Book review
This book should be read by anyone who is concerned about the many nasty oligarchs that now influence so much of our lives.
Category Archives: governance
Urban development rubbish
the property industry looks for sympathy
You have to cringe when you see how easily the property lobby take the public for ride with misleading information published as serious article in The Age – being Melbourne main newspaper.
When journalists sane wash
A significant number of commentators have called on the media to stop sane washing bad behaviour of particular politicians and their lackeys. This call went unheeded during the run up to the last US elections and so a gang of self serving mobsters are now in the White House. I would have expected better from the The Atlantic.
Staying sane
podcast programs to assist with sanity
Sometimes it seems that the only sane thing to do given the dangerous state of US politics is to find somewhere to hide and no longer communicate with anyone.
Become a hermit. But…
Does Clive Hamilton value his own backyard?
This piece as originally published in 2022
Looking at the creative political sign in front of the Kingston Glass Workshop in October (now removed), the message was clear.
Continue reading Does Clive Hamilton value his own backyard?
Time to move to Melbourne
At the end of June, I took time out from writing about local urban political matters.
Revisiting Cedric’s Garden
On Saturday 5th November 2022 I wrote an online piece for Canberra City News that received positive feedback from readers as well as directly from friends.
The wonders of signs
is this what we signed up for?
Developers love putting up their signs of things to come that will make life better for future residents.
A day out in Braidwood
Making the time out to visit regionally
Earlier this month we ventured out for the day to meet a friend at Braidwood. She was from the south coast and so Braidwood meant we both travelled just over an hour.
pandemic travel to Adelaide
not so normal travel during the pandemic
We took the opportunity to travel to what seemed like a faraway place – Adelaide.
Rebecca Solnit
Trump and on not being inattentive and indifferent
Rebecca Solnit has written about regimes such as Trump’s do not last forever.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
George Monbiot on the signs of change
George Monbiot writes about the signs for change. Please make it happen.
Richard Denniss
Essay: Dead Right, How Neoliberalism ate itself and what come next
Recommended reading for all of us as we try to work out what the hell happened with democracy and how our governments have ruined this country.
Danger to dogs from the ACT Government
Some issues just do not go away. Dogs that are dangerous or potentially dangerous is such a topic.
Thanks for Flu
Here’s a message from me – and the many others who suffered through the flu recently:
This goes out to those thoughtful people who insisted on going out into public areas when they had the flu.
Midnight Oil
Michael Leunig
George Monbiot
David Marr on equality
trump
Populism
Populism now divides, yet once it united the working class
The words populism and populist have no simple, coherent meaning.
All Liberal – all men
click on the image for the story – and wonder which century these people live in?
post truth & politics & energy
A good article summing up the state of politics, where truth is an option to be discarded.
Inequality
What we can learn about fighting inequality from Australia’s convict past
Analysis shows that while land values per acre rose at 2.2% per annum, land rents fell by 0.3% per annum in the 1800s. Powerhouse Museum/Flickr, CC BY-SA
Being Trumped
They marched to demand Congress DO THEIR JOB and remove the President from The White House. click here
George Monbiot
George Monbiot on Brexit – where to now?
click on the image for this very interesting view on Brexit
Fake Trump
Another laugh – well maybe? click on the image for the truth.
NO is NOT enough
New book by Naomi Klein
this is my second post on this book:
here’s a new review of the book on The Guardian – click here
Continue reading NO is NOT enough
Uber and Defeating Sexism
The story of one woman who demanded to be heard
The Uber CEO is gone – why?
click here for the story in The Guardian and read about Susan Fowler, the person who did not do as advised – to ignore the sexist behaviour around her.
Pauline Hanson on excluding the artistics
Setting the record straight!
Yet again the media has misunderstood what Pauline Hanson said!
Rebecca Solnit on Trump
It’s Time (again)
It is definitely time for all forms of peaceful and concerted actions to adjust our democratic structures to deal with the damage being done by forces that have resulted in Trump and his cronies being where they are.
Noam Chomsky
Neoliberalism Is Destroying Our Democracy
the democracy experiment continues – but will it get beyond the influence of neoliberalism
inflammable clading
Nothing wrong here!
oh how we wish we could believe the Minister and the building industry spokespersons – of course here in Canberra we have the laws in place! But – we all know better than that.
Man of the onions
says it all.. the idiot of Australian politics
NO is NOT enough
New book by Naomi Klein
“This is one attempt to uncover how we got to this surreal political moment. It is also an attempt to predict how, under cover of shocks and crises, it could get a lot worse.
And it’s a plan for how, if we keep our heads, we might just be able to flip the script and arrive at a radically better future.” — From the Introduction
Looking for arts policy
will we ever have an arts minister?
While Australia is a great country – it has been a long time since we have experienced a government that was actually committed to its culture.
Culture Heist
Book Notice: Culture Heist, Judith White
ART VERSUS MONEY: The fight for the soul of a
great public institution
MIT and Climate Change
MIT Speaks for Science & Climate Change
A message from the MIT President in which he reacts to the Trump announcement on how Trump is yet again out of touch with the rest of the world. Yah for our scientists!
George Monbiot
George Monbiot on how dark money is subverting democracy in the UK.
Click on the banner above
Monbiot on Terrorism
Architecture
a note to the ACT Chief Minister
About the architecture along Northbourne Avenue
Architecture
How to waste public money
The saga of the proposed Garden Bridge over the Thames in London has been well covered in the UK press. It is indeed a saga. It is about a folly.
Neoliberalism has run its course
A few stories on this topic – and the world needs more people to identify this and to lead the change away from this nasty ideology.
Inappropriate letterboxes to be replaced
Following the resignation of their highly paid CEO, it seems that our postal services need to recover some of the revenue it has been paying out in the last few years.
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Oh how we wish for more voices to be critical of the current political class and their hangers-on – and I include many journalists as being hangers-on.
Dogs
This post will probably upset a few dog owners. Unfortunately, that is also part of the story – being that whenever you raise the problems you have with dogs, many dog owners (not all) go into denial.
Holy Crime!
Clive Hamilton on Turnbull
being Turnbulled!
Author Clive Hamilton has been engaged in the climate debate for more than 20 years, with books selling worldwide.
The Medicare barn
Medicare was great. Having a universal health care system was the envy of many other countries.
Randy Newman
Randy Newman on PUTIN
Time for some fun – and a new song from Randy Newman…
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Very good article about this event – click on the image
Rebecca Huntley Still Lucky
Book Review
Still Lucky, Rebecca Huntley, 2017. This is a good book. The message is clear – Australians are far more optimistic than we have been led to believe by our governments and the media. This researcher has done the research, travelled the country, talked to loads of people over many years. If you are interested in her reports on her research and comments – this book will give you all that and more.
ACT politicians and planning?
It was several months ago that the suburbs were being infiltrated regularly by ACT politicians trying to get attention – anyone’s attention.
Jonathan Jones
Jonathan asks the question of Barack Obama
How can Barack Obama smile at a time like this? I think he knows something. Click on the image for the story by The Guardian.
MoMA protests Trump
Note to Australian Galleries – how to easily make a statement
click on the image for the story of how art galleries could make a stand against the Trump actions on equity and immigration.
Trump and the Climate
Trump Orchestrates Major Shift on Climate and Environment
click on the image for the story on The Dirt.
Trump and 1984
Trumpland gets even weirder
OMG – is this really 2017 – or 1984. Click on image for the story
Trump and the media
click on the image for the wise words about dealing with Trump
Rebecca Solnit
Click on the image for the Guardian article
Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey‘s new posters
click on the image for the story behind these ‘we the people’ posters
Climate Change, Trump and language
George Monbiot on Trump and the climate
click on banner for the Guardian article by George Monbiot Continue reading Climate Change, Trump and language
The Media
Did Media Literacy Backfire?
click on the image for the article
Cherry-picking the Griffin’s legacy
At the meeting in August 2016 on the government’s proposals to redevelop the West Basin of Lake Burley Griffin, the main line taken by the government was that their proposals were based on the Griffin Legacy.
Ashby Hanson
postnationalism
Australia continues to be Turnbulled – and is being led by dud politicians.
trump
irony on the streets of Mumbai
click on the image for the story
Architecture
Architectural vandalism at Parliament House
They have tried before and have failed–but this time they have got their way.
trump
Jane Fonda on Trump
Michelle Obama
The climate is Turnbulled and now Trumped
Here’s a worrying view on Trump and the efforts to deal with climate change.
The Arts – after Trump
Trump’s win shows how vital the arts and humanities are
Julianne Schultz, Griffith University (This has been reprinted from The Conversation)
Paid work in Australia
First they reduce it, then they lie about it
Click on the image for an article from Independent Australia.
Lies, lies and the NeoCons
There’s so much wrong with the democracy experiment at the moment. But is good that a few journalists are seeing the issues that must be dealt with.
Clive Hamilton on Trump
Trumpism as Whitelash
Clive Hamilton, Charles Sturt University (republished from The Conversation)
( a note from Paul Costigan – Before you read the Clive Hamilton article below from The Conversation– – have a look at the photograph above. It is scary!)
George Monbiot
Neoliberalism: the deep story that lies beneath Donald Trump’s triumph–click on image
Australia’s shame
Leslie Knope writes to America about Trump
Lawyers, files and money–and those responsible for this mess
It took about three hours of argument on Friday 28th October for a decision by the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) on whether certain government planning documents should be released to those making objections to the Government’s agreement to the revised Development Application (DA) for the Dickson supermarket.
Continue reading Lawyers, files and money–and those responsible for this mess
George Monbiot
George Monboit identifies the Trump amongst us all
Sadly our political system has been corrupted. As much as we wish we lived in a democratic country–sadly it is not so.
Stanhope to ALP MPs: Take a stand on asylum seekers
click on the image for a good report on Jon Stanhope’s message to his Labor colleagues. Note the link in the story to the full speech – it is worth reading.
Women in Museums
Being Turnbulled
The Curious Story of Malcolm Turnbull, the Incredible Shrinking Man in the Top Hat
Here’s a book for anyone puzzled by the current loser who is Prime Minister. I am still reading it… click here or on the image. and here’s an article by the author about his dilemma–click here. Review to follow…..
Being Turnbulled
Has Turnbull TRUMPed Abbott
a sad story about how Turnbull and his Murdoch allies are doing their best to Turnbull (stuff up) the country’s advances with renewables. Click on the image above.
George Monbiot & Ewan McLennan
George Monbiot & Ewan McLennan – Breaking the Spell of Loneliness
A collaboration between the writer George Monbiot and musician Ewan McLennan seeking to use music and word to open up the issue of loneliness and bring people together.
American exceptionalism
America is exceptional! Because god says so. America has the right to deal with matters anywhere in the world as it wishes – because America is exceptional.
George Monbiot
on democracy – reality or myth?
click on image for the piece from The Guardian.
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama on Trump
She nailed it. How do we vote for Michelle Obama?
OMG – in the USA today
How far the USA has travelled – down.
Googong or Canberra?
With the debate in Canberra about housing affordability, the ACT Liberals have been using a particular line in their election statements to criticise the current government’s Land Development Agency (LDA) and its handling of land prices.
The creature from our worst nightmare
Image linked from a site by Amy Dickinson – click here
Art and The PM’s Lodge
NGA art on the walls of the PM’s Lodge
Have a look at the photograph above – taken from the Canberra Times.
The Auditor-General, the Chief Minister and pesky chooks
There were moments during the ‘meet the candidates’ forum in Lyneham a fortnight ago when it seemed that something was not right with the Chief Minister, Andrew Barr.
Continue reading The Auditor-General, the Chief Minister and pesky chooks
Women & Trump
click on image for the piece by Anne Summers
Free speech & Courage
click on the image above for the article from Aeon Magazine
Trust your ABC – no longer
A report that signals the ever increasing problems Australians have with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (the ABC) inaccurate reporting on issues.
Quarterly Essay: Trump
Enemy Within: America politics in the time of Trump
This essay by Don Watson, is totally recommended. If you are wondering what is going on with the USA and what is happening to democracy, then read this. It is not necessarily about Trump, but more about Don Watson’s observations of the American people and how they have ended up in this place – it is logical. This is in fact where the USA is today.
Facts Matter
Barbara Streisand on Trump
Good to see people at last calling out Trump on his habitual lies. click here.
New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans
Scientists: Earth Endangered by New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans – click on image for story
The Griffin Legacy?
From the Guardian: Canberra’s vision of the ideal city gets mired in ‘mediocrity’ by Paul Daley
Dealing with right wing nut jobs
It was indeed a sad story to see serious journalists and scientists trying to debate with the latest of the Australia’s right wing nut jobs on TV.
It should be known well by now that there is no use in using the usual polite and logical approaches with such people. It just feeds into their well practised weird ways of arguing or debating.