Europe’s fail is good for the WestWhy doesn’t Germany and the EU just bail out Greece? Mainly thanks to a small detail in the German constitution. But it’s good for NATO that the EU is suffering, writes former US ambassador to the UN John R. Bolton.
March, 2010
Forbes: Meet Kevin Rudd: the poor-man’s Obama
Don’t worry, America, says Forbes’ Joel Kotkin: we’re not the only ones with a cocky liberal elitist as head of state — meet Kevin Rudd.
Is it time to get rid of the states?
From the new national curriculum to the federal takeover of public hospitals, Australia’s federal government is taking away more and more power from the states. What next? asks Klaas Woldring.
Breaking the rules, bettering the debate
It seems the debating handbook was thrown out the window yesterday, with neither Rudd, Abbott or adjudicator Chris Uhlmann obeying the normal debate rules. Thank god, says Dennis Shanahan.
How journalists are letting NATO get away with murder
NATO and US forces are committing and covering-up atrocities in Afghanistan, but the embedded journalists there are so dependent on them for access and security, nothing is being reported, reveals war reporter Jeremy Starkey in a blistering attack.
How the SA election can help Rudd win
Yes, it was perhaps a closer election in South Australia on the weekend than the ALP would have liked, but there are two significant lessons to learn for the federal election. Be positive and be careful of the spin, says Chris Kenny.
Who made the worm turn?
Why did the channel Seven and Nine worms vary so dramatically during the health debate yesterday? Possum Comitatus has the inside scoop on just who was sitting in each audience.
US health reform: what does it mean?
Yesterday, President Obama signed the health care reform bill in Washington. But what exactly does the bill entail and is it a crushing defeat for the conservatives? Dr Lesley Russell explains.
A KO win for Kevin?
Daily media wrap: The pundits have declared yesterday’s health slugfest a unanimous victory to Rampaging Rudd. But was it a knock-out, or just another pointless punch-up? And is it time to ground ‘n pound the worm?
The health debate diagnosis: underwhelming
Croakey rounds up what the health commentariat is saying about yesterday’s big health debate between Rudd and Abbott. Looks like an acute case of “unimpressed”.
It pays to be a Goldman
Being related to a Goldman Sachs exec certainly has its perks. Like, the several children of top Goldman execs who are earning US$200,000 plus, although their roles aren’t made clear publicly.
How the iPad will change the world
The iPad isn’t just a really big version of an iPhone — Wired’s latest cover-story heralds it as the future of computing: no more files or peripherals, super-connected and super-fast
North Korea: the theatre restaurant
Slate goes inside “Pyongyang”, Kim Jong-il’s North Korea-themed restaurant chain, with outlets throughout Asia (except in North Korea itself), featuring dog meat, karaoke and performing waitresses.
Book review: Patti Smith’s Just Kids
Patti Smith’s memoir Just Kids is a beautiful song of New York in the late 1960s, wandering the corridors of the Chelsea Hotel with best pal Robert Mapplethorpe, writes Matthia Dempsey.
The health debate: all campaigning, no content
Bernard Keane adjudicates today’s big health care debate at the National Press Club: Rudd easily won the day, and takes home the “best speaker” award, but the loser was anyone looking for some actual substance.
The day Lady Gaga made it into Australian parliament
Last week, NSW Labor MP Greg Donnelly remarked that singers like Beyonce and Lady Gaga are encouraging sexual violence against women with their raunchy attitudes. Um, that’s not quite how rape occurs, writes lauredhel.
Multinationals to tread carefully in Hu’s wake
When the dust settles on Stern Hu’s ‘three day trial’, the business community will take a much dimmer view of both China’s business environment and of the country’s political-economy, writes John lee.
Oz aviation keeps rolling the dice on air safety
The US Federal Aviation Administration audit of airline safety oversight in Australia hasn’t gone smoothly, and could see this country downgraded to the same untrustworthy category as parts of the third world.
SA ALP backgrounders offer case-study in why their party is on the nose
Jay Weatherill won’t win his challenge for Deputy Leader, but he is still the only visible potential successor to Mike Rann, writes Michael Jacobs.
Media briefs: Are TV censors homophobic? … covering war with your iPhone
Are Australian TV censors homophobes for censoring a same-sex romp on Nine’s Go! channel? Gold Coast Bulletin looks more and more like a magazine, the latest thoughts on paywalls and other media snippets.
Business As Usual: Eyes water on global markets … the FT’s faux pas … in awe of iron ore
Rio and China are pals again, world steel production is up almost 25%, a new report on the exposure US banks have to derivatives, and more business briefs from around the world.
Tim Colebatch drinks the house price Kool-Aid
The housing industry has a vested interest in ensuring that the house price myth is perpetuated. Now, respected columnists are joining the party.
The debate behind the non-debate
Today’s debate, in the middle of the day, months away from an election when voters aren’t paying the slightest bit of attention, will have virtually no impact on the Federal election.
Daily Proposition: New comedy, brought to you by underdogs
Comedy never comes from the beautiful and successful people. It’s the ugly, the fat, the underachievers, and the underdogs, which Community and The In-Betweeners, says Dan Barrett.
