Marcus Strom

Trump letter urges Israel's president to pardon PM Netanyahu President Herzog's office says he holds Trump "in the highest regard", but that anyone seeking a pardon has to submit a formal request.

This is why consistent democrats and republicans should oppose a head of state, who are ‘elected monarchs’. No reserve powers against a sovereign parliament or assembly of the people should be tolerated

No Kings. No Presidents. For a sovereign people

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Albo will save the Governor-General - Labor Tribune As the 50th anniversary of the Dismissal approaches, David Lockwood urges you to maintain your republican rage and enthusiasm.

Plenty of fine words about Gough and the Dismissal 50 years ago today. But without a new republican constitution that removes the reserve Crown powers - whether vested in a Governor-General or President - frankly, it’s all hot air

labortribune.net.au/albo-will-sa...

I co-hosted the John Laws Show on 2UE for half an hour with my best friend from primary school. We were about 10.

My first 'gig' in the media. Still remember the on-air nerves from nearly 50 years ago.

Latest Labor Tribune has dropped
- Fight Marles naked militarism
- @Vic_Socialists registration at an impasse
- MUA leadership change
- Environment Protection bill
- Gen Z protests: can they win?
- Dismissal 50 years: maintain your rage
- Letters
labortribune.net.au

Latest Labor Tribune has dropped
labortribune.net.au

Opening slide for the Apocalypse in Science and Culture course at the University of Sydney. The left gives the course name. The right is an album cover from Midnight Oil, showing a photomontage by Japanese artist Tsunehisa Kimura depicting a nuclear strike on Sydney.

About to give the introductory lecture for my favourite course: "The Apocalypse in Science and Culture" @sydney.edu.au

We introduced this course (unintentionally) in the middle of the pandemic.

It proved to be a great way for students to process their experiences and concerns about the future.

Feels like the 'recognise Palestine' debate is a diversion by western countries from taking real action to stop a genocide
- sanction Israel (not one/two 'bad' ministers)
- total arms embargo
- prosecute/arrest IDF volunteers from countries returned home suspected of war crimes

Australia lifts US beef ban after Trump demands The government insists the move is the result of a lengthy biosecurity review rather than negotiations with the Trump administration, which demanded access for US cattle.

Ah yes, the old conveniently timed biosecurity review. Nothing to do with bowing, scraping and fawning to Washington.

www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

Fantastic to see the Electrical Trades Union in QLD & NT calling for the Australian government to withdraw from AUKUS. The ACTU and the labour movement must get behind the campaign against militarism, for decent jobs that are for peace, not war.

What you need to earn to be in the top 1 per cent in your Sydney suburb In Bellevue Hill, the top earners bring in an average of $7.5 million. Check out your suburb.

Good data story - not for the bollox about what you need for 1% - but for highlighting what people actually live on in this city.

Media income for Greater Sydney is $58,200. Let that sink in. Half of the income earners in this city earn LESS than that.

www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

You sure? We shall see.

Trump proposes US tax hike for ultra-wealthy US President Donald Trump is proposing a new 39.6% tax bracket for individuals earning at least US$2.5 million per year, or couples making US$5 million, as part of his “big, beautiful bill” to extend ...

Trump raising taxes on the super-rich to pay for Medicaid and other social services is going to melt the brains of the liberal left ‘tax the rich’ brigade.

www.capitalbrief.com/briefing/tru...

Tax the rich?

Orange, green and red Labor’s thumping election victory resulted from more than Trump and the rush for safety. Liberal dog whistles and the promise of nuclear power stations were soundly rejected. Marcus Strom looks at the...

My thoughts on last weekend’s Australian federal election for British communist newspaper, Weekly Worker

weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1537/...

Enjoy democracy day Straya #democracysausage #DefeatDutton #DontRiskDutton

‘Children would be crushed’: Police called as selective schools tests descend into chaos One test was cancelled and police including members of the riot squad were needed to manage massive crowds at selective school exams across Sydney.

I don’t know about you but if RIOT POLICE are being used to manage the selective schools exams then perhaps it a time to review the entire separatist elite nonsense.

www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

Long Live International Working Class Solidarity and Sociaism.

Long Live May Day! Defeat Dutton!

Congratulations to the people of Vietnam - celebrating today 50 years since their country was reunified after being torn apart by Japanese, French, US and Australian imperialism

Trust in artificial intelligence: global insights 2025 Global survey results exploring people’s trust in AI, responsible AI, expectations of AI governance, and benefits and risks for business and society.

Interesting study on AI literacy/confidence. Australia among most pessimistic - but also among least AI literate of 47 countries surveyed by KPMG + Melbourne Uni Nigeria, Egypt, UAE, China and India among the most AI literate - and trusting - populations
kpmg.com/au/en/home/i...

Post Anzac Day in Hanoi with a veteran of the anti-imperialist war

Chag Pesach sameach y’all

A time to reflect on freedom (freiheit) and forced exile - and take to heart a principle advocated by one of my favourite Jews, Charlie Marx.

“A nation that oppresses another cannot itself be free”

No, the dire wolf has not been brought back from extinction Colossal Biosciences claims three pups born recently are dire wolves, but they are actually grey wolves with genetic edits intended to make them resemble the lost species

Good to see some sense injected into the ‘Dire Wolves Back From Extinction” hype for a private company by @mjflepage.bsky.social @newscientist.com

20 gene edits to a wolf a new species does not make.

No The Dire Wolf Has Not Been Brought Back From Extinction
www.newscientist.com/article/2475...

Why Everything in the Universe Turns More Complex | Quanta Magazine A new suggestion that complexity increases over time, not just in living organisms but in the nonliving world, promises to rewrite notions of time and evolution.

A new theory of complexity suggests entities are selected because they are richer in information that enables them to perform some kind of function.

Another great article by Philip Ball philipcball.bsky.social‬www.quantamagazine.org/why-everythi...2/

Quakers condemn police raid on Westminster Meeting House Police broke into a Quaker Meeting House last night (27 March) and arrested six young people holding a meeting over concerns for the climate and Gaza.

Don’t be fooled into thinking the wave of repression is only happening in Trump’s USA.

British police have raided a Quakers’ place of worship arresting six women.

Yep. The Quakers.

www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

Patiently yet with urgency!

Congrats @mikeyslezak.bsky.social ABC in Sydney, @biancahall.bsky.social The Age in Melbourne & @kasunubayasiri.bsky.social Griffith Uni in Brisbane.

New journo union leaders backed by members, committed to unionism, ethics & press freedom

They will become directors of the @walkleys.bsky.social

Our message for a second-term Labor Government to scrap AUKUS is loud and clear as reported here by Isobel Roe from ABC News

Chag Purim Sameach!

Here we go again: since the Boer War Australian governments hasn’t missed an opportunity to send the sons and daughters of other people, young men and women, off to die in the senseless wars of Empires on the other side of the world.

Fare thee well summer! Was lovely to get in a beach swim on the last day.