The U.S. President is no shrinking violet. Nor does he move slowly. After less than two years in office, Donald Trump has turned the United States – and quite possibly the world – on its head. All the old economic verities are being set aside. And, as if that were not…
A private member’s bill introduced into Federal Parliament by NSW Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm (pictured below) to legalise the possession for personal use of cannabis is now under consideration by a federal parliamentary inquiry. Cannabis (marijuana) is the most widely used illicit drug in Australia. Senator Leyonhjelm is a radical free-market advocate who believes that restrictions on drug use should be removed as a matter of principle. In May, he introduced the Criminal Code and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Commonwealth Restrictions on Cannabis) Bill 2018. He said: “Adults should be free to make their own choices, as long as…
THE AUSTRALIAN CENTURY by Asher Judah Connor Court, Redland Bay Paperback: 290 pages Price: AUD$29.95 Reviewed by John Barich This well-researched book is quite strange in so far as it gives its thesis and conclusion right at the beginning: “the time has come for the Australian Century”. The rest of the book analyses our geo-political situation and proposes a reform agenda to achieve the “Australian Century” modelled on the success of the British Empire and U.S. exceptionalism. Judah says Australia could do the same. Should one follow the author’s schema and give the assessment of his thesis at the beginning…
My last article in News Weekly was intended as a wake-up call about what was happening before our eyes in China. Effectively, what we have before us is a government, committed to communism, indifferent to Western values and maneuvering itself into the position of the most powerful economic and (perhaps) political force on the planet. Yes, I thought so too. But, no, it is the World Trade Organisation’s headquarters in Geneva. As far as can be determined the overall Western response to this development is either to pretend it will somehow go away or, frantically, to agonise over what might…
Oh, it’s a snug little island A right little, tight little island Search the globe, none can be found So happy as this little island Charles Diblin 1745-1814 Observers who expressed shock and dismay when the English voted for Brexit, that is, to exit the European Union and go it alone, did not take account of the…
Indonesia is one of the few nations in the world where it is compulsory to have a religion. Your religion is printed on your identity card, which is essential to do anything from getting a driver’s licence to getting married. Six religions are recognised: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism. What about other religions?…
