Moronic inferno

Paris intifada. If burning the ’burbs gets you more respect from Chirac and Sarkozy, then you might as well burn ’em again, and again and the city as well.

Now what does the military-entertainment complex have to add?

... Cath Field ... Mark Steyn ... Spiegel ... NYSun ... Naima Bouteldja ... WSJ ... David Aaronovitch ... Frank Furedi ... Daniel Pipes ... Antoine Audouard ... Olivier Roy ... Jon Freedland ... Jim Hoagland ... David Ignatius ... Nidra Poller ... Anne Applebaum ... WP roundup ... Slate roundup ... Joel Kotkin. Ho-hum. Does anyone listen to these losers?

Speaking of losers...

The MEAA - Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance's draft letter opposing to the government's anti-terror legislation

Draft letter to the Prime Minister/Senators

To email the Prime Minister, cut and paste the letter into the email facility at www.pm.gov.au/email.cfm. For a full list of Senators' email addresses visit http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/email.htm.

Dear Sir/Madam,

As a member of Australia's media and entertainment industries I want to convey to you my deep concern regarding proposed anti-terror legislation.

I understand that it is your intention/the intention of the Prime Minister to pass these laws quickly due to an imminent terrorist threat. However, I urge to think long and hard about the ramifications this legislation will have on public debate, freedom of expression and ultimately Australian democracy.

Broadly defined sedition provisions will unreasonably erode freedom of speech and artistic expression. Any person or organisation could be charged with sedition without, as existing law requires, having urged force or violence. There are already laws in place that prohibit inciting crimes, membership and funding of terrorist organisations, and racial vilification. Such extreme sedition laws are not necessary and should be excluded from the legislation.

Authorities will be able to act without accountability. Harsh penalties for anyone who reports on people detained under preventative detention or control orders attempts to dissuade journalists and the families, lawyers and detained citizens from questioning possible miscarriages of justice.

Notice to produce powers for the Australian Federal Police will prevent journalists from doing their job. The AFP can force a journalist to hand over all documents, including the identity of a confidential source. With this threat, no one will speak to journalists and we can look forward to only one viewpoint being heard in our media - that of the government.

These are serious threats to our democracy. I urge you to think carefully about these issues and oppose the Bill as it stands.

Yours sincerely,

Fuck You.