The past two weeks in US politics have been a constant reminder of the plot of Richard Condon’s The Manchurian Candidate, published in 1959, in which the objective was to install a KGB-controlled agent as the President. Every act emanating from the hand of President Trump so far has resulted in confusion, even chaos, in its implementation. Congress has been ignored or bullied into acquiescence and the Federal Government is virtually incapable … Read more
Like many people, I’m taking a close interest in the current US election, primarily because I dread seeing Donald Trump in the White House again. He represents almost every reprehensible trait a person could have, and they are a threat to US democracy if he gets elected. Kamala Harris, who I’ve been a fan of since she entered Federal politics, has done very well campaigning in the abbreviated time left to her … Read more
For the life of me I cannot see Joe Biden successfully challenging Donald Trump in the US election that will take place in November. His lamentable performance in that first televised debate with Donald Trump will not be forgotten by the media or the Republicans. Consequently, no amount of damage repair will persuade undecided American electors he is capable of governing for another four years as president. The major problem is that … Read more
The latest IPCC report on global warming was released this week. As expected, it showed that we are still not responding quickly enough to slow the onset of catastrophic deterioration to our climate. Australia is the canary in the coalmine. Woman trapped in Toowoomba floods. (takvera.blogspot.com) This week we have seen unprecedented flooding down the east coast. Lives have been lost, tens of thousands of homes are submerged under water, and there’s … Read more
We need a catastrophic event to drive fear into our leaders, led by an angry public demand for action. The pandemic is not it, but the encroaching breakdown of climate integrity could well be. Daily, we see around us the consequences of our failure to act, and still our leaders refuse to face up to the crisis, preferring instead to make “commitments” that lack real substance. I was born in ’41 in … Read more
If ever a song encapsulated the exploitation of patriotism and the horror of war it is Eric Bogle’s: And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda. My dad fought in the 14-18 war. He was invalided out after being wounded. He was lucky, as he completely recovered. Others of course didn’t fare so well, as I discovered when I started work. Being severely traumatised, they were treated with circumspection by their workmates. Even non-combatants … Read more
Watching Trump’s refusal to concede the presidency reminds me of the final lines of TS Eliot’s appropriately named poem, The Hollow Men: “This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper.” Substitute “presidency” for “world”, and that is how I expect him to finally leave the White House. However, there are some who believe he will need to be dragged from the White House on Inauguration … Read more
“Our political system has the outward appearance of democracy, but it is largely controlled by undemocratic forces. We find ourselves on the wrong side of the portcullis, watching helplessly as crucial decisions are taken about us, without us. If there’s one thing the coronavirus fiascos show, it’s the need for radical change.” This article by George Monbiot is about the UK political system, but there are obvious parallels with the Australian system, … Read more
In mid-July we will learn who will run against Donald Trump. On current indications, it looks as if it will be Joe Biden. I bet Trump is hoping so. I’m not a fan. He’s too close to the corporate elite, and has a chequered history on women’s rights (voted against Roe v. Wade, for example) as well as supporting cuts to Medicare and social security. As Sanders said yesterday, his presidency would … Read more
I cannot describe my feelings on this while I’m living through the worst bushfire season we’ve ever had, with 1000 homes already destroyed, but the influence of the coal lobby in preventing action to ameliorate the adverse effects of global warming can only be described as criminal. Please watch the video (15 minutes) to understand the severity of this issue. Dirty Power: Big Coal’s network of influence over the coalition government … Read more