Vol 18 No 1

10 January 2008

ENVIRONMENT

Greenhouse mafia's scorching approach to climate change
- John Button
- 09 January 2008
No wonder people hope for arguments which suggest climate change will go away. The discussion about climate change has become increasingly feverish, polemical and downright dishonest. From 13 June 2007.
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AUSTRALIA

Oz politics through the eyes of Tolkien
- Vivienne Kelly
- 09 January 2008
Tim Costello was recently asked whether he thought his brother would ever be Prime Minister. He gave a wry and elegant answer that played with the notion of the difficulty of relinquishing power in the saga of the Lord of the Rings. From 19 September 2007.
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AUSTRALIA

No place for truth in citizenship training school?
- Erasmus
- 09 January 2008
It’s an ordinary day at the Citizenship Traditional School. Citizenship questions are about Australian values – fair go, mateship, correct use of English, etc. Take the questions home and memorise the right answers. From 18 May 2007.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

The pulsating cut and thrust of international Scrabble
- Brian Matthews
- 09 January 2008
1 Comment
What with the Ashes being a let down, the One Day Internationals more interminable than ever and Federer just too bloody good, serious students of TV sport might instead turn their attention to the National Scrabble Masters Tournament. From 27 February 2007.
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AUSTRALIA

What to do about Mugabe
- Peter Roebuck
- 09 January 2008
Everyone must pray for Mugabe's death (though his mother reached three figures). At present the best response is to help those seeking justice and to assist those promoting education, thereby sustaining hope for a better tomorrow. From 2 April 2007.
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ENVIRONMENT

Flying with disability in Second Life
- Margaret Cassidy
- 09 January 2008
2 Comments
The online virtual world Second Life has been subject to bad press focussing on examples of narcissistic and unprincipled behaviour. But paralympian Niels Schuddeboom has found an opportunity to forget his disability and experience life as a walking avatar. From 2 May 2007.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Children's publishing fuelled by nostalgia?
- Hilary Rogers
- 09 January 2008
There’s something very reassuring about the idea that what we loved to read will still appeal to kids now. Choosing a brand of food for our pets is less fraught, unless we were dogs in past lives. From 15 May 2007.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Xenia, the first safety net
- Jaya Savige
- 09 January 2008
How could they intuit the pricelessness of a warm welcome? / benign as Mugabe, market forces the not-so-new religion From 9 August 2007.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Wilberforce film points to task of modern abolitionists
- Tim Kroenert
- 09 January 2008
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Britain. Social justice organisations around the world are using the film Amazing Grace to put a spotlight on the modern trade in human trafficking. From 25 July 2007.
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AUSTRALIA

Politicians should not put people in jail
- Brian Toohey
- 09 January 2008
1 Comment
Terrorism involves the ancient crime of murder. Dr Mohamed Haneef is not charged with murdering anyone, nor involvement in any murder. The ministerial prerogative exercised by Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews should not exist. From 26 July 2007.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Playwrights finger reality missed by politicians
- Richard Flynn
- 09 January 2008
As Australians wait for a Federal election, Hilary Glow’s book is timely evidence that what is wrong with the world is what politicians would have us believe. Contemporary playwrights are wrestling with the issues seen as crucial to the notion of who we really are as Australians in the twenty-first century. From 17 October 2007.
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INTERNATIONAL

Boots on the ground cannot replace faces in a community
- Jack Waterford
- 09 January 2008
Three decades ago, a task force was commissioned by the Commonwealth to tackle a national disaster among Aborigines. Today's is much more problematic, with cops, then with army officers, then some doctors not yet consulted or organised, and no sense of engagement with the service providers on the ground, let alone the objects of the attention. From 27 June 2007.
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AUSTRALIA

A key role for Australia in Burma's democratisation
- Tony Kevin
- 09 January 2008
2 Comments
China's role in Burma is pivotal. Under a Rudd Government, Australia would have the expertise and standing to persuade China that its interests lie in persuading Burma's generals to soften their opposition to democracy. From 18 October 2007.
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RELIGION

Hip-pocket implications of real jobs in remote communities
- Frank Brennan
- 09 January 2008
3 Comments
We are now entering a new phase in Aboriginal policy. It is not just about protecting the children, and the latter phase will challenge taxpayers. Real jobs and real services don't come cheap in remote Australia, regardless of the community's racial identity. From 22 August 2007.
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ENVIRONMENT

Upgrading ourselves towards obsolescence
- James Massola
- 09 January 2008
Modern consumer society is structured so that we are constantly unhappy with what we have. Advertisers make us feel dissatisfied so we keep buying new things, which is good for the economy but bad for the environment. The 'upgrade cycle' pushes us to buy the latest and greatest, whether we need them or not. From 2 April 2007.
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Vol 18 No 1