Opinion
Dialogue –
‘I have a dream’ is the American dream
My father was a Greek immigrant who was born into poverty, and survived war, who saw a car for the first time at 13. He was discriminated against in Greece …
Kafe Kosmos, a great local cafe to leave a void as it closes down
After enduring 12 years of my devoted patronage, my local café is closing its doors, as it is being merged into a conglomeration of a soon to be constructed faceless …
Thought of the day on US Congress: Rule of law or rule of man
The US Congress has impeached (for the second time) President Trump for inciting a coup against the state. On trial, he will be faced with criminal charges for sedition; abuse …
How the Spartans would fight COVID-19
A (true) question from antiquity: Why do the Spartans punish with a fine a warrior who loses his helmet or breastplate in combat but punish with death the man who …
Why political parties must have diversity in membership
In September 2009 in the midst of a review of branch stacking in the Labor Party I wrote that: “If the new cultural elite succeed in narrowing the party’s base, …
Trump impeached a second time – but Trumpism will live on
Just a week after the US Capitol was attacked by his supporters, Donald Trump has become the first president of the United States to be impeached twice. But regardless of …
Arnold Schwarzenegger, an immigrant, draws on childhood memories to describe US Capitol riots
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 73 was born in Austria, and drew on memories from his childhood in a video he shared online. He raises the dangers and horrors associated with the political …
How COVID-19 saved the English language… for a while
As I walked wearily last January through the valley of the mangled English language, tripping over every misused and abused word, I wondered how much gobbledegook we would be exposed …
Life –
Ah, memories of 2020. Why it’s important to remember our COVID holidays, good or bad
In Charles Dickens’ famous 1843 ghost story, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come. However, we do not …
NYE festivities and celebrations of yesteryear
It was New Year’s Eve, 1982 and it was a hot, still Melbourne night. Once again, we had got together with our cousins to see in the New Year, this …