(You have no rights, only privileges conferred by society) The problem with the demands for “rights” and “freedoms” by the anti-vax, anti-lockdown, mask-free movement is that those demands are based on a mythology perpetrated by groups such as the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA). That mythology is itself based on US ideological concepts of individual... Continue Reading →
Environmental Anecdotes (Episode 5). The Franklin: One Chair Down
The chair lay smashed in tiny pieces on the floor. I'm not certain how many times I had smashed it against the filing cabinet. It was the cabinet in which we kept the Pedder files (on Lake Pedder). Fortunately this was before the age of the church's descent in to child abuse infamy since, if you referred, today, to the location in which you kept your Pedder files many would look at you askance. Then no-one blinked. My memory is that I wielded the chair twice, with considerable force, but others, no doubt motivated by their concern for my welfare, say it was more - all no doubt to demonstrate my undoubted virility. Five or six times, they say. Oh, yes you were really angry. Well justified! And it was a well made chair!
Facing Facts – You cannot be a Green and/or an environmentalist, and at the same time support capitalism
If you accept the basic premises of the definitions of capitalism and environmentalism, ergo you cannot be both an environmentalist and support capitalism. If you are a Green you cannot support capitalism in its current form and, I would argue, at all.
Why neither Richard Di Natale nor Left Renewal speak for me
Neither Richard Di Natale nor “Left Renewal†Speak for me.... Or many people in the Greens. The media has been full these last several weeks with stories about division in the Greens following the establishment of a faction called “Left Renewal†which claims to be about defending/renewing the left soul of the party. Scribes from... Continue Reading →
The Failure of Representative Politics
Repudiating Representative Politics Replacing career politicians with citizen politicians If you start with the assumption that the worst possible person to whom one should give power is someone who is narcissistic, ambitious, arrogant and self-interested, and one would almost automatically disqualify from political office every single person who puts their hand up to be... Continue Reading →
The Self-Delusion at the Heart of the NSW Greens
Recently Bob Brown gave an interview in which he called for 'renewal' in the NSW Greens. In that interview he stated that, inter alia, the Greens were being "held back by the old guard", that the Greens voters "deserved better" and that Lee Rhiannon should stand down. He indicated that voters had told him that... Continue Reading →
The Generosity of Strangers in Strange Lands
It's clear that Australians whose daily out outpouring of bile against Muslims, refugees and strangers, in general, have never experienced the generosity, warmth and welcome of strangers in strange lands. Had they done so it is hard to believe that they would behave towards people with different values, skin colours and religions as they have... Continue Reading →
Episode 5 – The Greens – Committee Central
Warning: This post was previously password protected. It has now been made public since it now has limited, if any, relevance to the internal workings of the NSW Greens. A significant number of the issues raised here have now been wholly or partially addressed or are in the process of being addressed As I originally... Continue Reading →
What the Greens need to do next…
The Greens – Will They Miss Their Own Wave? There are some lessons that are as applicable to politics, as to surfing. Sometimes you only get one moment to catch a wave before the last swell fades. For the Greens that moment is now. But they need to organise better and differently or they miss... Continue Reading →
Politicians: arrogant, entitled, leaners and how to fix them.
Australia doesn't have a problem with politics, it has a problem with politicians. Most people say they hate politics and are disillusioned with politics. Scratch a little deeper and you will find in fact that it's the politicians themselves with whom the public are disillusioned. We have a politician problem not a politics problem. Consider... Continue Reading →