Many were happy to say goodbye to 2025, hoping this year would be less troublesome, but alas it started with an explosion, not a bang.
Who could have imagined that the Trump regime would invade Venezuela and kidnap President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores? Maduro was a tyrant, and many Venezuelans fled his despotism, but invading Caracas clearly violated international law.
Trump gleefully claimed he now had control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and was going to sell them but hit an impassable roadblock when the CEO of ExxonMobil, Darren Wood, told him in a meeting of oil executives that Venezuela is ‘uninvestable’. His mad plan collapsed instantly.
America’s illegal attack on Venezuela effectively gives permission for China to take Taiwan and strengthened Putin’s hand in claiming Ukrainian territory and perhaps moving deeper into Europe.
There was barely a whisper of criticism from the Albanese government, not daring to offend our number one ally.
If we criticised Trump, he might decide he needs to add Australia to the American Empire to bolster America’s defences against China. That may sound ridiculous, but anything is possible with this crazy bunch.
This rogue administration is now determined to seize Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and part of NATO – by negotiation or force, ‘whatever it takes’.
If the USA invades Greenland, it is declaring war on NATO and all members would automatically come to its defence. Some are warning this would be the beginning of World War III.
Republican members of Congress have spoken on Fox News claiming America has a right to Greenland.
One said more American blood was shed defending Denmark in WWII than Danish blood and that gave them the right to take possession of it.
Excuses given for taking Greenland are concerns that Russia or China might occupy it and threaten the USA.
Perhaps the key reason is the island has some of the richest stores of natural resources in the world, including rare earths and huge amounts of oil and gas.
When Greenland becomes green again, as is happening right now with global heating, accelerated by Trump’s anti-climate policies, more resources will be uncovered.
Not just Greenland is under threat. A few days ago, Trump said ‘Cuba is ready to fall’. He is also planning to bomb Mexico to hit ‘drug cartels’ and threatening Colombia. He wants to rule the entire western hemisphere.
If this out-of-control madness is also designed to be a distraction from the Epstein files, it will only work temporarily.
To add to the craziness, Trump announced he was withdrawing the USA from 66 international groups, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Renewable Energy Association, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and dozens of others. He is cancelling renewable energy developments, such as wind farms, plunging America back into the coal age.
America is now officially a climate pariah.
Trump is also at war with his own people with attacks by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on American citizens. The execution of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis sent shock waves around America and brought protesters onto the streets. Others have been shot since.
The president, vice-president, and secretary of homeland security rushed to lie about what happened when there was clear video evidence from multiple sources to show it was a cold-blooded execution.
Whilst the Albanese government has been very quiet on these contentious issues, the Murdoch media and the opposition have been cheering Trump on.
Anthony Albanese has been losing support in the polls since the Bondi tragedy and dithering on holding a royal commission. In the new DemosAU poll, he still leads Sussan Ley as preferred prime minister 42 per cent to 29 per cent but is rated positively by only 29 per cent of the electorate and negatively by 42 per cent. One Nation has drawn level with the Coalition at 23 per cent, mirroring what is happening in the UK, with right-wing Reform UK ahead in the polls.
Now that Albanese has finally caved in to demands for a royal commission, he risks looking like a weak leader.
Meanwhile, it is highly probable that Sussan Ley will face a leadership challenge in the not-too-distant future, with Angus Taylor fighting off Andrew Hastie to claim the prize.
The Albanese government urgently needs to create a circuit breaker. They must get back on the front foot and talk with unions about their demands to address inequities in the tax system, particularly capital gains tax that was crippled by John Howard. AUKUS needs reconsidering; it’s a massive waste of money paid to a bunch of lunatics.
Albo needs to use his huge majority, while he still has it, to ram through reforms, with the support of Greens and independents. It’s time to show real strength and compassion, otherwise he risks leaving a very deficient legacy.
Richard Jones is a former NSW MLC, and is now a ceramist.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
