*Dozens of leading Palestinian intellectuals, artists and other public figures have published an open letter condemning antisemitic comments made by the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas.*

Bravo! Palestinians have plenty of reason to hate Israel's occupation policies; that they speak up to distinguish that from (and reject) antisemitism is an admirable example.

If they can do this, surely the supporters of Israel's occupation policies can do likewise.

Queensland cops caught sharing a thuggish attitude of bigotry will not be punished.

The state has a duty not to allow this. Sneering at people with insulting words cannot be a crime, since it is part of freedom of speech. But people who hold an office such as "police officer", which includes special powers over everyone else and special authorization for violence, have a duty to treat the public without bias. If they engage in bigotry, they are not fit for the office. If they promote bigotry among the other officers, they undermine the proper respect for society among the whole body of officers.

*We Must Remember the 9/11 War Lies.*

*We can’t afford to let these lies go down the memory hole, like we have the other wars we were lied into.*

I disagree with Hartmann about ending the war in Afghanistan. I supported the war in Afghanistan, for the sake of democracy and women's rights there, when it looked like we could win that war. But it became clear that the army we supported could never defeat the Taliban.

Undercover federal thugs shot and maimed a man in a wheelchair who had come to the aid of his brother, whom the thugs were attacking. They did not identify themselves as cops until after.

People should not be killed or maimed for coming to the aid, with or without a gun, of someone being attacked by unknown strangers.

The fact that this victim was homeless doesn't alter the issue. Neither does the fact that he already needed a wheelchair for some other reasons. Those are misfortunes, and a better organized society would spare people the first of the two, but if the thugs had done the same thing to a fit and healthy home-owner it would have been equally unjust.

British unions have decided to defy the Tories' new anti-strike laws.