Pearlcasts
As we review 2025, the temptation is to look for neat summaries and settled conclusions.
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11 March 2026
Albanese’s politics of avoidance
From AUKUS to Gaza and now Iran, the government’s instinct has been to avoid political traps rather than confront hard choices – and voters are drifting away.
11 March 2026
How to lose an election: The 2025 Liberal Party election review
The leaked review shows how chaotic campaign management and policy announcements ignoring key demographics cost the Coalition the election.
11 March 2026
If China is Iran's 'most powerful ally,' then Australia must be China's
A media analysis asks why China hasn’t defended Iran. But the real puzzle is why anyone assumes Beijing has a military obligation to do so.
11 March 2026
Going for the jugular – the energy shock is coming
The Strait of Hormuz carries the lifeblood of the global economy – and war with Iran risks turning a geopolitical conflict into a worldwide economic shock.
11 March 2026
Why patriotism should worry us more than it does
Often treated as an unquestioned virtue, patriotism can easily slide into nationalism, exclusion and hostility towards others.
11 March 2026
Illegal tariffs, tax cuts for the wealthy, and an unauthorised war - Part one
US courts have ruled Trump's tariffs were illegal – yet the money has not been returned and was used to justify sweeping tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy.
11 March 2026
Australia’s ‘middle power’ myth
Talk of Australia as a 'middle power' sounds comforting, but our record in Asia and in global diplomacy often tells a different story.
10 March 2026
Angus Taylor’s immigration rhetoric faces policy reality
Calls to reduce immigration by “raising standards” sound tough, but current visa settings are already far tighter than in 2022 and further cuts would come with economic costs.
10 March 2026
‘Intentional chemical warfare’: Toxic black rain in Tehran after US-Israel bomb oil facilities
Air strikes on oil storage facilities in Tehran have triggered massive fires, toxic rainfall and choking pollution, raising fears of a major environmental and humanitarian disaster.
10 March 2026
Cowardice and kowtowing risk Australia becoming the fall guy in Trump’s wars and deals
As the US–Israeli war on Iran unfolds, Australia faces the danger of being drawn into American power politics while sacrificing its independence and credibility in the region.
10 March 2026
The Albanese controversy shows how universities have lost their way
A cancelled venue for a UN rapporteur’s appearance highlights how universities are increasingly restricting debate about Israel and Palestine under pressure over antisemitism.
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Latest on Palestine and Israel
10 March 2026
The Albanese controversy shows how universities have lost their way
A cancelled venue for a UN rapporteur’s appearance highlights how universities are increasingly restricting debate about Israel and Palestine under pressure over antisemitism.
9 March 2026
Diplomacy as cover – how the road to war with Iran was paved
Negotiations with Iran appeared to promise a diplomatic breakthrough, but the launch of Operation Epic Fury suggests the talks served mainly to mask a pre-planned path to war driven by political and strategic pressure.
9 March 2026
A growing Jewish challenge to Israel’s war narrative
Jewish organisations using social media are challenging dominant narratives about Israel’s actions in Gaza, framing the conflict through human rights, international law and Jewish ethical traditions.
9 March 2026
Settler colonialism: what it can tell you about the Israel/Palestine conflict
In spite of a last minute venue cancellation by Adelaide University, a sold-out Adelaide crowd heard from Chris Sidoti, Francesca Albanese, Henry Reynolds and Lana Tatour on lessons and links for Australia on settler colonialism and the Israel/Palestine conflict. The event was hosted by Association for the Promotion of International Law (APIL).
8 March 2026
When is an illegal war morally defensible?
Some illegal uses of force have been judged morally defensible, as in Kosovo in 1999. But the US–Israel war on Iran fails that test – lacking lawful authority, credible motives and a plausible path to a better outcome.
6 March 2026
How long can Israel sustain a military conflict with Iran?
Public support for Israel’s war effort contrasts with doubts over its long-term military and economic sustainability.
6 March 2026
Australia’s politics of consensus is stifling dissent and compassion
Governments sustain power by repeating stories about themselves. In Australia’s federal parliament, a narrow political consensus – marked by conformity, cruelty and evasion – is weakening democratic debate and eroding the principles of human rights and international law.
5 March 2026
You don’t have to like Iran’s government to oppose this war
After the killing of more than 150 schoolchildren in southern Iran, memories of a visit to Isfahan in 2018 return with painful clarity for Eugene Doyle. Beyond governments and geopolitics are ordinary families, whose children now bear the cost of escalating war.
Israel's war against Gaza
Media coverage of the war in Gaza since October 2023 has spread a series of lies propagated by Israel and the United States. This publication presents information, analysis, clarification, views and perspectives largely unavailable in mainstream media in Australia and elsewhere.
Download the PDFLatest on China
11 March 2026
If China is Iran's 'most powerful ally,' then Australia must be China's
A media analysis asks why China hasn’t defended Iran. But the real puzzle is why anyone assumes Beijing has a military obligation to do so.
8 March 2026
China waits and watches as the US fights all its tigers at once
The US–Israeli war with Iran has shattered Washington’s hope of concentrating its power on containing China. Instead, the United States is entangled in multiple conflicts while Beijing gains strategic time.
7 March 2026
Message from the Editor
When I stared in newspapers it was often said that today’s paper is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapper. It is a relief to know that some are not so casual about the press. John Menadue and Paul Keating both have long memories, and mark a special anniversary today. It is exactly three years to the day since The Age and SMH ran a series called 'Red Alert – warning war with China would come within three years, making that deadline today.
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Thanks to John Menadue on the 'Red Alert' anniversary
Margaret Callinan — Hawthorn VIC 3122
Robowar
Geoff Taylor — Borlu (Perth)
Antisemitisim Royal Commission and free speech
David Griffiths — Mordialloc, Victoria 3195
An Australian Pledge
Peter Bolton — nsw