Scary to think that the Geneva Conventions and Hague Conventions would have no chance of being widely ratified today.

I don’t know how journalists can bring themselves to write that bile.

I think the question should be reversed. Has there ever been a hegemonic power that didn’t die in a flood of memes and self parody?

You’ve got to admire the consistency.

I’ve been yelling for years that they shouldn’t be progressive darlings.

I suspect many of the world’s ills could be solved simply by saying, “economists should not…”

“A forest is trees at scale” is going to live in my mind for a while.

Oh and a big one, Medicare reform. Ditch Howard’s death-by-stealth hybrid healthcare system and move toward the free-at-point-of-service ideal of healthcare. Also include dental.

I’d add to that: massive welfare reform, huge funding increasing for tertiary education and universities, boost the ABC and local content quotas for streamers and traditional media, infrastructure spend and end offshore processing for refugees.

Now if we could just get the ALP to realise they don’t have to worry about their right flank and start pursuing some bold policies…

Especially if the argument is “there is no credible opposition”. Okay then, do your thing as the fourth estate and hold the government to account.

The Lib stuff is like a weird mix of reality TV and Australian Politics tutorial run by conservative leaning tutors.

I’d probably blame Abbott more than Turnbull, but really that whole shitshow of Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison has just left behind a train wreck of terrible decisions.

I suspect over the next few terms that parts of the crossbench will fuse with cast offs from the wreckage of the coalition—or perhaps just people who once might’ve fit there— to form
a cohesive alt govt. What will be interesting is whether or not this will be a political party in the 20thC sense.

Background actor bingo is the main reason to watch TV in our household.

Yep. I think the BBC sold out its stake and then did the Disney deal.

Tempted to just buy the box sets from Apple. The streaming era is becoming increasingly awful.