Going the distance • Rob Hoffman A political scientist argues that democratic institutions need to stand up to authoritarians. But does that simply kick the can down the road?

“How then should we be responding to populism? For a start, by listening to those who vote for populists.”

The day the music died • James Button What happens when AI takes on jazz?

“Despite what AI told me, nothing on Spotify explicitly states that this music is AI-generated, even though the streamer claims to be ‘aggressively protecting against the worst parts of Gen AI.’“

It’s the pictures that got small • Philippa Hawker A pair of legendary movies emerged from another of Hollywood’s turbulent eras

“Sunset Boulevard is not only a thick stew of Hollywood references, it is also an ingenious hybrid of styles. It is a ‘comedy, crime film, horror story, Hollywood exposé, romantic melodrama and psychological thriller.’ There is something for every viewer in its variety and shifting tone.”

Our thirty-year culture wars • Rodney Tiffen Cultural warriors capitalised on political polarisation, and then pushed it further

A terrific essay by Rod Tiffen on the roles of Irving Kristol in the US & George Pell in Australia on the genesis of the culture wars.

A reminder that Kristol's son Bill has since become a leader of the Never Trump Movement among US Republicans.

insidestory.org.au/our-thirty-y...

Why escalation favours Iran • Inside Story America and Israel might have bitten off more than they can chew

insidestory.org.au/why-escalati...

The preservation of pure self-interest • Frank Bongiorno Five years later, does the future of Australian universities in the post-Covid era look any rosier?

"Some of the jobs for which they had long been accepting large salaries were not actually indispensable to the efficient functioning of their institutions." insidestory.org.au/the-preserva...

The preservation of pure self-interest • Frank Bongiorno Five years later, does the future of Australian universities in the post-Covid era look any rosier?

“That universities...were able to continue to do so much of their work even under lockdown owed much to the ingenuity of ordinary staff and the adaptability and resilience of students. Meanwhile, many university leaders and managers were found seriously wanting."

insidestory.org.au/the-preserva...

The preservation of pure self-interest • Frank Bongiorno Five years later, does the future of Australian universities in the post-Covid era look any rosier?

My contribution - on universities - to a retrospective series at the excellent Inside Story: The preservation of pure self-interest, on Inside Story

insidestory.org.au/the-preserva...

I wrote about Carla Kaplan’s new biography, ‘Troublemaker: The fierce, unruly life of Jessica Mitford’.
See it here:

insidestory.org.au/the-other-mi...

More than a drop in the ocean • Michael Jacobs One technique for sequestering carbon is firming up as a possible winner

“The world’s oceans already absorb more than a quarter of all carbon emissions; in principle they have the physical capacity to sequester the many additional gigatonnes required in the IPCC’s scenarios.”

Frontlash • Inside Story Friedrich Hayek’s successors used an expanded armoury to fight their war against the state. But what explains their receptive audience?

Thx to Nicholas Brown from ANU for this thoughtful engagement with my book and what it can tell us about Australian politics for @insidestory.bsky.social insidestory.org.au/frontlash/

Will Angus Taylor stop the One Nation rot? • Inside Story It’s possible, but will that impress the rest of the electorate?

Me on the new Liberal leader. insidestory.org.au/will-angus-t...

Carney’s Canada • Inside Story The high-profile banker turned prime minister is following through on his strategy of resistance

Handy analysis of another middle-ranking power in the world with whom we are going to need to work closely in the age of Trump (and beyond)

insidestory.org.au/carneys-cana...

Is compulsory voting a bulwark against parties on the extremes? • Murray Goot Polls and international experience complicate the conventional wisdom

Very good piece by Murray Goot on why compulsory voting has not 'saved' us from the rise of the far right

insidestory.org.au/is-compulsor...

Silent terror: Russia’s occupation of southeastern Ukraine • Jon Richardson A chilling account of occupied southeastern Ukraine reveals a systematic program of Russification combined with chaos, brutality and corruption

Yes, Freedom House has said that its rating of the occupied territories at -1/100 is the lowest it has given since the report’s inception in 1973! Here’s something I wrote on the regime there in case of interest, in a book review.

insidestory.org.au/silent-terror/

Everyone is convinced that London is an extremely unsafe place to live - with the sole exception of Londoners.

A kind of social architecture • Frances Flanagan The case for valuing and protecting “connective labour” in an increasingly automated and disconnected world

insidestory.org.au/a-kind-of-so... “Connective labour hasn’t been crushed across the board. But it is exploited, expanded or squeezed in different ways in different employment settings, each of them unfair and enraging in different ways.” #measureofcare

Nonsense. You have to be really arrogant to pontificate
like Stephens, with no expertise on Australia. Anti-Semitism is not embedded in the culture, that’s a fiction. iWhat was the government supposed to do, apart from kicking out the Iranians? Ban all protests against Israel’s Gaza action?

The upsides of the gun buyback • Andrew Leigh John Howard’s buyback scheme had more than one clear benefit

“We asked the question a little differently: did places with more gun buybacks experience a larger drop in gun homicide and suicide? The answer turned out to be a resounding yes.”

Exit, stage right • Peter Brent Can One Nation continue to capitalise on the Coalition’s internal divisions?

Barnaby Joyce's 'repertoire over two decades in parliament hasn’t included “dog-whistling” of the kind favoured by John Howard in his time and enthusiastically embraced by Peter Dutton.'
Fairy nuff statement?

insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...

MAGA meltdown? • Sam Freedman Why the Republicans are in serious trouble

An excellent piece on the bumpy road ahead for #Republicans as @realDonaldTrump enters lame duck territory.

insidestory.org.au/maga-meltdown/

Exit, stage right • Peter Brent Can One Nation continue to capitalise on the Coalition’s internal divisions?

Me on the One Nation surge and Related Matters. How many House seats does 18% get you? It depends ...
insidestory.org.au/exit-stage-r...

Good wide-ranging analysis.
Where he gives his opinions they are always well-supported.

MAGA meltdown? • Sam Freedman Why the Republicans are in serious trouble

“Trump’s support has fallen particularly sharply with young people and minorities. Much reporting of last year’s election focused on the ‘realignment’ of these groups away from the Democrats. But they have quickly reverted back.“

A day with Sir Tom Stoppard and his biographer • Glyn Davis On the death of the playwright this weekend, a brief memory

Wonderful description of an encounter with Tom Stoppard. Highly recommended
insidestory.org.au/a-day-with-s...

Headwinds blow in from the Pacific • Hamish McDonald A muddled year in the region for Labor ends with the Pacific affairs minister disagreeing with his own government

“On the face of it, then, Albanese’s minister for Pacific Island affairs is supporting the case his own government opposed at The Hague and lending his weight to the notion his prime minister and the environment minister continue to reject.”

Regime change • Michael Jacobs Australia’s COP31 presidency gives it a chance to reshape the UN climate talks

“However often the Europeans, Latin Americans and small island states demand an explicit commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels, they will not get it. The COP30 stalemate will continue. The question is, does this matter? There’s a strong case for saying that it doesn’t.”

The Dismissal from below • Frank Bongiorno (with James Watson) Fifty years later, what impact has the Dismissal had on Australian democracy?

“The Dismissal will continue to play a role in telling us something about who we are: but as an event capable of shaping everyday action and understanding, as a truly lived history, it is fast fading.”

Not so good COP • Inside Story The latest UN climate summit was buffeted by geopolitical headwinds

Best summary of #COP30 issues yet in @insidestory.bsky.social insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...
'It's not about the science (except in US)'... it is geopolitics esp OPEC+... but don't forget the power of #forests while the vested interests lobby.

Not so good COP • Inside Story The latest UN climate summit was buffeted by geopolitical headwinds

The conclusion of COP30 in Brazil has left a bitter taste in the mouth. A new ‘axis of obstruction’ has emerged to block stronger commitments to reduce emissions - Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Russia - with Donald Trump urging them on. My analysis for inside Story: insidestory.org.au/not-so-good-...