Timothy Gassin

Whenever conservative parties win, they typically try to see just how far to the right they can go before everyone turns on them. Whenever center-left parties win, they end up backing away from progressive policies and "moderating" in hopes of trying to appeal to people who didn't vote for them.

All it does is give the more right-wing parties an excuse to get *even more extreme.* You end up turning off your own voters while ushering in fascism.

Labour is what happens when the nominally "center-left" party stands for absolutely nothing and just shifts more and more to the right in a foolish attempt to woo voters to their right: a massively unpopular party that's going to get absolutely crushed... and right-wing policies.

Liberal senator breaks with party to urge ‘mercy for the children’ of IS-linked Australian women in Syria Backbencher Andrew McLachlan describes the 23 children as ‘innocents’ victimised by their parents’ ‘tragic attraction to a horrible ideology’

And the latest sighting of a spine in an unexpected place...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

We are all going to die at the hands of some of the dumbest people alive

Well of course they were going to go after VPNs too: the whole point is to end your privacy online, not to take action that would actually protect people and democracy.

Claiming asylum is a right; getting a UK student visa is also both expensive and quite hard in the first place. This is punishing folks from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan for daring to dream of studying here, and daring to wish to be safe. This is, once again, so needlessly cruel.

Adelaide University cancels literary festival event with UN Gaza investigator Francesca Albanese Festival organisers criticise the university for last-minute booking cancellation of event headlined by special rapporteur for Palestinian territories

Fucking. Ridiculous.

UK puts emergency brake on study visas for four countries’ nationals Shabana Mahmood says UK’s generosity abused as study visas halted for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan

After spending much of the last couple of years chasing Reform voters and trashing public support for themselves in the process, Labour has decided to...chase Reform voters!

TVNZ board chair rang senior minister to discuss negative coverage Justice minister won't reveal exactly what the public broadcaster's board chair said, while police minister doubles down on concerns about bias.

Right-wing commentators were *obsessed* with what they fancied was the former Labour govt's control of the media. Yet now we have what looks like direct political interference with reporting that ministers didn't like. Far out. newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/04/t...

America first. Today’s Age cartoon

Not to mention that he seems to be calling on the Iranian people to overthrow the regime while simultaneously calling for negotiations (presumably with that regime). 🤔

He really seems to be trying to have it both ways.

This Carney statement is puzzling. If, as he says, we must accept "the world as it is" – including the purported failure of previous diplomatic efforts and of the international order – then why call for a diplomatic solution, de-escalation, and respect for international law?

Australia and Canada have been doing a lot of relation-building over the last few years on a vast array of rando stuff, both government and industry. I wonder if parts of that will be packaged up as some agreement announcement while Carney is here.

On the Olympic front, Ukraine is experiencing part of what Taiwan has been experiencing for decades. The impossibility to be yourself, as being yourself is deemed "political".

Good lord. What an abject failure the Blue Labour strategy has been.

LLMs as contrast dye for where resources are missing.

western politicians really be hitting fast forward to another forever war and I can’t help but question… how many of them are counting on the war time economy to boost their wealth & popularity

As a progressive Christian pastor who grew up in and escaped from the death cult that is modern American evangelicalism: this is the perfect post. 10/10, no notes

Prof. Robert Pape:

"I have studied every air campaign since WWI... I've modelled the bombing of Fordow and regime change in Iran for 20 years... We are now in the grip of the escalation trap... This has never worked in over 100 years... Trump is up against the weight of history".

WeSteRN CiViLizAtiOn

Canada's federal dysfunction in some areas is truly something to behold!

I think the difficulty of Canada's internal federal relations may also be an element in why it does not have reciprocal health care agreements with Aus, NZ, and the UK (which all have agreements with each other).

There are also some things about mutual recognition of qualifications in the UK's FTAs with Aus and NZ.

Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement - Wikipedia

This is in addition to arrangements that allow free movement of citizens across the Tasman.

The greatest difficulty is likely within Canada, rather than in getting the UK, Australia, and NZ on board.

Australia and NZ already have mutual recognition in almost all fields.

I also find interesting the inability of some leftist groups to distinguish people (who are messy, full of factions, and sometimes have inchoate views rather than being a romanticized unitary and monolithic The People) vs nation-states and primarily articulate responses

In today’s NZ Herald

YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL: Thom Tillis Tells Kristi Noem To Her Face Why He Is Calling For Her Resignation

Here's Thom Tillis' whole 10-minute rant against Kristi Noem at a hearing today. A classic.

I hate the conversation about “productivity” because no one ever explains what it actually means or what they are talking about.

This is a fantastic explainer.