Vol 34 No 20

07 October 2024

AUSTRALIA

What happened to #girlpower?
- Cherie Gilmour
- 18 October 2024
The ideological fissures within modern feminism demand examination. Raising a daughter gives me literal skin in the game, making this a deeply personal journey to understand what has changed and what remains true since the seemingly carefree days of #girlpower.
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AUSTRALIA

Want better arguments? Make it personal
- Max Jeganathan
- 17 October 2024
Personalisation isn’t some idealistic attempt at bothsideism, but a pathway to restoring a measure of humanity to our public discourse. In a free society, what matters is not the disagreement itself but the way we treat those with whom we disagree.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

When poetry became war reporting
- Warwick McFadyen
- 16 October 2024
If only those who send their nation’s youth to war would read Muse of Fire, World War I as seen Through the Lives of the Soldier Poets. It is both homage and horror story. It carries the reader across several fronts – the disparate journeys that led these men to the killing fields of Europe, the blood-soaked chrysalis from which the words of the war poets arose.
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CARTOON

The Joker: Folie à deux
- Glen Le Lievre
- 16 October 2024
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AUSTRALIA

Finding gratitude in winter's long shadow
- Barry Gittins
- 16 October 2024
As winter’s chill stubbornly lingers and spring arrives in fits and starts, the weight of the long cold months still presses on many of us. Yet in the midst of this darkness, thinkers like Carl Jung remind us of the power of gratitude to shift our perspective.
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MEDIA

On lying
- Michele Frankeni
- 15 October 2024
Two years ago to the month, I wrote in this column of my despair and disgust of the impunity with which society leaders and politicians didn’t just shade the truth, but buried it six-feet deep and then gleefully stomped on it. In the past week, a couple of things reminded me of that piece and about the role truth plays in our public discourse. It reminded me how fragile our grasp on reality has become, and why that matters.
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RELIGION

Our man in Rome
- Andrew Hamilton
- 14 October 2024
The recent appointment of Mikola Bychok as Cardinal caught many Australians off guard. Few are familiar with the Ukrainian Catholic Bishop from Melbourne, and his elevation challenges conventional notions of national identity, prompting reflection on who we consider 'one of us' and highlighting the Ukrainian community in Australia.
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ECONOMICS

Has the developed world run out of ideas?
- David James
- 14 October 2024
Advanced industrial societies are running out of ideas, masking stagnation with financial trickery, which is now faltering. In contrast, developing nations can clearly advance through industrial phases, especially by building infrastructure. For them, the path to improving lives is clear; for developed nations, it remains uncertain.
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AUSTRALIA

Betting the nation: How Australia became the world's biggest loser
- Claire Heaney
- 11 October 2024
Australia’s gambling culture, once seasonally grounded in the Spring Racing Carnival, has become a year-round obsession. From family sweeps to the rise of betting apps, gambling has become ingrained in the nation's identity, leaving in its wake a growing crisis of addiction, debt, and societal harm.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

My Dad's Gone Away
- Michael McGirr
- 10 October 2024
My Dad’s Gone Away will help any young person faced with the prospect of visiting mum, dad or any close adult in jail. It is graceful and gentle but also honest. It is also a book that will help any young person who might like to consider what some other people their age might be going through.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Nobody wants this
- Juliette Hughes
- 10 October 2024
I wish I could tell you why Nobody wants this is so funny without giving spoilers. Add to that the real tenderness between the two lovers, and you’ve got something unusual: a believable romance, funny and sometimes surprisingly honest with little moments of humility and vulnerability.
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INTERNATIONAL

Yom Kippur: A time for grieving
- Andrew Hamilton
- 09 October 2024
War breeds division far beyond the battlefield, fueling hatred and resentment across societies, and the conflict in Gaza has reignited long-standing animosities. As Yom Kippur approaches, its themes of repentance and forgiveness urge us to recognize the humanity in both the victims and perpetrators of conflict.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

The watcher on the cast-iron balcony
- Gillian Bouras
- 09 October 2024
Australian writer Hal Porter once described himself as a 'watcher,' a quiet observer of life from the verandahs of his youth. Decades later, from a balcony in a Greek village, the same rhythms repeat — family conversations, street vendors, and the steady hum of village life — reminding us how time subtly transforms both what we see and how we see it.
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INTERNATIONAL

Songs of Cretan liars and the rambling voice of truth
- Peter Craven
- 09 October 2024
With moments of shared perspective and common ground, the weird thing about the CBS debate the debate between the two putative vice-presidents, J.D. Vance and Tim Walz, was how civil and considerate it was and (in its way) how impressive.
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AUSTRALIA

Speculation nation: How housing became a game for Australia’s wealthy
- Adam Hughes Henry
- 08 October 2024
Australia’s housing crisis is increasingly seen as a byproduct of system rigged for the wealthy, while ordinary Australians grapple with debt and rising costs. As home ownership becomes increasingly out of reach, it's time to rethink housing as a right, not just a means of wealth accumulation.
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AUSTRALIA

Out of sight, out of mind: Why poverty is missing from the election agenda
- Joe Zabar
- 08 October 2024
Despite affecting millions, systemic and event-driven poverty is rarely discussed by politicians. In a nation facing growing economic uncertainty, can we afford to continue overlooking those most vulnerable to financial and social hardship?
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INTERNATIONAL

The US election will be won by the candidate with the strongest story
- Julian Butler
- 07 October 2024
As the US election approaches, the focus has shifted from personal narratives to policy positions and voter strategies. Candidates like Trump and Harris have crafted compelling stories, but voters now seek clarity on the issues. With much of the debate settled, the question remains: how will these stories shape the outcome?
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Vol 34 No 20