This year's State of the Union address provides little evidence that Barack Obama is bent on a radical transformation of America. But it does expose a major limitation of the mainstream media.
A step sideways for Aboriginal recognition
There'll be feel-good images out of Canberra today as parliament votes on recognition of indigenous people. But the idea that the bill represents a step forward on a constitutional referendum is simply not true.
Making the revolution work in Tunisia
Two years later, Tunisia's revolution has run into problems, but there are hopes that its political class will learn how to make things work.
Why Lincoln matters
Spielberg's Lincoln is a great political drama. It also has a message for the modern Republican Party: one day they will have to choose whether they are the party of Lincoln or the party of the Confederacy.
A hanging in Delhi
Executions in India are so rare that one might almost forget it still had the death penalty, but Mohammed Afzal Guru yesterday became one of its victims.
Islands in an East Asian storm
What's going on in the East China Sea? Are China and Japan really on the brink of war? And whose side is Malcolm Fraser on?
More about Obama’s liberalism
Barack Obama keeps saying he's not a big-government liberal, but the right doesn't believe him. Now a big-government liberal says the same thing.
Australia falls further behind on same-sex marriage
Australia was well behind Britain on recognition of same-sex couples even before Tuesday's vote. Now the contrast is more embarrassing still.
Mission accomplished in Mali?
French forces are now in control of all the towns of northern Mali. But the Americans had an easy time of it in Iraq at first; the hard part comes later.
Failure in Afghanistan?
Australia's mission in Afghanistan is a failure, as Hugh White says, but that failure derives from a much larger failure of American policy.
