| There are a lot of problems the federal budget needs to fix next week, but this is the most important: |
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| Last year’s budget signalled that the era of economic liberalism in Australia was “drawing to a close” said John Roskam. To hear what John thinks about this year’s budget, tune into Outsiders on Sky News on Tuesday night. Simon Breheny and Daniel Wild will be going Facebook Live on the IPA page after Scott Morrison’s speech. Saturday is Karl Marx’s 200th birthday, and don’t think the far left hasn’t noticed. The New York Times published an article on Monday titled ‘Happy birthday Karl Marx. You were right!’ Not to be outdone, Cardinal Reinhard Marx – one of Pope Francis’ closest advisers – said “without Karl Marx there would be no Catholic social teaching.” Hey readers probably don’t need to be told, but it turns out Karl Marx was a bad person as well as thinker. But let’s check in with Marx’s legacy. Venezuela has the world’s largest reserves of petroleum, but thanks to economic mismanagement the country is now importing oil from that capitalist pig the US. Hyperinflation is so bad that five years’ of severance pay is unable to buy you a cup of coffee (wouldn’t be able to buy a birthday card for Marx either). Avengers: Infinity War is breaking every box office record in sight. And what’s not to love? The bad guy is an environmentalist worried about overpopulation. But it has ruffled some feathers – apparently the absence of ponytails is “sexist.” The appointment of the United Kingdom’s new Home Secretary Sajid Javid is looking like an actually good move by the Conservative Party. Fraser Nelson in The Spectator explains why – he rejects identity politics and reads The Fountainhead every Christmas. America is divided over a dress again – but this isn’t as lighthearted as last time. David French in National Review on Monday explains why the internet fury over a high school girl’s prom dress shows “the incoherent anger that is tearing this nation apart.” The IPA’s Generation Liberty program is hosting two exciting events in the next fortnight. If you’re in Perth on Wednesday the 16th come along to ‘The Great Debate: Capitalism vs Socialism’, details here. And if you’re in Melbourne on Friday the 18th IPA Director Janet Albrechtsen and Research Fellow Matthew Lesh will discuss ‘The Danger of Identity Politics’, details here. |
 Featuring Professor Robert Tombs, Tim Andrews, Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, Simon Breheny, IPA
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Article of the week:We’ve been having a lot of fun with Kanye West’s tweeting of his support for Trump, Candace Owens and Scott Adams. But while Kanye won’t be confused for Edmund Burke any time soon, he has opened an important discussion, as Ben Shapiro writes in Townhall on Wednesday. |
IPA Staff Pick:Each week an IPA staff member shares what they have enjoyed recently. Today: John Roskam Ta-Nehisi Coates is a name you’re going to hear more of in the coming years. He’s a writer at The Atlantic on culture, race, and history. If you’ve got any interest whatsoever in American history, the Civil War, and slavery you should read these two pieces by him – this last year ‘Five Books to Make You Less Stupid About the Civil War‘, and this from 2012 ‘ Why Do So Few Blacks Study the Civil War?‘ |
Here’s what else the IPA said this week:
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