Chat GPT can’t tell me which nation now has the most government inquiries running. But it says that common law countries – the Five Eyes, basically – tend to set up more of them than most. Australia must be high in the five. From Yes Minister we learned that governments call for inquiries basically to Continue reading »
International Relations
After three years’ pause, the Australia-China High-Level Dialogue held its 7th meeting in Beijing on 7 September. This continues the process of stabilisation in bilateral relations since the Albanese government came to power 16 months ago. A closed-door meeting where no extensive media coverage was possible, it was nonetheless understood that the two sides considered Continue reading »
My talk, like the conflict in Ukraine, is a long and complicated one. It contradicts propaganda that has been very convincing. My talk will offend anyone committed to the official narrative. The way the American media have dealt with the Ukraine war brings to mind a comment by Mark Twain: “The researches of many commentators Continue reading »
Over the weekend, Israel marked Yom Kippur when it is supposed to atone for its collective sins. Yet Israel never thinks to ask for forgiveness from its biggest victims: the Palestinians. These lines are being written in Tel Aviv on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. This time around, the day is Continue reading »
Julian Assange may be only weeks away from being extradited to the US where he will face prosecution under the US Espionage Act that could see him imprisoned for 175 years, even though he is an Australian citizen, not a US citizen! With extradition so near, the campaign to save Assange has reached its highest Continue reading »
Hatred of China is now the single issue that unites Democrats and Republicans. Having a perceived foe helps unite a deeply divided America internally, unless, of course, it becomes a losing cause. This three-part series explores how US narratives on the ‘China threat’ have become entrenched in the West, and why China is not a Continue reading »
Despite the visit, support for Assange's release remains low in the US. If extradited, he could face a sentence of up to 175 years in prison.
As Australia nears its referendum, Karla Grant takes a closer look at Norway’s Voice To Parliament. The next four weeks are monumental in the lead-up to Australia’s referendum, which will ask voters whether an Indigenous Voice to Parliament should be enshrined in the constitution. Representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the ‘Voice’ would be Continue reading »
2025 America won’t be like 1933 Germany and they won’t be wearing brownshirts. But the program of the reactionary forces in America is as radical as that of the interwar fascists. And they have a plan for taking over. The Weimar Republic provides an example of how quickly a determined, organised group can subvert and Continue reading »
The next few weeks could be Ukraine’s last chance to grasp the flower of safety from the nettle of war by negotiating a compromise peace with Russia that would safeguard its future statehood and sovereignty. The strategic failure of Ukraine’s summer counter-offensive signals it is locked into a losing war of attrition with Russia that Continue reading »