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The Albanese Enigma

Anthony Albanese won his party leadership not as the victor of an open, contested party election, but through backroom negotiations. He brought to the leadership no sense of being the champion who had best fought for Labor values and won the party’s affection. Albanese seems more negotiator than leader, so he appears as a man without uncompromising commitment to any particular cause. His stance is appropriate for much government business: politics – ‘the art of the possible’ - requires flexibility. But voters have to know that that flexibility does not compromise their leader’s core values for critical causes. A...

It's all in the wording

This is exactly what needs to be asked. Perhaps I can give one of the reasons why it's been so hard for this question to be asked. Even a more 'reasonable' source of information about what is going on with this 'war' is using biased language. This is a short piece from the Guardian: 'About 60,000 Israelis have fled their homes in northern Israel due to continual fighting between Israel, Hezbollah and other anti-Israeli forces based in Lebanon. On the Lebanese side of the UN-drawn blue line that separates the two countries, tens of thousands of Lebanese have also...

The Zionist Lobby Marches Onwards

In his article posted in P&I on 27 September, Scott Burchill argues convincingly that it is primarily US policy, not the pro-Zionist lobby, that is driving Australia’s pathetic and shambolic failure to actively support peace in Palestine. I agree completely with his summation that: ‘… the uglier truth is that in Australia the Israel lobby doesn’t need to work very hard to secure its political objectives. For the most part, they are pushing at an open door. ‘ There is a continual tsunami of diatribe, accusations of anti-Semitism, bullying and threats/ legal action against any proposal of just...

AMC Canberra

The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky

Reply to Mark Diesendorf's letter of 20 September

Dr Diesendorf: I did not deliberately ignore your critiques, I wasn’t aware of them. I happened to notice the three recent articles that I referred to and saw that they all carried misconceptions about nuclear energy safety. As to your contention that nuclear energy is too dangerous, you need to explain why it will be too dangerous in the future when the record shows that it has been the least dangerous form of energy in the past. It is likely to have at least some role to play in the energy transition. Note for example Microsoft’s decision to get...

Climate science education can inform us all

Australia's federal election is within the next eight months and voters should understand the major issues including the climate emergency. Climate advocate Ken Russell is concerned that the main problem is lack of knowledge in the community about the climate problem. So Russell urges creation of an expert group to drive the communications campaign. In view of the popularity of Peter Dutton's nuclear idea, it does seem that we need to educate the public and also MPs about the science. Fortunately, our nation has at least four climate experts who would qualify for such a group: Tim Flannery...

Labor swallows Coalition defence and foreign policy holus-bolus

Ex Prime Minister Keating joins the growing list of informed commentators who is worried by, or opposes the AUKUS agreement. Having rejoiced at the departure of the Morrison government, I was shocked to see Labor swallow Coalition defence and foreign policy holus-bolus. The idea that a Labor government would take us down the path of nuclear powered submarines costing an estimated $368 billion and tie us in with the United States' military-industrial machine seemed unthinkable but here we are! Richard Marles is like a school cadet, flattered by the big boys at the Pentagon and eager to please....

Anthony Albanese

Here we go again. It is unrelenting. This time Paddy Gourley has a go at Anthony Albanese, again without also listing any of the considerable achievements of this government, especially compared to its recent predecessors, a low bar I admit. Four people were initially advised of AUKUS, it then went to cabinet and then to the Labor caucus before being supported. In the more than two years since, there has been plenty of opportunity for full advice and to pause and review. On balance AUKUS is proceeding and with a high level of community support. Albanese improved the...

The unsustainable lifestyles of the wealthy West

The numbers in Peter Sainsbury's report of the finding of a colossal new copper deposit a mile underground in Zambia are mind-boggling. But the most stunning statistic is the statement that although this mine is expected to produce at least 300,000 tons of copper per annum - enough for 50 million EV batteries - the world will need up to six new copper mines of similar size to open every year out to 2050! In other words, if, miraculously, we transition to a low carbon economy quickly enough to avoid climate catastrophe, we will still destroy the planet in...

The Bonfire of the Verities

Compare and contrast, with reference to claims by our government of even-handed, just and fair treatment of the two protagonists in the Gaza conflict: Iran’s ambassador to Australia given diplomatic rebuke after ‘abhorrent’ comments on Israel (Anthony Albanese condemns antisemitic social media post by Ahmad Sadeghi as tensions grow in Middle East after death of Hamas political leader). The response?: Anthony Albanese: “There’s no place for the sort of comments that were made … by the Iranian ambassador,” Albanese told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday. “They’re abhorrent, they are hateful, they are antisemitic and they have...

We must reverse bipartisan support for oil and gas

As Ken Russell observes, Labor and the Coalition offer bipartisan support to the fossil fuel industry, authorising new gas and oil projects, and maintaining substantial industry subsidies. Russell calls for climate experts to step up their public advocacy to bring change. During covid people listened to experts because we were afraid: an incurable virus was spreading freely among us, we were desperate for information. Most people do not yet feel this intensity of fear about our changing climate. Governments and experts downplay the risks lest they be accused of fear-mongering. Labor holds their climate security review in secret. Experts...

The need for large scale degrowth

Mearsheimer’s analyses are of great value and in my view correct, but I do not think his account of US support for Israel is right. Of course the power of the lobby is central but the core factor is that Israel is the empire’s forward base in the essential effort to secure Western access to oil, and keeping the Arabs down, divided and harassed is the central element in this. In Nasser’s time “Arab Nationalism” was rising, but it has long gone. Biden et al. are in a good position, able to tut-tut about Israeli “excesses” while watching...

NOTHING TO SEE HERE

40 odd years ago my brother in law was in an officer in training in the ADF and He Told me our defence thinking was about Indonesia. Learning Indonesian was encouraged in schools. That was before we outsourced our thinking, any thinking to the USA. A small boat sail to the North is a Nation (don’t mention religion) of nearly 300 million people who live on smallish islands that are soon to be to varying degrees flooded by rising seas and smashed by storms. To the north of them are some of the most densely populate...

Small acts of sedition

Small acts of sedition. Yes, that we can all do, even one such act a day carried out by each of us would make an enormous difference. Today I liked a feisty post on social media, and some else liked my like. Small things like that. Joanna Macy, she of Active Hope, wrote “Of all the dangers we face, from climate chaos to nuclear war, none is so great as the deadening of our response.” I agree Caitlin, we need to wake up, all of us, one by one.

When a white flag no longer counts

Where would Ireland be today if an IRA leader involved in the peace negotiations some thirty years ago had been assassinated?

Pearls and Irritations Journal Limited

Dear John, Please accept my appreciation of the daily articles published daily in Pearls and Irritations Journal, and a big thank you for your service running it. It’s a great journal that respects the public’s right to know, holds the powerful to account and has spoken truth to power. In order to help release the great burden that you and wife, Susie, have carried for years, I congratulate you for deciding to establishing a not for profit company Pearls and Irritations Journal Limited to continue the unrivaled journalistic publication. I wish you and wife Susie can enjoy...

Thank you

Dear Mr Menadue Thank you so much for making arrangements for continuation of your P&I project. I have been a regular reader for a few years now. I continue to be encouraged by the number of contributors that so coherently oppose the partisan US bias in reporting by the main stream media - including the creeping change at the ABC under the pretence of providing balanced coverage of news and current affairs. Yours in sincere appreciation, Stephen Webber

Well said.

Well said Mr Keating. Well said. Would that it were enough to sink AUKUS. Sadly, there are none so deaf as those who will not hear. And there is way too much selective deafness in Australian politics at present.

There is an alternative political narrative

I commend Caitlin Johnstone's critique of the US electoral system and that neither Presidential candidate will adequately address the pressing social and environmental problems both the US and the world face. But Caitlin, there is an organisation and movement both here and in the US which is addressing the issues at a grassroots level that you say are so desperately needed to bring about real change to people's lives and a resolution to international conflict. I commend the Greens as such an entity which is trying to address these issues through mobilising communities to be more active in bringing...

July 26

You wrote your article on July 26, a powerful date in the fight against US imperialism that should be commemorated by all citizens concerned about the fate of the world. In 1953 on that date Fidel Castro and his fellow fighters attacked the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba, thus commencing the war against the murderous US backed dictatorship of Fulgencia Batista in Cuba. So my regular small acts of sabotage are to study and understand the Cuban revolution of 1 January 1959 and talk about the many achievements, domestic and international, of that revolution and the many ways...

Not my Labor

I'm a 71 year old who would be described as rusted on Labor. I come from a family of rusted on Labor voters. My dad was still handing out Labor how to vote cards in his nineties and I was driving him to the polling booth in his nineties. I have been disappointed in the Albanese govt since it failed to shut down AuKuS during his acceptance speech. Last Sunday I decided to write to the PM to list my dissatisfaction including AuKUS, Climate, Gaza, Defence wasting etc. I don’t believe I was abusive. I did however...

Albanese's Timidity

I wholeheartedly support Paul Begley's expose (July 30, 2024) of the shortcomings of Anthony Albanese's leadership of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party in his role as Prime Minister. He is clearly out of his depth with his no risk timid approach and it's even more damning that he hasn't supported his Ministers following pressure from the Opposition, when he needs to get on the front foot and show loyalty by defending them. My biggest gripe is with his unquestioning acceptance of Morrison's AUKUS (USUKA) without proper due diligence. Deputy PM and Defence Minister Marles, who is also out of...

Albanese is providing genuine Leadership

It is frustrating and indeed tiring to read a stream of P and I pundits doing the job of and plagiarising the Opposition leader in criticising Anthony Albanese who is running a highly effective government. Would they rather see a return of mediocre Coalition outfits? Albanese promised to be different and he has broadly kept this promise. He refused to make undeliverable promises and has made good on most of the promises he did make. He refuses to play many of the tired old games advocated by some of these pundits. He runs a proper Cabinet process. We are...

Why not apply the extradition treaty provisions?

One of the federal review agencies told me recently that sometimes public servants confuse policy with the law, the notorious example being Robodebt. In Dan Duggan's case, the law is contained in the Australia-US extradition treaty. Firstly this specifies a range of extraditable offences, none of which apply to Dan. Then it provides for extradition if Australian law has a similar offence to the alleged US offence. At the time of the alleged offences, we had no offences matching the two directly pilot-training related offences. However, as to alleged money laundering, we do have a cognate offence. But...

PM's reshuffle no sign of weakness

Paul Begley appears to judge the Prime Minister's strength or weakness using the same criterion as Peter Dutton. What if, amazingly, he actually decided that Home Affairs is not as important as Housing? Clare O'Neill is a fine minister and her talents were wasted in Peter Dutton's self-aggrandising super ministery of Home Affairs. Labor had to deal with the legacy Morrison et al left but is now able to quietly unpack Home Affairs, taking ASIO away from it and giving it to reknown head kicker Tony Burke along with Immigration - the two hot button (for the Liberals) areas. This...

Lacking moral fibre

The lack of moral integrity which allows the Labor Government to take its lead on Israel from the US also allows it to... - fail to undertake the desperately needed critique of the AUKUS deal - cave in to the fossil fuel industry to the detriment of positive action on climate change - ignore urgently needed tax reform in favour of tinkering at the edges with the Stage 3 tax cuts - continue to underfund public schools and hospitals (and I would add tertiary education) - force those not in paid employment - the aged, the physically and mentally...

I call on the government to resign.

During the war in Kosovo, after a massacre that Dutch troops failed to intervene in, and more recently when the Dutch government was found to have harassed and defrauded parents using government provided childcare, the Dutch government resigned in order to take responsibility. Note the contrast with the Australian government which was recently found to have stolen more than a billion dollars from the poorest people in Australia, which resulted in many deaths. The government came into possession of evidence for theft, mass murder, and conspiracy to obtain benefit by deceit, and instead of passing the information to...

Not walking the walk, barely talking the talk

Thank you David Spratt and Ian Dunlop for staying calm enough to talk sense about the way governments at every level seem to believe they have enough time to keep placating big fossil fuel corporations for just that bit longer. I find it almost impossible to understand how people in power, who have children, and who think of themselves as leaders, do not have sufficient respect for themselves, let alone the rest of us, to face up to the fact that the Planetary Climate Crisis requires urgent action right now. Real leaders would take responsibility for making sure we...

Envoys or no envoys

Magaret Reynold’s expose of Social Cohesion is interesting and, for most Australians, something that needs to be discussed. But true to form, most whitefellas don’t want to talk about something that is controversial and an impediment to their way of life. Envoys for some and not others, is just another spineless cop-out by a Government that is throwing buckets of water on a bonfire! As Margaret says we need Political Leadership not cowardice. However, the sorry state of Australians politics rules this our at all levels. The referendum with its built-in designed to fail legislation, it was a...

Party Solidarity?

It seems that the rules and solidarity to the Labor Party over rides humanity and social conscious. The rules grew from the union movement when members could not vary from a direction so preventing strike breaking. But, hey, we live in a different world now. The Labor party is not now the party of the unions. Its supporters come from those who are socially aware. Just as TEALs came from disaffected Liberals, the time is looking right for a break away from the hard liners of Sussex Street. J Davies

Thank you John

Thank you so much to you John, and to your staff.

Albanese government must present climate truth

David Spratt and Ian Dunlop warn us that the Albanese government is presenting the brighter side of our transition to renewables. They should and must present both the positive aspect plus the worsening deadly reality of climate change. They must reveal the security-related climate risks still not revealed to our public. They also must stop approving various new fossil fuel projects, and relying on minimal carbon capture and storage of emissions. In the next few months they must do better with climate education and genuine decarbonising, or risk losing the federal election. Fortunately, several positive meetings will help...

The Greens and the CPRS - still!

As an example of a party failing to cooperate when it should have done so, Carolynne Fitzwarryne adduces the Greens voting with the Coalition against a Carbon Tax, which put back climate change initiatives for years. Indeed, it has become part of Australian political folklore that when the Greens helped defeat the Rudd CPRS legislation in 2009, they “ruined everything”; that by rejecting the good with a futile demand for the perfect, they ushered in 15 years of climate inaction. In fact, the CPRS was not less than perfect. It was a terrible policy, which would have achieved...

Time to step up, Albo, or step away

The defining characteristic of Anthony Albanese’s government has been the leadership void at the top. This first became apparent during the tragedy of the Voice referendum. The PM declared that his government’s first priority would be the full implementation of the Uluru Statement From The Heart. He then let this matter be carried by others; he himself was barely seen or heard. And now we have the same issue with climate risk. Addressing climate change was a big issue in the election, but since then we have heard little from our PM. There is no sense of driving vision;...

Actions, not words: Unpublished letter to The Age

The Editor Hamas kills innocent Israelis to promote terror. It is listed by the Australian Government as a terrorist organisation. It is an offence ‘to provide support to a terrorist organisation.’ The Israeli Defence Force kills innocent Palestinians to promote terror (19/7 Wong deplores Palestinian killings). It should be listed as a terrorist organisation. All that is required is that the Attorney General is satisfied that it ‘is preparing, planning, assisting or fostering the doing of a terrorist act.’ The Attorney General would then need to consider advising the laying of charges against companies in Australia which...

What are our defence strategies without AKUS?

I value Nick Dean's detailed concerns in his article, which concludes with an assessment of the various players' ego states. I key phrase that sticks out for me is: With AUKUS, the pride of politicians has thus become an obstacle to reaching the best solution to the ‘national security’ conundrum. I appreciate that Mr Dean's important field of expertise is sociology, which is the essential thrust of his argument, and that he is not a security guru. Hence, my suggestion to enable this movement forward is to commission an expert research panel to present the defence strategy...

China brokers national unity government

Excellent comments by these leading Australians. The role envisaged for Bob Carr is a great idea. This will be assisted by the national unity government for Palestine just announced in Beijing.

Ignorance about China

At last someone has written and article about the real China. I have visited China many times over about forty years and I trade with China. I am tired of the negative press that has turned the nation against China. I have found the Chinese people in general welcoming and trustworthy people. China has changed so much over the years I have been visiting and is now so far ahead of the world in looking after its people and developing a society that cares. Even with all the negativity they get China patiently keeps trying to spread the...

Oslo is dead

Oslo is dead - through its 68 to 9 vote to reject any creation of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan river (17 July), Israel has said so. The rule of law must now replace the discredited fiction that was Oslo. The ICJ has spoken (19 July): Israel must bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including east Jerusalem, as rapidly as possible. Yours sincerely James Schofield Barrister

IT Outages

The Optus outage was Australia-based. The Crowdstrike event was international (minus Russia, China, DPRK, Iran etc {who must have been laughing themselves stupid at 'the West'}). Therefore, unless the rules are worldwide, there is little to be gained. It has been said that Crowdstrike's market share is 17% but I wonder whether the economic impact was considerably more.

Evading a US “iron dome”

Paul Budde’s article reminds us of the fragility of our digital society and economy. If it had been a malicious actor instead of CrowdStrike sending out wrong code, it would entirely bypass the “iron dome” promised by Donald Trump in his acceptance speech only a day or so before. Particularly if an outage ran for weeks not days, the economy and society for most people in most parts of the world would grind to a halt with effects which might well surpass those from penetration of the iron dome by hypersonic missiles. The iron dome, if it...

What an unshackled Oz could do

My hope is that the possible outcome postulated by the writer is right. I'm optimistic about the pragmatism of China and most Chinese and that a new, more balanced world order will emerge. I believe the Oz Gov is completely wrong with its commitment to AUKUS, just as we were with our belief that the Mother Country would help defend us in World War Two. We are allowing ourselves to be taken for a ride by the US and the UK in their blatant self interest of attempting to keep a lid on China. Our action in doing...

A very informative and timely article

Dear Meg Hart- A very informative and timely article. The Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology is making great strides to engage with Chinese scholars through the Confucian Institute, holding conferences in China with attendances probably in the thousands - as well as US-linked interactions. Thank you.

The Summit of the Future offers hope for us all

Excellent news that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for a Summit of the Future at the UN on Sunday 22 and Monday 23 September 2024. Thanks to Jeffrey D. Sachs, Professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia University, who tells us more about it. The Summit is needed urgently as the path for the world to cooperate scientifically and fairly in solving the worsening deadly challenges. The Summit will be presented as five topics, for each of which I have selected just one example: Sustainable development- funding for poorer countries. Peace- sensible solutions instead of war. Control of...

Violence and solving political problems

I don’t in any way condone the violence against Donald Trump. But it is a bit rich for Joe Biden to then decry violence as a means of solving political problems. After all, he has just approved resumption of supply of 500lb bombs to Israel, presumably to solve the political problem involving Israel and Palestine.

Maintain the rage

As an eco-peace educator, I always like reading Caitlin's articles. She has a perfect balance between rationality and rage. I'm not going to settle down into my comfortable socialist's armchair while Caitlin continues to pinpoint why the Israeli Zionists are cold, nasty and lying killers, am I? Caitlin maintains her rage - and so will I. Palestine will be free - from the river to the sea!

BEWARE OF A LEOPARD TRYING TO CHANGE HIS SPOTS PARTICULARLY IF HE IS OUR OPPOSITION

It goes without saying that we must be wary of a Leopard who seeks to change his spots; especially if that Leopard is the Honourable Peter Dutton. He may fool Ray Hadley on 2BG, but is unlikely to sway Teal voters in the leafy suburbs that the Coalition must win and or many seats with big Australian Chinese populations and or women fearing their children's futures threatened by Climate Change. It is true that when he says ....I am no Morrison... we should beware. Dutton is far worse than Morrison not only on China, but many other issues....

We're almost in a supertropical world now

Adrian Glikson reports how climate scientists have become increasingly cautious about what they report for fear of having their credibility undermined by climate change deniers. Many climate scientists consider the climate risks that we face to be far more serious than anyone is prepared to publicly acknowledge. Glikson’s 'supertropical' world is close. We need urgent action to cut global fossil fuel emissions. We must do this in the face of the fossil fuel industry’s, and other climate deniers’, resistance. Those in positions to implement this urgent action this are mostly populist politicians, swaying with the breeze of public opinion,...

EV chargers - Australia

Tariffs by other countries on Chinese EVs will absolutely be good for Australia. I am more than happy for Australia to be a dumping ground for excess Chinese EVs. Australia needs to pass a law that requires every service station to have EV chargers. Service stations in Australia make 95 percent of their profits from everything else they sell beside oil.

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