Here's Why

Yes Minister

Its amazing what a good education in translating deliberately deceptive official language the "Yes Minister" and "yes Prime Minister" TV series gives you. Government employees wish to deceive the public so that they can get what they want without democracy getting in the way. On the other hand, they avoid lying outright, because if the truth IS discovered by the public, they can spin that they had always told the truth, its just that you were too stupid to understand what they were really saying.

ASIO Chief Paul O'Sullivan is quoted in Monday's Sydney Morning Herald talking about the threat of terrorist attack on Australian soil:

"ASIO's assessment of a possible terrorist attack in Australia has remained at medium since the September 2001 attacks in the US, Mr O'Sullivan said."

Translation: The threat has not increased.

" He said there was a higher threat level for acts against the interests of the US, Britain and Israel in Australia."
Translation: Even if an attack did happen, terrorists don't hate Australians enough to aim at us. Its vague whether he means Embassies or MacDonalds, or MacDonalds at Embassies.

"However, recent trends had indicated terrorist groups were now smaller and more diffuse, making it harder for security agencies to detect them."
Translation: There is little evidence for terrorist groups or threats in Australia.

"This justified the enhanced powers the Federal Government had given ASIO and the federal police. These included warrants that allow people to be detained without charge in certain circumstances."

Translation: The fact that there is no evidence of danger justifies imprisoning people without charge and making them answer questions without a lawyer under duress, in secret.

The Government employed scientists do the same thing.
Prolonged Illness after Infectious Mononucleosis Is Associated with Altered Immunity but Not with Increased Viral Load

"The detailed determinants of delayed recovery remain to be elucidated."
Translation: After 15 years of research, we have proved that we have no clue what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Give us your grant money anyway.

About the author: Ian Woolf lives in Sydney, has a degree in Applied Science, worked as a solar astronomer, software engineer, systems programmer, webmaster, research assistant, Cisco CCNA tutor, Physics laboratory demonstrator, Computational Theory lecturer, and subject coordinator; while changing his career to freelance writing and broadcasting. Listen to Ian on the Diffusion radio science show on radio 2SER 107.3FM Monday at 6:30pm in Sydney or streaming audio on www.2ser.com, or listen to the Diffusion podcasts. You should follow me on twitter, here