Category Archives: Quotidian

By Andrew L. Urban. We were saying things around the dinner table last Friday night and Gillian Triggs could not stop us. We were saying things about Australia sinking beneath the waves of oppressive socio-political authoritarianism, safe spaces ‘n’ all. … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban. In Australia, the new ACTU boss Sally McManus believes that unions can and should break any law they feel is unjust. In America, several cities – the so called sanctuary cities – defy Federal law and … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban When companies come out of the social closet on issues such as same sex marriage or climb on board the diversity band wagon, or withdraw advertising from media in response to, say, a celebrated news anchor … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban. Not quite right, Nicola Wright: in The Spectator Australia (April 8, 2017) you write: “Opponents of 18C reform …. Bill Shorten and Anne Aly … asked the Coalition the fatuous question: ‘what insult do they want … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban. Defenders of 18C are disingenuous to say ‘What would you want to say if 18C was abolished?’ Wrong question. It is obvious, isn’t it, that 18C prompts the question “What offence do you wish to take?” … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban. A bottle of Coopers Light Ale hangs from a tree by a rope around its neck. Strange fruit, indeed, the fruit of Australia’s collective political cowardice. The lynch mob that put it there is moving on … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban. “Trump dominates the news cycle like a fart dominates the interior of a Volkswagen Beetle,” quipped John Oliver, host of HBO show Last Week Tonight, as reported in The Guardian (February 20, 2017). The story went … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban. His critics throughout the US Presidential election campaign accused Donald Trump as being politically inept, as having no idea, while what Trump was showing the world was – and is – that he is no ideologue. … Continue reading →

By Andrew L Urban. Australia is becoming a mock democracy; a demockracy. It is observable on a daily basis as some politicians, journalists and academics mouth their repurposed Orwellian language of control. Truth cleansing is rife. Democratic principles are no … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban. Australia’s cultural descent has accelerated. Only last year Barry Humphries was moved to remark that Australia had become a puritanical society. What a turn-around. “We think we live in a liberated age but we don’t really … Continue reading →