Pearls and Irritations

Pearls and Irritations is an Australian platform dedicated to sharing ideas from a progressive and liberal viewpoint, prioritizing themes of peace and justice. We offer well-researched analysis and insights on important topics for Australians, concentrating on areas such as politics, public policy, international relations, defense and security, the economy, media, the arts, and religion.

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Our white man’s media shuns Asia

3 days ago | johnmenadue.com | John Menadue

We talk glibly about our future in Asia, but we are stuck in a US and UK media cul de sac. The Washington consensus and our legacy media frames and conditions our thinking and actions. It promotes fear of Asia, the yellow peril. An updated post from August 23, 2021The White Paper Australia in the Asian Century in 2012 singled out our need to work with Australian media through its representative bodies, to ensure that Australians received more and better coverage of the Asian region.
US brain drain set to gather pace as academics seek posts outside Trump’s America

6 days ago | johnmenadue.com | Ling Xin

Increasing numbers of scientists are eyeing opportunities in Australia, Canada, China and Europe amid threatened cuts to funding. A brain drain hitting American universities is expected to gather pace before the start of the new academic year as funding cuts and attacks on academic freedom have led increasing numbers of academics to question whether they wish to stay in the United States.
Australia’s trade survival depends on beating Trump’s tariff contagion

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | James Curran

How does Canberra cope in a world that threatens to spin off into competing blocs and help shape a world that preserves multilateralism, even if the United States is not a constructive part of it? The prime minister will not be too troubled by missing his meeting with Donald Trump at the G7 in Canada. He faced a Herculean task in securing tariff relief or any kind of meaningful guarantee on AUKUS as the Pentagon’s review of the agreement begins.
'Cakes of coal, volumes of gas': Australia accused of being climate wrecker as it seeks to host COP31

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Royce Kurmelovs

Australia has been “two-faced” by pushing to host the UN-backed COP31 climate conference in 2026 even as it has been approving massive new oil, gas and coal projects, an international climate group says. The country has been described as a “planet wrecker” alongside the US, Norway and Canada by climate advocacy group Oil Change International over the contradiction between pledges to address climate change and failure to take actual steps towards addressing the problem.
'No Kings Day' was historic. Now we need a powerful - and independent - movement against Trump

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Norman Solomon

The huge, decentralised turnout for No Kings Day has shown that grassroots power can be a major force against the momentum of the Trump regime. The protests were auspicious, with five million people participating in 2100 gatherings nationwide. Activists are doing what the national Democratic Party leadership has failed to do – organise effectively and inspire mass action. What we don’t need now is for newly activated people to catch a ride on plodding Democratic donkeys.
Albo's steady-as-she goes strategy - will it work?

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Michael Keating

Anthony Albanese has made it clear that we cannot expect a more ambitious government strategy in future, despite the size of his election win. But the critical question is how well the present set of policies will work towards achieving the government’s aims. In his first major speech following the election, at the National Press Club, Albanese outlined his vision for Australia’s future and his strategy for getting there. I believe most of us would agree with Albanese’s values and aims.
Nuclear subs taking on water

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Jack Waterford

There is every reason for Australia to jump on board the idea of having a review of its AUKUS defence policy. The America First initiative is an opportunity to get out of a deal that was bad from the start, but it is getting seriously worse. It was, as any number of ex-prime ministers and foreign ministers, Labor and Liberal, tell us, a very bad deal, in which all the risk fell on Australia, and the goodies on offer would come too late, if indeed they came at all.
PM Albanese promises to restore trust in democracy

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | John Menadue

But his record does not give grounds for confidence. In his National Press Club address, PM Albanese referred to the “trust deficit” in other democracies such as the US. The clear inference is that Australia does not have a “trust” deficit. We may be doing better in “trust” than the shambles that the US is becoming, but by almost any measure we are losing trust in our major institutions – parliament, media, business, universities, churches and many more.
Sanctioning Ben-Gvir and Smotrich is but a tiny, sad step in ending the Gaza massacre

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Gideon Levy

Alas and alack! Woe be unto us, for we have sinned: Five countries have imposed sanctions on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The war in Gaza will now stop immediately, and maybe the occupation, too, certainly the apartheid. Smotrich, who has devoted his life to studying Ibsen’s works and loves to roam the streets of Oslo, inspired by the dramas, will no longer be able to visit Norway.
Environment: WA addicted to producing, burning and exporting gas

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Peter Sainsbury

Albanese government eager to support WA’s gas addiction. Tasmania’s natural environment trashed by deer and loggers. Globally, one square kilometre of trees cleared every 10 minutes. Ecological and spiritual values converge in Chinese temples. WA’s gas addiction …… or rather income addiction. Over the 15 years to 2023, the consumption of gas in Australia’s states and territories remained remarkably constant, except for WA.