Australian writers’ festivals are frequently accused of being “pro-Palestinian” or anti-Israeli. The charge is usually made in frustration: panels on Gaza and Palestinian literature are common; strongly pro-Israel voices are rare; and anyone who questions the imbalance is quickly told they are confusing “balance” with “morality”. Yet the more interesting question is not whether a […]
Why Most Australian Writers’ Festivals Are Pro-Palestinian
Why Most Australian Writers’ Festivals Are Pro-Palestinian
05 Mar 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of media and culture, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia
The bizarre world of Advertising
26 Feb 2026 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of information, economics of media and culture, history of economic thought, industrial organisation
It is not often I am speechless but that is exactly what I was when I saw some of these advertisements and products from days of yore. You would not get away with it by today’s standards. Vintage newspaper ad for heroin Who doesn’t like a bit of cocaine on their candy. Stay fit and […]
The bizarre world of Advertising
The Washington Post Hit With Massive Layoffs As Guild Suggests the Need for New Owner
08 Feb 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture, entrepreneurship, financial economics, industrial organisation, politics - USA, survivor principle Tags: creative destruction
The Washington Post has announced layoffs affecting one-third of its workforce, including most of the sports and foreign news desks.…
The Washington Post Hit With Massive Layoffs As Guild Suggests the Need for New Owner
The Guardian defends a moral monster
16 Jan 2026 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, economics of media and culture, International law, law and economics, laws of war, war and peace Tags: media bias, Israel, Gaza Strip, war against terror, Middle-East politics, regressive left
When we say that the Guardian is institutionally antisemitic, we mean, in party, that they’re willing to defend, or publish sympathetic coverage of, almost… The post The Guardian defends a moral monster appeared first on CAMERA UK.
The Guardian defends a moral monster
Western Leftists and Islamic States
14 Jan 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of media and culture, economics of religion, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: regressive left
Western leftists do criticise Islamic states at times—but they rarely prioritise opposing them, and often treat them with conspicuous restraint. That asymmetry is not accidental. It follows from the same ideological lenses that drive anti-Zionism. Here are the main reasons. 1. Anti-imperialism outweighs liberal values For much of the Western Left, opposition to Western power is the overriding moral […]
Western Leftists and Islamic States
Carding the Internet Still Isn’t Constitutional
13 Jan 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture, economics of regulation, politics - USA
After the U.S. Supreme Court decided Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton last year, I wrote that the “broader war over age verification and parental consent online isn’t over.” As we head into 2026, that prediction looks right. The fight has shifted. Lawmakers have moved their focus from social-media platforms to app stores. But the basic…
Carding the Internet Still Isn’t Constitutional
The world’s three best cuisines
03 Jan 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture Tags: China, India
In light of the absence of news as well as my recurring insomnia, which has made me unable to brain, I’m posting a list of what I consider the three best cuisines in the world. What I mean by this is that if I were constrained to eat only one nation’s cuisine for the rest…
The world’s three best cuisines
Media bias in New Zealand yet again
08 Dec 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of information, economics of media and culture, industrial organisation, politics - New Zealand, survivor principle Tags: media bias
Chris McVeigh writes – If you took a double at the TAB, with the Pope getting married as one leg and Radio New Zealand admitting to a smidgen of left wing partiality as the other, you could be forgiven for thinking that the smart money would be on the Vatican gig bringing home the bacon […]
Media bias in New Zealand yet again
Why the US is Struggling to Land on the Moon
27 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture Tags: moon landings, space
I like maps
24 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture, International law Tags: economics of borders, maps
Initial BBC News website coverage of events in Iran and Israel
15 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of media and culture, war and peace Tags: Atomic bomb, Iran, Israel, media bias, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
On the morning of June 13th the BBC News website’s ‘Middle East’ page had little to offer its visitors in the way of reporting on the strikes that Israel had carried out in Iran in the early hours of that day. Coverage on that page itself was limited to a live page: In the ‘updates’ […]
Initial BBC News website coverage of events in Iran and Israel
The grandson of the 10th US President has just died
01 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture, population economics
John Tyler was born in 1790 – 235 years ago. He became the 10th President of the United States, yet his grandson has just died. He had 15 children between 1815 (when he was 25) and 1860 (when he was 70). He was President from 1841 to 1845. One of the 150 was Lyon Tyler […]
The grandson of the 10th US President has just died
Propping up the film sector or stimulating growth?
19 May 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, movies, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, rentseeking, survivor principle, television Tags: corporate welfare
Ani O’Brien writes – On Friday night, having imbibed a few wines I strayed onto X to unwisely engage in some (slightly drunk) opinion sharing. I tweeted:
Propping up the film sector or stimulating growth?
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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