Eureka Street

Keywords: Debt

AUSTRALIA

The delight and discomfort of undeserved gifts
- Emma Wilkins
- 18 December 2024
Gift-giving should be a celebration of kindness, but modern rituals often entangle us in obligation and excess. From generous neighbours to Christmas present hauls, reciprocal gifts build and shape our relationships. But what does it mean to give without strings?
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ECONOMICS

The trouble with a shrinking population
- David James
- 11 December 2024
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink predicts AI and shrinking populations will bring higher living standards without growth. But his optimism overlooks a critical flaw: conflating productivity, efficiency, and the true cost of 'growth.' With economic foundations shifting, the future demands a radical rethinking of capitalism’s purpose and the systems driving it.
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INTERNATIONAL

Climate finance still feels like charity, not justice
- Damian Spruce
- 10 December 2024
At COP29, the world’s wealthiest nations promised to confront climate change—but delivered only a fraction of the required funds, leaving developing countries with a trillion-dollar shortfall. As Pope Francis warns of a sick planet, the question remains: Who pays for the climate crisis, and who bears the consequences?
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RELIGION

Astute stewards: Implementing the Synod
- Bill Uren
- 20 November 2024
7 Comments
Will the recommendations of the Synod on Synodality inspire lasting change or risk losing momentum? With bishops balancing tradition and reform, the coming year will determine whether this moment becomes one of true transformation.
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INTERNATIONAL

Is America ready for a tycoon President again?
- David James
- 18 November 2024
4 Comments
Donald Trump's first term, marred by impeachments, bureaucratic resistance and a pandemic, offered few answers as to how a businessperson might navigate the complexities of Washington. Now, as he returns to office, Trump’s business instincts — and their implications for governance — are once again under scrutiny.
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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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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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AUSTRALIA

Speculation nation: How housing became a game for Australia’s wealthy
- Adam Hughes Henry
- 08 October 2024
5 Comments
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

Would you bet against inequality?
- Andrew Hamilton
- 03 October 2024
1 Comment
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

The end of the morning
- Gillian Bouras
- 20 September 2024
2 Comments
The End of the Morning provides a rich reading experience, showing the reader an Australia that has been largely lost. But most readers will have a sense of dissatisfaction: they will want more. An unfinished novel, and an unfinished life.
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ECONOMICS

Australia’s property boom is splitting society in half
- David James
- 10 September 2024
2 Comments
As continued high interest rates and stagnant incomes put a strain on households, leading more Australians give up on the dream of home ownership, government attempts to manage both the cost of living crisis and the housing crisis may be doing too little too late.
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Keywords: Debt