Strange as it may sound, I have come to think of a spacecraft as a person. In a quest to satisfy that most basic human characteristic, curiosity, Voyager 1 is defying expectations and seemingly impossible odds with dogged determination.… Read the rest
With the exception of their host, the leaders of the G7 gathered in Italy are demonstrably confused about how to deal with surging right wing populism. The advice they need was provided by one of history’s most storied right-wingers, Charles de Gaulle: “Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back upon himself.… Read the rest
In 1970, then U.S. Vice-president Spiro Agnew derided journalists (although some say he meant politicians) critical of Nixon administration policies as “nattering nabobs of negativism.” Today, the characterisation seems to be considered either complimentary or aspirational.… Read the rest
More countries (193) recognise the mandate of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) than belong to the world body. So how does it come to pass that we’ve made children both a tool and a victim in the perpetual contretemps of adult issues, from the picayune to the perceived life-changing?… Read the rest
During the siege of Sarajevo, the Danish army NCOs who controlled UN relief flights had a sign behind their check-in desk that read: “Do not confuse your rank with our authority”. For politicians ranting against the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for the Gaza conflict, I suggest one that says: “Do not confuse your self-image with the moral high ground.… Read the rest
When Joni Mitchell sang “You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone”, she was referring to love and the beauty of Nature. Having recently lost – temporarily and not drastically – visual acuity in one eye, I can add a few more things to her list, and they’re not all bad.… Read the rest
The adage “You can kill the messenger, but not the message” purportedly traces its roots to somewhere in the Middle Ages. Its 21st century application is to do the literal killing blatantly, and disprove the second half of the admonition furtively.… Read the rest
In his totemic plea for us to imagine a better world, John Lennon insisted “It isn’t hard to do…”. Campus protests that commingle anti-Semitism and calls for ceasefire in Gaza belie that. So as a prism to see through the moral miasma, I recommend Covid.… Read the rest
History has shown, repeatedly, that the best the extreme left or right can manage is a revolution, which in the end eats itself and accomplishes little of lasting value. Three events this week prove the point that extreme views can be catalysts for debate, but casting change and progress comes from when the two meet in the middle.… Read the rest
“You did it to me so I’m going to do it to you” isn’t appropriate behaviour in a schoolyard. In a region trembling on the brink of an all-encompassing war , where cool heads, informed thinking and sensible compromise are vital, it seems to be the best that egotistical leaders driven by ideology and their political survival can provide.… Read the rest