Australia is leading the world in commemorative spending for World War 1 with $8889 allocated for each digger killed in the Great War compared to just $109 per British casualty and a mere $2 for each dead German soldier.

from Crikey

from Crikey

Australia’s isolation from its western (white) allies has bestowed on the Australian people a deep insecurity that long ago metastasised into a permanent siege mentality - the belief that “uncivilised” hordes from the Asian continent will invade, conquer, and colonise the Australian mainland the same way the British usurped indigenous Australians 227 years ago.

A brilliant demonstration of hundreds of protesters in Melbourne, organised in a hour or so against the launch of Operation Fortitude, the Australian Border Force and Victoria Police drive to check people’s visas, has stopped both the launch and, for now, the campaign.

Not so long ago it was the white man’s burden to civilise the world by killing hundreds of millions, stealing their land and resources and sending many into slavery.

Two major media outlets are hosting a "Reform Summit". It's an empty gesture from a political elite that no longer commands the loyalties of voters, writes Ben Eltham.

There’s no emptier word in contemporary politics than “reform”. The word is used so often and so loosely that it scarcely means anything at all.

Even for the Abbott government the inconsistencies in the latest “war on environmental vigilantes and saboteurs” are astonishing. And the slapstick nature of its attempt to use the issue as a political wedge is up there with Laurel and Hardy.

“It is fundamental to the administration of justice that the judge be neutral. It is for this reason that the appearance of departure from neutrality is a ground of disqualification … because the rule is concerned with the appearance of bias, and not the actuality, it is the perception of the hypothetical observer that provides the yardstick.”

High Court Judge Dyson Heydon

Open Court and the problem with suppression orders

When it comes to big, brassy flourishes about the inherent nobility, fairness and majesty of their function in life, there are few more superlative at the task than lawyers and judges.

A partially-declassified DIA report brings disturbing details about US support for jihadists in Syria.

What kind of game is the US government playing in the Middle East?

For the third year on the trot, Shell service stations generated billions of dollars and revenue but not a cent in company tax. In fact the owners of the sunny yellow servos reported tax benefits in all three years despite total sales which may be in excess of $60 billion.

This is an incredible situation for a nationwide network of services stations as well as a large refinery which makes up the "downstream" division of the global oil brand.

The Abbott government is approaching an existential moment. The existential question: What is the point of the Abbott government?

In the week before Bronwyn Bishop's career-ending exposure for abusing the public purse, Tony Abbott issued a warning to some of his ministers.