Bob Pearce

Recent articles by Bob Pearce

Let’s get this right: democracy is a diversion

After writing this I will go back to read this article. Let’s get this right: Democracy is a diversion. Hardly a day goes by when we aren’t bombarded with the virtues of democracy as a diversion from the fact that democracy does not exist. Democracy has replaced religion as the opiate of the masses, an illusion, a diversion from the day-to-day realities of CAPITALISM. The realities of a greed-driven society who, like casinos, are happy for the odd mug punter to have a spectacular win so all the other mug punters keep betting. Like all greed-driven systems that...

Where will the nuclear waste be stored?

There is rarely any mention that a (temporary) nuclear waste storage facility will be required in both WA and SA shipyards which are located close to well-populated areas. The people of SA and WA didn’t get to vote for that. Given the secrecy and imbalance surrounding the deal and the fact that the US and UK are having difficulty storing their own nuclear waste, how long will it be before a secret storage facility is built on one of the increasing number of US-owned bases in Australia? My guess is that it’s only a signature on the official...

All things being equal when you add profit

How to define equal should be the role of an elected government and it should change with public circumstances. At present, we don’t live in a democracy, we live in a capitalist society because the link between private and public is too blurred. Consider the results of privatisation of our state-owned banks. Consider the topics of today (interest rates, public housing, bank closure, housing affordability etc). With a state-owned bank in the market place as a defacto regulator of credit card interest rates, housing loans and bank closures etc with public good as its mandate, the other banks would...

Lacking the ability to think

Be it propaganda, capitalism, politics, social media, media in general, advertising or religion, the issue is not what we are being told, but our ability to think logically. If we take the time to think logically, the above have minimal influence on the way we behave or what we believe. Take you pick: it’s your local politician spouting forth the party line on climate change, war, China, renewable energy or EVs. Or it could be the politicians who run the US, the man out the front at your chosen religion or the games that your local supermarket and their...

What market forces are driving the war against EVs?

The war on EVs is driven by the fossil fuel industry which includes car manufacturers. On every level, if you consider the complexity of manufacturing an electric motor and variable speed drive to a piston engine and gear box, the electrical components are far less complex. They take up far less space, have by far less moving parts and are far more efficient, both in manufacturing and operation. Yet because the benchmark price is set by the traditional car manufacturers, the cost of  EVs are similar to petrol, diesel and, in particular, hybrid vehicles. The tariffs will need to...

Attack dog Chalmers runs rings around Dutton

Jim Chalmers on ABC AM this (27 August) morning, sounding very prime ministerial, should at least take on the role as attack dog if Anthony Albanese is to remain prime minister for stability's sake.

Just how badly can Australian politics be driven?

It is a sad indictment on the Liberal Party and Australian politics in general that this process should be driven by comments by Peter Dutton, a man whom one would not trust to drive a police paddy wagon on a dirt road.

National security?

Just how much is hidden behind “national security”? (The military Americanisation of Northern Australia) Very little actual information is released for the voters to make an informed decision on national security. We are pawns in expensive political gamesmanship. How many billions of dollars have been wasted on national security? Hardly a month goes by without talk of another failed defence contract which the voters have no say in because of national security. Even with the secrecy of national security and the poor quality of mainstream media, any thinking person must question the rationale behind AUKUS / U-SUKA (M Brune...

Opposing anything, everything, almost everybody

I have never been able to understand the concept of an elected “Opposition” . What company would employ up to 49% of its employees to “oppose“ everything the other 51+% are trying to achieve? Who do Opposition Parliamentarians actually represent when they are opposing everything that the actual government are trying to achieve? I have been voting for some 50-odd years and I don’t recall it always being like this . In opposing anything and everything Tony Abbott wrote the LNP playbook, a playbook that was used very effectively to depose a succession of prime ministers, leaders of the oppositions...

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