Jon Piccini
@jonpiccini.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer. Reviews editor. Union Thug. ADHD haver. Writing a history of Australian empire. Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will. Tweets mine. He/him
Pinned
Jon Piccini
@jonpiccini.bsky.social
· Nov 21
Tourism, Americanization and the Vietnam War R&R Scheme in Sydney, Australia, 1967–71 - Chris Dixon, Lisa Featherstone, Jon Piccini, 2024
Australia's addition to the Vietnam War R&R scheme in September 1967 brought some 280,000 short-stay tourists to Sydney, and particularly its notorious ‘red lig...
journals.sagepub.com
Excited to see this, the first output of our ARC project on Vietnam war R&R in Sydney, live at Journal of Contemporary history. We look at how the scheme awkwardly positioned white Australia within an emerging neo-colonial tourist economy. And it's OA! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Jon Piccini
NEW: I have obtained, under FOI, a secret Department report that initially recommended the Targeted Compliance Framework - aka, the unlawful "mutual obligations" scheme
It reveals that, like Robodebt, they recklessly built this thing to punish "entitled" frauds who never existed
It reveals that, like Robodebt, they recklessly built this thing to punish "entitled" frauds who never existed
November 16, 2025 at 11:47 PM
NEW: I have obtained, under FOI, a secret Department report that initially recommended the Targeted Compliance Framework - aka, the unlawful "mutual obligations" scheme
It reveals that, like Robodebt, they recklessly built this thing to punish "entitled" frauds who never existed
It reveals that, like Robodebt, they recklessly built this thing to punish "entitled" frauds who never existed
Classic tradie combo: banh mi with Dagwood dog (chicken salt) and 4 dimmies.
November 17, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Classic tradie combo: banh mi with Dagwood dog (chicken salt) and 4 dimmies.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
bill clinton is like the forrest gump of getting his dick sucked
November 16, 2025 at 4:25 AM
bill clinton is like the forrest gump of getting his dick sucked
Reposted by Jon Piccini
the socialist Victorian government is jailing ten year old kids for life, to push their woke agenda
November 16, 2025 at 7:10 AM
the socialist Victorian government is jailing ten year old kids for life, to push their woke agenda
Reposted by Jon Piccini
The golden age of diversity and democracy in Oz.
November 16, 2025 at 7:04 AM
The golden age of diversity and democracy in Oz.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Reposted by Jon Piccini
My most woke opinion is that "woke" at root is a beautiful concept: active socio-political consciousness in the context of the Black American liberation struggle. And the way it's been turned into a sneering pejorative is one of the ugliest things I've ever seen in Western political discourse.
"my least woke opinion is---"
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
November 14, 2025 at 12:54 PM
My most woke opinion is that "woke" at root is a beautiful concept: active socio-political consciousness in the context of the Black American liberation struggle. And the way it's been turned into a sneering pejorative is one of the ugliest things I've ever seen in Western political discourse.
New indulgence just dropped
Hold up
November 15, 2025 at 6:27 AM
New indulgence just dropped
Reposted by Jon Piccini
After their homecoming Fed Square gig was cancelled over security fears, Amyl and the Sniffers put $5,000 behind the bar at seven live music venues around Melbourne.
'Wild' night in city as band shouts $35k in free drinks after gig cancelled
After their homecoming Fed Square gig was cancelled over security fears, Amyl and the Sniffers put $5,000 behind the bar at seven live music venues around Melbourne.
www.abc.net.au
November 14, 2025 at 10:48 PM
After their homecoming Fed Square gig was cancelled over security fears, Amyl and the Sniffers put $5,000 behind the bar at seven live music venues around Melbourne.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Race car driver Dean Alessi of Alessi Motorsports has been named as a member of the National Socialist Network who attended the neo-Nazi rally at NSW Parliament last weekend. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
November 14, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Race car driver Dean Alessi of Alessi Motorsports has been named as a member of the National Socialist Network who attended the neo-Nazi rally at NSW Parliament last weekend. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Reposted by Jon Piccini
JOB
College Lectureship and Fellowship in Modern History and Politics (c20), Trinity College, Cambridge
[This includes a teaching requirement for International Relations]
www.trin.cam.ac.uk/vacancies/co...
College Lectureship and Fellowship in Modern History and Politics (c20), Trinity College, Cambridge
[This includes a teaching requirement for International Relations]
www.trin.cam.ac.uk/vacancies/co...
College Lectureship and Fellowship in Modern History and Politics
Applications are invited for appointment to a College Lectureship in Modern History and Politics, together with a Fellowship, tenable for five years in the first instance, with the possibility of…
www.trin.cam.ac.uk
November 11, 2025 at 9:50 PM
JOB
College Lectureship and Fellowship in Modern History and Politics (c20), Trinity College, Cambridge
[This includes a teaching requirement for International Relations]
www.trin.cam.ac.uk/vacancies/co...
College Lectureship and Fellowship in Modern History and Politics (c20), Trinity College, Cambridge
[This includes a teaching requirement for International Relations]
www.trin.cam.ac.uk/vacancies/co...
This is quite the way of saying 'there is no evidence of CIA involvement in the Whitlam dismissal'.
The 1975 “dismissal” of Australian Labor PM Gough Whitlam is often seen as a constitutional crisis initiated by an old British-led establishment.
In reality, it was a bloodless analog of other US-orchestrated coups against reforming left governments.
In reality, it was a bloodless analog of other US-orchestrated coups against reforming left governments.
Fifty Years Ago, the US Staged a Coup in Australia
The 1975 “dismissal” of Australian Labor PM Gough Whitlam is often seen as a constitutional crisis initiated by an old British-led establishment. In reality, it was a bloodless analog of other US-orchestrated coups against reforming left governments.
jacobin.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:36 AM
This is quite the way of saying 'there is no evidence of CIA involvement in the Whitlam dismissal'.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
More like aurora snore-ialis
November 12, 2025 at 11:46 AM
More like aurora snore-ialis
Reposted by Jon Piccini
‘Crowds rarely feature in conventional accounts of the early medieval period. After the fall of Rome, population numbers collapsed, cities emptied out and, it’s often claimed, public gatherings largely ceased
Is this true, a new book asks?
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Is this true, a new book asks?
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Pablo Scheffer · Among the Rabble: Early Medieval Crowds
Along with their terminology, the Romans had passed down to early medieval Europe the belief that crowds were an...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 11:10 AM
‘Crowds rarely feature in conventional accounts of the early medieval period. After the fall of Rome, population numbers collapsed, cities emptied out and, it’s often claimed, public gatherings largely ceased
Is this true, a new book asks?
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Is this true, a new book asks?
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
A labour history that explores an ‘untraditional’ working class may be helpful to contemporary organizing efforts among migrant workers, service workers and precarious workers in a ‘gig economy’ which, it turns out, is not so novel after all. academic.oup.com/hwj/advance-...
November 11, 2025 at 10:19 AM
A labour history that explores an ‘untraditional’ working class may be helpful to contemporary organizing efforts among migrant workers, service workers and precarious workers in a ‘gig economy’ which, it turns out, is not so novel after all. academic.oup.com/hwj/advance-...
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Tired: Whitlam dismissal
Inspired: Whitlam’s dismissal of Albert Field’s brief but impactful political career as Queensland senator (or ‘rat’, depending) in the mad months of late 1975. For Whitlam, “an individual of the utmost obscurity, from which he rose and to which he sank with equal speed” 🔥
Inspired: Whitlam’s dismissal of Albert Field’s brief but impactful political career as Queensland senator (or ‘rat’, depending) in the mad months of late 1975. For Whitlam, “an individual of the utmost obscurity, from which he rose and to which he sank with equal speed” 🔥
November 11, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Tired: Whitlam dismissal
Inspired: Whitlam’s dismissal of Albert Field’s brief but impactful political career as Queensland senator (or ‘rat’, depending) in the mad months of late 1975. For Whitlam, “an individual of the utmost obscurity, from which he rose and to which he sank with equal speed” 🔥
Inspired: Whitlam’s dismissal of Albert Field’s brief but impactful political career as Queensland senator (or ‘rat’, depending) in the mad months of late 1975. For Whitlam, “an individual of the utmost obscurity, from which he rose and to which he sank with equal speed” 🔥
Reposted by Jon Piccini
this has to be the single greatest image in the history of sports
November 9, 2025 at 9:46 PM
this has to be the single greatest image in the history of sports
Pictured: Sir John Kerr passes his responsibilities as Governor General of Papua New Guinea to Sir John Guise, September 16 1975. In his speech, Kerr welcomed how PNG independence was achieved peacefully and democratically, in accordance with the constitution.
Kerr's life was otherwise uneventful.
Kerr's life was otherwise uneventful.
November 11, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Pictured: Sir John Kerr passes his responsibilities as Governor General of Papua New Guinea to Sir John Guise, September 16 1975. In his speech, Kerr welcomed how PNG independence was achieved peacefully and democratically, in accordance with the constitution.
Kerr's life was otherwise uneventful.
Kerr's life was otherwise uneventful.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Today marks 50 years since the most outrageous event in Australia's democracy. They "maintained the rage" and we are beneficiaries of that.
Yet, for a time in 1975, Australian democracy appeared a fragile thing. It proved robust in the end – thanks in large part to the creativity of ordinary Australians who agitated for their country’s democratic culture, system and institutions.
In a world with democracy in decline, we have much to learn from those who rallied against Whitlam’s dismissal | Frank Bongiorno and James Watson
In 1975, few Australians believed the dismissal of a democratically elected government was business as usual
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Today marks 50 years since the most outrageous event in Australia's democracy. They "maintained the rage" and we are beneficiaries of that.
Reposted by Jon Piccini
Currently doing some marking. A reminder to everyone involved in archives and collections: digitisation is not preservation. If I digitise a box of records and put the files on a USB stick I haven't preserved a thing. It's all about what you do with the files post-digitisation. #archives #digipres
November 10, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Reposted by Jon Piccini
New article out today! It's about John Okello, the Ugandan who led the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, and how a moment of deep political insecurity redrew the map of East Africa.
www.geeska.com/en/john-okel...
www.geeska.com/en/john-okel...
John Okello and the revolution that made East Africa
In January 1964, a manual labourer from Uganda seized power in Zanzibar. The revolution, and the violence that followed in its wake, would reshape the region
www.geeska.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:57 PM
New article out today! It's about John Okello, the Ugandan who led the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, and how a moment of deep political insecurity redrew the map of East Africa.
www.geeska.com/en/john-okel...
www.geeska.com/en/john-okel...
Say what you will about Maduro, his signature (via Wikipedia) is next level.
November 10, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Say what you will about Maduro, his signature (via Wikipedia) is next level.