The Brown Note

Ukraine: German Tanks Cost Ukrainian Lives

Despite initially holding out, either honorably or because of fuel price terror, Germany has got back with the program and is sending tanks to the Russian war in Ukraine - make no bones about it, each German tank equates to Ukrainian civilian deaths.

Anthony Albanese: You’re The Voice, Try And Understand It

With Australians again being asked to again vote on OTHER Australians rights, if prime minister Anthony Albanese can't explain The Voice to the public in one sentence, he's giving a hugely dangerous and damaging free kick to the populist right.

From Ronaldo To Beyoncé: Absolute Wealth Corrupts Absolutely

Even a homeless person isn't as desperate for the next dollar as the super rich. With one of the greatest players of all time, Christiano Ronaldo, prepared to trash his legacy, right at the end, by becoming a performing clown in Saudi Arabia and probably the most prominent music act of the century, Beyoncé, happy to do the same - for basically the same people who got a very bad meal in The Menu - in Dubai, the integrity of the mega-wealthy has never been so cheaply for sale. Nor has their holistic commitment to human rights been more transparently exposed surface level noise.

The Right Worship Awful People, Why?

From Andrew Tait to Donald Trump, from Kanye West to Elon Musk, from Marjorie Taylor Greene to Katie Hopkins, Cardinal George Pell, Kari Lake, Pauline Hanson, Avi Yemini and Alex Jones - the modern day superheroes of the right are ALL really awful people, why? I think I know why.

The Death Of Cardinal George Pell

A titan of Australian Catholicism, who was the third highest ranking Catholic on earth, leaves a legacy forever associated with the child sex abuse scandals that plagued his church. He is being lionised by those of the hard right as a hero, as they celebrate his eventual, controversial acquittal from his own child sex abuse conviction, whilst they completely ignore a royal commission into child sex abuse finding he knew of, helped cover up and even facilitated the abuse of children over decades. This is not a man to celebrate at his time of passing.

Brittany Higgins: When The Levee Breaks

Is Australia's most infamous workplace incident over, or is it about to go supernova and finally ensure Brittany's employer at the time, the actual government, is finally held to account. Despite maintaining a scarcely believable and completely ludicrous position, that no senior person in the previous Liberal government, either knew about the allegations of rape against a staff member in their own offices or covered it up to win an election, the Liberals have so far got away scot-free. Now, a new compensation case from Higgins brings two pivotal parts of this equation, ex-senators, Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash into play. No longer having the protection - including financial - of being in office, will they finally throw our beloved ex-prime minister, Scott Morrision, under a bus, by proclaiming they were only obeying orders? Please Brittany, do not settle this out of court.

Ukraine: Is Zelensky Good For Ukraine?

Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is the Time magazine person of the year - rightly so as they base it on the person who overall has had the most impact on the year. It's also bloody funny as I know damn well the tweeting ego, Elon Musk, would've thought it should be him. But in one of my infrequent series of pieces that will make no friends - has he been GOOD for Ukraine or the Ukrainian people? In my opinion, no.

Chinese Protests, Western Hypocrisy

A double whammy of hypocrisy actually. As the biggest protests in decades greet the latest round of lock-downs in China, the Western world, (particularly my people on the left) who have spent the last few years attacking lock-down protestors, now regard them as freedom fighting heroes. And whilst mass public street protests have been common place in the West in recent years, particularly in America, all the way up to an actual attempt to overthrow the government, if they happen in Iran, Russia or China, it's time for regime change.

Why I Stand With Brittany Higgins

After a two year wait to get to trial, followed by a mistrial due to the actions of a Juror, the most controversial case and political story in modern Australian history would seem to be at an end - with Brittany in hospital for mental health reasons, the prosecutor has decided not proceed with another trial, saying her life is in danger and more important. Devastating stuff and now no one who in all likelihood helped cover this low point in Australian politics up, to win an election and then lied about it for two years, will ever beheld accountable, including ex-prime minister Scott Morrison. Our system in dealing with sexual assault cases is broken, with re-traumatising alleged victims seemingly built into the process, always for the benefit of the accused - in this case to an unbearable degree. The worst part of this country will always treat her as a villain but I and the best half of this country stand with Brittany Higgins for her unimaginable strength of character, integrity and bravery.

Qatar And The Corruption Of The FIFA World Cup

FIFA should be custodians of the world's biggest sport's most popular showcase, instead they've descended into such corrupt disrepute they need to be replaced. We all know the awarding the cup to Qatar was mired in bribery, lying and officials enriching themselves, but how could it not be when every other modern World Cup stinks to high heaven too. An overview of the whole debacle and why Qatar would even want to spend a hundred billion dollars plus to host it in the first place.