LightNews — News, ranked by scholars

Pauline Hanson Has Spent 30 Years Pointing at the Fire. But Does She Knows Where the Hose Is?

August 7, 2026 at 8:00 AM

bigbadozdave.bsky.social

@bigbadozdave.bsky.social

Pauline Hanson Has Spent 30 Years Pointing at the Fire. But Does She Knows Where the Hose Is?
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

Pauline Hanson has spent the past 30 years being the political equivalent of a smoke alarm.

The Fool is the only card numbered zero. Lately he’s also on the ballot.

August 2, 2026 at 7:26 AM

davidtdorais.bsky.social

@davidtdorais.bsky.social

Card Zero, interrupted.
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

Card Zero, interrupted.

August 2, 2026 at 3:16 AM

Professor Mac

@jamesmac064.bsky.social

31 July 2026

The farmer who milked the elites.

July 31, 2026 at 2:43 PM

James Macle🍩d 🐀

@mymateshouse.bsky.social

From an outback Bundaberg Melon farm to Number 10 Downing Street. How a “farmer” convinced the world’s “smartest” people to stop thinking.
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

A true story about confidence, catastrophe, and how global power kept mistaking a nice accent for genius.

Running the oldest trick in the world

July 28, 2026 at 11:46 AM

davidtdorais.bsky.social

@davidtdorais.bsky.social

Born to Sweat
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

Born to Sweat

The Fatal Fantasy of Forgiving ISIS Recruits

July 28, 2026 at 3:38 AM

bigbadozdave.bsky.social

@bigbadozdave.bsky.social

The Fatal Fantasy of Forgiving ISIS Recruits
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

Joining ISIS should be a career-limiting move.

July 27, 2026 at 2:28 AM

Professor Mac

@jamesmac064.bsky.social

25 July 2026

July 25, 2026 at 3:50 PM

Professor Mac

@jamesmac064.bsky.social

24 July 2026

July 24, 2026 at 3:28 PM

James Macle🍩d 🐀

@mymateshouse.bsky.social

In part 1 of this 2 part special:The BBC apologises, gets sanctioned, cancels its own next documentary pre-emptively & it wasn’t enough. In Part 2 Australia’s antisemitism envoy tells a Royal Commission the UN had disowned the Gaza death toll. The UN says that’s BS:
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

Apologise, capitulate, self-censor — and it still isn’t enough. Inside the pattern that punishes even total compliance.

The Cost of Deferred Maintenance

July 22, 2026 at 10:38 AM

davidtdorais.bsky.social

@davidtdorais.bsky.social

False Economy
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

False Economy

A Terror Story Without the Terror

July 21, 2026 at 4:43 AM

bigbadozdave.bsky.social

@bigbadozdave.bsky.social

A Terror Story Without the Terror
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

The Sydney Morning Herald reported during the week that author Sir Salman Rushdie had cancelled his upcoming Australian speaking tour.

July 20, 2026 at 5:43 AM

Professor Mac

@jamesmac064.bsky.social

The Daily Post
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

19 July 2026

July 19, 2026 at 3:51 PM

JimmyAUS

@j-roywatson.bsky.social

The Envoy Who Cried Genocide-Denial...

A government advocate told a Royal Commission the UN had disowned Gaza’s death toll. It hadn’t. That's what happens when the person pushing is already on the inside, and it isn’t unique to Australia.

ALP to Make 'Welcome to Country' Official Party Policy

July 19, 2026 at 5:46 AM

bigbadozdave.bsky.social

@bigbadozdave.bsky.social

ALP to Make 'Welcome to Country' Official Party Policy
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

Can you believe the Labor Party?

July 18, 2026 at 1:31 PM

James Macle🍩d 🐀

@mymateshouse.bsky.social

I agree, I also wrote a piece on this looking at it with a wider lens than just Australia:
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

Apologise, capitulate, self-censor — and it still isn’t enough. Inside the pattern that punishes even total compliance.

July 18, 2026 at 4:18 AM

James Macle🍩d 🐀

@mymateshouse.bsky.social

I got into this with an international lens:
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

Apologise, capitulate, self-censor — and it still isn’t enough. Inside the pattern that punishes even total compliance.

July 17, 2026 at 8:05 AM

James Macle🍩d 🐀

@mymateshouse.bsky.social

Australia’s antisemitism envoy is one of the country’s own leading pro-Israel advocates. Her first move in the job: asking for power to defund the public broadcaster. That’s the story nobody’s telling properly. Hopefully, I have:
open.substack.com/pub/jamesmac...

Apologise, capitulate, self-censor — and it still isn’t enough. Inside the pattern that punishes even total compliance.