Category Archives: Journalism

The descent into Darkness of the UK and Victoria. Quo Vadis?

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Paul Frijters

[Bottom line: the conflicting forces now being created in the UK and Australia are truly frightening.] The UK government has just announced a nationwide return of one of the most destructive elements of lock downs: mandatory social isolation. Gatherings of … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Coronavirus crisis, Cultural Critique, Democracy, Health, History, Inequality, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Politics - international, Politics - national, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society | 101 Comments

How can the University of Queensland recover from the Drew Pavlou affair?

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Paul Frijters

The management of the University of Queensland, and in particular Peter Hoj and Peter Varghese, stand condemned today by the international media, by both Labor and Liberal politicians, by both left-wing and right-wing Australians, by its own students, and by … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Democracy, Humour, Journalism, Politics - national, Review, Science, Social, Social Policy | 60 Comments

Covid strategies for Australia: herd immunity or quarantine land?

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Paul Frijters

Let’s talk about some of the covid policy options facing Australia in the coming months and years. It seems to me we can either grasp the nettle and accept we will get a wave of highly visible covid-19 deaths before … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronavirus crisis, Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Education, Employment, Health, History, Journalism, Libertarian Musings, Life, Politics - international, Politics - national | 16 Comments

The Drew Pavlou case: business with China versus the American lobby

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Paul Frijters

In a week from now, UQ student leader Drew Pavlou will face an internal hearing at the University of Queensland to decide whether or not he will be expelled for having organised rallies against various pro-China organisations on campus and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Democracy, Indigenous, Inequality, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Politics - national, Print media, Race and indigenous, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Churchill’s children: the rise of the privileged Marketeers in Anglo-Land

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Paul Frijters

For almost a century the royal road to becoming a top politician in Anglo-Land was to study law and/or a bit of economics. In Australia that was the ticket for Keating, Hawke, Gillard, Howard, and Turnbull. In the US, that … Continue reading →

Posted in Geeky Musings, History, Journalism, Law, Life, Political theory, Politics - international, Social Policy, Society | 9 Comments

The Guru recipe

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Paul Frijters

[I just read a self-help book and, like Don Quixote, need to vent…] My 10 rules for becoming a successful guru: Appear popular at the start: humans are just like dogs that follow other dogs. So have a legion of … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Cultural Critique, Ethics, Geeky Musings, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Life, Social, Society, Space, Theatre | 18 Comments

PATRICIA EDGAR. The Circus that has been Government Policy on the ABC for Forty Years

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Nicholas Gruen

Cross-posted from John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations. The ABC has been an extraordinarily resilient organisation. It has withstood management and Board upheavals, survived remorseless budget cuts and harassment. But the current attacks on staff and on its role are as … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Democracy, Films and TV, History, Information, IT and Internet, Journalism, Media | 2 Comments