Australia theoretically wrong - Neville Wran writes in the Herald today
While there are many nations throughout the world that claim to be liberal democratic in theory and fail to be in practice, Australia may well be the only nation on Earth that is liberal democratic in practice but not in theory.
He continues to write a slightly convoluted thesis suggesting that Australian's have been tricked into the pocket of one John Howard, who himself has been very careful with the languaging of his statements to keep in line with our international obligations.
Finishing up with a nice piece of typical Wranesque use of the contrast frame
The very idea that boats bringing asylum seekers pose a danger to the security of the nation is only just shy of ludicrous. Of the 13,000 asylum seekers who entered Australia in 2000, only one was held to be a security risk due to terrorist links, and he came by plane. In the run-up to the federal election there was even a suggestion from Canberra that terrorists were likely to be among the asylum seekers. What self-respecting terrorist would travel to Australia on a boat that was leaking? It is much more likely that a terrorist would travel first class by air, as those responsible for the September 11 catastrophe did.
And nicely finshes with
So how do our 4174 asylum seekers in 2000 even begin to compare? How does one reconcile all that with the fact that in terms of refugees accepted on a per capita basis, Australia is ranked 38th, behind Kazakhstan, Guinea, Djibouti and Syria?
The answer is: one can't. One cannot compare. One cannot reconcile. One cannot justify.
7:41:04 AM 
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