James Button is a freelance journalist, ALP member and former speechwriter for the former prime minister Kevin Rudd. He recently wrote a three-part, in-depth series for Nine/Fairfax on “cancel culture”: what it is, why it exists and what it means for the Australian Left.

In this conversation James and I go deep into his argument and the three pieces and try to clarify how this social phenomenon manifests itself when it comes to issues of race, gender, art and politics.  On some fronts we agree, on others I try to push back and challenge some of the common arguments that are wheeled out on this stuff.

It’s long, but (I hope) really worthwhile. TL:DR – class politics is GOOD and we need MORE OF IT PLEASE.

Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you

If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron

Check out with my other podcast about the Greens and green politics with Emerald Moon, Serious Danger

@JamesButton49 (though he rarely tweets!)

Read James’ three-part series on cancel culture: 

• “They cancelled me as a human”: what nearly killed Logie winner Hugh Sheridan
• Gender, sex and power: the debate dividing universities
• Is identity politics killing the left?

ARTICLE: The Failure of Occupy is Almost Complete by Freddie deBoer

ARTICLE: Woke politics and power by Waleed Aly 

Cause(s) of the Week: Savannah Pride (savannahpride.com.au); Marrin Weejali Aboriginal Corporation (marrinweejali.org.au)

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Nyadol Nyuon is a former refugee, lawyer and passionate advocate for human rights and anti-racism.

This is her keynote address at the 2021 Refugee Legal “Not The Annual Dinner” (held via Zoom), which I MC’ed, followed by a Q&A session with Nyadol and Refugee Legal Executive Director David Manne.

It’s a passionate address about why human rights are important to her (and why they should be important to you), the realities of race in this country and the ongoing legacy of the War on Terror on our society and politics.

Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you

If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron

I’m recording a stand up special at Chapel Off Chapel THIS WEEK! Two shows only

Check out with my other podcast about the Greens and green politics with Emerald Moon, Serious Danger 

@NyadolNyuon

Nyadol’s address at the National Press Club, “Australia Reimagined” 

Cause of the Week: Please support Refugee Legal’s work (refugeelegal.org.au) 

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NEWS: I have a brand new podcast to share with youse.

It’s called Serious Danger, it’s about the Australian Greens and green politics in Australia generally and I’m doing it with my cool friend Emerald Moon.

Also it’s going to fix everything.

Have a listen to hear the trailer and find out why I wanted to make the show in the first place.

(Also don’t stress: I’ll still be posting episodes of LIASYO for the time being.)

Find out more and subscribe to the show by heading to seriousdangerpod.com

Find us on twitter, Instagram, Patreon and YouTube on @SeriousDangerAU

Get to know Emerald more by catching up on our conversation together from last year.

<3 u

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Luke Hilakari has been the Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council since 2014. He’s been a Labor member since he turned 18 and has played a key role in electing (and re-electing) the Andrew Labor government and fighting for marriage equality and workers’ rights.

In light of all the BATSHIT anti-vax protesting that’s been going on in Melbourne of late, I wanted to ask Luke about the presence of anti-vax organising within the labour movement, why some workers might be attracted to this ideology and what can be done about it.

We also discuss the class war that the pandemic has shone a light on, solidarity, why strikes are beautiful, spanking the Labor Party and how the union movement will be approaching the upcoming election.

Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you

If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron

I’m recording a stand up special at Chapel Off Chapel in early December

@lhilakari

weareunion.org.au

ARTICLE: We need a royal commission into the organised far-right in Australia by Luke Hilakari

ARTICLE: Has solidarity succumbed to the rise of rage? by Waleed Aly

Labor’s policy’s on workers’ rights for the upcoming election

Trades Hall’s Sticking Together book

Cause of the Week: Australians For A Murdoch Royal Commission (murdochroyalcommission.org.au)

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Professor Megan Davis is a Cobble Cobble woman from Queensland and is the current pro Vice-Chancellor and Balnaves Chair in constitutional law at the University of New South Wales. She’s worked for the United Nations and has been intimately involved in the campaign for meaningful constitutional recognition for Australia’s First Nations people, and had the honour of first reading out the Uluru Statement From the Heart publicly in 2017.

Four years on from the creation of the Statement – with its call for Voice, Treaty & Truth – Megan updates me on where the campaign for a constitutional First Nations Voice to Parliament is at, the roadblocks that remain, designing a model and searching for bipartisanship ahead of a possible referendum.

Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you

If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron

I’m recording a stand up special at Chapel Off Chapel in early December

I’m doing Easey Comedy in Collingwood on Thursday November 11th with Dave Hughes

@mdavisqlder

ARTICLE: The Uluru Statement, four years on by Professor Megan Davis

INTERVIEW: The Uluru Statement – where to from here? on ABC Overnights with Rod Quinn

ARTICLE: Police officer not guilty of murdering woman during confrontation on Geraldton street (ABC NEWS) 

Cause of the Week: Uluru Statement From The Heart Campaign (ulurustatement.org)

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Sean Kelly is a writer and journalist, who’s a former adviser to Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

His new book is The Game: A Portrait of Scott Morrison and it’s great/scary/infuriating. With great insight and wit, Sean really tries to get at who our Prime Minister is, what drives, what (if anything) he believes in and what his political success says about us a country. We discuss how Morrison plays the “game” of politics, why he won in 2019 and whether he can be beaten again by the ALP in its current state.

Join the LIASYO Facebook group here please and thank you

If you’ve got the means please support this show by becoming a Patron

I’m recording a stand up special at Chapel Off Chapel in early December

I’m doing Easey Comedy in Collingwood on Thursday November 11th with Dave Hughes

I appeared on “The Culture” podcast to discuss Dave Chappelle’s latest special with Osman Faruqi & Cassie Workman

My last episode with Sean

@MrSeanKelly

The Game: A Portrait of Scott Morrison by Sean Kelly at Black Inc

Sean’s writing for Nine Fairfax Media

ARTICLE: Morrison sees votes in anti-Muslim strategy by Lenore Taylor (2011)

ARTICLE: Albanese says he’s in the final quarter, so when is he going to start kicking goals? by Sean Kelly 

Cause of the Week: The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au)

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