The RSL has been a significant force in Australian politics but it’s clear it is now suffering from a range of problems. Once upon a time it had easy access to government, but the interests of veterans are now far more diverse and complex than in the past. It needs more than a regular visit to have tea with the Minister as was the practice of yore. read more

Back in 2024 the blog speculated on the many missed opportunities in Australian political history. It asked if only we had done some things and not done some we did. 

Reading it almost a year later it still seems relevant. This is what we wrote back then:

Everyone has the odd ‘if only’ thought from time to time. read more

For some totally incomprehensible reason the Australian Army is axing funding for the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Services Sallyman service.

Everyone is familiar with the Salvos. They might be housing the homeless, providing street people and families in need with food and always being there when everybody else has given up. read more

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of opinion polling coming out of the US. But then the fact is that it is overwhelmingly negative for Donald Trump and makes for delightful reading.

……and the considerable recent evidence shows just how far underwater he is.

For instance, recent polling in key states – states he won in 2024 – show how disillusioned his voters have become. read more

The British media has always been populated by larger than life figures – from Northcliffe to Maxwell, Beaverbrook to Harmsworth, Barclay to Lebedev and, of course Rupert Murdoch.

They have used their power to undermine or promote governments; create scare campaigns; and use their power to enrich themselves or others. They have been scandal ridden and the huge phone tapping saga from a decade or so ago, for instance, embroiled many media companies. read more

In between blogging and other things the blog sometimes writes letters to the editor of various papers. Unlike a prolific neighbour the letters are rarely published but sometimes they are. The worst strike rate is on matters to do with Gaza and the Palestinian genocide.

But here a couple from this year  a couple of which have been published. The first in The Age; the second in The Economist and the third was sent to the Weekend FT with no results. read more

What do Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden have in common?

Well, there are many answers to that. First, they rank from first to fourth in the annual UN-Backed world-happiness-report-2025.pdf

Of course, they all get very cold but seem to get joy from winter activities. Second, they have very enlightened policies on Indigenous people and Sami and other groups wander across borders. The education systems are robust and Finland has probably the best musical education for children in the world. read more

The blog is taking a break for a while.   Back on deck next month.

The US was already having problems with the performance of US academic institutions in scientific areas when Donald Trump arrived with the mission to nobble universities.

The extent of the problem is highlighted by the latest Nature Index of Research Leaders which ranks leading academic institutions based on Nature data (11/6) about publications and other measures. In the latest 2025 table Harvard is ranked number one (the rankings are based on 2024 counts of papers and other criteria with the next highest US ranking being Stanford 12^th followed by MIT and Oxford. All in all 14 of the top 20 universities are Chinese. read more

While the Murdoch media – and most of the pontificators writing op eds for the rest of our news outlets – are having conniptions about whether and when Albanese might get a meeting with Trump is all happening at a time when the Australian public have little trust in the US and even less in Donald Trump. read more