Tomorrow, thirty-four years after I nominated a 12% wage equivalent as the appropriate level of compulsory contribution into superannuation, the system finally matures. (more…)
Category: Politics
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Bunker busters shook us all
Iran’s grievance, moral or legal, against Israel and the United States over the bombing of nuclear sites is not assisted by the fact that Israel itself is an outlaw with nuclear bombs produced outside the system. (more…)
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NZ cities are getting hotter: Five things councils can do now to keep us cooler when summer comes
Stand in any car park on a sunny day in February and the heat will radiate through your shoes. At 30°C air temperature, that asphalt hits 50–55°C – hot enough to cause second-degree burns to skin in seconds. (more…)
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Switching from a failed vape and tobacco policy to a successful one
Australia’s health policy in relation to vapes is in disarray. Yet this deeply flawed approach is currently supported by all state, federal and territory governments. (more…)
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AUKUS project has worsened Australia’s ties with China
I have argued elsewhere (Asia Sentinel, 24/5/2025) that five factors could throw the US$245 billion AUKUS deal off balance following the recent decision by Washington to review the deal. (more…)
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Murdoch’s News Corp has moved into the mortgage business. Where are the regulators?
If you want to advertise a house online in Australia, you don’t have many options. Just two companies dominate the market. (more…)
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The obscenity of American preaching
One way to get a robust, comparative fix on how obscene American global preaching about human rights has become is (borrowing a vivid image from Caitlin Johnstone) to imagine what the world might think about a scorching lecture from a Taliban leader on the Western oppression of women and women’s rights. (more…)
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Labor’s Left majority: A defining moment
The May 2025 election delivered something quietly historic. For the first time since the 1970s, the Labor Left faction holds a majority in caucus. (more…)
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Trump 2.0 alienates Southeast Asia’s next generation
US President Donald Trump’s second term has sent the global economy into a tailspin with a torrent of tariffs announced on 2 April. (more…)
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Scrubbing away the bloodstains, tipping out the truth
Lit lovers argue who first said “History is written by the victors”. It’s sharp enough to belong to Churchill, though earlier and longer versions come from politicians in the US and Germany – including fascist Hermann Göring. (more…)
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Message from the editor
As I prepare the lists of articles for publication each day, I am very aware that many of our stories talk of death, destruction and cruelty. (more…)
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A distracted world marches steadily towards catastrophe
As the nations bicker, squabble and fight among themselves, their ultimate disintegration becomes more certain and more imminent with each passing day. (more…)
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Lattouf’s victory, our fight: Standing firm against intimidation
In April 2025, I posted a comment in The Age, sharing how, after 40 years in my Goldstein neighbourhood, I’d never felt unsafe until I was wrongly accused of antisemitism. (more…)
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China is taking Silicon Valley’s market ‘hacks’ to a whole new level
From “blitzscaling” to leveraging network effects, China is using the same methods to dominate supply chain and disrupt markets. (more…)
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South Korea’s democracy in the shadow of the far-right
On 4 April 2025, South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously ruled to remove the impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol, claiming he “violated the constitutional order and posed a serious threat to the Democratic Republic”. (more…)
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OK Boomers not so okay
I was born in 1954, a year after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. That makes me 71. It also makes me a baby Boomer, part of an ageing population, that, like Charles and Camilla, is increasingly seen as both irrelevant and privileged. Not to mention a burden on the public purse. (more…)
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Starvation and profiteering in Gaza (with Francesca Albanese) | The Chris Hedges Report
Francesca Albanese joins Chris Hedges to break down the current starvation campaign in Gaza, and her upcoming report detailing the profiteering corporations capitalising on the erasure of Palestinians. (more…)
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Three blows against Zionism in a single day
A court ruling in Australia, an election result in New York and a military setback for Israel, all coming last week, signalled a serious turn of events for Zionism and its supporters, writes Joe Lauria. (more…)
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Environment: Australia declared climate change ‘rogue actor’
A new “water economics” needed to safeguard supplies of domestic water and make it a common good. Australia’s fossil fuels make it a rich “Climate Wrecker”. Carbon capture technologies fail to deliver. (more…)
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Why Asia-Pacific should be rooting for Iran
Setting aside any thoughts I may have about theocratic rulers (whether they be in Tel Aviv or Tehran), I am personally glad that Iran was able to hold out against the US-Israeli attacks this month. (more…)
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Local power: How councils turn conversations into energy upgrades
When it comes to cutting emissions and lowering power bills, many Australian households won’t be swayed by glossy ads, government policies, or even rebates. What often gets people to take action is a conversation – with a friend, a neighbour, or someone they trust. (more…)
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The generational divide in the West over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: from a culture of loyalty to a culture of justice
A deep analysis of the growing generational divide in the West over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (more…)
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No time to dye: ABC’s China bias is licensed to kill credibility
The ABC has long held a reputation as Australia’s sober, publicly-funded bulwark against tabloid sensationalism – the broadcaster you turn to when you want analysis, not alarmism. (more…)
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RFK Jr slammed for halting US support for global child vaccine program
“Kennedy is either misinformed or lying,” said one critical physician, “but either way, children will die as a result.” (more…)
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Everybody is responsible for social cohesion, from politicians to teenagers on the street
On 3 June, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, issued a joint statement with Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly, announcing the establishment of an Office for Multicultural Affairs within the Home Affairs Department. (more…)
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Zohran Mamdani’s battle against the billionaire class and democratic establishment is just beginning
Noting that corporations, large landlords, developers, and donors “want to keep him out of the mayor’s office”, India Walton urged Zohran Mamdani’s campaign to “stay ahead of the messaging and stay on doors”. (more…)
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Japanese prime minister’s abrupt no-show at NATO summit reveals a strained alliance with the US
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has sent a clear signal to the Trump administration: the Japan–US relationship is in a dire state. (more…)
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China’s partnership with Muslim world is redrawing global landscape
Once seen as unlikely partners, this axis is now grounded in respect, sovereignty and a shared aspiration for a post-Western world order. (more…)
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Australia’s media myopia
Australia’s media establishment has a problem and it’s not just about declining revenues or shrinking newsrooms. It’s about a fundamental failure to understand where we live and what’s at stake in our own neighbourhood. (more…)
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Twisting biblical narratives to suit aggression
You have to hand it to Benjamin Netanyahu; he can tweet a biblical story. But Jesus’ words on forgiveness still stand. (more…)