Everything about politics
In mid-1944, with WWII still raging, George Orwell took aim at socialist and pacifist Vera Brittain, who had published a hand-wringing pamphlet attacking Allied bombing raids in Europe. Like the comfortable leftists today attacking Israel’s self-defensive response to Hamas’ unspeakable barbarities, Brittain whined about the “thousands of helpless and
Each passing day only underscores the sheer scale of the bullet Australia dodged on referendum day. Despite the endless protestations of “unity”, it was clear to anyone who actually read the Uluru Statement (all 26-odd pages of it) that this was a deeply divisive proposal. It really irks the Yes
Join us in standing with Israel at this critical time. An Israel support rally will be held at Aotea Square, Auckland, 3:30 pm, on Sunday 29 October 2023. Juliet Moses has written a powerful piece for The Post, setting the 7 October pogrom in its essential historical context. Dozens
While BFD readers’ eyes have been almost certainly, and rightfully, focussed on the voting day on each side of the Tasman two weeks ago, a week later, another general election was held, in far-off Switzerland. While all politics is local, the Swiss elections also seemed to follow a trend sweeping
John-Paul Baladi John-Paul Baladi is the Vice President of the Sudanese-Syrian Christian Community in Australia and the Former Territory Director of the Country Liberal Party. mercatornet.com “Australia is the most successful multicultural nation in the world.” Australian political leaders of all persuasions have often paraded this claim – but is
As the fallout from the “Voice” referendum continues, “Airbus Albo” is scuttling off overseas, yet again. Of course, the trip would have been booked months ago, and there are a few things going on in the world. But politics is as much about appearances as substance, and the appearances here,
Philip Crump Founding editor of Newstalk ZB Plus and former lawyer, Philip Crump explores political, legal and cultural issues facing New Zealand. Sometimes known as Thomas Cranmer. substack.com/@cranmer With special votes still being counted, the interregnum provides time for the country’s political parties to reflect on their
JD Labour’s gone, so the leftie press is now excited about the performance of the Greens and Te Pati Maori. But how does this compare to previous elections? How much support comes from voters embracing their socialist ideologies, and how much from people voting for other reasons? Looking first
Danyl McLauchlan democracyproject.nz Danyl McLauchlan writes about politics, economics, science and philosophy – mostly for the Listener. He is also the author of two novels and a recent essay collection, Tranquillity and Ruin. Two of the most significant policy disputes in the run-up to New Zealand’s 2023 election took
Chris Trotter Chris Trotter is New Zealand’s leading leftwing political commentator, with 30 years of experience writing professionally about New Zealand politics. He now writes regularly for the Democracy Project, producing his column “From the Left”. Victoria University of Wellington democracyproject.nz DISINFORMATION has been part and parcel of
Over the weekend I was sent a video from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It outlined in two short, yet horrifying minutes some of the appalling war crimes and atrocities perpetrated by Hamas on innocent civilians of Israel in the border areas around the Gaza Strip. I was also
The defeat of the “Indigenous Voice” referendum, if nothing else, showed just what a grassroots, low-budget campaign can achieve against the assembled might of the elite. The Yes campaign had the backing of the government, most of the minor parties, and even prominent members of the opposition. Every single state
With the referendum done and dusted, the activist groups behind it have dropped their masks of “unity” and “love”, and revealed their true, ugly face. Australians can heave a sigh of relief that we dodged the bullet of this lot. After spending a week throwing an epic sulking fit, an
David Bell David Bell, Senior Scholar at Brownstone Institute, is a public health physician and biotech consultant in global health. He is a former medical officer and scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), Programme Head for malaria and febrile diseases at the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) in
As Lewis Carroll’s Humpty-Dumpty famously said, “When, it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less”. The whole point, he elaborated, is “which is to be master”. As history has regularly shown, authoritarian ideologies regularly twist the plain meanings of words in order to assert
