Latest Articles
We are encouraged to rely more and more on government officials to do for us what we could equally well do for ourselves—and, maybe more importantly, not to do what might help us solve our own problems.
Sep 08 2024
10 mins
If we imagine a metric called the Pinocchio Scale, which measures the number of lies told by a politician as a percentage of his or her overall public statements, our current prime minister (for want of a better description), Airbus Albo, has moved well into uncharted territory.
Sep 06 2024
5 mins
In Defence of (Occasional) Appeasement
Since the nuclear deal with Iran was announced on July 14, several leading American conservatives have assailed the Obama administration’s diplomatic overtures to the Islamic Republic. According to various Republican presidential candidates, the deal is “one of America’s worst diplomatic failures” (Scott Walker), “a fundamental betrayal of the security of the United States” (Ted Cruz), “one of the most destructive foreign policy decisions in my lifetime” (Rick Perry) and “a disgrace … ridiculous … amateur night” (Donald Trump). Another candidate, Mike Huckabee, has even invoked the Holocaust. Obama’s Iran policy, chided the former Arkansas governor and Fox News host, would “take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven”. Meanwhile, Republican senator Mark Kirk warns that the nuclear deal amounts to “the greatest appeasement since Chamberlain gave Czechoslovakia to Hitler”.
President Barack Obama fired back, arguing that opposition to…
Madam: Archbishop Fisher (July-August 2024) does not resist the attacks on his church by the political, social or scientific atheists and those who insist on not being told what to do.
Aug 29 2024
6 mins
To claim Aborigines have the world's oldest continuous culture is to misunderstand the meaning of culture, which continuously changes over time and location. For a culture not to change over time would be a reproach and certainly not a cause for celebration, for it would indicate that there had been no capacity to adapt. Clearly this has not been the case
Aug 20 2024
23 mins
A friend and longtime supporter of Quadrant, Clive James sent us a poem in 2010, which we published in our December issue. Like the Taronga Park Aquarium he recalls in its 'mocked-up sandstone cave' it's not to be forgotten
Aug 16 2024
2 mins
