http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/michael-stuchbery/ Mike Stuchbery is a writer, teacher and occasional activist living in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Mike began teaching in 2003 and has worked in state and independent schools around Melbourne. Between teaching stints, he’s worked in advertising, social media start-ups and as a researcher for some of Australia’s peak museums and galleries. He has a special interest in politics, social trends, youth affairs and mental health and has a knack for stirring up trouble. en Copyright 2013 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-the-oldies-are-turning-off-the-kids-of-today/ Sophie Mirabella is quite right to express dismay and disappointment at the recent findings of the Lowy Institute, that two out of five young people between the ages of 18 to 25 display ambivalence towards their democracy. Without regular injections of fresh, competing and dissenting ideas within our political sphere, we could fall prey to societal stagnation. Worse, we risk the dismantling of the institutions that have kept us largely out of the strife that many other nations have been subject to over the last two centuries. If we don’t much care about who runs the show and how they run it, we won’t much care when piece by piece, our voice is taken from us. In the words of economic historian, Niall Ferguson,: “We take freedom for granted and because of this, we don’t understand how incredibly vulnerable it is.”. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Michael Stuchbery) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-the-oldies-are-turning-off-the-kids-of-today/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-the-oldies-are-turning-off-the-kids-of-today/#item8733 Wed, 13 Jun 2012 19:40:36 +0000 Michael Stuchbery | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Bullies-in-suits-unleash-their-uniformed-henchmen/ I’d like to thank the Occupy Melbourne protesters, from the bottom of my heart. They’ve opened my eyes. It’s not about their message. I’m pretty sure I already knew about the all-too-cosy relationship between banks, corporations and the media. Hell, I was told that money was the root of all evil fairly early on at Sunday School. Nothing new there. No, they’ve shown me, through their treatment at the hands of Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, the City of Melbourne and Victoria Police, that for all the talk of freedom of political expression and peaceful demonstration in this country, if you antagonize the wrong person in authority you can expect harassment and intimidation. If you show up a puffed-up, red-faced bully, no matter the elevated position of responsibility, they’ll reach down and thump you. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Michael Stuchbery) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Bullies-in-suits-unleash-their-uniformed-henchmen/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Bullies-in-suits-unleash-their-uniformed-henchmen/#item7322 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:45:44 +0000 Michael Stuchbery | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/A-teacher-speaks-chalk-schoolies-up-to-experience/ The last few weeks have seen the annual surge of stories talking about the dangers facing young adults celebrating the end of their compulsory schooling. Most of the headlines have been taken up with reports on the tragic fatal electrocution of a young man in Bali. However, coming close behind have been a glut of current affairs pieces, garnished with a menacing techno soundtrack, detailing the many and varied ways Australia’s sons and daughters can either have their lives ruined or cut short during Schoolies. Predictably, parents across the nation have made public their fear and reluctance to allow their offspring to go let off a little steam, far away from the stress that has been their constant companion for the last couple of years. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Michael Stuchbery) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/A-teacher-speaks-chalk-schoolies-up-to-experience/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/A-teacher-speaks-chalk-schoolies-up-to-experience/#item7276 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:35:44 +0000 Michael Stuchbery | Author bios | The Punch