The Journal
Politics
-
Dulce et Decorum
Hitstax has always been an experimental group. Story-telling is what counts for us; lyrics come first. Melodies and arrangements are designed to serve the words. This means we don’t have a single musical style. We have…
-
Hating Bill Gates
Bill Gates has been the Emmanuel Goldstein of the anti-vaccination movement for years. But why are so many other people suddenly jumping in? Boy that Bill Gates is an evil dude. Or so you might think…
-
Google, Facebook, and Mainstream Media Madness
I am no fan of either Google or Facebook. Google has a long history of distortion of news and of down-grading results from websites it disagrees with. Facebook does the same, while at the same time…
-
On the Vilification of Prime Minister Scott Morrison
There has always been an unpleasant edge to public discussion of politics. It is much easier to vilify people who see things differently from you, than to engage with them and to see this engagement as…
-
Cardinal Pell. The Appeal.
I have so far refrained from any comment on the outcome of Cardinal Pell’s appeal. To say I was disappointed with the outcome would be an understatement. I have written extensively about this case here: and…
-
Cardinal Pell – The Media and Judiciary’s Disgrace
I have been frustrated by news stories today suggesting that “disgraced” Cardinal George Pell has broken the law by posting material to social media. Firstly, Cardinal Pell is not “disgraced.” It is the media and the…
-
Fear, Faith and Folau
Freedom of speech is an essential characteristic of any successful society. If people are not free to say what they believe, there can be no testing of ideas against each other and against reality. Without that,…
-
Christchurch Terror
It is important to try to understand the mass murder in Christchurch, but it is just too early to make any sound or meaningful assessment. Despite the manifesto, we do not know enough about Tarrant’s background…
-
Cardinal Pell Sentenced
On March 13th, Cardinal George Pell was sentenced to six years jail on charges of child sexual abuse. He will be eligible for parole in three years and eight months. Some people have pounced on comments…
-
Last Word on the Mayo By-election
If you are voting in the by-elections tomorrow, who should you vote for? The key question is: “What do you want Australia to be?” When you have a clear image in your mind of what you…
-
Mayo by-election …
I note with concern the report in today’s Islander in which candidates in the current Mayo by-election are asked “What will you do for us..?” as if this should be the key factor in deciding who…
-
Georgina Downer and the Mayo By-Election
The current by-election in Mayo has been made necesary because Rebekha Sharkie was not entitled to stand or be elected because she was a citizen of another country at the time of her election. That is…
-
Palestinian “Refugees” and the Right of Return
How does anyone have a “right of return” to a place they have never lived, and which their great-grandparents left in order to help destroy?
-
Non-whiny Students Leave the Plantation
Some Hispanic students express the view that their failings are their own fault, and that the way forward is to accept responsibility and work harder. Naturally, academia is appalled. Can’t you see there’s no point in…
-
Who Are the Fascists?
Wikipedia is not always the most reliable of sources, but its definition of fascism is a reasonable starting point for discussion. A fascist is a follower of a political philosophy characterized by authoritarian views, desire for…
