Writer
Kari McKern
Kari McKern, who lives in Sydney, is a retired career public servant and librarian and IT specialist. She has maintained a life time interest in Asian affairs and had visited Asia often, and writes here in a private capacity.
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The sin of “hubris”
The sin of “hubris” is to shame and humiliate others for pleasure or gratification. Such narcissistic pleasures were considered offensive to the gods of ancient Greece; a case of breaching the boundaries between the human and divine realms. Continue reading »
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Unraveling the myths of the Ukraine conflict
In my first piece for Pearls and Irritations, I cautioned about Australia’s involvement in Ukraine and alluded to the strikingly similar circumstances of the conflict to the war in Vietnam. Continue reading »
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China’s EV industry future reflects solar power’s extraordinary past growth
It is a serious mistake to underestimate the strength and capacity of China’s commitment to its green new dream. Continue reading »
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The cost of lies: radical honesty has never been more urgent
“Every lie owes a debt to the truth, sooner or later that debt is paid.” – Soviet nuclear engineer Valery Alekseevich Legasov on the consequences of deceit and denial. Continue reading »
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The mirage of China’s offensive nuclear strategy
In previous articles, I’ve articulated why I adopted a skeptical and analytical mindset from a young age, particularly in the realm of geopolitical claims made by nation-states in the nuclear age. Now, let’s shift our focus to China’s nuclear strategy. Continue reading »
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The empire breaks down
The West’s decline is no triumph, but nor is it a tragedy. It’s just the latest reminder that all organising systems, even empires, are transient, that success always brings complacency, but that the best of human civilisation is renewed and transformed even as the old order fades away. Continue reading »
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Ukraine and the battle for Skaro
Over the past eighteen months, I’ve often found myself under scrutiny for not outrightly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Any acknowledgment of Russia’s stance—that the hasty expansion of NATO played a role in the current conflict—earns labels: indifferent to Ukraine’s plight, a “Putin” apologist, a victim of Kremlin misinformation. Continue reading »
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In the 1930s, scholars made remarkably accurate predictions on the China of 2030
“This nation, after three thousand years of grandeur and decay… exhibits today all the physical and mental vitality that we find in its most creative periods… Very probably such wealth will be produced in China [by 2030] as even America has never known and once again, as so often in the past, China will lead Continue reading »
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Chat GPT4 on the necessity for dissent in times of war
The new House Select Committee on China is currently blaming China for every problem in America. Those who appeared and suggested improving Sino-American relations were accused of giving comfort to the enemy. Continue reading »
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Do China’s COVID-19 numbers add up?
Now that China is opening up, it’s a good time to reflect on their pandemic response. Continue reading »
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The story behind China’s fourth generation nuclear reactors
The fact that only China has implemented a Small Modular Nuclear Reactors is a testament to the skills and capacities of Chinese nuclear engineers and the policy makers that the West, despite renewed interest in the idea, will find difficult to match. Continue reading »
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The West fought a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine 100 years ago and failed
One hundred years ago, a Western proxy war against Russia had just been lost. It was fought in Poland, Ukraine and in Russia. That war has lessons for us today. Continue reading »
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Kari McKern: Sixty years and twenty-seven days ago Australia sent 30 advisors to Vietnam
That war has lessons for us today. Continue reading »
