Angus Blackman

Just a boy and his increasingly unhinged graphic design timeline youtu.be/_p7-8xMuztk?...

"Very often in Europe we have that reflex of saying, 'what's going on in crazy America?...We would never be like that.'" But the American far right has taken plenty of inspiration from European movements of 90s & 00s, Dr Tobias Cremer MEP tells @emmashortis.bsky.social. 🎧 theaus.in/4BnCx1D

You can watch this week's episode of After America with @emmashortis.bsky.social on YouTube. Or you can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite shows.

"In some ways, people like Elon Musk, Steve Bannon have achieved in just a couple of months what the Soviet Union & China haven't achieved over decades." Member of European Parliament Tobias Cremer on the global implications of the second Trump administration. 🎧 theaus.in/4BnCx1D

The @aunz.theconversation.com made me choose my two favourite Australian books ever and I hated it! It was so hard. But I did my best.

"We know that change is hard, whether it's the change imposed on us or the change we choose for ourselves." @jimchalmers.bsky.social spoke about reform, the far right & changing the status quo in this year's Bernie Fraser Oration. Watch the address now on this episode of Follow the Money. #auspol

"Public housing is part of the solution here." @barbarapocock.bsky.social says reversing the "massive crash" in public housing supply is part of the solution to Australia's housing crisis. Hear more on Follow the Money with @ebonybennett.bsky.social. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4y9JHDV

"Australia does get listened to in Washington DC. "Our voice does carry some weight. So this is kind of the time to use it." Journalist Ben Doherty on Australia's opportunity to stand up for its values in response to the Trump administration. @emmashortis.bsky.social #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4rZfZjk

Jim Chalmers on reform and taking on the far right youtu.be/fHXpIWzVx4Q?...

Interestingly, Australia has now appeared on that joint statement, and the release looks to me like it has been backdated. ABC is reporting the delay was due to “timezones”. Lol.

"It feels to me Australia hasn't been prepared to back its own values." Ben Doherty & @emmashortis.bsky.social on the Australian government's approach to US sanctions on the International Criminal Court. "Here is the rules-based order under attack & we're not coming to the party." #auspol

Why is the Australian government unprepared to “back its own values” with Trump's America? Journalist Ben Doherty joins @emmashortis.bsky.social to discuss the Trump administration’s sanctions on the International Criminal Court & the US military footprint in Australia. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4rZfZjk

“Australia opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all people.”* *Except, apparently, when Pete Hegseth wants to put it on the telly.

"There is an astronomical increase in demand for homelessness services. "I find that deeply disturbing & I know a lot of other Australians do too." @barbarapocock.bsky.social & @ebonybennett.bsky.social discuss the housing crisis & its impact on younger Australians. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4y9JHDV

While miles apart in their responses to the Trump administration, Canada & Australia are in lock-step on expanding fossil fuel production. Senator for Québec Rosa Galvez joins @emmashortis.bsky.social to discuss shared challenges & common failures in Australia & Canada. 🎧 theaus.in/3VRTBfQ

See more highlights from the latest episode of Dollars & Sense on YouTube. @grogsgamut.bsky.social @skyelark.bsky.social #auspol youtu.be/4tl8bylfptM?...

The Reserve Bank hiked interest rates last week - but why? Despite the unusual economic climate, the RBA is just ploughing on as normal, @grogsgamut.bsky.social says. "There seems to be a lack of recognition of just how absurd a lot of what's going on here is." #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4hWT057

There’s a war on Iran choking global oil supplies, an artificial intelligence boom & a US president torpedoing the global trading system. But inflation simply MUST be normal, according to the RBA. 🎧 theaus.in/4hWT057 @grogsgamut.bsky.social @skyelark.bsky.social #auspol

"Who imagines that when Donald Trump went into that meeting with Xi, he gave Australia a second thought? "Actually...that would be true for any US president." @j-laurenceson.bsky.social & @emmashortis.bsky.social discuss the Trump-Xi meeting & what it means for Australia. 🎧 theaus.in/4hsuVTP

"By around 2060, for the first time we'll have a year where there are more people dying than there are being born. "That means the only way to keep the population growing...is migration." @grogsgamut.bsky.social & @skyelark.bsky.social on the Intergenerational Report. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4yYJSms

Last week’s Trump-Xi meeting delivered few outcomes, but is a bigger shift in US-China relations under way? @acri-uts.bsky.social's James Laurenceson joins @emmashortis.bsky.social to discuss why the Biden administration’s approach to China may not return, even after Trump. 🎧 theaus.in/4hsuVTP

@mattbevan.bsky.social thoughts and prayers. Please spare us all from a Roosters vs Panthers grand final.

AI dominates the latest Intergenerational Report. But are multi-decade predictions related to the rapidly changing technology any more than just a stab in the dark? @grogsgamut.bsky.social & @skyelark.bsky.social discuss the latest IGR & new data on ‘middle Australia’. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4yYJSms

Two incredibly impressive advocates calling on Australia to step up. I'm biased, but it's sobering and well worth your time. 🎧 theaus.in/3TheJLN

Melbourne mates! I am hosting a conversation with the delightful Allan Behm about his new book at AIIA Vic this evening. I have some comp tickets available - please DM me (students/people under 80 especially encouraged!)

"I think international law is in a crisis. "And I think when applied with double standards, that's when rightly people question its use & value." @rawanarraf.bsky.social on Australia's failure to defend the International Criminal Court & the 'rules-based' order. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4hCXbmu

The Red Lines Package aims to ensure that Australia doesn’t fund, arm or invest in illegal settlements, war crimes or genocide. But the federal government has blocked an inquiry into the bills. @rawanarraf.bsky.social joins @emmashortis.bsky.social on After America to discuss. 🎧 theaus.in/4hCXbmu

Creepy Pete youtu.be/zWQE5R0gAf8?...

"I mean call me crazy, but I think the objective of a health system is to keep people healthy, right? "We keep people alive, but we don't keep them healthy." @lukeslawomirski.bsky.social says Australia has built an illness system, not a health system. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4xwuwEq

With a huge thank you to @elinorjohnstonleek.bsky.social for putting up with me and Greg (especially Greg) for the last two and a bit years.

The latest Dollars & Sense pod is up, talking about poverty, migration…and sadly that this is the last one with @elinorjohnstonleek.bsky.social australiainstitute.org.au/post/a-shock...

"There's been an explosion of access." The extent of American access to defence facilities on Australian soil is "profoundly shocking", Richard Tanter tells @emmashortis.bsky.social. Hear more on the latest episode of After America. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/46ICtM1

A total delight to have my former uni lecturer Richard Tanter on After America this week. His masters subject on Indonesia was a big part of the reason I moved there for a year nearly a decade ago. And this work he's done on US access to Australian bases is characteristically incredible.

I’m really proud of this episode - Richard Tanter has done some outstanding research on the extent of the US military footprint in Aus, and as he says, it’s pretty shocking. All of his research is publicly available too:

The US controls or has access to more than 100 defence facilities on Australian soil, according to new research. Richard Tanter joins @emmashortis.bsky.social to discuss his research on US involvement on Australian bases & the consequences of the war on terror for the alliance. 🎧 theaus.in/46ICtM1

"There is a bit of a myth out there that nuclear weapons have only been used twice in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But in fact, there have been 2000+ explosions around the world, mostly on colonised indigenous communities, including 🇦🇺" #tpnw is the solution to bring justice 🎧@melissaparke01.bsky.social👇

Non-compete clauses are hurting workers & the economy, says @aleighmp.bsky.social. Banning them could give an average worker with a non-compete a $2,500 boost, plus improve productivity & innovation, he tells @ebonybennett.bsky.social on Follow the Money. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4ys6TxI

"Pathetic..." Allan Behm on the Australian government's public response to Trump administration's attacks on the International Criminal Court. "It is a fundamental assault on a really important part of the international rules-based order," he tells @emmashortis.bsky.social. 🎧 theaus.in/4i8e3lP

The United States we thought we knew is gone. And it isn’t coming back. Listen to Dr Emma Shortis unpack the latest every week on After America, available here or wherever you listen to podcasts!🎧 australiainstitute.org.au/news/categor...

“It doesn't matter what you do, doesn't matter how much you give him. [Trump] will not defend those bases.” The moment Senator David Shoebridge quoted our own Dr Emma Shortis on the Senate floor! #auspol @emmashortis.bsky.social @davidshoebridge.bsky.social

Nine nuclear states are holding the rest of the world “hostage to annihilation”, but the Australian government is yet to act on a global ban. @nuclearban.bsky.social's Melissa Parke joins @emmashortis.bsky.social to discuss the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 🎧 theaus.in/3Vhc7xS

The latest Dollars & Sense pod is up. EVs and GDP and rate raises australiainstitute.org.au/post/evs-dri...

Defence officials today tried to prevent the sharing of public evidence on social media at a hearing into Defence land sales. The fact I am posting this should tell you how that went.

Light touch regulation has failed. It’s time to break up Australia's 'big four' consultancies. @joshbornstein.bsky.social & @skyelark.bsky.social discuss the scandal-plagued sector on the latest episode of Follow the Money with @ebonybennett.bsky.social. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/465ksXO

"I think that we hide behind the ANZUS treaty as a way of not thinking through what the real relationship is & what drives it." Allan Behm & @emmashortis.bsky.social on 75 years of ANZUS & the state of the Australia-US relationship. Hear more on After America 🎧➡️ theaus.in/4i8e3lP

The latest Dollars & Sense ep is out: Data centres, profit growth and getting ready for next week's GDP australiainstitute.org.au/post/will-th...

House prices have fallen modestly over the last few months. So, what changed? Not migration numbers or the number of new houses, but the tax system, says @maiyazize.bsky.social. "I think that points us in a pretty obvious direction about where the problem was." #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4cbA7IA

Is Trump spiralling? "Let's just say there there weren't nearly as many George Washington & Trump AI pictures before I left..." Chas Licciardello from @pepchasdrdave.bsky.social joins @emmashortis.bsky.social on the latest episode of After America. 🎧 theaus.in/46iQQWT

What might the midterms mean for an historically unpopular president? Chas Licciardello from @pepchasdrdave.bsky.social joins @emmashortis.bsky.social to discuss the latest from the midterm primaries & the “civil war” between democratic socialists & establishment Democrats. 🎧 theaus.in/46iQQWT

These fucken guys, amirite @emmashortis.bsky.social?