bal Thackeray to thank him for his support to Pawar who was assaulted by a youth in New Delhi last Thursday.
IMO: It would not be unusual in Westminster, and Sule claims the same for Maharashtra. Some claim a hidden agenda. It may just relate to Bal Thackeray's continued involvement in the polls. Anyway Sena seem to say the assault was undeserved, unlike many. Possibly they are right.
IMO: It would not be unusual in Westminster, and Sule claims the same for Maharashtra. Some claim a hidden agenda. It may just relate to Bal Thackeray's continued involvement in the polls. Anyway Sena seem to say the assault was undeserved, unlike many. Possibly they are right.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Proposal to have Tesco and Walmart in India
That is the latest Govt. plan. But just down the road, the other day I bought 2 big dinners for a total of 80 rupees. That is about 1 UK pound. Not only did we get two really big, splendid and filling 5 course meals, but there was enough left for dinner and breakfast for two. Now even from the present Indian supermarkets you will certainly not get that, in fact sometimes they are even much dearer than the UK. The secret ? The average wage here is said to be 20 rupees a day so if you live local, costs have to be low. But if India has to live off Tesco and Walmart, then violent revolution, normally extremely unlikely in India, becomes a real possibility. Of course it is possible that those firms could introduce efficient transit methods but it will all cause more unemployment. Generally I do not favour allowing these foreign exploiters into India, the local supermarkets are already too expensive for poorer people.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Care of the elderly in the UK
Today’s report has uncovered dozens of examples of appalling care provided by home helps.
IMO: In fact it is much worse than this, and with Cameron's cuts it will get worse still. Three times recently the UK people tried to kill me and have stolen a lot of money from me. And the swindling MPs and the jobsworths are much worse. I'm glad I am temporarily obliged to be outside the UK. and thank god I do not need a home help, I know about them too.
Here is a selection of the most harrowing, taken from the Daily Mail, and details also appear throughout the UK media:
Health And Safety Left OAP To Starve
An able-bodied, healthy 32-year-old female care worker stood and watched a 76-year-old woman with advanced cancer struggle from the lounge to the kitchen to microwave a meal, as the home help said she could not to do it ‘because of health and safety’ – although apparently this did not preclude the worker from dishing up the microwaved meal on to a plate.
78-year-old Pushed Back Into Her Chair
One 78-year-old woman described her treatment at the hands of carers: ‘Most of the girls were nasty; they were rough. Rather than say “sit in the chair”, they’ d push me back into the chair, and I didn’t like that. I couldn’t do anything about it. I can’t even walk – they know you’re vulnerable.’
Grim: The report said that pensioners don't complain about shoddy care because they fear the repercussions
Woman’s Weight Plummeted To 7st
An elderly woman’s weight went down to 7st because carers just left food beside her, even though she was physically unable to feed herself. She had Huntingdon’s disease, which means she needs an hour to swallow her meal and has to ingest 4,000 calories a day – but carers would simply plonk the food down and rush off to the next appointment.
Patient In Her 90s Put To Bed In Afternoon
One woman in her 90s was put to bed at 2.45pm because that fit in with the carer’s time slot.
Man Made To Shower In Front Of Trainees
One man, aged over 65, found himself being showered in front of a room full of trainees. ‘I have MS and am very severely disabled, and feel my dignity is not being respected when I have several trainees observing quite an intimate routine,’ he said.
Elderly Mother Left In Filthy Bedding
The daughter of a woman in her 80s said: ‘For several weeks mum was not bathed or had her hair washed. One time, carers decided not to do any of her washing any more, even though it was on her care plan, leading to my mum being left in filthy nightwear and clothes and bedding.’
Carer Ignored Blind Man On Visits
A care worker came round every morning to visit a deaf/blind man called Sam. She made him his breakfast and left it on the kitchen top – but never told him she was there, let alone that his breakfast was in the kitchen. Every morning, the breakfast went uneaten.
Dementia Patient’s Day Without Food
A woman with Alzheimer’s didn’t have anything to eat all day after a carer made her a sandwich, but simply put it in the fridge and told her to eat it at lunchtime. She forgot and did not have anything to eat until her daughter visited that night.
IMO: In fact it is much worse than this, and with Cameron's cuts it will get worse still. Three times recently the UK people tried to kill me and have stolen a lot of money from me. And the swindling MPs and the jobsworths are much worse. I'm glad I am temporarily obliged to be outside the UK. and thank god I do not need a home help, I know about them too.
Here is a selection of the most harrowing, taken from the Daily Mail, and details also appear throughout the UK media:
Health And Safety Left OAP To Starve
An able-bodied, healthy 32-year-old female care worker stood and watched a 76-year-old woman with advanced cancer struggle from the lounge to the kitchen to microwave a meal, as the home help said she could not to do it ‘because of health and safety’ – although apparently this did not preclude the worker from dishing up the microwaved meal on to a plate.
78-year-old Pushed Back Into Her Chair
One 78-year-old woman described her treatment at the hands of carers: ‘Most of the girls were nasty; they were rough. Rather than say “sit in the chair”, they’ d push me back into the chair, and I didn’t like that. I couldn’t do anything about it. I can’t even walk – they know you’re vulnerable.’
Grim: The report said that pensioners don't complain about shoddy care because they fear the repercussions
Woman’s Weight Plummeted To 7st
An elderly woman’s weight went down to 7st because carers just left food beside her, even though she was physically unable to feed herself. She had Huntingdon’s disease, which means she needs an hour to swallow her meal and has to ingest 4,000 calories a day – but carers would simply plonk the food down and rush off to the next appointment.
Patient In Her 90s Put To Bed In Afternoon
One woman in her 90s was put to bed at 2.45pm because that fit in with the carer’s time slot.
Man Made To Shower In Front Of Trainees
One man, aged over 65, found himself being showered in front of a room full of trainees. ‘I have MS and am very severely disabled, and feel my dignity is not being respected when I have several trainees observing quite an intimate routine,’ he said.
Elderly Mother Left In Filthy Bedding
The daughter of a woman in her 80s said: ‘For several weeks mum was not bathed or had her hair washed. One time, carers decided not to do any of her washing any more, even though it was on her care plan, leading to my mum being left in filthy nightwear and clothes and bedding.’
Carer Ignored Blind Man On Visits
A care worker came round every morning to visit a deaf/blind man called Sam. She made him his breakfast and left it on the kitchen top – but never told him she was there, let alone that his breakfast was in the kitchen. Every morning, the breakfast went uneaten.
Dementia Patient’s Day Without Food
A woman with Alzheimer’s didn’t have anything to eat all day after a carer made her a sandwich, but simply put it in the fridge and told her to eat it at lunchtime. She forgot and did not have anything to eat until her daughter visited that night.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Syro-Malabar Catholic nun killed
It is generally believed that the nun, Sr. Valsa John, was killed by people connected to a mining company she was campaigning against.
Archbishop Maria Soosa Pakiam of Trivandrum said of John: "With her exemplary life and courage to fight evil, Sister John has shown us that we need to rededicate our lives for our faith and work for the poor."
IMO: Quite so. If only the Anglicans and the Roman Catholics would do the same. Clearly the local Jharkand jobsworth politicians, along with the followers of Chaimen Mao, had arranged for about 100 people to come out and hack her to death.
Further, TwoCircles says this. and much more: "This certainly is not a question of persecution of a minority community. Sr Valsa was in Dumka not as a proselyser, as some in the print and electronic media make her seem, but as a human rights activist obeying her calling. But the murder does have a critical mission dimension. After being battered into some sort of submission to the will of the state during the seven year regime of the pro Hindutva Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, and the last eight years of an insipid United Progressive Alliance, the church is at the cusp, or the precipice, of a great rethink.
The State has betrayed the Church on the issue of rights to Dalit Christians. It has given no clear answer in the Supreme court which is hearing Writ petitions by various groups on restoring the rights of Dalit Muslims and Christians which they enjoyed before the passing of the 1950 Presidential Order. The State has also shown no signs of reversing the notorious Freedom of Faith laws enacted by many Congress and BJP ruled States. The government is also playing an insidious game in using the Right to Education Act to “tame” the church institutions. These are signals as much as the central government’s silence to the call of that great Hindutva leader, oncologist Dr Praveen Togadia of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad who has called for the beheading of anyone who converts a single Hindu. Any other person would have been in jail for saying less.
Will the church be cowed down before this building pressure. There are some murmurs saying that the church must focus on faith and leave social action to others. A section of the Church wants to focus on insinuation building. A small but influential section of the church wants to stress its “nationalistic” credentials to cosy up to the right wing Hindutva elements and evade their political wrath. But this is not the majority of the Church."
IMO: Up to a point this echoes many people's feelings about the attitude of the right wing UK Press, and ludicrous atheists like Dawkins, towards the Archbishop of Canterbury who is trying to further decent views of reason against the 1%, who will even use toxic sprays against innocent people to further their satanic greed..
Archbishop Maria Soosa Pakiam of Trivandrum said of John: "With her exemplary life and courage to fight evil, Sister John has shown us that we need to rededicate our lives for our faith and work for the poor."
IMO: Quite so. If only the Anglicans and the Roman Catholics would do the same. Clearly the local Jharkand jobsworth politicians, along with the followers of Chaimen Mao, had arranged for about 100 people to come out and hack her to death.
Further, TwoCircles says this. and much more: "This certainly is not a question of persecution of a minority community. Sr Valsa was in Dumka not as a proselyser, as some in the print and electronic media make her seem, but as a human rights activist obeying her calling. But the murder does have a critical mission dimension. After being battered into some sort of submission to the will of the state during the seven year regime of the pro Hindutva Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, and the last eight years of an insipid United Progressive Alliance, the church is at the cusp, or the precipice, of a great rethink.
The State has betrayed the Church on the issue of rights to Dalit Christians. It has given no clear answer in the Supreme court which is hearing Writ petitions by various groups on restoring the rights of Dalit Muslims and Christians which they enjoyed before the passing of the 1950 Presidential Order. The State has also shown no signs of reversing the notorious Freedom of Faith laws enacted by many Congress and BJP ruled States. The government is also playing an insidious game in using the Right to Education Act to “tame” the church institutions. These are signals as much as the central government’s silence to the call of that great Hindutva leader, oncologist Dr Praveen Togadia of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad who has called for the beheading of anyone who converts a single Hindu. Any other person would have been in jail for saying less.
Will the church be cowed down before this building pressure. There are some murmurs saying that the church must focus on faith and leave social action to others. A section of the Church wants to focus on insinuation building. A small but influential section of the church wants to stress its “nationalistic” credentials to cosy up to the right wing Hindutva elements and evade their political wrath. But this is not the majority of the Church."
IMO: Up to a point this echoes many people's feelings about the attitude of the right wing UK Press, and ludicrous atheists like Dawkins, towards the Archbishop of Canterbury who is trying to further decent views of reason against the 1%, who will even use toxic sprays against innocent people to further their satanic greed..
Friday, November 11, 2011
Team Anna bashings - BJP and VHP allegedly involved
New Delhi, Nov 11: India TV on Friday night exposed with the help of hidden cameras miscreants who have planned to attack anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and Team Anna member Medha Patkar when they visit Lucknow and Delhi.
The sting was carried out on the very same persons who had bashed up Prashant Bhushan in Delhi and had thrown a chappal at Arvind Kejriwal in Lucknow.
The stings carried out with the help of hidden cameras by India TV reporters in Lucknow and Delhi during the month of October and November showed that these persons having admitted that they were "professionals" who carried out such acts for money.
Vishnu Gupta, the man who beat up Prashant Bhushan in the lawyers chambers in Delhi on October 12 over his remarks on Kashmir, told the India TV reporter on Nov 4 at a coffee house in Sec-18, Noida on Nov 4 that Medha Patkar was their next target.
Inder Verma, another man who took part in beating up Prashant Bhushan, told India TV reporter at Nirula's Connaught Place, Delhi, on Oct 24 also confimed that their next targets were Medha Patkar and Anna Hazare.
Arun Upadhyay, a friend of Inder Verma, accompanying him during the sting said that they were given laptop and cellphone by a senior Shiv Sena leader after they bashed up Prashant Bhushan.
Tejinderpal Singh Bagga said, he had two persons - Medha Patkar and social activist Sandip Pandey - as his targets. He admitted he was in BJP one and a half years back.
Bagga said, VHP leader Acharya Dharmendra and several other leaders rang him up and thanked him for bashing up Prashant Bhushan.
Bagga revealed how he had planned to gather nearly 50 persons to bash up Prashatn Bhushan on October 1 itself, but it was called off at the last moment.
The sting was carried out on the very same persons who had bashed up Prashant Bhushan in Delhi and had thrown a chappal at Arvind Kejriwal in Lucknow.
The stings carried out with the help of hidden cameras by India TV reporters in Lucknow and Delhi during the month of October and November showed that these persons having admitted that they were "professionals" who carried out such acts for money.
Vishnu Gupta, the man who beat up Prashant Bhushan in the lawyers chambers in Delhi on October 12 over his remarks on Kashmir, told the India TV reporter on Nov 4 at a coffee house in Sec-18, Noida on Nov 4 that Medha Patkar was their next target.
Inder Verma, another man who took part in beating up Prashant Bhushan, told India TV reporter at Nirula's Connaught Place, Delhi, on Oct 24 also confimed that their next targets were Medha Patkar and Anna Hazare.
Arun Upadhyay, a friend of Inder Verma, accompanying him during the sting said that they were given laptop and cellphone by a senior Shiv Sena leader after they bashed up Prashant Bhushan.
Tejinderpal Singh Bagga said, he had two persons - Medha Patkar and social activist Sandip Pandey - as his targets. He admitted he was in BJP one and a half years back.
Bagga said, VHP leader Acharya Dharmendra and several other leaders rang him up and thanked him for bashing up Prashant Bhushan.
Bagga revealed how he had planned to gather nearly 50 persons to bash up Prashatn Bhushan on October 1 itself, but it was called off at the last moment.
Norwegian report on Sri Lanka
A disturbing report just released in Oslo, Noway, has appeared on TamilNet. This appears to have been produced by Norad, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. PDF here.
Tamilnet itself produces many wise conclusions, well worth reading, one point being "Those who steered Norway’s peace process, especially in the last stages, were either in a dream world or miscalculated on bringing in ‘peace’ of their perception by making one of the two nations surrender to the other. They not only failed the peace efforts but have also endangered the world order and Norway’s future prospects. If Norway really worries about the dangers of ‘Asian model’ of conflict resolution, it is time for Norway to think of fresh strategies of peace building initiatives for its development paradigm by upholding the quest of nations without state to get their states. Norway could even inspire the entire west in this regard, and the independence of Eelam Tamils is a good beginning to set the record right".
So a bit more fairness, even independence, for the Eelam Tamils might well be good for everybody in the long run.
Now the complexities of the situation may easily be considered 'almost Byzantine' and less hardy minds may easily balk at them. In this short blog I will only make a few more points.
Delhi seems to consider itself as representing India in some way. People outside Delhi frequently differ and feel that it is bogged down in itself, in a kind of narcissistic way. Also the Gandhi family often seem to have a grudge against the Tamils. It probably got worse after the Tamils assassinated Sonia Gandhi's husband, which was one suicide bombing anyone could understand. And Rajiv Gandhi seems to had a very corrupt invovement with the arms trade, the Bofors gun scandal being just the tip of the iceberg. Even the often rather pro-Delhi "Times of India" seemed to admit India wanted the LTTE 'put in its place' - which seems unfortunately to have been the grave. Also, the A. Raja matter, involving some 30 bllion US dollars purloined, seems to have been directly connected with donations, mainly from Canada, and in fact intended effectively for the LTTE cause. That sort of money is somewhere near the order of the total indian military budget ! Then we have the high level of obstruction of free speech, and the censorship, in Sri Lanka. Now the Sri Lankans are supposed to be Buddhists and their bad behaviour shames Buddhism. Also they kow tow to the Chinese, hardly a free society at best. All this sort of thing cannot help the progress of the Dalai Lama, who complains correctly about the treatment of Buddhists in now occupied Tibet. The Sri Lankans appear less concerned with Buddhism than with cash, a bad mistake especially if dealing with China, Is Sri Lanka to become a sort of colony of China ruled by corrupt satraps ? India, or at least Delhi, does not seem to care. But that's Delhi diplomacy - for the wealthy 1% The Tamils are still often a devoutly religious people, so Tamil genocide may suit the worldly.
IMO: One must hope that the Anna Hazare program brings some worthwhile results.
Tamilnet itself produces many wise conclusions, well worth reading, one point being "Those who steered Norway’s peace process, especially in the last stages, were either in a dream world or miscalculated on bringing in ‘peace’ of their perception by making one of the two nations surrender to the other. They not only failed the peace efforts but have also endangered the world order and Norway’s future prospects. If Norway really worries about the dangers of ‘Asian model’ of conflict resolution, it is time for Norway to think of fresh strategies of peace building initiatives for its development paradigm by upholding the quest of nations without state to get their states. Norway could even inspire the entire west in this regard, and the independence of Eelam Tamils is a good beginning to set the record right".
So a bit more fairness, even independence, for the Eelam Tamils might well be good for everybody in the long run.
Now the complexities of the situation may easily be considered 'almost Byzantine' and less hardy minds may easily balk at them. In this short blog I will only make a few more points.
Delhi seems to consider itself as representing India in some way. People outside Delhi frequently differ and feel that it is bogged down in itself, in a kind of narcissistic way. Also the Gandhi family often seem to have a grudge against the Tamils. It probably got worse after the Tamils assassinated Sonia Gandhi's husband, which was one suicide bombing anyone could understand. And Rajiv Gandhi seems to had a very corrupt invovement with the arms trade, the Bofors gun scandal being just the tip of the iceberg. Even the often rather pro-Delhi "Times of India" seemed to admit India wanted the LTTE 'put in its place' - which seems unfortunately to have been the grave. Also, the A. Raja matter, involving some 30 bllion US dollars purloined, seems to have been directly connected with donations, mainly from Canada, and in fact intended effectively for the LTTE cause. That sort of money is somewhere near the order of the total indian military budget ! Then we have the high level of obstruction of free speech, and the censorship, in Sri Lanka. Now the Sri Lankans are supposed to be Buddhists and their bad behaviour shames Buddhism. Also they kow tow to the Chinese, hardly a free society at best. All this sort of thing cannot help the progress of the Dalai Lama, who complains correctly about the treatment of Buddhists in now occupied Tibet. The Sri Lankans appear less concerned with Buddhism than with cash, a bad mistake especially if dealing with China, Is Sri Lanka to become a sort of colony of China ruled by corrupt satraps ? India, or at least Delhi, does not seem to care. But that's Delhi diplomacy - for the wealthy 1% The Tamils are still often a devoutly religious people, so Tamil genocide may suit the worldly.
IMO: One must hope that the Anna Hazare program brings some worthwhile results.
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Qantas again
The UK Telegraph says:
"The clock is ticking for Qantas. Its fate lies with Labor's Fair Work Australia, a body loaded with ex-union bosses. Fair Work Australia has been examining allegations made about former Health Services Union boss and Labor MP Craig Thomson for three years (he denies any wrongdoing).
It is meant to sort out the Qantas crisis in the next two weeks or submit the parties to binding arbitration.
The process is flawed, the premise of the Fair Work legislation is wrong.
Labor's walking dead are oblivious to their fate".
IMO: The Gillard Govt has done what they can in many ways. For example, the carbon tax, disliked by so many, should be a very forward looking idea. But as a left oriented Govt in a country run by hicks all round, it does some very hamfisted things, whether deliberately or a a clumsy attempt to compromise. Also Joyce, in trying to economise, may not have taken Australia's global concerns accurately enough. I think it was ABC radio who recently pointed out that East Asians simply consider Australia as a quarry, run by simple-minded hicks. This implies a certain unwarranted contempt for all things Australian. So they naturally threaten Australian businesses whilst at the same time, cadging corrupt favours. The idea that Harold Holt did not drown, but escaped with secrets to China on a submarine, is probably not true but is an urban legend of merit. On the other hand, by and large Australia has benefitted a lot financially from the many Indian students (about 100,000 at the moment) who study there, and both countries have contributed greatly to each others cultural heritage. Just one case about Qantas and Asia: I was on a Qantas flight from the UK through China to Australia a few years ago. Part of the way I had to change carrier from Qantas to its subsidiary Jetstar. I was not warned in advance and my luggage quota was reduced at considerable cost to myself. In fact the extra I had to pay on the spot, overrode the advantage of using Qantas. I blame Joyce AND the unions for mismanagement throughout. I think Joyce was right in causing the lockout and from press readings, it looks like Joyce told the truth about giving lockout warnings and Gillard lied. Labor have got it wrong, Gillard is as naive as 'pig iron Bob' Menzies was in 1938, and Qantas looks like it is heading right down the pan at the moment. Australia needs clear, rational Govt.
"The clock is ticking for Qantas. Its fate lies with Labor's Fair Work Australia, a body loaded with ex-union bosses. Fair Work Australia has been examining allegations made about former Health Services Union boss and Labor MP Craig Thomson for three years (he denies any wrongdoing).
It is meant to sort out the Qantas crisis in the next two weeks or submit the parties to binding arbitration.
The process is flawed, the premise of the Fair Work legislation is wrong.
Labor's walking dead are oblivious to their fate".
IMO: The Gillard Govt has done what they can in many ways. For example, the carbon tax, disliked by so many, should be a very forward looking idea. But as a left oriented Govt in a country run by hicks all round, it does some very hamfisted things, whether deliberately or a a clumsy attempt to compromise. Also Joyce, in trying to economise, may not have taken Australia's global concerns accurately enough. I think it was ABC radio who recently pointed out that East Asians simply consider Australia as a quarry, run by simple-minded hicks. This implies a certain unwarranted contempt for all things Australian. So they naturally threaten Australian businesses whilst at the same time, cadging corrupt favours. The idea that Harold Holt did not drown, but escaped with secrets to China on a submarine, is probably not true but is an urban legend of merit. On the other hand, by and large Australia has benefitted a lot financially from the many Indian students (about 100,000 at the moment) who study there, and both countries have contributed greatly to each others cultural heritage. Just one case about Qantas and Asia: I was on a Qantas flight from the UK through China to Australia a few years ago. Part of the way I had to change carrier from Qantas to its subsidiary Jetstar. I was not warned in advance and my luggage quota was reduced at considerable cost to myself. In fact the extra I had to pay on the spot, overrode the advantage of using Qantas. I blame Joyce AND the unions for mismanagement throughout. I think Joyce was right in causing the lockout and from press readings, it looks like Joyce told the truth about giving lockout warnings and Gillard lied. Labor have got it wrong, Gillard is as naive as 'pig iron Bob' Menzies was in 1938, and Qantas looks like it is heading right down the pan at the moment. Australia needs clear, rational Govt.
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