Progressive analysis on politics, foreign policy, the economy, media, and culture, with a focus on peace and justice. John Menadue, Publisher & Editor in Chief
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Pearls and Irritations
President Trump is said to be considering a 'deal' to purchase the Chagos Islands from Mauritius. That would enable him to eliminate British control, such as it is, Alison Broinowski writes. #diegogarcia #IndianOceanChain
SpaceX’s Nasdaq listing tomorrow is not just a market story, Alessio Terzi and Stefano Marcuzzi write. The company’s control of rockets, satellites and critical communications raises a deeper question: how much sovereign power should governments allow one private firm to accumulate? #SpaceX
One Nation’s surge is not one movement but two: an older identity-driven base and a newer group of economic-populist voters. The fault line between them may be Pauline Hanson’s biggest weakness, Kos Samaras writes. #auspol #OneNation
The case for AUKUS depends on treating submarines as essential to Australian sovereignty. But as Mike Gilligan writes, Australia’s existing maritime, air and surveillance capabilities raise a more basic question: does the country need new submarines at all? #auspol #AUKUS #Defence
Australia’s energy transition is being made more expensive by poor planning, fragmented market structures and ideological battles. The country needs a technically grounded plan for reliability and affordability, not more slogans, Gary Moorhead writes. #auspol #Energy #Renewables
A new Explosive Weapons Monitor report warns that civilian suffering from explosive weapons is becoming normalised across global conflicts, with Israel’s armed forces responsible for most recorded civilian fatalities in 2025, Jessica Corbett writes. #Gaza #Israel #HumanRights
For people caught in the revolving door of prison, suicide risk does not end at the prison gate. Repeated imprisonment erodes stability, family connection and hope, Jane Anderson and Kelvin Quartermaine write. #auspol #JusticeReform #SuicidePrevention
In the fourth of an eight-part series, John Keane shows how the fading American empire is resorting to military solutions for its mounting global ills but without winning. #militarism
The backlash to the budget reforms is loud, but that does not mean voters reject them. Serious reform always brings resistance – and Albanese and Chalmers need to hold their nerve, Chris Wallace writes. #auspol #TaxReform #Budget2026
ABC Classic’s fiftieth anniversary gives this year’s Classic 100 added meaning. The countdown is more than a poll – it is a rare shared cultural ritual built around listening, memory and the enduring power of music, Stewart Sweeney writes. #ABCClassic #Classic100 #Music
Pearls and Irritations
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Pearls and Irritations
Pearls and Irritations
Australia’s renewable energy transition is being made more expensive by poor planning, fragmented market structures and ideological battles, when what is needed is a slower, more technically grounded assessment of how to keep the grid reliable and affordable.
As SpaceX prepares to list on the Nasdaq tomorrow in what could be the largest IPO in history, its rise raises a deeper question: how much sovereign power governments are prepared to allow a private company to accumulate in space.
For people caught in the revolving door of prison, the risk of suicide often extends beyond custody, exposing the failure of justice, health and housing systems to support life after release.
pearlsandirritations.com
One Nation's surge is easiest to read as anger. It is better read through a different lens – gathering the Australians who formed their sense of who they are in an offline world, where belonging was anchored where they grew up.
The case for AUKUS rests on treating submarines as essential to Australian sovereignty, while ignoring the broader defence capabilities that already protect Australia’s maritime approaches and raise serious questions about whether new submarines are needed at all.
pearlsandirritations.com
ABC Classic’s fiftieth anniversary gives this year’s Classic 100 added resonance, celebrating not only great music but a shared cultural ritual that brings Australians together through listening.
In the fourth of an eight-part series, John Keane shows how the fading American empire is resorting to military solutions for its mounting global ills, without winning.
The attacks on the government's budget reforms may be loud, but polling suggests voters are more open to tax change than the media backlash implies – and governments that want to deliver serious reform have to withstand the noise.
A new Explosive Weapons Monitor report finds civilians are continuing to bear the brunt of explosive weapons in populated areas, with Israel’s armed forces responsible for the majority of recorded civilian fatalities in 2025.
pearlsandirritations.com
President Trump is reportedly wanting to buy the Chagos Islands from Mauritius as his way of securing control of Diego Garcia. First, the United Kingdom must hand back their sovereignty.
