Vol 34 No 16

12 August 2024

ECONOMICS

The best way to tax?
- David James
- 23 August 2024
1 Comment
The term 'reform' carries an ambiguous weight. It can signify progress but just as often masks harmful change. Paul Tilley’s Mixed Fortunes explores the messy evolution of Australia's tax system, revealing how reforms, far from delivering clarity or fairness, reflect deeper ideological struggles over power and economy.
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INTERNATIONAL

The two American freedoms
- Sarah Klenbort
- 21 August 2024
2 Comments
For a nation ‘conceived in liberty’, much of how this U.S. election will play out will hinge on different understandings of the word ‘freedom’, a term that has two distinct and separate meanings depending on whether the person you’re asking votes red or blue.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Seasons move and the Earth is reborn
- Warwick McFadyen
- 21 August 2024
1 Comment
In my part of the world, the earth has begun to awaken from its winterlong sleep. The colours of the day are changing and the earth and its attendant branches of family are blooming into beauty.
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RELIGION

Finding common ground in a post-truth world
- Andrew Hamilton
- 21 August 2024
3 Comments
This year’s Social Justice Statement is ambitious in its scope. From the ravages of war to the erosion of truth, the statement challenges us to confront the root causes of our divisions and seek a path toward a more just and peaceful future.
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INTERNATIONAL

Neither here nor there
- Gillian Bouras
- 21 August 2024
6 Comments
In an uncertain world, the one certainty is that of change. Much like David Malouf’s idea that we are all exiles, even those of us who never leave home, for this is the effect that the passing of time has: familiar worlds become strange no matter where we are.
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AUSTRALIA

Did lawyers fail to stand on principle?
- Frank Brennan
- 20 August 2024
6 Comments
In the aftermath of the failed Voice referendum, questions arise about the legal profession’s role in public discourse. Was this a missed opportunity for legal experts to provide critical analysis and guidance on such a significant constitutional matter?
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EDUCATION

Can religious freedom and education coexist?
- Jacinta Collins
- 20 August 2024
11 Comments
As the discourse surrounding religious freedom in Australia becomes increasingly contentious, especially in the context of schooling, we must address the growing perception that holding religious beliefs and values — and making choices based on them — is somehow discriminatory or at odds with modern society.
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AUSTRALIA

A history of violence
- Barry Gittins
- 20 August 2024
3 Comments
Emma's story offers an unflinching glimpse into the brutality of colonial Australia. While it’s worth celebrating the undeniable social progress made since Emma braved the voyage to Australia, we must resist the temptation to see our history of violence as consigned to the past.
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INTERNATIONAL

Google’s monopoly money
- David Halliday
- 19 August 2024
1 Comment
After a year in court, a U.S. Judge concluded that Google has a monopoly over search and had illegally maintained its monopoly by making massive payments to other companies to be their default search engine. Everyone in tech is quietly watching for what happens next, because how the U.S. Department of Justice treats Google will set the example for the other giants standing astride the world.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Disney's lost kingdom
- Cherie Gilmour
- 16 August 2024
The Lion King roared onto screens 30 years ago, capturing hearts unlike any Disney film since. But as the entertainment giant stumbles, it's worth considering the enduring magic of Simba's story and why modern Disney has struggled to recapture that spark.
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RELIGION

Women deacons: Is it time?
- Elizabeth Young
- 15 August 2024
12 Comments
Copious research has demonstrated the historical existence of women deacons, including St Phoebe, the only person in scripture with the descriptor Deacon. So how far off is Australia from ordaining women deacons?
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Here now then
- Julian Wood
- 15 August 2024
I envy the dead / Their vague vantage point / the calm repose, almost smug, Their fail-less future / Their limitless horizon / Untrapped in time. Like you, looking down / From that faded fridge photo, With a kid clinging on either side. / Such a tight entity. A smile like no other.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Wasting time with poetry
- Andrew Hamilton
- 15 August 2024
4 Comments
In a world driven by profit and speed, poetry stands as a quiet rebellion. It honours and explores what is distinctive about human beings – communication through words. And if we dismiss as a waste of time the slower rhythms involved in the writing and reading of poetry, we are likely to discover how time spent unreflectively wastes us.
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INTERNATIONAL

AUKUS 2.0: The US garrisoning of Australia
- Binoy Kampmark
- 15 August 2024
1 Comment
The AUSMIN talks in Annapolis herald a new era of defense cooperation between Australia and the United States, but at what cost? Critics warn of eroded sovereignty and nuclear proliferation risks as Australia embraces its role in America's strategic chess game against China.
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EDUCATION

Poorer students priced out of $50,000 arts degrees
- Erica Cervini
- 14 August 2024
University fee hikes have disproportionately affected humanities students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Despite promises of affordability, many arts degrees now cost more than $50,000, a significant barrier to access for many talented students.
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AUSTRALIA

Government delivers lacklustre response to Disability RC
- Justin Glyn
- 14 August 2024
The Federal Government response to the Disability Royal Commission is in. Out of 172 recommendations, only 13 have been fully accepted. These included many reforms that were already partially in progress. Disability advocates can, perhaps, be forgiven for being underwhelmed.
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CARTOON

Betroom
- Glen Le Lievre
- 13 August 2024
1 Comment
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ECONOMICS

Surge in protectionism creates new era of global trade
- David James
- 06 August 2024
1 Comment
In a world increasingly divided by geopolitical tensions, a new wave of protectionism is reshaping global trade. As nations turn inward, once-dominant economic models are being dismantled and new strategies are emerging. Is Australia prepared?
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Vol 34 No 16