An important study showing that political polarisation is a US-specific phenomenon. Elsewhere in OECD, small increases in some countries, declines in others, including Australia. The result for Oz is certainly consistent with casual observation
Despite the best efforts of Murdoch press, culture wars never really took off here, and are now pretty much over. Immigration a big issue, as elsewhere, but doesn't break on simple party lines.
@pluralistic When I was a schoolkid, Honeywell had a stand at the local show/fair with a female appearing robot (actually a woman in a shiny bodysuit). The imposture was revealed after the show was over. Plus ca change
Hard to see much difference between #Labor and #LNP these days Fortunately, my local member is #Greens Elizabeth Watson-Brown, so neither will get a preference from my votes.
On Thursday #Russia will celebrate Victory Day, its commemoration of the defeat of #Nazi#Germany in 1945. Domestically, this is nostalgia. In the 1970s, Soviet leader Leonid #Brezhnev created a cult of victory. Russia under #Putin has continued the tradition.
Abroad, this is intimidation. We are meant to think that Russia cannot lose.
Russia can lose. And it should lose, for the sake of the world — and for its own sake.
Australia hasn't exactly been protest-friendly over the years, but at least the Aboriginal Tent Embassy has lasted 50 years, right outside (what was when the protest started) Parliament House.
US institutions of higher learning were so affronted by tents that they sent in the goons after a single day #auspol
Via @pluralistic a story about the process by which Google ensh*ttified its search. I agree with the analysis, but I don't think the process can be blamed entirely on someone hired in 2012. I was writing about the process of decline as early as 2004
This piece from Jonathan Bruegel at IEEFA makes the surprising (to me) point that, despite planning new #nuclear, the French government has taken the action needed to extend the lives of existing plants beyond 40 years, as has happened in the US. I'd be very surprised if this wasn't a quicker and cheaper option than new build, and quite possibly a cost-effective complement to renewables.
It would be good for someone to write an all-purpose book with the title “It’s More Complicated Than That”. Everyone should buy it and put it on to the desk next to the skull saying Memento Mori.
Then, with that ever-present reminder, we could all go back to talking in terms of the oversimplified concepts we all use to make sense of history, economics and life in general: the Middle Ages, the nuclear family and so on.
SMH floats the idea of restoring defined benefit pensions for ex-ministers so that they don't need to become lobbyists, and face the temptation to do favours.
But that horse bolted long ago, beginning with Greiner, Hawke and Stockdale.
Suggestion: restore the pension for ministers, subject to not taking on any post-retirement job
Regrets: “ I regret that I did not stop and breathe more often; that I was not kinder more often; that I sometimes suffered fools for too long. I regret not knowing the constellations of the night sky, comparative mythology, how to speak Italian and Arabic fluently, how to ride a motorbike, play mahjong and dance tango. Then there are all the books I have not read – many of which sit beside my bed. Some days this list seems endless.”
