Politics
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Dutton and Netanyahu’s projection of good and evil
The leader of Australia’s Opposition, Peter Dutton, is aligning himself with a proposition about good and evil, civilisation and tyranny, that can only lead to the perpetuation of violence and the glorification of war, not its diminishment. The position of both men is dishonest, self-deluding and dangerous. Continue reading »
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Anxious Democrat voters find new ways to self-medicate as election looms
Standing in the tiny foyer of a small theatre that had seen better days on a residential street in inner-city Philadelphia, I asked a fellow theatre-goer standing next to me, “Are you looking forward to some comic relief?” Continue reading »
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The slow strangulation of truth
Over the years I’ve learnt to chew and walk at the same time. It’s taken a while, but I think I’ve mastered it. Being able and willing to condemn the actions of Hamas, and criticising Iran while also condemning the callousness of Israel’s incursions into Gaza, the West Bank and now Lebanon is something I Continue reading »
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History’s wound, still open wide
Australia, land of Altjira, of oceans wild and skies untamed, Where stories of the Jukurrpa are told in songlines proclaimed. Continue reading »
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Australia, Israel and the United Nations
In 1949 Australia’s Dr H.V. Evatt was described as: “The most brilliant and effective voice of Small Powers – a leading statesman for the world’s conscience.” When will another Australian voice speak up in the name of humanity at the United Nations? Continue reading »
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The unresolved tension at the core of Australia’s strategic policy
Australia wants to constrain China, but without tying itself to America’s own ambitions and all that might mean. Continue reading »
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Australia’s evolving nuclear posture: avoiding a fait accompli (Part 1 of 2)
A monumental transformation: There has been a great deal of public criticism of Australia’s decision to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) via the AUKUS security partnership. The criticism has been both broad and deep, spanning political and industrial challenges, budgetary consequences, safety and environmental concerns, strategic risks, and the erosion of national sovereignty. Continue reading »
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All-out China-EU trade war looming – Asian Media Report
In Asian media this week: Europe’s China business chief says conflict unavoidable. Plus: US lacks strategy for China confrontation; Japan’s new PM calls snap election; Junta’s election “census” a counter-insurgency ploy; America’s Gaza failure shakes confidence in rules-based order; Seoul has no answer for Pyongyang’s dirty campaign. Continue reading »
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Sunlight needed to eradicate prison horrors
Reports of malfeasance involving staff at the Alexander Maconochie Centre, the ACT’s supposedly human-rights-compliant prison, are now too numerous and too frequent to lack substantial veracity. Continue reading »
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While you weren’t looking: Meeting China in Sydney
While elsewhere the China discourse in the Australian media may have been on geopolitical tensions and defence and security concerns, community leaders, students and academics from seven universities in Australia and 15 universities in China and Taiwan met in Parramatta. Continue reading »
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What is really going on in Palestine
Foreign Minister Penny Wong was keen to remind Guardian readers that “Australia has not supplied any weapons or ammunition to Israel for at least the past five years”. Only, as the Albanese government was forced to clarify, that excludes components for the US F-35 combat aircraft that is used to bomb Gaza. Australia has made Continue reading »
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October 7: One year later, are we any closer to truth?
07/10/2023 has assumed much of the gravitas and the horror of 09/11/2001. In the aftermath of each, the world has/had viewed the potential for international warfare with extreme trepidation and with good reason. Continue reading »
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Israeli snipers routinely, deliberately shoot Palestinian kids in the head
There’s yet another doctor testimonial about Israeli forces constantly shooting Palestinian children in the head, this one published in The New York Times. Continue reading »
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A five-minute scroll
On World Mental Health day keep the children of Palestine in mind. US Journalist Jeremy Loffredo arrested, beaten and charged by Israel.Polish MEP speaks out on Israel and Palestinian diplomat Nada Tarbush speaks out at the UN. Greta Thunberg speaks out on the police closure of a German University encampment while the NZ defence minister Continue reading »
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Israel does not have a right to defend itself, as our PM keeps saying
Israel has no right of self-defence against resistance to the illegal occupation. Israel cannot both occupy Palestinian lands, and then launch an attack on those lands by citing ‘self-defence’ when occupied populations resist. Neither can Israel treat those resisting in occupied territories as enemy combatants. Continue reading »
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Kishore Mahbubani: China’s ‘wiser’ long-term strategy paves way to No. 1 world power
Veteran Singapore envoy on what the West gets wrong about China, ASEAN as a bellwether region and why the US should prepare for No. 2 status. Continue reading »
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We’re all tourists here, don’t leave a mess
Pretty soon we’ll be approaching the 40th anniversary of the December 1984 snap Federal Election that Bob Hawke called, just over 18 months after Labor’s historic win in early 1983 had ousted Malcolm Fraser’s government. Continue reading »
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As high-rise developments boom, overhaul of strata committees of management long overdue
Owner corporations have recently come under attack for their dodgy practices. An overhaul of strata committees of management is also long overdue. Continue reading »
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East Timor is not Palestine
Peter Job’s article in P&I, ‘Palestine – The Lessons of East Timor’, is an interesting foray into the link between international law and moral condemnation as offering a possible insight into the future of Palestine. As Job argues, one generally does need international law to be on one’s side if a just resolution is to Continue reading »
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Placing Russian mobile missile launchers on alert a dangerous game
Newsweek has recently (Oct 7) reported that Russian mobile nuclear missile launchers have been placed on combat alert. This could mean nothing – Russian mobile missile launchers do regularly go on patrol, both for scheduled alerts and for training purposes. However, the way in which the move has been telegraphed does suggest that Russia means Continue reading »
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Historic ICC war crimes complaint names 1,000 Israeli soldiers
“This complaint is not only the largest ever submitted to the ICC, but it is also a milestone in documenting Israeli war crimes for future generations.” Continue reading »
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A five-minute scroll
A journalist takes on the US state briefing, a Palestinian captive takes on his captor. David Shoebridge takes on the government’s immigration policy and the Deputy PM in Belgium speaks out. Ben Gvir draws a gun in the West Bank, while Palestinian journalists flee drone fire. A personal view on destruction in Lebanon. Our five-minutes Continue reading »
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“Acceptance” of Israel’s extreme brutality and “concern” at the slaughter of Palestinians are irreconcilable
Like most of the US allies, Australia is caught between a rock and a hard place. Continue reading »
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Productivity growth has slowed: will it recover?
Restoring the rate of productivity growth is critical to future living standards, but unless technological change accelerates living standards may not increase as fast as we are used to in future. Continue reading »
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The future of NBN – Privatisation in a changing market landscape
This week, the government announced its intention to introduce new legislation that would keep the National Broadband Network (NBN) in public hands, reinforcing its election promise. Continue reading »
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Australia should endorse and promote the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
Scientists overwhelmingly agree that climate change is threatening life on this planet and that the root cause is the burning of fossil fuels. But what are we doing about it? More importantly, what are our so-called Leaders doing to address the threat? Continue reading »
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Both personal and political: Productivity and Childcare
The federal government recently released a Productivity Commission’s Report on children’s services. It found too many changes were needed for the government to say more than that they were “looking at it”. The report is significant and was passed to the Government to guide possible reforms to its role in funding of services to deliver Continue reading »
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Symbolic politics and ‘terrorist’ symbols
Until recent events, many Australians would not have realised that it could be a criminal offence to display the symbol of a terrorist organisation in public. Continue reading »
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Can this Odd Couple survive?
Before debating with Democrat VP candidate Tim Walz, the Republican
nominee JD Vance said the contestants’ views matter little because voters go for the top of the ticket, not the bottom. Continue reading »
