Or week two of the second series (check out week one here). Once again, a selection of posts from the last six years that you might find worth revisiting, covering a range of topics and places.
Cook, imperialism and Brexit (May 2020). Controversy about James Cook offers a window into the way certain politicians can imagine themselves as supporters of national sovereignty while defending imperialism and colonialism.
Territory and history (June 2020). History is once again a factor in domestic politics in Hungary. Meanwhile, there’s another anniversary in the South Atlantic.
Collective responsibility in New South Wales (September 2020). A cabinet crisis in New South Wales demonstrates some truths about how responsible government works. It also shows that coalition politics in Australia is not quite what it seems.
Déjà vu in Victoria (September 2021). Victoria’s Liberal Party dumps its leader and reaches back into its past – a place of dark memories.
France readies for the third round (April 2022). France re-elects its centrist president with a comfortable majority, but faces another election to decide how much legislative power to entrust him with.
Watergate at fifty (June 2022). Fifty years on from the beginning of the Watergate cover-up, the United States again confronts the question of liability for presidential criminality.
Putinists right and left (October 2022). Far left and far right again turn out to have more in common than you might think, including a weakness for Vladimir Putin.
Two showmen depart (June 2023). An adverse report to the House of Commons claims Boris Johnson, while death claims Silvio Berlusconi. Compare and contrast.
Australia says No (October 2023). Australia’s Indigenous Voice referendum goes down to the expected heavy defeat. There’s plenty of blame to go around, and no-one emerges with much credit.
Trump. But why?* (January 2024). Donald Trump wins the New Hampshire primary, clearing his path to the nomination. How and why did the Republican Party allow things to get to this point?
Pakistan’s election hangover (February 2024). Former prime minister Imran Khan scores a better than expected result in Pakistan’s election, but his prospects for a return to power are murky at best.
OK, let’s talk about tariffs (April 2025). For a century and a half, being on the right generally meant you supported protectionism. Donald Trump means to bring back those days, if indeed they ever really went away.
.
* If this title seems familiar it might be because I parodied it earlier this month on the rise of Angus Taylor.
The World is Not Enough 