Glory and shame, two noble myths corrode

Glory and shame, two noble myths corrode

There is a temptation in Australia to treat the Ben Roberts-Smith affair as though it were, at heart, a simple appeal to the rule of law. On one side stands the rules of conduct, agreed and published in the arcane annals of the various conventions that have accumulated over time, the gold standard of how to wage violent conduct against another state ...
ABC’s war on those who fight wars

ABC’s war on those who fight wars

There is a particular kind of arrogance that only flourishes at a safe distance from danger, and the arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith, a recipient of Australia’s highest military honour, has once again brought it into full view. Within hours, the familiar chorus assembled, commentators, analysts and above all, the professional moral class, each certain not ...
Before the Dawn Service, there was this

Before the Dawn Service, there was this

The staged arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith, just weeks before Anzac Day, is not just bad optics. It is a signal to every young Australian thinking about enlisting. Australia is facing a military recruitment crisis. As of early 2024, the Australian Defence Force was more than 4,300 people below its authorised strength of 62,700 permanent members. Its total ...
It’s the pictures that got small

It’s the pictures that got small

Nostalgia is one of Hollywood’s most potent and pervasive impulses. It is among the reasons why deep dives into classic movies are still a publishing phenomenon: there is an enduring market for excavating and celebrating past glories that can also speak to the present in unexpected ways. Anyone with a

Glory and shame, two noble myths corrode

Glory and shame, two noble myths corrode
There is a temptation in Australia to treat the Ben Roberts-Smith affair as though it were, at heart, a simple appeal to the rule of law. On one side stands the rules of conduct, agreed and published in the arcane annals of the various conventions that have accumulated over time, the gold standard of how to wage violent conduct against another state ...

ABC’s war on those who fight wars

ABC’s war on those who fight wars
There is a particular kind of arrogance that only flourishes at a safe distance from danger, and the arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith, a recipient of Australia’s highest military honour, has once again brought it into full view. Within hours, the familiar chorus assembled, commentators, analysts and above all, the professional moral class, each certain not ...

Before the Dawn Service, there was this

Before the Dawn Service, there was this
The staged arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith, just weeks before Anzac Day, is not just bad optics. It is a signal to every young Australian thinking about enlisting. Australia is facing a military recruitment crisis. As of early 2024, the Australian Defence Force was more than 4,300 people below its authorised strength of 62,700 permanent members. Its total ...

It’s the pictures that got small

It’s the pictures that got small
Nostalgia is one of Hollywood’s most potent and pervasive impulses. It is among the reasons why deep dives into classic movies are still a publishing phenomenon: there is an enduring market for excavating and celebrating past glories that can also speak to the present in unexpected ways. Anyone with a