The Kentucky colonel who drives Australian foreign policy
Australia’s foreign policy is being distorted by AUKUS, militarised thinking and a misplaced faith in US power, when the country should be rebuilding its diplomatic strength as an independent middle power.
If Support at Home is the answer, what is the problem?
Support at Home was meant to transform aged care, but its assessment and funding model has left older Australians waiting too long, paying too much and receiving services shaped by budgets rather than need.
Zia Ahmad’s OAM honours a lifetime of community journalism
This week Zia Ahmad – a regular contributor to P&I – became the first Muslim to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to journalism – and the second member of his family to receive the nation’s highest civilian honour.
One Nation’s Trumpian threat
One Nation’s polling surge could create serious instability after the next federal election, with the party’s growing Senate prospects threatening to disrupt the balance of power and test Australia’s political institutions.
Could Texas really swing back to the Democrats?
Texas may still lean Republican, but shifting party identification, economic discontent and doubts about Donald Trump’s leadership are giving Democrats new reasons to believe the state could become competitive.
Challenging governments’ indifference to international law
A public forum organised by Australians for Humanity brought together legal, political and human rights experts to examine why international law must be upheld consistently – from Gaza to Australia.
Decolonising democracy – part three
In the third of an eight-part series, John Keane traces America's shift from being defender-in-chief of democracy to MAGA's denunciation of it.
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Undersea warfare is moving faster than AUKUS
Rapid advances in lithium-metal battery systems, all-electric submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles are reshaping undersea warfare well before Australia is likely to deploy an operational nuclear-powered submarine force.
Trump urges Israel not to retaliate after Iran missile strikes
Iran has launched missile strikes towards Israel, calling the attack a warning over Israel’s continued assault on southern Lebanon and threatening broader regional action if attacks continue.
How governments move into Mafia – or Trump – territory
Australia’s crisis of trust is being deepened by opaque lobbying, revolving-door appointments, weak accountability and an insider culture that gives powerful interests privileged access to government.
AFP urged to investigate Australians allegedly involved in Gaza genocide
Human rights organisations have referred evidence to the AFP, urging an investigation into whether Australian-Israeli dual nationals may have been involved in genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The myth of the balanced budget
A monetary sovereign government such as Australia’s does not need to balance its budget or borrow the currency it creates, provided total spending does not exceed the economy’s real productive capacity.
The students we aren’t seeing
Displaced Palestinians are seeking ways to continue their education. These aspirations need to be part of the screening process, which has become too focussed on risk.
Decolonising democracy – part two
In the second of an eight-part series, John Keane shows how the American empire deployed the idea of 'liberal democracy' to bolster its own interests.
Marwan Barghouti is the Palestinian leader peace now needs
A sustainable Palestinian-Israeli peace process requires leadership with real legitimacy among Palestinians, and Marwan Barghouti remains one of the few figures capable of uniting Palestinian politics behind a negotiated settlement.
The real question in school funding is where the money goes
Australia’s school funding debate has focused on headline spending figures while obscuring whether resources counted toward the Schooling Resource Standard are actually reaching classrooms, students and support staff.
Trust US War Secretary Hegseth? Sure can't
Pete Hegseth’s Shangri-La Dialogue speech revealed the contradictions at the heart of Trump’s foreign policy: demanding allied military obedience while claiming to defend sovereignty, stability and freedom of choice.
US tech sanctions are making China’s tech giants stronger
In this South China Morning Post editorial, Huawei’s latest chipmaking breakthrough is presented as evidence that US technology sanctions are accelerating China’s drive for self-reliance and innovation.
Decarbonisation is now being driven by cost, security and necessity
In emerging and developing economies, the shift away from fossil fuels is increasingly being driven by energy security, affordability and economic pressure rather than formal climate targets alone.
Decolonising democracy – part one
In the first of an eight-part series, political theorist John Keane examines the effect of disruptions to the world order on democracy and its future.
The “China threat” narrative says more about the west than China
Much western commentary portrays Xi Jinping as a revisionist strongman bent on overturning the global order. A closer reading of Chinese political thought and diplomacy suggests a more complex emphasis on multilateralism, reciprocity and long-term stability.
Michael Jackson, funerals and the myth of the authentic self
How we remember people does not fit easily into a therapeutic framework of suffering, confession and healing.
Why agreeable AI could weaken human connection
AI systems are useful problem-solvers, but their tendency to affirm users and avoid relational discomfort can undermine responsibility, repair and the human connections that give decisions meaning.
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 letters to the editor
Military incompetence arises without trace
Richard Llewellyn — Colo Vale
Yes, men did most of the destroying
Fiona Colin — Melbourne
The unnoticed casualties of undersea progress
Alyssa Aleksanian — Hazelbrook
Things run better under a benevolent dictatorship
Bob Pearce — Adelaide SA
Karmic justice in the polls?
John Leonard — Canberra
Cuba and Haiti and the elites have never forgiven
Hal Duell — Alice Springs
Zionist Royal Commission
David Griffiths — Mordialloc VIC 3195
The deeper story
David Griffiths — Mordialloc VIC 3195
