2 days ago · The unravelling of Australian society. Australian society has never really been a cohesive entity. In the past its various socio-economic, religious, ethnic, cultural, and political …

6 hours ago · Donald Trump and the MAGA gang point to the ‘massive mandate’ he obtained to justify any policy he may implement. There is, of course, a lot of debate about so-called …

1 day ago · We recognise the First Peoples of this nation and their ongoing connection to culture and country. We acknowledge First Nations Peoples as the Traditional Owners, Custodians …

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4 days ago · The atmosphere at a recent meeting to discuss the results of the 29 th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change was glum, to say the least. It …

Donald Trump’s return: gloves off reset. Donald Trump’s return to power for a second term has sent ripples across the globe. On his first day in office, he wielded executive authority with …

The Year of the Snake: unseen bogs; unbridled good-luck. Amidst colourful lion dances and whatnots, many Chinese community leaders will, once again, fete their white guardian angels …

It was quite a surprise when I noticed last week that we had posted so many articles over 13 years. The 20,000 articles (listed here) include over 700 of my own. A selection of these, about …

John Menadue. John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and …

Pearls and Irritations is an Australian platform for the exchange of ideas from a progressive, liberal perspective, with an emphasis on peace and justice. John Menadue is the publisher, …