Opinion Articles

When fewer people meet more food

For most of the modern era, the story of food was scarcity. More people meant more demand, higher prices, and ever-expanding markets for farmers. That part of human history has now come to an end. For the first time, global population growth is slowing sharply at the same time as global food production continues to rise. The implications for agriculture — particularly for bulk grain and meat producers like Australia — are profound, under-discussed, and

Trevor Whittington January 15, 2026

Opinion Articles

The last letter, the last coin, the last dial

If you want to measure the real speed of modern change, don’t look at the size and complexity of new headers or how Al is every student’s best friend. Look instead at the three oldest bits of civic infrastructure we all grew up with: the post office, the banknote and the landline. All three are being shut down in real time. And the countries doing it aren’t fringe outliers – they’re the sensible, efficient northern

Trevor Whittington December 24, 2025

Opinion Articles

The parallels between the Roaring 1920s and the Turbulent 2020s

“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Mark Twain A century divides the Roaring Twenties from today’s so-called Turbulent Twenties, yet the distance feels strangely compressed. As we limp toward the midpoint of our own decade, the parallels grow sharper and harder to ignore — reminders that our present upheavals are rarely as unique as we like to believe. Historians are rightly suspicious of neat analogies, but here the similarities are too blunt to

Trevor Whittington December 4, 2025