Recent comments

  • Reply to: Line rental   16 years 5 months ago
    For someone who preaches about honesty and ethics in business, author Bob Burton doesn't set a very good example. He's completely misrepresented comments I made to him in the course of his research for his book. I initally refused to give him information on Telstra's sponsorship of think tanks, not for any sinister reason, but merely because he refused to say who he was or what he wanted the information for. However I did explain that the information was on the public record (in Hansard) and told him where he could find it. Later, when I learned about who he was and what he was working on (through my own research), I was very forthcoming with comments and information, even going so far as to advise him to use the Freedom Of Information Act to get up to date details. You won't read that in his book. I also recall asking him whether he'd be applying the same scrutinty to some of the more left-leaning think tanks, as he was clearly applying to the pro-business Institute of Public Affairs. Having read Mr Burton's book I can see did not. Clearly that doesn't fit with his political agenda. As you can see from my comments in the book, I believe we should be open about this. Let's have a public debate about think tanks and how they are funded. I happen to believe they are very useful in Australia in promoting debate and discussion which is essential in public policy making. The problem with Mr Burton is one of bias... he sees some think tanks as evil and others are not. That's why his book is disappointing.
  • Reply to: An Ethical Look at Fake News   16 years 5 months ago
    <blockquote>Fifteen years later, television news may finally start cleaning up its act.</blockquote> Here's hoping, but "television news" isn't exactly a monolithic entity. It's fine that professional and advocacy groups are pushing for better ethical practices, but that leaves out media ownership and Wall Street, whose bottom line imperatives are the chief source of the problem. It's now pushing half a century since Newton Minnow, JFK's FCC chairman, famously called TV a "vast wasteland" and pledged to clean it up. From the half-empty perspective it seems like that half-century has shrunk the America's hopes for better TV by quite a bit. Minnow was talking about better TV in general while we here are just talking just about saving TV news.
  • Reply to: Well-Connected Skeptics Behind UK Attack on Global Warming Film   16 years 5 months ago

    Along with being skeptical, how but we all contribute to the skepticism of our financial system:
    http://www.financialpetition.org/

    There are always many facets to a story, and this is one facet to our countries financial health.

    Please help!
    Bill Grok

  • Reply to: Drug Company SLAPP's Over Lindane For Lice   16 years 5 months ago

    Ecology Center SLAPP dismissed

    May 10, 2007

    Federal judge dismisses Ecology Center SLAPP: The Ecology Center (Ann Arbor) and two Michigan pediatricians applauded a federal judge's ruling late last week that dismissed a product defamation lawsuit brought against them by Morton Grove, the Chicago-area producer of pharmaceutical lindane. In 2006, the Ecology Center, pediatricians, and other medical, public health, and environmental organizations supported the Michigan Legislature's action to ban pharmaceutical products containing lindane, a persistent organochlorine chemical used in pesticides until the EPA withdrew agriculture use in August 2006. "From the outset, we viewed Morton Grove's lawsuit as a baseless tactic designed to stifle public debate," said Mike Garfield, Director of the Ecology Center. "It is outrageous that instead of engaging in a public discussion with the Michigan Legislature on this important public issue, the company instead tried to silence us." Lindane had previously been banned for use on pets and in the military. All uses of the chemical ingredient have been banned in 52 countries and the State of California. Children's health advocates are calling for immediate legislative action to ban lindane in Michigan and other states, and demanding that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ban it as well.

  • Reply to: Well-Connected Skeptics Behind UK Attack on Global Warming Film   16 years 5 months ago

    nuclear politics and humour can be a powerful political weapon
    show details 8:57 pm (2 minutes ago)

    israel bombed syria over nukes.
    you have got to be kidding. bullshitters of the world unite.
    the us propaganda machine is at the genius level with the syrian
    north korea connection. wow.
    the reality is very different. the brilliant kim il jung has managed
    to get the yanks to release his money in macau. they have successfully
    got george bush by the short hairs and probably only spent a million
    dollars to let off a fart into the atmosphere. the smell is wonderful. at this point in time i am sure that george hangs limp and uses viagra to please his lady love.

    while the usofhay has spent hundreds of billions updating all its
    nuclear hardware. suitcase nuclear weapons, bunker busters miniature
    shoulder nuclear launchers and who knows what. wow.
    george bush certainly knows htow to bring in the profits for the
    megalopoly militaty industrial complexes which run us all. america is
    so creative that the entire world has to use laxatives to cope with
    it. congratulations israel you have created a massive storm in a
    teacup which helps to keep the world on its toes.

    after all the bombing of the osirak reactor in 1981 probably saved
    planet earth and pollard whom the americans hate is still in jail. so
    much for "real" politics america style.
    israel always has to be in survival mode while america reaps all the profits.

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