Vol 34 No 19

23 September 2024

INTERNATIONAL

In Laos, war isn't over even when its over
- Melody Kemp
- 04 October 2024
By the time the last American bombs had fallen in 1973, Laos had attained the dubious title as the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita. An estimated 270 million bombs were dropped on this small country, 80 million of which remain unexploded.
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ENVIRONMENT

The forest wars
- Tony Smith
- 04 October 2024
The Forest Wars reveals how vested interests make life difficult for the scientists and activists who attempt to defend the environment, a war waged through deforestation on one hand and deception and obfuscation on the other. Linenmayer asks: if we continue to allow vested interests to drive deforestation, how long before the forests — and the future they promise — are lost beyond repair?
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AUSTRALIA

As the anniversary of the Voice vote nears, the high costs of Albanese's misjudgement are clear
- Michelle Grattan
- 04 October 2024
Almost a year after the Voice proposal was defeated, blame and recrimination are still being thrown around, and the government is still reeling from Albanese’s overreach.
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AUSTRALIA

The normalisation of antisemitism
- Erica Cervini
- 03 October 2024
From hostile rhetoric on campuses to targeted attacks against Jewish individuals and businesses, instances of antisemitic behaviour have spiked since last October. Understanding its implications is crucial for safeguarding communities.
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AUSTRALIA

Would you bet against inequality?
- Andrew Hamilton
- 03 October 2024
In Andrew Leigh's new book, he argues that inequality matters because it threatens the sense of fairness that is central to our well-being, because inequality prevents the less well off from moving to relative affluence, weakens democracy, and erodes understanding of and commitment to the common good.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

'Megalopolis': Is Coppola's swansong genius or madness?
- Eddie Hampson
- 02 October 2024
After decades of cinematic highs and notorious flops, Francis Ford Coppola self-financed this grand spectacle — his boldest gamble yet. But in a film landscape that favors safe bets, can Megalopolis rise to the occasion, or will it be a final, glorious folly from one of cinema’s greats?
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RELIGION

Pope Francis and the politics of Catholic conscience
- John Warhurst
- 02 October 2024
During a recent interview on his Papal plane coming back from Singapore Francis made some pointed remarks in response to a veiled question from an American journalist about the US Presidential election contest between the Democrat Kamala Harris and the Republican Donald Trump. He chose to describe the choice as between the ‘lesser of two evils’ because Harris is pro-abortion rights and Trump is anti-immigration.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Remembering Maggie Smith’s enduring magic
- Peter Craven
- 02 October 2024
If you care about theatre and film and television you should be grateful to have lived at the same time as Maggie Smith. She was an artist of incomparable power and nuance, of tremendous wit and complementary poignancy. The Harry Potter kids are lucky to have experienced such style and know-how and grace.
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INTERNATIONAL

The unbearable lightness of presidential debates
- Binoy Kampmark
- 30 September 2024
Last month, Kamala Harris faced off with Trump in what may be the only debate of the 2024 race for the White House. As we revisit the event, it’s clear that the real takeaway isn’t found in the limited substance offered to voters. Rather, it’s a stark reminder of how far the standards for such political showdowns have fallen, leaving us to question the usefulness of this once-crucial platform for democratic discourse.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

To give sorrow words
- Warwick McFadyen
- 30 September 2024
The grief of Hamish’s death shaped the words and, slowly, the words shaped the grief. Both shifted a gear in me, and in how the world is viewed. This is natural when an axis is tilted. Some look to grief to be healed, but this, to me, for me, is the wrong word.
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RELIGION

Religious media battles the tides
- Michael McVeigh
- 26 September 2024
There once might have been a distinction between ‘Christian journalism’ and ‘Christian PR’, however today those lines are far more muddied. The demise of the Australasian Religious Press Association might have been brought about by changing tides, but for those of us left it leaves one less lifebuoy to cling to.
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AUSTRALIA

Colonisation studies expand horizons
- Bruce Pennay
- 25 September 2024
From 2027, NSW students will undertake a mandatory study of First Nations Peoples’ experiences of colonisation. This is welcome in the wake of the failed national referendum and the increasing insistence on reconciliation at the local level.
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AUSTRALIA

A second try at combatting disinformation
- Frank Brennan
- 25 September 2024
The Government is making another valiant effort to rein in the adverse effects of ungoverned digital platforms. But in debating such a detailed bill without the backstop of a constitutional or statutory bill of rights recognising the right to freedom of expression, there are no clear guard rails for getting the balance right.
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FAITH DOING JUSTICE

Hospitality in mean times
- Andrew Hamilton
- 23 September 2024
In prosperous times many people in developed nations are sympathetic to refugees and migrants and welcome them into their own societies. In hard times, however, xenophobia spreads.
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Vol 34 No 19