Unnecessary military spending is a cancer on democracy, but it takes a case like Egypt to show the real damage that it can do.
Category: Political issues
An ominous but hopeful anniversary
Burma commemorates the failed revolution of 1988 in a new spirit of openness.
Berlusconi: really guilty this time?
Finally a definitive conviction is recorded against Silvio Berlusconi. Italy's politicians need to learn to live without him, but it's not clear that they are up to the task.
God and the neocons
The Economist's Will Wilkinson does a superb hatchet job on George Will in particular and the whole neocon-theocrat alliance in general.
Politics of race never quite what they seem
You too can have fun comparing election results to people's opinions of the Zimmerman verdict.
David Cameron channels Stephen Conroy
David Cameron commits himself to a compulsory internet porn filter, à la Stephen Conroy and Kim Beazley. It doesn't make any sense, but for certain sorts of policies, that doesn't seem to be an obstacle.
Talking about talking about peace
John Kerry announces, rather warily, the start of a new round of Israel-Palestine negotiations. Getting to this point has been hard; getting the current Israeli government to actually make peace will be much harder.
Fundamentalism on trial in Bangladesh
A controversial verdict from Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal has led to violent protests. The background is a complex mixture of war, religion and politics.
Luxembourg loses a prime minister
Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker becomes the second EU prime minister for the year to resign over a spy scandal. Early elections could threaten the centre-right's traditional predominance.
Westminster government for beginners
Our system of government operates under a set of largely unwritten conventions. But they're well established and they work surprisingly well, which is why the governor-general has not tried to second-guess the ALP caucus.
The World is Not Enough 