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The crisis of the 2021 Samoan election
Last month’s election in the small Pacific Island nation and the constitutional crisis that continues into this week has me asking: Was Samoa ever a democracy? By any intuitive account, yes. It has free elections for a parliament from which ministers are appointed and a head of state is elected, and the Samoan constitution grants […]
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A note on self-defence
The phrase “Israel has the right to defend itself” is said almost-reflexively in response to every single Israeli airstrike on Gaza. Of course, few here in the West would challenge this notion (and I certainly don’t seek to). Instead, I argue that the term self-defence has been erroneously deployed in this instance. The airstrikes, largely […]
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The link tax is a terrible idea
So, you’re telling me that a bill that provides no incentive for Facebook to cooperate disincentivised them from cooperating? And we’re supposed to be mad at Facebook!?
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Banning Trump putschists from Twitter is not “censorship”
Last week, Donald Trump incited a riot at the US Capitol building with the intent of overturning the result of the election he undoubtedly lost. In response, the major social media networks and platform holders banned Mr Trump and perhaps millions of his supporters on the grounds that it had become clear that Trump et al. would defend the indefensible and possibly incite more violence.
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Liberals and homophobia: reflections on the ACT campaign so far
The Liberal-National coalition is the only major Australian party that seems to openly invite homophobes into their ranks. They do not nearly enough to openly condemn homophobia among their members and supporters and even have homophobes in public office.
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Transphobe Kirralie Smith endorses conversion torture in bizarre ACT election blackmail campaign
Kirralie Smith is an outrage merchant who peddles conspiracy theories about people who are either from non-white or non-straight backgrounds for attention.
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You can break the law. Just don’t break my rules.
On Sunday, Bridget McKenzie finally resigned from the ministry, but not for stealing $100 million dollars of Sports Australia’s money to run a re-election slush fund. It was a technicality: her membership of a clay target shooting club to whom she gave a grant constituted an conflict of interest in breach of the ministerial code.
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“Mistakes” not an excuse for wage theft
Whenever an incident of wage theft is publicised, we always hear the business lobby screech that the union movement’s proposed criminalisation of wage theft will “discourage entrepreneurship” or some other nonse argument. Of course, this ignores that businesses are required to exercise due diligence when doing basically any other transaction – so why not wages?
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The Xbox One’s television gimmick was unfairly dismissed.
Back at E3 2013, everyone pooh-poohed the Xbox One. Perhaps it was the TV, TV, TV, TV, sports, sports, television, television, TV, sports.
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Abbott calls for “special courts” for returning jihadists
Terror needs to be dealt with. With the presumption of innocence intact.