The March 11 Massacre of the 17 Afghan citizens, including at least nine children and four women, raises many fundamental issues about the nature of a colonial war, the practices of a colonial army engaged in a prolonged (eleven-year) occupation and the character of an imperial state as it commits war crimes and increasingly relies on arbitrary dictatorial measures to secure public compliance and suppress dissent.

New statistics show an ever-more-startling divergence between the fortunes of the wealthy and everybody else -  and the desperate need to address this wrenching problem. Even in a country that sometimes seems inured to income inequality, these takeaways are truly stunning.

Julia Gillard has tackled head on her principal perceived weakness among voters by framing the next federal election as being about trust.

After the routing of the Labor government in Queensland on Saturday put the Prime Minister's trustworthiness at the centre of the political debate, Ms Gillard went on the front foot yesterday, mimicking the strategy John Howard adopted at the start of the 2004 election campaign.

''I'm happy now and in the 2013 election to say 'who do you trust to manage the economy in the interests of working people?','' Ms Gillard said from South Korea where she is attending a nuclear summit with world leaders.

The Whistleblower who informed The Sunday Times about the lobbyist offering access to David Cameron, which led to the resignation yesterday of party fund-raiser Peter Cruddas, not to mention the fascinating revelations about the PM's "come upstairs" supper club for wealthy donors, has asked the police to investigate whether the Tory leadership flouted laws banning political parties from taking foreign donations.

from Crikey …..

Poll Bludger: the hole where Qld Labor used to be

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and US President Barack Obama will be among 53 global leaders attending the two-day Nuclear Security Summit in South Korea.

Ms Gillard said Australia would be promoting its proud record on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Non-profit think tank the Nuclear Threat Initiative recently ranked Australia as No. 1 for taking action to reduce nuclear risks.

Ms Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott sponsored a statement last week calling for a world free of nuclear weapons.

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Libya and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross."

A new expose in Wired Magazine has revealed new details about how the National Security Agency is quietly building the largest spy centre in the country in Bluffdale, Utah, as part of a secret NSA surveillance program codenamed "Stellar Wind."

They've flogged off the Tote, the state-owned bookmaker set up by Winston Churchill in 1928. They've sold the Channel Tunnel rail link to two Canadian pension funds. The NHS faces privatisation in all but name, some police services are to be carried out by private companies, and the Royal Mail, in state hands since its inception in 1516, is to be sold, with the taxpayer left paying for the company's pension fund liabilities.

And still the serial privatisers in the ConDem coalition aren't satisfied.

Abbott's humour less than killer, but does he lack compassion?

David Ritter, an academic, commentator and campaigner, writes:

With annual financial reports being released this time of year, the oil and gas industry is looking to continue its decade long trend of being one of the most profitable in the United States. As of February 27, 2012, the top six oil and gas companies have released their 2011 fourth quarter results-and with no surprise, profits continue to boom. The top six oil and gas companies raked in nearly $150 billion in profits last year-an increase of 69% from 2010. Despite another jaw dropping year, Big Oil continues to enjoy billions of dollars in taxpayer-backed subsidies.

While most Australians rightly believe that Australia is a multicultural nation, in reality multiculturalism is encouraging divisions, discrimination and racism. Australia needs an inclusive multicultural policy to dismantle "white" dominance and unite Australians.

A parliamentary probe team on Thursday said up to 20 American troops were involved in Sunday's killing of 16 civilians in southern Kandahar province.

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott gave a strong endorsement of Israel’s right to defend itself during a speech at the Central Synagogue last Friday night.