Jerry Roberts
Jerry Roberts, born and raised in Mid-West USA, trained as a newspaper reporter in Perth and has covered politics, manufacturing, and Aboriginal Affairs. He has spent the second half of his life in outback Australia.
Jerry's recent articles
JERRY ROBERTS. Cause and effect.
Royal Commissions are often diverted into by-ways that are interesting and entertaining but have little relevance to the terms of reference and do nothing to solve the problem that required the inquiry to be established in the first place.
JERRY ROBERTS. The Dalai Lama, Falun Gong and Australian Democracy.
In his 2010 book, The Party, Richard McGregor described the iron grip exercised by the Chinese Communist Party on its homeland. Now Clive Hamilton in Silent Invasion traces the tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party as it squeezes Australias political, corporate and academic bodies. We should all read both books.
JERRY ROBERTS The West Australian Liberals get serious
A weekend of elections lifted the spirits of the Liberal and Labor Parties while the Greens made another attempt to back-stab themselves out of existence. The most important political event was the one that received the least attention. It was a by-election held in Perths seaside suburb of Cottesloe.
JERRY ROBERTS. Populism and Social Democracy.
So-called populist parties in recent European elections have all but wiped out established social democratic parties. The exception was Britain where Labour improved its position under the uncompromising social-democratic leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Two questions arise at home. What fate awaits our social democratic party, the Australian Labor Party? More importantly, what is populism?
The American Empire, China, the Region and Australia
As the American Empire weakens we see a tendency to look to China and seek security in a nebulous concept of the region. We are not facing up to the defence of our continent by Australians for Australians.
JERRY ROBERTS. Change the date of the day by all means and change Australia
Lets change the date of Australia Day, not just for Aboriginal public relations, but to prove that we can do something anything to cast off the chains of our pusillanimous politicians and their little mates, the boofhead media commentators.
JERRY ROBERTS. The Real World
A streak of idealism runs across the pages of Pearls and Irritations. That is good. Political comment without idealism is mere gossip but what are the chances of fulfilling ideals in the real world?
JERRY ROBERTS. The Miners Win Again- A REPOST from October 27 2017
A two-paragraph story under the heading Gold hike dead on page 24 of the West Australian newspaper, Friday 13 October, ended the latest chapter in the one-sided battle between Australian governments and the mining industry. The miners won again.
JERRY ROBERTS. Neoliberalism, Neoclassical Economics, Twinkle-toes Turnbull and a New Years Resolution
We have put the gender issue to bed. The priests have had their five years of infamy. The electors of New England and Bennelong have told the High Court where to stick the dual citizenship clause. Is there an opening for the Parliament and the press to consider the only issue that matters the problem that causes all the other problems the galloping inequality, the public squalor and private splendour of a neoliberal, deregulated capitalism?
JERRY ROBERTS. Will today's Labor Government in Western Australia repeat the mistakes of 1983?
Dominating the front page of Wednesdays West Australian newspaper (6 December) was a picture of the States Premier, Mark McGowan, striking a tough-guy pose. Ghosted over the photo of the Premier was a big headline saying Fat Cat Cull. The fat cats are public service chiefs and the story revived memories of Premier Brian Burke in the days following Labors election victory in 1983. The difference lies in what happened to the public service between then and now.
JERRY ROBERTS Parliamentary reform needs external drive
Privatisation and corporatisation of government services such as Australia Post have reduced the power and influence of the Parliament and made it less relevant to our daily lives. Parliamentary reform is important but needs to be seen as part of a bigger picture much bigger.
JERRY ROBERTS. The Corruption of Representative Democracy
John Menadues lament in his Thursday post for the loss of trust in our public institutions was so comprehensive that it left me feeling devastated. His re- posting was inspired by Senator Jacquie Lambies criticism of lobbyists and it is to the Senate that we must look for assistance.
JERRY ROBERTS. Where were our politicians when the Rio Man bad-mouthed our country?
While Rio Tinto and former chief executive Tom Albanese deny fraud charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, critics in our hemisphere are asking what is going on in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. A more important question is what happened to our politicians in 2010 when Albanese insulted our nation.
JERRY ROBERTS. Corruption or Ideology?
Just when critics of neoliberalism are finding a seat at the table economists are mounting a counter-attack blaming societys ills on political corruption. John Menadue summarises their argument under the heading of rent-seekers, regulatory capture and lobbyists. The neoliberal critics, of whom I am one, maintain that ideology is a major factor in the absurd situation in which we Australians find ourselves in relation to electricity, gas, housing, inequality and the dictatorship of multinational corporations. About political corruption only one point can be made with certainty. It is not a new problem.