© 2018 Greg & Sylvia RAY

– Politics, economics etc

Read more about the article Reflections on a swaying tower

Reflections on a swaying tower

A long time ago, when I was writing a daily newspaper column, a person phoned me to ask if I would share a cup of coffee with them. This person, a regular reader of my opinions, wanted to know how I coped. How I coped, that is, with having a particular - cynical - view of world affairs. Didn't this world view cause me to be depressed? Evidently, they were finding things depressing, even at that stage. I say "even at that stage" because this phone call and cup of coffee happened before such events as…

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Read more about the article Backing humanity isn’t antisemitic
Montage from an old pamphlet and a screenshot from Haaretz

Backing humanity isn’t antisemitic

February 25, 2025: OPINION BY GREG RAY Australia needs to beware of political and religious extremists. They are dangerous. Their advice and preferences should not take precedence over those of other people. It doesn't matter what religion they espouse or what nation-state they may be advocating for: if their pronouncements and declarations identify them as extremists then they need to be treated with great caution. Their extremist views should not be amplified and if opportunistic politicians and media outlets seek to do so in pursuit of some perceived advantage then those opportunists should be called out.…

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Read more about the article The curse of the peacemakers
Photo at right, of Yitzhak Rabin's funeral, from Noa Ben Artzi-Pelossof's book (left)

The curse of the peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 In his sermon on the mount, Jesus Christ offered his blessing to peacemakers. Unfortunately, most of humanity - including most nominal Christians - have never got the memo. Advocating for peace in a world dominated by territorial, tribally oriented, heavily armed and trigger-happy people is a thankless, dangerous task. As far as modern nation-states and those who run them are concerned, external enemies come and go, but peacemakers are always high on the hit-list - often literally. For the most part, "peace"…

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