Grandstanding government right off-side – Message from the Editor
I have never been cynical about politics. At my 1980s high school, I confused many by having then Prime Minister Bob Hawke plastered across my A4 binder instead of Bruce Springsteen or Boy George. After starting life in journalism, where there were plenty of cynics, I horrified my editor by leaving to work for the Federal ALP. He dubbed the move the worst decision I had ever made. But I was unmoved.
Recent articles in USA
13 March 2026
Illegal tariffs, tax cuts for the wealthy, and an unauthorised war - Part 2
Cuts to healthcare and foreign aid, combined with an unauthorised war, reveal the human consequences of fiscal and political choices now measured in lives.
13 March 2026
Armageddon politics and the danger of religious war rhetoric
Reports that US commanders have framed the war on Iran as part of a divine plan highlight the dangerous intersection of religious prophecy and modern military power.
11 March 2026
Going for the jugular – the energy shock is coming
The Strait of Hormuz carries the lifeblood of the global economy – and war with Iran risks turning a geopolitical conflict into a worldwide economic shock.
11 March 2026
Illegal tariffs, tax cuts for the wealthy, and an unauthorised war - Part one
US courts have ruled Trump's tariffs were illegal – yet the money has not been returned and was used to justify sweeping tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy.
10 March 2026
‘Intentional chemical warfare’: Toxic black rain in Tehran after US-Israel bomb oil facilities
Air strikes on oil storage facilities in Tehran have triggered massive fires, toxic rainfall and choking pollution, raising fears of a major environmental and humanitarian disaster.
10 March 2026
Cowardice and kowtowing risk Australia becoming the fall guy in Trump’s wars and deals
As the US–Israeli war on Iran unfolds, Australia faces the danger of being drawn into American power politics while sacrificing its independence and credibility in the region.
10 March 2026
A vessel of lies: Australian sailors implicated in the Iran War
Australian personnel aboard a US nuclear submarine during an attack on an Iranian vessel highlight the deeper implications of AUKUS – and the risk of Australia being drawn into American wars.
9 March 2026
Diplomacy as cover – how the road to war with Iran was paved
Negotiations with Iran appeared to promise a diplomatic breakthrough, but the launch of Operation Epic Fury suggests the talks served mainly to mask a pre-planned path to war driven by political and strategic pressure.
9 March 2026
Under blockade – Cuba warns of the global precedent of economic coercion
As the United States tightens economic pressure on Cuba, the island’s ambassador to New Zealand warns that the issue is larger than one nation – it is a test of whether international trade and sovereignty will be governed by law or coercion.
8 March 2026
When is an illegal war morally defensible?
Some illegal uses of force have been judged morally defensible, as in Kosovo in 1999. But the US–Israel war on Iran fails that test – lacking lawful authority, credible motives and a plausible path to a better outcome.
8 March 2026
China waits and watches as the US fights all its tigers at once
The US–Israeli war with Iran has shattered Washington’s hope of concentrating its power on containing China. Instead, the United States is entangled in multiple conflicts while Beijing gains strategic time.
7 March 2026
Canada and Australia: working together – without the US
Mark Carney’s blunt declaration that the rules-based international order has ruptured challenges countries like Australia to rethink their alliances and consider new coalitions among middle powers.
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