Recent publications in IPA Review article
Not every journo can be Hunter S. Thompson
A long time ago on a newspaper far, far away, the [insert own adjective here, e.g. crusty, then-famous] editor marched up to his sub-editors table with something on his mind. The subject of his agitation was unclear but his message was not....
Your child is a wuss
When Belgian Gardens, a Townsville state primary school, banned cartwheels and handstands in August, it ignited a media frenzy. But as bizarre as it is, the handstand ban is only one incidence of a widespread trend affecting all Australian...
The Dark Mind of the Copywriter
Chris Berg reviews Novels in Three Lines by Felix Fénéon (NYRB Classics, 2007,176 pages) Ernest Hemingway once said that his best story was his shortest story, deliberately limited to just six words - ‘For sale: baby...
Did global warming send Lehman Brothers broke
NOVEMBER 2008: There's much debate about the causes of the global economic crisis. According to the popular media some of the chief suspects include ‘greed', ‘obscene executive salaries', and ‘predatory lenders'. But maybe the...
Editorial, November 2008
One could be forgiven for believing that the era of small government is over, if only we could remember when it had started. Isn't it great when events confirm your political prejudices? If Kevin Rudd's widely reported speech in early October is...
Cops, not liquor regulations, reduce street violence
On one of its websites, the Queensland Government is remarkably honest about its attitude towards law-abiding businesses-‘the ability to trade is a privilege, not a right.' According to politicians and the press, late at night, Australian...
Liberal and Labor governments can't seem to restrain their spending
The new government has been laying out excellent criteria for public policy, writes Mitch Fifield. But its own policies are failing these stringent tests. On a Brisbane stage in mid-November last year, Kevin Rudd positioned the final nail above...
Shooting down the enemies of progress
Tony Gilland reviews An Appeal to Reason: A Cool Look at Global Warming by Nigel Lawson (Overlook, 2008, 144 pages) & The Enemies of Progress: The Dangers of Sustainabilityby Austin Williams (Imprint, 2008, 156 pages) An Appeal to Reason:...
It's been a long time since the Corn Laws
Tim Wilson reviews Trade Policy, New Century: The WTO, FTAs and Asia Rising by Razeen Sally (Institute of Economic Affairs,2008, 226 pages) Despite their common goal, there is enormous debate amongst free trade advocates about the best means to...
Building the social convenant around social diversity
Rick Brown reviews The Home We Build Together: Recreating Society by Jonathan Sacks (Continuum, 2007, 272 pages) At ‘the end of history there are no serious ideological competitors left to liberal democracy.' So said Francis Fukuyama in...