* I dare you to take a quick look and see what Australia’s ABC offers up for intellectual discourse; I swear I picked it at random. Its not me trying to manipulate you!
Second guessing America’s primaries
Harry Melkonian says that although the Democrat’s victory in the US election was decisive it was not the landslide of some previous polls and wonders why the exhaustive system of primaries failed to elect the best man for the job.
“John McCain secured the GOP nomination for President by April 2008, long before the world economic melt-down. Senator McCain’s big issue was his support of the surge in Iraq. However, by October – who cared? Probably not even John McCain. But the Republicans were stuck with a candidate who had virtually no understanding or interest in economics or fiscal policy.” More…
17 November 2008, 09.30
Co-ed is not co-equal
Girls taught at single-sex schools are better off, says Amanda Bell.
“Girls educated in a single-sex environment gain the benefit of not only an education tailored to the learning styles and needs of girls, but they are also more frequently exposed to strong female role models who exemplify what women can achieve in their lives beyond school.” More…
14 November 2008, 17:00
Patrick Dodson gives the Peace Prize Lecture
Aboriginal leader and rights advocate, Patrick Dodson, was recently awarded the “2008 Sydney Peace Prize”. Past recipients have included former U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix and Palestinian activist Dr Hanan Ashrawi. Dodson is often called the “father of reconciliation” for his determination to build bridges between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.
Here Dodson presents the “Peace Prize Lecture” in which he urges Australia to follow the lead of the American President-elect, Barack Obama, in its approach to dialogue with our Aboriginal people.
This video is presented by Unleashed in conjunction with ABC Fora, a great source of talks and debates online. More…
14 November 2008, 16:15
At least I’m not an Arab American
Irfan Yusuf says the difference between religion and race still poses problems. Especially if you’re American…
“These days, calling someone Arab has become a slur, especially in the United States of America. Barack Obama’s middle name was made an issue of. Why? Because it was an Arab name. The fact that many Baghdad Jews commonly carried this as a given name or surname is irrelevant.”More…
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
The original comments were made by the principal of Cheltenham girls and I think she knows whereof
she speaks. I am not sure, it is either the best or second best school in the country with no drop-outs or failures and some 90% of the students receiving a first class pass, most of whom go on to University.
The first of the comments decried that sort of education because it does not reflect the reality of the country, a reality created by idiots like him who cannot accept the fact that while all men are created equal, they have differing abilities and it is insanity to offer the same curriculum to a near moron with an I.Q. of 80 to a budding genius with an I.Q. of 140.
“These days, calling someone Arab has become a slur, especially in the United States of America. Barack Obama’s middle name was made an issue of. Why? Because it was an Arab name. The fact that many Baghdad Jews commonly carried this as a given name or surname is irrelevant.”
Is he aware that there are only 8 Jews left in Bagdad? Somehow I don’t think they all have the same name.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1647740,00.html
How many in the whole of Iraq? Probably not too many.
A slur? How dare we! As long as Arabs refer to me as “infidel”, I’ll continue with my “stinking muslims” thankyouverymuch.