Beenie, the Jamaican DJ just dropped from the Big Day Out, may be a phenomenal talent. But he has, at various times, been openly, flagrantly — almost murderously — homophobic.
Articles by Jeff Sparrow 
Capitalism cage match: Jeff Sparrow
Michael Moore aims his new movie Capitalism: A Love Story simultaneously at the head and the heart. Therein lies its biggest problem, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Asylum seekers: territorial security versus electoral suicide
Kevin Rudd repeatedly denounces traffickers as “the vilest form of people on the planet” but says nothing whatsoever about those governing Sri Lanka — almost as if it’s morally worse to smuggle victims away from atrocities than it is to perpetrate them in the first place.
Golly, the Hun should be black, white and red (faced) all over
A Melbourne toy shop has moved some of its products out of its display windows, and the Herald Sun was on hand to fan one of the oldest beat-ups in the book: “innocent children oppressed by PC killjoys”.
Texas Governor Rick Perry stalls investigation into an innocent man’s execution
In 2004, prison guards carried Todd Willingham into the death chamber, strapped him onto a gurney and injected him with sodium thiopental to paralyse him, pancuronium bromide to collapse his lungs, and potassium chloride to stop his heart. One problem: Willingham was probably innocent.
Book industry has to accept the Kindle: it may be a bumpy ride
Australian publishers may not like it, but e-books are not going away. And with the launch of the Kindle in Australia, the industry’s going to have to adapt.
Sri Lanka and its Manik approach to human rights
In Sri Lanka, an appalling human rights tragedy continues to play out. After the wake of the military defeat of the Tamil Tigers, 250,000 Tamils have been herded into detention.
A bad month on death row
It’s been a bad time for executioners in America in the last month with revelations of a botched execution in Ohio and innocent men dying. But it’s been worse still for inmates.
How the pundits got it oh so wrong on Afghanistan
Given the almost universal recognition that the Afghanistan campaign has become a bloody mess, it’s worth revisiting some of the pundits who initially sold us the war.
Video shatters polite silence in Sri Lanka’s civil war
For the most part, the world discreetly hid its eyes from exactly what took place in Sri Lanka’s civil war. Until last week.
Voting for Afghanistan. Again and again and again
The Election Complaints Commission has already received 1157 allegations of irregularities in Afghanistan. And the allegations are not just coming from disgruntled candidates.
Woodstock: Blame the boomers for not going far enough
The Woodstock anniversary shows once again the power of the 60s social movements. Except, the women’s movement challenged the madonna/whore distinction and we ended up with post-feminism and … Madonna.
Afghanistan: are assassinations the only answer?
When the military draws up its death lists, how does it distinguish between civilian and military targets? Should drug traffickers be put on the assassination list?
ASIO willing to leak to spin the news their way
Why are security agents prepared to break the law to cultivate the media, rather than simply doing their job and letting the headlines take care of themselves?
ACTU bites its tongue, retreats to attic
What trade-off has the ACTU received for biting its tongue about the building industry? So far, just some half hearted words of encouragement about ‘buying Australian’.
Afghanistan: a mess wrapped in a blood-soaked riddle
Pro-war pundits contrast the theocratic rule of the Taliban circa 2000 with an Afghan future that exists only in their imagination, neatly ignoring the real Afghanistan that the war has brought into being, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Terrorism in Indonesia has nothing to do with Afghanistan
Imagine a politician claiming that the best response to a bombing in Indonesia was to invade Afghanistan. We’d think they were perfectly mad.
Honduran coup: take another look at Zelaya’s proposals
Had they come to fruition, the evil schemes of Zelaya (and, for that matter, Chavez) would have resulted in an electoral system rather like Australia’s.
Peter Garrett: fool now or liar then?
As recently as 2006, Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett was still talking up the anti-nuclear movement and urging Australians to oppose new mines. So is he a hypocrite or an idiot?
Honduras gets ugly, time for another US decision
With gunshots and teargas, the military has successfully prevented the plane carrying the elected Honduran leader from landing.
First the neo-cons praise Iran, now they want to bomb them
With the protests in Iran ebbing away, get ready for a change in approach from the neo-cons. Yesterday they sung the praises of the Iranian people. Now they want to bomb them.
Flat-screen TVs, conscription and the Left: dangerous liaisons?
Crikey / Jeff Sparrow / Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Given the Left-liberal orientation of most people attending the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, the Rightward slant of the topics seems distinctly odd.