Politics
The closing days of the pax American
According to reports, about half the people who say they have read Orwell’s 1984 are lying. Sometimes I wish I was one of them. The story has ever after haunted my dreams. The final paragraph […]
Politics
Politics
Russell Vought and the junktanks that turned the 2021 insurrection into a coup
In assessing which Trump appointment is more dangerous, Russell Vought freshly confirmed to helm the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is a contender for the worst. Vought wrote one of the chapters from Project […]
Politics
When Peter Dutton became Leader of the Opposition, what did you expect?
When he won the leadership battle, Peter Dutton could be regarded as the most unpopular politician in Australia. In a startling twist, he even overshadowed the unpopularity of Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce at the […]
Politics
House Economics Committee to hear from Reserve Bank of Australia after the first monetary policy decision of 2025
House of Representatives Media Release The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will hold its first biannual public hearing of 2025 with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Ms Michele Bullock, and other […]
Politics
Goodbye, America
I admit it: I was intrigued by all this AI stuff so I thought I’d try it out. I’ve seen articles this year about celebrities leaving America – Spain is a popular choice, for some […]
Politics
Far From Benign: The US Aid Industrial Complex
The US aid program began in earnest in the early stages of the Cold War, with an intention to beat off the contenders from the Soviet bloc in the postcolonial world. President Harry S. Truman […]
Politics
“Jobs Jobs Jobs!” screams the nuclear lobby
And the media faithfully regurgitates the message. It’s not new, but it is now being spouted with a new exuberance (or desperation?) in Britain: “Hinkley C construction set to create 3,000 new jobs in next […]
Politics
With Elon Musk running the show, what could possibly go wrong?
By now any observer of US politics would have heard of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), and Elon Musk’s role in it. Summarising its intent, it is: “A newly created advisory group headed by the […]
Politics
Cutting the Ghost Budget: Elon Musk versus the Pentagon
The rampaging antics of a querulous, sociopathic tech oligarch as he busies himself identifying which government departments to raid, trim, if not abolish altogether, understandably concerns those in the business of government. And there is much […]
Politics
An Idiot’s Guide To The Australian Election…
There is a series of books which all start with “An Idiot’s Guide To…” It’s always struck me as a little ambiguous because it could mean either a guide FOR idiots OR a guide written […]
Politics
I don’t know…
I have been working for several days now on a long and detailed rebuttal of everything that I most dislike about the current media circus. It will be completed about six weeks after I am […]
Politics
Do you want political eggs for breakfast? : The question so hard to answer
You’ve got to have empathy for our elected party politicians. Life is a challenge for them in managing their roles and let’s face it, love em or loathe them, most work very hard at doing […]
Politics
Trump’s tariff trap
Editorial Donald Trump’s announcement of imposing a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports into the United States is poised to have several direct and indirect effects on Australia. Direct Impact Australian steel and […]
Politics
Monash expert: Why political advertising laws need an overhaul
Monash University A conservative activist group has distributed flyers attacking an independent candidate in Victoria before the start of this year’s federal election campaign to avoid a ban on misleading campaign material once the poll […]
Politics
Down on the Rio Grande
By James Moore Living on the U.S.-Mexico border has long involved suffering. Historically, and especially in Texas, the region has been politically marginalized. There were no great demographic forces to influence elections and voter turnout […]