Politics is a dirty word

Boeing could be facing financial oblivion after massive problems with its 737 passenger jets. First there were two catastrophic crashes of 737 Max 8's as a result of on board computer problems. Now cracks has been found indicating metal fatigue in some 737 airframes. It was metal fatigue which crippled the British aircraft industry in the 1950's when two de Havilland Comet passenger jets fell out of the sky, killing everyone on board. If Boeing doesn't recover from this, the US defence industry will be in deep trouble as it plays a critical role in aircraft and weapons systems development and production.

Russia's defence ministry has released video of a missile being launched from the nuclear-powered submarine Prince Vladimir. The test launch from the northern White Sea hit a target 3,500 miles away in Kamchatka on the Russia's Pacific coast, Test firing of a new hypersonic missile are expected to start within months. North Korea recently tested a shorter range submarine-launched missile. Rocket development in North Korea has included large scale production of hypergolic propellants to fuel the missiles. China has developed a hypersonic glide vehicle said to be capable of delivering multiple warheads anywhere in the world.

US President Donald Trump released a picture of the dog that chased leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and caused him to blow himself up, rather than be captured. The dog was said to be slightly injured in the blast.

Politicians spend their lives perfecting ways to con the public. One of the most blatant recent examples has been claims that Australia’s financial deficit is being reigned in and that the economy will soon be in surplus. It’s not just our Federal politicians, the States are just as expert as operating massive deception programs against taxpayers.NEW South Wales is spending big after forecasting a $3.9 billion surplus, but few are convinced that things are as good as they appear. Combined infrastructure spending across state and federal governments is so large that the international ratings agency Moodys says rising debt levels are a challenge for the state. Most other States are in similar financial trouble.

Freedom of the press is a vital part of any democracy. People have a right to know what is happening in the country – especially if politicians and bureaucrats try to hide decisions from public scrutiny. That’s why it’s so good to see newspapers in this country publishing pages demonstrating the threat of censorship. We all need to pressure the Government to relax aspects of its security laws which do not relate to specific security issues. I am reminded of the stand taken by the Rhodesia Herald after the 1975 Unilateral Declaration of Independence by Ian Smith and the Rhodesian Front Government. In defiance of censorships laws, the newspaper left blank spaces where articles had been banned. Allowing criticism of Government actions is an indication of political maturity. Banning dissent is an indication of dictatorship. The time may be right for revolution in this country. Our Government needs to be big enough to accept criticism and stand up for what is right. It could start by pushin...

The kurds in Syria have turned to the Syrian Governnent for protection from Turkish attacks following the decision by Presidernt Trump to pull US troops out of the country. The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria, and they have created difficulties for authorities in Syria as well as in neighbouring countries. In Turkey, the Kurds set up a terrorist group, the PKK, to attack government forces. Following the American withdrawal, Russia took the opportunity to broker a deal with the Syrian Government with provided a lifeline for the Kurdish militia. Basshar al-Assad has been president of Syria since 2000 and is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces, he qualified as a doctor and is a specialist ophthalmologist.

The latest conflict in Syria, with Turkish forces fighting Kurdish terrorists is simply the latest example of chaos in the Middle East caused by interference from Western countries. It goes back to the Crusades - and probably even further as the West tried to re-shape history. After the second world War, the Allies drew lines on maps and cobbled together disparate areas in a vain attempt to create viable countries. The results have been plain for decades!

Private health insurance companies are lobbying the Federal Government to prop up their falling profits by giving extra tax breaks to businesses which pay for private cover for their employees. Companies are already able to write-off such payments as a fringe benefit if they include health cover in any salary package. A better use of taxpayer dollars will be to improve Medicare, making private health cover even more unnecessary.