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11 September 2011

Ten years later

Those who perished ten years ago remain America's greatest loss, and those who gave themselves to save them its greatest heroes; but the terror conducted in their names must be its greatest shame.

It is easy to forget that for the ruling classes to legitimise a war against another people, they must first wage war against their own, to the extent that no dishonesty or contempt lies beyond the depths to which they would stoop to rob ordinary people of their will.

Just as Americans do not deserve so harsh a symbol, the world deserves better than that symbol's legacy.

26 June 2011

HSA delay - Volume Thirteen: the grudge

On 14 June 2011, I resigned from the ABSA Board, which I believe is still unable to fulfil its duties under either the ABSA Constitution or the Corporations Act. A week later, ABSA Chairman Michael Plunkett decided to send me an email, asking me to participate in an investigation against a trusted colleague who also doesn't work there any more. Here's my reply.

06 June 2011

HSA delay - Volume Twelve: Sugar for Polonius

Dear ABSA member,

Even if you haven't been paying attention to ABSA's antics over the past year and a half - and documenting it along the way as I have - it's hard not to see their most recent episodes as anything more than theatre.

Much of what members have heard over the past few months is predicated upon one specific, pervasive, fundamental lie. Let me dispel it right now: the ABSA Board does not run ABSA.

In truth, the ABSA Board means nothing to the industry at large, nothing to the organisation, and nothing to you. Looking through the past years' Board minutes, I can state categorically that not only does the Board not govern the organisation now but that it has neglected to do so for as long as anyone has been supposed to be paying attention.

09 May 2011

HSA delay - Volume Eleven: your turn

Dear ABSA member,

Clearly, ABSA is an organisation in search of a scapegoat. It's doing its best to pretend that it's not, but this is surely not the way you would act if there weren't blame to be cast for something going wrong.

25 April 2011

HSA delay - Volume Ten: the end is nigh for uncontracted assessors

[On the morning of 23 April 2011, I sent the following email to all of the uncontracted Green Loans assessors I know, and a few other interested parties.]

Hi everyone,

I write to you today with heavy heart. I fear that the fight is over, not with a bang but with a whimper.

I write to advise you to take DCCEE up on its Financial Assistance Scheme.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving this advice because I believe that what DCCEE is offering is fair. I don't believe it at all, and yet, I intend to take the advice myself. I'm saying this because we have run out of other options.