In defence of US drones Stone the crows! Abhoring the arms race is fashionable again. Ever since President Dwight Eisenhower warned against giving the military and their mates in industry too much political clout, opponents of armaments have criticised the US for defending itself - which was not what President Eisenhower was actually alarmed about. [i] [...]
What is desirable is not always affordable or How Ken Henry is wrong about the policy debate STONE the crows! The wonks are whacking back! Last week, Ken Henry complained about the crook quality of the policy debate: “I think it is quite serious. There is an insufficient understanding of the issues that Australia confronts. [...]
Let’s hear it for President Obama on China – But not Hugh White, Paul Keating or Geoff Raby STONE the crows! Realists are falling over each other to explain why we should encourage the Yanks to defer to China. According to Hugh White: As China, the world’s fastest-growing major economy, ascends, America has three choices: [...]
Syrian disaster vindicates Coalition of the Willing’s invasion of Iraq STONE the crows! What would the world do without the UN? Have a chance of stopping the slaughter in Syria, for a start. If there was ever a vindication for the US and its allies ignoring the UN and invading Iraq the current crisis in [...]
THE ACTU – AFTER THE HSU SCANDAL STONE the crows! Why is the ACTU worried about the HSU disgrace? It’s not as if peak union authority is at risk. For anybody who was on Mars last week, an inquiry into the Heath Services Union outlined how officials had not so much drunk from the trough [...]
End of the West Wing/Obama era? Can you bear it… Stone the crows! From the top down, Americans despair of politics and it’s all HBO’s fault! Last week, President Obama lamented that after four years in the White House Washington was unchanged. And if you asked me what is the one thing that has frustrated [...]
Protecting the Productivity Commission STONE the crows! It is easy to understand why Labor wonders whether it needs the Greens – the party has its own in-house enemies of the market economy. On Friday the comrades got stuck into Productivity Commission chief Gary Banks for suggesting greater scrutiny of anti-competitive unions and labour market restrictions.[i] [...]
Labor needs to listen to Martin Ferguson and support jobs “Men and women of the ACTU!” STONE the crows! As if Labor isn’t in enough strife, party hardheads are calling comrades names! On Tuesday last, senior ministers Martin Ferguson and Simon Crean got stuck into union leaders, accusing them of “strangling the resources boom and [...]
Budgets are never too sick for hand-outs to medical researchers STONE the crows! But the feds are fiendish – hiding in plain view all those calls for cash that don’t come from people with strong union connections, based in swinging seats or vast popular support. While people who need appeasing get money, others get the [...]
A TIME TO BORROW TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE Stone the even more than usually confused Crows. Residents of northwest Sydney are getting the long promised rail line – just not the promised one. And it’s all down to the two bad Bs – borrowing and borrowing. In December 2011, the O’Farrell Government released plans for the [...]
