On 11 October President Erdogan of Turkey came out and made a speech offering himself as a mediator in the current conflict. The first step in any mediation process had to be an immediate ceasefire on the part of both sides. It is time for Australia to accept its independent responsibility and to support Erdogan’s Continue reading »
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The Bibi doctrine—his belief that he could control Hamas—compromised Israeli security and has now begat a bloody war. Decades ago I spent three years writing The Samson Option (1991), an exposé of the unstated policy of American presidents going back to Dwight Eisenhower to look the other way as Israel began the process of building Continue reading »
The challenges of engagement when international tensions rise go beyond defence and security considerations. The benefits, however, are vitally important and deserve continued investment. It is essential therefore to consider carefully the terms of engagement – the sometimes conflicting principles that should guide engagement. Senior public servants, past and present, together with eminent scholars, gathered Continue reading »
Rent controls may be off the immediate political agenda, but they are very much an issue for the nearly 30% of voters who rent. As more and more people face deep poverty and homelessness, the ethical imperative for revisiting rent controls is impelling. And yet, the recent negotiations between the government and the Greens revealed Continue reading »
The 12th Palestine Film Festival has been postponed. This is not the time to hold a film festival. It is time to mourn the dead, pay our respects to those suffering and work together to bring an immediate end to the ongoing atrocities against innocent civilians. The continuing crisis in Occupied Palestine is heartbreaking. Our Continue reading »
Last week was China’s “Golden Week”. It is so called because it is the longest holiday of the year, with the period of Spring Festival and the National Day fused into one marathon stint. During this time, millions of Chinese pursue leisure and travel activities throughout the country in trips that amount to hundreds of Continue reading »
He may be the front runner but that hasn’t stopped him from making back room deals to secure it The NY Times lays out Trump’s strategy to ensure that he can’t lose the nomination. Does anyone think he won’t do the same with the general election if he can? Not long after the new chairman of the Republican Party in Hawaii was elected in May, he received a voicemail from none other than Donald J. Trump. “It’s your all-time favorite president,” Mr. Trump told the chairman, Tim Dalhouse. “I just called to congratulate you.” The head of the Kansas G.O.P. received a similar message after he became chairman. The Nebraska chairman had a couple of minutes and a photo arranged with the former president during an Iowa stop. And the chairman of the Nevada Republican Party, Michael McDonald, who had served as a fake elector for Mr. Trump after the 2020 election, was among a group of state party officials who were treated to an hourslong Mar-a-Lago meal in March that ended in ice cream sundaes. Months later, Mr. McDonald’s party in Nevada dramatically transformed the state’s influential early contest.
I have tried to document how the practitioners of the self-proclaimed ‘science of monetary policy’ have gone out of their way to salvage their paradigm—after the inflationary surge of 2021-2023 made it clear that the New Keynesian emperor was not wearing any clothes. All their elaborate tools and instruments, including the output gap, the unemployment […]
2024 is a decade away in political years Dave Wasserman commented last night on the present chaos in D.C.: “What’s so wild about the current political environment is that if the 2024 election were held this November, I believe a) Biden’s numbers are so bad he’d lose to an indicted Trump and b) House Rs are so dysfunctional/out of sorts they would lose the majority.” November 2024 is a decade away in political years. Donald Trump could be appealing convictions by then, be banned from the ballot in a state or two, or be drooling onto his fast food while raging about beating Barack Obama at the polls in November as a regional war burns in the Middle East. Still, Wasserman’s warnings about Biden’s weakness point to some Democratic weaknesses I monitor. How is it Dems are cleaning up in special elections/referendums if their national poll numbers are so bad? Because in the Trump era, Dems are excelling w/ the most civic-minded, highly-engaged voters. Their biggest weakness? Peripheral voters who only show up in presidentials. — Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) October 14, 2023 They skew young, unaffiliated, nonwhite and non-college.
Auto workers secure EV wins, California protects restaurant employees, Vermont brings batteries home, and Biden kills junk fees.
Pretty much says it: As Israel launches its eye-for-an-eye effort to obliterate Hamas for murdering 1,000+ civilians on its soil in a rave of bloodshed — young and old, Israelis and tourists — multiple commentators remind us that killing the idea of Hamas is quite a different thing from killing its leaders. Flattening northern Gaza and killing more even civilians in the process will not accomplish that. And yet no state cannot endure such a threat on its doorstep. Palestinians cannot endure life under tighter and tighter restrictions. Something was going to give. This is it. And yet. Those of us watching, powerless to stop the killing, would do well to heed Nicholas Kristof’s admonition: If we owe a moral responsibility to Israeli children, then we owe the same moral responsibility to Palestinian children. Their lives have equal weight. If you care about human life only in Israel or only in Gaza, then you don’t actually care about human life. CNN reports: What are the chances it will be only foreign nationals allowed to leave? See below.
In honor of the Doctor Who @60: A Musical Celebration concert, we look at how Murray Gold told the Twelfth Doctor's story in three themes.
In today's BCTV Daily Dispatch: Tara Strong, Warrior Nun, Archer, Monarch, Doctor Who, Werewolf by Night, Squid Game, For All Mankind & more!
Hamas has long offered Israel an alibi to avoid abiding by its supposed commitment to Palestinian statehood.
The post Before They Vowed to Annihilate Hamas, Israeli Officials Considered It an Asset appeared first on The Intercept.
Today, October 14, is my birthday. I’m far from home, in Brussels, with my wife on a trip to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday. We had a long, exhausting flight from Montreal, got in yesterday evening, and dragged ourselves out for dinner and got to sleep at a reasonable hour. This morning, coffee and … Continue reading Birthday Inventory 2023
The Hamas surprise attack isn’t history rhyming, it’s a reprise of 1973’s Yom Kippur War — and it doesn’t bode well for Benjamin Netanyahu.
The post A Half-Century Ago, Another Major Intel Failure Saw Israel’s Leader Resign appeared first on The Intercept.
Use to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts. (i.e. no Gaza/Israel stuff.)
Once a “pro-peace” Israel lobby alternative, J Street is pushing a hawkish resolution on Israel that ignores Palestinian civilians.
The post J Street to Democrats: Back Resolution Supporting Gaza War or Lose Endorsement appeared first on The Intercept.
I think we all need one tonight. I know I do. (And a good stiff drink as well.) There are a lot of good things about dogs, and their cuteness and loyalty are two of them. But we’re not the only ones who see all these positives; a sweet little sheep does, too. On October 10, 2023, TikTok user Lunatic Asylum (@lunatic.asylum6) shared a video of a miniature sheep named Kevin, who loves dogs so much he thinks he is one. Take a look! @lunatic.asylum6 kevin thinks he’s a dog #nz #miniaturesheep #lilguy ♬ Funny Song – Funny Song Studio & Sounds Reel @lunatic.asylum6 Kevin the miniature sheep 🐮 #miniaturesheep #happydog ♬ Happy Dog – DJ Moody Kevin is a miniature sheep and he’s the cutest thing. He is small and has fluffy black and white wool, and looks to be the happiest sheep we’ve seen in a long time. But there’s something else that makes this little one stand out–he thinks he’s a dog. In a 30-second video, Kevin’s human shared a good look at his dog-like qualities, starting from the fact that this sheep always looks happy. He runs up to the camera and pauses to give a smile.
In Kenya, a group of conservation scientists confront the cultural tradition of an indigenous tribe.
The post “The Killing of Animals Is a Matter of Pride” appeared first on Nautilus.