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
Watching Big Brother
This week was a great example of Orwell’s 1984 being turned on its head, and it was all thanks to our television sets.
Instead of Big Brother watching us, we were watching Big Brother — and what a change it was. Dedicated watchers of the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, observed a vast array of the PM’s emotions, though possible not the full range — not, by a long shot. There was Kevin in full-smug, flashing photos of Nation-Debt-Building one moment — affronted by suggestions of hanky-panky involving the gift of his “little Aussie ute” ( minus a dog) — the next. Then awkward questions about car dealers, RuddBank and Wayne’s world. Something to do with giving finance to car dealers. Emmm?
Kevin got really snarly about the ute. Does he have a dog? Strange thing about our Prime Minister. He never shows any signs of affection.
Then our weekly favourite, Joel Fitzgibbon, admitting to some dreary item like his brother’s hotel bill, which soon morphed into secret meetings about his…
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
