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The legacy print media is more powerful than most activists give it credit for. In Australia and substantial parts of the world, Murdoch’s propaganda sheets masquerade as sources of news and non-partisan commentary, if you believe that I’ve got the titles to some land in a mangrove swamp you may want to build your dream home on.

The Indonesian Generals have always seen West Papua as their personal fiefdom. The removal of Suharto, the butcher, as dictator of Indonesia almost two decades ago made no difference to West Papua. Maybe the Indonesian military chief should be offended by the record of the Indonesian Military in West Papua. During the last 50 years over 500,000 West Papuans have died from a population of 1.5 million as a direct consequence of Indonesia’s military takeover of West Papua.

The problem is that most of the things happening in the world, or even in our own towns, are not things we have power over. We're made to be emotionally invested in things we can't solve, can't fix. "A fatal car accident today left three dead, including two children." It's awful, but it's also over. What does it mean for us to know it? Our own social support systems already exist for this kind of thing. If we needed to know, if it were someone important to us, we'd find out.

It’s so simple if you're the Chief Executive of the 100 biggest ASX listed companies, making an average $15,000 per day, it’s not difficult making ends meet. If you’re the Federal Health Minister, Sussan Ley, away on taxpayer funded government business (husband in tow as a guest of the Australian taxpayer), when you spot a nice little holiday/investment apartment, you snap it up for $795,000. It’s so simple.

Traditional class analysis has little, if any, practical significance in 21st century Australia. Class in Australia today transcends occupational categories. What class you belong to is dependent on the amount of disposable income you have access to. Most people are aware of the power that is wielded by that small section of society (the one percenters) that own the means of production, distribution, exchange and communication. Most Australians are unaware of the growing power of the 15% of Australians who are a part of the investment class.

Trump’s tweets remind me of Moses coming down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments. Unlike Trump, Moses didn’t have the audacity to claim the Commandments were his, he gave the credit to God.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/04/bob-hawkes-narrati...

I know how it can be done.

The States, under the Constitution, gave voluntarily give up land to the Commonwealth (such as Jervis Bay Territory).

Housing affordability will be the single most important issue Australians will have to grapple with in 2017. Increasing numbers of Australians living on the streets, in their cars and couch surfing is only the tip of an iceberg that is having a significant impact on an increasing number of Australians. The current malaise can be directly attributed to the subcontracting of the public housing sector by governments to both the non-profit and for profit private sector.

I find it difficult to believe the Andrews led Labor government can get it so wrong when it comes to public housing. Traditionally Labor governments have built and managed public housing to put a roof over people’s heads who have difficulty in accessing both the private rental market and the home ownership market. A strong public housing sector puts downward pressure on private rents and housing prices especially for first home buyers.