Vol 34 No 21

21 October 2024

INTERNATIONAL

Could a backlash to 'wokeness' hand Trump a second term?
- Dotan Rousso
- 31 October 2024
1 Comment
Beyond economic and national security agendas, Trump’s appeal, more visceral than policy-driven, hinges on tapping into a collective disillusionment — one that sees progressive ideology as veering into an unforgiving orthodoxy.
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AUSTRALIA

Demonic youths and sacred children
- Binoy Kampmark
- 31 October 2024
3 Comments
Two narratives dominate Australia’s view of children. The first casts them as dangerous, irredeemable offenders. The second, as vulnerable innocents threatened by risks online. Both anxieties reveal deep-seated tensions over safety, innocence, and societal responsibility.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead worried
- Warwick McFadyen
- 31 October 2024
1 Comment
Guildenstern and Rosencrantz find themselves deep in conversation on a sunny November afternoon, questioning the troubling climate of modern power. Can reason stand in a world so ready to yield?
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INTERNATIONAL

'Tisn't the season to be jolly
- Ken Haley, David Halliday
- 31 October 2024
1 Comment
In the most bitter of election seasons in America, thousands of votes will be won and lost by seeking to protect the civil rights of Israelis and Palestinians alike, although any kind of lasting peace will require greater effort than any U.S. political party has yet devoted to it.
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AUSTRALIA

The gates to the secret house of death
- Andrew Hamilton
- 30 October 2024
2 Comments
The traditions of All Saints Day and All Souls Day invite a rare reflection on death — a topic largely sidelined in contemporary Australia. Amid global events and various cultural spectacles, these days offer a quiet reminder to consider how we honour the dead and what that reveals about our values.
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AUSTRALIA

'I will stand with you'
- Barry Gittins
- 30 October 2024
5 Comments
In 1968, Peter Norman won Olympic silver, but his lasting legacy was a stance for justice on the podium alongside Tommie Smith and John Carlos, where he wore an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge in solidarity. Yet his quiet protest led to lifelong exclusion at home, recognition arriving only posthumously.
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AUSTRALIA

Sweet dreams and haunted histories
- Danielle Terceiro
- 30 October 2024
6 Comments
As Halloween starts to become a staple in Australian neighbourhoods, for most people its ghosts mean little more than costumes and candy. But from haunted churches to eerie local legends, Halloween says something about us and the way we carry snatches of unresolved history.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

The things we leave behind
- Gillian Bouras
- 28 October 2024
3 Comments
We worry about mortgages, family, and work, but a chance encounter with a Ukrainian refugee reveals a different kind of worry—one filled with uncertainty, displacement and fear. In a world that feels increasingly small, sometimes it takes a stranger to remind us of our place in it.
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INTERNATIONAL

'I am tired but not defeated': A doctor's hope for Beirut
- Ali Almohammed
- 28 October 2024
1 Comment
In war-torn Beirut, where schools now shelter families fleeing destruction, a doctor finds echoes of his own past displacement. Amidst the pain, he witnesses resilience, but also a deep fatigue, as families yearn for peace and normalcy.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

In Juice, Tim Winton turns to mad dystopian climate fiction
- Peter Craven
- 25 October 2024
In Juice, Tim Winton crafts a haunting world where climate apocalypse and moral ambiguity collide. This monolithic novel depicts a dystopian future scarred by climate change, with Winton’s intricate prose showcasing his mastery and leaving readers to grapple with its fierce ethical landscape.
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AUSTRALIA

Faking friendship: The rise of the AI companion
- Daniel Nellor
- 25 October 2024
1 Comment
An AI-driven companion designed to connect with people living with dementia raises important questions about companionship, care, and the human experience. Can an AI truly replace the role of a human caregiver, or are we compromising what it means to connect?
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AUSTRALIA

Priced out of parenthood: How Australia's housing crisis is lowering the birthrate
- David James
- 24 October 2024
3 Comments
Soaring property prices and declining fertility rates are entwined in a feedback loop, threatening long-term economic stagnation. As younger Australians are priced out of the market, many are delaying or forgoing parenthood, leading to an increasingly divided and unsustainable society.
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AUSTRALIA

A time for risk and a time for caution: Albanese’s dilemma
- James Massola
- 23 October 2024
8 Comments
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese navigates a slow but steady decline in approval, his cautious leadership approach is increasingly under scrutiny. With rising pressures on housing, the economy, and global events, is it time for him to take the bold political risks necessary to stave off the threat of minority government?
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AUSTRALIA

300 Australians that no one wants
- John Schumann
- 23 October 2024
2 Comments
There are approximately 300 Australians like Will currently held in forensic disability facilities, hospitals, mental health facilities, the prison system and providers of last resort. After two decades of seclusion, his story reveals a broken system where lives deteriorate, not improve, despite efforts for reform.
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INTERNATIONAL

Betting on lost causes
- Andrew Hamilton
- 23 October 2024
3 Comments
In the spirit of Spring Racing, the United Nations promotes its own high-stakes race: World Disarmament Week and United Nations Day. Despite heavy odds and the relentless rise of nuclear threats, these efforts remain crucial for global peace. Can the underdog of diplomacy prevail in the face of overwhelming opposition?
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INTERNATIONAL

Bitter harvests: The killing of Yahya Sinwar
- Binoy Kampmark
- 23 October 2024
2 Comments
The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, architect of the October 7 attacks on Israel, has been hailed by Israeli and U.S. leaders as a significant victory and a turning point in the Gaza conflict. But as strikes continue, history suggests such assassinations often fuel further conflict, not lasting peace.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

A new film will recast light on an age-old problem
- Ray Cavanaugh
- 23 October 2024
2 Comments
Set in the aftermath of World War II, Nuremberg has psychiatrist Dr Douglas Kelley seeking to unravel the psychological roots of evil by studying Nazi officials on trial at Nuremberg. His chilling findings led to unsettling conclusions about human nature, culminating in a tragic personal end that mirrored the darkness he encountered.
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AUSTRALIA

The ruler in a shack on the other side of the universe
- Michael McVeigh
- 21 October 2024
7 Comments
With King Charles and Queen Camilla’s pending arrival in Australia, I have a guilty admission to make. The older I’ve become, the more fondness I have for our constitutional monarchy. That’s not to say I wouldn’t welcome a move to an Australian republic. However, I’m cautious about the sort of republic we might make for ourselves.
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Vol 34 No 21