First they came for the "terrorists".........

[Djinn]

whatever you personally think of Jack Thomas' actions NO Australian should EVER be charged on the SOLE basis of a "confession" gained through torture.

if Jack is convicted it provides a seriously scary precedent,

In 2003, Jack was imprisoned in Pakistan for five months, after attempting to return to his family in Australia. Eventually, he was released without charge – no evidence linking him to terrorism could be found. He returned to Melbourne, lived and worked in the community, and tried to resume his life.

Eighteen months later, Jack was arrested again. For all of that time, security forces had monitored his movements, his phone calls, and emails but had found no new evidence whatsoever. According to the testimony of the prosecution, the case against him stands or falls on the basis of a single interview conducted in Pakistan by the Australian Federal Police, without the presence of a lawyer, two months after Jack's initial detention.

This interview was preceded by over 100 hours of interrogation, torture and duress by various agencies including the CIA, the FBI and the Pakistan Secret Service (ISI). It’s very likely that this “evidence” will be viewed as inadmissible – the government, therefore, has no case, and any charges against Jack should be dropped.

http://www.justice4jack.com/index.htm

[Syrinx]

1. could you tell me the major political parties in Australia?

And what they are about? I used to know this; I took a course in International Politics in college, but I can't remember. A quick refresher would be nice. Don't feel obligated though. :)

[Djinn]

2. I'd be amazed if you touched on Aust politics

normally we're viewed as that little hot irrelevant place down south!!

basically we've got the ALP (Australian Labor Party) and the ruling Liberal/National Coalition.

The ALP seem to be fighting it out with the Dem's as to who can best take up every last plank of the conservative platform while still pretending to be progressive. They originated from the Labor movement and get a huge chunk of funds from Trades Council but I'm at a loss as to how they've helped organised labor in the last ten years +

Our Liberal Party is actually the conservative party and in coalition with the National Party (AKA the party for inbred rural yokels - they're very big on socialism for the country and capitalism for everyone else) have been in power for ten bastard years.

Although we have a system of preferential voting we basically have a two party system with minor parties and independants grabbing a few seats here and there.

Until recently the Democrats were the next major party but they've seen a huge drop off in their primary vote mainly caused by utter ineptness and also a split between the right leaning and left leaning sections.

The Australian Greens are (very slowly) increasing their vote mainly from dissafected Labor Party folk like me rather than people with a big environmental agenda.

[Syrinx]

3. thanks for the info

"normally we're viewed as that little hot irrelevant place down south!!"

Kind of like Alabama. :)

We did study Australia for a bit, but Europe was the main focus, I guess. But that was about 15 years ago now.

Are both of those pictures you? The people in them look very different.

[Djinn]

4. neither of those guys are me

I'm a 29 year old female! in my sig is Mamdouh Habib (arrested in Pakistan, sent to Egypt for "questioning" despite being an Aust citizen spent 3 years in detention in Gitmo and released without any charges) and David Hicks (still in Gitmo)

I wouldn't be pals with either of them being a fairly adamant atheist but I defend their right to a fair trial.

[Syrinx]

5. oh, I agree with you

I've been "bumfuzzled" by those pics for a while. If I squinted, I could see *some* resemblence. Except one looked a lot whiter than the other, etc.

The worldwide police-state, led by the US, is surely out of control!

[Matilda]

6. Australia under John Howard has become a very ugly place.

But just what is his problem? I can understand why Bush is
paranoid - he stole his election, twice. But Howard - seemingly,
a majority of dumbass Australians think he's hot, so why the hell
does he have to resort to police state tactics?

[oscarmitre]

7. Pop psychology answer

But I bet he was pushed around at school.

[Matilda]

8. Yeah - I've always had a theory

that he was the class tell-tale too. Every class had one.