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Showing posts from January, 2018

Proof yet again - when given the choice between a conspiracy and a stuff up ...

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How wonderful to listen to that ABC News story on the filing cabinet full of Cabinet documents bought at the sale of second hand filing cabinets in Canberra. What a nonsense it made of all that wonderful speculation over the last few days about which Coalition Minister was leaking what to damage who. And there it was. A fair dinkum cabinet leak. No conspiracy at all. Just another stuff up.

The political equivalent of taller men wear longer trousers

The Owl is continually bemused by people acting surprised that companies, unions and individuals give donations to political parties in the expectation that it will help them get access to MPs. In my not inconsiderable experience of the election process there is no other reason for such actions. It has always been thus. And for most of my years in politics the process has not worried me. The Australian political system, at least at the federal level, traditionally had the checks and balances of an independent and basically impartial public service. That limited the impact that having the ear of a minister could have. It is only since the transfer of power from departmental officials to ministerial staffers that the excesses of buying influence have got out of hand. A decision by Bill Shorten to return power to departments headed by permanent career heads would make his planned corruption apparatus unnecessary.

Monarchies are better economic performers then republics and links to other news and views

What’s the Cure for Ailing Nations? More Kings and Queens, Monarchists Say  - New York Times A recent study that examined the economic performance of monarchies versus republics bolsters their views. Led by Mauro F. Guillén, a management professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, the study found “robust and quantitatively meaningful evidence” that monarchies outperform other forms of government. Far from being a dying system, the study said, “monarchies are surprisingly prevalent around the world.” They provide a “stability that often translates into economic gains”; they are better at protecting property rights and checking abuses of power by elected officials; and they have higher per-capita national incomes, the study said. German companies forced to reveal gender pay gap  - Financial Times The measure grants female employees the right to learn how their salary compares with male workers in corresponding jobs. It can also be used by men who feel they

The UK Government gives advice on dealing with the media and other news and views

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Guidance: Handling media attention after a major Incident - UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Dealing with the media can sometimes be distressing and daunting. It is your decision whether or not to speak to journalists. While it may not feel like it, you are in control of this. Remember if you do not want to, you do not have to. Why would you want to speak to the media? Sometimes, communicating with the media in a controlled way can be a positive experience. It may also satisfy the media’s demand for information, and reduce the number of enquiries you receive. Ways to do this include issuing a statement – which could be read by you, someone else, or released in writing – and answering questions for a limited time. However you should be aware that providing information can sometimes lead to more coverage and interest. There may also be situations where you would want to exercise caution – for example, when others are at risk or if an investigation is ongoing. Wh

Some Donald Trump updates and links to other news and views

It's Been an Open Secret All Along  - Atlantic The scandal of Michael Wolff’s new book isn’t its salacious details—it’s that everyone in Washington has known its key themes, and refused to act. Worst thing Steve Bannon said about Trump? “Money laundering”  - Salon Was Trump enraged because Bannon criticized his family? Or because he now understands his presidency is in danger? What does Trump think Mueller will find?  - Washington Post Trump's Blowup With Bannon Means He's Now All-In With McConnell And GOP Establishment  - NPR Obstruction Inquiry Shows Trump’s Struggle to Keep Grip on Russia Investigation - New York Times Legal experts said that of the two primary issues Mr. Mueller appears to be investigating — whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice while in office and whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia — there is currently a larger body of public evidence tying the president to a possible crime of obstruction. But the experts are

German study finds men from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan significantly less likely to commit a violent crime than those hailing from North Africa.

Study: Only better integration will reduce migrant crime rate  - Deutsche Weller Only better integration options will reduce the risk of increased crime rates among migrants, a study has found. The study also linked a rise in crimes Lower Saxony with an increase in migrant arrivals... Leading German criminologists say the best chance of preventing violent crime among migrants is to offer more integration options like language courses, sport, and practical apprenticeships.The study, released to news agency dpa and carried out by criminologists at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences at the behest of the German Family Ministry, researched the increase in violent crime recorded in Germany over the past two years.The study also suggested a link between an increase in reported violent crimes in Lower Saxony and a significant increase in migrant arrivals in the state. ...Another contributing factor was the age of the migrants. According to the study, men between the ages of 14 and 30

Some thoughts to judge Hanson, Xenophon and Bernardi by and other news and views

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Can Movement Politics Renew European Democracy?  - Project Syndicate One might expect diffuse, grassroots movements that emerge from large-scale street protests to be more inclusive, deliberative, and democratic than traditional political parties. But the proliferation of personality-driven movements on both the right and the left in recent years calls that assumption into question. ... even as they have continued to tout horizontal forms of organization and participatory democracy, their charismatic leaders have concentrated ever more power in their own hands. Donald Trump Didn’t Want to Be President - Michael Wolff in New York magazine One year ago: the plan to lose, and the administration’s shocked first days. Russia and Venezuela’s Plan to Sidestep Sanctions: Virtual Currencies - New York Times ... the rise of virtual currencies is pushing governments around the world to rethink the most basic elements of their own currencies and financial infrastructure. What

Donald Trump's hair through the years, his Pakistan tweets and other news and views

Country without a Government: Merkel's Difficult Road to a Coalition - Der Spiegel Three months after the election, Germany is as far away from a governing coalition as ever and Social Democrats don't expect an agreement before Easter. Meanwhile, Germany's influence in the EU is on the wane. The Far Right Is Now in Power in Austria  - The Nation The new governing coalition includes the Freedom Party, which has deep roots in the country’s Nazi past. Murderous Majorities  - New York Review of Books The scale of this ethnic cleansing represents the most extreme triumph of majoritarian politics in South Asia. The persecution of the Rohingya has made Myanmar something of an inspiration to majoritarian parties in neighboring states. ... Majoritarianism—the claim that a nation’s political destiny should be determined by its religious or ethnic majority—is as old as the nation-state in South Asia; it was decolonization’s original sin. Postcolonial nations in South Asia bega

The fractured Murdoch empire and links to other interesting news and views

With Disney Deal Looming, Murdoch’s Empire Is Fractured  - New York Times The dynamics of the Murdoch family are continuously shifting, and outsiders are kept at a distance. To Hollywood, the D isney deal looked like a family schism, with Lachlan, 46, solidly back in line to succeed his father as overseer of the family’s remaining businesses and James, 45, without a clear future at Disney. Associates of James, however, say that he encouraged the deal, in part because he had grown weary of the dysfunctional push and pull with his brother and father. Authoritarianism is accelerating in Southeast Asia  - Nikkei Asian Review The China model is winning, at the expense of liberal values Emboldened By A Strengthening Economy, China Flexes Its Diplomatic Muscles  - NPR Analysts in China say the proactive statesmanship is befitting the new era Xi has declared, in which China confidently wields its newly acquired wealth and influence and resumes what it considers its rightful place