Category Archives: Australia
The release of David Hicks, a test of Australian values
Another moment to test the compassion of the Australian public, as the news has broken that David Hicks is to be released from prison, albeit under a control order. Although the Federal Police regard Mr Hicks as an ongoing danger … Continue reading
Filed under Australia, Mental Health, Politics
Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder
The latest podcast from “All in the Mind” (the excellent ABC Radio National program about the mind, brain and behaviour) concerns borderline personality disorder (BPD) and is really worth a listen if you want to understand BPD in a sympathetic and … Continue reading
Anthropology and Counterinsurgency
Recently I read an article in the December 18 ’06 issue of the New Yorker by George Packer called “Knowing the Enemy“, about the involvement of anthropologists and other social scientists in developing strategic alternatives to counterinsurgency. The article profiles the … Continue reading
The gentle art of Australian political invective: Paul Keating
One of the things that I miss about not living in Australia is the refreshing directness of language in parliamentary politics. A number of Australian politicians have exercised the extreme limits of parliamentary privilege when attacking the opposition, but the … Continue reading
A monument to pest control
In my home town of Dalby, Queensland there exists a monument in a small park by Myall Creek that has always seemed curious to me: it is a cairn dedicated to the cactoblastis cactorum (a moth originally found in Argentina). … Continue reading
Who is the most effective political liar?
The London Review of Books recently published an article on lying in politics, describing the actions of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at the Labour Party Conference (where Cherie Blair was overheard saying “well, that’s a lie” when Brown professed … Continue reading
Filed under Australia, Politics, United Kingdom
