I would very seriously doubt my phone is tapped, unlike Robin's or
Dave's phone.  My emails are sent without encryption and could be easily
intercepted and read and yet  I doubt they would make me a serious
terrorist threat except for the waste of government funded resources
this would incur. So far as I understand, Australia is still a
democracratic country and the activities of writers and intellectuals,
including critique, are perfectly legal. If trying to apply Illya
Prigonine's disequilibrium systems theory to the social or cultural
fields, as P claims is possible,  reading about theories of the mode of
production of the Kantian transcendental, linking the evolutionary
psychology of Silvan Tompkins Affect Theory and Script Theory to modes
of production on a transcendental plane and Prigonine's systems theory
are to make me a terrorist threat who needs to be monitored,  then I
really think laughter is called for. Although, I do agree that very sad
passions are being put in effect with a lot of this response to
terrorist activity. I haven't been monitoring the media, but from I
understand there is supposed to be a credible threat of a terrorist
attack in Australia over the next two months. There are also supposed to
be travel warnings about visiting Australia over this period, issued by
the USA and New Zealand, that I can remember. People are being told,
according to media reports, to be on alert for odd or suspicious
activity. Could writing poetry or prose fiction be considered odd or
suspicious activity? Maybe that is the link--- Dave did meet some odd or
suspicious characters on his recent visit to Australia. I believe he
even went to a poetry reading!

best wishes

Chris Jones.

Lawrence Upton wrote:

>If this is so, what you say Chris, how pathetic
>
>& I don't doubt it actually - 20 something years ago (when monitoring was
>manual in more senses than one) I had some contact with a poetry magazine in
>N Ireland in much the same way that I might have contact with a poetry
>magazine anywhere else
>
>& I started to get clicks and bumps on the line & sometimes the line would
>be open when I picked up the phone and I wouldnt be able to get a dialing
>tone... unless, that is, I said something like "I know youre there you
>know - why dont you - " etc; and then after a few repetitions the dialing
>tone would come back as if someone had had to respond to the unexpected
>activity
>
>sometimes I varied the message for the hell of it and sang a little dirge
>about loving the home office because they protected me night and day -either
>way I got my line
>
>*once it was open with voices in the background but I couldnt hear what they
>were saying
>
>it occurred to me later that the mere fact of saying I knew I was tapped wld
>persuade them to monitor me as a dangerous man - how else wld i know?!
>
>sad sad people
>
>
>L
>
>