On the anniversary of America’s 9/11 (let’s not forget Chile in 1973), Noam Chomsky tells Democracy Now! that US President Barack Obama wilfully lies about the real role of empire: The other things that he said were not unusual, but nevertheless kind of shocking to anyone not familiar with U.S. political discourse, at least. So…
Inside the mind of a Chinese internet censor
A key theme of my book The Blogging Revolution is China’s extensive web censorship regime. Fast forward to 2013 and this story, via Reuters, offers unique details about the pathological desire to exercise control over citizens: In a modern office building on the outskirts of the Chinese city of Tianjin, rows of censors stare at…
Naomi Klein damns big greens groups as aiding and abetting climate change
One of the finest journalists in the world, and somebody who inspired my new book Profits of Doom, is Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine. She continually challenges mainstream thinking on war, politics and environment. She’s currently working on a film and book about climate change and was interviewed by Earth Island Journal recently:…
What price for real security? Melbourne Writer's Festival on Profits of Doom
Today, on 11 September, ABC1 and ABC Big Ideas… screens the following… (and I discuss my recent book Profits of Doom): Personal, economic, geopolitical security – this is the panel discussion from the… Melbourne Writers Festival. Who gets to make the decisions in these arenas? And why are we so damned anxious and insecure in this continuing period…
US and Western hypocrisy over Syria must be remembered
Great column by John Pilger over the selective outrage: On my wall is the front page of Daily Express of September 5, 1945 and the words: “I write this as a warning to the world.” So began Wilfred Burchett’s report from Hiroshima. It was the scoop of the century. For his lone, perilous journey that…
Voice of Russia interview about Australian election of Tony Abbott
I was interviewed last night by The Voice of Russia about the ascension of Tony Abbott to the Prime Ministership (my previous interview with them was in July on asylum seekers): As Australia conservative leader Tony Abbott has won the national elections by a landslide, bringing an end to a six-year Labor rule, Antony Loewenstein,…
Refugee Art Project resists demonisation of refugees
With the weekend election of Tony Abbott as Prime Minister of Australia, we’re in for even rougher years of treating asylum seekers with cruelty and contempt. The Refugee Art Project challenges this trend, offering a voice and space for refugees to be creative while behind the razor wire. This new film, by Daz Chandler, movingly…
Use and abuse of the Holocaust to defend and support Israel
Interesting and necessary editorial in Haaretz: The flyby over the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp by three Israel Air Force planes 10 years ago was a significant event for the service. The air force’s commander, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, still keeps the flight’s documentation close by in his office. Four air force commanders at different times were…
Australia leads world in allowing private companies to warehouse people
What a record. My book Profits of Doom examines the desire by successive Australian governments to allow private firms to make a killing by locking up far too many individuals. And now this (via The Canberra Times): Australia has a higher proportion of prisoners in privately run jails than any other nation in the world…