Politics
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America’s muddled Taiwan policy
In early August, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, announced she planned to make a trip to Taiwan to give it moral encouragement at a time of tense relations with China. She would be the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Taiwan since 1997, when Speaker Newt Gingrich made the trip. Continue reading »
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Making the sensible choice: Australia can support peace between US, China in the Taiwan Strait
US-China relations continue to be in free fall. A confident China under the leadership of strongman Xi Jinping is more assertive in defending its national interests. While China has changed, so have Western powers who, unable to adjust to the new reality of global power transition, are treating China as the primary threat. Animosity has Continue reading »
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Weekly roundup Saturday 24 September
Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy. Continue reading »
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What drives the Chinese Party of China to success?
Editor’s note: Since its founding more than 100 years ago, the Communist Party of China has led the country in making remarkable achievements at home as well as contributing to global development and peace. Combining political theory and practice to make those remarkable achievements, the CPC has set a great example for the world. Three Continue reading »
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Vanguard behind the country’s achievements
The past century has witnessed the Communist Party of China leading a revolution, founding the People’s Republic and relentlessly pursuing economic development and social change for the better. The Chinese people have changed their fate, made great contributions to humankind, and are now on way to realising national rejuvenation. Continue reading »
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Leadership has improved China’s global standing
China is facing the most immoral and unprecedented attacks from myriad quarters because of its ability to remove the obstacles to its economic growth at a time when almost all other countries are encountering economic downturn, which began with the global financial crisis. Continue reading »
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Asylum Seeker Policy – Where to now?
One of the most complex and controversial issues the Albanese Government will deal with during the current budget process will be asylum seeker policy. Continue reading »
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Morrison joins hard right IDU’s embrace of Viktor Orban
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has joined the advisory board of the International Democrat Union. It is an organisation that is much more radical than its self-declared defence of the “centre right” spin suggests. Continue reading »
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Ukraine: Western missteps lead to something much worse
When even our media of conscience lose interest in the details of emerging East West crises the results can be tragic. Continue reading »
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Caitlin Johnstone: It’s not okay for grown adults to say the Ukraine invasion was “unprovoked”
On a recent interview with the Useful Idiots podcast, Noam Chomsky repeated his argument that the only reason we hear the word “unprovoked” every time anyone mentions Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the mainstream news media is because it absolutely was provoked, and they know it. Continue reading »
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Fostering trade beats making war every time
It is over a month since Nancy Pelosi’s vexing visit to Taipei and China’s disapproving response, which included large scale air and naval exercises around Taiwan. This ill-omened stopover by the third-ranking person in the US political hierarchy ineptly created, amongst other things, further acute doubt about Washington’s continuing commitment to the one-China principle. Continue reading »
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The Defence Strategic Review: Rehash of US influenced orthodoxy?
Prime Minister Albanese is to be commended for announcing, so quickly after his election, the Defence Strategic Review but its real objective is too narrow, its timeline too short and its membership hardly “independent” as claimed. Continue reading »
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The Queen complained that Gough Whitlam was rude to the lesser Royals
In 1974 in Kingston, Jamaica, aboard her yacht The Britannia, the Queen told me that ‘your Prime Minister had been ‘rude’ to my family.’ I was the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time. Continue reading »
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Productivity Commission review ignores repressive structure of Australian school system
The Productivity Commission’s interim report on school reform has conjured up some good ideas, but it ignores the regressive structure of Australia’s school system and how it acts as an anchor on school improvement. Continue reading »
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Australia and Southeast Asia: Australia needs a new plan?
At a time when Australia needs an innovative rethinking of its policies towards Southeast Asia, this will not be delivered by the recently announced Defence Strategic Review. Continue reading »
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The Sabra and Shatila massacre is personal
These last few days, as they do every year, weigh heavy on every Palestinian’s heart. For me, and my family, the heaviness is also personal. Continue reading »
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Republican Albanese imprisoned by royal protocol
I was arrested at a visit by then Prince Charles to Alice Springs in 1977 for handing out press statements on Aboriginal living standards. I avoided jail, but the less fortunate Albanese government has been imprisoned by royal protocol and constitutional custom. Continue reading »
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The incautious, entitled, ‘meddling’ King Charles III of Australia: Can he stay out of politics?
When, according to the self-appointed guardians of public decency and royal decorum, is it ever ‘appropriate’ to speak about the future of the monarchy let alone, dare I say it, a republic? Not while the Queen was alive – because, disrespect. And not now that the Queen is dead – because, also disrespect. And of Continue reading »
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Beetaloo gas field: Resurrect health impact assessments to save lives
Our new government walks both sides of the street on fossil fuels. Continue reading »
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The Defence Strategic Review: Pop psychology and Game of Thrones drives fear of war
At a time when Defence policy is being reviewed, public discussion needs to be rigorous and evidence based. There is an obligation on prominent experts to avoid unsupported speculation and alarmism. To do otherwise simply clouds the nature of the challenges and eliminates non-military approaches. Continue reading »
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The Strengthening Medicare Taskforce: Commonwealth must resist lobbyists and embed team-based care
The Strengthening Medicare Taskforce must set aside the tired, unhelpful trope that care is about choosing between a GP, or a pharmacist, or a nurse. Health care professionals are complementary to each other and provide better care working as a team. Continue reading »
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The US diplomatic blitz regarding the South China Sea
The US is engaged in a public relations blitz to win the hearts and minds of Southeast Asia and demonise China. However it is replete with deceit and hypocrisy. Continue reading »
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UN report on Xinjiang is depressing in more ways than one
‘May” is such a wonderful word in the English language. It can support perhaps the deadliest of accusations but can simply be justified by “Hey! I said ‘may’, didn’t I?” Continue reading »
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The Defence Strategic Review: The US Taiwan Policy Act would be a game-changing act of provocation
The Australian government, perhaps initially through the DSR, must explain clearly to the Australian public what cost it is prepared to pay as a tool of American policy, or how it intends to maintain its sovereignty and ensure the security and safety of Australians. Continue reading »
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After Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Indigenous Australia can’t be expected to shut up. Our sorry business is without end
When the Queen first visited Australia in 1954, my mother almost did not get to see her. Continue reading »
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NDIS Justice for over 65s
The Australian government is about to be involved in its biggest, and most morally embarrassing, class action since the Robodebt scandal. Thousands of seriously disabled people excluded from the services provided by NDIS if they were over 65 when the scheme was introduced or who became disabled after they were 65, will be eligible to Continue reading »
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The wealthy pollutors inflict pain and death on the poor of Pakistan
Even if we measure cumulative emissions just from the 1992-2020 period, the US share is 19.6%, the high-income group’s share is 46.9%, and Pakistan’s share is 0.4%. Continue reading »
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Australia and US–China rivalry
US–China competition is a defining challenge of the present. Much attention has focussed on the behaviour of these two great powers and their impact on global affairs. But as the US–China rivalry persists, an important question is what third parties can do — especially countries like Australia that have huge stakes in maintaining productive relations Continue reading »
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Australia trashes the ‘international rules based order’ over AUKUS and nuclear proliferation
We have another entirely Australian own goal to China. Continue reading »
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Charles III, the billionaire and owner of the Oval cricket ground
Once the fixated adoration with the late Queen Elizabeth II starts cooling, the accountants of public welfare and decency will be stunned to realise the costs and wealth associated with the royal institution. Her successor, Charles III, is continuing in that vein, a jarring note of wealth and pomp even as prices rise and the Continue reading »
Top 5 most read
- Morrison joins hard right IDU’s embrace of Viktor Orban
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has joined the advisory board… - The Queen complained that Gough Whitlam was rude to…
In 1974 in Kingston, Jamaica, aboard her yacht The Britannia,… - Is China Expansionist?
China’s emergence as a great power has prompted many fears… - The Monarchy is facing a legitimation crisis
In monarchical systems there is always a legitimation challenge when… - The incautious, entitled, ‘meddling’ King Charles…
When, according to the self-appointed guardians of public decency and…
