Thursday, January 8, 2009
|
A new form of neo-colonialism is emerging whereby some countries are snapping up vast tracts of agricultural land in developing countries. Environment - Peter Curson - 4 comments
|
Gaza: the only true victims, as it always has been in this conflict, will be the civilians. International - Binoy Kampmark - 8 comments
|
The use of essentialist statements about Islam and Muslims block dialogue and debate. Religion & Spirituality - Nursel Guzeldeniz - 24 comments
|
The political realities make it highly unlikely that Kevin Rudd will touch a compensation scheme for the 'Stolen Generation'. Feature - Ken Parish - 5 comments
|
Why did a Qantas Airbus A330 airliner suddenly dive a couple of hundred metres? Feature - Robert Merkel - 5 comments
|
Religious bodies need to get their act together on the nature of Australian pluralism and its meaning today. Religion & Spirituality - Bruce Kaye - 7 comments
|
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
|
Introducing the 'Best Blog Posts of 2008', an anthology of writing from Australian independent blogs over the past year. Feature - James Farrell
|
Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran have removed all gloves by publicly accusing Egypt's leadership of complicity in Israel's war on Gaza. International - Antoun Issa - 10 comments
|
There's been much discussion about how bad Barack Obama's inspired victory speech made Rudd's speech style (and content) look. Feature - Kerryn Goldsworthy - 9 comments
|
The various NSW state interventions helped poison the well of goodwill for World Youth Day. Feature - Helen Dale - 2 comments
|
In the US, agricultural universities cater for big agribusiness at the expense of fostering democratic, family farming. Education - Evaggelos Vallianatos - 6 comments
|
A debate about a legislative charter of rights is back on the agenda. Law & Liberties - Steven Spadijer - 5 comments
|
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
|
Scarbs has always been my Perth beach of choice. The sand is clean and white and the beaches broad. But it will soon be no more ... Feature - Rolan Stein - 6 comments
|
Bombing Gaza is a testament to international policy failure under which the rights of Palestinians have been systematically trampled. International - Richard Hil - 25 comments
|
A better approach to international law requires a democratic United Nations. International - Mirko Bagaric - 10 comments
|
Last week Barack Obama stayed on the golf course and wouldn't say boo while Palestinians were attacked by the Israelis. International - Greg Barns - 11 comments
|
Kevin Rudd's policies threaten sensitive voting demographics. Economics - John Black - 4 comments
|
The for-profit higher education sector targets either fields of study, modes of delivery or clienteles which the other sectors don’t service. Feature - Andrew Norton - 2 comments
|
Monday, January 5, 2009
|
The UN, by its silence, has endorsed collective punishment - something not to be tolerated for Gazan Arabs - as being perfectly acceptable for West Bank Jews. International - David Singer - 24 comments
|
Where's the academic outrage over the bombing of a university in Gaza? International - Neve Gordon and Jeff Halper - 5 comments
|
The world weather system is chaotic and transitive, and could flip to a completely different pattern that would make human life on this planet impossible. Environment - David Young - 50 comments
|
As Rudd and Gillard have found out, dealing with the Australian Education Union is no easy task. It can be obstructionist and recalcitrant. Education - Malcolm King - 3 comments
|
If mass medication is the way we solve society’s lifestyle influenced health problems, then why stop at fluoride? Health - David Gillespie - 16 comments
|
Afghanistan: increasingly much of the opposition is focused on getting rid of the Western foreigners as much as it is around ideology and religion. International - Bruce Haigh - 11 comments
|
Friday, January 2, 2009
|
We are compromised by the media's distorted view of Israeli politics. International - Antony Loewenstein and Peter Slezak - 97 comments
|
Queensland has too many politicians in executive roles and it's costing the taxpayer. Domestic Politics - Scott Prasser - 7 comments
|
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges the right to science as a human right equal to all others. Science & Technology - Jessica Wyndham - 19 comments
|
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
|
Bush departs Iraq amid controversy much the same way he entered in 2003, but can the US really be blamed for every Iraqi mishap? International - Bashdar Ismaeel - 11 comments
|
The rest of the world fails to appreciate China’s concerns over its own domestic challenges. International - Xu Sitao - 7 comments
|
Israel seems more concerned with electoral politics and restoring its military reputation than stopping the Qassam rockets International - Neve Gordon - 76 comments
|
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
|
Saving time, money and effort should not come at the expense of the bedlam that separates our life from a scripted world of efficiency. Society - Joel Bevin
|
The US and its allies, including Australia, are poised for a make or break year in Afghanistan. International - Sasha Uzunov - 3 comments
|
Workers can build on capitalism and create a new world where the economic crisis is consigned to a museum and war and want becomes a memory. December Feature - John Passant - 27 comments
|
Monday, December 29, 2008
|
Something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. Society - Stephen Hagan - 28 comments
|
If Obama really wants to revamp American foreign policy he must be willing to confront the establishment. International - Sukrit Sabhlok - 10 comments
|
Of the thousands of decisions a couple must make before a wedding, one of the more political ones is what to do about surnames. Society - Nina Funnell - 134 comments
|
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
|
At Christmas we celebrate the birth into the world of a man who is the pure Word of God. Religion & Spirituality - Peter Sellick - 69 comments
|
The potential for electric vehicles has been talked about for decades: now they could finally become feasible. Science & Technology - Jim Motavalli - 14 comments
|
Four years ago this Boxing Day a massive undersea earthquake off Aceh triggered a tsunami. It was a scene from Armageddon. International - Duncan Graham - 19 comments
|
Kevin Rudd wants me to spend my bonus. But this gives me a problem. What am I to spend it on? Nation Building - Kevin Luxford - 35 comments
|
New jargon often doesn’t make sense, even though it infiltrates the modern language. Society - Peter Tapsell - 4 comments
|
Cognitive linguistics - the appropriation of language: truths, fantasies or lies? Society - Chris James - 29 comments
|
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
|
Prejudice flourishes among people who are cold, callous, inflexible, closed-minded and conventional. Society - Nick Haslam - 154 comments
|
It is time for resources and energy minister Martin Ferguson to come clean on his plans for managing the contentious issue of a radioactive waste dump. Indigenous Affairs - Jim Green - 7 comments
|
Western nations, unquestionably, have a greater capacity to embrace new ideas to help people both within and beyond their society. International - Chris Lewis - 4 comments
|
Two recent publications assert that the brutal British and the aggressive Americans are the true villains of WWII. International - Jonathan J. Ariel - 8 comments
|
Mandatory vaccinations for health workers are likely to lead to a greater shortage of nurses. Health - Helen Lobato - 57 comments
|
We need to think outside the box if we want sustainable solutions to the transport problems facing our cities. Nation Building - Roger Kalla - 7 comments
|
Monday, December 22, 2008
|
'Climate scepticism' is a term that has become hijacked in public debate. Environment - Richard Mulgan - 52 comments
|
Any philosophy must take into account life’s ultimate reality, but are the pious guilty of giving life a fairy tale ending? Religion & Spirituality - Michael Viljoen - 45 comments
|
The long-awaited Bradley review of higher education contains two very big ideas ... Education - Steven Schwartz - 12 comments
|
It is doing childhood a disservice if it is assumed that children must be constantly entertained. Media - Valerie Yule - 4 comments
|
A sickening case of heartless opportunism has been a catalyst for change in the vast sprawl of the British welfare system. Society - Peter Saunders - 7 comments
|
Despite some important victories in healthcare the global community has failed to deliver on promises made 30 years ago Health - Peter Curson - 6 comments
|
Friday, December 19, 2008
|
The prophets of the end of capitalism have always been on standby, ready to propagate their economic recipes of more state control, more government, and more regulation. December Feature - Oliver Hartwich - 37 comments
|
Treasury advisers are right to foresee the coming economic blitzkrieg. But their prescriptions for dealing with it are wrong. Economics - Alan Moran - 18 comments
|
If we cannot do anything effective about abusive environments, then why allow people to bring children into them in the first place? Society - Brian Holden - 22 comments
|
Are we better off living in a society where suicide is criminalised or one where people of sound mind can do it as painlessly as possible? Law & Liberties - Brett Walker - 13 comments
|
A coalition is give and take: neither party can have everything its own way, and that has to be understood by both parties. Domestic Politics - Ron Boswell - 14 comments
|
Indian immigrants in the West increasingly view Bangalore as a frontier for opportunity. International - Steve Raymer - 1 comment
|
Thursday, December 18, 2008
|
Open letter to Stephen Smith: All Australians deserve to know the true picture in Iraq and Afghanistan. Domestic Politics - Kellie Tranter - 48 comments
|
The US-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement - SOFA - is an exit strategy which presents a massive shift in the Bush administration’s stance on Iraq. International - Benjamin MacQueen - 3 comments
|
Countries facing unsustainable debt burdens need new and fresh ideas, not new loans. December Feature - Adele Webb - 6 comments
|
Rich with uranium and desperate for control, the Burmese junta may find a nuclear option attractive. International - Bertil Lintner - 6 comments
|
If capitalism has been good, it has been good because we have massaged, monitored and even regulated it. December Feature - Kym Durance - 5 comments
|
Melbourne does not need to become Tokyo but it does need to invest in public transport infrastructure. Nation Building - Stewart Prins - 5 comments
|
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
|
Islamophobia still dominates any debate on Islam and Muslims in Australia, and the terrorist attacks in India are likely to exacerbate this. Society - Nursel Guzeldeniz - 101 comments
|
It was thought that China could weather the financial crisis and be a source of relief to some economies. This position was never sensible. Economics - Derek Scissors - 4 comments
|
Is the University of Melbourne in danger of specialising in nothing more than mediocre undergraduate degrees? Education - Ben Coleridge - 2 comments
|
Do the images of fictional cartoon characters, such as characters from 'The Simpsons', engaging in sex represent a threat to society? Law & Liberties - Greg Barns - 10 comments
|
We need to provide substantial incentives for upgrading the environmental performance of Australia’s households and businesses - today. Environment - Nicholas Gruen - 6 comments
|
There is no sound reason for governmental control of the money supply and it should be abolished. December Feature - Justin Jefferson - 5 comments
|
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
|
A consumption-based emissions policy allows countries to do more at less cost. Environment - Geoff Carmody - 7 comments
|
John Howard’s legacy is the problem facing Malcolm Turnbull’s popularity and Coalition unity. Domestic Politics - Bruce Haigh - 19 comments
|
The White Plan signed at Bretton Fields in 1944 set up the IMF and effectively gave the management of the world economy to the US. December Feature - David Young - 7 comments
|
Twelve months ago Kevin Rudd was seen as a beacon of hope by residents of the Tamar Valley in their dispute with Gunns. Environment - Peter Henning - 3 comments
|
US military assistance to Indonesia should be conditional on progress towards full democratisation and better control of the military. International - John Miller - 2 comments
|
Monday, December 15, 2008
|
Demonising asylum seekers is a tactic of the past. It should be left there. Domestic Politics - Greg Barns - 23 comments
|
The wrap up: two rigged elections, 9-11, the hunt for Osama, Saddam’s WMDs, a pre-emptive strike and the war on terror. International - Reuben Brand - 122 comments
|
How far will Western societies reform if it is at the expense of hard won working conditions or social welfare? December Feature - Chris Lewis - 7 comments
|
The Government's Security Statement is not the detailed document 'security experts' have been waiting for. Domestic Politics - Peter Coates - 2 comments
|
The barbarity in Mumbai represents the ugly face of Islamist terrorism that threatens India, the US and its allies. International - Ashley Tellis - 15 comments
|
There will come a time when a policy problem of such magnitude arises that decisions will have to be made ... Humour & Satire - George Fripley
|
Friday, December 12, 2008
|
An inexperienced Rudd Government will pay for poor preparation and self promotion by rushing in with rhetoric and grand visions before determining the full extent of the crisis. Economics - Arthur Thomas - 38 comments
|
With the abrupt and uninvited introduction of genetically modified (GM) food into our supermarkets and restaurants, many of us are looking more closely at the food we eat. Science & Technology - Greg Revell - 123 comments
|
We're forced to uncover our eyes and see that 21 months spent as an emotionally volatile political junkie creates the same monster as any other drug would. Humour & Satire - Nicholas Wilbur
|
There is nothing more powerful, it seems, than the power of a good idea created by a vivid imagination. Education - Craig Emerson - 37 comments
|
The market system has produced far better lives than we ever had before but we must correct the causes of the financial collapse. December Feature - Wendell Cox - 2 comments
|
If Australia, the G20 and APEC are serious about addressing the financial crisis they need to look beyond their neo-liberal economic text books. December Feature - Adam Wolfenden - 4 comments
|
Thursday, December 11, 2008
|
It is crucial to recognise the severe limitations that afflict our ability to forecast and centrally manage the economy. Economics - Henry Ergas - 16 comments
|
A wisely calculated return to sane global economic management will take time, as well as care, patience and understanding. December Feature - James Cumes - 4 comments
|
The Indian government has labelled Mumbai as India’s '9-11', forgetting the past carnage caused by Indian extremist groups. International - Syed Atiq ul Hassan - 22 comments
|
'Extreme capitalism' is just a meaningless slogan without definition or meaning in formal economics. December Feature - Ben Rees - 3 comments
|
Obama can end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but will he meet the challenge? International - Yinon Cohen and Neve Gordon - 18 comments
|
With Barack Obama and the Democrats in power it is expected relations between the US and Latin America will improve. International - Rodrigo Acuña - 1 comment
|
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
|
We are able to pay bargain-basement prices for our consumer culture because of the torturous conditions of child workers. Law & Liberties - Rosie Williams - 17 comments
|
How far humanity has come, and how far we have to go. International - Sev Ozdowski - 24 comments
|
Now is a good time to examine the corpse of the unregulated market. December Feature - Peter Gilchrist - 40 comments
|
The collapse of ABC Learning - much like the economy that incubated its growth - should not be seen as a total calamity. Society - Cameron Durnsford - 12 comments
|
Some women approach the business of giving birth with less preparation than they would bring to buying a new car. Society - Monica Dux
|
In the 60s and 70s British governments tricked and expelled the population of Diego Garcia and gave it to the US for a military base. International - John Pilger - 4 comments
|
