That was after Saddam refused to allow in the weapon inspectors. Then, there was a vote to go to war over the U.N. violations. Most countries did not want to take the initative to insure a strong U.N. And I guess, Canada and France were two of them that wanted further talks. But, Saddam had been playing games like this since Dessert Storm(1992) and the U.S. was sick of it. Then came the intelligence information. Our intelligence may have been wrong. But, this is the same pre 9/11 intelligence, worthless. But, the reasons/grounds for the war were the U.N. violations. Had Saddam "not interfered" with the weapons inspectors, there would have been no war. [Message Edited]

I will never vote for Howard.....not if my life depended on it.He is an idiot, a liar, and a US puppet.Fortunately, Bush won't get his entire arm dirty as Howard is also a pathetic runt of an individual.I think most non-Americans felt safer when there were TWO world powers.....one to keep the other honest.Now there is only one, and many are left wondering whether the wrong one went....

Oh Dear!
Another of the 'Labour Left' bites the dust!
Gough screwed up in the first place, Hawke and Keating screwed the entire country and I think Latham is an economic dunderhead!
Why is it the trendy inner suburban dwellers can't see the issue as one party's policy v. another?
Tsk! Tsk!

I don't know how it works elsewhere - but in this country 'England', it doesn't matter how we vote - the Government always seems to get in

don't know how it works elsewhere - but in this country 'England', it doesn't matter how we vote - the Government always seems to get in

Yes...it's like that here, too.

Trick is...if no-one voted at all....would we have no govt....and if so would we be better off?

Probably....

What's the DU?

Anyway, isn't it funny that if you value freedom you are tagged a leftie?  I thought the communist left was supposed to be anti-freedom.

Read about the Patriot Act my friend, and about the second one coming.  Visit the ACLU's website (American Civil Liberties Union), and see how your civil liberties are being attacked. 

www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/

Here is more on oil for food.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,135654,00.html

I thought voting in Australia was compulsory? I remember somebody telling me that the last time I was in Womera. You get fined if you don’t vote or something like that? I don’t really remember it was quite a few years ago.

I know the kangaroos were pretty upset.

I think more civil liberties have been lost from the Home Owners Association than the Patriot Act.

Well anyway, allot of people are fearful fearful of the future.
I read it here and in Joe User all the time.
People seem to be concerned about capitulating to their fear.
This is a goal of terrorism.

We don’t need to do what France did in Algiers.
Not unless you want your future dictated by an explosive vest and a suicide bomber.

Oh yes, America got blamed for everything during the cold war why should this be any different.

Some people act like they would be better off with a dictator, for security, and stability reasons than empowering people with freedoms and liberties.

That's not a bad idea, they ought to do it here.

How much is the fine for not voting?

I have this theory, well fantasy really, that if all our Members of Parliament were attached neurologically to a large pair of artificially created testicles that were placed somewhere accessible to the public and that each week as part of the National Lottery prize a lucky winner got to kick this collective responsibility for each of the time/money wasting dogma based proposals, (decided by a phone in poll) they had come up since the previous winner - this Country would have true accountability - and more considered decision making - true we'd probably have less candidates - but those we had, would be really focussed.

And oh - the tender and easily bruised pair I'd have outside Brussels

Fuzzy, with the way politicians lie, you better have some steel tips on cause you know what is made of brass.

OK, I don't know what is worst... the voter fraud or the idea that somebody still is using crack.

Vote #1 'The Squirrel'.

His policies are all nuts....