Someone, please, tell me I'm not reading "this" in this, the 21st century.

"The US Government had tried to stop the release of this material."

Fancy that!

The Federal Government is also continuing to defend the role of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in the case against the Bali nine. [Some family members had told the AFP that the smuggling was going on, before the smugglers went to Indonesia, but the AFP did nothing to stop the young people from proceeding. Instead, they shared information with the murderous authorities of Indonesia.] Some of the family members of the Bali nine have criticised the role of the AFP, saying its cooperation with Indonesian authorities exposed the Bali nine to the death penalty. Prime Minister John Howard and Senator Ellison have defended the role of the police saying the criticism is unfair.

To: John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia; and Christopher Ellison, Minister for Justice and Customs
Re: Bali Nine, your complicity
Feb 14, 06

You defend the role of the AFP in this matter, and say that criticism of police is unfair. So, I presume that whenever you know of a conspiracy to commit a crime in Australia, you ignore it until the crime actually is committed? Conspiracy is no longer a crime, eh?

Please: You defend but with no defense; not even a stated defense. Defend away: more empty political gesturing. And more blood, and famly anguish, on your government's hands.

Pathetic.

To: John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia
Re: Death sentences delivered against two Australians found guilty of drug trafficking in Indonesia

Again, Mr. Howard, you seem to suffer from a basic lack of logic. You say, of the two Australians just sentenced to death in Indonesia: "In the case of two people, their lives could well be taken. You can't expect governments in other countries to take a soft view of drugs."

There are, you must agree, many sentences that fall well short of judicial murder that could not be classified as "soft." And yet you seem tacitly to justify and approve of the death sentences, even as you claim to oppose them.

You seem to want to have it both ways. And, may I suggest that when you say "you can't expect governments in other countries to take a soft view of drugs," you are not making sense. No one expects that. What you could say is that "governments in some other countries like to inflict draconian sentences on people as a way of reinforcing their tyrannous hold over their own citizens."

I fear, though, that not only do you lack the analytic abililty to see these distinctions, but also the courage to say this to some of our more murderous neighbours.

Sadly.

When you read items like this one, you realize that the church remains as venal as ever, and that the public remains simply unable to accord scum like this fuck the disdain and execration he deserves. What is wrong with people?

Hundreds farewell slain underworld figure
Melbourne underworld figure Mario Condello has been farewelled at a funeral service in Richmond.
Hundreds of people filed into the St Ignatius Church in Richmond.
A photo of Condello was placed on his coffin, the centrepiece of the dimly lit church.