Candy From The Frame

"The point I urge ...is that all the efforts towards securing the rights and freedoms we enjoy today, still enjoy, almost, although they are beginning to fray and diminish) cost blood, and took centuries. It dishonours those who fought for them to forget that fact now, and it does us no credit to be careless of what was thus won. My hope is that understanding what it cost — seeing our last five centuries as a continuously unfolding series of struggles to make ourselves free, to make us lords of ourselves — will summon resolve not to allow the erosion of our liberties in the spurious name of security, for as Benjamin Franklin said, 'he who would put security before liberty deserves neither'."
AC Growling, Towards The Light.

This is the intersection just up the road from our house; proving the point, perhaps, that there are moments of beauty in even the most appalling days. They cascade some vertiginous days; while at others barely move through the fog; when we are only remotely conscious of the physical world at all. He's drifting now, into eternity, away from the fabric of things. This was such a critical moment. A story amongst stories, he couldn't explain it any other way.

What was destined for marginal release; blown in desert storms; everyone talking about the coming election; waiting for Howard to call the date while they are behind in every state but WA; but are showing signs of recovery in Queensland; as time forces the issue; Rudd's operatives everywhere, leaving nothing to chance; doing what they do best; campaign; you can be anywhere; the central west of NSW today; and he'll pop up. The everywhere man; attracting as little negativity as he can manage.

Meanwhile Howard, ever peripatetic, is also, astonishingly, in many places. But still no election has been called; and the whole thing has gone on too long. Have Labor peaked too early, is that the master plan? They could have just done a good job in the first place, been genuinely for small government and enterprise and individual effort, and everyone would have supported them; applauded them. You cannot forever betray your own constituents; but what would I know. But the Kevin and Johnnie show run is on; and everyone wants to swap notes. Of thus we were made, gamblers and gossips.



THE BIGGER STORY:

AFP:


In an audio recording released Thursday, bin Laden said Al-Qaeda intended to retaliate for the blood spilled by "champions of Islam."

"It is obligatory on the Muslims in Pakistan to carry out jihad (holy war) and fighting to remove Pervez, his government, his army and those who help him," said the voice in the tape, produced by the terror network's media arm As-Sahab and monitored by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group.

Earlier this month, a bin Laden video was released to coincide with the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States in which nearly 3,000 people were killed.

ABC:

Outgoing federal independent MP Peter Andren says the Federal Opposition has allowed the Howard Government to rob Australia of its "fair go" character.

The popular Member for the central New South Wales seat of Calare had planned to run for the Senate until he was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer last month.