Reading

The UK’s far-right riots and the potential for conflict with Iran are not isolated events. Greg Stoker analyzes how economic despair and geopolitical tensions are driving unrest and instability both at home and abroad.

The post Far-Right Riots and Middle East War: A Dangerous Connection appeared first on MintPress News.

I keep hearing that we needn’t take Trump and company seriously about this fascist stuff. Really? Maduro is not a right winger. This is not about ideology. It’s about authoritarianism. That’s what he cares about. So when you hear people saying that the “threat to democracy” isn’t worth talking about, keep this in mind.

The Coalition’s junior member, the National party, have come out today demanding that the Albanese Government bring back leaded petrol. ”What sort of weak minded individual is Albo that he has a problem with lead?” Asked the National’s chief agitator... Read More ›

The vice presidential pick attempted to kill a slate of government protections under an obscure federal law — hinting at the GOP’s corporate vision for the next presidency.

What democracy would accept a member of parliament agreeing that it was permissible and acceptable for it’s solders to sexually abuse political prisoners Continue reading »

Spaceship Earth remains a compelling metaphor for our collective reality. Unfortunately, our ship looks as if it may have been made by an inter-galactic branch of Boeing. Continue reading »

I am not surprised by the disappointment felt by people with disability and their advocacy groups concerning what appears to be the Commonwealth Government’s limp-wristed and overly cautious response to the Disability Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. Restraining its response to only 172 of the 222 recommendations of Continue reading »

The appointment of a Special Envoy on Islamophobia by the Albanese Government comes amidst complex political times and strained community relations with Australia’s Muslim leadership. Continue reading »

Pearls and Irritations has been a source of enlightenment since its foundation in 2013. It has progressively increased in importance. What began as an interesting addition to the Australian media landscape has become an irreplaceable source of ideas and distinctive interpretations provided by a large collection of authoritative experts few of whom have access to Continue reading »

I am not part of America, but America has always been a part of me. Like no other country, the mere name carries a special fascination for me, and despite all its contradictions and problems, I have always felt attracted to it. This presidential election, can America leave behind the narrow mindset of the old Continue reading »

I don’t expect that Donald Trump, presidential candidate, or Trump, elected president, gives a toss whether Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton is prime minister of Australia after the next Australian election. That’s assuming that he even knows the names of the major candidates or the parties they represent. Even the name of Scott Morrison has Continue reading »

If it was panic last Friday, the Asahi Shimbun declared when the stock market fell more than 2,200 points, or 5.8 percent. It was double panic by this afternoon (Monday) when the market fell even more, by 3,800 points to the 31,000 mark. Reasons were various. The fall in the US Dow last week had Continue reading »

The trading of Russian FSB assassin Vadim Krasikov for various Russian political prisoners, including US citizen Evan Gershkovitch and a number of Russian dissidents, illustrates the incompetence of US and German leaderships in foreign policy – and reflects the reason that Russia is winning the war in Ukraine! The essence is a failure to understand Continue reading »

Australia has unveiled a new National Interest Framework which integrates security considerations into domestic economic policy, aiming to secure economic resilience and security amidst changing global power structures and increasing geopolitical tensions. But Australia has not yet placed strategic economic diplomacy at the forefront of the framework. Managing Australia’s security environment requires emphasising the importance Continue reading »

Writing stories in the stars is deeply human.

The post The Myths and Lore of the Milky Way appeared first on Nautilus.

Shakespeare! Neither before nor since has there been a man with such mastery of words and humanity. It is the bedrock upon which the foundation of modern literature is comfortably perched. Most importantly, it’s something I fully comprehend, even though I choose not to explain my comprehension at this particular time.

Join me, friend, and you’ll soon be victorious in your journey to embrace Shakespeare. I will guide you with wisdom and understanding. Think of me as your Lady Macbeth.

First off, do not be embarrassed by your initial comprehension level. You are forgiven if you can’t keep up with his characters’ witty quips, of which there are so many that I’m not even able to narrow it down to a single example. But please forgive me if I guffaw at those same quips with reckless enthusiasm. Something that will occur about a second and a half after everyone else starts laughing. This is how I typically laugh after hearing jokes I definitely understand.