This Month
Why we need simple signals of elite status more than ever
The more information there is in the world, the more we need simple signals of elite status to cut through it all.
Guess what shocked 4000 right-wingers in London about Australia
The conference dubbed “Woodstock for conservatives” displayed the growing confidence of the right, showing the shift in the Western intellectual landscape.
Germany’s new leader may face Trump with one hand tied behind his back
Friedrich Merz faces urgent economic and geopolitical crises. But to form a coalition he needs to turn foes into friends – and that will make it hard to govern.
Dutton’s populist plans won’t cut your grocery bills
When politicians reach for the first ‘populist’ policy they can find to address voter concerns about rising prices, they’re doing a disservice to themselves and the electorate.
Populist politics won’t make insurance cheaper
Peter Dutton has reached for a big stick without any attempt to explain how breaking insurers up into smaller companies would lower the cost of insurance.
America is engaged in a ‘rich white civil war’
I’m not a fan of populism, but real populism would be better than the right-wing elite nihilists who are running the country now.
Vance meets German far-right leader amid election interference claims
The pair met after the US vice president controversially endorsed the AfD as a political partner ahead of Germany’s poll later this month.
Why Trump and Musk are set to trample all over the courts
The judiciary poses the ultimate test of whether the president will break the system as the pair set about slashing government spending and cutting staff.
January
Argentina’s Milei tells West: Join Trump’s anti-woke alliance
The firebrand, chainsaw-wielding libertarian says a new axis is forming that wants to stamp out bloated bureaucracy and politically correct ideology.
CNN sacks 200 employees as news broadcaster faces ‘profound’ shift
The cable network let go of 6 per cent of its workforce as it focuses on streaming and digital audiences amid declining ratings.
Why it’s an unhappy new year at Guardian HQ
The ructions at the Australian arm echo the reports of low morale and spiky political divisions at the left-liberal news outlet’s London head office.
German populists turn heads with fake air tickets for illegal migrants
Alternative for Germany, the Elon-Musk-backed party pushing for second place at next month’s election, says ‘only deportations can save Germany’.
Meta’s ‘free speech’ overhaul sparks advertisers’ concern
Ad bosses say the move to end fact-checking and weaken hate speech policies could cost the platform, where marketing makes up most of its $220b in annual sales.
Musk hosts German far-right leader on X, stirs election meddling angst
In a wide-ranging, sometimes stilted conversation, the billionaire and chancellor candidate Alice Weidel agreed that the AfD was the answer.
Federal election warning after Meta scraps fact-checking
The Facebook and Instagram change will begin in the US but is expected to go global – including in Australia, where Labor is cracking down on online safety.
Meta to stop checking facts as Trump returns to White House
The reversal of a years-old policy means that there will be more “bad stuff” on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, admitted Mark Zuckerberg.
No, the budget is not out of control
Readers’ letters on Australia’s economy, sport and climate change, wage theft, populism, emissions reporting, AustralianSuper’s performance and beer bellies.
December 2024
Political class must heed lessons of Trump’s comeback
Will our leaders heed the warning that the best defence against populism is to take the hard decisions needed to restore the prosperity most Australians seek?
November 2024
Trump’s tariffs mean crony capitalism is coming
The tariffs pledged are far higher than anything seen the first time around – and the potential for political favouritism will be far greater.
Australia’s gender divide: Why young men and women are pulling apart
There is mounting evidence that more directionless young men are looking for validation that they have been badly done by.