Once a state gets used to abusing the rights of foreigners in distant lands, it's almost inevitable it will import the habit

On Tuesday, a poll published by News Ltd showed that Labor's primary vote has fallen one point to 30 per cent and the Coalition is up three points to 49 per cent. On a two party-preferred basis, this puts the Coalition in a definitive election-winning position, 58 per cent to Labor's 42 per cent.

Wall Street is back!

Tony Blair has sparked anger by claiming the murder of Lee Rigby shows there is a "problem within Islam".

First up from the God Machine this week is a look at the unfortunate ways in which social-conservative activists are responding to American women's economic empowerment.

Israel’s Fraying Image and Its Implications

Remarks to a Seminar convened by The National Interest to Discuss an Article by Jacob Heilbrunn

Before Sir David Attenborough recently warned us about the lunacy of endless growth, I was writing a long article about this very subject and how to accept and prepare for the values of restraint... Unfortunately my computer is reaching the end of its useful life and as I was saving the pages it froze and killed off what was a rather angry rant...

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/attenborough-endless-growth-lunacy-20130525-2n3pg.html

It would be troubling enough if Tony Abbott's shilly-shallying on electoral reform had merely killed off hopes of making overdue changes to the nation's electoral laws.

Is there a Left in America today?

There is, of course, a Left ideology, a Left of the mind, a Left of theory and critique.

But is there a Left movement?

The cardinal’s colour rose all afternoon. He smiled once or twice after negotiating a difficult passage. He clasped and unclasped his hands, never quite in prayer. He droned. He snapped. He stared at the six members of the Victorian parliament’s family and community development committee with a gaze that seemed focused somewhere south of Macquarie Island.

Very few Australians will have heard of Burdekin Investments, one of the thousands of low-profile post-box companies that makes its home at Ugland House, a resort-style office building in George Town, the capital of Caribbean tax haven the Cayman Islands.

Christopher Pyne has clearly been pondering the fate of Sodom.