Author Archives: andrew

Can democracy calm jihadists?

Posted on July 2, 2011 by andrew

By Andrew L. Urban “We can’t build a global set of moral values while each religion is in its own moral ghetto, eg the Taliban, whose moral code is anathema to everyone else.” Richard Dawkins I used to think it’s only … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy And Terrorism | Leave a comment

Democracies and authoritarian regimes

Posted on July 1, 2011 by andrew

By Andrew L. Urban   Democracies are failing to meet the authoritarian challenge. Watching international news bulletins, trawling the internet for instant updates on protests around the Arab world, reading eye witness reports of torture, rape and other abuse by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Regimes | Leave a comment

The dysfUNctional nations

Posted on July 1, 2011 by andrew

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 →

Posted in Organisations And Groups | Leave a comment

Managing refugees onshore

Posted on July 1, 2011 by andrew

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 →

Posted in Democracy And Refugees | Leave a comment

Ignore refugee boat arrivals?

Posted on July 1, 2011 by andrew

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 →

Posted in Democracy And Refugees | Leave a comment

The Indonesian elephant in the room

Posted on July 1, 2011 by andrew

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 →

Posted in Democracy And Refugees | Leave a comment

Sovereign rights and wrongs

Posted on July 1, 2011 by andrew

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 →

Posted in By The Way | Leave a comment

Funny and serious

Posted on July 1, 2011 by andrew

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 →

Posted in Humour and Democracy | Leave a comment

Unhappy 50th to Amnesty International

Posted on June 27, 2011 by andrew

By Andrew L. Urban After many years of actively and financially supporting Amnesty Australia, I resigned in April 2007 with a heavy heart.  AI’s charter had always been to support and work for the release of non violent prisoners of … Continue reading →

Posted in Organisations And Groups | Leave a comment

Citizens assemblies & Julia Gillard PM

Posted on June 27, 2011 by andrew

By Andrew L. Urban When Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced during the 2010 election campaign that she would establish a Citizens’ Assembly to deliberate on and find consensus for climate change policies, the idea was derided and ridiculed. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Making A Difference | Leave a comment