I know this is a very unpopular opinion (as pretty much all of mine are) but everyone here should be verified in some way. I realise this means it is harder for the Ruritanian dissident to get her/his voice heard, but I cannot help thinking it would make this a more civil place.
I am happy for people who feel they cannot tweet under a legal name to have some useful pseudonym but the platform would be infinitely better if all users were verified by Twitter, had to pay a nominal fee, with some accountability mechanism implemented.
I have a reasonably ursine/rhino hide when it comes to abuse - I went to a Jesuit school & some of it is actually quite funny, esp after going on the ABC - but many people do not do broader media here (who well could) because the anonymous abuse directed at them is so bad.
Anyway, I am not perfect, at all, and no doubt have upset people, but I try to live by my own rules for my account here, especially rule 3, and I cannot help thinking we would all do better here if we could all be sure of who each other is & were duly accountable. Image
Finally, for all the deserved criticism of this platform, I have met a good number of very interesting and very good people through Twitter, from all points of the political compass, and most people are better in person than online....I suspect because we see we are all human.

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More from @GrayConnolly

10 Jan
Good morning all & OTD in 49BC, Gaius Julius Caesar & his Army crossed the Rubicon. Caesar had served as a military tribune, quaestor, praetor, Consul & pro-consul, conquering Gaul. When a corrupt Senate sought Caesar's recall, he commenced his march on Rome. "Alea iacta est" Image
Not sure if it is the date but noticing a lot of very bad Roman history takes. The Romans of 49BC did have massive senatorial corruption problems. But also a huge problem of underemployed Romans, as empire's growth meant slaves (product of conquest) doing formerly paid work doing
I find Roman history endlessly fascinating - #SPQR and all that - but in 49BC, everyone (even people I otherwise despise like Cicero and Cato) were serious people, not grifting, not performing. What should worry was Caesar & his Army pushed at an open door, winning many over.
Read 5 tweets
10 Jan
Australia setting up a good lead here - 4/182 at lunch with a lead of 276. The pitch at the SCG historically falls apart in the last two days and is terrible for the last innings, which will be India's dilemma.
#AUSvIND Image
The problem with this Australian summer is we simply do not have enough Test cricket. Even with Covid, we need a longer Test series. It is great for national morale amid the plague and esp as we are playing against India, one of our favourite rivals. #AUSvIND
India's lunchtime discussion seems to have been about helping Smith to get to his century as soon as possible
#AUSvIND
Read 5 tweets
9 Jan
Watching the American Right finally realise that their hitherto venerated corporations - which are creatures of statute dependent on public goods - have too much power over the lives of others, even in today's unmeritorious scenario, is really something. Whither minimum wages?
If you want to be really "conservative" while hurting the over-mighty corporations, and "conserve" families & civic virtues, then legislate to mandate corporations paying living wages, employees get parental and carers' leave, and broad tax anti-avoidance provisions.
One downside of social media is its (ceaseless) promotion of the political pantomine where the partisan grifters & performance artists engage in these kabuki fights ("most important election ever" etc) when, in reality, elections are held & yet nothing of substance ever changes
Read 4 tweets
8 Jan
While I think "A Clockwork Orange" is terrible, the "Droogs" in it do depict a young male demo, of semi-employed & directionless (often fatherless) guys looking for trouble. I cannot help thinking the economy & esp the pandemic/lockdowns make an already bad situation worse here
One of many big problems with journalism living on social media is it will inevitably skew media interests towards 'people like us'/feminine stories - whereas the past year has seen enormous amounts of wanton public violence by mainly young guys who have little else better to do
If you are a guy esp if you had parents & in a profession/trade etc & some younger guy comes to you for advice/guidance, give them help. It could be you are the older brother they never had. Based on experience of last decade, so many young guys have no one they can ask for help
Read 6 tweets
4 Jan
I am starting a thread below to thread together all of my legal writing as well as others' writings on Constitutional Law, Roman Law, Public Law (generally including criminal law) & national security law, that I find interesting and which may influences my own thinking. GC
The Case for Constitutional Federalism
Read 9 tweets
3 Jan
Anyone raising #Norms arguments who has not been thoroughly consistent as to those alleged norms will go on mute .... I will accept but ignore (as it is boring) partisanship etc but spare me the hypocrisy.
Also (speaking as someone without for some time now) if you do have living parents - whether or not this pandemic is on - then why are you here online arguing about things you cannot change? At least call them, or if you can, see them. Nothing else really matters by comparison.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk etc
Read 4 tweets

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