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I'm am pleased with the positive response and shares of the "Known Soldier" meme which I posted on ANZAC day, illustrating how public figures seem to care a great deal about war in the abstract (the war memorial) but not the concrete (the returned veteran with PTSD). I am not exactly fond of invasive wars and nor do I find States that declare effectively declare war on their own population to be tolerable either. The two trajectories combined, I suppose, makes one an internationalist on matters of principle, the opposite of the disturbing and clueless comments by Minister of Defence, Peter Dutton and his insistence that we should "prepare for war". This, from a government that has failed miserably on the submarines project, and has absolutely failed on diplomacy and aid when it came to the Solomon Islands.
Appropriately on ANZAC day, I hosted what become a very long brunch of some clever people, including the smartest person I know, one Clinton F. a lecturer in Strategic Studies, from University of NSW-ADFA, Deb S., the founder of East Timor Women's Australia, Anthony L., the Secretary-General of the Pacific-China Friendship Society and Robin M., the national President of the Australia China Friendship Society (who curiously do not have a national website). So you can imagine what that was like. Clinton an expert on defense matters, gave good factual information on why Taiwan will, and indeed, could not be invaded by China ("Don't argue with facts is a personal mantra of my life"), which makes the LNP beating the war drum all the more risible, dishonest, and dangerous.
This is not a "khaki election", it's an election about leadership and economic security. For both wage workers and those on welfare real incomes continue to decline, and rents continue to increase. Our economic system punishes the poor for simply being poor and it's getting worse. It's about time that was changed.
Appropriately on ANZAC day, I hosted what become a very long brunch of some clever people, including the smartest person I know, one Clinton F. a lecturer in Strategic Studies, from University of NSW-ADFA, Deb S., the founder of East Timor Women's Australia, Anthony L., the Secretary-General of the Pacific-China Friendship Society and Robin M., the national President of the Australia China Friendship Society (who curiously do not have a national website). So you can imagine what that was like. Clinton an expert on defense matters, gave good factual information on why Taiwan will, and indeed, could not be invaded by China ("Don't argue with facts is a personal mantra of my life"), which makes the LNP beating the war drum all the more risible, dishonest, and dangerous.
This is not a "khaki election", it's an election about leadership and economic security. For both wage workers and those on welfare real incomes continue to decline, and rents continue to increase. Our economic system punishes the poor for simply being poor and it's getting worse. It's about time that was changed.
