My following article appears today in the Guardian: In April 2010, as the war in Afghanistan was raging and US president Barack Obama… “surged” 30,000 more troops… into the country, Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott suggested that under his leadership, a Coalition government would have considered increasing involvement. “The government should explain why it’s apparently right that…
Showing all posts in June 2019
Introductory passages in For God’s Sake
Following great media coverage over the last week for my new book, For God’s Sake, with Jane Caro, Simon Smart and Rachel Woodlock, here’s an extract by me from the introduction. Please buy the book! Birth is a beginning And death a destination. Rabbi Alvin Fine This poem has remained with me since childhood, when…
How much does religion cause violence and war in the world?
This week sees the official launch of a book I’ve co-written, For God’s Sake. Today the Guardian runs extracts from one of its chapters, Doesn’t religion cause most of the conflict in the world?, by all four contributors: Rachel Woodlock (Islam) Religion is powerfully motivating and belligerent humans fight over it. Heck, religion has caused…
Edward Snowden in his own words
As the saga continues, and Ecuador now claims it was a “mistake” to assume the country would help the NSA contractor, the following statement, released via Wikileaks, has appeared: One week ago I left Hong Kong after it became clear that my freedom and safety were under threat for revealing the truth. My continued liberty…
How the vast, privatised intelligence world is permanent
Interesting article in the New York Times that outlines some of the background to NSA contractor Edward Snowden. It casually explains how in a post 9/11 worldc countless private employees have control over a vast network of individual communications. Transparency? As if: Intelligence officials refer to Edward J. Snowden’s job as a… National Security Agency… contractor as…
Only the incredulous believe official narratives over Syria
It’s a rare journalist who travel across Syria and reports honestly about the situation. Past the PR. Beyond the lies told by the government and “rebels”. The Independent’s Patrick Cockburn… (the man has fine form) explains in this essential piece: Every time I come to Syria I am struck by how different the situation is on…