Uncommon Sense

Graham Readfearn, the Guardian Australia’s Environment Reporter gives us the latest on local and global environmental news, including a coral bleaching event taking place right now on the Great Barrier Reef. He also tells us about Antarctica’s sea ice reaching alarmingly low levels, a mystery paralysis syndrome afflicting lorikeet populations, and his podcast series, Weight of the World – the climate scientists who saw the crisis coming.

For International Women's Day, award-winning author and science journalist Angela Saini joins Amy from New York to talk about her latest book, The Patriarchs: How Men Came To Rule. Angela delves into the origins of "the patriarchy" and gendered oppression and finds that patriarchal societies are a far more recent historical development than we might imagine. She also talks about our fascination with matriarchy and women-led matrilineal societies and reveals that many different types of matrilineal societies exist across the world today. Angela explains how patriarchy is not inevitable and what feminists and people seeking a gender equal world can do to turn the tide. The Patriarchs was shortlisted for the 2023 Orwell Prize. It's published by Harper Collins Australia. This is the extended full version of the interview with Angela Saini. Angela's previous books are, Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong, and Superior: The Return of Race Science.

Renowned Australian-born film critic Adrian Martin joins Amy to discuss the brilliance of Jean-Luc Godard’s cinematic masterpiece, LE MÉPRIS (Contempt, 1963), starring Brigitte Bardot, Michel Piccoli, Jack Palance, Giorgia Moll, and Fritz Lang. Filmed in Capri, Italy, LE MÉPRIS depicts the breakdown of a marriage, but it is also about much more than that as you'll hear. It has been newly restored in 4k and is having its Australian premiere at Europa Europa Film Festival in Melbourne on the 6th and 11th March 2024 (Hawthorn and Elsternwick). The screenings are co-presented by Melbourne Cinémathèque.

This is the extended full version of the interview with Adrian Martin. In the original interview that aired, we heard some of the iconic music by Georges Delerue who composed the epic and sweeping soundtrack to LE MÉPRIS, including Générique and Camille.

To view Godard's films from home, they can be found at your local library, university library, Picture Search Video & Vinyl in Richmond, on Kanopy (often via your library's subscription, here is LE MÉPRIS), and Apple Movies and Google Movies. Godard's films are distributed in Australia by Madman Entertainment and Umbrella Entertainment.

For International Women's Day, award-winning author and science journalist Angela Saini joins Amy from New York to talk about her latest book, The Patriarchs: How Men Came To Rule. Angela delves into the origins of "the patriarchy" and gendered oppression and finds that patriarchal societies are a far more recent historical development than we might imagine. She also talks about our fascination with matriarchy and women-led matrilineal societies and reveals that many different types of matrilineal societies exist across the world today. Angela explains how patriarchy is not inevitable and what feminists and people seeking a gender equal world can do to turn the tide. The Patriarchs was shortlisted for the 2023 Orwell Prize. It's published by Harper Collins Australia.

Angela's previous books are, Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong, and Superior: The Return of Race Science.

This is the extended full version of the interview with Angela Saini.

Dr Richard Denniss, Executive Director of The Australia Institute talks about his new essay in The Monthly on tax reform – Richard says tax reform is about democracy, not economics, and reforms should not be centred on what we want, but on who we want to be. He also talks about the intertwined issues of rising company profits, interest rates, the supermarket duopoly, and price gouging. Award-winning photojournalist Andrew Quilty joins Amy for an in-depth conversation about his latest book, This Is Afghanistan: 2014–2021 (Miegunyah Press: Melbourne University Publishing). The stunning book is a visual record of the nine years Andrew spent living and working in the complex, beautiful, and war-torn country. You can view some of Andrew's work on his website, including some of the images we discuss in this interview. Dr Emma Shortis, historian and Senior Researcher in the International & Security Affairs Program at The Australia Institute talks all things US politics, including President Biden’s recent foreign policy and diplomatic approach to Israel’s place in the Middle East, as well as the intersection of Russian and far-right US politics, the death of Navalny, and the war in Ukraine.

Additional links as discussed in the last interview:

Mehdi Hasan, Biden can end the bombing of Gaza right now. Here’s how (Guardian)

White House, Remarks by President Biden, 8 February 2024

Jon Stewart, The Daily Show, On Tucker Carlson’s Putin Interview & Trip to Russia

Award-winning photojournalist Andrew Quilty joins host Amy Mullins for an in-depth conversation about his latest book, This Is Afghanistan: 2014–2021. The stunning book is a visual record of the nine years Andrew spent living and working in the complex, beautiful, and war-torn country. Andrew talks about his experiences photographing the War in Afghanistan, capturing life, destruction, conflict and the natural landscape. You can view some of Andrew's work on his website, including some of the images we discuss in this interview. Andrew's book, This Is Afghanistan, is published by Miegunyah Press: Melbourne University Publishing.

Andrew Quilty is the recipient of nine Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley, for his work on Afghanistan, where he was based from 2013 to 2022. He has also received the George Polk Award, the World Press Photo Award and the Overseas Press Club of America award for his investigation into massacres committed by a CIA-backed Afghan militia. August in Kabul (MUP: 2022), was his first book.

Amy speaks with Ray Stefani, Co-President of the Fish Creek Football Netball Club. They chat about the small and very special farming town of Fish Creek in South Gippsland and the footy club’s long and successful history. The Fish Creek Football Netball Club is the most successful country footy club in the state, with its Seniors team winning 37 premierships since its inception in 1903 (well 38, really...). They also talk about the devastating fire that destroyed their clubhouse and almost everything in it on 4th November 2023 and their efforts to rebuild. Their Rising From The Ashes Gala Dinner is on Saturday 2nd March, 6pm-11pm at Leongatha Hall, with AFL and netball stars Brendan Fevola, Neil Balme, Leigh Montagna, David Parkin, Belinda Snell, and Kate Eddy in attendance. Donate to Fish Creek's GoFundMe here.

Please note the first interview of this episode contains topics that may distress some listeners, including allegations of child sexual abuse and harm to children. Please see helpline information below.

Host Amy Mullins speaks with Nick Feik, freelance journalist and former editor of The Monthly, about his essay in The Monthly which details his own investigations and the findings of a Tasmanian commission of inquiry that uncovered decades of abuse towards young people in the state's care, including at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre and Launceston General Hospital. Nick also talks about the damning Richardson Report into the Home Affairs Department and the media's current lack of scrutiny towards the then responsible minister, Peter Dutton MP.

Then, Amy speaks with Tom Harley, great grandson of former Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, and Emeritus Professor of Politics Judith Brett. They talk about the Save Ballara campaign, which is under threat of auction and development. Tom is seeking to protect the 1.68 hectare bush garden and historic home of Australia’s second Prime Minister Alfred Deakin. Ballara is a unique early 20th century bungalow home, inspired by Californian and Colonial Indian architectural styles. It was designed by Pattie Deakin and is situated in old Point Lonsdale on the Bellarine Peninsula. Tom and Judith talk about the significance of Ballara to Deakin's personal and political life, as well as to his wife Pattie Deakin, and why Tom wants to make Ballara and its historical contents an asset for the Australian public to engage with.

Finally, Amy speaks with Ray Stefani, Co-President of the Fish Creek Football Netball Club. They chat about the small town of Fish Creek in South Gippsland and the footy club’s long and successful history. The Fish Creek Football Netball Club is the most successful country footy club in the state, with its Seniors team winning 37 premierships since its inception in 1903 (well 38, really...). They also talk about the devastating fire that destroyed their clubhouse and almost everything in it on 4th November 2023 and their efforts to rebuild. Their Rising From The Ashes Gala Dinner is on Saturday 2nd March, 6pm-11pm at Leongatha Hall, with AFL and netball stars Brendan Fevola, Neil Balme, Leigh Montagna, David Parkin, Belinda Snell, and Kate Eddy in attendance. Donate to Fish Creek's GoFundMe here.

HELPLINES:

If you or anyone you know needs mental health support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For support related to child sexual abuse, you can call Bravehearts on 1800 272 831.

Children and young people up to 25 can seek help via the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

Amy speaks with Tom Harley, great grandson of former Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, and Emeritus Professor of Politics Judith Brett. They talk about the Save Ballara campaign, which is under threat of auction and development. Tom is seeking to protect the 1.68 hectare bush garden and historic home of Australia’s second Prime Minister Alfred Deakin. Ballara is a unique early 20th century bungalow home, inspired by Californian and Colonial Indian architectural styles. It was designed by Pattie Deakin and is situated in old Point Lonsdale on the Bellarine Peninsula. Tom and Judith talk about the significance of Ballara to Deakin's personal and political life, as well as to his wife Pattie Deakin, and why Tom wants to make Ballara and its historical contents an asset for the Australian public to engage with.

Listen to Amy's interview with Judith Brett from September 2017 about her biography of Alfred Deakin, The Enigmatic Mr. Deakin.

Born in Chicago in 1938, author, artist, feminist, and commentator Sara Dowse speaks in-depth about her Jewish family history and how it is intertwined with the history of Zionism and specifically the dissenting voices within it who disagreed with the establishment of the state of Israel at the expense of Palestinians – those such as Asher Hirsch Ginsberg who wrote under the pen name Ahad Ha’am ("man of the people"). You can read Sara's columns for John Menadue's Pearls and Irritations on Israel's silencing of its critics as well as The Sabra transformed. Sara's book about her Great-Aunt is called, As the Lonely Fly. Broadcast on 6 February 2024.

We remember John Pilger, renowned Australian-born independent journalist and filmmaker, who passed away on 30 December 2023, by re-airing an interview Amy conducted with John at the Triple R studios in February 2017 on his prescient documentary, The Coming War On China (free to watch here).

Amy Mullins returns to the airwaves. She speaks with Greg Jericho, Guardian columnist and Chief Economist for The Australia Institute, who dives into tax "reform" and the Stage 3 tax cut changes announced by the Albanese Labor government, as well as Australia's slowing inflation and the extent of the RBA's role in controlling it.

Born in Chicago in 1938, author, artist, feminist, and commentator Sara Dowse speaks in-depth about her Jewish family history and how it is intertwined with the history of Zionism and specifically the dissenting voices within it who disagreed with the establishment of the state of Israel at the expense of Palestinians – those such as Asher Hirsch Ginsberg who wrote under the pen name Ahad Ha’am ("man of the people"). You can read Sara's columns for John Menadue's Pearls and Irritations on Israel's silencing of its critics as well as The Sabra transformed. Sara's book about her Great-Aunt is called, As the Lonely Fly.

Plus we remember renowned independent journalist and filmmaker John Pilger who passed away on 30 December 2023, by re-airing an interview Amy conducted with John in February 2017 on his documentary, The Coming War On China (free to watch here).