Loose cannons

You'd better believe it!

"A vote for Jason Hatton is a vote for tough anti-social behaviour." — August 17 advertisement in the NT News for the Country Liberal Party candidate for the Northern Territory seat of Nightcliff.

Eternal damnation not deterrent enough

"Why should marriage be the only contract people can walk away from without penalty?" — Sydney Roman Catholic archbishop George Pell arguing that there should be a divorce tax.

In denial I

"The Russian economy has not collapsed. According to official Russian statistics, gross domestic product (GDP) plummeted 44 per cent from 1989 to 1998." — Anders Aslund, writing in the July-August edition of the US Foreign Policy magazine.

In denial II

"Nothing suggests that average health care standards in Russia have fallen. The quality of health care is linked to infant mortality, which plunged by 17 per cent from 1993 to 1998." — Aslund again.

Whose future?

"Although [post-Soviet Russia] has a persistent large capital flight of more than [US]$20 billion a year... This capital flight reflects the country's high level of savings being invested abroad — a resource for the future." — Aslund once again.

From GLW issue 462