Justification

It's interesting to hear Howard trying to make connections to things that just aren't there. In response to the London bombs, he tried to use them to justify his own scare campaign:

Mr Howard says it does not heighten security concerns in Australia, but people should always be alert.

"It is a direct reminder that in a society that is so similar to ours in so many ways we can't afford to be complacent," Mr Howard said.

"Measures to guard against potential terrorist threats should always be maintained and where appropriate reinforced."

Mr Howard paid tribute to the British ambulance officers who alerted police to one of the car bombs.

He says it vindicates his own Government's community awareness program on terrorism.

"There was an enormous amount of cynicism about the fridge magnets and an enormous amount of cynicism about 'be alert but not be alarmed' (slogan)," Mr Howard said.

"But what has happened here is the community ambulance officers going about their work, they have spotted this - now that sends a very strong message that these community awareness programs do work." (emphasis mine)

Firstly what the hell does a London ambulance officer have to do with our fridge magnets? How does his spotting of smoke vindicate our scare campaign?

An ambulance officer noticed the smoke: a trained emergency response specialist. Notice how Howard slips in the "community" word. He tries to make it out like the ambulance officer is some volunteer that just wandered in off the street and noticed (being prompted from a fridge magnet 16 000km away in another country, obviously) the smoke coming out of the Mercedes.

He really is clutching at straws if he thinks that he can make ridiculous arguments such as these. Honestly, is anybody really listening to his lies anymore? Or are most people just laughing at an old man who will do and say anything to stay in power?