Category Archives: Ethics

The Evaluator General

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

I recently sent a couple of emails explaining the Evaluator General and also did an extended interview explaining the ideas in the context of Matt Jones’ Public Policy class at Melbourne Uni. The first email below is the one I … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Ethics, Isegoria | 10 Comments

Keeping a cool head – thinking about the covid-19 crisis: a guest post from Toby Phillips

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

This post is a direct response and rebuttal to the recent ‘Has the coronavirus panic cost us at least 10 million lives already?’ by Paul Fritjers. Paul’s post takes the current covid-19 crisis, and uses some haphazard multiplication to create … Continue reading →

Posted in Best From Elsewhere, Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Employment, Ethics, Politics - international, Politics - national | 5 Comments

The Weinstein case: is #Metoo delivering justice?

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Paul Frijters

They got him! It cost millions of dollars in legal fees, and involved multiple trials, settlements, and dismissal of the worst charges, but they convicted Harvey Weinstein. A bit like a buck who is taken down by a pack of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Ethics, Gender, History, Politics - international, Politics - national, Social Policy, Society | 5 Comments

Honours: 2020

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

I wrote a piece on Australia’s Honours system for Australia Day last year and decided this year to make it an annual event. So here’s this year’s column, which in the ‘original’ had a couple of hundred words edited out of it … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Democracy, Ethics | 2 Comments

George RR Martin just reminded us of the horrors of war and our role in them.

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Paul Frijters

Episode 5 of the final season of Game of Thrones showed us a vengeful fallen angle, Daenerys Targaryen, after whom thousands of children in the real world have been named. Even though her enemies had been defeated and surrendered, she … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Democracy, Ethics, Films and TV, Geeky Musings, History, Law, Life, Literature, Media, Print media, Religion, Social Policy, Society, Theatre | 25 Comments

Six tough institutional challenges this century

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Paul Frijters

In 1900, the modern nation states of Europe faced many challenges in terms of how they were run, with poverty and disease still prevalent. The largest problems were more or less successfully addressed by 2000. The road involved world wars … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Education, Environment, Ethics, History, Libertarian Musings, Politics - international, Politics - national, Religion, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society | 38 Comments

The Guru recipe

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Paul Frijters

[I just read a self-help book and, like Don Quixote, need to vent…] My 10 rules for becoming a successful guru: Appear popular at the start: humans are just like dogs that follow other dogs. So have a legion of … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Cultural Critique, Ethics, Geeky Musings, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Life, Social, Society, Space, Theatre | 18 Comments