Category: Australia

Your Feed, Your Way: What Australia’s Online Safety Bill Means for Global Platform Regulation

Platforms headquartered in one country shape what users see in another, so any state that regulates them is, in theory, claiming authority beyond its borders. A duty of care can protect a teenager’s feed. The duty of care obligations can also reach information flows a government cannot otherwise touch. Governments write it into law for different ends, and the contest between them concerns who governs infrastructure that no single state controls. … Continue readingYour Feed, Your Way: What Australia’s Online Safety Bill Means for Global Platform Regulation

I Came, I Saw, I Questioned: Surveillance and Compulsory Questioning Powers in Australia 

In recent times, surveillance and monitoring across Australia has expanded even more. In such a time, citizens are more vulnerable than ever as the granting of extensive powers through legislative and police enforcement schemes means they can easily be targeted. While much of this technology has emerged under the need to keep up with crime which spreads rapidly through the current globalised, digital sphere; legislative regulation of these monitoring mechanisms are lacking, which leaves room for surveillance to gradually diminish core freedoms. … Continue readingI Came, I Saw, I Questioned: Surveillance and Compulsory Questioning Powers in Australia 

Respect is a Two-Way Street, but has Civility in Politics Hit a Dead-End?

Incivility in politics is nothing new, yet it has become increasingly prominent in an era dominated by social media outrage, where populist politicians can generate engagement and thrive on social media platforms. Yet, incivility in itself is not always harmful. Direct and sometimes aggressive confrontation may be valid or necessary to challenge oppressive policies or actions, however incivility that generates harmful rhetoric or prejudice may undermine democratic participation.  … Continue readingRespect is a Two-Way Street, but has Civility in Politics Hit a Dead-End?

The Rise of Mamdani-like Politicians and the End of the Myth of ‘Electability’?

For years, the surest way to kill a progressive campaign was to prop up a moderate opponent, or simply to label the candidate too progressive, too ambitious, too unrealistic, and therefore unelectable. Centrism was the default, and anything more ambitious was dismissed as unrealistic. That doctrine survived as long as it did because deteriorating material conditions hadn’t yet made “risky” and “unrealistic” look like the only options left on the table. But recent wins show us that things are changing. … Continue readingThe Rise of Mamdani-like Politicians and the End of the Myth of ‘Electability’?

The monocultural golden age that (never) existed: An imagined past, and its consequences for a real future

Monoculturalism is more than a simple ‘culture war’ issue. Although domestic political discussion may seem separate from international affairs, the issue of monoculturalism demonstrates how domestic politics have a significant impact on perceptions of the country and international trade. The consequences of such policy cannot be understated.
… Continue readingThe monocultural golden age that (never) existed: An imagined past, and its consequences for a real future

The Environment: Another Victim of Imperialism?

The wealth of Global North countries, the unequal impacts of climate change and the resulting vulnerability of Global South countries is the direct result of imperialism. The use of imperialist strategies against countries in the Global South has led to an unequal distribution of wealth and the destruction of the environment to fund the safety, wealth and development of countries in the Global North.  … Continue readingThe Environment: Another Victim of Imperialism?

How Flag Carrier Airlines Are Rebranding Nation-States

Commercial airlines do far more than transport people or make profits. They actively represent their home country on the international stage and forge links between regions. Commercial passenger aviation is therefore a space where power, reputation and diplomatic struggles for influence play out from the tarmac to the high skies. … Continue readingHow Flag Carrier Airlines Are Rebranding Nation-States

Cracked Ceilings, Shakier Ground: The Paradox of Women’s Leadership in Western Democracy

As of March, 13 of the 193 member states of the United Nations are led by a woman as head of state – a figure that, while still low, is gradually increasing. At first glance, it suggests a world moving, albeit slowly, toward gender equality. But if one looks more closely at the timing, the picture shifts. Women are frequently elevated when parties are fractured, when electoral prospects are dim, and when governing crises have already taken hold. … Continue readingCracked Ceilings, Shakier Ground: The Paradox of Women’s Leadership in Western Democracy

“There may not even be a special relationship depending on how things develop”: Ben Wellings on the UK-US Special relationship and the Anglosphere

In an exclusive interview with Pivot, Ben Wellings discusses the historical significance of the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom, and its connection to the Anglosphere, as further conflict looms in the Middle East … Continue reading“There may not even be a special relationship depending on how things develop”: Ben Wellings on the UK-US Special relationship and the Anglosphere

Renting wombs: the ethics of international surrogacy

Surrogacy is “booming”. Now a multi-billion dollar industry globally, it is set to be valued at AU$187 billion by 2032. While medical advancements and social shifts have normalised this path to parenthood, there is concern that while surrogacy has the ability to bring one woman’s dream to life, it exploits another — often one more vulnerable than the buyer. … Continue readingRenting wombs: the ethics of international surrogacy