On my ambivalence toward Israel

Public discussion about the history and politics of Israel often demands moral clarity expressed in simple declarations. One is expected either to โ€œstand with Israelโ€ or to oppose it. One affirms as historical fact the notion that โ€œa people with no land came to a land with no people,โ€ or chants โ€œFrom the river to …

Social cohesion as the new zeitgeist

One could be forgiven for thinking that โ€œsocial cohesionโ€ is the new state-sponsored zeitgeist in Australia. But all is not necessarily well when the political class green-lights a catch-all phrase that ticked the right focus group boxes. The term Zeitgeist refers to the defining spirit, mood, or dominant cultural and intellectual attitudes of a particular period …