“Dr Orr believes Australia ultimately faces only two viable strategic paths: complete military integration with the United States, or the pursuit of its own nuclear deterrent.” Men. Like can you just not.

Last change to apply for a 2027 Anne Kantor Fellowship at the Australia Institute. Along the lines of a grad program, this is a chance to work with some of Australia's leading thinkers, working to change minds. Applications close midnight, 1 June.

Despite the global upheaval caused by the Trump administration, the Australian government is trying to plough on with AUKUS as if Biden was still in charge. Guardian journalist Ben Doherty joins @emmashortis.bsky.social to discuss Australia's gamble on the AUKUS submarine deal. 🎧 theaus.in/43vlCKI

Love to see a historian taking the security boys to task!

"The security boys just go wild for it." @emmashortis.bsky.social on the 'Thucydides trap' & false narratives about war being inevitable. "What some blokes thought about war several millennia ago is not really relevant to our significantly changed circumstances." 🎧 theaus.in/4di7GcT

I’m sure that no-strings-attached Aukus money we gave him is being used properly tho

"The politics of grievance is owned & operated by Pauline Hanson. She channels anger into dead-end bigotry & conspiracism & sells it back as the voice of the people. She shouldn’t be allowed to pretend her idea of the country is somehow 'authentic'." thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

I once went to see Henry Kissinger speak at Yale. All of the senior people there were so genuinely, visibly shocked when there was a student protest calling him a war criminal. Seemed like the possibility hadn’t even occurred to them.

In which I am *very* rude about national security boys who think they understand the “lessons” handed to us by some long-dead Ancient Greek dudes

“Can you be more specific in your racism?” Ha HA! Gotcha

The latest Dollars & Sense is up - taking about the budget, wages and other stuff australiainstitute.org.au/post/budget-...

Amazingly, there were zero questions that were actually comments after Emma Shortis and @mattbevan.bsky.social spoke entertainingly about “If You’re Listening: Declassified” tonight at Cinema Nova.

"A majority think that Trump is a greater threat to world peace than the leaders of the two most powerful authoritarian states." - @emmashortis.bsky.social 52% of Australians now believe Trump is a greater threat to world peace than Vladimir Putin (17%) or Xi Jinping (16%). 🎧 theaus.in/4d6h2IA

Wrote a new article about how depressing and broken journalism is and how the devil wears prada sequel reminded me of this, for my pals at @australia.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I present to you the leader of our primary security ally.

🚨🎙️ BUDGET POD 🎙️🚨 @mattgrudnoff.bsky.social & @ebonybennett.bsky.social examine the government’s important housing reforms, its “brutal” cuts to the NDIS & why some “broken promises” may not be such a big deal in the eyes of Australians. #auspol #budget2026 🎧 theaus.in/4tvG2hm

Wrote about this in a bit more detail over @thepointau.bsky.social live blog, where @amyremeikis.bsky.social is bringing you all the analysis that matters. live.thepoint.com.au?post=aae2e46...

My annual graphy column on the budget www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

It’s funny how no one will say all this “global uncertainly” the budget has to address is caused by…Australia’s most important security ally

The 100th episode of After America went up today! Really proud of this little community we’re building. And really proud to make it with @angusrb.bsky.social. theaus.in/4d6h2IA

"Even if Trump goes away tomorrow...there's no going back to a previous version of America." @emmashortis.bsky.social on the radical changes underway in the US & what they mean for Australia on the 100th episode of After America. "The America we thought we knew is gone." 🎧 theaus.in/4d6h2IA

A majority of Australians now think Trump is a bigger threat to world peace than either Putin or Xi. On the 100th episode of After America, @emmashortis.bsky.social & @angusrb.bsky.social discuss new polling on Australians’ views of Trump & the deadlock between the US & Iran. 🎧 theaus.in/4d6h2IA

100 episodes of After America. It's been quite a journey. @emmashortis.bsky.social australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-uni...

A new poll conducted for The Australia Institute reveals that more than half of Australian voters believe Donald Trump is a greater threat to global security than Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping. Read more on our website ⬇️ https://theaus.in/4uy01N8

You can read here about Hashim and the other people, mostly children, who would still be alive if the Trump administration had not so callously upended the means of their survival. We know their names thanks to the essential work of journalists timhirschelburns.substack.com/p/the-people...

"The Labor government continues to behave as if Trump can be waited out, as if the world can weather this storm and return to normal. The government debases itself on our behalf." @emmashortis.bsky.social #AUKUS #auspol www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/u...

@emmashortis.bsky.social with the best escoriation yet of the the US-Aust alliance. 👏 @gekko.bsky.social Australians ready to break up with Trump’s US www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/u...

Dr @emmashortis.bsky.social serves a dish of reality: "Most of us view the leader of our most important security ally & the world’s most important democracy as a greater threat to world peace than the leaders of the world’s two most powerful authoritarian states." thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

Not me doing a radio interview on the street outside school with my numbers cheat sheet written on an old boarding pass. I’m a treat! Recording the 100th episode of After America today, hopefully not on the street. Talking about these numbers and more. Send us your questions!!

New Australia Institute polling shows 59% of Australian voters believe Trump is a greater threat to global security than Putin or Xi. A year ago, it was just 31%. "Most Australians are ready to break up with Donald Trump's version of America." @emmashortis.bsky.social #auspol

“This poll represents a seismic shift in the way Australians think about the United States,” said Dr Emma Shortis, Director of The Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Program. “We need to break up with Trump.” Read more: https://theaus.in/4f6KFea

Polling on an absolute tear today. Only only 46% of Republican men say they could beat Trump in a fight. Lollllllllllllllllllllllllllll

It’s a wonky term, but “polycrisis” helps us remember that climate change, economic injustice, and far right reactionary politics are not separate, nor are they really analogies or metaphors for one another.

Oh hey the @australiainstitute.org.au also has some polling research out today, also bad for Donald Trump! More than half of Australians now believe that President Donald Trump is a greater threat to global security than Russian President Vladimir Putin (17%) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (16%).

"Higher interest rates will do nothing to open the Strait of Hormuz. Higher interest rates cannot change the world price of oil and bring down fuel prices,” said Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist at The Australia Institute. Read the full media release: https://theaus.in/4n6xcoB

The US Supreme Court has gutted the Voting Rights Act, a decision that's already having serious implications for American democracy. Allan Behm & @emmashortis.bsky.social discuss the war on Iran, US troop withdrawals from Germany & the Supreme Court’s voting rights ruling. 🎧 theaus.in/3QMtAw5

"Rich Kid, Poor Kid reinforces the urgency and devastation of the school funding problem in Australia. @janecaro.bsky.social delivers the story in a way that should propel readers into action" says Elisa Di Gregorio in The Conversation theconversation.com/australias-f...

30 years after the Port Arthur massacre, some of the sweeping changes to Australia's gun laws announced by John Howard still haven't been implemented. Australia’s gun control laws have been effective, but they are neither perfect nor complete. @alicektg.bsky.social #auspol

"To have the President of the United States quite literally threaten to commit genocide is shocking, and does destroy any credibility that the United States has as a good faith actor." 📺 @emmashortis.bsky.social #auspol

"It's happened astonishingly quickly. "So quickly that I think Americans themselves are in shock about it & don't know how to think about it." @jamespwest.bsky.social & @emmashortis.bsky.social on the Trump administration's decision to launch its war on Iran. @motherjones.com 🎧 theaus.in/4cQFXhZ

Violence is a shocking feature of American democracy. @emmashortis.bsky.social reflects on another appalling yet unsurprising act of violence, then @jamespwest.bsky.social joins us to discuss if fractures are emerging in the MAGAverse ahead of the midterms. @motherjones.com 🎧 theaus.in/4cQFXhZ

Listening to ABC coverage describe this as an “extraordinary event”. It’s not. Political violence is a regular occurrence in America. It’s baked in.

Comparing his war to Vietnam sure is a choice

Australia is one of the largest gas exporters in the world, but Australians don't get a fair return for this finite resource. @davidpocock.bsky.social joins @richarddenniss.bsky.social & @leanneminshull.bsky.social to discuss the case for a 25% gas export tax. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4mOkQ4v

Remind me, how much is being spent on AUKUS and defence to meet the demands of a foreign leader again?

Not a big deal — it’s not like the U.S. Navy has any large-scale operations going on right now or anything.

New episode out today. Also very unrelated. australiainstitute.org.au/post/trump-i...

I have been loaning out my copy of this fervently, glad that I can now trust people to get their own copies to annotate ✒️

I’ve been a bit slack on socials over the last few weeks (and, you know, always) partly because I’ve apparently become a podcast bro. Little thread of some recent ones here!

I swear every episode of After America I can hear a bit more of @emmashortis.bsky.social soul leave her body 🥲 It’s very relatable