A bad year for the church but huge steps forward for the rest of us
The problem with religious people is not in what they choose to believe. It is their insistence that everyone must abide by their beliefs. For […]
Politics
The Politics of Manus Island: Refugees, Responsibilities and Contracts
In what has been a nightmare at Christmas, the plight of refugees relocated to other sites on Manus Island after the closure of the facility […]
I’m dreaming of a Right Christmas.
Raucous, rowdy and sometimes bawdy, Christmas is upon us in a rush of beery bonhomie and sudden, univited, pressing of the flesh or worse, especially […]
When it comes to infrastructure, the Coalition prefer announcables to planning
Much has been written about the dismal failure of the NBN. We are spending $50 billion on an unreliable system that cannot be upgraded. This […]
How MYEFO masks Deception and Ignorance
Scott Morrison’s MYEFO released today and his speech outlining his government’s “achievements” leaves one breathless for its ignorance, its deception and his own arrogance. Morrison’s […]
ABC opts for Murdoch misinformation on MYEFO
For those who may be watching the ABC to get updates on the Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, don’t bother. The first thing I […]
The Catholic influence on our politicians has been to the great detriment of our education system
In light of the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse, the worst offender, the Catholic Church, has immediately hunkered […]
Turnbull’s Yellow Peril 2.0 is the panda in the room.
“The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but, on the contrary, that it was […]
We need to understand entrenched belief
By Ad astra Have you noticed how entrenched belief pervades our political and social life? Of course we have been accustomed to it in religious […]
The Fall of Sam Dastyari: The Allures of Foreign Influence
Gazing at the politics of a vassal state is interesting in one acute, and jarring sense. Voices of presumed independence are often bought; political opinions […]
With rapidly evaporating respect Mr Turnbull, that’s crap
Good poker players learn how to read signs from their opponents about when they are bluffing. For Malcolm Turnbull, one signal is when he says […]
Escaping Reality: Roy Moore and the Rage of Decency
It all seemed to be the rage of decency. Everywhere, moral indignation was on the rise. Since the election of Donald Trump to the White […]
I thought we worked all this out during the Enlightenment!
When President Trump announced that he would acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel he did it to appease the Christians in America. Or, more […]
Train track media narratives
When a political event unfolds, you would expect that each media outlet, and each political journalist might report that event from a different angle. You […]
A double agent in the house? It’s the least of our worries.
Loud hosannas resound in Canberra. Hallelujah. Could it be the joyous news that Harry and Meghan Markle will grace us with their royal presence at […]