Blog highlights wrap up for the time being – I hope you’ve enjoyed revisiting some past issues, even if they remind us that the past is never really past. Here’s a final set covering a wide range of topics.
Revisiting the “fascism” debate (May 2020). Is there something inappropriate or counter-productive about linking Donald Trump and his allies to “fascism”? It raises questions about how historical comparison works and what it’s for.
Democracy and expectations (June 2020). Another democracy index, this one obtained by asking people what they think. But are they just telling the pollsters what they want to hear?
Liberal history revisited (March 2021). A further volume of David Kemp’s history of Australian liberalism casts more doubt on the Liberal Party’s pedigree.
OK, let’s talk about voter ID (November 2021). As the Morrison government tries to legislate for a voter identification requirement, both its supporters and its opponents seem more focused on American conditions than on its actual implications in Australia.
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.
Fiji chooses democracy, sort of (December 2022). Fiji’s original military ruler returns to power, this time as the champion of democracy. It’s a cautionary tale, in which Australia has played a disreputable part.
Aston recurs / Chasing the Dunkley myth (April 2023 / March 2024). Two Australian by-elections: Labor’s historic victory in Aston exposes deep-seated problems in the opposition, while Dunkley throws up some myths in need of deflating.
Death in Germany (June 2023). Simon Crean was not a successful Labor leader, but he deserved more respect from the party than many whose record looks better on paper.
Ten years later (September 2023). The tenth anniversary of Tony Abbott’s election provides an occasion to consider his continuing influence.
Does it have to be this way? (March 2024). The United States is officially set for a Biden vs Trump rematch, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen. (It didn’t.)
Epstein? Seriously? (July 2025). For all the things Donald Trump can be fairly attacked for, the one that really upsets his hard-core followers is his attempt to puncture one of their conspiracy theories.
Trump, Putin & Netanyahu (October 2025). For a variety of reasons, Donald Trump has found Benjamin Netanyahu a softer target than Vladimir Putin for his peace prize aspirations. But the basic similarity between them should not be ignored.
The World is Not Enough 