A hopefully comic interlude interrogating one of Mr. Brandis’s opinion pieces

Photo by Nicholas Swatz on Pexels.com In a July 9 opinion piece in the Sydney morning Herald, we meet this shouty headline: Left’s identity crisis means Dutton can be a champion for equality. The piece is by the ex Liberal Senator George Brandis; he doesn't disappoint us with opinions we'd never expected from him. Let's … Continue reading A hopefully comic interlude interrogating one of Mr. Brandis’s opinion pieces →

Les voix sont de la même

The omission in the 1901 formulation of the Australian Constitution of INDIGENOUS peoples, and the legacy of the otherness with which FIRST NATIONS people were treated, denied them a place. If they did not count, if they had no VOICE then – we need to fill the VOID. Give them a constitutional VOICE; it's an act of restitution.

Going dry

Seems we never learn... A post on The Historiographer.

Quotables 2

we are essentially a trusting and positive species; Rousseau’s noble savage somehow tricked by time, and civilisation, into something that is not really human – a distrust of our fellow creatures. Bregman would agree with Camus’s character in The Plague - one Dr. Rieux – ‘that there are more things to admire in men than to despise.’

Quotables 1

I've seen a few quotables sites about so I figured I'd add to the boisterous joy of notable others' words, and add a little explanation as to why each one tickles my fancy. This is my first in a series (who knows how long the series will be). Art by Brendan Tunks We've all sat … Continue reading Quotables 1 →

Response to question…

Do you have any collections? Nein. A truly dreadful pun in bad German. Of course I have collections - who doesn't gather things? I've got all but two of Hemingway's books, most of Louis de Berniere's, and Steinbeck's books... and Dylan's music. All of the Beatles' stuff [ a collection which shows my age, and … Continue reading Response to question… →

Community matters

What do you do to be involved in the community? I belong to the local tennis and table tennis clubs and help out with fund raising and clean up days. I play an instrument [not as well as I'd like] in the local community band. I attend many local events, agitate for change where I … Continue reading Community matters →

Compulsory voting is a good thing

Do you vote in political elections? In Australia compulsory voting in federal state and local government elections is mandated. I think this is in general a good thing.

The poor – deserving or not?

I actually challenge the ideological underpinnings of jobseeker - it is not fit for purpose, as you point out, because people do get trapped on it. And they are trapped not because they are lazy or because they don't want to work but because a range of circumstances and systemic issues prohibit their participation in the 'job market'. And yes, there probably are a few - a very few - genuine dole bludgers out there BUT THEY ARE A RARITY. I'd prefer an end to welfare payments and the catalogue of obligations foisted on recipients being replaced by a universal basic [or living] wage. We'd all be better off (after a time)… and yes, the wealthy would need to pay a larger share [endless, if you like] of tax.

On reading ‘Strangers in their own land’ by Arlie Russell Hochschild

Trump spoke – falsely, I’ll say – to these people. That is why they voted for him. Why they would vote for him again in 2024, should he run.