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Vol 34 No 22

04 November 2024


 

  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    At the heart of the deal

    • Ken Haley
    • 15 November 2024

    Anyone possessed of the facts can write history. Few can express so well as Bob Woodward the heartbeat of his times and the heartbreak that history frequently brings in its wake. In War, Woodward dives into the three major geopolitical conflicts of our time.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Theory and Practice: In conversation with Michelle de Kretser

    • Michael McGirr
    • 15 November 2024

    Michelle de Kretser's new book Theory and Practice is a creative combination of fiction and essay, and concerns the moment in which the encounter with literature, a connection with another human imagination, is replaced by something called 'Theory'. 

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Disclaimer in a streamer world

    • Peter Craven
    • 15 November 2024

    Starring Cate Blanchett at the height of her powers, Disclaimer, the new streamer by Alfonso Cuarón, has already been dubbed the finest thing ever made for the new television, with the director claiming not to have made a serial, but a continuous film. 

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Larrikins and lampoons have the last laugh

    • Ron Cerabona
    • 14 November 2024

    For decades, Australian political satire has taken aim at the powerful with wit and irreverence, forging a distinct comedic tradition that holds up a mirror to society, revealing truths in the face of national absurdities. Now after 25 years, the iconic Wharf Revue takes its final bow, closing a celebrated chapter in the story of Australian satire. 

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  • RELIGION

    Pope Francis' challenge to become a synodal Church

    • Bruce Duncan
    • 14 November 2024

    The Synod is possibly the most important event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. And despite its focus on internal Church reform and participation, can it effectively address broader social and moral issues in the world while still promoting a more inclusive and accountable Church?

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  • EDUCATION

    Degrees of discontent

    • Erica Cervini
    • 14 November 2024

    At an ACU graduation event, students walked out in protest as Joe de Bruyn gave an address condemning abortion, single-parent IVF, and same-sex marriage. The event highlights tensions for Catholic institutions trying to balance traditional Catholic values while also embracing often opposing perspectives a diverse, pluralistic society.

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  • CARTOON

    Lost lighter

    • Glen Le Lievre
    • 13 November 2024

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    The Booker Prize and why it matters

    • Gillian Bouras
    • 12 November 2024

    As the Booker Prize winner is announced, the perennial questions resurface: What does winning truly mean for writers — and for readers? As public values shift, literary prizes ignite fierce debate about artistic merit, cultural relevance, and the commercial impact of awards. Can a prize still shape the future of fiction?

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    The end of politics as usual

    • Julian Butler
    • 11 November 2024

    As Americans confront the start of a second Trump presidency, the questions go deeper than policy. This victory, far from an anomaly, reflects deeper fractures and discontent in a polarized nation. How can a society move forward when politics seem unable to address, let alone heal, its divisions?

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    With stars in their eyes, the Dems lost sight of America

    • Warwick McFadyen
    • 11 November 2024

    After a stunning defeat, Kamala Harris urged Americans not to despair even though as Trump returns to the White House, the Democrats face a harsh reckoning. Beyond the star-studded stages and celebrity endorsements, the real work lies in understanding the voters they overlooked and finding a way back to them. 

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    How the Democrats relived Clinton's nightmare

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 11 November 2024

    As election night unfolded, pundits and pollsters braced for a nail-biter. But within hours, the predicted deadlock vanished, with Trump surging past Harris in key battlegrounds, defying expectations. The Democrats’ reliance on identity politics and celebrity endorsements missed the mark with Middle America, leaving them to confront the hard lessons of a stunning defeat.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Reshaping Remembrance

    • Stephen Alomes
    • 11 November 2024

    On Remembrance Day, we’re called to confront war’s real toll — not just on soldiers but on civilians, families, and especially children. From WWII’s devastated cities to today’s ravaged Gaza, can we reframe our commemorations to reflect the universal, harrowing cost of war beyond national myths?

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Sonny Boy: A Memoir by Al Pacino review

    • Peter Craven
    • 08 November 2024

    Al Pacino is an actor we’re inclined to take for granted, given his presence in some of the greatest popular films of the last half century, not least his Michael Corleone in Coppola’s Godfather trilogy, which revealed an actor of extraordinary stature. Sonny Boy is a consistently diverting and illuminating book by a man who has little pomp and circumstance about him. 

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  • AUSTRALIA

    A house divided: In conversation with Alan Kohler

    • David Halliday
    • 08 November 2024

    As house prices soar, half the nation finds itself locked out of the property market. In conversation with Eureka Street, Alan Kohler untangles the web of tax incentives, population pressures, and government policies fueling the housing crisis to discover why, despite public outcry, solutions remain frustratingly out of reach.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Race Mathews: A Life in Politics

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 08 November 2024

      The story of Race Mathews’ career will be an antidote to despair about politics and politicians. It underlines the possibilities of politics, showing how it can be more than a job or a career. It can be a calling to imagine a more just society and ways of building it.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Long-term detention, curfews and ankle bracelets for asylum seekers under the rule of law

    • Frank Brennan
    • 08 November 2024

    Last week, Australia’s High Court blocked government restrictions on non-citizens with criminal records. As Parliament scrambles to impose new restrictions, Chief Justice Stephen Gageler’s court remains steadfast against policies deemed discriminatory and excessively punitive.

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  • RELIGION

    The quiet revolution in women's roles in the Church

    • Joanna Thyer
    • 07 November 2024

    At the World Synod in Rome, four women joined to advocate for ordaining women as deacons. Though the topic remains off the table officially, the message highlights the Church’s internal conflict between traditional values and growing calls for inclusion and change.

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  • RELIGION

    Progress on a hope and a prayer

    • John Warhurst
    • 07 November 2024

      The Catholic Church recently displayed two strikingly different faces. In Rome, the Synod on Synodality wrapped up with a facade of unity. But back in Melbourne, a Catholic University’s graduation became a battleground over church doctrine and free speech, exposing deep, unresolved fractures within the church.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    What does a Trump victory mean for Australia?

    • James Massola
    • 07 November 2024

    The analysis of how Trump achieved a famous victory will continue for years to come. The more germane questions now are what does this result mean for Australia’s economic, defence, trade and foreign policy, and what lessons (if any) are there for Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton?

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Why the future of Australia’s marine economy depends on public trust

    • Hugh Breakey, Rebecca Marshallsay, Larelle Bossi, Charles Sampford
    • 04 November 2024

    While the government's Sustainable Ocean Plan rightly prioritizes environmental sustainability, long-term success in managing Australia’s vast ocean spaces will also require a strong focus on social sustainability. For Australia’s marine industries to thrive, they must not only secure genuine social license but also navigate its potential risks.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Anxious and depressed about the state of the world? Good for you

    • Mark Beeson
    • 04 November 2024

    The Doomsday Clock remains at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it’s ever been to calamity. In addition to the atomic scientists’ original concern about nuclear war, now climate change and the possible dangers of AI are parts of a potentially combustible mix. In short, there is much to fret about for anyone paying attention. 

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Is social media having a negative effect on pregnant women?

    • Rachel Dryer
    • 01 November 2024

    New research reveals a troubling link between heavy social media use and psychological distress during pregnancy, raising concerns about social media's impact on maternal mental health and urging a reassessment of societal pressures on expectant mothers.

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