Inauguration Day for the new President in 2025 will mark the 90^th anniversary of the publication of Sinclair Lewis’ It Can’t Happen Here.

This year’s election campaign also coincides with the publication of James Shapiro’s book, The Playbook, which describes the Roosevelt progressive New Deal Federal Works Progress Administration, in particular the Federal Theatre Project; and, the formation of the House Un-American Activities Committee which focussed on the alleged threat of Communism while downplaying the threat of Nazi Germany. The Committee went on until 1975 and is best known today for the 1950s McCarthy era hearings. read more

As part of Seniors Week the City of Port Phillip called for Seniors in the city to submit poetry, fiction and non-fiction entries to a writing competition. It prompted the blog to think about how our family ended up in Port Melbourne – now more than 50 years ago – and what our experiences here were. This is what the blog entered. It didn’t win! read more

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there were purposeful, progressive and committed Labor Governments.

The recent biography of Race Mathews, A Life in Politics, by his wife Iola Mathews, describes a career long commitment to trying to ensure Labor would recapture that moment.

Race Mathews was a municipal councillor, educator, community activist, John Menadue’s successor in 1967 as Gough Whitlam’s Principal Private Secretary, backbench Federal MP, Victorian Opposition Leader’s Chief of Staff, holder of a number of Victorian Cabinet posts and an indefatigable campaigner for reform of Labour’s faction-ridden structure. read more

US trust in science

 The PNAS published a piece earlier this year about whether US public confidence in science is changing.

The authors said that “to clarify recent trends in the public’s confidence and factors that are associated with these feelings, an effort initiated by the National Academies’ Strategic Council for Research Excellence, Integrity, and Trust (the Strategic Council) analyzed findings from multiple survey research organizations. The Strategic Council’s effort, which began in 2022, found that U.S. public confidence in science, the scientific community, and leaders of scientific communities is high relative to other civic, cultural, and governmental institutions for which researchers regularly collect such data.” read more

The blog is taking a break but in the meantime a few odds and sods which might be of interest to readers.

The Hazzard- Harrower- letters

In recent years the work of the Australian expatriate, Shirley Hazzard, has enjoyed renewed interest. Her novel, People in Glass Houses, about the United Nations and a lightly fictionalised report on her time there, and other books have been republished and found new readers. read more

According to the latest Roy Morgan Research quarterly Trust and Distrust report Peter Dutton’s nuclear plans are not shaping up as a big winner and, worse, are adding to his problems with women.

The latest research asked which form of energy do you most trust to ensure a reliable source of energy. Of the total sample 47% nominated renewables, 31% nuclear and 20% fossil fuels. When this is broken down by gender 56% of females support renewables compared with 38% of males. read more

Guess what? A study of about 1,500 climate policies in 35 countries found that the single most effective policy in reducing carbon emissions was a carbon tax.

Exactly the Rudd policy that Tony Abbott axed two decades ago.

The study, by a battery of scientists from around the world, was published in Science in August this year. They undertook a global, systematic ex-post evaluation to identify policy combinations implemented between 1998 and 2022 across 41 countries from six continents. The approach integrated a comprehensive climate policy data base with a machine learning based approach. The data base included the top three greenhouse gas emitters globally – China, the United States and India. read more

It is a rare event when the US Army publicly accuses a former Commander-in-Chief and his staff of being liars.

They didn’t use the word, but the Army’s statement about the Trump visit to Arlington Cemetery made it clear that every statement from Trump and his staff about the visit was a lie.

At a time when he’s in trouble on a number of other fronts – not least illegal use of artists’ music in his rallies and massively unpaid bills for use of rally venues and other suppliers – you have to wonder about his sanity. Or rather just accept that he is demented and get on with it. read more

The Trump campaign – as was to be expected – denied that they had broken the law with their Arlington Cemetery visit (see yesterday’s blog).

Now the Army has confirmed that the Trump actions were in contravention of the law.  Sadly, they have declined to prosecute.

But for Australians it brings back memories of the 2001 Howard children overboard lie. If you don’t remember it, then Prime Minister John Howard, alleged seafaring refugees were throwing children overboard in a bid to get into Australia. read more

Arlington National Cemetery is a sacred place to the US military and all Americans. JFK, among others, is buried there and there is a certain symbolism to the cemetery being sited on land which was once Robert E. Lee’s.

To the draft-dodging Donald Trump it is just another site for a photo op.

It is now also the site of yet another Trump insult to US veterans, those in military service and the dead from war. read more