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 »
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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 »
The US is at war, and the dollar is at risk of imminent collapse. Australia’s lobbying of the United States as a good ally should focus on these issues above all else. I am aware that many readers will say oh dear, you must not talk like that. But it’s sensible to discuss the distance Continue reading »
The late Jim Molan will be remembered for many things. Few will remember him for the widespread violence by Coalition troops under Molan’s command during the brutal assault on Fallujah and other Sunni cities during the illegal occupation of Iraq in late 2004. The Australian media continues to fail us badly over its coverage of Continue reading »
The media reaction to the death of Cardinal George Pell is extraordinary. But his contribution to Australian Catholicism is very much a mixed blessing. Australian Catholicism has had its fair share of controversial figures. Melbourne Archbishop Daniel Mannix and Bob Santamaria come to mind immediately. But outstripping them all is Cardinal George Pell, a man Continue reading »