This week, I was determined to put the Donald Trump phenomena aside for a while, and I will. But I am compelled to comment on a few attendant issues that became evident to me in recent times. Firstly, what we have been seeing as a reaction to Trump, Brexit and other world events makes me […]

Our politicians are in some way representatives of the people, but they are no longer representative of the people. This, I believe is an emerging problem with democracy. My father was a staunch unionist and a dyed in the wool Labor supporter. When I was young he was very good friends with the local Labor […]

I have often written about the tensions we face as human beings, to on the one hand assert our specialness and separateness but on the other hand, because we are social animals, to want to belong. Out of this tension our egos have conspired to manufacture identity politics which is built about the notion that […]

Last week I wrote my essay focussing on climate change and the growth of renewable energy. One of the reasons I did so was that in a previous essay I had decried the impacts of section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act as unduly restricting free speech. Often when we are trying to have serious […]

I had a long career in the Electricity Industry. I was a leading proponent for renewable energy and concerned to be as environmentally responsible as I could. But it seems to me that the debate about these things has often been skewed by those taking idealistic, extreme and sometimes uninformed positions. Let me give you […]

As I have written elsewhere, in this age of political correctness, meaningful communications is mired by an unfortunate asymmetry. Those delivering a message must do so in a very constrained and unemotional way to minimise the likelihood that they will be called out for giving offence. Consequently contentious issues are skirted around and some not […]

Democracy on the Ropes Anyone who was masochistic enough to watch any of the Clinton/Trump debates must be shaking their heads in bewilderment at the state of Western democracy. It is appalling that the world’s most powerful democracy has come to this, forced to make a choice for President between an uninspiring Hillary Clinton, whose […]

As you would have observed from many previous essays, I have had a long time interest in indigenous affairs and in particular the need for Australians to address indigenous disadvantage. Unfortunately we have made few inroads into addressing indigenous disadvantage. The reasons behind this are complex. But basically, although there are many indigenous families now […]

In my little book Augustus Finds Serenity, the sage Takygulpa Rinpoche has been asked to give advice to a religious community. Among other things he tells the assembled throng: Do not take life too seriously. The glue that holds our communities together best is made from shared joy and good humour. Just as we are […]

I thought that old age was supposed to bring us wisdom. But in my case it seems to bring more confusion. I must confess that I am dumbfounded by some of the social trends that I witness. Those of you that have followed my meanderings in my blog essays over the years would be aware […]