The nationwide anti-immigration marches across Australia are concerning. Under the banner of March for Australia, tens of thousands took to the streets. But this does not mean that they are all Nazis, as some would have it.
To comprehend what is going on, one must see that that the sentiment expressed under the sea of Australian flags, is the result of anger over the state of the economy, the pressure on living standards, and insecurity about the future. Those with power over the Australian economy and political institutions act in the interests of a greedy few at the top. This generates disillusionment with the political system and those who serve it, giving credence to the view that they do not act in the interests of the majority. Continue reading This weekend’s Nazi v anti-Nazi confrontations bring home important lessons→
Who remembers last year when an alliance led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon got the highest votes and was prevented from forming a government. So much for Democracy. And it said a lot about the governments of the United States and the other major European powers who only applauded Emmanuel Macron’s blocking of the election winner from office. This revealed that the notion of western democracy is upheld only so long as the right people win. Continue reading France is heading for a new and more serious political crisis→
All the talk about productivity in the Australian economy and its association with interest rates has left most people none the wiser. The Reserve Bank sets the short-term interest rate, and in doing so, unleashed the new round of the productivity debate, by downgrading its productivity forecast. The assumption here is that in terms of its productivity the Australian economy is going backwards. Official growth is expected to be merely 0.7 percent over the next 2 to 5 years, and this will lead to economic growth of just 0.2 percent after 2027 according to the Reserve Bank. Continue reading Reserve Bank low productivity claims distort the reality→
What the hell happened during the Trump and Puttin meeting in Alaska/ The answer is simple. There was a recognition that Russia is winning in the battlefield, and that the regime in Kyiv and its backers combined, lack the capacity to win the war. The fact that Russia was able to compromise on some secondary demands and secure its primary ones is evidence of this. Continue reading Russia secures an important victory in Alaska→
The Reserve Bank has just cut the interest rate by 0.2 percent. While this might please mortgage holders and others paying oof debt, the question whether and by how much will the banks transfer this to their customers. Regardless of this, the government will not resist the temptation to talk this up as a testament to its good management of the economy. As for the banks. The small ones say they are passing the cut on. The big four have said no such thing. All they have committed to so far is that there will be a cut. They haven’t said by how much. Continue reading The Reserve Bank’s interest cut and the growing indebtedness of Australia→
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has attacked Australia for acting shamefully for moving towards recognising Palestinian Statehood. Ther only shameful part about this is that it took so long. It took more than the admitted 61,000 Gazan’s dead, many of them women and children, and perhaps as many as 40,000, plus Netanyahu’s loud proclamation to totally annex Gaza. Australian public opinion moved this rather than compassion from the Australian leadership. Continue reading Netanyahu’s attacked Australia and deserves a harsh and swift response→
A new financial year has just begun, and this is as good a time as any to consider the state of the Australian economy. The news we are getting from the official numbers is that it is looking good. Why? Because the official interest rate is down. The implication, it is suggested by some commentators, is that the rise in the cost of living is down. Continue reading Australia’s economy is still far from having been fixed→
In the lead up to Anthony Albanese’s trip to China to talk to his counterpart there, Premier Xi Jinping, the China threat to Australia claim raised its ugly head once again. It was lapped up by the usual media hacks. We’ve heard stories about a ship cruising the Indian or Pacific Ocean perhaps veering a little closer to Australia posing a tangible threat. What about the one that the Chinese might send spies into Australia? Then there is the repeating story about the Chinese acting aggressively, when they object to an Australian battleship cruising within sight of their coast in the South China Sea.
Image from AP/ABC: Anthony Albanese’s is meeting with Xi Jinping
The BRICS summit came and went last week in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. Western media aligned with United States economic and political global leadership largely ignored the event. This is despite the participation of the 10 full members (Brazil Russia India China. South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia) and 10 0ther Associate Members (Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam). More than 100 other nations are showing a keen interest, with many of them seeking to join the alliance. Continue reading The BRICS Summit 2025 was incredibly important and will have a lasting impact on the global order→
Official site of the May Day Committee (Malbourne)
