Seeing Trump’s America through the eyes of a historian in 2100

18 April 2025

One way to make sense of the present upheaval in the United States might be to see it through the eyes of a historian writing about US history in the early twenty-second century. This perspective, envisaged by Peter Leyden, which doesn’t address every last (often heavy-handed) policy of the Trump administration, sees a system of government long overdue for reform:

The Pax Americana with America as the global policeman enforcing order in the international system was coming to an end. That system had a great long run of 80 years, starting at the end of World War II, but could not go on much longer.

The United States military budget in 2025 was $850 billion — more than the military spending of the next dozen countries combined — and America was saddled with chronic budget deficits that could not sustain that kind of spending.

The bureaucratic welfare state that had been the backbone of post-war society in America and throughout the West was also fiscally unsustainable and way past its prime in effectiveness. The large aging populations of these developed economies were putting mounting pressures on the budgets of entitlement programs, which were devised for the smaller numbers of elderly long ago.

Leyden’s article is completely speculative, but is a fascinating read nonetheless. The Democrats appear to have been firmly pushed aside at the moment, but in time will return to centre stage:

Trump, his MAGA administration, and the current crop of Republicans now in Congress are not going to come up with the new systems that will reinvent America in a way that allows it to thrive in the 21st century. The odds of that happening are miniscule.

However, they almost certainly are going to create the space for some other political force, some other movement, some other set of leaders to pull that off. I expect that will come out of Blue America, with new movements and a new generation of leaders looking forward with truly transformative ideas.

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America, current affairs, politics

Han Solo shoots first: original 1977 Star Wars print to screen in London

17 April 2025

The British Film Institute (BFI) has kept a copy of the 1977 print of Star Wars in their archive, which will screen as part of Film on Film festival, in the British capital, taking place from Thursday 12 June until Sunday 15 June 2025. I have the feeling tickets will sell quickly.

After making changes to the original edition, Star Wars creator George Lucas dismissed the concerns of fans in 2004, berating them for liking “half a completed film”.

Numerous alterations were made to A New Hope, and the other two titles in the original trilogy series, but the most contentious saw Greedo, a bounty hunter, firing his weapon first at Han Solo during their confrontation at the Mos Eisley Cantina. Viewers of the 1977 print will recall it was Solo who shot first. The edit went on to spawn the Alderaan shot first meme.

Meta seeks to improve cinema experience by encouraging smartphone use

15 April 2025

After unleashing their content polluting algorithms onto our social media feeds, allowing the display of stuff (sorry, content is not the right word in this context) from people we don’t follow, far less even heard of, Facebook owner Meta wants to interfere with the film watching experience.

Technology called Movie Mate, will allow people to “second screen” during a film, that is, watch a feature on the big screen, while accessing related “exclusive content” on their smartphones. As if second screening, whereby people don’t put their phones down at the cinema, isn’t already a big enough problem, and Meta wants to encourage the practise.

But let’s talk about second screening for a minute. I don’t have a problem with what’s sometimes referred to as content grazing, while watching a movie. In fact, I find it quite relaxing. I might stream a movie I’m familiar with, and lookup other things on my phone. Since I know what’s going to happen in the story, I can multitask a bit, without worrying about missing anything important.

But this is at home, not in a movie theatre, being the only place Movie Mate will be available. And sure, access to story related trivia, director’s commentaries, and deleted scenes is fun, but hardly while watching the film at the same time. Won’t that be distracting, especially for first-time viewers? Isn’t there the risk they’ll miss something important?

It makes me wonder what the intent of second screen technology really is.

From Meta’s point of view though, it’s pretty simple. They like to take something sensible and straightforward, say a social media feed featuring only content people want to see, and muddy it up. From a film producer’s perspective though? That’s a little trickier to fathom. I don’t see how presenting extra-features content, simultaneously, during the film is screening, is meant to be useful.

For repeat viewings, and at home, of course. But not in a theatre full of people who want see a film, not a sea of phone screens. The second screen technology will be trailed in American cinemas during limited run re-screenings of 2022 horror title M3GAN, in a few weeks. Ok, a lot of people have already seen M3GAN, so just maybe checking out extra features in this fashion won’t be a problem.

But making only-for-use-in-cinema second screen tech available for first-time releases, premieres even? Now there’s a horror story in the making.

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film, film production, technology

Thomas Mitchell: when your book is used to train AI platforms without permission

14 April 2025

American tech company Meta has been using the works of Australian authors — and no doubt many writers worldwide — to train its AI platforms. This happens, apparently, without consultation with the authors, and certainly — to date — without any payment. Australian author Thomas Mitchell (Instagram link), of Today I F****d Up fame, writes first-hand about the experience:

I have very little in common with Australian author Tim Winton. He has written many books, and I have written one. His titles are bestsellers; my book was mainly purchased by friends and family. He loves the ocean, whereas I am happier on land. Despite our differences, it turns out both Tim Winton and I are part of the same unfortunate club: Australian authors being ripped off by Meta.

Miles Franklin Undercover, a new biography of the Australian author, by Kerrie Davies

14 April 2025

Miles Franklin Undercover, by NSW North Coast based university lecturer and author Kerrie Davies, traces Franklin’s life in the years following the 1901 publication of her iconic novel, My Brilliant Career. Spoiler: things were not too brilliant:

But fame can be deceptive. In reality, the book earned her a pittance. The family farm was sold, her new novels were rejected, and she was broke. Just two years after her debut, Miles disappeared.

On the subject of Miles Franklin, the annual Australian literary award named for her, can’t be too far away from publishing the longlist for the 2025 award. That, I’m guessing, is maybe in a month’s time?

Social media and the rest, a personal website is best

11 April 2025

Mike Sass, writing at Shellsharks:

A website, your own personal website, is just like this—a digital home, on the web. With all the same comforts, familiarities and problems that need a-fixin’.

Does your personal website, your blog, feel like home? Mine does, and always has.

Although I’ve long been a social media participant, albeit not a particularly active one, the prospect of abandoning this website to go all in on a social media platform, maybe even several, never once crossed my mind. This even as I watched contemporaries do exactly that, and go on to sometimes garner large followings.

I always viewed the social media platforms I was a member of as outposts for my website. Like garden sheds (dare I say outhouses) you might build in the garden outside your home. Fragile structures that may not withstand a storm, in the same way a house can. Or the erratic whims of a billionaire owner. To say nothing of inconsistent moderation policies and erratic algorithms.

Owning and maintaining a house, home, is extra work and cost, but a far better investment than all those garden sheds.

Australian Electoral Commission posts new guidelines for influencers, content creators

11 April 2025

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has issued an updated set of guidelines clarifying the role of content creators and influencers.

The move comes in the wake of mild controversy surrounding a recent interview Sydney based podcaster Abbie Chatfield recorded with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Some listeners felt the interview constituted what is considered to be electoral material, something that requires an authorisation statement from the political entity issuing said material. These are usually adverts, that variously promote a party candidate, or policy, although they can take a number of forms.

The AEC however concluded the interview did not breach any regulations. The revised guidelines come in addition to a publicity campaign being run by the AEC, warning people to be cautious about material relating to the upcoming Australian Federal election, they may encounter on social media, and, no doubt, blogs and websites.

An old school blogger returns, the Oceania Web Atlas launches

10 April 2025

American designer Jason Santa Maria, and co-founder of A Book Apart, a seller of numerous influential design publications, has returned to blogging after an eight year hiatus. You see, we all come back eventually. Once a blogger, always a blogger…

Philipp Lunch is based in Cologne, Germany, and recently launched a blog/personal website, despite it being not finished, and preferring to let it evolve. Yes, that is the trajectory of many a personal website. Australian physicist Cameron Jones’ website comes with the eye-catching name Caffeine and Lasers. He also has a shot at answering the question of the ages: where are all the aliens? Hmm, what do you think? Are they giving us the silent treatment, or are we very, very, lucky to be here?

Caleb Herbert resides in Missouri, in the Unites States. Instead of a smartphone, he keeps a notepad and pen in his pocket. Bet you weren’t expecting to hear that. Portland based American software developer Sage has been online since 2013, and is constantly redesigning their website. Remember those long ago days when we used to redesign our websites like every week?

Why we are still using 88 × 31 buttons? Website buttons (that’s what I’ll call them), particularly those with the dimension of 88 by 31 pixels, used to adorn personal websites during the late 1990’s. They pretty much disappeared during the blogging era, but thanks to Indie Web/Small Web, and the personal website revival, are enjoying a resurgence. 88 by 31 pixels may not seem like much of a canvas to work with, but as the works posted on Button Wall go to show, an economy of size is no inhibitor to creativity.

A week or two ago, Melbourne, Australia, based author and content creator Zachary Kai launched the Oceania Web Atlas, a web directory for bloggers and personal website publishers, based in the Oceania region. If you’re a local, submit your website. Thanks for including mine Zach.

The 2025 Stella Prize for Australian literature shortlist

9 April 2025

The shortlist for the (stellar) Stella Prize, consisting of six titles, was unveiled last night:

Black Convicts, by Santilla Chingaipe
Black Witness, by Amy McQuire
Cactus Pear For My Beloved, by Samah Sabawi
Translations, by Jumaana Abdu
The Burrow, by Melanie Cheng
Theory & Practice, by Michelle de Kretser

The Stella Prize is an annual celebration of literature written by Australian women. The winner will be announced on Friday 23 May 2025.

The Phoenician Scheme, the new film by Wes Anderson

8 April 2025

The Phoenician Scheme, trailer, is the thirteenth feature of American filmmaker Wes Anderson. As ever, you don’t need to see Anderson’s name on the trailer to know this is a Wes Anderson film.

Many of his regular collaborators return, including Willem Dafoe, Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend, and of course Bill Murray, in what is billed as an espionage black comedy, and centres on a strained father-daughter relationship.

And the bit you’ve been waiting for… The Phoenician Scheme opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday 29 May 2025. This just might necessitate a visit to the cinema that day.

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