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The global banking crisis and world economy
The banking crisis that hit Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last week has spread. We recall with a shudder two recent financial contagions: the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, which led to a deep Asian recession, and the 2008 Great Recession, which led to a global downturn. The new banking crisis hits a world economy already disrupted Continue reading ยป
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Marles… At least get the spin on the subs right!
As the Government seeks to respond to an increasing number of questions about what it extolls as the game-changing decision to purchase nuclear powered submarines (SSNโs) it has been tweaking the spin about the reasons it has taken for this budget shaking decision. Continue reading ยป
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Submarine sovereignty? The devil is in the detail…
Our Defence Minister said that Australia has not given any guarantees to the USA about what we would do with our submarines in the case of war but would take our own decisions at the time. This is welcome but what are the implications? Does it only apply to the submarines? As always, the devil Continue reading ยป
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To justify nuclear submarines as protecting trade routes is nonsense
We just need to look at the facts to see how foolish the assertion is that SSNs have the capacity to prevent disruption to our trade in the event of a war. Forty percent of our exports are to, and 20% of our imports are from, China. Throwing money at submarines weakens the national economy. Continue reading ยป
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Raising of Warragamba Dam โspunโ in New South Wales election campaign
An interesting comment was made this month about the New South Wales Coalitionโs intention to raise Warragamba Dam in order to store floodwaters and thus mitigate the problem of flooding downstream. The comment as retailed by ABC Online came from the Liberal MP and candidate for the seat of Hawkesbury in the coming state election, Continue reading ยป
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Guaranteed protection of home and hearth for next to nothing?
There is a simple, relatively costless government move that should give about half a million Australians confidence in homeland security. Continue reading ยป
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The AUKUS orchestra, Julian Assange and Iraq
On Saturday, March 18, a small rally to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War gathered in a park outside the Lismore Memorial Baths. Continue reading ยป
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Empire-funded think tanks are not valid sources: notes from The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix
ATTENTION JOURNALISTS: It is never, ever acceptable, under any circumstances, to cite think tanks funded by governments and the military industrial complex as sources of information or expertise on matters of national security or foreign affairs. Continue reading ยป
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The geopolitics of peace in a post-Western world
We are in the midst of an extraordinarily dangerous and destructive hot war in Ukraine, and there is now daily talk about the prospects of a US-China war in Asia, perhaps over Taiwan. We cannot afford a continuation of the current war, and we cannot afford a war between the US and China. That would Continue reading ยป
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Weโve long said no to US. A yes now could be nuclear
Itโs Parliament House, Canberra, on a Sunday afternoon. There is a meeting of the national security committee of cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, about a crisis in the Taiwan Strait, where the US and China are in air and naval combat. Thereโs an inflection point when someone โ a minister or the PM Continue reading ยป
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Albanese a pale shadow of Keating, even on subs
Paul Keating did all Australians, and all the world, an important favour over the past week. Continue reading ยป
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The International Criminal Court’s hypocrisy on Putin
The International Criminal Courtโs conduct in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, characterised by unusual alacrity for an international legal institution, is in stark contrast to the feet dragging on alleged war crimes by Israel against the Palestinians in 2014. Continue reading ยป
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Asylum cases in Australia for first time exceed 100,000
In February 2023, the number of asylum cases in Australia for the first time exceeded 100,000. Continue reading ยป
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Nuclear safety agency silent on disposal of AUKUS radioactive waste
At this stage there is little interest in how to dispose of the high level uranium waste from AUKUS SSNs, let alone put First Nations voices to the fore. This is unlikely to change while the nationโs most prominent journalists see it as their job to promote the dominant military doctrine and boost the demonisation Continue reading ยป
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Here we stand: Twenty years after our first war of aggression
HERE WE STAND: We are standing here, as people were in Melbourne yesterday, to recall one of Australiaโs worst days: the start of our first war of aggression. Continue reading ยป
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Goodbye to Ukraine? US prepares public for defeat
The New York Times report of 8th March that โIntelligence Suggests Pro-Ukrainian Group Sabotaged Pipelines, U.S. Officials Sayโ elicited two sets of responses. Continue reading ยป
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Two decades on, history should condemn the real โbutchers of Baghdadโ
The warmongers in the Anglophone countries of Britain, the USA and Australia today cause great concern with their AUKUS treaty and the not very subtle stirring of frenzy against China. It was similar in 2003 except that Iraq was the country being demonised. Continue reading ยป
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Twenty years on, โcoalition of the willingโ rebranded
20 years ago, on 20 March 2003, the US, the UK, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq in an illegal act of aggression. As with all wars, we were told this one would be quick. The pretext for the invasion was – despite authoritative doubts raised at the time – claims about the Iraqi leader Saddam Continue reading ยป
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The threat of war and the role of the propaganda machine
The relentless drive to war against China goes on. There is no longer any pretence that China is in the US sights and so Australia is prepared to spend whatever it takes to prove its fealty to Washington. No military outlay is too much, no threat to our economic future too risky for the Australian Continue reading ยป
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To all who care about humanityโs and the planetโs future
Humanity has reached a tipping point. It is time for governments, international institutions and people everywhere to take stock and act with renewed urgency. Continue reading ยป
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Diplomacy in Beijing, war pact in San Diego โ whoโs the belligerent?
Under the Aukus military accord, Australia and Britain are committing serious self-harm to defend the American empire in the Indo-Pacific. Continue reading ยป
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The not-so-winding road from Iraq to Ukraine
March 19th marks the 20th anniversary of the U.S. and Britishย invasionย of Iraq. This seminal event in the short history of the 21st century not only continues to plague Iraqi society to this day, but it also looms large over the current crisis in Ukraine, making itย impossibleย for most of the Global South to see the war Continue reading ยป
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Environment: Trees good. Plastics bad. Why donโt governments turn it around?
Trees are good for the climate and human health. Plastics are bad for the environment and bird health. Where are the good governments when you need them? Continue reading ยป
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AUKUS: Submarines on the never never, or castles in the sky?
AUKUS has landed โ well, sort of. Continue reading ยป
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When a war economy became an industry policy
Anthony Albaneseโs photo opportunity with president Biden and prime minister Sunak in San Diego must rank as one of the more grotesque and expensive the world has seen. The submarine deal, glowingly described as his โmoon shotโ with its $368 billion price-tag is an act of pillage of public money. It might allow him to Continue reading ยป
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Blasts from the past
Wellington 26 January 2035: Ten years ago this week the first nuclear-armed missile landed on Australian soil, remembered as Invasion Day. Duncan Graham recalls what happened. Continue reading ยป
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Slowing โthe roaring river of violenceโ
โAvulsionโ refers to river science and how a number of little incidents can slow the river’s flow and, over time, cause the river to go in a different direction – a fallen tree, for example, that slows down the river’s flow, causing further deposits until the resistance to flow leads to change. If enough of Continue reading ยป
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“Billion-dollar coffins”: detection tech to render AUKUS submarines useless
Speaking at a summit in San Diego on Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a decades-long strategy to deliver the most costly defence project in Australiaโs history. Continue reading ยป
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It’s good to be mean to war propagandists
Sydney Morning Herald editor Bevan Shields has published an article titled “We are not above criticism but these attacks go too far” tearfully rending his garments over criticisms his paper’s three-part war-with-China propaganda series “Red Alert” has received from former Prime Minister Paul Keating and from ABC’s Media Watch. Continue reading ยป
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War mongering and the peace rally
Lest we forget the consequences, today we recall the great lie of โWeapons of Mass Destructionโ in Iraq which led to the smashing of that country and the slaughter of hundreds of thousand of innocent men, women and children. Continue reading ยป
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