Keith Suter’s Global Insights
What on earth is going on?
Articles (24 of 27)
Thalidomide
November 12, 2008 | RADIO 2GB NEWS COMMENTARY The thalidomide scandal is one of the standard case studies taught in media courses: fearless journalists take on a huge corporation which is behaving badly towards its child victims. But one of the key journalists in that campaign now has doubts about that victory. Thalidomide was discovered by accident in 1954 by a small German company called Chemie Grunenthal and it appeared to be a good sedative. It had none of the drawbacks of barbiturates, then the fashionable drug, and it was impossible to take an overdose. Grunenthal marketed the drug all over the world, including... Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 8:04 PM Comment
Armistice Day 2008
November 12, 2008 | Yesterday marked the 90th anniversary of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 1918 - when World War I ended. I was recalling my visit to Turkey a few years ago where I met the British Anglican minister who has helped revive the tradition of the Dawn Service at ANZAC Cove. Ironically the commemoration of the events has become so extensive that bigger roads have had to be built to cope with all the visitors - and many remains are being uncovered. It is worth recalling that Turkish bullets were not the only hazard facing... Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 7:47 AM Comment
The Bali Bombers Are Executed
November 9, 2008 | This morning’s execution of three terrorists responsible for the 2002 Bali bombing closes one chapter in this long-running saga. But there are still many other chapters yet to be written. The three - Armrozi, Imam Samudra and Mukhlas - were only part of the conspiracy. There are others still on the run, not least alleged bomb-maker Noordin Mohammad Top and another operations planner Dulmatin. There is a broader risk that the execution will now inspire a new generation of Indonesian terrorists who see themselves as “holy warriors” and so continue their struggle. The execution therefore presented the Indonesian authorities with... Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 10:02 PM 1 comment
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The race for the whitehouse: A new era.
November 6, 2008 | A new global era has begun with the election of Barack Obama as the next US President. The new President will be sworn in on January 20 2009. His stunning election victory is a reminder that the US has a tremendous capacity for self-renewal. This is a factor to bear in mind when people speculate on the "US's final decline", such as with President Bush's failed military policies in Afghanistan and Iraq and the continuing economic crisis at home. Picture from Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_obama Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 2:33 PM 2 comments
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Catholic Church In Britain
November 5, 2008 | One of the biggest Christian news stories in Britain in the last few months has been the conversion of the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the Catholic Church. It has generated many news angles. His conversion has coincided with news that the Catholic Church has now more people worshipping on a Sunday than the Church of England. This is the first time since Henry VIII almost half a millennium ago that the Catholics have been doing that well. Tony Blair has long been an unusual British politician. He was one of the most successful politicians in British... Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 2:19 PM Comment
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What happened to "God's Banker"?
November 5, 2008 | We still do not know who killed "God's banker". Roberto Calvi had a very close financial relationship with the Vatican and so he was known as "God's banker". He was the head of the failed Italian bank Banco Ambrosiano, one of the country's biggest. One of his clients was the Vatican's Institute of Religious Works. The Vatican denied any legal responsibility for the bank's financial problems but it did agree to pay US$241 million to the bank's creditors. A court in Rome has now acquitted two Italian mobsters and three others for the murder. We are back to square... Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 2:14 PM Comment
The most violent war since World War II
November 5, 2008 | 25th January 2008The most violent war since World War II is currently being fought in one of the world's biggest countries: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Over five million people have been killed since 1998. The violence shows the near powerlessness of the international community to do something help the victims. There is a lack of media coverage and a consequent lack of political will. It also shows how global priorities are somewhat distorted - animals are more important than humans. Millions of dollars are flowing in to protect the silver back gorillas caught up in the conflict -... Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 2:11 PM Comment
Back to school
November 5, 2008 | Australian students are returning to school after their summer vacations. In a sense, I also went back to school recently. When I was back in London for Christmas I called in at the school I attended 1959-64. This is the first time I had been there for 43 years. It has certainly changed a great deal. To a certain extent, this is a reflection of the increased level of wealth and greater opportunities now to be found in Britain generally. The British 1944 Education Act created a new approach to schooling based on the three "A's": age, aptitude and... Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 2:08 PM Comment
Peace in the Middle East?
November 5, 2008 | The Bush Administration has claimed that progress is being made in Iraq. That optimism is not shared by everyone. Indeed in the lead up to the fifth anniversary of the March 2003 invasion, it seems that the entire sorry saga is one of missed opportunities. The Middle East remains the poorest, most populous and most dangerous zone in the world. Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan was recently interviewed by a leading US news magazine. He is a unique person in the tortured world of Middle East politics. The magazine described him as a "deep thinker, prolific author... Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 1:57 PM Comment
25 Super Years
November 5, 2008 | Australia is in a very fortunate position. It does not face an old age pension crisis, similar to that in many other developed countries. Australia's fortunate situation is due to changes made 25 years ago by the then new Hawke Labor Government. James Capretta is a fellow of the Centre for Strategic and International Systems at Washington DC, and he is an expert on national pension systems. He has done an international review of state-based pensions for the Trieste-based Risk Institute "European Papers on the New Welfare: The Counter-Ageing Society" (September 2007). The journal is one of the best ways... Full article »
Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 1:55 PM 1 comment
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