It's nice to see that that society's level of paranoria is now in line with all of it's other levels. Not only is this story not the bit suprising, but it is a sign that all is going well. We are so busy fighting one another that we are ignoring the real issues.

Coat, Hat, Pub.

FFS

They've got to be loving it too! They don't really even have to blow up that much anymore and the entire world is scared shitless of them. The best part is the more the governments try to "protect" us, the more they play into the hands of the terrorists through general paranoia and a pansified public who truly thinks they need protecting.

Too bad really, I hope this passes soon, I don't want my kids to grow up in a world where the government scares people worse than the terrorists.

In the UK he'd get a bullet in the brain, Canada tasered until he stops moving and US shipped of to Guantanamo ?

He should consider himself lucky.

This is awful! I mean what next? Some dark-skinned guy with a rucsack mistaken for a terror suspect gunned down by armed police in the street (or on a popular form of public transport)?

What is Oz coming to?!? We should be thankful that that kind of paranoid abomination couldn't happen here in good old blighty!

We all know how that turns out.

Bullet proof ear muffs, anyone?

terrorism! - aussies cant even spell it! i'm more convinced he got kicked out for (a) reading a book in a bar (b) reading a book about a ballet dancer in a bar (c) not being a pasty aussie skin shade in a bar - discrimination is alive and well down-under!!

.. he'd be turning in his grave.

If this story is true, then it is a testimony to the cluelessness of some people. Maybe if he was reading "Mein Kampf" they wouldn't have said anything. Bunch of redneck f00knuts.

Good job he wasn't reading "The Silence of the Lambs", heaven know what they would have thought of him. Oh, wait, they are sheepsh4ggers....

that the difference between Australia and yogurt is that the yogurt has a culture.

See icon, some of my best friends etc etc

I suspect the book was merely a pretext, the real reason for his removal was one of the following:

1/ An Aussie in a bar - the staff probably saw him as a threat to their employment.

2/ His dancing was to blame - everyone knows Aussies can't dance, just like they can't play cricket, or rugby..... I mean they're almost as uncoordinated as those other colonials the Kiwis or the South Africans!

:P

for terrorists.

People living with fear all over, when are they going to stand up to them and just get on with their lives?

Correct me if i'm wrong but weren't Aha Norwegian?

They're coming to take me away, aha, he he.

Coat please, not too tight around the back there.

... that none of the rednecks asked, "What are you reading that book for?"

At least they could read the books title, after all they call beer XXXX cos they forgot how to spell beer

So instead of being kicked from a bar because he's reading (not drinking) he's kicked for what he's reading....

The whole country is turning into The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert....

For years us Irish prided ourselves as being the best terrorists in the world. Now the muzzies have come in an nicked our crown. Now we're just known as "The Riverdance people".

FFS, didn't the Nazi's do crap like this... ?!

I've *been* to Australlia. Mad Max wasn't a film, it was a documentry.

Anyway, serves him right for not wearing one of these " I'm not Brazillian " T-Shirts the missus bought for me. They must be the ultimate in UK public transport safety devices.

anyway reading that trash, and dancing, bah!

"If you want to give more powers to the police, security agencies and military, and you want the public to demand you do it, then ensure there is more crime, violence and terrorism, and then it's a cinch to achieve your aims. Once the people are in fear of being burgled, mugged or bombed, they will demand that you take their freedom away to protect them from what they have been manipulated to fear."

The aforementioned turquoise lizard spotter is (for once) almost correct.

The difference is that the Government doesn't have to *ensure* there is more crime and terror. All they have to do *say* there is more crime and terror, then sit back while the 'popular media' (i.e, those that specialise in the thick-as-shit end of the market) blow it all out of proportion.

Before you know it they have the perfect excuse to introduce new laws to 'protect' us and new taxes to pay for it all.

Though most people with more than two brain cells to rub together (i.e, those that don't rely on Fox for their info) know that when Bush and Brown say 'protect' they really mean 'subjugate'.

At least they didn't burn the book.

He might have been seen reading this:

http://rackstrawpress.nfshost.com/

- in which case he'd presumably have been taken out on the spot by the local SWAT or equivalent.

and manages to read most of a book and have a dance before buying a drink - too right they kicked the cheapskate out.

Either that or he's full of shite and had spilt his pint whilst dancing - sacrilege that is - especially to an Irishman....

Here in the states, a member of a gym was overheard talking with someone on the phone about the wisdom of sending troops to the Sunny Sandbox when the terrorists were actually based out of Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.(ssshhhh..don't make too large a mention of this...they are our friends after all................with "friends" like that...blah blah blah).

Long story short....the eavesdroppers (also fellow members of this gym) contacted the local Feds and, as a result, he was questioned at length about his discussion. By "at length", I mean the better part of 2 days.

Crap...I almost forgot....he was a 66 year old white male....you know---the "classic" terrorist profile. Oh, and the time frame was shortly before first deployment.

Orwell would be proud..and Solzhenitsyn would be saying "I told ya so!"

The most hilarious aspect of the paranoia is the complete inability by those afflicted to make honest rationalization. I say "hilarious" because if you REALLY try to concieve of a bunch of zealots arriving at the outskirts of your local municipality with obvious intent to do harm, here in the states they would be mowed down in a hail of bullets by the local armed citizenry (only if they weren't too busy trying to shoot the lugnuts off of their vehicles....but I digress...) If they attempted this around Alabama ( or Georgia, Louisiana, etc...), not only would they get reduced to a fine red mist, but whatever was left would probably be turned into jerky. Only after that would the police be summoned.

The final punch line is the fact that this communication has most likely been run through a "splitter" and has has a copy of itself run into a Data Repository in California. Room 641b I believe.

Cue uneasy, stifled laughter.....

A little more info from the Cairns Post, adding details that sure seem relevant:

“A man’s odd behaviour was what patrons of a Cairns pub say led them to fear he was a terrorist.... Mr Chalk failed to mention he was standing on the dance floor motionless for a period of 20-30 minutes...Mr Chalk also failed to mention he had a side pack on his hip with wires hanging out of it, and the fact that it was 10.30pm and he was carrying a book called The Unknown Terrorist in clear view”.

The wires were from Chalk’s MP3 player.

I blame our scumbag prime minister, John (lying rodent) Howard and his "Be Alert not Alarmed" advertising campaign, designed to turn us all into agents for the state.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/09/1049567739732.html

eat your heart out Stasi.