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Can't Let It Be
What progressives need to understand about the October 7 massacre
The High Court and the detention of asylum seekers
Who loves longer? In conversation with Richard Flanagan
A Christmas Carol and the making of a miser
‘There is the border between the old life and the new, the line drawn between past and present, the home country left behind and the strange one with its various demands and necessary adjustments.'
'Global vaccine solidarity comes a distant second to the partial approaches of high-income states and booster bandits who see vaccinations in terms of clouded self-interest.'
'We are going to have to make a conscious effort to decrease our focus on individual conduct and to place more emphasis on the systems that need reform.'
'While there are lives at risk, the Western intervention has hardly been life enhancing for many.'
On 8 November, the High Court ordered a stateless Rohingya refugee known only as NZYQ to be released from detention. He could not be granted a visa because he was found gulity of sexually assaulting a minor, and he could not be sent anywhere because he is stateless. Until 8 November, he was stuck in indefinite mandatory detention.
A group’s break-up is no longer an impediment to the band’s – or, more to the point, the brand’s – ability to continue. The release of Now And Then was one of the biggest music events of 2023, a foregone conclusion when something is billed as ‘the final Beatles song’. And the result? Well, that’s where the arguments start, don’t they?
Last month, the High Court overturned a controversial 2004 decision, reaffirming the principle that asylum seekers cannot be detained indefinitely without prospects of deportation. This ruling not only corrects a historical misstep but also reasserts the High Court's commitment to limiting executive overreach.
My Father’s Shadow is a beautifully constructed three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle in which perfectly formed and elegant stories from different times and places are juxtaposed and tested for fit, so forming a pattern of meaning that is never closed.
For over 40 years, I have supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That term means two states for two peoples. Such an outcome can only come about as the result of peaceful negotiations that advance compromise and moderation on both sides.
As the world continues spiralling into total chaos, there remains, shockingly, absolutely nothing to watch on any streaming service. And I’m not talking about a lack of options – there’s enough content to drown in, while, ironically, leaving us parched. I know how Coleridge’s mariner must have felt.
Why another Christmas Carol and why now? This version takes a detour from Dickens’ original delving deeper into Scrooge’s past, painting him not just as a villain, but as a victim of circumstances. It suggests that behind every act we hastily label as ‘cruel’ lies a story of fear and anxiety, and a flesh-and-blood human being. And forgiveness, then, becomes an acknowledgment of our shared human frailty.
While its virtues are ubiquitously / touted and near-idolized / as advantages in efficiency, / improved contact rapidity, / and enhanced global connectivity, / it takes but one malfunction, / not to mention piracy, / to wake us up to see / the cost is very high for / an increasing faith in / and dependency on / messianic promises and marvels
The First Folio was published in November 1623. Shakespeare didn’t live to see his plays gathered together in the one place. His universe of words, his meteors of wit and description, his galaxy of human frailties and strengths, his shrouds of darkness and rays of light, were collected and bound by colleagues after his death in 1616, aged 52. The world owes them profound gratitude.
Change often hurts or is at least hard to adjust to. Sometimes I yearn for a simpler way of doing things, for a period when people’s expectations were more modest, and when the average person was not as materialistic. However, it has to be conceded that we have made progress in some areas, and that some changes are for the better.
The spectacular rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried is a story that began with unfettered brilliance and financial wizardry, but quickly unraveled into an all-too familiar cautionary tale of swindlers, conmen, and morally vacuous ambition.
I am on a study tour of Israel and Palestinian Territories. It is my eighth visit over 12 years, and each time I come away with less clarity and more questions about the tensions that plague this tiny land. Who is the oppressor? Who is the oppressed? It all depends upon the lens you look through at any given moment. (From 2019)
Charged with breaching national security for exposing alleged war crimes by Australian forces in Afghanistan, former Australian military lawyer David McBride's trial in Canberra rekindles a debate that tests the boundaries of military obedience and public interest. At the heart of this legal battle lies the question: when does the duty to expose wrongdoing outweigh the duty to follow orders?
Any legislation hastily designed to negate the effect of the High Court decisions will be vulnerable again to be struck down on judicial appeal. That haste suggests an initial disregard for human rights and the rule of law by Governments and an ingrained resistance to any limitation of its power. Vindictive laws come at a heavy cost to the integrity and reputation of the lawmakers.
How should our nation reckon with its colonial history and its lasting impact on contemporary society? From the stark realities of early settlement to the enduring legacies of injustice towards Indigenous peoples, this piece explores what it means for a country to grapple with its identity amidst a backdrop of change.
In the aftermath of the Synod on Synodality, the Catholic community is marked by a sense of uncertainty, reflected in reactions that span from hope to criticism. As the Second Assembly nears, the critical need for more transparent and effective communication from Church leaders becomes increasingly evident.
Those who declare that the real enemy is war and who advocate for peace are usually criticised for being naively optimistic. But it is possible to recognise war to be the real enemy, while simultaneously recognising the complex challenges involved in avoiding war and encouraging peace.
From the eyes of history, the current cycle of violence, sharpened by each side claiming that it had suffered the greater injustice, is itself the product of a much older cycle. In our own, multi-religious society we must all recognise the need to implement justice for all the vulnerable in society. Violence does not work. Justice must prevail.