Xana Gusmao, the leader of the battle of Timor-Leste from Indonesian occupation spoke out on 6 July, about the welcome decision of the Australian government to stop lawyer Bernard Collaery’s persecution, for acting on behalf of whistleblower witness K. His statement is reproduced below in full.
Britain’s Prime Minister has resigned at last. The writing has been on the wall for Boris Johnson for some time. He leaves behind a history of corrupt behaviour, offering favours to his mates. His repeated disregard for even making a pretence of basic decency over sexual conduct, through habitual lying, and in his callous way of treating those close to him are legendary. His inaction over the Covid pandemic meant Britain suffered more than most other nations. And his own disregard for protective measures, as revealed by the Partygate scandal revealed, was not a good look. Continue reading British political crisis is about more than Boris Johnson→
New South Wales is experiencing its fourth major flooding event in 18 months. Everyone should now see that climate change driven new climate patterns have become the new reality. One would think that Australia would act decisively to be better prepared to meet the challenges that this brings. Continue reading Floods once again show Australia needs much more prevention and climate action→
NATO has stepped up its war on China at this week’s meeting in Madrid. There may not be a plan to invade with guns blazing but there has been a definite ideological tilt towards and aggressive posture. There is talk about challenges and threats. Yet no one has been able to show China poses a military threat. This is the face of the new cold war. Continue reading NATO steps up its ideological and strategic war→
The following by David Smith (The Guardian 26 June 2022), suggests that the decision of the judges of the United States Supreme Court to take away abortion rights is about much more and undermines the notion of what are regarded as democratic intuitions of government. Many Americans feel that these institutions are themselves a problem. David Smith does not deal with this. But it remains that the judges made their decision only hours after ruling favour of the gun lobby, and they have set the ground for the removal of other basic rights. Consequently, the nation faces the prospect of political polarisationand rising unrest.
Richard D Wolf, professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, wrote the following. It was first published by the Pressenza International Press Agency (6 June 2022). Inflation is on the rise and hurting many. Although Wolf’s alternatives to fighting this threat are within the context of the United Sates, they have universal application, and can just as easily be applied to Australia. He says there are many alternatives. He mentions three, to conclude that the fundamental problem behind inflation is the working of the market and that this is under the control of a small group of owners of the economy. His ultimate answer is democratic control of the enterprises. A situation serious enough to seriously consider such alternatives may be the trajectory we are already on.
The 4 July is the day for celebrating the winning of independence in the United States of America. For much of the world it now represents subjugation by what has become a superpower exploiting the world.