Politics
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GEORGE MONBIOT. The Unlearning (The Guardian 7-11-19)
There are two stark facts about British politics. The first is that they are controlled, to a degree unparalleled in any other Western European nation, by a tiny, unrepresentative elite. Like almost every aspect of public life here, government is dominated by people educated first at private schools, then at either Oxford or Cambridge. Continue reading »
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PETER SAINSBURY. Sunday environmental round up, 17 November 2019
Fire chiefs and health professionals stand up for action on climate change. Fly ash from coal burning causes major problems in Indonesia. The International Energy Agency identifies the main trends influencing energy supply over the next 20 years. Continue reading »
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SATURDAY’s GOOD READING AND LISTENING FOR THE WEEKEND
A regular collection of links to writings and broadcasts in other media Continue reading »
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GREG BAILEY. The New South Wales Fires, the National Party and Climate Change. PART 1
In responding on Monday to the severity of the NSW and QLD fires two senior NP politicians made statements attacking the Greens in a manner that was most intemperate and which has attracted almost universal criticism? But was their underlying motivation genuine concern for those affected by these predictable fires, or a desperate attempt to Continue reading »
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GREG BAILEY. The New South Wales Fires, the National Party and Climate Change. PART 2
The intemperate language used by McCormack and Joyce points to the Nationals’ own desperation about their constituency. Equally it has given an opportunity to the prime minister to appear statesman-like and the ALP to remain silent. Both illustrate how politicians regard the attention span of the electorate in regard to worsening environmental conditions. Continue reading »
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TONY SMITH. The short sighted politicians dividing the nation.
The first speeches of most federal and state parliamentarians (MPs) are idealistic. Some MPs stick to these principles. Others do not. An aim commonly stated by MPs is to represent all the people in their electorates, whether they voted for the MP or not. Unfortunately, some MPs abandon this principle thinking there is political advantage Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. The Labor Party, religion, sex and that sort of thing
The second greatest disaster for Labor following the May election loss is the daily earbashing from mainstream media dishing out gratuitous advice to the Party on how to change policies and win the next election. Absolutely the greatest disaster is the possibility that people within the Party will listen to this stream of right-wing drivel. Continue reading »
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IAN McAULEY. Reclaiming the ideas of economics: Wealth
Money can’t buy me love: nor can it buy me wealth Continue reading »
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FRANCESCA BEDDIE. The Golden Country, Australia’s Changing Identity.
I follow migration matters closely, so Tim Watt’s survey of the White Australia Policy and subsequent immigration policy was familiar territory. For those who don’t, there is much to recommend in the story he tells and his demonstration of the economic benefits of skilled migration. But his analysis has flaws. Continue reading »
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ALLAN PATIENCE. The ALP and the religious right in Australian politics
The religious right is casting a darkening cloud over Australia’s democracy. Continue reading »
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MIKE SCRAFTON. Irish Reunification-Child of Brexit
Arriving at agreement on a new Irish Constitution following a post-Brexit Border Poll would expose the cracks in Irish identity. There is little public evidence that any government—in the Republic, Northern Ireland, or the UK—has given serious thought to the steps that would need to follow a double yes vote. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL KEATING. Australia’s Political Fault Lines.
This article takes issue with a recent article by John Menadue which argues that a largely unchallenged and powerful oligarchy is wielding untrammelled political power. Instead, a number of other reasons are proposed as to why our political parties have fragmented, and how that has made the achievement of necessary policy compromises more difficult. Nevertheless, Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. Labor Review ignores Centralised Factional Control!
The ALP Reviewers certainly deserve recognition for facing some of the issues which led to its recent Federal election defeat. The Review Team has put on the record the factors contributing to misunderstanding and failure to capture the public imagination. Recommendations are a welcome start in charting new directions. However, the fundamental issue of factional Continue reading »
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ROSS GITTINS. Confessions of a pet shop galah: a lot of reform backfired (SMH 11.11.2019)
As someone who, back in the day, did his share of being one of Paul Keating’s pet shop galahs – screeching “more micro reform!” every time they saw a pollie – I don’t cease to be embarrassed by the many supposed reforms that turned into stuff-ups. Continue reading »
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J. A. DICK. Political Religion and the Prosperity Gospel
Re-reading a bit of political philosophy, I came across a 1939 quotation by the French philosopher Raymond Aron (1905-1983) who warned of ‘notre époque de religions politiques.’ If Aron were around today, he would have much to wrote about. Continue reading »
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JACK WATERFORD. Labor could fall further yet
Did Morrison win that election? Or did Labor simply blow it? Continue reading »
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NOEL TURNBULL. The political limbo rock – how low can you go?
One of the best ways to determine how history will judge a politician is not to tot up what they achieved but to try to evaluate the depths they sometimes sank to as they pursued their careers. Continue reading »
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GREGORY CLARK- APEC on the chopping block ( Asia Times November 5, 2019)
For old-time Asia watchers, there was a delicious irony in the way Chile has decided it does not want to be the site of this year’s planned APEC annual meeting. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL KEATING . Economic Growth ,Redistribution and Climate Change.
Many pundits are arguing that if Labor is to become competitive at the next election it must focus on economic growth and jobs and abandon or at least downgrade its policies for income redistribution and to combat climate change. The evidence, however, is precisely the reverse. It is these policies that are the key to Continue reading »
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DAVID SOLOMON. Whither Labor
Labor’s post-election post-mortem demonstrates conclusively that Scott Morrison’s victory was no miracle. It also shows why so many people thought it was. Continue reading »
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AWM redevelopment – Green lights all the way despite widespread opposition
Due process has been missing in action with the proposed Australian War Memorial demolition and expansion. Wide-ranging and serious concerns from many people have been dismissed, as AWM Director Dr Brendan Nelson continues to be given green lights in his quest to have the Memorial display yet more of the machinery of warfare. One wonders Continue reading »
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NOEL TURNBULL. The political limbo rock – how low can you go
One of the best ways to determine how history will judge a politician is not to tot up what they achieved but to try to evaluate the depths they sometimes sank to as they pursued their careers. Continue reading »
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MARK BUCKLEY. Why Labor Lost
As this year’s election result became clear, Bill Shorten stated, “We were up against corporate leviathans, a financial behemoth, spending unprecedented hundreds of millions of dollars advertising, telling lies, spreading fear – they got what they wanted.” That is the voice of a hapless victim, complaining about forces beyond his control, and not the alternative Continue reading »
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RICHARD WHITINGTON. What will Weatherill, Emerson and the willy-wag-tails teach the wombats?
Here we have two wombats, Lofty and Rorty. They’re stranded on the median strip in the middle of a busy freeway, on their way home from a meeting where, against most expectations, they were outflanked in their bid to take over the Association of Australian Native Animals (AANA). Continue reading »
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PETER SAINSBURY. Sunday environmental round up, 10 November 2019
Nearly all about climate change this week: 20 fossil fuel companies responsible for producing 35% of all greenhouse gas emissions and confusing the public and politicians about the causes of climate change; the USA starts the formal process of withdrawal from the Paris agreement: will others follow? is the Paris agreement dead in the water Continue reading »
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SATURDAY’s GOOD READING AND LISTENING FOR THE WEEKEND
A regular collection of links to writings and broadcasts in other media Continue reading »
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TONY SMITH. A flicker of interest in human rights
Foreign Minister Marise Payne recently incurred the wrath of China by daring to mention the treatment of the Uighurs. At first sight this might seem to signal the beginning of a new commitment to human rights by the Coalition Government. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister is leading domestic policy in the opposite direction. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Thinking about economics
Whether anybody — anybody at all — understands the workings of the world economy, or even the national economy, is a moot point but there are lots of interesting theories. Continue reading »
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CO2 is rising at the fastest rate since 66 million years ago.
As the CO2 level rises to 408 ppm and the total greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, including CO2, methane and nitrous oxide, reaches about 500 parts per million CO2-equivalent, the stability threshold of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, currently melting at an accelerated rate, is exceeded. Under warming drought conditions, firestorms currently engulfing California, large parts of South Continue reading »