Another look back at some of the more interesting posts from recent years, many of which deal with issues of continuing relevance.
What is an opposition leader? (April 2020). Fascinating constitutional issues raised by a dispute over who is (or should be) opposition leader in the Northern Territory.
Neoliberalism one more time (September 2020). An attempt to distinguish between “neoliberals” and “libertarians” tracks the major fault line in non-left politics.
Northern Ireland at the crossroads (February 2021). Northern Ireland’s Unionists make trouble over Brexit, reflecting the fact that it’s put them in an impossible position.
Two French anniversaries (October 2021). France commemorates two atrocities with differing political implications: an assassination the previous year and a massacre sixty years ago.
Death in Japan (July 2022). The assassination of Shinzo Abe seems to give his party an electoral boost, but it also puts the spotlight on the defence issues that he championed.
Happy birthday, Coalition! (February 2023). There’s no cake, but Australia’s Liberal-National Coalition marks its centenary. There may be lessons in its longevity, or it may be sui generis.
Belief in the unbelievable (August 2023). The decline of religious belief continues at a steady rate in America. Could conspiracy theories be serving as a replacement?
And so it begins (January 2024). Republican voters in Iowa become the first to participate in the 2024 presidential election.
Venezuela splits the left (August 2024). Venezuela’s embattled president finds he is lacking support from many leaders who might have been thought to be his natural allies.
Back to the 1940s / Life gets even worse for the Liberals (May 2025). Labor wins its first federal landslide of modern times, breaking a rule that had stood for more than a century and landing the Liberal Party in very deep trouble.
But what can we do? (August 2025). A simple step we can all take to help stem the rise of fascism. Unfortunately it’s not what most of our leaders are doing.
Trump vs Europe (December 2025). Does Donald Trump want to destroy Europe in order to save it, or does he just want to destroy it, period?
The World is Not Enough 