The next time someone makes the tired claim that economic growth only benefits the rich, show them this graph from this great article by Russ Roberts on Medium last week:
Long-time readers of Hey might recall when we told you about then-treasurer Wayne Swan’s diatribe in The Monthly in March 2012 when he railed against the wealthy people that had “pocketed a disproportionate share of the nation’s economic success“. I’m sure we can expect Swan now to speak out against the influence of this billionaire on Australian politics. Guess it’s okay if it’s about renewables…
Sobering reading for Australia in the Tax Foundation’s International Tax Competitiveness Index 2018 published last week. Of the 35 countries studied, Australia was ranked 19th for individual taxes and 27th for company taxes. As Daniel Wild explained in the IPA Review in May, “Australia’s tax system is so archaic, inefficient, and destructive of wealth creation that only root and branch reform can deliver a much needed boost to investment, jobs, and growth.”
The European Court of Human Rights last week found that an Austrian court’s decision to convict a critic of Islam for “disparaging religious doctrines” had carefully balanced freedom of speech with “the rights of others to have their religious feelings protected“. On Friday, Commentary magazine called it “the day free speech died in Europe“.
How much soy do they put in this ice cream? On Tuesday Ben & Jerry’s announced their newest flavour, Pecan Resist, in support of progressive activist groups in resisting President Trump.
After you have read Dr Bella d’Abrera’s article in The Australian today on the “utter waste of time and money, bad scholarship and bogus education” in Australian academia, watch this excellent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience featuring academic hoax perpetrators Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay (Language warning), who authored a published paper titled “Human reactions to rape culture and queer performativity at urban dog parks in Portland Oregon“.
The latest edition of the IPA’s Great Books of Literature Podcast with John Roskam and Andrew Bolt is out now! This week they’re talking about Heart of Darkness, the classic novel by Joseph Conrad that inspired the film Apocalypse Now. Listen on Podbean, iTunes or on the IPA website.
The IPA’s 75th Anniversary Gala Dinner in Melbourne on 29 November featuring Janet Albrechtsen, Andrew Bolt, and Brendan O’Neill is an event you won’t want to miss – make sure you get your tickets here.
Janet will also be joining Matthew Lesh to discuss the crisis of democracy with our great friends at the Centre for Independent Studies on 22 November in Sydney. Register here.
Featuring Marieke Beck-Coon, FIRE and Gin Francis, IPA
| “When you’re thinking about tools of censorship and giving the tools to government actors – like when you call on a school to ban a speaker or you insist on having a speech code in place that bans hurtful language – students have to think about what they’re giving up… it’s hard to get [the tools] back and there’s no guarantee it won’t be used against you.” – Marieke Beck-Coon, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education |
Article of the week:
This fascinating article in the Autumn edition of City Journal by Allen C Guelzo examined the present crisis of free speech in the West, and of the institutions that once resisted but are now driving a culture of censorship.
IPA Staff Pick:
Each week an IPA staff member shares what they have enjoyed recently. Today: Andrew Bushnell
This fascinating panel discussion last month features three notable figures in the revived debate about the relationship between classical liberalism and conservatism: political philosopher Patrick Deneen, National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg, and Claremont Review of Books editor Charles Kesler. The similarities and differences between their positions are instructive for anyone interested in the future of centre right politics. I reviewed Deneen’s and Goldberg’s latest books in the October edition of the IPA Review.
Here’s what else the IPA said this week:
- John Roskam, Jerusalem a decision too big for Wentworth – Australian Financial Review
- Matthew Lesh, Sexual assault too serious a crime for a campus verdict – The Australian
- Dr Jennifer Marohasy, Peter Ridd and the science of reef science – IPA Today
- Andrew Bushnell, Give victims the right to appeal soft sentences – Herald Sun
- Morgan Begg, Submission to the Economics Legislation Committee inquiry into the GST – IPA Submission
- Daniel Wild, New research explains why Australia must pull out of Paris – Media Release
- Daniel Wild & Morgan Begg, Ten points about the Paris Climate Agreement – Parliamentary Research Brief
- Matthew Lesh, IPA welcomes university regulator’s commitment to free intellectual inquiry, calls for specific guidance note – Media Release
