John Pilger – Voice for the voiceless, champion of the oppressed
Dan Wild“It is not enough for journalists to see themselves as mere messengers without understanding the hidden agendas of the message and the myths that surround it” This is the strap-line on the X (Twitter) account of John Pilger, who sadly passed away on 30 December 2023. The world has lost one its kindest, compassionate and …
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People with disability deserve accessible support services
Andrew HiltonThe International Day of People with Disability was 3 December. Andrew Hilton writes how his life has been touched by courageous close family who lived with life-challenging conditions. Long and personal rant follows. Apologies in advance. A great day to celebrate success. But also a day to get angry. And make changes. I grew up …
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HMRC pour the Cup of Pain
Dan WildIt must have been a cold day, greyer than usual for the London bureaucrats who are trying to chase down an alleged tax debt I accrued before I left Olde Blighty. As if Centrelink didn’t provide enough angst for me last year. You’ll recall from a previous post that Centrelink (UK readers, this is Aust. …
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Wanted: Communication skills, social responsibility, effective leadership
Kurt VallHow to mitigate a covid crisis In Sydney we breathe a sigh of relief, having avoided a coronavirus second wave. Melbourne has not been so lucky. And at this stage of the pandemic’s development, “lucky” is not an entirely inappropriate word. Sure, the incompetence, blame shifting and wilful ignorance of leaders from Donald Trump to …
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Reducing demand for Arts degrees is a step back for Critical Thinking
Dan WildAs you’re likely aware, the Australian Government recently doubled the cost of arts/humanities degrees. Its reasoning? Universities should focus on vocational degrees so students are job ready. I did a humanities degree, majoring in English and history. And I’ve had a solid career. First as an editor, then as a communications consultant working in a variety of fields, from …
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Modern mass surveillance as religious experience
Lindsay WinklerBy Lindsay Winkler with Dave Singer “I will be the gaoler. You will see … that the gaoler will have no salary – will cost nothing to the nation” So said Jeremy Bentham in 1786 after visiting his brother Samuel in Russia. The Panopticon was designed to give people the impression they were constantly watched, …
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Lindsay Winkler: We need to remove our low-pass filters
Lindsay WinklerGuest post from Lindsay Winkler, musician and writer, on how society filters information. Today’s global challenges mean we may have to adjust our low-pass filters. Electrical engineers are familiar with the concept of a low-pass filter. Imagine you want to measure the depth of water in Sydney Harbour at different times. You could take a …
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