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- JOHN MENADUE. John Menadue talks to John Faine about Rupert Murdoch, the great rent-seeker (Repost)
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Recent posts
- GREG LOCKHART. What were we fighting for at Gallipoli, in Palestine and on the Western Front? Part 1 of 5 part series. 24 July 2017
- MUNGO MacCALLUM. A peace deal between Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott! 24 July 2017
- CESAR JARAMILLO. Canada’s opposition to the nuclear weapons ban treaty has degraded its reputation on disarmament, at home and abroad. An open letter to Justin Trudeau on the banning of nuclear weapons 24 July 2017
- MARGARET O’CONNOR. Reforming the Catholic Church: it’s up to the laity 24 July 2017
- JOHN MENADUE. Rupert Murdoch’s abuse of power. (Repost from 7 August 2013) 24 July 2017
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Author Archives: John Menadue
GREG LOCKHART. What were we fighting for at Gallipoli, in Palestine and on the Western Front? Part 1 of 5 part series.
To find out what we were fighting for in the Great War we must get past the usual fig-leaf explanation, which is as remarkably effective as it is short on cover in Australian culture.
Posted in ANZAC, Defence/Security, Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Politics
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MUNGO MacCALLUM. A peace deal between Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott!
The new Liberal Party Federal President Nick Greiner is aiming for the Nobel Peace Prize, and he’s doing it the hard way.
Posted in Politics
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CESAR JARAMILLO. Canada’s opposition to the nuclear weapons ban treaty has degraded its reputation on disarmament, at home and abroad. An open letter to Justin Trudeau on the banning of nuclear weapons
Dear Mr. Trudeau, You recently dismissed this year’s multilateral process to negotiate a legal prohibition of nuclear weapons as “useless.” I’m afraid you were misinformed: it was anything but.
Posted in Defence/Security, Foreign Affairs
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MARGARET O’CONNOR. Reforming the Catholic Church: it’s up to the laity
The task of reform of the Catholic Church has to fall to the Church’s laity. This work is too important to be led by media figures and personalities with their twitter accounts, large public platforms and endless opinions.
Posted in Religion and Faith
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JOHN MENADUE. Rupert Murdoch’s abuse of power. (Repost from 7 August 2013)
Controlling 70% of Australia’s metropolitan newspapers, one would hope that Murdoch would exercise some responsibility in the use of that power. But none of that responsibility for Rupert Murdoch!
JAMES O’NEILL. Lessons from Mosul: Double Standards, War Crimes and Lack of Accountability
Lest week the Iraqi government announced that Mosul has been ‘liberated ‘ from the control of ISIS. The major campaign for Mosul’s liberation began in October 2016 when the US led coalition massively increased both bombing raids and artillery attacks … Continue reading
Posted in Defence/Security, Foreign Affairs
2 Comments
Aleppo and Fallujah. (Repost from 30 December 2016)
In light of the civilian disaster unfolding presently in Aleppo, it is timely to revisit the uncontradicted claims unwarranted action against civilians in Fallujah supervised by Australian military commander, Jim Molan. This piece was first published in 2008. If correct, … Continue reading
Posted in Defence/Security, Foreign Affairs, Human Rights
Tagged Christopher Doran, Fallujah, Jim Molan, On Line Opinion
2 Comments
BRUCE DUNCAN. Curious Vatican article challenges right-wing US Catholics
Was Pope Francis aware that the Jesuit periodical, La Civita Cattolica was strongly attacking right-wing US Catholics for abandoning Church social teaching by political alliances with very fundamentalist Christian groups?
Posted in Religion and Faith
1 Comment
JIM COOMBS : Bean Counters Stand Up and Be Counted
Budget problems arise for governments who don”t control spending. Where are their financial advisers when gross overspending takes place. No business could survive the profligacy of our government’s spending.
Posted in Economy, Politics
5 Comments
JOHN MENADUE. The litany of failed privatisations. (Repost from 20 March 2017)
Ideologues ,the self interested bankers and accountants and lawyers still persist with their fixation with privatisation despite the fact that it is failing in one area after another and the electorate shows very clearly that it does not want it. … Continue reading
LOUIS COOPER. A Canadian’s mistreatment at Guantanamo Bay leads to a no-win for the Trudeau Government
Public debate over federal government’s $CA10.5 million payout to former “child terrorist” has tarnished Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.
Posted in Defence/Security, Refugees and asylum seekers
1 Comment
RAMESH THAKUR. Trust is falling in Western democratic institutions
One clue to understanding the loss of trust in the professional integrity of the Western media is their unrelenting efforts to demonize Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Posted in Foreign Affairs, Uncategorized
2 Comments
ANDREW FARRAN. The Fall of Mosul and Raqqa opens the door for Australia’s exit from the Middle East
Now that ISIS has for all intents and purposes been driven out of Mosul and Raqqa the time has come for the Australian government to step back and review its diplomatic policies, and military commitments, in that region and focus … Continue reading
Posted in Australia and Asia, Defence/Security, Foreign Affairs
3 Comments
GEOFF DAVIES. The chasm between the society we are offered and the fair go we want
There is widely perceived to be a gap between our stumbling political system and the wishes of the Australian people. However those who look a little deeper into our Australian hearts see not just a gap but a yawning chasm.
Posted in Current affairs, Economy
3 Comments
JOHN MENADUE. Military/Security takeover of Australia’s foreign policy. (Repost from 2 February 2017)
The military and defence establishment and lobbies, both in Australia and the US are determining Australia’s foreign policy. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and her Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are being sidelined.
ALISON BROINOWSKI. Beware, armed response.
If Turnbull’s plan becomes law – and the prospects of the Opposition stopping anything to do with ‘fighting terrorism’ are remote – we can expect a terrorist attack to trigger an emergency response from the Special Operations Command, whose officers … Continue reading
Posted in Defence/Security, Human Rights
3 Comments
IAN MCAULEY. The National Party’s Dämmerung – an awakening for representative democracy?
The National Party represents a declining demographic with values out of step with most Australians. In most democracies it would be sidelined as a fringe group. It holds disproportionate political influence only because we are not facing up to the … Continue reading
Posted in Democratic Renewal
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LESLEY HUGHES. Solving the climate crisis: one city at a time
Although Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement, many cities in the US (and in Australia) are taking climate change matters into their own hands, thumbing their collective noses at ideological-driven policy paralysis at the federal level.
Posted in Climate change, Environment
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John Menadue. The Coalition, rural poverty and rural health. (Repost from 16 January 2016)
It is not surprising that independents are making headway in country electorates. But what is the ALP doing?
Posted in Economy, Health, Politics
Tagged National Party, private hospitals, Rural health, rural poverty
8 Comments
GREG AUSTIN. Australians have little to fear from terrorism at home – here’s why. (Repost from 24 October 2016)
According to an ANU poll, more than half of the country’s adults are concerned Australia will be a target for terrorism at home and strongly believe the government needs to introduce greater preventive measures to combat it. But the reality … Continue reading
MUNGO MACCALLUM. Malcolm gazes at broad church
Just about the last thing Malcolm Turnbull did before leaving Australia last week was to inveigh against his colleagues navel gazing.
Posted in Current affairs
1 Comment
HENRY REYNOLDS. January 26?
When we examine the violations of law when the British took possession of eastern Australia in 1788, it’s little wonder that a growing number of people are seeking a date other than January 26 to celebrate Australia Day.
Posted in Democratic Renewal, Indigenous affairs
1 Comment
LAURIE PATTON. NBN: How many more surveys before they get it? We are not impressed!
A raft of surveys have confirmed what everyone knows. We’re increasingly unhappy about the rollout of a technically inferior National Broadband Network.
Posted in Infrastructure, NBN, Uncategorized
3 Comments
JOHN MENADUE. How Murdoch got a foothold in Foxtel. (Repost from 1 February 2014)
At the last election Rupert Murdoch showed how ruthlessly he plays the political game-a game that has delivered great commercial benefits for his organisation, not just in Australia but particularly in the US and UK. One example of favours delivered … Continue reading
Posted in Media, Politics
Tagged 20th-Century-Fox, Australis., Foxtel-and-Murdoch, Telstra-board, Things-you-learn-along-the-way
2 Comments
MUNGO MacCALLUM. Caught in the endless travails of his ungovernable party room, Frydenberg has procrastinated yet again.
The most remarkable thing our Prime Minister said last week was not his claim that the party founded by Sir Robert Menzies was not Conservative but Liberal – even liberal, a touch progressive. This has furrowed brows and raised gorges, … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
5 Comments
MICHAEL KEATING. Why Blame Neo-Liberal Economics: A Response
My previous article on Why Blame Neo-Liberal Economics, which argued that neo-liberal economics was not a main cause of increasing inequality, drew an unusually large and mostly critical response. While it is not feasible to respond to all the detailed … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Taxation
19 Comments
LUKE FRASER. Road reform, bureaucracy-style: no economic benefit, higher prices for users – and an easier ride for already-unaccountable agencies
From time to time our newspapers pen articles about road reform. They raise the need for spending to be more efficient and less guided by the electoral pork-barrel and for more value to be visible to motorists. The call for … Continue reading
Posted in Infrastructure, Transport
4 Comments
PETER DAY. Show me the money!
Cricket’s two most powerful bodies have reached an impasse over pay. The enmity between the two runs deep – blinking first ain’t an option. Thus, all our elite players (230+) are currently unemployed. HOWZAT for a dilemma?
Posted in Sport
3 Comments
JOHN TULLOH. Fear, paranoia and anxiety in Turkey one year on from the failed coup attempt.
As one opposition MP noted: ‘Turkey has been wrapped in a cloak of fear and anxiety’. Paranoia as well, he might have added.
Posted in Foreign Affairs
1 Comment
IAN McAULEY. Australia’s economy: she’ll be right mate – or will she?
A few good economic indicators and Coalition disunity are distracting us from fundamental structural weaknesses in the Australian economy.
Posted in Economy, Politics
3 Comments