Capitalism Hasn’t Changed

09/11/2019

I’ve recently started reading The ABC of Anarchism (originally Now and After and What Is Communist Anarchism) by Alexander Berkman, and while a lot of the references made do show the age of the book, published in 1929, there are still many relevant observations and similarities to the modern age. The main one, with its many facets, is that capitalism hasn’t really changed much over the years, other than finding more efficient methods of concentrating even more wealth into fewer hands.

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The Babylon Bee: Satire Done Wrong

30/10/2019

Satire is a brilliant form of comedy that keeps the world bearable. It’s observational humour smacked with parody, mimicry, and no small amount of hyperbole and absurdity. It can often be quite clever and, at times, even confronting or insensitive, joking about topics in a raw and uncensored manner. The best satire relies on a keen understanding of the topic you are satirising, and this is where I think the Babylon Bee, a Christian satire website, fails miserably.

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Hypocrites and Proud: A Response to Andrew Bolt

21/10/2019

You know your article must be the dregs of the dregs when you write for the Opinion section of the Courier Mail, a Murdoch paper that currently has a poster on the wall right before the Captain Cook Bridge to the Brisbane CBD saying “The Courier Mail is against climate action” (or something to that effect). And so you know it’s going to be a fun read when the author of such a piece is Andrew Bolt and topic is climate activists.

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Why Anarchism?

A year ago, I started this website, almost gave up on it immediately, and was pretty sure I didn’t want anyone except a close friend or two to know about it. Now, it’s been a whole year, I’ve obviously kept going with it, and while I hate doing so out of fear of pushing my own writing, I have no real issues telling people about it if the topic is relevant. Recently I was asked a simple question: why anarchism? The answer seems just as simple: it makes sense.

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Israeli Election Offers Little Hope and Much Despair

23/09/2019

You ever just nearly set off an invasion because it looks like you’re going to lose a second election in 5 months and you have corruption charges looming? No? Just the current Prime Minister of Israel? Because that’s what he tried to do, and while a new invasion of Gaza was averted this week, the Israeli election has a lot at stake.

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Climate Unity

22/09/2019

I joined over 30,000 people in Brisbane and millions globally to call for action on the climate emergency that we are rapidly marching towards. Speeches I couldn’t quite hear over the huge crowds, signs, flags, and banners of all sorts, and a clear message to send. One world, one chance, one movement.

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Barnaby Joyce Vs Women’s Choice

25/08/2019

Barnaby Joyce has taken credit for stalling the abortion decriminalisation bill in the NSW upper house. He recently led a rally opposing decriminalisation, spruiking the same “moral high ground” talking points that we’ve seen appear both here and in the US. Only straight white males appear to be able to make choices.

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Quick Quips: So Many Loud Voices, Not Enough Sense

21/08/2019

I will, if I have time, write an actual piece about it later this week, but I read something earlier today and had one of those realisations where you feel like an idiot for not picking up on it much earlier. Moral of the story: read, read a little more, and don’t forget to read. Another perspective, another idea – it all adds up, and you’ll never know everything. Bask in that ignorance and strive to learn more.

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Crackdown on LGBT+ in West Bank, Omar and Tlaib Targeted (Again)

20/08/2019

While I only check Twitter on occasion when posting there, it can offer some interesting points (if you follow the right people and topics). A recurring one is the constant attacks against Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, the latest I’ve seen carrying over from their ban from visiting Israel and Palestine. It’s as though people can’t differentiate between support for a people and support for everything certain groups do.

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Banerji and the Threat to Free Speech

14/08/2019

The High Court has ruled that Michaela Banerji’s sacking from the (then) Department of Immigration and Border Protection – Home Affairs sounds much nicer for the PR – was legitimate. This ruling has (to borrow the frequently used phrase from everywhere) rather chilling effects for democracy and free speech, and also has implications for other areas as well.

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