The Looking Forward Podcast

After two years on air that's a wrap for the IPA's Looking Forward Podcast, as least as a weekly panel show. The biggest issues over the journey have been Trump and the populist insurrection on the centre-right, and of course coronavirus and how populations and Governments have responded. CoHosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg reflect on what they said and what they learned along the way, as they consider what's next for the Centre-Right in America and Australia in particular. Will it be the continuing isolation of the libertarians, or will neofusionism take hold; adapting William F. Buckley's broad church approach to a new era? If it was only the Cold War that held the original coalition together; to what can we look now? Also mentioned is real economics versus the rubbish taught in (most) Universities, the disappointing nature of Australian business leaders and “Chairman's Lounge Syndrome”, policy making in a risk-averse age, the overreliance on experts, the uses of a conservative disposition as a rational response to societal threats, and why we should (nevertheless) be optimistic about tech and society's capacity to adapt and innovate. In a final Books and Culture segment the hosts review their favourite picks and reflect on what these picks showed about the value society derives from the explosion of streaming services, the impact of great books, and also the corrosion of our creative culture and the extinguishment of the hero as evidenced by Barry, The Boys, and the proliferation of shows with assassins as the lead character. The host send thanks to their listeners and urge those that aren't already to join the IPA (ipa.org.au)

Will history's verdict be that Trump trashed the legacy of Reagan - as some of his supporters delightedly claim - or that there are stronger continuities between the two, sharing records of lower taxes, regulatory reform and a strong military, all built on votes from mainstream Americans. Where has the Trump insurrection left the Republican Party, and what are the lessons for the Liberals in Australia? By disputing the election and frustrating the handover, will Trump drive people away or is he just positioning to be a de facto Leader of the Opposition for the next four years. If he is, what hopes for those like Marco Rubio who want to complete the demographic reversal of the two major parties, let alone “Restorationists” like Nikki Haley who want to walk the Republicans back from the attitude of permanent revolution. If Conservative Populism rules in Australia too, does that just mean Liberal politicians will jettison all philosophy and ideas and praise their own pragmatism whilst doing nothing that is not in their own self-interest? In the Books and Culture segment, Andrew Bushnell pays a deserved tribute to the great Chuck Yeager, dead at 97, and his portrayal in 1983's The Right Stuff. Chris Berg's children drive him to watch and praise Disney Plus' consciously lightweight The World According to Jeff Goldblum, and Scott Hargreaves describes the epic battles of Tories and Whig in the Long Eighteenth Century in a two minute summary whilst reviewing Jonathan Swift: His Life and His World by Leo Damrosch Links: The Republican Identity Crisis After Trump (New Yorker) https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/the-republican-identity-crisis-after-trump

All through the western world Museum Directors have set themselves the task of “decolonising” their collections and exhibits, but what could this become and what does it mean anyway? Do they know, or are they just going woke to protect their own jobs? Is it about appropriately recognising indigenous cultures, or something more? Regular co-hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Bella d'Abrera to look at the latest ructions at the British Museum and also museums and libraries closer to home, as they look for answers. The Panel also looks at the fast-fading opportunity in NSW to finally dispense with the national cross-curriculum priorities crowding out and rendering incoherent what is taught K-10 across Auststralia. Plus in the usual Books and Culture segment, they look at Norsemen, the Norwegian but English language program Berg describes as Game of Thrones meets The Office, the strangely interestingly documentary on the British/Canadian/Indian/American War of 1812, and the gobsmackingly good turns by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in The Undoing.

The allegations of serious war crimes by Australian special forces contained within the Brereton Inquiry report mean some change is necessary even as justice takes its course. But should Parliamentarians involve themselves more in Defence and military oversight, as Andrew Hastie MP suggests, or could this politicise the military and cast it into the culture wars? Could adverse findings about a ‘warrior culture' lead to something useless in its place? And could a ‘black armband' view of our country and its military record imperil the venerated place of the Australian War Memorial in Australian life and remembrance? Co-hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by former Defence Department employee, Andrew Bushnell, for this discussion. They also revisit the omnishambles that is South Australia's response to its ‘pizza box' coronavirus cluster. What does the panic tell us about Governments' capacity to manage science, public health and known unknowns? The panellists also discuss their culture picks, including the disappointing Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix, Gotham, the monumental history of New York's early years, and Based on a True Story, the new and brilliant ‘memoir' by SNL alumnus, Norm McDonald.

Now it's South Australia's turn for lockdown hell for at least six days, and Daniel Wild joins the panel live from Adelaide to report on the chaotic decision making behind the Government's draconian measures.  Apparently the coronavirus spread by failure in Hotel Quarantine - who would have expected THAT! Seriously, are our Governments incapable of learning and preparing, and delivering a decent test and trace system? Meanwhile, the Fatwa issued by Kevin Rudd against Rupert Murdoch gained support from Malcolm Turnbull and the ABC, and now the Senate has launched yet another inquiry into ‘media diversity'. How real are the claims made about Murdoch's influence, and what does that really have to do with the state of media in Australia? Is this just setting us up for Finklestein Mark II, with government licensing of media outlets and journalists? We then move on to discuss our culture picks for the week including Daniel's Australian Prime Ministers by editor Michelle Grattan; Chris's Netflix original TV series Stranger Things by Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer, which he recommends to anyone looking for an absurd, high quality production with amusing cliches; and Scott's TV series The Crown by Peter Morgan which Scott enjoys but critiques for its pushing of political agendas and subtly supporting the aristocrats' snobbish view of Margaret Thatcher.   Culture Picks: Australian Prime Ministers; Michelle Grattan https://www.booktopia.com.au/australian-prime-ministers-michelle-grattan/book/9781760792091.html Stranger Things; Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/ The Crown; Peter Morgan https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4786824/

It's a global High Vis vest frenzy, because whether or not he's President going forward the global legacy of Trump is a realignment of politics, with heartland conservatives switched on and centre-right parties around the world looking for blue collar voters. To what extent can this be said about Australia and can it explain what's happened this week in the ALP as the Shadow Cabinet dissolved into a brawl over climate versus coal? This realignment in the USA brought populist policy change on trade, taxes and social security, but  could anyone other than Trump have withstood enormous media pressure surrounding the Paris Climate Agreement, as well as getting through the deregulation and massive tax cuts that he did? Can we ever imitate this in Australia or is our political system too dissimilar to America's? Did State LNP organisations blow themselves up chasing populist positions? What will the Biden administration look like for the future of the USA and the rest of the world? Joining Scott and Chris in this week's episode to discuss these riveting questions is IPA Director of Communications, Evan Mullholland.    Culture Picks this week include Chris' Children of Ash and Elm by Neil Price about Vikings; Scott's podcast, Noise Before Defeat by Senator Jim Molan about Australian national security; and Evan's pick of the American, deep-state action-thriller series, Condor by Tom Katzberg, Ken Robinson and Jason Smilovic.

There's some grieving from Gideon on the Podcast as indications are that Joe Biden will be sworn in as President, though his fabled ‘blue wave' failed to eventuate. Trump confounded the polls and energised a mass base of Americans in a way that suggests his political legacy will live on. Is this at the expense of the right's traditional free market values - or was there a fusion? Did Trump really divide America, or was he just the first to be honest about the social and economic division and the nature of the ruling elite?  How can the claim still be made that Trumpism is all dog whistle racism when the GOP made further gains amongst Latinos and other minorities? Trump has permanently flipped the world's view of China but what now is the future for trade and tariff policies? Will Biden have Australia's back during any further bruising retaliations by China?  Guests Gideon Rozner and Morgan Begg join Scott and Chris to answer these questions and also share their culture picks, which include Chris' highly recommended Netflix TV series, The Queen's Gambit by Scott Frank and Allan Scott; Morgan's documentary series on Netflix, High Score, stemming from his interest in the history of video games; and Gideon's rerun of his favourite childhood TV show, 7th Heaven by Brenda Hampton.

Scott Morrison's mid-year plan for a COVIDSafe economy is back on track having been derailed by Victorian bungling, but with vaccines uncertain and international borders closed, what is the outlook for Australia's coronavirus Endgame?  Can services like education and tourism ever rejoin king coal and iron ore as the foundations of our prosperity, at least any time soon? Why would any business invest when Governments can shut you down at any time? Scott and Chris are joined by Andrew Bushnell to answer those questions and also focus on our first COVID State election in Queensland, which also looks like a post-economics election, with ballooning debt and public service payrolls barely even mentioned (except by the IPA!). It's the clerisy's business model at work… And the other election coming up is in the USA - and it seems Trump's comeback has made it once again too close to call (except by the panellists). The call is made on Florida and the Latino vote. Both candidates played to their strengths and strategy but only one can be vindicated.  Culture picks (53:28-1:05:43) look at streaming services La Révolution and the disappointing Brave New World, while the coverage of the AFL Grand Final gives Bushnell a chance to wax lyrical about Richmond FC.   Show Notes: 'Enough is enough': Gladys Berejiklian calls for states to open borders, pull their weight on hotel quarantine; Jodie Stephens https://www.sbs.com.au/news/enough-is-enough-gladys-berejiklian-calls-for-states-to-open-borders-pull-their-weight-on-hotel-quarantine   Budget 2020: When will Australia re-open its borders?; Mosiqi Acharya https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/budget-2020-when-will-australia-re-open-its-borders   Still the Sunshine State? (IPA Review) https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/still-the-sunshine-state   New IPA Research Proposes Models For A Queensland Upper House https://ipa.org.au/ipa-today/new-research-proposes-models-for-a-queensland-upper-house   Culture Picks: Brave New World (TV Series 2020) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9814116/   La Révolution (TV Series 2020)  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13044528/

Gideon Rozner joins the panel to compare world leaders' various responses to coronavirus and how this links to politically polarised ideals of “leadership”. If leadership for progressives just means technocracy and more lockdowns, is that why Gideon's labelling of Jancinda Adern as “incompetent” saw much frothing and outrage across domestic and global media? We highlight the various leadership styles of Saint Jacida, Chairman Dan, the Donald and others, and ask what can be made of their approaches to gaining followers or popularity through the crisis? And we explain the difference between the errors of State leaders Daniel Andrews and Gladys Berejiklian. The big question is why should performative leadership' be rewarded while sheer managerial incompetence is ignored; and whether leadership and management can even be meaningfully separated?  In the USA President Trump aims to buck the media and the consensus of negative polls; but are those polls really reflective of the likely Electoral College outcomes? Will Americans vote on the virus, or economics and other themes that favour Trump? (37:06-52:40)   Culture Picks this week include American historical legal drama film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, written by Aaron Sorkin; Sally Rugg's book, How Powerful We Are: Behind the Scenes with One of Australia's Leading Activists; and Apple TV series, Ted Lasso, Created by Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence. (53:00-1:06:24) Show notes    From ‘beacon of hope' to ‘incompetent': world media on Jacinda Ardern's big election win; Toby Manhire https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/19-10-2020/from-beacon-of-hope-to-incompetent-world-media-on-jacinda-arderns-big-election-win/   Thirteen Days – A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis; Robert F. Kennedy https://www.amazon.com.au/Thirteen-Days-Memoir-Missile-Crisis/dp/0393318346?tag= The Pollster Who Thinks Trump Is Ahead; The Editors/National Review https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-editors/id1150237453?i=1000495152748 Culture Picks 2020 American historical legal drama film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, written by Aaron Sorkin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial_of_the_Chicago_7   2020 TV series, Ted Lasso, Created by Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10986410/   Book by Sally Rugg, How Powerful We Are: Behind the scenes with one of Australia's leading activists https://www.hachette.com.au/sally-rugg/how-powerful-we-are-behind-the-scenes-with-one-of-australias-leading-activists  

We may look back on this as the week when the global wave of coronavirus lockdown hysteria recedes, as more sensible voices and experts come to the fore, including a key WHO adviser condemning the use of lockdowns as a primary means of control for the coronavirus. The historic Great Barrington Declaration led by Professor Sunetra Gupta (Oxford) and Jay Bhattacharya (Harvard) replaces lockdowns with “focused protection” to protect the most vulnerable people from the virus, while allowing those at much lower risk to work and/or return to school and life generally. How well does this map in Australia's unique context to IPA Research calling for a strategy based on “Medical Capacity”? Report co-author Asher Judah joins regular panellists Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg to discuss. For months the IPA has been pointing to harm and suffering caused by the lockdowns yet the Victorian government is only beginning to admit this, and that “roadmap” goals are unachievable.  As we survey the destruction of the State's once great health system, its economy, and its people's mental health, is there finally scope for a U-turn? This week's culture picks include four-part docuseries, Before the Web by Jim Epstein; The IPA's Climate Change: The Facts 2020; and George Friedman's novel, The Storm Before The Calm. (45:08-59:15)     Show notes: The Great Barrington Declaration https://gbdeclaration.org/   Reaching Immunity | A Private Summit of Epidemiologists Against Lockdowns; AIER https://youtu.be/jtiInz1DWuA   Medical Capacity: An Alternative to Lockdowns; Daniel Wild and Asher Judah https://ipa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Medical-Capacity-An-Alternative-to-Lockdowns-IPA.pdf   Support for eased restrictions grows as Melburnians reach breaking point (IPA Research), Shannon Deery https://www.heraldsun.com.au/coronavirus/support-for-eased-restrictions-grows-as-melburnians-reach-breaking-point/news-story/ddcdfbf189ee8c8cf330753546bb3dad   The Australian Century, Asher Judah https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/The-Australian-Century-_p_14.html     Culture picks: Before the Web: The 1980s Dream of a Free and Borderless Virtual World, Jim Epstein https://reason.com/video/before-the-web-the-1980s-dream-of-a-free-and-borderless-virtual-world/   Climate Change: The Facts 2020 (Chapter 19); IPA https://climatechangethefacts.org.au/   The Storm Before the Calm, George Friedman https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/252382/the-storm-before-the-calm-by-george-friedman/

Trump has tested positive for COVID-19 less than one month before the US election. What will this mean for the politics surrounding the upcoming election and could this revelation play for or against Trump's faltering campaign? (1:59-21:45) Trump has also received a kind of ‘cocktail' of medication in response to contracting the virus, not all of which is available to the common American citizen. In the spirit of Right to Try, should this accelerate clinician's access to beneficial drugs rather than just waiting for a vaccine? And are lockups and the wait for a vaccine just making people's health worse? (21:45-35:59) We discuss last night's budget and our sudden emergence as a big-State social democratic country with a small state low(er) tax revenue base. Will this Keynesian but pro-business budget lift us out of recession, or is it time to look at productivity? (36:00-50:31) Culture picks this week include Musical label, Cryo Chamber; Aeschylus' play, The Eumenides; and a two-part TV series by Billy Ray, The Comey Rule. (51:29-1:04:21)   Show notes: “Effect of calcifediol (Vitamin D treatment; M Castillo, et al https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076020302764?fbclid=IwAR0Cl-D-Qx9g7YqbesGxjzQYGJ7-o5s7VY144QDyqLpHRZ4ffPTKXIlpoko   Is it wrong if I ask for the same?; Tyler Cowen https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/10/is-it-wrong-if-i-ask-for-the-same.html   Donald Trump takes zinc. Maybe you should too; Allysia Finley https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-wall-street-journal/donald-trump-takes-zinc-maybe-you-should-too/news-story/79c7e91c0476d0f44e3dd62cbdea3f02   Why Human Challenge Trials Will Be Necessary to Get a Coronavirus Vaccine; Alex Tabarrok https://nationalinterest.org/blog/coronavirus/why-human-challenge-trials-will-be-necessary-get-coronavirus-vaccine-152786   All the president's medicine: How doctors are treating Donald Trump; Sascha Pezenik, Sony Salzman and Dr. Divya Chhabra https://abcnews.go.com/Health/presidents-medicine-doctors-treating-donald-trump/story?id=73423761   Debt To Hit $2.05 Trillion, 60 Years To Pay Off; IPA https://ipa.org.au/ipa-today/debt-to-hit-2-05-trillion-60-years-to-pay-off   Culture Picks: Musical label, Cryo Chamber https://www.cryochamberlabel.com/   Play, The Eumenides, written by Aeschylus https://www.ancient.eu/The_Eumenides/   ‘Ah, how miserable! Three New Oresteias'; Emily Wilson, LRB https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n19/emily-wilson/ah-how-miserable   TV series by Billy Ray, The Comey Rule https://www.stan.com.au/watch/the-comey-rule?gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1263226&gclid=CjwKCAjwq_D7BRADEiwAVMDdHt6ubXjhrdoUrrt45l3kabCA6giFROEhPY2VgHiqr7CE97modqG0QRoCXqoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Victoria has been electrified by the prospect that politicians and public servants from the Premier down could be charged and even jailed for deaths attributable to the Hotel Quarantine fiasco, under tendentious new industrial manslaughter laws only recently enacted by the Andrews Government. Governments must be held to account, but is this the job of the courts, or Parliaments and voters? If we start jailing politicians for incompetence, where will it end? (33:25-44:59). Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by Research Fellow Morgan Begg to discuss this and also the litany of civil rights violations justified in the name of pandemic. Where have been the institutions meant to defend our freedoms, and what precedent does this rampant State create for our future? (1:50-17:59). The latest concern in Victoria is an “Omnibus Bill”, allowing government appointed ‘authorised officers' to arrest and detain individuals just on the suspicion of intent to break rules. Is this necessary or just a left-wing Government's adaption the Police State/‘law and order' playbook formerly used by the right? (18:00-33:25). Culture picks this week include the new Netflix film, Enola Holmes by Harry Bradbeer; Karl Ove Knausgaard's book on Edvard Munch, So Much Longing in So Little Space; and a Netflix documentary by Jeff Orlowski, The Social Dilemma (44:59-1:04:55).   Shownotes: Letter to WorkSafe Referring Ministers for Investigation; Ken Phillips https://icau.worldsecuresystems.com/Downloads/Corona-Virus/Victoria/SEA-letter-to-WorkSafe-29Sept20.pdf   Four Victorian ministers, 16 public servants may face prosecution over alleged OHS law breaches; Robert Gottliebsen https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/four-victorian-ministers-16-public-servants-may-face-prosecution-over-alleged-ohs-law-breaches/news-story/20ace50f6e620fe3be9953e6b8dd2290   Picnicking rule-breakers face $5000 fines with police to blanket parks; Simone Fox Koob https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/picnicking-rule-breakers-face-5000-fines-with-police-to-blanket-parks-20200928-p55zxj.html   Regulate? Innovate!; Chris Berg on social media regulation https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/regulate-innovate   Covid Totalitarianism; Morgan Begg https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/covid-totalitarianism   Culture Picks: Enola Holmes https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7846844/   So Much Longing in So Little Space https://www.penguin.com.au/books/so-much-longing-in-so-little-space-9781787300545   The Social Dilemma https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11464826/

This week saw the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg and immediate controversy about who will replace her on the United States' Supreme Court, as the Democrats invent reasons to stall the process. The panellists reflect on the career of a remarkable advocate and jurist, and examine how the Republican push in the Senate to confirm a Trump nomination as replacement will affect the election. If even Mitt Romney wants to do it, what's stopping them? (2:12-35:50). Likewise, Australia's High Court also has some looming vacancies, due to the 72-year age of ‘statutory senility' enforced on Justices of the High Court, with Justice Nettle soon to step down. Why aren't Australians more interested in the choice of replacement shortly to be made by the Morrison Government, and – in light of controversial decisions such as Love/Thoms - do we need more scrutiny of the process for nomination? (35:50-56:32). Culture picks this week include BGG cold war board game, Twilight Struggle; Elena Ferrante's novel, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay; and Taylor Sheridan and John Linson's TV series, Yellowstone season 3 (56:41-1:08:02).   Show notes Courting Calamity; Morgan Begg (IPA Review, Winter 2020) https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/courting-calamity Porter kicks off search for next High Court judge; Robert Pelly, AFR https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/porter-kicks-off-search-for-next-high-court-judge-20200714-p55bvj Save the Vote, Save the Court; Adam J White, The Bulwark https://thebulwark.com/save-the-vote-save-the-court/ Looking Forward Ep 74 Review of RBG biopic, On the Basis of Sex; Scott Hargreaves https://youtu.be/yBBO_wat60Q?t=3480   Culture picks Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay https://www.booktopia.com.au/those-who-leave-and-those-who-stay-elena-ferrante/book/9781925240023.html Twilight Struggle https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12333/twilight-struggle Yellowstone; Season 3 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4236770/

There are hard borders with no sign of let up across Australia, as State Premiers spuriously justify all decisions as being on the basis of medical advice while enjoying the populist support for supposedly keeping out the virus. But they can only do so because in our crazy fiscally frazzled federation the Feds pick up the bill for the economic costs. And why can actors and footballers cross borders when ordinary people can't? What will be the effects on our economy and indeed our nation; as we revert to self-contained colonies and the ties of family and work across borders are severed? And for that matter, what of the tens of thousands of Australias stranded overseas because State Government failures mean they cannot be safely returned, as Australia joins North Korea in banning travel from Australia without a permit? Evan Mulholland joins Chris Berg and Scott Hargreaves to discuss problems and possible solutions, and also look at the battle being waged by tech giants Google and Facebook as they fight moves by Australia's relative media minnows to grab a share of revenue, egged on by the ACCC (33:38-46:06). Just one part of a global war in which Australian consumers could be the loser. In the regular Books and Culture segment (46:07-58:33) they look a Tim Wilson's new book on Australia's social contract, the Netflix series Away, and the latest surrealist escapade form Charlie Kaufman, I'm Thinking of Ending Things.   Show Notes: A big decision is due today in the Clive Palmer vs WA border row — here's why it matters https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-25/how-clive-palmers-wa-border-challenge-affected-by-court-decision/12589552 This is why it is so difficult for Australians to get home https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-17/why-is-it-so-hard-for-australians-to-get-home/12669902   Culture Picks The New Social Contract; Tim Wilson https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/THE-NEW-SOCIAL-CONTRACT-Renewing-the-liberal-vision-for-Australia--Tim-Wilson_p_377.html Away; Andrew Hinderaker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Away_(TV_series) I'm Thinking of Ending Things; Charlie Kaufman https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7939766/

The Deputy CMO says to Victorians "make your bed", but they're fraying at the edges as their Premier loses credibility for refusing to admit he is pursuing a virus eradication strategy - something achieved literally nowhere in the world. How diabolical is the combination of political spin and ceaseless nudging from the army of "public health" advisers? And how much longer can Victorians be expected to trust the very politicians and ‘health experts' who have consistently lied and obfuscated? (2:01-22:16). New IPA research shows a "K-Shaped recovery", with public sector employment trending upwards while the private sector slopes violently downwards. Are we really ‘all in this together' or is the divide between the public and private sector more apparent than ever? (22:16-32:46). Victoria Police arrested a heavily pregnant Zoe Lee Buhler for a Facebook post about a peaceful protest. With civil liberties, Parliament, and Cabinet Government all suspended; what does this brave new world of Castro-length speeches from the Premier, unchecked police surveillance and a cowed and frightened population look like? (32:46-41:55). What can we expect of our media when the Dan Andrews drip feeds a compliant press gallery via daily press conferences, and keeping people scared seems part of the business model? (41:55-57:03). Culture Picks this week include TV series, Schitts Creek, by Dan Levy and Eugene Levy, Righteous Gemstones, by Danny McBride and Raised by Wolves, by Aaron Guzikowski (57:03-1:05:13).   Show notes: Victorians struggling to cope with lockdown have been told to make their bed in the morning; 7 News, https://www.facebook.com/363623854300/posts/10159153769824301/?vh=e   A Public Choice Warning About Media; Peter Boettke https://www.aier.org/article/a-public-choice-warning-about-media/   Daniel Andrews hits his 50th straight coronavirus update today — is it time he took a break?; Patrick Wood https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-21/daniel-andrews-hits-50-daily-coronavirus-updates-for-victoria/12565048   Culture picks: Netflix TV series by Dan Levy and Eugene Levy, Schitts Creek https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3526078/   TV series by Danny McBride, Righteous Gemstones  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8634332/   TV series by Aaron Guzikowski, Raised by Wolves https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9170108/

The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has announced new legislation to ensure agreement the States, councils and universities have with foreign governments are consistent with Australian foreign policy. What does this mean for the relations with China and are there any risks with giving the Federal Government further powers? (2:05-15:48). What are the risks with the Victorian Government's Belt and Road agreement as it relates to expensive plans for infrastructure projects that Victoria doesn't want or need? (15:48-27:33). The Democratic and Republican conventions took place in the US with their speeches demonstrating vastly different views of the USA. What does Trump's post-convention poll bounce and focus on burning cities mean for the November election? (27:35-50:23). Culture picks for this week include Christopher Caldwell's Age of Entitlement, Leder Games' new boardgame, Root and Federico Fellini's 1960 film, La Dolce Vita (51:18-1:04:52).   Show notes: Scott Morrison vows to cancel state-foreign agreements if viewed to be against national interest; Brett Worthington and Stephen Dziedzic https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-27/scott-morrison-china-belt-and-road-cancel-state-agreements/12596184   Ensuring a Consistent Australian Foreign Policy; Prime Minister Scott Morrison https://www.pm.gov.au/media/ensuring-consistent-australian-foreign-policy   Poll – Victorians Oppose Belt & Road Scheme https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/poll-victorians-oppose-belt-road-scheme   Tunnel Vision: Scott Hargreaves and Daniel Wild https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/tunnel-vision   Culture picks: Age of entitlement, Christopher caldwell https://www.amazon.com.au/Age-Entitlement-America-Since-Sixties/dp/1501106899   New type of boardgame - Root https://ledergames.com/products/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right   1960 film, La Dolce Vita, directed by Federico Fellini https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053779/

After six months of COVID19 in Australia the panel discusses whether it's time to say this is the new normal, and that we can neither wait for a vaccine nor indefinitely extend emergency powers. Australian PM Scott Morrison announced a deal with AstraZenica for provide a coronavirus vaccine for all Australians in 2021, but is that even feasible or just an announcement driven by politics? And isn't it too early for the PM to discuss mandating a vaccine before it even exists? (2:10-37:45). Daniel Andrews is pushing for an extension to Victoria's state of emergency powers for an additional 12 months. What will this mean for democracy in Australia and do the current circumstances really warrant such infringement on our civil liberties (hint: no)? (37:45-51:25). Culture picks this week include the new Microsoft Flight Simulator; Conversations with John Anderson, and The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver (-1:03:40).   Show Notes:   COVID19 and the Path to Pragmatic Acceptance; Scott Hargreaves https://ipa.org.au/ipa-today/17130   Revolt over Daniel Andrews' coronavirus power grab: Rebecca Urban, Damon Johnston and Nicola Berkovic https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/revolt-over-daniel-andrews-power-grab/news-story/88673d2c726d75477bf2cbbdb95d7f8a   State of Emergency Must Be Extended But It's No Blank Cheque For Andrews: Derryn Hinch https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/state-of-emergency-must-be-extended-but-it-s-no-blank-cheque-for-andrews-20200825-p55p6v.html   Victorians cannot keep sacrificing liberties without a safety net https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victorians-cannot-keep-sacrificing-liberties-without-a-safety-net-20200825-p55p7i.html     Culture Picks: the new Microsoft Flight Simulator https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/p/microsoft-flight-simulator-standard-preorder/9nxn8gf8n9ht   Lockdowns, Vaccines and Debt (Conversations with John Anderson), with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford University. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnYSEGViOnb7k8ezUaWUww   The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver https://www.amazon.com.au/Mandibles-Family-2029-2047-Lionel-Shriver-ebook/dp/B0152XGO18/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Mandibles&qid=1598424125&sr=8-1&tag=

On this special episode of the IPA's Looking Forward, co-host Chris Berg interviews Russ Roberts from the Hoover Institution, known to most as the long-standing host of Econtalk, and also Professor Mike Munger from Duke University, who is well known as a libertarian economist and political candidate. Is the Pandemic just the perfect example of Hayek's Knowledge Problem, that knowledge is dispersed and no “expert” can be across it? And how do politicians, epidemiologists and economists approach the problem of decision making under uncertainty – and do epidemiologists know as much as they say? As the Pandemic both creates and exposes ridiculous nanny state regulations preventing us living our lives and making a living, is this the Golden Age of Libertarian Scepticism? Does the Pandemic change the way you communicate the ideas of Liberty? How does a libertarian approach the wearing of masks, where voluntary or mandated? What are wider lesson of liberty? When power is centralised what is the vision of human flourishing based on freedom and personal responsibility? How is this an optimistic vision of civil society, of voluntarism, of the role of markets and people in building trust and a better society? And how did Mike Munger go when he ran for Governor of North Carolina on the Libertarian Party ticket, telling voters “what can you do for me?” was the wrong question? The interview was conducted recently as part of the Friedman8 digital conference, hosted by the Australian Taxpayers' Alliance & Australian Libertarian Society.   Econtalk; Russ Roberts https://www.econtalk.org/ How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness; Russ Roberts https://www.amazon.com.au/Adam-Smith-Change-Your-Life-ebook/dp/B00INIXQA2?tag= Tomorrow 3.0: Transaction Costs and the Sharing Economy; Mike Munger https://www.amazon.com/Tomorrow-3-0-Transaction-Cambridge-Economics/dp/1108447341?tag= The Knowledge Problem: We must stand humble before complexity and order without planning; Hayek Frideman8 https://www.alsfc.com.au/

Joe Biden has decided Kamala Harris is to be his pick as vice president based on the fact she is an African-American woman. Should identity politics have a place in the presidential campaign, or should people of power be chosen rather on merit? (3:27-25:20). Dan Tehan has announced a review into Robert French's freedom of speech on campus model. Should we be concerned about the issue of free speech rights on Australian campuses and should we be pushing further for a more in-depth review of this issue? (25:38-47:19). JK Rowling has been long under pressure to give in to the woke left whose failure to deal with the lessons of the Harry Potter Books and has subsequently faced the wrath of cancel culture. Does Harry Potter belong in the ‘woke left basket' and are identity politics being taken too far by the cancel culture mob? (47:20-1:00:35). This week's culture picks include Netflix' series The Umbrella Academy, 2008 Australian movie Lake Mungo and 2019 film The Lighthouse (1:00:40-1:14:07)   Show Notes:   How Kamala Harris or Tammy Duckworth as VP could impact the Asian American and Pacific Islander vote: Deepa Shivaram https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/two-women-biden-s-vp-list-have-little-known-advantage-n1236073   Biden picks Kamala Harris as VP nominee: Christopher Cadelago and Caitlin Oprysko https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/11/joe-biden-vp-pick-kamala-harris-393768   Kamala Harris Got So High Smoking Weed in College She Thought She Was Listening To Snoop Dogg and Tupac: Nick Gillespie https://reason.com/2019/02/12/kamala-harris-got-so-high-smoking-weed-i/   The Real Reason Cancel Culture is Rejecting “Harry Potter”: Renee Gorman https://areomagazine.com/2020/08/07/the-real-reason-cancel-culture-is-rejecting-harry-potter/   Culture Picks:   The Lighthouse (2019) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7984734/   the 2008 Australian film Lake Mungo. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0816556/   the Umbrella Academy on Netflix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Umbrella_Academy_(TV_series)

Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews is seemingly delighted to have brought Victoria to an unprecedented standstill as he pursues eradication of the runaway coronavirus. But what will be the economic costs and how confident can we be that it will actually work, especially as second, third and fourth waves are reported across the globe? Where is accountability for past and present maladministration, when the Andrews Government seeks to shut down or obfuscate Parliament at every opportunity? (2:55-34:39) Donald Trump has announced that TikTok will be banned in the United States raising national security concerns. Are concerns valid or is the ban simply an attack on freedom of speech and/or a chance to extort the owners for Microsoft's benefit? (34:39-46:30) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Cian Hussey to answer these questions and share their culture picks. This week's picks include Camila Russo's The Infinite Machine, the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex and Yuval Levin's A Time to Build. (46:30-1:04:43)   Show Notes   Madness in Melbourne; Jeffrey A. Tucker https://www.aier.org/article/madness-in-melbourne/   If New Zealand's the coronavirus role model then we're in strife; Adam Creighton https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/if-new-zealands-the-coronavirus-role-model-then-were-in-strife/news-story/0dd4f1b0fbd5b1fcb9e969f5bc626da9   Coronavirus: Victoria stopped using the COVID app before virus spike; Olivia Caisley https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/victoria-stopped-app-use-before-spike/news-story/31a3928d308b9d96dae199b2922ab92d   The Coronavirus Is Never Going Away; The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/08/coronavirus-will-never-go-away/614860/?fbclid=IwAR027V4IY-Eysv5rl8kjLd1HTX_agvA9DOhQJyZurk5_PSHA3KHXztzP0nU   Trump Wants U.S. Government To Get ‘A Lot Of Money' For Allowing Microsoft-TikTok Deal; Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2020/08/03/trump-wants-us-government-to-get-a-lot-of-money-for-allowing-microsoft-tiktok-deal/   Culture Picks   A Time to Build; Yuval Levin https://www.amazon.com.au/Time-Build-Community-Recommitting-Institutions/dp/1541699270   The Infinite Machine; Camila Russo https://www.amazon.com.au/Infinite-Machine-Crypto-hackers-Building-Internet-ebook/dp/B07X8HS2WC   On the Basis of Sex; Mimi Leder https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4669788/

Intellectual inquiry at Universities is under threat after the Federal Court overturned Peter Ridd's initial victory in the Federal Circuit Court. What influenced the court's decision and what does it mean? (0:00-26:24)   Welcome reform of Australia's model defamation laws has been accepted by all states. How has defamation law been blocking free speech and what change will reform bring for media giants? (26:24-39:21)   As the joy of working from home begins to wear off, what will be the long-term implications of remote work on office policy, culture and economics? (39:21-55:43)   Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Gideon Rozner to discuss these questions and share their culture picks. This week's picks include the classic TV series' Kath and Kim, Anne Applebaum's Twilight of Democracy and Rick Wilson's Running Against the Devil. (55:43-1:20:50)   Show Notes   Defamation law reform a ‘generational change'; Michael Pelly https://www.afr.com/politics/defamation-law-reform-a-generational-change-20200727-p55fxe   Google staff to stay working from home until at least July 2021; Rob Copeland and Peter Grant https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/google-staff-to-stay-working-from-home-until-at-least-july-2021/news-story/5e3c34c00b48649429caafdc59ce6a10   Working from home? You've just had a pay rise; Adam Creighton https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/coronavirus-recession-is-going-to-hit-poor-hardest/news-story/aa77f370a0f39282e8341d6a8209512b   Companies start to think remote work isn't so great after all; Chip Cutter https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-wall-street-journal/companies-start-to-think-remote-work-isnt-so-great-after-all/news-story/2b73e90e38d39fe5479477d187520cd5   Mobility reform key to offset youth jobs pain: Treasury; John Kehoe https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/mobility-reform-key-to-offset-youth-jobs-pain-treasury-20200728-p55g3c   Culture Picks   Kath and Kim (TV Series) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272397/   Twilight of Democracy; Anne Applebaum https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/621076/twilight-of-democracy-by-anne-applebaum/   Running Against the Devil; Rick Wilson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/623822/running-against-the-devil-by-rick-wilson/

After months of contradictory communication about the efficacy of face masks, they're now increasingly mandatory: in what ways do they work and should we be required to wear them? (1:43-17:00)   Federal Parliament has been punted once again after the PM cancelled the next two sitting weeks. With every other Australian business expected to adapt and function as COVIDSafe, why can't Parliament? (17:00-27:48)   Legislative reform is on the cards for Australia's unwieldy environmental regulations:  will green tape finally be cut to unleash economic recovery? (27:48-40:50).   Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Evan Mulholland to address these questions and dive into their isolation culture picks. This week's picks include the film Mr Jones, the TV Series' McMillions as well as Sir Patricks Stewart's A Sonnet A Day.     Show Notes Face Coverings Mandatory for Melbourne and Mitchell Shire https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/updates/coronavirus-covid-19/face-coverings-mandatory-melbourne-and-mitchell-shire   UK's Virtual Parliament, Ranked; Annabelle Dickson https://www.politico.eu/article/uks-virtual-parliament-ranked-prime-ministers-questions-coronavirus-videoconference-dominic-raab/   Independent Review of the EPBC Act; Professor Graeme Samuel AC https://epbcactreview.environment.gov.au   EPBC Act Review: Jobs Win Over Litigious Green Activists https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/epbc-act-review-jobs-win-over-litigious-green-activists   Culture Picks   Mr Jones (2019 Film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Jones_(2019_film)   McMillions (TV Series) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9148598/   A Sonnet A Day; Sir Patrick Stewart https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLLiEya-Q4RQdTJb97i8gU6MXHZs_HUlB Shakespeare's Sonnets & Poems (Folger) https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0743273281/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_KH3fFbDG4HQ56

Well may we say God save the Queen because nothing will save the conspiracy theories about the Whitlam Government's Dismissal. The released palace letters do however reveal deeper truths about our democracy and the falsity of Republican claims (2:24-25:16) As the US election gets closer, Republican are wondering if Trumpism would survive a loss and what's in it for them afterwards (25:16-41:07) The woke media wars flare again as New York Times Opinion Editor Bari Weiss resigns under pressure. Does this reflect the birth of a new media model how can economics and philosophy explain this media moment? (41:07-1:00:47)   Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Andrew Bushnell to answer these questions and share their culture picks. This week's picks include the film First Man, Kendrah Morgan and Lesley Harding's Modern Love, as well as the TV series' Upload.     Show Notes Most surprising of the Palace letters shines new light on Whitlam; Anne Twomey https://www.smh.com.au/national/most-surprising-of-the-palace-letters-shines-new-light-on-whitlam-20200713-p55bpw.html   The Palace letters are every bit the bombshell they promised to be; Jenny Hocking https://www.theage.com.au/national/the-palace-letters-are-every-bit-the-bombshell-they-promised-to-be-20200713-p55bpx.html   Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump- and Democrats from Themselves; Rick Wilson https://www.amazon.com.au/Running-Against-Devil-Trump-Themselves/dp/0593137582   The Death - and Rebirth - of the Newspaper?; Chris Berg https://www.spectator.com.au/2020/07/the-death-and-rebirth-of-the-newspaper/   Resignation Letter; Bari Weiss https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter?fbclid=IwAR2hxFzKfLQ4D7tWWkzJOA-VlSFy8TPtiAlowEasB4toUx4G0u8M3cOt0tQ   Bari Weiss Resigns From New York Times Opinion Post; Edmund Lee https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/business/media/bari-weiss-resignation-new-york-times.html     Culture Picks   First Man; Damien Chazelle https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213641/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0   Modern Love: The Lives of John and Sunday Reed; Kendrah Morgan and Lesley Harding https://www.mup.com.au/books/modern-love-paperback-softback   Upload (TV Series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upload_(TV_series)

It's a double case of  Déjà vu in Victoria as it enters Stage 3 lockdown once again, just as the State's finances look like they're headed for a crisis reminiscent of the 1990s, meaning the rest of Australia might once again have to bail it out. The panel of Scott Hargreaves, Chris Berg and Daniel look at how the outbreak has derailed the national coronavirus containment strategy, and followed a series of failures by the State Government (2:25-22:19). They also analysed the electoral implications of Trump's landmark 4th July speech at Mt Rushmore, which drew the election battlelines with him the side of Western Civilisation versus cancel culture (22:19-39:42) and returning to Victoria the panel looks at IPA research showing the State's plunge into massive debt predated the COVID depression, driven by fantastically expensive transport projects.(39:42-53:45) In the Books and Culture segment the panel reviews the forthcoming Friedman Conference, the release of the musical Hamilton on Disney streaming service, and demographer Joel Kotkin's book out of the USA on the middle class under pressure from what he calls "neo-feudalism".   Show Notes   Déjà vu in Dan Andrewstan; Daniel Wild https://www.spectator.com.au/2020/07/deja-vu-in-dan-andrewstan/   Tunnel Vision; Scott Hargreaves and Daniel Wild https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/tunnel-vision   Acting on Climate Change and Health in Victoria; Brett Sutton et al. https://www.mja.com.au/system/files/issues/212_08/mja250527.pdf   Remarks by President Trump at South Dakota's 2020 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-south-dakotas-2020-mount-rushmore-fireworks-celebration-keystone-south-dakota/   Lin-Manuel Calls “Hamilton” Cancel Culture Criticisms “Valid”; Erika Marie https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/lin-manuel-calls-hamilton-cancel-culture-criticisms-valid-news.113873.html   Culture Picks   Friedman Conference; Australian Taxpayers' Alliance https://www.alsfc.com.au/   The Coming of Neo-Feudalism; Joel Kotkin https://www.amazon.com.au/Coming-Neo-Feudalism-Warning-Global-Middle-ebook/dp/B07VCG8RPF   Hamilton The Musical; Lin-Manuel Miranda https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/hamilton/3uPmBHWlO6HJ    

Will the increase in humanities course fees be effective driving job-ready graduates and incentivising academics to deliver meaningful degrees? (03:12-28:00). Modern day ‘witch hunts' and cancel culture: what has our society come to when militant minorities can make your life hell? (28:01-43:49). The panel discusses the IPA's new Podcast Five Favourite Books, kicking off with special guest Greg Sheridan as an exclusive to IPA members, and more generally the ideas and literature of our heritage. (47:01-53:19). Your co-hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Bella d'Abrera to answer these questions as well as share their culture picks. This week's picks include The Room Where It Happened: A White House; John Bolton, The Spy and the Traitor; Ben Macintyre, and War for Eternity; Benjamin Teitelbaum. (55:46-1:15:05) Show Notes Special IPA Membership Offer: Five Favourite Book https://ipa.org.au/bookoffer Lead Headline and Sub-Header for The New York Times; Tyler Cowen https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/06/lead-headline-and-sub-header-for-the-new-york-times.html Culture Picks  The Room Where It Happened: A White House; John Bolton https://www.amazon.com/Room-Where-Happened-White-Memoir/dp/1982148039 The Spy and the Traitor; Ben Macintyre https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Traitor-Greatest-Espionage-Story/dp/1101904194 War for Eternity; Benjamin Teitelbaum https://www.penguin.com.au/books/war-for-eternity-9780241431078

The movement to tear down statues of historical figures and the past they represent has swept across continents. What do these statues represent and what is their place in the collective history of the nation? (1:57-25:24) Former Minister, Adem Somyurek, resigned from the ALP after allegations of branch stacking. What light does this shed on the business model of political parties and what does it reveal about the nature of politics? (25:24-39:37) The NRL has used the power of the people to fight to get out from under the COVID-19 government restrictions. Should other organisations follow suit and what does this tell us about how to get industries back up and running? (39:37-51:34) Your co-hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Zachary Gorman to answer these questions as well as share their culture picks. This week's picks include Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionised American Music, Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and The Light as well as the popular YouTube channel PewdiePie. (51:34-1:06:16)

This week saw thousands of Australians breaking social distancing laws protesting racism. As more people vote with their feet and ignore lockdown laws, is the pandemic effectively over and what does this mean for lockdown laws? (2:15-16:29) The protestors in the United States are now advocating for the police force to be defunded. What is the place for the police in our society and what would reasonable reform entail? (16:29-30:45) At the New York Times a staff revolt forced an editor to resign just for publishing an opinion piece by a Republican Senator. Has campus woke culture taken over newspapers and is there still a place for legitimate debate in news outlets? (30:45-46:40) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Director of Policy, Gideon Rozner, to answer these questions as well as share their culture picks. This week's picks include the Netflix series Space Force, Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson's Narrow Corridor and Ian Kershaw's To Hell and Back. (46:40-1:02:41)     Show Notes   How Pandemics End; Gina Kolata https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/10/health/coronavirus-plague-pandemic-history.html   NSW Police Minister Says Protests Larger than 10 People will be Deemed Illegal; Lisa Visentin and Dana McCauley https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-police-minister-says-protests-larger-than-10-people-will-be-deemed-illegal-20200608-p550kr.html   Calls to Cut Funding for Police Grow in Wake of Protests; Eliza Collins https://www.wsj.com/articles/calls-for-defunding-police-grow-in-wake-of-protests-11591663621?emailToken=4a15ee00fe662b2e33fb3cb14cc28622XAYX0AVtf0LjeZOVLBxGjGm8Jhg6o9i2JLxm42WdLJtzg4nn+t6M1Gpi2DoEKeGROWFeiUbm8vgwc8cq1oSk5VE99vuQfsWgpGzVplwEumg%3D&reflink=article_copyURL_share   Why Are the Police in Charge of Road Safety?; Alex Tabarrok https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/06/why-are-the-police-in-charge-of-road-safety.html    When Journalists Stop Believing in Debate; Damon Linker   https://theweek.com/articles/918140/when-journalists-stop-believing-debate       Culture Picks                                                                                                                                      Space Force (TV Series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Force_(TV_series)   The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty; Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson https://www.amazon.com.au/Narrow-Corridor-States-Societies-Liberty-ebook/dp/B07MCRLV2K   To Hell and Back: Europe 1914 - 1945; Ian Kershaw https://www.amazon.com.au/Hell-Back-Europe-1914-1949/dp/0143109928

As protests and riots break out across America the important issues of policing and police immunities are getting lost, but will feature at election time. But when civil order is challenged by rioters, what options do Governments have but law and order? Is it Trump or the Democrat-controlled cities who have most to do? (2:12-40:02) The Federal Court made a landmark decision to hold a company liable for defamatory comments made by third parties on its Facebook page, putting the fear of god into all sorts of users of the platform? (40:02-46:54) The Liberal government has reached out to Big Business and Big Unions expecting industrial relations reform, but what hopes do we have when the process lacks both vision and involvement by the forgotten people? (46:54-56:24) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by IPA Adjunct Fellow Aaron Lane to answer these questions as well as share their culture picks. This week's picks include the movie The Leopard, the hit tv-series The Great and John Grisham's The Guardians. (56:24-1:05:57)   Show Notes ACTU Rump in Morrison's Tent But Quiet Aussies Are Left Out; Daniel Wild https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/opinion/actu-rump-in-morrisons-tent-but-quiet-aussies-are-left-out Monopoly on Violence; Max Weber

As Australia is once again faced with the desperate need to liberalise and our reinvigorate our economy post-lockdown, we're joined by an intellectual warrior of the last great era of reform in 80's and 90's, Professor Emeritus Wolfgang Kasper, to explore what's similar and what's different between then and now, and what are the eternal truths about how to mobilise labour, capital and entrepreneurship by cutting red and green tape and getting government out of the way. Drawing on compelling case studies from post-war German, Spain, Malaysia and indeed Australia, liberalisation is shown to deliver great benefits. But there is a whole new challenge to be faced, and not just from left, as free market reformers grapple with an intellectual landscape convinced deregulation somehow failed and that Governments are best placed to mobilise capital, and the exposure of reliance on China for key supplies has changed everything. The best responses draw on the greats, on Locke and Smith, and also the simple realities of trade where it impossible to untangle supply chains. Wolfgang joins regular co-hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg and guest panelist Andrew Bushnell to discuss needed reforms, reflect on the Prime Minister's National Press Club address, and question whether the language of reform in the 80's will cut through in 2020s.

Just as Trump throws a grenade at the WHO it agrees to a bodged up review into the coronavirus pandemic. Is there a place for a global health organisation that has underperformed and who is possibly doing more harm than good? (2:20-16:10) Peter Ridd, featured on the IPA's new Heretic Podcast, was sacked by James Cook University for speaking out against its climate change studies. The Heretic's auteur Gideon Rozner tells how the Podcast came to be (16:10-30:56) The ACCC is drafting a code which will force technology giants to pay media companies for their news. Is this just evening up the bargaining power or a catastrophically dumb and outrageous example of government sanctioned theft (thanks Chris)? (30:56-50:40) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Gideon Rozner to answer these questions as well as share their culture picks. This week's picks include the hit Australian TV series Lego Masters, Peter Coleman's The Liberal Conspiracy and the Netflix film Have a Good Trip. (50:40-1:08:24)   Show Notes The Heretic Membership Offer https://ipa.org.au/hereticoffer   Donald Trump's letter to Dr. Tedros of the World Health Organisation https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1262577580718395393   ACCC calls for consultation to set news bargain between Google, Facebook and media; Lilly Vitorovich and Leo Shanahan https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/accc-calls-for-consultation-to-set-new-bargain-between-google-facebook-and-media/news-story/c939c778bb7d72aa3dd2cb717c816b83   Lego Can Avoid Ai WeiWei, But It Can't Avoid Politics; Chris Berg https://chrisberg.org/2015/10/lego-can-avoid-ai-weiwei-but-it-cant-avoid-politics/   Did Lego Really Block Ai WeiWei?; Scott Hargreaves https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/did-lego-really-block-ai-weiwei-scott-hargreaves/     Culture Picks  Lego Masters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Masters_(Australian_TV_series)   The Liberal Conspiracy: The Congress for Culture Freedom and the Struggle for the Mind of Postwar Europe; Peter Coleman https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0029064813/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9JZWEbGWJZ2QM   Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/have_a_good_trip_adventures_in_psychedelics

The government has introduced a three-stage plan to return Australians to some form of normalcy. What are these decisions based off and is the uncertainty over the consequences small enough? (2:07-20:30) Sweden has been the most prominent and controversial example of an alternative lockdown model. How does their response shape the debate between social vs medical outcomes of pandemics? (20:30-40:42) Finally, the panel reflects on the systematic thoughts of the late Sir Roger Scruton, asking what will conservatism look like post COVID-19? (40:42-59:59) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Andrew Bushnell to answer these questions as well as share their culture picks. This week's picks include three new TV series: Normal People, The Last Dance and The English Game. (59:59-1:18:12)   Show Notes Consummate Conservative; Andrew Bushnell https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/consummate-conservative Lockdowns in SIR Models; Benjamin Moll https://benjaminmoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SIR_notes.pdf We Know Everything – And Nothing – About Covid; Matt Ridley http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/we-know-everything-and-nothing/ How Pandemics End; Gina Kolata https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/10/health/coronavirus-plague-pandemic-history.html No return to the policy status quo: Albanese; Phillip Coorey https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/no-return-to-the-policy-status-quo-albanese-20200510-p54rjj   Culture Picks Normal People; TV series directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9059760/ The Last Dance; TV series directed by Jason Hehir https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8420184/ The English Game; TV series directed by Julian Fellowes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_English_Game  

This week the Government focus is finally on getting Australians back to work. But with coronavirus panic still a factor, will the public take the PM's lead or vote with leaden feet? (1:34-21:42) Daniel Andrews has self-isolated in refusing to reopen Victorian schools, but do health risks really out-weigh social and economic impacts? (21:42-34:54) With negotiations for a trans-Tasman travel bubble underway, what's the next stage in the long history of Australia and New Zealand's relationship? (34:54-48:09) Co-hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by IPA Research Fellow, Dara Macdonald, to answer these questions as well as share their culture picks. This week's picks include The Great Influenza, Oscar Wilde's De Profundis and Randolph Churchill's Young Statesman. (48:09-1:08:54)   Show Notes Have a COVID-19 Plan; National COVID-19 Coordination Commission https://pmc.gov.au/nccc/have-covid-19-plan COVID-19 information for workplaces; Safe Work Australia https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/covid-19-information-workplaces This could be the start of a terrible friendship; Katrina Grace Kelly (Fair Work & JobsKeeper) The Australian, May 2, 2020 ($) Schools are reopening, so here's a guide to the situation in each State and Territory; ABC https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-04/australian-schools-reopening-after-coronavirus-closures/12211526 COVID-19 in schools – the experience in NSW ncirs.org.au New Zealand and Australian Federation; Ged Martin https://www.gedmartin.net/australia-new-zealand-and-federation-1883-1901-c   Culture Picks The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History; John M. Barry https://www.amazon.com.au/Great-Influenza-Deadliest-Pandemic-History/dp/0143036491 De Profundis; Oscar Wilde https://www.amazon.com/Profundis-Oscar-Wilde/dp/150582480X Young Statesman: Winston S. Churchill 1901-1914; Randolph S. Churchill https://www.amazon.com/Young-statesman-Winston-Churchill-1901/dp/B002KZQTG2

Over three million Australians have downloaded the COVIDSafe App but the Australian Government has a terrible record on digital security and privacy. Co-hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by IPA Adjunct Fellow Matthew Lesh - now Director of Research at the Adam Smith Institute in London - to discuss this plus the UK's own experience of coronavirus as the Tories struggle to implement Brexit and find a coherent agenda for growth when Big Government holds sway. Plus they look at the forces pushing for and against the survival of the European Union as Eurocrats centralise more power but the struggling Euro threatens to blow up the whole financial system. Books and Culture picks include Albert Camus' The Plague https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plague The TV series Jack Ryan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ryan_(TV_series), and The essay on Nassim Nicholas Taleb by Allan Farrington at Medium, A Tale of Two Talebs https://medium.com/@allenfarrington/a-tale-of-two-talebs-1775dff3302b

Only if we're free enough to adapt and allow entrepreneurs to create new businesses and institutions will the economy be dynamic enough for the high growth trajectory we need after the devastation of the lockdown. A very special episode of The Looking Forward Podcast as Professor Jason Potts from RMIT University  and host Dr Chris Berg join host Scott Hargreaves and the IPA's Dan Wild to discuss their new book; Cryoeconomics: How to Unfreeze an Economy After a Pandemic. The panel discusses what the freezing / unfreezing metaphor used by Governments assumes too much and how Australia should find its way out of the social and economic crisis. Show Notes  The Problem of ‘Freezing' An Economy in a Pandemic  https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3572365

Australia has been one of the most successful countries in reducing transmission of the coronavirus. Why are the Australian infection rates so low and what does this mean for policymakers and citizens? (2:44-22:37) Virgin Australia has asked the government for a bail out, what role should the government play in restoring the economy and how should this shape policy decisions? (22:37-44:25) Joe Biden is the presidential nominee for the Democrats, what went wrong for Bernie Sanders and what does this mean for the elections in November? (44:25-1:02:40) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Andrew Bushnell to answer these questions as well as share their culture picks for the week. This week's isolation picks include the new album by The Strokes The New Abnormal, the American true crime documentary Tiger King and the Netflix Thriller Giri/Haji. (1:02:40-1:19:06)   Show Notes Tackling Virus Risks Head On is Way Forward for Business; Scott Hargreaves https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tackling-virus-risks-head-way-forward-business-scott-hargreaves Coronavirus Australia: Worst Year Since Great Depression, says IMF; Patrick Commins https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/coronavirus-worst-year-since-great-depression-says-imf/news-story/0e9976bdbd46ebae16d19f8190241467 Australia's endgame must be total elimination of COVID-19; John Daley and Stephen Duckett https://grattan.edu.au/news/australias-endgame-must-be-total-elimination-of-covid-19/   Culture Picks The New Abnormal; The Strokes https://open.spotify.com/album/2xkZV2Hl1Omi8rk2D7t5lN?si=QfZL5QDISjGEit_MoowbCQ Tiger King https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_King Giri/Haji https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8001106/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

The government has revealed the very simple model driving their public policy response to COVID-19. With focus placed on macro modelling general claims, the government must narrow its attention to micro measures and a timeline for society's recovery (1:26-23:44) On the weekend the IPA called for a safe and responsible roll back of social restrictions, and now the debate's started on removing petty restrictions and starting economic recovery. (23:44-36:13) Parliament has decided to sit for the last time until August, just  when social and economic policy decisions need more scrutiny than ever (36:13-54:56) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Andrew Bushnell as they answer these questions as well as share their isolation culture picks. This week's picks include the computer game Surviving Mars, Sarah Bakewell's How to Live / A Life of Montaigne, and Demolition Man by Marco Brambilla. (54:56-1:11:01) Show Notes Begin to End the Lockdown Now! (with Gideon Rozner) https://youtu.be/Nn5adebL-Co Coronavirus: $1600 fine withdrawn for L-plater charged for breaching lockdown; Remy Varga and Rachel Baxendale https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/coronavirus-victorian-lockdown-lplater-cops-fine-lesson-for-driving-with-mum/news-story/144e5f83370929f59d694f272ef5f83f Upcoming Public Hearings (editor: what's missing here?) https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Upcoming_Public_Hearings PM plans staggered virus exit; Phillip Coorey https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/pm-plans-staggered-virus-exit-20200407-p54hqp Coronavirus: Push to let COVID-19 infect us slowly; Yoni Bashan https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/coronavirus-plan-to-let-covid19-infect-us-slowly/news-story/7a459ae042dfe3316ba42055dc4e5b99 NSW Premier says coronavirus social distancing to stay ‘until vaccine is found'; Paige Cockburn https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-07/nsw-coronavirus-social-distancing-to-stay-until-vaccine-found/12126802 ‘Use isolation to our advantage': Who is exempt from the hard WA border closure?; Lauren Pilat https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/use-isolation-to-our-advantage-who-is-exempt-of-the-hard-wa-border-closure-20200405-p54hb6.html Fortress Queensland: borders locked down as state records fourth death; Stuart Layt https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/fortress-queensland-borders-locked-down-as-state-records-fourth-death-20200402-p54glt.html Coronavirus: Call to sign up for 'Team Australia' has fallen on a lot of deaf ears; Janet Albrechtsen https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/coronavirus-call-to-sign-up-for-team-australia-has-fallen-on-a-lot-of-deaf-ears/news-story/6466ca0aa44fd3946092b45e88ad656b   Culture Picks Demolition Man; Marco Brambilla https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106697/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 How to Live or A Life of Montaigne; Sarah Bakewell https://www.amazon.com.au/How-Live-Montaigne-Question-Attempts/dp/1590514831 Surviving Mars; Paradox Interactive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_Mars

This week's episode is brought to you from the Looking Forward remote studio! This week the Australian Government introduced the centrepiece of their corona virus crisis strategy, ‘the job keeper scheme'. How can we bring Australians back to work to unfreeze the frozen economy? (1:48-18:06) Everyday more social restrictions are emplaced on citizens, showing many what it is to live in a police state. How much power should politicians and the police have to curtail civil liberties and at what point has it gone too far? (18:06-37:38) The economic price tags for new policies have piled up, will these policies ever be reversed and how can the economy be rebuilt? (37:38-56:43)  Your host Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Gideon Rozner to answer these questions and share their isolation culture picks. This week's picks include Zionism: the concise history, the TV show Modern Love and Lord Macaulay's The History of England from the Accession of James the Second. (56:43-1:10:26)    Show Notes  Cryoeconomics: how to unfreeze the economy  https://medium.com/@cryptoeconomics/cryoeconomics-how-to-unfreeze-the-economy-a5536ee261f0    Culture Picks  Zionism: the concise history; Alex Ryvchin  https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/Zionism-the-concise-history--Alex-Ryvchin_p_302.html    Modern Love (TV Series)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Love_(TV_series)    The History of England from the Accession of James the Second; Lord Macaulay  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_England_from_the_Accession_of_James_the_Second

As the pandemic rises, government must make decisions based on uncertainty. What trade-offs are we making and what values are defining these trade-offs? (2:00-22:20) It's the 'short sharp shock' model of shutdown versus the 'flatten the curve' approach, which should guide Australian policy? (22:20-34:44) The pandemic has put extreme pressure on job loss and the economy, how are governments all over the world responding and what are the long term consequences? (34:44-50:30) Your hosts, Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Andrew Bushnell to answer these questions and dive into their culture picks including the film John Wick 3, the new Spanish Netflix movie The Platform and Michael Petroni's film The Messiah. (50:30-1:04:08)   Show Notes Stop with the fatalism: Don't flatten it, Crush The Curve on Coronavirus; JoNova http://joannenova.com.au/2020/03/stop-with-the-fatalism-dont-flatten-it-crush-the-curve-on-coronavirus/     Culture Picks John Wick 3; Chad Stahelski https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6146586/   Messiah; Michael Petroni https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7671598/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1   The Platform; Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8228288/

The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world upside down. Whilst governments all around the world scramble for solutions, what are the policy affects for citizens? (3:25-16:10). Different countries' approach to the pandemic response highlight complexities of decision making, and the importance of sensibly drawing on rather than deferring to experts. (16:10-26:50) The virus has pricked open many underlying economic issues, is the performance of presenting stimulus packages enough to save Australians? (26:50-45:22) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg, are joined by the IPA's Gideon Rozner and Kurt Wallace to discuss these questions and share their culture picks including the computer game Plague Inc, the streaming series Star Trek: Picard, Tim Shipman's All Out War and Abraham Kuyper's Our Program: A Christian Political Manifesto. (45:22-1:12:46) NB: The promoter of the Benedict Option was identified in the episode as Patrick Deneen, however the author is Rod Dreher. Show Notes Dutch embrace 'herd immunity' as dire death warning prompts UK to change course; Bevan Shields https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/dutch-embrace-herd-immunity-as-dire-death-warning-prompts-uk-to-change-course-20200317-p54arv.html While other countries lost precious time, Taiwan mobilised to keep COVID-19 at bay; Ben Hurley https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/while-other-countries-lost-precious-time-taiwan-mobilised-to-keep-covid-19-at-bay-20200316-p54ah8.html Coronavirus spreads quickly and sometimes before people have symptoms, study finds; The University of Texas at Austin https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200316143313.htm Cut the 'crapshoot politics', Mr Morrison, and cut the red tape to set business free; Janet Albrechtsen https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/cut-the-crapshoot-politics-mr-morrison-and-cut-the-red-tape-to-set-business-free/news-story/a92411aad8976f0e5c053ffd6daee597 World Health Organisation Boot-Licks China, With Deadly Results; Time Andrews https://thefederalist.com/2020/03/17/u-s-funds-world-health-organization-that-boot-licks-china-with-deadly-results/ Diamond Princess Mysteries; Willis Eschenbach https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/03/16/diamond-princess-mysteries/ Culture Picks Plague Inc; Ndemic Creations https://www.ndemiccreations.com/en/22-plague-inc Star Trek: Picard https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8806524/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 All Out War; Tim Shipman https://www.amazon.com/All-Out-War-Britains-Political/dp/0008215154 Our Program: A Christian Political Manifesto; Abraham Kuyper https://www.amazon.com.au/Our-Program-Christian-Political-Manifesto-ebook/dp/B0199BCHKG

It's the Looking Forward Podcast's first special episode of 2020! This week our focus is on what's wrong with our Universities, featuring special guest Dr Phil Magness from the American Institute for Economic Research and co-author of Cracks in the Ivory Tower. Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg, are joined by the IPA's Dr Bella D'Abrera to discuss with Phil Magness the pathologies evident in university teaching, research and social activism, in the USA and in Australia. The panel goes inside Phil's book and its application of public choice economics to explain bloated university administrations, rising costs, useless courses, and rent extraction by second-rate academics. The panel asks when did higher education become a moral mess? Why are students fleeing politicised disciplines? And is the use of social media by academics corrupting the history profession? Due to technical issues video of Dr Magness during the interview was not available. Purchase your copy of Cracks in the Ivory Tower here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Cracks-Ivory-Tower-Higher-Education-ebook/dp/B07NYT5P7C Show Notes Cracks in the Ivory Tower; Phillip Magness and Jason Brennan https://global.oup.com/academic/product/cracks-in-the-ivory-tower-9780190846282 My Most Notable Articles of 2019; Phil Magness https://www.aier.org/article/my-most-notable-articles-of-2019/ Here is Proof that the Leftist Tilt on Campus Has Gotten Dramatically Worse; Phil Magness https://www.aier.org/article/here-is-proof-that-the-leftist-tilt-on-campus-has-gotten-dramatically-worse/ The Rise of Identity Politics: An Audit Of History Teaching At Australian Universities In 2017; Bella d'Abrera https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/research-papers/rise-identity-politics

As COVID 19 tests key institutions like the WHO, the panel asks whether rate cuts and stimulus packages just further reveal that our central bankers and policy makers have no ideas what our economy really needs? (0:57-19:52) It's the issue that made the IPA's Evan Mulholland Twitter famous, so is the push for four-bins recycling and plastics obsessions scheme pushing Australia forward or back? (19:52- 33:17) Taxpayers are funding the ABC while its so-called Media Watch acts as the enforcement arm fighting critics like the IPA to protect its rivers of gold. (33:17-44:50) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Dara Macdonald and Evan Mulholland to answer these questions and share their culture picks including Helena Rosenblatt's The Lost History of Liberalism, Yasmine Mohammed's Unveiled, the Academy Award winner Parasite and the ABC's podcast The Eleventh  presented by Alex Mann. (44:50-1:02:10)   Show Notes Speech, National Plastics Summit- Australian Parliament House, ACT; Prime Minister https://www.pm.gov.au/media/speech-national-plastics-summit-australian-parliament-house-act Environmentalists Make Good Movie Villains Because They Want to Make your Real Life Worse; Sonny Bunch https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/03/environmentalists-make-good-movie-villains-because-they-want-make-your-real-life-worse/ The Perverse Panic over Plastic; John Tierney https://www.city-journal.org/needless-panic-over-disposable-plastic Scott Morrison's Recycling Strategy to Grow Green Jobs; Geoff Chambers https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/scott-morrisons-recycling-strategy-to-grow-green-jobs/news-story/8826aaa48b7df0b2c402e9141842bcc9 IPA v ABC; Media Watch https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/ipa/12016756   Culture Picks The Lost History of Liberalism; Helena Rosenblatt https://www.amazon.com.au/Lost-History-Liberalism-Ancient-Twenty-First/dp/0691170703 Unveiled; Yasmine Mohammed https://www.booktopia.com.au/unveiled-yasmine-mohammed/book/9781999240530.html?msclkid=092088e103a9198ba951d6bd33ddb277&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=!%20Shopping%2090c&utm_term=4585169650599087&utm_content=All%20Custom%20Label Parasite; Bong Joon Ho https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6751668/ The Eleventh; Alex Mann https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-eleventh/

Scott Morrison's religious freedom bill has been labelled confusing, inappropriate, unfair and unloved; so is it finally dead? (1:34-20:07) When Bernie Sanders has a lock on the Democrat nomination, is his support for Castro's Cuba just the tip of a communist iceberg ? (20:07-34:10) Looking Forward was at the Senate inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy, and asks if the High Court hasn't hijacked the proces? (34:10-50:00) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Morgan Begg and RMIT University's Dr Aaron Lane to answer these questions and dive into their culture picks including Marielle Heller's A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, the podcast Verdict with Ted Cruz, Victor Kravchenko's I Chose Freedom and Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewel. (50:00-1:09:24) Show Notes Unions and employers join forces to oppose religious freedom bill; Dana McCauley https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/unions-and-employers-join-forces-to-oppose-religious-freedom-bill-20200224-p543tf.html At Cross Purposes; Morgan Begg https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/at-cross-purposes Saunders defends comments praising Castro's Cuba: ‘The truth is the truth'; Paul LeBlanc https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/24/politics/sanders-defends-castro-cuba-comments-cnntv/index.html Australian Values and the Enduring Importance of the Nation-State; Daniel Wild, Zachary Gorman and Andrew Bushnell https://ipa.org.au/research-areas/ideas-and-liberty/australian-values-and-the-enduring-importance-of-the-nation-state Culture Picks A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood; Marielle Heller https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3224458/ Verdict with Ted Cruz; Ted Cruz https://www.podcastrepublic.net/podcast/1495601614 I Chose Freedom; Victor Kravchenko https://www.amazon.com/Chose-Freedom-Personal-Political-Official/dp/B0006AQTT0 Richard Jewel; Clint Eastwood https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3513548/

What does the demise of Holden say about tariff protection and perennial dreams of a domestic manufacturing base? (1:53-25:40) What is the future of Australian identity now that the High Court has decided to make a third category of Australian? (25:40-45:43) Boris Johnson's Government is looking at taking the BBC to a subscription model, so why not with the ABC and SBS? (45:43-55:14) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Andrew Bushnell and Dara Macdonald to answer these questions and share their culture picks including the award winning 2018 film Jojo Rabbit, Eric Weinstein's podcast The Portal, William Dalrymple's The Anarchy, and the 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success. Show Notes Holden closing down, to be axed from Australia by the end of 2021 https://www.9news.com.au/national/holden-axed-from-australia-in-2020-ending-72-years-of-car-making/29ba88b5-3061-4839-921d-b2fea77dcd21 ScoMo Yet to Learn His ABC's; Justinian the Great http://catallaxyfiles.com/2020/02/17/scomo-yet-to-learn-his-abcs/ Insane Obsession: Australia's Auto Industry Waste; Chris Berg http://chrisberg.org/2013/05/insane-obsession-australias-auto-industry-waste/ No 10 could scrap BBC licence fee in favour of a subscription model https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/16/no-10-launches-attack-on-bbc-as-licence-fee-comes-under-threat Against Public Broadcasting; Chris Berg and Sinclair Davidson https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/Against-Public-Broadcasting-Why-and-how-we-should-privatise-the-ABC--Chris-Berg-and-Sinclair-Davidson_p_177.html Culture Picks Jojo Rabbit; Taika Waititi https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2584384/ The Portal; Eric Weinstein https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-portal/id1469999563 The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company; William Dalrymple https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-anarchy-william-dalrymple/book/9781408864388.html Sweet Smell of Success (1957); Alexander Mackendrick https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051036/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

How does the wreckage left by the High Court's decision to create a new category of Australian affect our nation's political and social future? (2:20-22:33) In the new age of money, what are the consequences of a digital currency amidst a public backlash over cash bans? (22:33-36:57) The MAdE Establishment group of George Calombaris has gone under taking 400 jobs with it, and the panel asks how much the  longer hospitality sector can last as an award system of obscene complexity and a relentless union campaign on ‘wage theft' poison the well? (36:57-50:20) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Gideon Rozner and Kurt Wallace to answer these questions as they celebrate the Looking Forward Podcast's 50th episode! They then explore their culture picks for the week including the dramedy series Succession, Milton Friedman's classic Capitalism and Freedom, Wilhelm Ropke's The Humane Economist, and David Brooks' landmark essay from The Atlantic,  The Nuclear Family Was A Mistake. (50:20-1:18:42)   Show Notes: Love v Commonwealth of Australia; Thoms v Commonwealth of Australia [2020] HCA 3 (11 February 2020) http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/HCA//2020/3.html Radical High Court Divides Australia By Race; Morgan Begg https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/media-releases/radical-high-court-divides-australia-by-race Age of Currency Disruption is Here; Chris Berg http://chrisberg.org/2020/02/age-of-currency-disruption-is-here/  George Calombaris: Unions Under Fire Over Empire Collapse; Ewin Hannan https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/parts-of-george-calombariss-food-empire-may-reopen-under-different-ownership/news-story/4efda45709c4ea25199b7604cddbe2b1 George Calombaris: now all too many of those underpaid workers will also soon be unemployed; Charles Pier https://www.spectator.com.au/2020/02/george-calombaris-now-all-too-many-of-those-underpaid-workers-will-also-soon-be-unemployed/     Culture Picks: Succession; HBO https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7660850/ Capitalism and Freedom; Milton Friedman https://www.amazon.com.au/Capitalism-Freedom-Anniversary-Milton-Friedman-ebook/dp/B006JP11HQ The Humane Economist; Wilhelm Röpke https://shop.acton.org/products/the-humane-economist The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake; David Brooks https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-nuclear-family-was-a-mistake/605536/  

This week the panel tackles the latest victories for unelected bureaucrats, as Bridget McKenzie takes a hit for the sin of ignoring Departmental advice, and the failed Foreign Interference laws licence snooping and partisan point scoring. Meanwhile the panel wonders how the federal government comes to be funding footy club change rooms in the first place (federalism anybody)? (1:50-10:55) And how Shadow Attorney-General seems to be the only one in Canberra who can get the bureaucracy to act with alacrity (10:55-25:15) And where do the Ministerial changes leave the National Party? (25:15-33:00) Also Scott Morrison shutting the border with China has economic implications for our massive tourism and education sectors; even as the Leninist state in China struggles to contain the crisis. (33:00-46:03) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Morgan Begg and Zachary Gorman to answer these questions and dive into their culture picks. This week's picks include the horror film Doctor Sleep, Peter Seamer's Breaking Point, Netflix's new docuseries on the NFL star Aaron Hernandez, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, as well as Amanda Hollis-Brusky's novel on The Federalist Society's modern American political history movement, Ideas with Consequences: The Federalist Society and the Conservative. (46:03-1:09:07)   Show Notes: Announcement of Grants; Australia National Audit Office (ANAO) https://www.anao.gov.au/work/request/announcement-grants   Culture Picks: Doctor Sleep; Mike Flanagan https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5606664/ Breaking Point; Peter Seamer https://www.booktopia.com.au/breaking-point-peter-seamer/book/9781760641290.htmlKiller Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez; Netflix https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11475228/   Ideas with Consequences: The Federalist Society and the Conservative Counterrevolution (Studies in Postwar American Political Development); Amanda Hollis-Brusky https://www.amazon.com/Ideas-Consequences-Conservative-Counterrevolution-Development/dp/0199385521

The Looking Forward Podcast welcomes the new year with the first show of 2020! In the Books and Culture segment the panel discusses the legacy of the late great British Conservative Philosopher, Sir Roger Scruton, who addressed a symposium of the IPA's Foundations of Western Civilisation Program in 2014. Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Andrew Bushnell and Dr Bella d'Abrera to explore Scruton's Uses of Pessimism, his commitment to the ideals of truth and beauty, and his place in the conservative pantheon. (54:07-1:03:00) At the top of the show the panel examines whether the nation has locked in behind Australia Day, as the left rebels against Tanya Plibersek's idea for schoolchildren to recite the pledge of citizenship (1:35-19:58) Also, the factors that contributed to the disasters of the fire season and why even the greens should be focussed on adaptation and prevention. (19:58-35:11) And finally, China has released a stream of misleading information regarding the coronavirus. What can we trust and what does it mean for Australians? (35:11-43:51). The other staff picks are the contemporary novel Fleishman is in Trouble, and the science fiction film Ad Astra starring Brad Pit (spoiler alert) (43:51-54:07). Show Notes: Tanya Plibersek calls for Australian children to take pledge of allegiance; SBS News https://www.sbs.com.au/news/tanya-plibersek-calls-for-australian-children-to-take-pledge-of-allegiance Roger Scruton on Liberty and Democracy in Western Civilisation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INKsy_vujTg&feature=youtu.be Left Behind; IPA Review https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/left-behind Culture Picks: Fleishman Is in Trouble; Taffy Brodesser-Akner https://www.amazon.com.au/Fleishman-Trouble-Taffy-Brodesser-akner/dp/0525510877  Ad Astra; James Gray https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935510/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0  Uses of Pessimism; Roger Scruton https://www.amazon.com/Uses-Pessimism-Danger-False-Hope/dp/0199968977

This week continues The Looking Forward Podcast's Christmas Special! IPA staff discuss their favourite books of the year with Chris and Scott, giving the titles you cannot miss. Today's podcast features Zachary Gorman and Renee Gorman as they discuss The American Counter Revolution (3:06-20:52) and The Madness of Crowds (20:52-33:02), followed by Gideon Rozner and Daniel Wild on Corkscrewed (33:41-44:22) and The Rise of Victimhood Culture (44:22-58:49). The episode then finishes with Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg reviews of Escape from Rome (59:05-1:16:16) and Rebooting AI (1:16:16- 1:26:47). Chris Berg also recommends Understanding the Blockchain Economy (1:27:11-1:27:27) and Cryptodemocracy (1:27:27-1:27:40). Books discussed: The American Counter Revolution https://www.amazon.com/American-Counter-Revolution-Favor-Liberty-Americans/dp/3030037320 The Madness of Crowds https://www.amazon.com.au/Madness-Crowds-Gender-Race-Identity/dp/1472959973/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3098XX7VHW9JN&keywords=the+madness+of+crowds+douglas+murray&qid=1576476850&s=books&sprefix=the+madness%2Cstripbooks%2C340&sr=1-1 Corkscrewed https://www.amazon.com.au/Corkscrewed/dp/1925642127 The Rise of Victimhood Culture https://www.amazon.com.au/Rise-Victimhood-Culture-Microaggressions-Spaces/dp/3319703285/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+rise+of+victimhood+culture&qid=1576476871&s=books&sr=1-1 Escape from Rome https://www.amazon.com.au/Escape-Rome-Failure-Empire-Prosperity/dp/0691172188/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=escape+from+rome&qid=1576476891&s=books&sr=1-1 Rebooting AI https://www.amazon.com.au/Rebooting-AI-Building-Artificial-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B07MYLGQLB/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=rebooting+AI&qid=1576476918&s=books&sr=1-1 Understanding the Blockchain Economy https://www.amazon.com.au/Understanding-Blockchain-Economy-Institutional-Cryptoeconomics/dp/1788974999/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=understanding+the+blockchain+economy&qid=1576476946&s=books&sr=1-1 Cryptodemocracy https://www.amazon.com.au/Cryptodemocracy-Blockchain-Democratic-Polycentricity-Institutional-ebook/dp/B07W6XVYW5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=cryptodemocracy&qid=1576476968&s=books&sr=1-1

It's The Looking Forward Podcast's Christmas special! For the next two weeks IPA staff will be sharing their must-read book recommendations of the year for your summer reading with Chris and Scott. Today's podcast has Andrew Bushnell and Dr Bella d'Abrera discuss Madame Bovary and Serotonin (1:46-25:08), followed by James Bolt and Peter Gregory on Catch & Kill and 12 Rules For Life (25:08-44:48), and then Theodora Pantelich and Kurt Wallace finish with The House of Government and My Father Left Me Ireland (44:48-1:11:13). We apologise for the delay of this week's episode as we fell victim to nationwide internet outages. Books discussed: Madame Bovary https://www.amazon.com/Madame-Bovary-Classics-Gustave-Flaubert/dp/0553213415 Serotonin https://www.amazon.com/Serotonin-Novel-Michel-Houellebecq/dp/0374261024 Catch & Kill https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Kill-Conspiracy-Protect-Predators-ebook/dp/B07TD413RV 12 Rules For Life https://www.amazon.com.au/12-Rules-Life-Antidote-Chaos/dp/0345816021 The House of Government https://www.amazon.com/House-Government-Saga-Russian-Revolution/dp/0691176949 My Father Left Me Ireland https://www.amazon.com/My-Father-Left-Me-Ireland/dp/0525538658

Why did Pauline Hanson sink the bill to crack down on unions, and what good would it have done? (1:48-15:29) Ten years on since Tony Abbott rolled Malcom Turnbull over climate change, are we still being haunted by his political ghost? (15:29-27:51) Do the worrying signs in our economy justify calls for stimulus, or is it time to get back to the basics of wealth creation? (27:51-44:03) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Director of Policy, Gideon Rozner and Research Fellow Kurt Wallace to answer these questions as well as dive into their culture picks including Ted Gioia's Music: A Subversive History, Llewelllyn Rockwell's Against the Left, the late Clive James' collection of essays Cultural Amnesia and the right-wing self-help book You Are the Message (44:03-1:06:02).   Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2019 https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/legislation/billsdgs/7040245/upload_binary/7040245.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22legislation/billsdgs/7040245%22 Anatomy of a defeat: how a thaw between unions and One Nation doomed the 'integrity' bill; The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/30/anatomy-of-a-defeat-how-a-thaw-between-unions-and-one-nation-doomed-the-integrity-bill Statement on the Conduct of Monetary Policy (1996) https://www.rba.gov.au/monetary-policy/framework/stmt-conduct-mp-1-14081996.html   Culture Picks: Music: A Subversive History; Ted Gioia https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43886050-music Against the Left: A Rothbardian Libertarianism; Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr https://www.amazon.com/Against-Left-Libertarianism-Llewellyn-Rockwell/dp/099046315X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1A4CLF0BIO2TT&keywords=against+the+left+lew+rockwell&qid=1575353266&sprefix=against+the+left+%2Caps%2C355&sr=8-1 Cultural Amnesia – Necessary Memories from History and the Arts; Clive James https://www.amazon.com.au/Cultural-Amnesia-Necessary-Memories-History/dp/0393061167/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=clive+james+cultural+amnesia&qid=1575355472&sr=8-2 You Are the Message: Getting What You Want by Being Who You Are; Roger Ailes https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Message-Getting-Being/dp/0385265425

The Federal Attorney General has proposed we treat social media companies as publishers. Will this punish Silicon Valley lefties or silence Australia's conservative voices for fear of our crazy defamation laws? (1:59-24:04) As the CEO of our wokest bank, Westpac, taps the mat, what should we make of its bruising encounter with regulator Austrac's over money-laundering claims? (24:04-37:12) Political parties are declining as social institutions so what does this mean for our democracy? (37:12-48:57) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by IPA Research Fellow, Andrew Bushnell and National Manager of Generation Liberty, Renee Gorman to discuss these questions as well as divulge their culture picks including the new documentary Rise of Jordan Peterson, a new book on the sorry state of our Universities, Season 3 of The Crown and the movie that launched film director Michael Mann (48:57-1:05:21).   Show Notes: Christian Porter's defamation reform would be a catastrophic mistake; Dr Chris Berg and Dr Aaron Lane, Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/national/christian-porter-s-defamation-reform-would-be-a-catastrophic-mistake-20191123-p53dg4.html The Woke Bank Asleep at The Wheel; John Roskam, IPA Executive Director https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/the-woke-bank-asleep-at-the-wheel Get out of your own way, Unleashing productivity; Deloitte https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/building-lucky-country/articles/get-out-of-your-own-way.html Regulatory Dark Matter; Kurt Wallace, IPA Research Fellow https://ipa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/IPA-Report-Regulatory-Dark-Matter-How-Unaccountable-Regulators-Subvert-Democracy-by-Imposing-Red-Tape-without-Transparency.pdf John Howard warns of 'existential challenges' for Liberals and Nationals; Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/john-howard-warns-of-existential-challenges-for-liberals-and-nationals-20191121-p53cyn.html   Culture Picks: The Rise of Jordan Peterson; Patricia Marcoccia https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10469384/ Melbourne screening of the Rise of Jordan Peterson https://ipapeterson.eventbrite.com.au/ CAMPUS MELTDOWN The Deepening Crisis in Australian Universities; William O. Coleman https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/CAMPUS-MELTDOWN-The-Deepening-Crisis-in-Australian-Universities--William-O-Coleman-editor_p_288.html The Crown Season 3; Peter Morgan https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4786824/ Thief; Michael Mann https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083190/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_8

Are we in the West too focussed on trade to tackle China's on human rights abuses in Hong Kong and with the Uighurs?  (00:01-21:00)  Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says our ageing population is an “economic time bomb”, but is he just softening boomers up for another tax and pension raid?  (21:00-33:00)  Boris Johnson is ahead in the polls, Boris' deal a real Brexit and why did the Brexit Party give up?  (33:00-44:00). Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Evan Mulholland and Daniel Wild to answer these questions and share their culture picks including H.P. Lovecraft's 1936 classic sci-fi/horror novella, At the Mountains of Madness, a podcast by the Herald Sun about the 1999 Victorian state election between Jeff Kennett and Steve Bracks, and the Man in the High Castle, a sci-fi series on Amazon Prime which explores what the world would look like had the Axis powers won WWII (44.00-01.03.53). SHOW NOTES Rebooting AI: Building Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust, Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis https://www.amazon.com/Rebooting-AI-Building-Artificial-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B07MYLGQLB Ageing population is 'economic time bomb': Frydenberg, Australian Financial Review https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/ageing-population-is-economic-time-bomb-frydenberg-20191118-p53bgi Paul Keating's speech on Australia's China policy – full text, The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/18/paul-keatings-speech-on-australias-china-policy-full-text The Economics of ZPG, Chris Berg & Jason Potts, Quadrant https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2016/04/economics-zero-population-growth/ These Are the Brexit Battlegrounds That Will Decide the U.K. Election, Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-uk-election-primer/ How's That? Daniel Wild, IPA Review https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/hows-that At the Mountains of Madness, H. P. Lovecraft https://www.amazon.com/At-Mountains-Madness-Other-Terror/dp/0345329457 Face Off, Herald Sun (podcast) https://open.spotify.com/show/0GO20vX5zmC7yUIhwCdey3?si=9t24ThwgQGm2lPudYpGXY The Man in the High Castle (TV series) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1740299/ Corporate Virtue Signalling: How to Stop Big Business from Meddling in Politics, Jeremy Sammut https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/CORPORATE-VIRTUE-SIGNALLING-HOW-TO-STOP-BIG-BUSINESS-FROM-MEDDLING-IN-POLITICS--Jeremy-Sammut_p_264.html