At the very bottom of a new index ranking 74 countries adhering to the UN Charter is the United States, with Israel being the second from the bottom. Both countries are frequently at odds with the UN multilateral system. The US needs to recognise that the UN system, operating under the UN Charter, is the Continue reading »
politics
The Opposition’s shadow Treasurer (yep, really), Angus Taylor, has proudly told his colleagues that he did a meme about his opponent, Treasurer Jim Chalmers. ”Angus was very proud to successfully post a meme and from the right account as well,”... Read More ›
"Political instability is disrupting Vanuatu’s development and service delivery to our communities across all islands."
After a one week China tour organised by some Chinese entrepreneurs to mark the anniversary of the 1971 pingpong diplomacy which opened China to the outside world, two firm impressions remain. One is the extraordinary pace and dynamism of the economic, and social, progress. The other is the political stagnation, with our guides still clinging Continue reading »
The article titled “’Golden visas’ are known to attract dirty money around the world. Why does Australia still offer them?” by Linton Besser was published on ABC News (31/10/2023). Taken at face value, it appears as another piece of usual media reporting. However, read with an awareness of the scourge of recent mainstream media proclivity Continue reading »
The final count of all votes cast in the New Zealand general election has brought into play a third element in the new government’s coalition negotiations. The outcome is one the National government desperately wanted to avoid. Party leader and Prime Minister elect Christopher Luxon and his team consistently appealed to voters not to support Continue reading »
On October 7, when Hamas prosecuted its unholy massacre it did more than slaughter human victims. It punctured as well Israel’s image as a sophisticatedly-armed, righteous military power that over the years the world has come to share. Israelis’ idea of themselves goes right back to the origins of Zionism, when European Jews could only Continue reading »
In Australia, whistleblowers are feebly protected. They tend to muddy the narrative of perfect institutions, spoil the fun of having illusions, and give the game away. Despite recent amendments to the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth) regarding, for instance, the creation of a National Anti-Corruption Commission, public sector employees remain vulnerable to prosecution. The Continue reading »
Commercial lobbying is a multibillion dollar industry in Australia. A code of conduct which allows our Defence Minister to discuss defence business with a global contracting firm in cabinet, then take a job with that firm nine days after leaving politics, is a code which is corrosive of public trust in democracy. Edited transcript of Continue reading »
Weak Western leaders, certain of their own exceptionalism, have endangered world peace by peddling narratives that justify the unjustifiable. Abuse of the charge of antisemitism silences those calling for an end to the bloodshed, fomenting a callous response to the killing of Palestinians. Irrespective of your political beliefs, the reality is that the worst wars Continue reading »