Journalism and other writing
It is much too late for this US election to be “the most important” of the past century.
That election was 2000. When you look back over the past eight years and see how much the world changed demonstrably for the worse solely due to the incompetence, ignorance, stupidity, greed, mendacity, laziness and ideology of George W. Bush and his administration, it becomes obvious. Continue reading “Majority of the people surely not to be fooled”
Two countries with increasing immigration, Australia and the US, have dealt with accommodating the new people in the past decade in different ways – both with equally poor results.
In the US, financial institutions were allowed to lend people money to buy dwellings even if they had little prospect of repaying. The result has been the financial meltdown. Continue reading “US, Oz housing-finance crises and immigration”
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Biblical quotations quite rightly arouse suspicion. The Bible is hardly science- or evidence-based. Invariably biblical quotes are used by people who want to persuade you of some obviously asinine, apocalyptical or illogical proposition.
But, on this isolated occasion, I cannot resist Matthew’s words: “With what measure ye mete, it shallbe measured to you.” Continue reading “Climate measurement can mislead”
DOUBLE dissolution election is a not likely to be a remedy for the woes of the Rudd Government, despite the mutterings of a least one back-bencher. Continue reading “Double dissoultion no remedy”
One of my third-year journalism students at the University of Canberra asked me this week what future would there be for him in journalism in the light of the announcement by Fairfax media that it would cut 550 jobs in Australia and New Zealand.
The answer is that career prospects in journalism remain fairly good. Everywhere you look you see people consuming media — either reading newspapers, listening to radio, watching television, or browsing the internet. Continue reading “What future for newspapers?”
It is all very well for the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his New Zealand counterpart Helen Clark to assert that the conduct of the interim Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is unacceptable.
It is all very well for them to call for a return to a parliamentary democracy. However, one must ask: What sort of Parliamentary democracy? Continue reading “Return to what sort of democracy in Fiji”
Beware of business people seeking a simpler and fairer tax system. Invariably, they mean a tax system in which they pay less tax. In short, a less fair tax system.
Tax systems are a bit like voting systems. Simplicity does not necessarily go hand in hand with fairness. Fairness often requires complexity. For example, a simple first-past-the-post, single-member electoral system rarely results in an accurate portrayal of the popular will. Continue reading “Labor can lose many votes without losing many seats”
Beware of business people seeking a simpler and fairer tax system. Invariably, they mean a tax system in which they pay less tax. In short, a less fair tax system.
Tax systems are a bit like voting systems. Simplicity does not necessarily go hand in hand with fairness. Fairness often requires complexity. For example, a simple first-past-the-post, single-member electoral system rarely results in an accurate portrayal of the popular will. Continue reading “Complexity not so bad in the tax system”
Should we have by-elections? This week Mark Vaile formally resigned from Parliament creating a need for a by-election in his seat of Lyne.
The by-election will be held on the same day as that of the seat of Mayo vacated by Alexander Downer. They follow the by-election in June in Gippsland caused by the resignation of Peter McGauran. Continue reading “By-elections a waste history shows”