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.
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…
Rebecca Solnit has written about regimes such as Trump’s do not last forever.
George Monbiot writes about the signs for change. Please make it happen.
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.
The words populism and populist have no simple, coherent meaning.
click on the image for the story – and wonder which century these people live in?
A good article summing up the state of politics, where truth is an option to be discarded.
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
They marched to demand Congress DO THEIR JOB and remove the President from The White House. click here
Another laugh – well maybe? click on the image for the truth.
New book by Naomi Kleinthis is my second post on this book:
here’s a new review of the book on The Guardian – click here
Yet again the media has misunderstood what Pauline Hanson said!
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.
the democracy experiment continues – but will it get beyond the influence of neoliberalism
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.
says it all.. the idiot of Australian politics
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
George Monbiot on how dark money is subverting democracy in the UK.
Click on the banner above
About the architecture along Northbourne Avenue
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.
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.
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.
Author Clive Hamilton has been engaged in the climate debate for more than 20 years, with books selling worldwide.
Medicare was great. Having a universal health care system was the envy of many other countries.
Time for some fun – and a new song from Randy Newman…
Very good article about this event – click on the image
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.
OMG – is this really 2017 – or 1984. Click on image for the story
click on the image for the wise words about dealing with Trump
click on the image for the story behind these ‘we the people’ posters
click on the image for the article
Australia continues to be Turnbulled – and is being led by dud politicians.
click on the image for the story
They have tried before and have failed–but this time they have got their way.
Here’s a worrying view on Trump and the efforts to deal with climate change.
Click on the image for an article from Independent Australia.
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, 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!)
Neoliberalism: the deep story that lies beneath Donald Trump’s triumph–click on image
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
Sadly our political system has been corrupted. As much as we wish we lived in a democratic country–sadly it is not so.
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.
The Curious Story of Malcolm Turnbull, the Incredible Shrinking Man in the Top HatHere’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…..
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.
click on image for the piece from The Guardian.
She nailed it. How do we vote for Michelle Obama?
How far the USA has travelled – down.
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.
Image linked from a site by Amy Dickinson – click here
Have a look at the photograph above – taken from the Canberra Times.
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
click on image for the piece by Anne Summers
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.
Good to see people at last calling out Trump on his habitual lies. click here.
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.
click on the image for some more wise words from Kristina
From The Guardian UK – a piece about ageism – and how it effects women – and men. click here
Click on the image to read about the worst of Boris
Following weeks (or was that months) of questions over land dealings and major developments, and now audits being announced into departmental processes, the Chief Minister has gone on the front foot and announced an idea to change his government’s methods of consulting on ‘Urban Redevelopment’.
Keeping a perspective on the movements of the far right in Australia.
click here for the story – by Michael Moore on Trump’s strategy
Another insightful piece from John Menadue – this time about: Privatisation is costing consumers and damaging economic reform. Click here.
When about 250 citizens venture out on a cold night to hear about plans for the foreshores of West Basin one would expect that they would be taken seriously.
The Judgement of HistoryHere’s George Monbiot’s piece on the crimes committed by the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ and the UK Chilcot Report. click here
George has offered a positive take on the Brexit vote. He has published his thoughts on seeing the opportunities despite the nastiness of those who championed the exit vote. Click here.
George Monbiot and the UK Brexit from the EUI cannot say that I understand what the UK lobby for the exit from the EU is all about. Nor can I say which option is the better. Sadly George Monbiot has clarified this with his usual precise summation of a dreadful situation.
More on the Australia’s contribution to the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale
Australia’s shame and pointless crueltyMore from Michael Moore on the topic that should be the top of the list of issues for the coming elections – click here.
click on the photo above to learn more about Turnbull – FIZZA.
“You light him up, there’s a bit of a fizz, but then nothing… nothing.”
there’s more…
There is a now a long list of candidates announced for the 2016 ACT Government election.
Continue reading Politicians fly too close to the sun
click on the image for the story about Turnbull and the arts – and then
In so many ways Australia was being Turnbulled by Malcolm Turnbull.
Now he and his treasurer have struck out against women – when will this stop? Click here for the story about the budget.
This is the on-going sad story about how Australia has a federal government, led by a Top Hat prime minister, who has now adopted the postion of the climate sceptics. Here’s an article that talks about the latest – with the ACT Government out in front and the federal government continuing to Turnbull the country. click here.
Here’s a good read by George Monbiot – Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems. Think John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. Click here.
The government’s response to the Top Hat bankers’ rampage through the economy is yet another case of smoke and mirrors. This is in effect putting the Top Hats in charge of the regulator and at the same time pretending to fund ASIC. Turnbull and his crew are Top Hats looking after their Top Hat mates.
There are many things about the current ACT Government that are causing concerns, to me and local residents I meet with often – and I think most of us voted for them.
Australia continues with inhumane treatment of people who were legal refugees.
click on image for the story from Independent Australia
George Monbiot on the UK Government’s refusal deal with floods. click on photo
Waiting for this one – a book about one of the weirdest periods of Australian politics. From the publishers:
Credlin & Co. How the Abbott Government Destroyed Itself by Aaron Patrick. Tony Abbott and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin, ran a brilliant opposition campaign. But their approach led to disaster in government.
There is talk in the art world about the National Gallery of Australia’s (NGA) changes to their permanent collection galleries and how this has included the movement of the famous Jackson Pollock painting, Blue Poles, from its long historic position downstairs to the upstairs galleries.
How we forgot how to govern, Laura Tingle, November 2015
This is a recommended read for those with any sort of interest in how Australia has been and continues to be manged by the political ruling classes for the last couple of decades. I cannot say that anything Laura Tingle wrote about was shocking news, given my own experiences of dealing with governments and their bureaucracies, but her insights and observations are definitely worth the read.
If you happen to be driving past the South African Embassy in Canberra, you may notice a lonely and disused sentry box on the corner near the entrance to the embassy and its residence.
There are so many stories to be told around the installation of the memorial to the 353 people who drowned while attempting the journey to Christmas Island on 19th October 2001.
Some good thoughts on the current tax debate – click here.
The interviews on the ABC program Kitchen Cabinet are in some cases simply soft propaganda for particular politicians.
I remain totally unconvinced about the leadership of Malcolm Turnbull. I agree that the country is far far better off now that Abbott is no longer out there trying to terrify everyone.
I often wondered whether Abbott was not quite sane – and more recent events have done nothing to dispel this thought.
Credlin & Co.