Monthly Archives: July 2011

The dysfUNctional nations

By Andrew L. Urban  The United Nations is dysfunctional and ineffective, many of its member states being oppressive, undemocratic regimes which have forfeited their sovereignty and should be declared illegitimate; they should have their voting rights revoked or suspended. There … Continue reading

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Managing refugees onshore

By Andrew L. Urban Another contentious refugee policy (they are all contentious) is the bi-partisan policy of isolating refugees in Australian detention centres during processing. It is contentious not between the two major parties but in the community, where humanitarian … Continue reading

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Ignore refugee boat arrivals?

By Andrew L. Urban During the many public debates about asylum seekers in Australia during 2010-11, when there was a significant increase in refugee boat arrivals from Indonesia, several commentators took the view that it was somehow ridiculous for public … Continue reading

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The Indonesian elephant in the room

By Andrew L. Urban Democracies have a non-negotiable obligation to formulate public policies that safeguard the population, including those who seek asylum within its borders. The asylum seeker elephant in the ‘Australia’ room is Indonesia. It’s the elephant in the … Continue reading

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Sovereign rights and wrongs

14/5/2011: Robert Fisk in The Independent (UK): “Christopher Hill, a former US secretary of state for east Asia who was ambassador to Iraq – and usually a very obedient and un-eloquent American diplomat – wrote the other day that “the … Continue reading

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Funny and serious

As British writer, wit and actor Stephen Fry once said, ‘It is easy to forget that the most important aspect of comedy, after all, its great saving grace, is its ambiguity. You can simultaneously laugh at a situation and take … Continue reading

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