In January, in Washington DC, we saw what happens when a movement of brainwashed trolls finds itself with no hope after years of blaming everything on the other team, when the cult of personality collapsed in on itself. Shanks and his team need to take this moment to reflect on what they're trying to achieve, if indeed they are trying to achieve anything at all.
social commentary
CW: Suicide, Abuse, Rape
I can still remember the first time I tried to kill myself. I couldn't have been more than eight or nine, but I was old enough to know that death meant the pain would stop.
Fuck Celebrity
At Home Alone Together is a new comedy series on ABC, hosted by Ray Martin, it takes a look at the lighter side of quarantining and government-sanctioned lockdowns. Ostensibly a funny idea, it recently included a (now viral) public service announcement sketch that involved some of Australia's most televised faces telling us not to start a podcast in this time of pandemic.
Brandzac Day: The Fetishisation of Toxic Patriotism
The commercialisation of Anzac Day goes far beyond whichever advertising executive will shit the bed on April 25 with a tone-deaf attempt to cash in on the "ANZAC Spirit".
This is a day which has become a battleground for right-wing culture warriors desperate to exploit the boozed-up bogans eager to defend 'Straya in the trenches of focused and persistent online abuse.
Wild Colonial Boys
Last year, I tried to offer a white, male perspective on the issue of January 26, because I saw that there was clearly a market for Caucasian mediocrity in the "sensible Centre". Let's try this again.
The Rich Get Richer
Keynesian economics was the predominant economic theory before the rise of neo-liberalism during the Thatcher/Reagan years. It helped end the Great Depression, and in the post-war West, created the modern middle class.
Pin a Ribbon, Forget the Women
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Many in the media will associate today with White Ribbons, which is unfortunate, because the White Ribbon campaign is hot garbage and needs to disappear.
Don’t You Know It’s Gonna Be Alt-Right
This week we witnessed the collapse of the Liberal Party of Australia. In the most exceptionally stupid display of unhinged arrogance from any Australian government in living memory, Scott Morrison and the Liberals signalled their intent to make Bill Shorten the next Prime Minister.
Respect Costs Nothing But Lives
Harm reduction, as a key harm minimisation strategy developed in response to the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs, relies on one simple concept. Respect.
Microagressions
What does it mean to be an ally of the LGBTIQA community? If you're straight, it probably means that you have friends, family, lovers, or colleagues who find a key part of their identity in the rainbow.
