#australianinstitute — Public Fediverse posts

By all means read it. You’ll learn about #Japanese #GunLaws and even get a statistic out of it… about #Japan. What you wil not get is how #Australian gun laws work (whatever their merits). Nor will you learn a lot about the facts purportedly supporting statements made by the author of the article (I am assuming the author can back up all his claims here - innocent until proven … well you know the rest).

From my perspective, the more we talk/read/hear about gun laws in Australia the better informed we’ll all be. And that makes all the difference when it comes to deciding what our polies ought to do about it and where our votes should go. But, it must be *informed* discussions, not dubious opinions. Facts. Facts matter here because gun ownership is a most serious issue for society. False comparisons, cherry picking, innuendo(s), appeals to emotions, hidden agendas, and unsubstantiated statements simply won’t do if one intends to inform the reader.

TBH, I am surprised the Australian Insitute allowed this poorly written piece get published, lacking bio info about the author — where does his writing come from, what are the biases we should be made aware of? Etc. Come on *The Point* editor(s), lift your game up, please. I would’ve left a comment had this been enabled. Instead, I’m tooting it. You’re welcome.

#AustralianInstitute #ThePoint #Journalism #OpinionArticle #GoodWritingThisIsNot #ThisIsNotJournalism #AusPol #ThePoint

https://thepoint.com.au/opinions/260811-australia-should-follow-japans-gun-laws

Here we go again…Allan Behm (writing for the Australian Institute) serves up another word salad and take pockshots at… Australia’s adherence to the NPT via… well, everything submarine and US alliance with a limp lettuce. Or is it a swipe at Senator #Conroy ‘s interview performance on 7:30? You tell me, I couldn’t decide which.

I might also note that the Virginia boats to be sold to Australia are capable of launching US Cruise missiles (Tomahawk and its latest nuclear capable incarnation) via torpoedo tubes (simple google search will reveal that much). Hence, so are current USN Virginia boats not just the new ones to be built — that makes the USN SSGN rotations in HMAS Stearling in 2032 the author references here irrelevent — we’d be hosting potentially nuclear armed SSN (from the US and potentially the UK) well before then… might already have.

My opinion of the author’s writing craft is decidedly going on a slide into the bin. Read him if you must, just keep your wits about you and read him very carefully and have a think about it.

Just in case my writing here attracts critical comments, in my defence, this is a toot, not an analysis, nor anything I’d consider ready for publication.

#USN #US #SSN #SSGN #VirginiaBloc4 #AUKUS #NPT #NuclearWeapons #BasingFacilites #HostingNuclearCapabability #HMASSterling #B52Bombers #USMilitaryPrepositioning #ANZUS #ADF #SubmarinePlatforms #Defence #Deterrence #AusPol #AustralianSovereignty #AllanBehm #AustralianInstitute

#RichardDenniss from the #AustralianInstitute talks about the RBA and its role in our economy in plain language that everyone will understand. It cannot be said often enough that the RBA’s obsession with controling inflation is a two-edged sword which, if you listen to Denniss, hurts the most vulnerable in our society and about a third of Australians who rent (because landlords put up their rents when mortgage rates go up) and another third of Australians because their own morgage rates also go up. On top of that, fighting inflation also causes higher unemployment. Denniss does a good job explaining all of that here, have a listen:

https://omny.fm/shows/whats-the-point-with-richard-denniss/whats-the-point-of-the-reserve-bank-of-australia

Another conversation could be had about whether the RBA should be independent of govt (Finance and Treasury) given that the govt is the only authority for issueing and removing currency.

#Inflation #RBA #NAIRU #Unemployment #ProfitLedInflation #Banking #CashRate #TaxReform #TaxSuperProfits #TaxTheRich #MMT #NeoLiberalEconomics

More on Employment from the RBA:
https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2024/apr/pdf/assessing-full-employment-in-australia.pdf

I have to say, I’m not a fan of Allan Behm (now with The Australian Institute) because, in this short article at least, he makes assertions that are light on defense and imply assumptions that are not divulged. In this case it is about #AUKUS of course, if a horse may be beaten to death, this one is surpisingly resilient.

“So, we are now left with huge investments focused on a single capability, without any consideration of the suite of capabilities Australia needs for its defence, and where just one of those capabilities — submarines — fits in.”

There are so many things wrong with the quoted segment above. I will only address the most important of these. There are valid strategic and tactical requirements for the RAN to field submarines. These were first identified after #Federation (our first subs arrived from the UK in 1914 and were deployed to our North against the German navy). and while a lot has changed since, the basic requirements were never made redundent given there have been many successful submarine procurements and deployments since WW One. So let no one question where these boats will ‘fit in’ lest it demonstrates an anomalous understanding of the matter (its kinder than saying erroneous). And Behm should know better if his resumé is any guide. There are a lot of thing to look at in this AUKUS Tier One *Deal* and much of it rightly ought to be brought to light and publically discussed, but whether Australia needs submarines or not is not one of them.

https://thepoint.com.au/opinions/260728-aukus-when-not-enough-is-still-too-much

I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again. I will always support ADF members in their requirements for the best platforms and weapon systems in order to give them the best odds of successfully carrying the tasks assigned to them by the govt of the day. And for submariners this is especially important.

#LestWeForget #SSN #SubSurfaceWarfare #Defence #ADF #AUKUStierOne #SovereignCapability #GeopoliticalStrategy #SilentService #SSN #Submarine #AustralianInstitute #NavalStrategy #Deterrence #AllanBohm

@gusseting
You might well be. You don’t have to defend yourself, It’s no my wish to put you in that position. I merely pointed out that useful discussions are those where there is a single and clear topic and that divergences are distracting and can be misconstrued, that’s all.
And yes, you were alleging @johnquiggin is bought by the #FossilFuelLobby. He is an academic of good reputation and does have #economic insights that are worth considering no matter which side of politics one supports IMHO. As for the #AustralianInstitute, I like what #RichardDenniss and #GregJericho have to say almost without excception (Neither of them are bought by #Fortesque or the fossil lobby BTW).

I don’t really want to argue with you. Thruth be known I abhor confrontations, physical or otherwise. Let there be peace between us dear tooter.
#AusPol

I find it frustrating that I cannot post a link to a particular post in the Australian Institute’s Live stream — the links resolves to the latest post. I have included a ‘time’ stamp to get around this, but it’s not as effective as dropping a reader exactly where the quote is from. Oh hum…

#AustralianInstitute

A good podcast from the #AustralianInstitute with #Amy talking to Senator #davidPocock and #TonyWindsor AM about #MinorityGovt , what it means and hownit works. Get yourself a cuppa and listen in, it’s sure to appease any fears you might harbour that minority govts achieve nothing. Fun fact, e’ve had minority govts before and theynhad no problems passing legislation.

https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/r?u=g9URzOt83zegAzNH43p8J_0Zyo1q8dZMbZqfnFu88UrPznau_vj6p8G1KJg2hF1bp0mo1QxIJAyXW30NA8RyHx4RPG7YUnRREChJ7fjuiaEPXy30fAT_DM6aQvFN_r3OX9RhPn--bwTilmvCidW_ySRdVV00Pd0R5itysIbMy9U&e=643f5c9964426da8877d8af9180f9066&utm_source=theausinstitute&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_7_march_active60&n=19

#thenewdaily #australianinstitute #amyremeikis #environment #fossilfuel #albonese #auspol

https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025/02/23/albanese-government-priorities

I've just signed up for these four free webinars from the #AustralianInstitute.

#auspol #FossilFuels #MinorityGovernment #Taxation #TwoParty #VoterDissatisfaction

https://australiainstitute.org.au/events/policy-school/

I've just signed this from the #AustralianInstitute calling on the government to stop approving new coal and gas and to end native forest logging.

#auspol #ClimateEmergency #FossilFuels

https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/stop_new_fossil_fuels?recruiter_id=316770

I've just signed this #AustralianInstitute petition to the government to increase the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax #PRRT. Currently Australia is raising less from this tax than it does for student loan debt. Meanwhile, #FossilFuels companies are making record profits on these one-time Australian assets.

#auspol #CorporateProfits

https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/increase_the_prrt