Hobart! Come on down to this fun gig if you like. The 8pm show is full, but a 6pm has been added hurrah.
Author Archives: Tom
250 – David Shoebridge MLC
David Shoebridge MLC has served in the NSW upper house since 2010, and has been the Greens spokesperson for workers’ rights, energy and Aboriginal justice.
In 2022 he’s running to pick up another NSW Senate seat for the Greens (and it’s actually possible!).
In this conversation I ask David about NSW politics’ love of corruption, how he developed his radical politics, what the Greens could achieve in balance of power and whether Greens MPs should have anything to do with investment properties.
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I’m coming to The Clubhouse in Hobart March 17th
The Greens’ Balance of Power pitch
Cause of the Week: David Shoebridge’s Senate campaign (nsw.greens.org.au)
Direct download | iTunes | Spotify | libsyn
249 – Palestine Justice Movement Sydney Forum: “Why We Are Boycotting The Sydney Festival”
This week I’m bringing you the audio of a panel I appeared on, discussing the reason behind and ideas around the recent boycott of the 2022 Sydney Festival.
I joined dozens of other artists in withdrawing from the Festival to protest its acceptance of $20k in sponsorship money from the Israeli embassy; a sponsorship which guaranteed Israel the honour of being a “star partner” of the festival.
Here I’m in conversation with academic Dr. Jumana Bayeh, the Executive Director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy Salem Barahmeh and my fellow boycotters Dr. Mohammed Ahmad (founding director of Western Sydney literacy outfit Sweatshop) and Maissa Alameddine (the Artist Director of the Ensemble Dandana, which is part of the Arab Theatre Studio).
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“Artists Against Apartheid Sydney Festival” petition
ARTICLE: Sydney Festival acts boycott over Israel by Farid Farid
ARTICLE: Why I’m helping to organise a boycott of this year’s Sydney Festival by Jennine Khalik
ARTICLE:Boycotts are an essential and necessary part of public life by Osman Faruqi
Cause of the Week: Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions Australia bdsaustralia.net.au
Direct download | iTunes | Spotify | libsyn
248 – Johann Hari Returns (On “Stolen Focus”)
Writer and journalist Johann Hari has returned to the show to discuss why our brains have melted.
His new book is called Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and it is a fascinating, depressing and insightful look at the “attention crisis” we’re facing as a society. Johann tells me about just how bad this situation is, how much social media and technology is responsible for it, its social and political implications and what the fuck we can do about it – as individuals, and as a collective.
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Johann’s first appearance on the show was back at Ep #73
You can order Johann’s latest book Stolen Focus here: stolenfocusbook.com
Read an extract of the book here
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The Bugle LIVE in Melbourne (with Lloyd Langford)
247 – Van Badham Returns (on #QAnon)
Van Badham is a playwright, author and activist, and she’s returned to the show to discuss her latest book, QAnon: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults.
Here Van lays out precisely what the QAnon conspiracy theory actually is, how it came into existence and how much it has shaped – and continues to shape – politics in the US and here in Australia. We discuss the most bonkers beliefs involved in all this and what the theory’s success tells us about the internet and the failures of the modern Left, and we disagree about what happened to JFK.
Merry Xmas everyone! See you in 2022, when everything will be fixed forever xx
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Van’s book QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults
Van’s podcast is The Week on Wednesday
Cause of the Week: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (asrc.org.au)
Direct download | iTunes | Spotify | libsyn
Just For Laughs Australia: January 18th
This will be a fun gig that’s being filmed for the telly at the Malthouse Theatre in January.
Book now, baby!
246 – James Button (on Cancel Culture)
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.
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@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)
Direct download | iTunes | Spotify | libsyn
245 – Nyadol Nyuon (Refugee Legal Dinner 2021)
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.
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I’m recording a stand up special at Chapel Off Chapel THIS WEEK! Two shows only
Nyadol’s address at the National Press Club, “Australia Reimagined”
Cause of the Week: Please support Refugee Legal’s work (refugeelegal.org.au)
Direct download | iTunes | Spotify | libsyn
Serious Danger Episode #1 is OUT NOW WOAH
Find out more about the show at seriousdangerpod.com