Understanding Pope Francis

 

For every opinion about Francis, or perception of him, there seems to be ample evidence to support a contrary viewpoint. ... 

Francis did not have the clarity of the previous Popes, but he had a magnetic personality, and he even encouraged young Catholics to ‘make a mess’. The problem for interpreting Francis from the West is that most of us are accustomed to divisions on the left-right spectrum, or a liberal-conservative range of worldviews. Francis, however, was not located anywhere on either spectrum, but he came from a completely different perspective and worldview.

Francis was heavily influenced by Peronism, the political movement heralded by Juan Peron and which had been ironically influenced in its formation by elements of Catholic social teaching.

As a political ideology, Peronism regards praxis and personality as more important than principles. ..... [To read more, please see my article in The Spectator, at  https://www.spectator.com.au/2025/05/understanding-pope-francis/

How Jewish values led to liberal democracy

Liberal democracy, as we know it, could not exist without the values introduced to our culture by Judaism.

American Founding Father John Adams claimed that “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” In that light, it is important to affirm that Jewish tradition gave us the concepts of humanity and God that made our liberal democracy possible. ...

To read more, please go to the Australian Jewish News at https://www.australianjewishnews.com/how-jewish-values-led-to-liberal-democracy/

Is peace possible? (with Hamas)

 My latest article in The Spectator addresses the question "Is Peace Possible with Hamas?"

I open by saying that
"Such hope is naïve because the evidence is that while an end to the fighting may be possible with the Palestinian people, long-term peace with Hamas is near impossible."

I then argue that "

Since its origins, Hamas has thus been ideologically opposed to peace with Israel. The organisation’s goal is to maintain the armed struggle until Israel is annihilated utterly. Instead of being open to a two-state solution, Hamas wants a one-state solution – a theocracy extending ‘from the River to the Sea’. This practically means eliminating Jewish people and raising ‘the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine’.

The fanatical religious nature of Hamas means that while we could hope for peace between Israel and most Palestinian people, there can never be long-lasting peace with Hamas. "

I conclude by writing that "While peace may be possible with most Palestinians, it is most likely not possible with Hamas. Israel is a liberal democracy with the best interests of its people at heart. Hamas – the Islamic Resistance Movement, is a genocidal death cult that will sacrifice as many of its own people as needed to exterminate the Jewish people."

To read more, please see https://www.spectator.com.au/2025/02/is-peace-possible/

Catching up with these great Australian women

It was an absolute honour to catch up with these great Australians, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Trish Botha - Liberal for the Senate. 

With leaders like these, our country is in safe hands!

Elon Musk, the Free Speech Revolution, and Solving World Hunger.

Amartya Sen, who won the Nobel Prize for economics for his work on famine, observed that famine does not occur where there is representative democracy and a free press.

I argue that, by promoting free speech, Elon Musk is helping to attack the real causes of famine: information poverty and lack of representation.

To read more, click here

"Can Elon Musk solve world hunger?"

https://www.spectator.com.au/2024/07/can-elon-musk-solve-world-hunger/

Rethinking Indigenous Policy

"Last year’s “Voice” debate brought into sharp focus the difference between Labor’s ideology and liberal philosophy. Liberalism embraces a few big ideas and lets the ideas’ natural power improve society from the ground up. Labor’s approach is to promote myriad small solutions from the top down, applying them with a paternalist mindset that tries to bend nature to fit Labor’s ideology. This mindset led to the fatally flawed “Voice,” which was a national top-down solution to issues that are fundamentally local."  

To read more, please see pages 21-22 of 
"The Contributor, A Journal of articles published by the Policy Committee of the Liberal Party of Australia (WA Division)" 

https://www.contributor.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Contributor_6th-Edition_2024_Compress.pdf

Joondalup Health Campus: Snake catcher Matthew Ogilvie dumbstruck by lack of care for young bite victim

I was featured in the West Australian, after a 10 year old snake bite victim was denied vital treatment  at a local hospital. 

https://thewest.com.au/news/health/joondalup-health-campus-snake-catcher-matthew-ogilvie-dumbstruck-by-lack-of-care-for-young-bite-victim-c-15008616