Come the Revolution – Alex Mitchell
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Roger Corbett puts foot in mouth and breaches Reserve Bank protocol
Fairfax Media chairman Roger Corbett has breached Reserve Bank Board protocol by publicly commenting on party politics, attacking Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and supporting Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. His widely-reported comments created a storm of comment in today’s mainstream media with Mr Rudd saying: “It’s a free country, anyone can what they like.” Up to…
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Murdoch: serial ballot box thief
The question is asked frequently: how much influence does the Murdoch press have on public opinion? Because no accurate statistical research exists, there is no clear answer. The question usually arises in elections whether in Australia, Britain or the US. The Murdoch media goes into over-drive in support of one particular leader and starts to…
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Syria: US poised for yet another atrocity
The savagery and barbarity of US imperialism is once again to be unleashed on the people of the Third World. This time the target is the people of Syria. For two years they have suffered the bloodiest civil war imposed on them by regime-changers – principally the Western powers led by US, Britain and Israel.…
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Murdoch’s war on Labor voters
For Australian voters, the September 7 election comes down to this: “Do you want Kevin Rudd to be in charge of the country or Rupert Murdoch?” That’s the election take of a friend of mine. He, like everybody else, is appalled by the conduct of Murdoch’s vile rags – the Sydney Daily Telegraph, Brisbane Courier-Mail,…
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Elmore Leonard’s 10 tips for writers
Elmore Leonard, who died last week, started out writing westerns, then turned his talents to crime fiction. One of the most popular and prolific writers of our time, he wrote about two dozen novels, most of them bestsellers, such as Glitz, Get Shorty, Freaky Deaky, Kill Shot, Maximum Bob, and Rum Punch. Leonard left some…
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Dr “Ziggy” Switkowski: nuclear power apologist
In the latest news bulletins from Tokyo, contaminated groundwater from the devastated Fukushima nuclear power plant is freely leaking into the Pacific Ocean. The horrendous consequences of the earthquake/tsunami which destroyed the plant in 2011 are mounting with every passing day. Would someone please inform Australia’s leading nuclear energy apologist, “Ziggy” Switkowski? But let’s go…
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Obeid’s gopher heads to Senate
It’s all over bar the shouting – former Eddie Obeid gopher, Sam Dastyari, will be the next ALP senator from NSW. Dastyari, current general secretary of the NSW Labor Party, used to work as a researcher in Obeid’s 10th floor office in the NSW Parliament. As a 24-year-old Young Labor operative he joined Obeid’s staff…
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The political corruption of a Senator’s selection
As widely predicted by Sam Dastyari, general secretary of the NSW Labor Party, the “pea” to take Matt Thistlethwaite’s vacancy in the Senate is going to …. Sam Dastyari. Thistlethwaite has resigned from the Senate to contest Kingsford-Smith in south Sydney which is being vacated by former Education Minister and Julia Gillard supporter Peter Garrett.…
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Jewish intellectual targeted by Greek fascists
A year ago Alex and I sat on the balcony of a modest apartment in Athens talking late into the night with our old friends, Savvas Michael-Matsas and his wife Katerina. The discussion ranged over world politics, philosophy, poetry and history and, as always, we were struck by Savvas’ erudition and passionate interest in all…
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Faction bosses decide Labor candidates
Labor’s newest faction, the pro-American Ruddites, is claiming the mantle of party reformers. But an investigation of the pre-selection in critical seats previously held by Cabinet ministers (and the prime minister) show that powerful factions remain in charge. Trade Minister Craig Emerson (Rankin), Climate Change Minister Greg Combet (Charlton), Education Minister Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith),…
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