Size is important
Stimulus spending and common sense
A preponderance of economists and economic commentators support the use of stimulus spending to counter recessions. The IMF supports it; the G20 governments support it, Treasury head Ken Henry supports it, bank economists are often quoted as supporting it and economic columnists in newspapers support it. Support for it is overwhelming. If the degree of support counts then the matter is settled and perhaps to an even greater degree than is the "settled matter" of man-made globing warming.
A few brave conservative souls – Galileo-like – fly the flag for the opposing view. (Within Australia, Steven Kates is prominent among them in Quadrant Online and elsewhere.) They make the case that boosting government expenditure in recessionary times does more harm than good and lessens economic growth. Inevitably, the debate has become politicised and, as with global warming, once that occurs tribal positions are cemented in place and light and reason have a…
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