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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'A brazen, unprecedented power grab': Trump fires copyright office head

1 day ago | johnmenadue.com | Eloise Goldsmith

The reported firing of Register of Copyrights and director of the US Copyright Office Shira Perlmutter comes on the heels of Trump’s dismissal of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. The Trump administration reportedly fired the country’s top copyright official, Shira Perlmutter, on 10 May, shortly after her office released the pre-publication version of a report that raised flags about training artificial intelligence models using copyrighted material.
Shell-shocked voters of US allies choose stability over disruption

4 days ago | johnmenadue.com | Alex Lo

Rather than left- or right-leaning political parties, citizens in Singapore, Australia and Canada chose “steady hands” to navigate geopolitical turbulence. Elon Musk, who described himself as Donald Trump’s “First Buddy”, had a very public clash with “First Brain” Peter Navarro. The founder of Tesla, whose market cap has crashed along with his personal reputation, last month took to social media to call Navarro “truly a moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks”.
Dutton’s election campaign rout lets RBA off the hook

5 days ago | johnmenadue.com | Ross Gittins

Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock must be breathing a quiet sigh of relief now the Albanese Government has been triumphantly returned to office. If you can’t think why she should be relieved, you’re helping make my point. There was something strange in all the accusations hurled at Labor for doing little or nothing to ease the great cost-of-living pain so many voters had suffered over the three years of its first term in office. And that was? Never once did Peter Dutton mention the Reserve Bank.
Environment: Will Labor now protect our environment? If not now, probably never

5 days ago | johnmenadue.com | Peter Sainsbury

The world is getting hotter, seas are rising more quickly, oceans are heating faster and freshwater is getting saltier, but Labor’s first-term environmental performance provides little optimism for its second, even though Australia leads the way with solar energy generation.
'This isn't me': Israeli war and healthcare collapse leave Gaza child unrecognisable

6 days ago | johnmenadue.com | Maha Hussaini

May 10, 2025 Under a tightening Israeli siege, Palestinian girl Rahaf Ayyad struggles with physical and emotional changes, as her mother fights for answers. Once proud of her long, silky brown hair, Rahaf Ayyad now dreads combing it. “Each time I use the comb, more of my hair falls out,” the Palestinian girl says.
Dreyfus leaves little legacy

6 days ago | johnmenadue.com | Greg Barns

In his term as attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus failed to address many big issues. Dreyfus’ legacy as attorney-general is, at best, very modest. In fact, come to think of it, he was perfectly suited to the style of the Albanese Government. Incremental change and a refusal, post the Voice referendum loss, to embark on any of what the great former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating called “big picture” initiatives.
Labor says its second term will be about productivity reform. These ideas could help shift the dial

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Roy Green

In his victory speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted social policy as a major factor in Labor’s electoral success, particularly Medicare, housing and cost-of-living relief. He was justified in doing so.
The climate won’t change for the Liberals without more women and fewer oldies

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Ross Gittins

If the Liberals have any sense, they won’t waste too much time blaming their shocking election result on Peter Dutton, Donald Trump, Cyclone Alfred, the party secretariat, an unready shadow ministry or any other “proximate cause”, as economists say. Why not? Because none of these go to the heart of their party’s problem. The Liberals’ problem is that Australia has changed, but their party hasn’t.
Danger: Global security is now in the hands of Trump, Rubio and Hegseth

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Melvin A. Goodman

The United States is a national security state. Over the past half-century, it has unnecessarily conducted “forever wars” in Vietnam (1960s-1970s), Iraq (2000s-the present), Afghanistan (2000s-2020), and now possibly in Yemen. Not one of these costly ventures has advanced our national security, and — with the exception of Yemen — have been costly in terms of blood and resources. Even the Yemen war is getting costly.
An economic reform agenda for Labor

1 week ago | johnmenadue.com | Michael Keating

The recent election was won by looking ahead. But a better economic future requires an economic reform agenda, and getting agreement will not be easy. However, there are encouraging signs that the government is up to the task. The economy, and especially the cost of living, dominated the recent election campaign. It seems likely that Anthony Albanese won because he invited us to look forward instead of looking back, as Peter Dutton invited us to do.