politics

Created
Tue, 04/07/2023 - 04:50
‘Weaponise’ is the word de jour in America. Aside from the crude partisan employment of the term by Trump and other American politicians, it has subtly found its way into mainstream publications.  Such loaded terms corrupt analysis by imposing implicit judgements that obviate the need for serious thought. Once condemned for weaponising, it cannot then Continue reading »
Created
Tue, 04/07/2023 - 04:53
As the National Anti-Corruption Commission is opening for business, some ministers tend to believe that the mere fact of winning government gives them an unlimited licence to distribute public loot to their friends, constituents and major donors. The silence and complicity of senior public servants in response to such misgovernment is one of the great Continue reading »
Created
Tue, 04/07/2023 - 04:55
Before he left for a brief trip to Sydney, Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo took a stab at reconciliation. It’s unlikely to succeed. It’s a truism of politics: Leaders whose time is up sometimes get an itch to tidy up wrongs unmentioned when pitching for power. The Indonesian Constitution restricts presidents to two five-year terms. Continue reading »
Created
Tue, 04/07/2023 - 04:55
Australia should do all it can to foster a long-term, peaceful resolution of the acute, multi-decade dispute spanning the Taiwan Strait. But Chey and Keating are unmistakeably correct on this issue: Australia should never become involved in any war over Taiwan. The former senior Australian diplomat, Jocelyn Chey, concluded a recent open letter to the Continue reading »
Created
Mon, 03/07/2023 - 04:50
Blinken’s trip was followed by Biden’s insults, the promising Bali summit was followed by further China containment measures. Clearly, Washington has yet to show Beijing it is sincere in its efforts. Every Chinese is taught from a young age, through the country’s history and culture, to be a person of integrity, to walk the talk, Continue reading »