Letters to the Editor
Retired US Admiral confirms Australian subservience
June 23, 2023
Many thanks to Margaret Reynolds for such a forthright criticism of Australian subservience to the US in matters of foreign policy and defence. That the United States takes this subservience for granted and has the capacity to compel subservience if ever it was questioned has been made clear in the comments of an (unnamed) retired US Admiral to the editor of the Australia Pacific Defence Reporter, Kym Bergmann. Kym quotes the Admiral's words in his most recent 20-minute podcast, which should be listened to in full. It is a chilling account of our subservience, and adds to the thrust of...
Mike Williss from Adelaide
In response to: A subservient defence policy undermines Albanese’s successful first year
Ordering women into silence
June 21, 2023
Thank you, Jack Waterford, for publicising your contempt and rejection of the police and justice system in the ACT when it comes to protecting the privacy and dignity of women rape survivors. Of course, it's not just in the ACT that this happens but, in the male-dominated legal system generally. All the right words are used to suggest that everything is being done to help the victim but very little action is taken to prevent the perpetrator from verbally violating his victim over and over again in and outside of the court. In this, he uses his legal accomplices...
Diana Rickard from Tumbling Waters NT
In response to: Our law and order violate women
China – Is it Really a Threat
June 20, 2023
But it is important to emphasise that China’s apparent lead is largely due to its very large population about four times that of the United States. GDP/capita is the measure that determines the stage of development. By this measure the World Bank (there are slight differences between institutions who measure this because of different methodologies) calculates China’s GDP/capita as $23,382, and the US as $80,035. the United States is ranked No. 8 and China is ranked No. 73 (quoted in Wikipedia). The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (which is really a wolf in sheep’s clothing) would have us believe that...
Barry Trembath from Australia
In response to: Why is America so reluctant to acknowledge China’s economic power?
Wen Wei Po NOT an anti Beijing newspaper
June 19, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Gregory Clark's article and would like to circulate it to my friends. Unfortunately, his assertion that Wen Wei Po was a weak Hong Kong newspaper known at the time for extreme anti-Beijing positions. Everyone in Hong Kong knows that, while it is not exactly a top selling daily, it's always been a diehard pro-Beijing paper. Like all newspapers at the time, without independent verification of the various stories bandied around, the Wen Wei Po just parroted the Tiananmen Massare stories. After all, there were a few fake eyewitness accounts doing the rounds at the time....
Jonathan Leung from Hong Kong
In response to: Psy-ops warriors: Tiananmen Square and the media-pack
Relations with China
June 19, 2023
Kevin Rudd has tackled the issues well in his book The Avoidable War, while fully cognisant of defects on both sides of the US China divide. He proposes the need for agreed guardrails to minimise escalation of incidents, while accepting strategic competition. China talks of its redlines. We need Australian institutions which are involved in collective security discussions which include not just military but economic aspects and representation which includes China. The democratic deficit is clearly on show, after the gross deception of the Australian public, by DFAT and Defence, in September 2021 after the Paris 2+2 meeting, a deception...
Geoff Taylor from Perth
In response to: Australia preparing for war- can it stop the rot?
An Answer to Neoliberalism
June 19, 2023
In answer to Alan Patience's Anticipating a Post-Capitalist World, one of the obvious solutions is to do away with 'workers' and 'bosses' by forming as many work places as possible into cooperatives. In this way workers become the owners and elect the 'bosses' thus forming a truly democratic workplace. Corbyn was going to encourage that in the UK had he got in. It could only be sponsored from a labour-socialist party which unfortunately Australia has no longer got. Maybe the Greens will get powerful enough to subsidise/encourage a big push to cooperatives. Its one of the few hopes we have.
Malthus Anderson from Tarras, New Zealand.
In response to: The End is Nigh! Anticipating a Post-Capitalist World