One hundred and fifty seven years ago, I spoke to you about a great American nation in prospect. It was to be purchased with the blood of those embroiled in the great civil conflagration playing out at that time. It was perhaps naïve to expect a fair society to emerge from such bitterness. Looking atContinue reading “Abe’s Ghost Checks In”
Category Archives: Bites
Sorry China, Our Bad
China, there’s been a big misunderstanding, it’s not personal you know. Maybe we haven’t been expressing ourselves clearly or showing enough cultural respect? As the Middle Kingdom you may regard Australia as on the periphery of those concentric circles radiating like sound waves from Bejing. Even one of our past Prime Ministers described our positionContinue reading “Sorry China, Our Bad”
Calling Out Normative Corruption
Bernard Keane (Crikey 22 May 2020 “What Lies Beneath Must Be Resurfaced – or the media is not doing its job to expose power and corruption”) gifted journalists the surface scum of partisan policy making from whence they could scoop it up. Corruption has been normalised when crafting policy is a thinly-veiled attempt to shoreContinue reading “Calling Out Normative Corruption”
Postscript: Beyond Day 40
Post-Script to Social Isolation Journal: Afterthoughts following Day 40 I include my short form March records below to see how far we’ve come (records started 16th March, Journal from 22 March). At day 40 I forgot my final helpful advice for Donald Trump’s quest for a COVID-19 cure, to wit, take a dip in aContinue reading “Postscript: Beyond Day 40”
Day 40 Thursday 30th April
Graduated easing starts tomorrow in NSW and in other states and territories. For NSW, two people will be able to visit other people, including children, for social or care reasons. This is due to flattening of the curve. Remember, this shutdown started March 22 when state cases numbered over 500 with nearly 100 new onesContinue reading “Day 40 Thursday 30th April”
Day 39 Wednesday 29th April
Looking again at Michael Bradley’s piece in Crikey referred to yesterday, it occurred to me that, instead of JobKeeper excluding over a million vulnerable workers, this crisis was an opportunity to test a Universal Basic Income with this control group for the six months of lock-down. A universal wage subsidy, Bradley suggests, was too muchContinue reading “Day 39 Wednesday 29th April”
Day 38 Tuesday 28th April
Starting Mayday this weekend we have some easing of lockdown restrictions. In NSW we can begin to visit friends and family. Queensland and Western Australia have announced similar plans to ease social distancing rules but Victoria is digging in. On the negative side of the ledger is that now 20 staff and 34 residents ofContinue reading “Day 38 Tuesday 28th April”
Day 37 Monday 27th April
The newly released COVIDSafe App drew 1.13 million downloads in the first five hours, exceeding expectations, yet concerns remain over privacy and potential scope creep (code for distrust of government). Western Australia and Queensland announced “easings” of public health orders. Easing for NSW backfired with beachgoers not distancing. Now a scandal has broken over aContinue reading “Day 37 Monday 27th April”
Day 36 Sunday 26th April
Most prominent virus news today is the release of the Commonwealth Government’s app for detection and tracing. Medical and political leaders endorsed it and urged us to download it. It will be interesting to see what the take-up rate is. Global death tally has passed 200,000 from over 2.86 million cases. Australia has 83 deathsContinue reading “Day 36 Sunday 26th April”
Day 35 Saturday 25th April
Anzac Day. Lest we forget. Neighbours and their candles in front of homes at dawn. In remembrance. How do we remember and say thanks? What would those who sacrificed their lives have wished for if they had their lives to live? My reflection is that every time we behave badly towards one another we diminishContinue reading “Day 35 Saturday 25th April”
Awesomely Astute 