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2023: A Year of Consequence
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First published January 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 20, 2024
Some very interesting essays over broad range of topics.
Life Extension Research:- Interesting ethical dilemma that if humans routinely lived very long lives could reduce adaptability and lead to social stagnation. Fields such as science benefit from regular influx of young minds, even if older minds remain sharp, their 'confirmation bias' (tendency to seek and interpret information in ways hat confirm one's prior beliefs) - could slow uptake of new scientific theories. Also, 'slowing generational turnover could delay the point at which we recognise and fix our own moral catastrophes, especially those we can't yet see'. After all, we think past societies were catastrophically mistaken in theirs, such as when they endorsed slavery or rendered homosexuality illegal.
Sugar, Slavery and The Sydney Morning Herald:- explored paper's historical links to slave labour through shareholding with CSR. CSR profiteered through abduction and importation of tens of thousands of South Sea islanders ('kanaka') in mid 1800s. Practice of kidnapping (including children) was calded 'blackbirding' ('blackbird' another word for slave). Their mass deportation in 1901 was part of the 'White Australia Policy'. The SMH supported the WAP, except in the case of labour in cane fields. It argued that "The sun, so deadly to the white man, is to the Kanaka only the source of a genial warmth..these islanders are like the australian aborigine...just sufficiently intelligent for work in the canefield..cheap, and...inured to outdoor labour in a tropical climate." !!!!!!
In 1935, SMH conceeded that blackbirding, the practice it had implicitly supported in the 1890s and early 1900s was actually a 'type of slavery'.
Who needs PwC when consultancy work could be done more efficiently in-house:- Discusses how overuse of consultants hollows out public service, whereby PS progressively loses skills and promotion opportunities.
Satellites and space junk reflecting sunlight, making nights skies brighter so hindering astronomy (science) and hiding stars from view (cultural).
Other interesting articles on the ethical questions people should ask before they have children considering state of climate change, what should the Australian War memorial do with its heroic portraits of Ben Roberts Smith, how Russia falling apart under Putin.
Life Extension Research:- Interesting ethical dilemma that if humans routinely lived very long lives could reduce adaptability and lead to social stagnation. Fields such as science benefit from regular influx of young minds, even if older minds remain sharp, their 'confirmation bias' (tendency to seek and interpret information in ways hat confirm one's prior beliefs) - could slow uptake of new scientific theories. Also, 'slowing generational turnover could delay the point at which we recognise and fix our own moral catastrophes, especially those we can't yet see'. After all, we think past societies were catastrophically mistaken in theirs, such as when they endorsed slavery or rendered homosexuality illegal.
Sugar, Slavery and The Sydney Morning Herald:- explored paper's historical links to slave labour through shareholding with CSR. CSR profiteered through abduction and importation of tens of thousands of South Sea islanders ('kanaka') in mid 1800s. Practice of kidnapping (including children) was calded 'blackbirding' ('blackbird' another word for slave). Their mass deportation in 1901 was part of the 'White Australia Policy'. The SMH supported the WAP, except in the case of labour in cane fields. It argued that "The sun, so deadly to the white man, is to the Kanaka only the source of a genial warmth..these islanders are like the australian aborigine...just sufficiently intelligent for work in the canefield..cheap, and...inured to outdoor labour in a tropical climate." !!!!!!
In 1935, SMH conceeded that blackbirding, the practice it had implicitly supported in the 1890s and early 1900s was actually a 'type of slavery'.
Who needs PwC when consultancy work could be done more efficiently in-house:- Discusses how overuse of consultants hollows out public service, whereby PS progressively loses skills and promotion opportunities.
Satellites and space junk reflecting sunlight, making nights skies brighter so hindering astronomy (science) and hiding stars from view (cultural).
Other interesting articles on the ethical questions people should ask before they have children considering state of climate change, what should the Australian War memorial do with its heroic portraits of Ben Roberts Smith, how Russia falling apart under Putin.
February 23, 2024
Excellent collection of insightful essays across wide-ranging topics. Essential reading for anyone interested in what's going on in Australia.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews