Menzies Research Centre

John O'Sullivan is a leading Conservative thinker, journalist, editor, and advisor to Margaret Thatcher. He’s the author of: The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World. definitive history of the events that led up to the collapse of the Berlin Wall 33 years ago this NovemberToday as Vladimir Putin pursues his goal of Soviet Union 2.0, O'Sullivan finds himself on the frontline of the new Cold War a a resident of Budapest, Hungary, just 250km from the Ukraine border.He joins Menzies Research Centre Executive Director Nick Cater from Budapest where he heads up the Danube Institute. Nick Cater is based in Sydney.This podcast was recorded on March 15, 2022Read John O'Sullivan's latest despatch in Quadrant. https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2022/03/vladimir-putins-ever-darkening-room/Support these podcasts by becoming a paid-up subscriber to the Menzies Research Centre from just $10 a month: menziesrc.org/subscribeEmail Nick Cater watercooler@menziesrc.orgPurchase The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World by John O'Sullivan.

Rebekah Koffler is a Russian-born American citizen who joined U.S. intelligence where she observed the threat from Russia up close. Her book 'Putin’s Playbook: Russia's Secret Plan to Defeat America' delves into the mind of Russian President Vladimir Putin and reveals his ambition to dominate America and the West. She reveals details of Russia's destabilsation campaign against American democracy built upon a sophisticated knowledge of existing tensions within American society and a deep understanding of how Americans think and behave.Presented by Nick Cater, Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre.email Nick: watercooler@menziesrc.orgRebekah Koffler's website: https://rebekahkoffler.com/----------------Quotes from Putin's Playbook: “The Russian government during and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election stoked American racial divisions, ideological and political polarization, a profound distrust of government itself, and seething voter anger over the election results. The belief that Putin put Trump in office was fueled by a Russian intelligence operation. "----------------“The American people were, therefore, hit with a double-whammy—first by an external Russian adversary and then by internal American foes. These highly placed government functionaries, driven by their disdain for the unorthodox presidential candidate and desire to displace him, neglected their mission. Instead of identifying and neutralizing threats to American security, they became useful idiot soldiers in Putin’s war on America.”------------------“The Russian government during and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election stoked American racial divisions, ideological and political polarization, a profound distrust of government itself, and seething voter anger over the election results. The belief that Putin put Trump in office was fuelled by a Russian intelligence operation. ------------------“The American people were, therefore, hit with a double-whammy—first by an external Russian adversary and then by internal American foes. These highly placed government functionaries, driven by their disdain for the unorthodox presidential candidate and desire to displace him, neglected their mission. Instead of identifying and neutralizing threats to American security, they became useful idiot soldiers in Putin’s war on America.”------------------“It would be at our own peril for Americans to ignore the Russian threat. Putin and his playbook are not going away any time soon. Having orchestrated a constitutional amendment allowing Russian presidents to serve more than two terms, the former KGB operative secured his presidency for life, or at minimum until 2036. Even if Putin unexpectedly abandons the presidency due to illness or death, his successor will likely continue with his anti-American playbook. ”-------------------“During the past few years, I have increasingly felt like I was back in the USSR. “The rise of pervasive political correctness, growing intolerance towards religious people, and alienation of and even attacks on people whose views don’t conform to the mainstream orthodoxy remind me of my childhood and youth in the USSR. “I find myself repeating the same admonitions to my young children that my mother frequently gave to me and my sister: “Don’t believe everything that you hear on TV, think for yourself, and keep your and your family’s views private.” “I found myself pulling my children from public schools and placing them into religious schools in order to avoid heavy and biased government-sponsored indoctrination. “It was painful for me to watch my little ones coming home and spouting how oppressive America is when I know firsthand what oppression really means. I also could not bear watching my kids coming home sad and confused because they were simply not old enough to be bombarded with all the sex-related ideas and concepts that the school pushed on them under the rubric of “family education.”---------------#Ukraine #Putin #FoxNews***Subscribe to Watercooler News: https://www.menziesrc.org/mailing-listBuy 'Putin’s Playbook: Russia's Secret Plan to Defeat America':https://www.wilkinsonpublishing.com.au/product/putins-playbook/https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Putins-Playbook/Rebekah-Koffler/9781684510030

In this special Watercooler Conversation, recorded 24 hours after Russia's declaration of war on Ukraine, we assess the adequacy of the Western response, its global implications and what it means for Australia with the help of Dave Sharma, federal member for Wentworth, former ambassador to Israel, and an astute observer of strategic affairs.Presented by Nick Cater, Executive Director of the Menzies Research CentreSupport us by subscribing to the Menzies Research Centre from $10 a month https://www.menziesrc.org/subscribe1Or making a tax-deductible donation https://www.menziesrc.org/donate Email Nick: https://www.menziesrc.org/subscribe1@menziesrc.org

The lurch away from democratic government towards technocratic command and control has been one of the most disturbing developments in the last two years.Some are content to see it as inevitable as we wage war against the Covid-19 virus - that parliamentary process and executive accountably must take a back seat while we put the experts in charge.But is there any guarantee that the experts will turn in their badges and allow normal service to resume?Or is it part of larger retreat from democracy amid a growing fear that leaving affairs in the hands of the demos is fraught with danger?Frank Furedi brings some light to these important questions in his recent book Democracy Under Siege: Don’t Let Them Lock It Down!Frank joins Menzies Research Director Nick Cater from Kent, UK.Sign up for Watercooler News delivered to your inbox every Saturday https://www.menziesrc.org/mailing-listSupport Watercooler Conversation by subscribing to the Menzies Research Centre from just $10 a month https://www.menziesrc.org/subscribe1Email Nick Cater watercooler@menziesrc.orgMore about Democracy Under Siege https://www.booktopia.com.au/democracy-under-siege-don-t-let-them-lock-it-down--frank-furedi/book/9781789046281.html?source=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQiAjJOQBhCkARIsAEKMtO1AMDtXNPQbFQKe-bDoYe-m6AYHU8DOfCngWF_T6_btkTzDdg7JX-oaAuaGEALw_wcBIn Democracy Under Siege, Frank Furedi examines the frequent claim that democracy is a means to an end rather than an important value in and of itself. The prevalence of this sentiment in the current era is not surprising, given that the normative foundation for democracy is fragile, and there is little cultural valuation for this outlook. Until recently, virtually every serious commentator paid lip-service to democracy. However, in recent times the classical elitist disdain for democracy and for the moral and intellectual capacity of the electorate has acquired a powerful influence over public life. Democracy Under Siege outlines the long history of anti-democratic thought, explains why hostility to democracy has gained momentum in the current era, and offers a positive affirmation of the principle and the value of democracy.Frank Furedi is a Hungarian-Canadian academic and emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent. He is well known for his work on sociology of fear, education, therapy culture, paranoid parenting and sociology of knowledge.

In the second of two Watercooler conversations centred around Australia Day and the need for stronger foundational narrative that accurately describes our country and that values that unite us.It is hard to have serious discussion about the meaning of European Settlement unless we can first agree on the facts. Yet fewer than four out of ten Australians know which event they are supposed to be celebrating or mourning, according a recent survey by Compass Polling. Only 39 per cent correctly identified it as the date of the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove. A new account of the founding of modern Australia by Margaret Cameron-Ash exposes how little we have known up to now about the British government’s decision to establish a colony in NSW and how much of our understanding has been clouded by prejudice. Tellingly, Cameron-Ash trained as a lawyer, rather than a historian.Her book Beating France to Botany Bay: The Race to Found Australia debunks the myth that Australia was purely a dumping ground for Britain’s criminal class, the explanation for settlement that was considered unquestionably true by Manning Clark, one of Australia’s most influential historians.In his seminal four-volume A History of Australia, Clark makes no mention whatsoever of the French voyager Captain Jean Laperouse who’s expedition to the Pacific stirred the British into action. Yet as Cameron-Ash documents, intelligence that Laperouse was on course for Australia with two vessels laden with trees, plants and seeds, manufactured goods, tools and unwrought iron convinced prime minister William Pitt the Younger that French settlement was imminent. Margaret Cameron Ash joins Nick Cater to describe the photo-finish to the race to Botany Bay and its consequences.Nick Cater is Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre.Beating France to Botany Bay: The Race to Found Australia by Margaret Cameron-Ash is published by Quadrant Books. Order online here: https://quadrant.org.au/product/beating-france-to-botany-bay-the-race-to-found-australia/Email Nick Cater: watercooler@menziesrc.orgSupport these podcasts by subscribing to the Menzies Research Centre from $10 a month: subscriptions@menziesrc.org

Anthony Dillon is a powerful voice for Australia's forgotten indigenous people, those without the privileged platform occupied by the educated, urban elite. In this Watercooler conversation with Nick Cater, he argues that ill-founded attacks on Australia are holding us back from true reconciliation. Rather than focus on our differences, our goal must be to rediscover the common core of humanity that all Australians share.This is the first of a two-part Watercooler conversation to mark Australia Day 2022.Nick Cater is Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre.Email Nick at watercooler@menziesrc.orgSupport these podcasts by becoming a financial subscriber from just $10 a month: menziesrc.org/subscriptionsAnthony Dillon is an academic and Indigenous commentator who is not afraid to take issue with the current popular ideologies which portray Indigenous people merely as victims of white Australia and history (the invasion). His experience in the area of Indigenous Health and well being has demonstrated that these dogmatically held beliefs are killing more indigenous people than cigarettes.He strongly believe that the only way we will “Close the Gap” between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the population is by ensuring that Indigenous people have access to the opportunities that most Australians take for granted. To achieve this requires us all to focus on the commonalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and abandon the myth that Indigenous Australians are deeply culturally different from other Australians. He believes it is extremely important that there is an open dialogue on the issues which have remained hidden under a veil of silence for too long, such as violence and substance abuse. He is regularly quoted in the popular media as a commentator on Indigenous affairs as my point of view is logical, academically sound and not constrained by preconceived notions of victimhood, or limited by political correctness. Anthony's linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-dillon-3065a816/?originalSubdomain=au

The Covid-19 pandemic was a gift for Australia’s putative ruling class, says Nick Cater, in this essay for Spiked online.A self-appointed nomenklatura elite has exploited a public health threat to infiltrate areas of our private lives we once imagined sacrosanct. They have robbed the Australian people of dignity, denied them agency and demanded complete obedience. Where they might have drawn on Australians’ abundant reserves of good will and on voluntary compliance, they have instead resorted to central planning and coercion. As a result, Australia has moved closer to the dystopia that Friedrich Hayek warned us about in The Road to Serfdom.Read the essay here: https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/01/03/lockdown-has-destroyed-the-australian-spirit/

The reaction to the torching of Canberra's Old Parliament House by Aboriginal protestors last week is evidence of the woke-ward drift of both the media and the police force. Nick Cater presents his latest column from The Australian.Read the column here:Email Nick watercooler@menziesrc.orgSupport these podcasts by subscribing to the Menzies Research Centre from $10 a month:www.menziesrc.org/subscribe

Omicron is the variant we can probably live with, says Nick Cater. So let's stop panicking about vaccinations and get back to living our lives.Nick Cater presents his latest column from The Australian in this bonus podcast from the Menzies Research Centre.Read Nick Cater's column in The Australian: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/steady-on-omicron-may-be-the-variant-we-can-live-with/news-story/985f5299742e3199fbee8d0b052ee0c3Email Nick Cater: watercooler@menziesrc.org

In the face of the biggest strategic alignment in most of our life times, Australians must unite around values and reconcile their differences. Brendan Nelson puts forward a practical proposal for bringing together two conflicting narratives of Australian settlement and ending the controversy over Australia Day.Dr Nelson delivers the Ninth John Howard Lecture to an audience in Sydney on December 16, 2021