Pearls and Irritations
@johnmenadue.com
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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Read: johnmenadue.com
Subscribe for free: https://tinyurl.com/vr2vz4av
Taiwanese leaders have welcomed Washington’s latest security strategy, but its inward turn and economic nationalism carry real risks for Taiwan’s defence and chip industry, writes Emery Yuhang Lai.
#PearlsAndIrritations #Taiwan #USpolicy #IndoPacific
#PearlsAndIrritations #Taiwan #USpolicy #IndoPacific
Taiwan has misplaced confidence in Trump’s National Security Strategy
Taiwan has welcomed the United States’ latest National Security Strategy, but beneath the reassurance lie strategic and economic risks that Taipei should not ignore.
johnmenadue.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Taiwanese leaders have welcomed Washington’s latest security strategy, but its inward turn and economic nationalism carry real risks for Taiwan’s defence and chip industry, writes Emery Yuhang Lai.
#PearlsAndIrritations #Taiwan #USpolicy #IndoPacific
#PearlsAndIrritations #Taiwan #USpolicy #IndoPacific
Polling from Newspoll, Redbridge and Morgan points to a significant realignment on the right, with One Nation now ahead of the Coalition nationally, writes Adrian Beaumont.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #polling
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #polling
One Nation surges to new high as Coalition slumps to record low
Multiple polls place One Nation ahead of the Coalition, raising the prospect of an historic realignment on the Australian right.
johnmenadue.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Polling from Newspoll, Redbridge and Morgan points to a significant realignment on the right, with One Nation now ahead of the Coalition nationally, writes Adrian Beaumont.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #polling
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #polling
India has signed a $US10bn submarine deal with firm numbers, local construction and proven technology. Australia’s $US240bn AUKUS plan still rests on hope, not delivery, writes John Queripel.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #defence #AUKUS
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #defence #AUKUS
India’s submarine deal shows what due diligence looks like
India’s decision to buy conventionally powered submarines from Germany highlights a sharp contrast with Australia’s AUKUS pathway on cost, capability and planning.
johnmenadue.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:00 PM
India has signed a $US10bn submarine deal with firm numbers, local construction and proven technology. Australia’s $US240bn AUKUS plan still rests on hope, not delivery, writes John Queripel.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #defence #AUKUS
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #defence #AUKUS
Donation data reveals how billionaire money and well-funded campaign groups worked to shape narratives, pressure parties and influence voters in the 2025 election, writes Marian Sawer.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #donations #democracy
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #donations #democracy
Giving billionaires a voice: 2025 election donations
New donation data shows how wealthy individuals and well-funded campaigning organisations sought to shape Australia’s 2025 election through money, messaging and pressure politics.
johnmenadue.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Donation data reveals how billionaire money and well-funded campaign groups worked to shape narratives, pressure parties and influence voters in the 2025 election, writes Marian Sawer.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #donations #democracy
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #donations #democracy
Trump’s masked immigration raids have tested how much cruelty the public will tolerate in the name of order. The backlash shows there are limits – and the lesson is not just for the US, writes Jack Waterford.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #USpolitics #ruleoflaw
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #USpolitics #ruleoflaw
Cruelty as policy only works until the public recoils
Trump’s immigration crackdown reveals how governments test public tolerance for cruelty exercised in the name of order – a lesson with clear echoes in Australia’s own recent history.
johnmenadue.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Trump’s masked immigration raids have tested how much cruelty the public will tolerate in the name of order. The backlash shows there are limits – and the lesson is not just for the US, writes Jack Waterford.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #USpolitics #ruleoflaw
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #USpolitics #ruleoflaw
Using interest rates to curb inflation hits only mortgage holders. Broad-based tax reform would reduce excess demand more fairly and help restore the budget balance, writes Michael Keating.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #economy #inflation
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #economy #inflation
Why higher taxes make more sense than higher interest rates
Rather than cutting public spending to restore the budget balance and reduce inflationary pressures, it would be better to increase taxation.
johnmenadue.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Using interest rates to curb inflation hits only mortgage holders. Broad-based tax reform would reduce excess demand more fairly and help restore the budget balance, writes Michael Keating.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #economy #inflation
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #economy #inflation
Moves to legislate new antisemitism definitions risk privileging one identity while ignoring deeper, more pervasive racism in Australia, particularly toward First Nations people, writes George Browning.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #racism #humanrights
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #racism #humanrights
Antisemitism laws, double standards and Australia’s unfinished reckoning
Proposals to legislate new antisemitism definitions raise hard questions about identity, equality before the law, and why Australia continues to avoid confronting its most entrenched forms of racism.
johnmenadue.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Moves to legislate new antisemitism definitions risk privileging one identity while ignoring deeper, more pervasive racism in Australia, particularly toward First Nations people, writes George Browning.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #racism #humanrights
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #racism #humanrights
Productivity matters. But without fairness, dignity and care for people and land, it risks deepening inequality rather than shared prosperity, writes Rev. Charissa Suli.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #Productivity #Wellbeing #Justice
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #Productivity #Wellbeing #Justice
Fairness, not just growth, is the key to productivity
As the federal government sharpens its focus on productivity, the question is not whether growth matters, but who it is for, and at what cost to justice, dignity and social cohesion.
johnmenadue.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:31 PM
Productivity matters. But without fairness, dignity and care for people and land, it risks deepening inequality rather than shared prosperity, writes Rev. Charissa Suli.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #Productivity #Wellbeing #Justice
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #Productivity #Wellbeing #Justice
Climate denial dominates politics and media coverage, but not public belief. Majorities in Australia and the US accept climate change is real and human-caused – and many want stronger action, writes Noel Turnbull.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #climatechange
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #climatechange
Climate sceptics dominate the noise, not the numbers
Despite political denial and media distortion, majorities in Australia and the United States accept climate change is real, human-caused and demands action.
johnmenadue.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Climate denial dominates politics and media coverage, but not public belief. Majorities in Australia and the US accept climate change is real and human-caused – and many want stronger action, writes Noel Turnbull.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #climatechange
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #climatechange
Sanctions on North Korea have not stopped its nuclear program, but they have deepened hostility, accelerated weapons development and harmed civilians, writes Eugene Doyle.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #geopolitics #nuclearrisk
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #geopolitics #nuclearrisk
Why sanctions have entrenched conflict with North Korea, not resolved it
Sanctions on North Korea have neither halted its nuclear program nor produced stability, while imposing heavy costs on civilians and regional security.
johnmenadue.com
February 8, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Sanctions on North Korea have not stopped its nuclear program, but they have deepened hostility, accelerated weapons development and harmed civilians, writes Eugene Doyle.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #geopolitics #nuclearrisk
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #geopolitics #nuclearrisk
Flood risks in the Hawkesbury River valley are well understood. Reopening the door to new housing there ignores known dangers, evacuation limits and climate risk, writes Chas Keys.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #NSWpol #floodrisk
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #NSWpol #floodrisk
Why building again on the Hawkesbury floodplain risks disaster
The NSW government’s decision to revive development on the Hawkesbury floodplain ignores long-established flood risks, evacuation limits and the growing impact of climate change.
johnmenadue.com
February 8, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Flood risks in the Hawkesbury River valley are well understood. Reopening the door to new housing there ignores known dangers, evacuation limits and climate risk, writes Chas Keys.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #NSWpol #floodrisk
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #NSWpol #floodrisk
Authoritarian politics, fossil fuel power and failed global institutions are accelerating climate risk – and closing the window for action, writes David Spratt.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #ClimateEmergency #Authoritarianism #ClimatePolicy
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #ClimateEmergency #Authoritarianism #ClimatePolicy
Authoritarianism is undermining climate action – and time is running out
The global rise of authoritarianism is weakening climate governance just as warming accelerates and tipping points draw near. This failure now poses a direct threat to our future.
johnmenadue.com
February 8, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Authoritarian politics, fossil fuel power and failed global institutions are accelerating climate risk – and closing the window for action, writes David Spratt.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #ClimateEmergency #Authoritarianism #ClimatePolicy
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #ClimateEmergency #Authoritarianism #ClimatePolicy
Australia’s response to Gaza shows how lobbying power can narrow political debate and recast criticism of Israel as antisemitism, with consequences for media freedom and public accountability, writes John Menadue.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #media #humanrights
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #media #humanrights
The Zionist lobby, antisemitism and Herzog
Australia’s political and media response to Gaza, including the invitation to Israel’s president, reflects the influence of pro-Israel lobbying and the shrinking space for lawful criticism.
johnmenadue.com
February 8, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Australia’s response to Gaza shows how lobbying power can narrow political debate and recast criticism of Israel as antisemitism, with consequences for media freedom and public accountability, writes John Menadue.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #media #humanrights
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #media #humanrights
The collapse of Adelaide Writers’ Week was not an isolated incident. Across Australia, writers festivals are facing pressure from culture wars, funding scarcity and climate risk, Alice Grundy writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #Arts #Literature #CultureWars #AustralianWriting
#PearlsAndIrritations #Arts #Literature #CultureWars #AustralianWriting
What is the next chapter for Australia’s embattled writers festivals?
The cancellation of Adelaide Writers’ Week has exposed how culture wars, funding pressures and climate risk are reshaping Australia’s literary festivals – and putting their future in doubt.
johnmenadue.com
February 7, 2026 at 10:00 PM
The collapse of Adelaide Writers’ Week was not an isolated incident. Across Australia, writers festivals are facing pressure from culture wars, funding scarcity and climate risk, Alice Grundy writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #Arts #Literature #CultureWars #AustralianWriting
#PearlsAndIrritations #Arts #Literature #CultureWars #AustralianWriting
Vijay Prashad responds to the Epstein revelations, confronting personal trauma, betrayal and the moral limits of judgement and excuse.
#PearlsAndIrritations #ethics #power #accountability
#PearlsAndIrritations #ethics #power #accountability
On the emails between Jeffrey Epstein and Noam Chomsky
Vijay Prashad reflects on the Jeffrey Epstein revelations, his personal history, and the profound sense of betrayal and moral shock they have provoked.
johnmenadue.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Vijay Prashad responds to the Epstein revelations, confronting personal trauma, betrayal and the moral limits of judgement and excuse.
#PearlsAndIrritations #ethics #power #accountability
#PearlsAndIrritations #ethics #power #accountability
Environmental damage often escapes attention – from endangered tiny fish to toxic PFAS chemicals and illegal gold mining. These small and slow crises add up to large consequences, writes Peter Sainsbury.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #environment #climate
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #environment #climate
Environment: Small-bodied and short-lived, tiny freshwater fish play big roles in ecosystems
A threatened Aussie tiddler flashes a fin for tiny freshwater fish worldwide, toxic PFAS chemicals are all around us and deep inside us and never go away, and illegal gold mining in Congo destroys the environment and communities.
johnmenadue.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Environmental damage often escapes attention – from endangered tiny fish to toxic PFAS chemicals and illegal gold mining. These small and slow crises add up to large consequences, writes Peter Sainsbury.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #environment #climate
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #environment #climate
As President Isaac Herzog visits Australia, Dennis Altman asks whether Israel can learn from Australia’s own shift beyond White Australia – and imagine a future built on equal citizenship rather than permanent supremacy.
#PearlsAndIrritations #IsraelPalestine #auspol
#PearlsAndIrritations #IsraelPalestine #auspol
What Australia’s past might teach Israel about its future
President Herzog’s visit might be useful if he could be persuaded to ponder the lessons Australia might offer.
johnmenadue.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:15 PM
As President Isaac Herzog visits Australia, Dennis Altman asks whether Israel can learn from Australia’s own shift beyond White Australia – and imagine a future built on equal citizenship rather than permanent supremacy.
#PearlsAndIrritations #IsraelPalestine #auspol
#PearlsAndIrritations #IsraelPalestine #auspol
When a culture can no longer recognise goodness in those who oppose it, moral certainty hardens into something destructive. Adrian Rosenfeldt writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #politics #culture #polarisation
#PearlsAndIrritations #politics #culture #polarisation
From Les Misérables to Trump – what happens when moral certainty hardens
Polarisation is often described as ideological. But its deeper cause may be moral – a loss of the capacity to recognise goodness in those who disagree with us, and the consequences that follow.
johnmenadue.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:00 PM
When a culture can no longer recognise goodness in those who oppose it, moral certainty hardens into something destructive. Adrian Rosenfeldt writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #politics #culture #polarisation
#PearlsAndIrritations #politics #culture #polarisation
Indonesia has joined the Board of Peace, a US-dominated body shaped by power rather than law. Gaza is its first real test – and the risks extend far beyond reconstruction, writes Kurniawan Arif Maspul @dikurniawanarif
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #MiddleEast #Indonesia
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #MiddleEast #Indonesia
Inside Indonesia’s Board of Peace diplomacy on Palestine
Indonesia’s decision to join the Board of Peace places it inside a US-dominated body whose approach to Gaza risks prioritising reconstruction over sovereignty, rights and political legitimacy.
johnmenadue.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:31 PM
Indonesia has joined the Board of Peace, a US-dominated body shaped by power rather than law. Gaza is its first real test – and the risks extend far beyond reconstruction, writes Kurniawan Arif Maspul @dikurniawanarif
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #MiddleEast #Indonesia
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #MiddleEast #Indonesia
Australia’s response to protest, terrorism and antisemitism is weakened by the absence of a Human Rights Act and clear legal protections, Duncan Graham writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #HumanRights #law
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #HumanRights #law
Herzog’s visit exposes Australia’s legal weakness on human rights
As Israel’s president visits Australia, debates over protest, terrorism and antisemitism expose a significant problem: Australia lacks a coherent human rights framework.
johnmenadue.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Australia’s response to protest, terrorism and antisemitism is weakened by the absence of a Human Rights Act and clear legal protections, Duncan Graham writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #HumanRights #law
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #HumanRights #law
Banning international health providers in Gaza has made legally mandated care increasingly impossible, exposing sustained breaches of humanitarian and human rights law, writes Stephanie Dowrick.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #internationalhumanitarianlaw #healthcare
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #internationalhumanitarianlaw #healthcare
Australian doctors protest Israel’s destruction of health rights in Gaza
Israel’s deregistration of international health providers in Gaza makes legally mandated care increasingly impossible, raising serious questions about compliance with international law.
johnmenadue.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Banning international health providers in Gaza has made legally mandated care increasingly impossible, exposing sustained breaches of humanitarian and human rights law, writes Stephanie Dowrick.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #internationalhumanitarianlaw #healthcare
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #internationalhumanitarianlaw #healthcare
The mass layoffs at the Washington Post are not just a business story. They point to a deeper problem – the growing power of billionaire owners to shape, weaken or silence journalism itself, Brad Reed writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #Media #Democracy #PressFreedom #USPolitics
#PearlsAndIrritations #Media #Democracy #PressFreedom #USPolitics
Billionaire Bezos guts Washington Post
The gutting of the Washington Post has reignited a deeper question about who controls the media – and whether billionaire ownership is compatible with a free press.
johnmenadue.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:45 PM
The mass layoffs at the Washington Post are not just a business story. They point to a deeper problem – the growing power of billionaire owners to shape, weaken or silence journalism itself, Brad Reed writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #Media #Democracy #PressFreedom #USPolitics
#PearlsAndIrritations #Media #Democracy #PressFreedom #USPolitics
The US has quietly dialled down confrontation with China in its 2026 National Defense Strategy. Australia, meanwhile, keeps spending, escalating and saying nothing, writes Marcus Rubenstein.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #China #Defence #AUKUS
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #China #Defence #AUKUS
Australia unlikely to follow US downgrade on China threat
The US National Defense Strategy signals a softer, more pragmatic approach to China. Australia’s silence on the shift exposes how detached its defence posture has become from both reality and its own national interests.
johnmenadue.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:30 PM
The US has quietly dialled down confrontation with China in its 2026 National Defense Strategy. Australia, meanwhile, keeps spending, escalating and saying nothing, writes Marcus Rubenstein.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #China #Defence #AUKUS
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #China #Defence #AUKUS
Debate over Israel’s president, the right to protest, global power at Davos and Australia’s diplomatic role shaped Pearls and Irritations this week, Editor Catriona Jackson writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #publicdebate #Editorsmessage
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #publicdebate #Editorsmessage
Message from the Editor
The debate over the visit of the Israeli President has occupied much space in P&I this week, and for good reason.
johnmenadue.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Debate over Israel’s president, the right to protest, global power at Davos and Australia’s diplomatic role shaped Pearls and Irritations this week, Editor Catriona Jackson writes.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #publicdebate #Editorsmessage
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #publicdebate #Editorsmessage
Australia should withdraw its invitation to Israel’s president on legal, ethical and social grounds. Findings of international courts and the risk to social cohesion cannot be ignored, writes Chris Sidoti.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #internationallaw #humanrights
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #internationallaw #humanrights
Isaac Herzog is accused of inciting genocide in Gaza. He shouldn’t be welcomed to Australia
Writing in the Guardian on Thursday UN Commissioner Chris Sidoti laid out the reasons Isaac Herzog should not be welcome in Australia, and urged the Prime Minister to correct his terrible mistake in inviting him.
johnmenadue.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Australia should withdraw its invitation to Israel’s president on legal, ethical and social grounds. Findings of international courts and the risk to social cohesion cannot be ignored, writes Chris Sidoti.
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #internationallaw #humanrights
#PearlsAndIrritations #auspol #internationallaw #humanrights