Why Subscribe?

I am a Melbourne (and occasionally Sweden) based writer and analyst.

In my day job I work for an an organisation called Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue that seeks to build greater consensus and collaboration between the main arms of Australia’s foreign policy. I am also a columnist for the Asia-Pacific affairs publication, The Diplomat. Previously I wrote the weekly newsletter for Australian Foreign Affairs magazine, and have been an academic researcher at the University of Melbourne.

There is currently no set format to this Substack. I realise that most successful Substacks are focused on specific issues, but that not something I can be held to. So instead this newsletter is for the “everything is interesting” crowd.

Although I work in foreign policy, have written a lot about domestic violence and the family court, and am a public transport enthusiast, I most gravitate towards political and philosophical issues here.

As a starters I recommend:

Our “So-Called” Problem – on what the incessant use of “so-called” represents.

America’s Liberal Dilemma – on the tension between liberalism and the way Americans use the word “liberal”.

From Davos to DARVO – on the new global archetype that has emerged in our current era.

I also write wide-screen music reviews in a special section of this Substack. For that I recommend my essay on Luke Haines’s Baader Meinhof album. Which may be my favourite piece of writing.

At present all posts are free to read. However, paid subscriptions are obviously welcome and will allow me to dedicate more time to writing here. The lowest monthly sum Substack will allow is US $5 a month. But I can set a yearly rate lower. So I’ve set this to US $40. Prices should appear in your local currency.

I hope I can provide enough interesting analysis to be worthy of your generous subscriptions.