May 30, 2022

Reactionary succession: Peter Dutton, Australias new opposition leader

An inevitable consequence of the loss of the election by the Liberal National Coalition has been the resignation of the former PM as the leader of the Liberal Party. Peter Dutton has replaced Scott Morrison as leader of the Liberal Party, unopposed.

October 3, 2020

A round up of the latest US polls

Whatever anyone thought of the first Presidential debate it doesnt seem to have yet halted Joe Bidens gradual increases in support as measured by a variety of US polls.

October 31, 2020

The attorney general exemplifies the growing influence of right-wing Catholicism under Trump.(NYRB November 5, 2020 )

The logic is not just that their votes are outside the rightful order of the American state but that they are the malign means to undermine it. To suppress those votes would be to uphold the authority not just of Donald Trump, but of God.The attorney general exemplifies the growing influence of right-wing Catholicism under Trump.

October 10, 2020

The Catholic Church: who needs reform?

There are many aspects to reform in the church. Different people and different reform groups, have their own take on what, or who, needs reform the most urgently. I must admit the recent article by Antonio Spadaro on Pope Francis has prompted me to think more about it.[1] I would like to share some of those thoughts with you.

February 22, 2020

PETER SAINSBURY. Sunday environmental round up, 23 February 2020

A disturbing report about how climate change exposes women and girls to violence, abuse and exploitation. Calls for a treaty to protect the Arctic from militarisation and commercialisation. Concerns that some people are more concerned about preserving pictures of animals than animals themselves, and increasing covering of climate change in the media.

February 4, 2020

JENNY PRABHU. WHAT IS IT THAT WE SEE, BUT DO NOT WANT TO SEE?

_Is it in our thirst for more of everything?

March 1, 2020

ROBERT MICKENS. Catholics still don't get it: sexual abuse is not about sex. Jean Vanier violated the Second Commandment, not the Sixth

We continue to hear of incidents that more than suggest that Catholics and, in particular, their bishops have learned very little from the clergy sex abuse crisis.

August 29, 2022

Sixty years and twenty-seven days ago Australia sent 30 advisors to Vietnam

That war has lessons for us today.

November 14, 2020

The 8.1 Million Vote Landslide (CounterPunch Nov 11, 2020)

Some folks are seeing this election as a squeaker for Biden since we saw close races in key states. This has concealed the fact that Biden actually is winning the popular vote by a large margin. Since many votes are still not counted across the country I thought I would do a simple exercise where I projected margins for the votes outstanding in each state.

March 29, 2018

PETER DAY: Crucify him! Crucify him

This Good Friday there will be two Passion plays proclaimed throughout the world: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to John, and The Passion of Our Lauded Cricket Captain According to Us.

August 28, 2022

War is evil. Prevention is better than cure

It is so sad for our humanity that our so-called civilised world political leaders are still not able to find a way of preventing war and achieving PEACE regardless of what excuses the leaders have to start a war.

October 31, 2020

Bruce Mountain and Steven Percy. Pumped hydro isnt our energy future, its our past (The Conversation 29.10.20)

Its now beyond dispute that for new electricity generation solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy are cheaper than anything else: cheaper than new coal fired power stations, cheaper than new gas-fired stations and cheaper than new nuclear power plants.

March 3, 2020

PETER EDWARDS.-Australia and the Vietnam War: 50 years on.(The Strategist 29.2.2020)

_The period from the Tet offensive of early 1968 to the Moratorium demonstration of May 1970 was the turning point in the most important battlefield of the Vietnam Warthe battle for American public opinion.

August 20, 2022

Catholics for renewal: August 10th, 2022

In early December, 1998, John Bathersby, then Archbishop of Brisbane, addressed the priests of the Archdiocese at their annual meeting at the local seminary. He had just returned from Rome where, with fourteen of his Australian episcopal colleagues, he had completed his ad limina visit to the Vatican. He said that the meetings between the bishops and the officials of the various Roman congregations had been cordial and mutually enlightening.

January 30, 2024

We must do everything in our power to build a comprehensive new dtente between the US and China

We, and our fellow 50 Australian signatories, believe that it is time for the United States and China to enter into a comprehensive new dtente, formally pledging to treat each other as mutually respectful equals, to resolve differences peacefully and to work together to advance global and regional goods like nuclear arms control, the mitigation of global warming, counter-terrorism and cyber-regulation.

March 19, 2018

ALISON BROINOWSKI. Happy Anniversary Iraq

If there are any Australians who think we have anything to celebrate on the 15th anniversary of our invasion of Iraq and the start of our longest war, they must know something the rest of us dont. In fact, theres a lot nobody knows.

January 13, 2019

JOHN MENADUE. The scourge of lobbyists is likely to continue if there is a change of government. A repost from 20 July 2018

Lobbyists are back in the news but it looks as if the scourge of lobbyists will continue in Canberra if Bill Shorten wins the next election. There is no sign that the ALP, like the Coalition is prepared to curb the way lobbyists are corrupting public policy in Australia.. The media reports that lobby firms are taking on labor staffers so that they can influence a future Labor Government.

January 3, 2021

Most viewed articles 2020: Gladys' arrogance paves the way for Federal ICAC (Oct 20, 2020)

The most remarkable thing about the revelation of Gladys Berejiklians love life was that it was remarkable at all.

November 1, 2021

Universities' wage theft as a business model must be stamped out

Wage theft is widespread at Australian universities. Independent prudential oversight and democratic reform of Australias public universities is long overdue.

January 30, 2024

Dtente: Towards a balance of power between the USA and China

Former Foreign Ministers Bob Carr and Gareth Evans, other former Cabinet Ministers, former State Premiers, a Nobel Laureate, diplomats, writers, academics and human rights advocates are among 50 Australians supporting an appeal to establish dtente between the United States of America and the Peoples Republic of China.

October 20, 2021

Colin Powell: Establishment warrior with a taste for regime change

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who died this week, was a man fully enrolled in the service of regime change and making the case for it.

February 27, 2021

Two decades after 9/11, US war machine is in 85 countries

Since 2018, the US has provided “counterterrorism” training or assistance in 79 nations and its troops have carried out bombing or ground attacks in 10 countries, according to a new interactive map. Meanwhile, China has one official overseas base, in Djibouti.

February 22, 2018

Australia: A Belligerent Nation

Much discussion has been generated by the recently released Defence White. There were several penetrating essays in Pearls and Irritations.But looking at the text as a historian it seemed that some of the most interesting observations passed without notice. I was drawn to the statement that there was no more than a remote prospect of a military attack by another country on Australian territory in the foreseeable future. It was a truism which, it seemed, scarcely needed examination.

February 16, 2024

'Devastating': wife of imprisoned journalist Julian Assange mourns death of Alexei Navalny

“Navalny was an opposition figure, but his investigative journalism exposed the corruption of the ruling elites in Russia,” said Stella Assange.

April 6, 2022

Olayinka Ajala: Russias war with Ukraine: Five reasons why many African countries choose to beneutral

In early March the United Nations General Assembly votedon a resolution demanding Russia immediately stop its military operations in Ukraine.

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October 18, 2021

Mirage man Morrison continues to defeat the common good

The Coalition government remains in thrall to a tiny rump of its support base despite its wilful refusal to make changes necessary to the national interest and the climate.

August 22, 2022

Jessica Corbett: Pentagon contractors in Afghanistan pocketed $108 billion over 20 years

_Military contracting “obscures where and how taxpayer money flows,” and “makes it difficult to know how many people are employed, injured, and killed,” said the Costs of War Project report’s author.

July 28, 2022

Manlio Graziano - United States: the end of an illusion of omnipotence

I do not accept second place for the United States of America. That simple statement, delivered to rousing effect by Barack Obama in his first State of the Union, in January 2010, managed to summarize the current American strategic horizon in a single sentence.

January 10, 2021

Most viewed posts 2020: Private Schools: Blessed are the rich (Oct 14, 2020)

Last year Shores income was $87.54 million. It is a rich school for kids of rich parents. It is also a charity. Yes, just like Habitat Australia, in Mount Street, North Sydney, just down the road from the school, Shore is a registered charity.

December 12, 2020

The German experience - running everything on renewable energy

Could we run our society on renewable energy sources, which now deliver electricity cheaper than fossil fuel produced power? Vaclav Smil has just published figures on Germanys efforts to move towards a high penetration renewable system, showing that the cost is likely to be very high.

September 10, 2022

Xi note to UK woman revives memories of stunning war rescue

_A WOMAN IN THE UK wrote to Chinese leader Xi Jinping and received a personal reply, it was revealed last month - and their exchange revived memories of one of the most dramatic events of the shared history of the two nations.

May 5, 2021

Focusing purely on injustices in China and Russia with a Cold War mindset damages human rights everywhere

During the firstCold Warbetween the West and the Soviet Union injustice andhuman rightsincreasingly became a central issue. This ought to have been a positive development, but it was devalued by partisan use and the issue turned into an instrument of propaganda.

January 24, 2021

Not Apartheid in the West Bank. Apartheid

For just six months of its 73 years was Israel a democracy. Six months, and not one day more. This shocking fact, which most Israelis and the wider world repress and truth-seekers have no way of denying, must resound in every civics lesson and every debate in Israel.

January 14, 2021

Most viewed articles 2020: Robodebt is far from dead, buried and cremated (Nov 23, 2020)

Those who closely follow the news will believe that the dreaded Robodebt has been slain, dead, buried and cremated, with the Federal Government agreeing at the door of the court on 16 November to settle the Robodebt class action. But its not as simple as that.

January 12, 2021

Most viewed posts 2020: A Bill to enable use of foreign troops or foreign police in Australian emergencies (Oct 1, 2020)

A bill is before federal parliament to enable the ADF, Reserves and foreign military forces and police to be used in Australian emergencies. It gives them immunity from civil or criminal prosecution for actions arising from these emergency duties.

May 1, 2021

Japans looming climate showdown

That makes Sugas new stance a significant reversal for Japan.

September 13, 2022

Saving the planet invites police crackdown

_There’s no question about it that policing has changed over the years. But it doesn’t make sense that non-violent civil disturbance is suddenly being treated by the NSW government as something so sinister that it warrants a potential 2 years imprisonment and/or a $25K fine.

May 5, 2021

Clear skies over Asias new foreign investment landscape

Compounding the fallout of the USChina trade war, the global pandemic and recession have caused considerable speculation on the future of foreign investment and global value chains (GVCs). But though there is likely to be some permanent change, it will probably not be as great as politicians expect.

February 4, 2024

The West has lost the will for peace

Dtente would be good. Dialogue and diplomacy would be better. An end to US-led covert actions and cold wars would be better still.

October 13, 2021

After the battle for net zero emissions, more climate battles are coming

The battle for net zero emissions is nearly over, but not the war. A new battle, to cut emissions deeply by 2030, is under way. Following hard behind, another battle is starting, to cut emissions of methane.

October 12, 2021

Wealthy schools pocket millions in JobKeeper funds despite profits

Blessed are the rich! The payments to elite schools despite their healthy bottom lines and vast assets highlight the pressing need for education funding reform.

April 28, 2021

The Xinjiang Genocide Allegations Are Unjustified

US President Joe Biden’s administration has doubled down on the claim that China is mounting a genocide against the Uighur people in the Xinjiang region. But it has offered no proof, and unless it can, the State Department should withdraw the charge and support a UN-based investigation of the situation in Xinjiang.

January 7, 2021

Most viewed posts 2020: Juukan Gorge the plot thickens (Sep 14, 2020)

Under cross-examination, Federal Environment Minister, Sussan Ley made two major admissions on ABC Radio National last Friday over the destruction of the two ancient Aboriginal rock shelters at Juukan Gorge. The shelters had been inhabited for 46,000 years, and now will become bits of iron and steel.

December 5, 2020

Mission Sustainable Development (Project Syndicate Dec 1, 2020)

Nearly 60 years ago, President John F. Kennedy put the United States on a mission to the future by proclaiming that it would land a man on the moon within a decade. Our generations moonshot mission is sustainable development on Earth.

November 23, 2021

Home truths: the housing emergency must shift Australian politics

The failures of Australia’s fragmented and ineffective housing policy are accumulating governments should take heed or pay a political cost.

April 28, 2021

Americans Dont Know How Capitalist China Is An interview with Weijian Shan

What are the dangers in Americas continued demonization of China?

May 13, 2021

Tamed estate: Debt and deficit disaster? Not when it comes to the Coalition

The coverage was positively glowing. Debt projected to be four times higher than at any point under Labor but nothing could silence the cheerleaders.

January 6, 2021

Most viewed posts 2020: Father Glen Walsh paid a heavy price (Sep 9, 2020)

The revelations never end about priests and brothers, of monsignors and bishops with their secret sexual lives, masturbating, buggerizing, sodomizing and raping boys and girls protected by an amoral hierarchy and a few corrupt members of the upper-echelons of various police forces.

May 29, 2020

JENNY HOCKING supports Pearls and Irritations.

I am a long-time reader, contributor and supporter ofPearls & Irritations.

Pearls and Irritations

John Menadue's Public Policy Journal