Did Echelon Overlook Terrorist Threat?

The US National Security Agency engaged the so-called Echelon communications monitoring network, following on warnings of possible terrorist attacks, as long as three months ago, a German publication, Allgemeine Zeitung, has reported. Western and Middle East intelligence services received warnings more than six months ago that terrorists were planning attacks using hijacked airplanes against prominent symbols of American and Israeli culture in the United States and elsewhere

When Will We Learn?

It is well known that in war, the first casualty is truth — that during any war truth is forsaken for propaganda. But sanity was a prior casualty: it was the loss of sanity that led to war in the first place

Governments push open-source software

Governments around the world have found a new rallying cry — Software libre! — and Microsoft is working overtime to quell it. A recent global wave of legislation is compelling government agencies, and in some cases government-owned companies, to use open-source or free software unless proprietary software is the only feasible option

So why blockade CHOGM?

On 6 October, the Commonwealth Heads of Government — CHOGM — will be meeting in Brisbane at the Convention Centre. Fifty-four heads of state from Commonwealth countries, including HRH Queen Elizabeth II, Tony Blair and John Howard, will be meeting in private to discuss world economic policy. Stop CHOGM has been set up by the Stop Chogm Alliance to help build the biggest possible blockade of the CHOGM meeting

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

Australian taxpayers now fund 84 percent of all the drugs prescribed by doctors. It’s a massive tonic for the drug industry, and companies spend a lot of those taxpayer dollars trying to get doctors to choose their drugs rather than someone else’s. They win favour with lavish meals at top restaurants, harbour cruises, dancing girls and expensive holidays… marketing methods that many experts believe are causing doctors to prescribe excessively and inappropriately