Benjamin T. Jones
@drbenjaminjones.bsky.social
Associate Professor in History at Central Queensland University. Australia on the World Stage (Routledge, 2022).
I literally created a truth social account just to see if this post is real. It is. Shouldn't be surprised yet somehow am always surprised. This is surely a unique administration if only for the utter absence of shame.
PatriotTakes 🇺🇸@patriottakes.bsky.social · 3d agoTrump never goes to a public venue to demonstrate his “golf skills”
We've gotta make the Monorail Simpsons episode required viewing for every city councilor in the country. Every single thing he says here is a lie. A Potemkin Village Imaginarium.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 6d agoHassett: "Data centers are very good for towns bc they create so many jobs & bring people in with high incomes that can buy houses & stuff like that. So if you take a sleepy town that hasn't seen much in the last 30 years & put a data center there, there are gonna be a bunch of happy residents."
Australians in end-of-life agony can’t always see a doctor. Telehealth can help them die with dignity | Andrew Denton
Australians in end-of-life agony can’t always see a doctor. Telehealth can help them die with dignity | Andrew Denton
A collision of state v federal law on voluntary assisted dying has had tragic consequences. And a Labor conscience vote that never reaches parliament is no conscience vote at all At last week’s ALP national conference, delegates changed Labor’s platform to support removing federal barriers to voluntary assisted dying care, including telehealth. They also guaranteed Labor parliamentarians a conscience vote on VAD. On Sunday, Anthony Albanese said he remained personally unconvinced about telehealth. That cabinet would decide whether the issue reached the floor of the parliament or not. He fears telehealth could be misused or undermine confidence in the system. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
A standard student contribution for all degrees makes a lot of sense. In the Humanities, it is absolutely impossible to predict future earnings as there are countless career paths. Not to mention, how do you charge an Arts/Law double degree? Great article by @markwarburton.bsky.social
Even the government agrees Job-ready Graduates has failed. Here’s what should replace it
An arts degree under the Job-ready Graduates scheme will now cost more than $54,000.
theconversation.com
Great article from @jonpiccini.bsky.social theconversation.com/white-austra...
‘White Australia’ has always been a myth. Hanson lamenting its end is wrong – and dangerous
Australians have every reason to be angry at our political elites. But Hanson’s nostalgic and false history does not hold the answer.
theconversation.com
My latest in the Conversation. What is the history and future of the Commonwealth? theconversation.com/as-the-games...
As the games begin, what does the Commonwealth mean and what purpose does it serve?
The British Empire has long since folded. But the Commonwealth of Nations remains a global collective of like-minded countries.
theconversation.com
It was great to get a few quotes in this article along with the one and only @drdemography.com www.sbs.com.au/news/article...
A dark chapter of Australia's past is resurfacing in immigration politics
Australia ended the White Australia policy decades ago. A new immigration debate has revived concern about its ideas.
sbs.com.au
Me on Hansonism and post truth politics. theconversation.com/fact-checkin...
Fact-checking is good journalistic practice. But it will do nothing to stop the rise of Pauline Hanson
Post-truth politics means emotions trump facts. The major parties would be wise to remember this when trying to combat the rise of One Nation.
theconversation.com
Maccas executive to FIFA: "we'd like to pay for blanket advertising as usual, I only wish there was a way to literally pause the matches to buy more ad space." FIFA: "I don't know about you but suddenly I have a perishing thirst, perhaps a drinks break?"
New article day! With all the focus on One Nation, there has been scant scholarly interest in Katter's Australian Party. While often seen as Bob's one man show, the article highlights the different power-seeking strategies inside Katter's Australian Party. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
‘The throats of enemies’: the divergent power seeking strategies of the federal and state Katter’s Australian Party
Although Katter’s Australia Party (KAP) is largely associated with its eponymous founder, Bob Katter, the federal and Queensland state wings have pursued different legislative agendas and different...
tandfonline.com
What a spectacle. It's hard not to make the comparison to Idiocracy. Perhaps the presidential demolition derby is next.
It's tax time. I just donated to the Australian Historical Association to fund scholarships, prizes, and other opportunities for emerging historians. It's a tough environment for students and early career researchers. Please support the next generation of historians if you can. theaha.org.au/donate/
Donate to the AHA Public Fund - The Australian Historical Association
The Australian Historical Association is seeking donations to expand its programs promoting the creation, publication, dissemination and discussion of historical literature in Australia. These gifts w...
theaha.org.au
We live in a world where people play REM's The One I Love at weddings, even though the *second* line of the song is literally "This one goes out to the one I left behind".
Brendel@brendelbored.bsky.social · 2mo agoSaw a clip of that guy from Staind saying that Bruce Springsteen duped us with Born in the USA because it’s actually not patriotic but I don’t think it’s really duping people to ask them to listen to more than four words of a song
In minor pedantry news, I've noticed the mainstream media including ABC keep referring to Labor's "94 seat majority". There are 150 House of Rep seats so 76 seats is a 1 seat majority. Labor have 94 seats overall so an 18 seat majority.
ACADEMIA: Your job will only involve between 12 and 15 contact hours on campus per week. Summers "off," too! ME: Great! ACADEMIA: All we ask in return is a lifelong uncertainty about how hard you should be working the rest of the time. ME: ...
If I were an action hero, this is what I’d say to the bad guy before the kill shot.
"It used to be said that facts speak for themselves. This is, of course, untrue. The facts, speak only when the historian calls on them: it is he who decides to which facts to give the door, and in what order or context." E.H. Carr I think about this statement *ALL THE TIME*
One of my academic microaggressions is that I will always cite the city, not the suburb, a book is published in. Thank you for your attention.
Ever wanted an easy way to save newspaper articles in Trove as high-resolution images? I've created a userscript that makes it easy to download cropped and masked articles, as well as full page images. https://github.com/wragge/trove-newspaper-images-userscript
I love graduations, and it was a particular honour to be mace bearer at the recent @CQU one in Townsville where over 150 students crossed the stage including two PhDs. Congratulations to our wonderful graduates 🎓 🎊🥳
The Liberals cannot be both a serious alternative government and populist headline-grabbers. They cannot compete with Labor on serious policy issues and be absorbed with culture wars. aristotlesaustralia.substack.com/p/sa-electio...
SA election reveals a conservative identity crisis
The Liberals worked so hard to avoid being Labor lite they morphed into One Nation lite
aristotlesaustralia.substack.com
New advance access book review published by @jich.bsky.social @drbenjaminjones.bsky.social reviews Henry Reynolds' "Looking from the North: Australian History from the Top Down" @newsouthpublishing.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Looking from the North: Australian History from the Top Down
Published in The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History (Ahead of Print, 2026)
tandfonline.com
It was great to chat with Chris Spyrou on The Briefing podcast about Australia Day and what patriotism really means. I always appreciate longer discussions especially on topics that so often get reduced to meaningless soundbites. Chat starts at 12:12. play.listnr.com/podcast/the-...
Albo pleads for unity + How patriotism became ‘cringey’
Monday Headlines: Australian of the Year named, dingoes involved in Canadian backpacker's death euthanised. calls for a full investigation after second fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, heatwave to h...
play.listnr.com
If anyone here has ever used my research (book, chapters, articles) in their teaching could you send me the details of where and how so I can document 'research impact' better for my institution. Could be on neoliberalism, unions, heat and climate change, anything. Many thanks!
Some thoughts from me on fascism and Australian history. Including multiple perspectives in the national story is not woke, it is what democracy looks like. aristotlesaustralia.substack.com/p/fascism-an...
Fascism and Australian History
We shouldn't be afraid to use the F word
aristotlesaustralia.substack.com
I don't follow Elon on X but on the odd occasion I still log in, I always see the latest thing he has posted. To be honest, I find it sad as much as anything.
What happens to Indigenous history in a post truth world? open.substack.com/pub/aristotl...
Dispossession: Would White Australia Just Get Over it?
The message from the failed Voice referendum to First Nations was 'just get over it'. Would White Australia do the same?
open.substack.com
This was a pleasure to edit. The papers come from the wonderful histories of northern and regional Australia stream at the AHA conference this year. Thanks to all the talented contributors.
AHA (Australia)@austhistassoc.bsky.social · 9mo agoAHA members Lyndon McGarrity and Ben Jones have co-edited a special issue of Australian Studies Journal, on "Histories of Northern and Regional Australia". Access the special issue at the link to read the latest work from a bunch of AHA members! australienstudien.org/australian-s...
