Wealthy developed countries worsen the climate and debt crises of poor countries and trample on the rights of their Indigenous peoples. Quiz time Let’s start with a question. What is 60% water in wombats, 75% water in humans and 90% in cows? Poor countries in vicious cycle of climate crises and debt crises ActionAid describes Continue reading »
politics
Australia has several very viable options for not buying AUKUS nuclear submarines. All of them are much cheaper in the medium to short term and vastly cheaper and much less political in the long term. I have written before about alternatives to buying and operating nuclear submarines by Australia. The main disadvantages of nuclear submarines Continue reading »
Last month’s New South Wales election ejected the final mainland Coalition state government from office. As the dust has settled, it isn’t just Chris Minns’ Labor Party which has emerged victorious; public ownership – particularly of Sydney Water – has been resoundingly endorsed by NSW voters. It is now safe to say: privatisation is politically Continue reading »
The ALP seems intent on abandoning progressive policies and turning itself into a competent version of the Coalition. This is not good for them, our collective future, or democracy. It’s not hard to feel cynical about politics, especially the democratic variety. After all, expectations are rightly higher about a system that is considered uniquely capable Continue reading »
Despite all the determined, and well-funded, efforts of Greg Sheridan, his mates at ASPI and in the media to beat the war drums and the legal shenanigans around the role of the Governor General in declaring war, it is by no means inevitable that Australia will go to war against China. There is opposition at Continue reading »
The deficiency of Australia’s Asia literacy — and as a subset, China literacy — has been recognised for decades by successive federal governments. Despite government investments to boost Asia literacy, the result has been dismal. A 2023 report published by the Australian Academy of Humanities highlighted the steady decline in China studies in Australia, especially in universities. Continue reading »
Having worked in all developing countries in East Asia and several in South Asia (World Bank definition), I am very conscious of the value of soft power. Australia is a very small country in all aspects except size and my experience has been that soft power is the best way of expressing our good intentions. Continue reading »
On any measure since the mid 1980’s successive governments both Federal and State have progressively destroyed public education systems. By adopting a neo-liberal ‘rational’ approach to providing education for all we have come to the place where we have: A two-tier education structure that is resulting in a residualised, under resourced public system Overwhelming evidence Continue reading »
Promising to double its “defence” expenditure over the coming five-year period and placing huge orders for US military equipment to help it to do so, the sometime “peace state” of Japan is moving into high gear on militarisation. The transformation is plainest in the case of its Southwestern islands that stretch over 1,300 kms from Continue reading »
Michael Hudson explains how Rome rejected debt forgiveness and nstituted a pro-creditor legal system, which our establishment defends today.