Following yesterday’s funeral of Cardinal George Pell, I was disturbed to read this from a Sydney Morning Herald letter writer: ‘I went to St Mary’s Cathedral to tie a ribbon on the iron fence for a friend who was raped by a priest when he was seven years old. My ribbons were cut off by Continue reading »
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Opus Dei is a sect. Its spirituality doesn’t free the spirit, but enslaves it. Last Monday’s Four Corners exposé on Sydney’s Opus Dei (OD) schools was disappointing. The programme lacked a broader context. Sure, we learned that according to some ex-students and parents the schools weren’t woke, and that some teachers touted particularly silly assertions Continue reading »
In anticipation of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) it would be advisable to stock up on a numbing agent. While the words used might seem familiar to those whose tongue is English, a close reading of the text will reveal that it is written in late-contemporary American – a form of communication as different from Continue reading »
But truth can set them free. George Pell’s funeral presents a problem for Australia’s Catholic bishops. They will be comfortable gathering to give their colleague his rightful requiem and final dismissal, according to the rights of the church. They will know, however, that as the Catholic community looks on it will be preoccupied by one Continue reading »
Many of the accounts we hear of the current Russia-NATO conflict are deeply flawed. and risk degenerating into pure farce – a crude melodrama, in which an upright, democratic Ukrainian government headed by hero Zelensky is pitted against a corrupt and brutal autocracy led by the deluded ogre, Putin. What is really in question, is Continue reading »
Western powers appear to have no viable strategy to bring the Ukraine war to an end. The best they can do is keep Ukraine on life support. But, as Sun Tzu put it, tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. Imagine if Ukraine had capitulated three days after the Russian invasion commenced in February Continue reading »
As federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers ponders the future of Australia’s Productivity Commission (PC), calls for its reform or even abolition have grown louder. Anyone following the media commentary might have the impression that its recommendations have been steadfastly ignored by government for the last two decades. But it’s arguable that the PC and its predecessor Continue reading »
They span three generations and give their country reason to be enormously proud, writes Rick Sterling. All have depended on freedom of the press, which is now at stake. Australia has produced extraordinary journalists across three generations: Wilfred Burchett (deceased in 1983), John Pilger (passed away December 2023, 84 years old) and Julian Assange (51 Continue reading »
Economic growth has been the holy grail of post-industrial society, but there is now mounting evidence that it needs to be slowed down for the sake of the environment. It is therefore a welcome sign that Mark Diesendorf reiterates the call for ‘Limits to Growth’ which has been voiced since the 1970s – largely to no Continue reading »
Pearls and Irritations needs your financial support to keep improving and growing. With the shortcomings of our mainstream media, the role of P&I is more and more important. In 2022 we had 5,377,189 ‘views’. In the last three years, views have increased by 237%. Subscriptions to the daily and weekly email have reached almost 23,000, Continue reading »