Quadrant

clouds and factory smoke at sunset
Quadrant

When the Party Was Home

29/09/2026
Recent polling indicates that One Nation leads the Coalition in Australia, with both traditional parties losing popular support. The article reflects on the decline of established political parties, paralleling similar trends in Germany, Britain, and New Zealand. It highlights changes in political engagement, community ties, and decision-making processes as parties become more transactional and less rooted in social structures. This shift raises questions about the stability and efficacy of contemporary politics.

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organized stacks of paper bound with string
Quadrant

The New Mandarinate

30/08/2026
New Zealand’s immigration biometric project, initiated in 2018, wasted millions due to poor oversight and misleading advice from officials, raising concerns about bureaucratic accountability and governance challenges.

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Quadrant

Bildung and the Machine

25/06/2026
AI’s rapid advancement raises concerns in education, reflecting a shift in focus from qualification to personal development. Emphasizing “Bildung” over “Ausbildung” is crucial for fostering critical thinking in students.

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close up of vintage televisions
Quadrant

Audiences without a Public

29/05/2026
Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann’s “spiral of silence” describes how public opinion diverges from private beliefs, a phenomenon intensified by today’s fragmented media landscape, where audiences consume biased content, reinforcing division.

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businessman analyzing falling stock market trend
Quadrant

The End of the Golden Bargain

30/03/2026
Democratic politics, once fueled by hope for progress, now succumbs to nostalgia and resentment. Economic stagnation and a burdensome debt legacy challenge legitimacy, risking a collapse into authoritarianism as citizens grow disillusioned with their hollow promises.

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Erasmus Rotterdam (1526) Albrecht Dürer
Quadrant

The Temptations of Unfreedom Revisited

27/02/2026
In early 2004, a struggling German graduate contacted Lord Ralf Dahrendorf for guidance, leading to opportunities that highlighted Dahrendorf’s commitment to intellectual integrity and resistance against totalitarianism, especially in contemporary politics.

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Quadrant

The Warmth of the Herd

28/12/2025
Voters are losing patience with democratic process, sliding from civilisation’s hard order back into the comfortable order of the tribe. Thinking in principles is hard; belonging feels good.

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compass lying on a map of europe
Quadrant

The Long Estrangement

27/11/2025
Germany had long been on an anti-Western ” Sonderweg,” particularly in its policies towards Russia. It is a history of systemic failures and naivety culminating in recent geopolitical challenges.

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