The Policy Post

  God is not dead. Yet. Most of the world is turning away from religion. Australia leads the pack.

A lovely day in Dystopia. What sort of world do the far-right populists want to create? And what do their billionaire backers want for their money?

  The sullen revolution. Discontent in western democracies feeds the surge in right-wing populism. But why? And why now?

  Democracy in trouble? Blame the economy. Democracy and prosperity go together. When economies go backwards, authoritarians flourish.

  How the west mishandles terrorism (and makes it worse) In the rich world, terrorism is one of the least significant of all threats to life and security. But our panicked over-reaction and rushed, repressive laws do what the terrorists could not achieve by themselves.

  We’re desperate for a new, better world. Who can deliver it? Parties of the progressive Left are the last, best hope to rebuild democratic societies and avoid domination by the populist far right. But are they up to the job?

  Who’s to blame? It didn’t take long for the nation's leading political opportunists to hijack the Bondi massacre for their own purposes.

  Too many guns. For three decades, Australia’s much-praised gun laws almost eliminated mass shootings. But we now have more guns than ever; and this post from almost three years ago has suddenly, and appallingly, become relevant again.

  The resistible rise of the modern fascist. Western liberal democracy is under more stress than at any time in eight decades. But today’s wannabe fascists are more mortal than most of us realise.

  The over-hyped world of AI. Artificial intelligence won’t change as much as the promoters claim. But, for some, its impacts will be disruptive – and sometimes disastrous.

  A politics for a disintegrating world. The western democracies face a time of upheaval that could lead to breakdown and chaos. But only if we let it.

  Climate change, security … and Indonesia. Australia can, with difficulty, handle most of what climate change throws at us. Our biggest, nearest neighbour cannot.

  Democracy’s crisis of confidence. Autocracies are winning the trust of their people. Democracies are losing it.

  Shocks and aftershocks 1: Five tipping points that made the modern world. Global change happens slowly, then all at once. And it’s driven by ordinary people shouting: “What about me?”

  Shocks and aftershocks 2: The undeliverable promise of liberalism. The difficulties besetting the world today can be traced back to their origins in the speculations of the 18 th century Enlightenment.

  Shocks and aftershocks 3: Freedom for the wolves. Between 1789 and 1860, Europe was transformed. Industrialisation and liberal economics fused into a kind of new feudalism.

  Shocks and aftershocks 4: And then the world ended. As the 19 th century progressed, reforms were minor and grudging, doing little for the great mass of the people. Finally, in 1914, the edifice collapsed.

  Shocks and aftershocks 7: The post-liberal malaise. Liberalism has run its course. The US is no longer the ‘indispensable nation’. Other countries must find their own new way.

  Shocks and aftershocks 5: After Armageddon, rebirth. Socialism turned out to be much worse than liberalism. Then a new way appeared … for a while.

  Shocks and aftershocks 6: Peace, love and company profits The upheavals of 1968 presaged the ultimate triumph of liberalism. Personal freedoms were finally realised – but neoliberal economics failed just as badly as ever.