Writer
Binoy Kampmark
Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne.
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Wars do not merely make truth a casualty but kill off intellectual inquiry
The Australian National University officially announced the suspension of all ties and activities with Russian institutions on March 3. Continue reading »
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The Ukraine War and the ‘Good Refugee’
“These people are not people we are used to… these people are Europeans.” Kiril Petkov, Bulgarian Prime Minister, Associated Press, March 1, 2022 Continue reading »
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Advertising and election gimmicks: New submarines in the ‘I don’t think, I know’ era.
In an election year pledges are made to be broken; promises are made to seduce, not convince. When the subject matter involves fictional submarines, even greater care should be taken. Continue reading »
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Antarctica: Where China and Russia get the blame again!
A frozen continent. Another potential frontier for conflict and competition. Antarctica is a part of the world where real politician meets scientist; the desire for finding exploitable resources meets environmental expectations and fears. Continue reading »
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Australia’s doomed koalas
In a country expert in killing off mammal species at a rate exceeding that of others (to be fair, there are so many more to destroy, with more to come), Australians now face the prospect that the koala, one of its most singularly recognisable animals, has its days numbered. Continue reading »
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The US is seeking revenge for its failure in Afghanistan by starving the people
Nation states are habitually doomed to defeat their best interests. Conditions of mad instability are fostered. Arms sales take place, regimes get propped up or abandoned, and the people under them endure and suffer, awaiting the next criminal regime change. Continue reading »
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Blinken’s visit to the colony
It must be a sure handicap to be saddled with such a name when piloting a large government department, but US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shows no sign of that bothering him. It has, however, become a hallmark of a policy babble that is markedly devoid of foresight and heavily marked by stammering confusion. Continue reading »
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Treadmarks on the taxpayer: Australia’s $3.5 billion tank folly
The last batch were kept in blissful quarantine, untouched by conflict. But better to feed the US military machine than act on global warming. Continue reading »
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Baa humbug: Australia’s trade triumph breeds a British backlash
Celebrations are likely to be short-lived. Australia overestimates the benefits of the agreement, while British farmers remain justifiably worried. Continue reading »
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Jailed Danish politician exemplifies growing anti-refugee populism
Denmark’s former immigration minister has been jailed for separating refugee couples — but her actions did not lack parliamentary approval. Continue reading »
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Beijing Winter Olympics boycott is a hollow gesture
A boycott of the Winter Olympics serves no real purpose — history shows that Olympic boycotts in the name of human rights abuses are ineffectual. Continue reading »
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Where there are tailings, no grass grows: Serbians protest against Rio Tinto
Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is at the centre of a new controversy — this time, over a lithium mine and processing plant in Serbia. Continue reading »
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Hawkish US Global Posture Review speaks obscurely and carries a big stick
The US’s national defence strategy calls for regional policing in the Indo-Pacific. The fixation is on China and the spotlight is on Australia. Continue reading »
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Australia’s twisted Taiwan foreign policy fetish
Australian politicians’ Taiwan fetish shows their bloodlust is unquenchable. It’s another iteration of the Cold War. Continue reading »
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Omicron emerged because rich countries neglected global public health
Omicron shows that without global vaccine equity, COVID-19 will continue to mutate and spread around the world. Continue reading »
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Gasbagging in Glasgow: COP26 and phasing down coal
After a succession of drafts, the climate pact trod a delicate path. There was greenwashing and subversion, triumphs and laments … and “lifestyle”. Continue reading »
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Lying in public view: Morrison takes his formula onto the campaign trail
The prime minister has an untruth for every occasion, from climate conferences to radio chats. It is symptomatic of the increasing role of lies in all politics. Continue reading »
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Blacklisting the Israeli spyware company
The US has blacklisted Israeli spyware company NSO, which is associated with the Saudi government’s murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Continue reading »
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Did PM mount a shoddy defence of his deception? We don’t think, we know
Scott Morrison turned an accurate character assessment from Macron into a sledge against Australia, but the stain on his reputation will remain. Continue reading »
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From zero to acceptable risk: funeral rites for Covid zero
The ambitious target of eradication has been eradicated. In its place, a small target strategy. Authorities are grappling with the new reality. Continue reading »
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After lockdown: can marvellous Melbourne ever be the same?
A sense of achievement is mixed with a sense of utter loss. Australia’s most liveable city has emerged proud and unbowed from its sixth lockdown, but signs of the damage are not hard to find. Continue reading »
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Colin Powell: Establishment warrior with a taste for regime change
Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who died this week, was a man fully enrolled in the service of regime change and making the case for it. Continue reading »
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Waking up to the Coalition’s climate change dinosaurs
While the press debates whether the prime minister will go to COP26, members of his government are living in a world where they believe their constituents aren’t worried about climate change. Continue reading »
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Skewed responsibility: Australian war crimes in Afghanistan
The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry was always going to make for a gruesome read – and that was just the redacted version. Continue reading »
