Sickening gutter politics

Well, on what might turn out to be another non-running day, though I hold out hope for a rain-sodden evening run, I see that Australian politics under the rodent are as mean-spirited, nasty, and divisive as ever. Here we have our warm and cuddly treasurer setting up straw man and knocking them down with machismo vigour in the name of whipping up a bit of "community debate" (code for xenophobic wog bashing) over an issue that doesn't exist.

It's all well and good to ask that extremist Muslims who call for Sharia law in Australia to sod off. But there is just one little problem, as pointed out by Keysar Trad, President of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia:

"I don't know anyone in this country who is asking for sharia law to be imposed and I don't known anyone in this country who has rejected the rule of law.

What the Hell is Iemma doing coming out and backing comments that are calculated to be so divisive and run absolutely counter to the notion of fostering social stability? What a dupe! At least Beatty and Rudd are on their games. I genuinely worry what sort of reactions this is going to create in the more bone-headed elements. Mosque torchings and increased rates of leb bashing are going to make it a lot harder as an ex-pat to defend my country as being pretty much free of racism and intolerance, that's for sure.