Dear Phillip et al at LNL, Again, well done. LNL is a drop of sanity in an ocean of madness, or at least profound and wilful stupidity. Whilst listening to Wednesday's programme, and particularly to Prof. Steinburg's ardent views, a number of thoughts occurred to me. The first was that I would not like to be dependent on the good prof. S. to resolve any conflict that I was involved in. The second thought concerned the notion of "innocent victim(s)". This designation has been employed ...
LETTER TO THE OXFORD DICTIONARY 2013
To whom it may concern, I have been using my Concise Oxford for many years. Having been given a more recent edition, I noticed some changes which cause me some concern. For many years I have been fighting a losing semantic battle with the forces of reaction, as the English speaking world staggers erratically to the Right side of the political spectrum. My battle ground is nothing less than the identity of the Left. My battered old Oxford defines Left Wing as:“progressive, radical”… and “more ...
AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL POLITICIANS
As most of you know, there is a common misunderstanding that a lawyer’s primary obligation is to his or her client. In reality a lawyer’s first responsibilities are those of an officer of the court, i.e. to the legal system itself. I suggest that parliamentarians have a similar obligation to the democratic system they serve. I understand that those of you who are motivated by a desire to serve the electorate according to personal or ideological preferences, may be tempted to conclude that you ...
Prof. Anon
From: Tony Dickson Sent: Friday, 22 April 2016 12:24 AM To: Subject: The Money on volunteering Dear Professor ....................., I have just listened to this programme about the value of volunteering with my usual frustrations with the city-centric focus of the media in this country. Whilst I do not disagree with the analysis presented, I suggest that its focus was on relatively trivial examples of the failure of economic orthodoxies and public policy to account for the value ...
Andrew Leigh Productivity…
Your use of the word productivity appears to be a misnomer. What you really mean is efficiency of output per unit of labour. What is the difference? I suggest that whilst the latter designation is largely value free, the former is a riddled with subjectivity. I acknowledge that this assertion is at odds with the usual usage of the word productive and indeed with most dictionary definitions. However, I would argue that usual definitions are based on a false premise: that increases in ...
Meta Conversation
The term, “meta-data” has been much used of late and I have been reflecting on its etymology and its potential for wider usage. Why not meta-conversation? Indeed, I was having a meta –conversation with my old friend Dennis just the other day. I was telling him about an impromptu tete-a-tete I recently had with a guy I met in the pub. We had been conversing at the bar for a few minutes when I remarked that despite the very modest extent of my powers of perspicacity, I sensed from his ...
LET’S SCRAP THE SUBSIDIES – THE COUNTRY FIRE SERVICE AND THE MARKET ECONOMY.
To whom it may concern, I am a lucky man. I am a farmer and as such, of necessity, something of jack-of- all -trades. I enjoy the beauty of my environment and the intellectual and creative challenges that daily confront me. I work seven days a week with occasional breaks to join my neighbours on the fire truck; for training, or the real thing. Most of the work I do is “overhead” (weed control, fuel reduction, fencing, machinery maintenance, book keeping, beaurocratic compliance etc). ...
Response to The Business Council of Australia’s: Action Plan for Enduring Prosperity
I was more than a little disappointed with BCA spokesperson, CEO Jennifer Westacott’s recent interview on Radio National. As usual, her reasoning was unassailable. However, it proceeded upon a set of assumptions that may be described as being, at best, highly contestable and at worst, absurd. The topic under scrutiny was the BCA’s prescription for the provision of increasing living standards for Australians. The assumption underpinning this prescription is the necessity and viability of ...
Privatising the ABC: A Very Dangerous Idea Indeed.
I am a farmer and small business operator; as was my father and his father. My great grandfather captained his own brigantine, chasing cargoes around the world. Thus it is not surprising that I am a staunch supporter of the philosophy of free enterprise. I am also a student and admirer of Adam Smith and those other Scottish dons who created an intellectual hub of the Enlightenment in Edinburgh and Glasgow. These brave souls challenged the orthodoxies of the time, taking on the conservative ...
The Hon. Andrew Abstention
Video: https://youtu.be/UHaffArhC_s The Hon. Andrew Abstention, Minister for Energy, Mining and the Environment. Thank you for that kind introduction, Mr Speaker...I’m sorry, I mean Madam moderator. Mr. Speaker. I am afraid that I do not quite understand the honourable gentleman’s argument. Do away with economic growth? That makes no sense. How can you have an economy that doesn’t grow. We have to have economic growth or,...or....well I hate to think Mr Speaker... I mean ...