As another flotilla makes its way to Gaza, to highlight the ongoing and illegal Egyptian and Israeli imposed siege on the Strip, the following statement is released today: Free Gaza Australia rejects the threats by Israel to “take any necessary action” to prevent two boats carrying pro-Palestinian activists, including Australian Michael Coleman, from reaching Gaza.…
Showing all posts tagged Australia
Supporting Overland and indy media
Wonderful independent Australian magazine Overland is currently running its Subscriberthon. I was asked to offer some words of support: Independent media has never been more important. Our world is currently experiencing a necessary crisis in confidence in corporate media, corporate governance and capitalism itself. Relying on corporate media to accurately report on this crisis is…
Noam Chomsky speaks at #OccupySydney, 2 November 2011
Last night, just before Noam Chomsky delivered the 2011 Sydney Peace Prize, he spoke at #OccupySydney. I filmed his short appearance: Some of my photos from the Chomsky visit here and here.
The never-ending march of Serco in Western Australia
So: The State Government has announced the company Serco is its preferred tenderer for services at a new young adults corrective centre. The Corrective Services Minister Terry Redman says the company was chosen to provide services at the facility in Murdoch after an extensive evaluation of its standards. Mr Redman says Serco’s performance will be…
Only fools believe we should stay in Afghanistan
After more than 10 years of Western-led war in Afghanistan, The Guardian’s Jonathan Steele says that it is a conflict that we’ll (thankfully) never win. Take note America, Britain and Australia: Two days after 9/11, I wrote a column in The Guardiansaying that if the U.S. reaction was to put boots on the ground in…
Let’s be clear; Australia has no interest in helping Palestinians end Zionist occupation
Last night’s UNESCO vote, that confirmed Palestine as a full member, showed just how few nations in the world are true client states of America, craven (hello, Australia!) or both: There were 14 “no” votes, 52 abstentions and 107 “yes” votes (there were also 20 Member States absent): No:… Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Lithuania,…
As Chomsky arrives in Sydney, here’s why his voice is so crucial
This year’s winner of the Sydney Peace Prize is soon to dazzle Australian audiences with thoughts so rarely expressed in the mainstream media. Take this:
The Commonwealth needs relevance bypass
John Kampfner is spot on in the Guardian last weekend: The death knell of the Commonwealth has been sounded for as long as there have been summits. By accident rather than design, this anachronistic gathering of 54 states may actually say more about the state of global priorities than the participants realise. And the direction…
Hey haters, Serco is just doing its best to make as much profit from misery as possible
As Serco continues to make money from Australia’s incompetent immigration detention centres, the company comes out swinging, claiming it cares deeply for “these people” (also known as asylum seekers) to Perth’s Sunday Times: Refugee deaths in detention are just part of the migration service business, according to Serco, the company managing Australia’s detention centres. In…
How Australia is creating mental health crisis with Serco’s help
Last week’s ABC TV 4 Corners, on the mental trauma suffered by refugees inside Australia’s immigration detention centre network, was a devastating portrait of dysfunction. We are literally breeding individuals who are going mad, if not worse. Locking people up for sometimes years is both unnecessary and unethical. And who is making money from all…