Critical Line Item with Tom Ravlic

Rita Anwari is concerned about the fate of Afghanistan under the Taliban and the women's rights activist and leadership advocate tells Tom Ravlic about the concerns she has for the health and well being of people in the country following the rapid rise to power of the Taliban. The audio comes from an interview recorded for a live stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jessica Davis is an intelligence analyst with many years of experience looking at the way illicit networks finance their activities. She is the main consultant for the Canadian-based Insight Threat Intelligence. Her new book,. illicit Money - Financing Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century, comes out next month and she speaks with Tom Ravlic about key sources of funds and fundraising methods used by a range of groups intent on doing bad things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Soufan Center's Mollie Saltskog is an expert in analysing extremism and she tells Tom Ravlic that it doesn't matter what the narrative - jihadist or white supremacist or anarchist - nation states cannot bomb their way out of the narrative. The return of the Islamist regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan is a case in point with concerns being raised about the fate of women and children in a resurgent Taliban regime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Saturday Paper's political correspondent Karen Middleton has been to Afghanistan on three separate occasions and saw some of what Australian soldiers went through serving in that country. She reported for SBS at the time and also wrote a book called An Unwinnable War - Australia in Afghanistan. She reflects on her visits to the country and on reemergence of the Taliban as a governing force over a very short space of time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UFOs are things of science fiction and fantasy ... or are they? Investigative journalist Ross Coulthart has a new book out called In Plain Sight that explores the topic of flying craft or objects that are clearly more advanced than anybody has seen before. Where do they come from? Who knows? What kind of technology does this? Ross explores these issues and more in this podcast. This podcast is the audio from a livestream set to air on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch in the evening of August 13, 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophia Moskalenko is a clinical and social psychologist who had developed a deep interest in what causes people, firstly, to get radicalised and, secondly, engaged in violence. Her work has profound consequences for our understanding of what causes people to hold radical views as well as take radical actions. The emergence of QAnon has seen Moskalenlo and co-author Mollie Bloom take a deep dive into that movement in a book called Pastels and Pedophiles. Iin this podcast she tells Tom Ravlic about radicalisation and offers a more informed basis of dealing with the QAnon phenomenon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crikey's Charlie Lewis spends a look of his time looking at the strange things politicians and other public figures do in his column called Tips and Rumors. The coronavirus pandemic has provided Charlie and his colleagues over that the online news publication plenty of fodder that includes analysis of how journalism fares in the context of the pandemic. He talks to Tom Ravlic about the good, the bad, the ugly, and the just plain curious about covering the COVID era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rita Anwari is a wormen's rights activist and a political analyst with a deep knowledge of Afghanistan. She notes that the current situation on the ground is worrisome and explains to people who may be unfamiliar why the Taliban has risen again. She has recently been acknowledged for her work in the empowerment of women and organises regular webinars to inform people about the state of play in Afghanistan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Scanes is a former member of the ADF and the founder of Forsaken Fighters, a group dedicated to helping veterans as well as staff that assisted them in the field of battle. He is deeply concerned about the glacial pace at which the Federal Government appears to be moving to get Afghans that helped Australia out of harm's way and he tells Tom Ravlic the longer we wait, the harder it gets to extract those that need our assistance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Glenn Kolomeitz is a former member of Australia's defence forces and a lawyer currently in the middle of the fight to get Afghans who worked with Australians in a range of functions.He and his team at GAP Veteran Legal Services is fighting against time to present as complete a picture of the the full staff list to government for vetting and approval. The situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating on the ground and it is clear that the time to resolve these issues for those that served Western governments running out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former facilities manager Pat Ryan is constantly in touch with his former Afghan colleagues and on 18 July 2021 former and current embassy staff issued a plea to the Australian government to get them out of harm's way. A protest was held in front of the United Nations building in Kabul - likely to be one of the last gatherings of the this kind - by people who served Australia who spend more time in hiding. Pat Ryan highlights the situation on the ground and what the government needs to do to keep these Afghan people safe.[This is the audio of a live stream broadcast to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch on the evening of July 18 - the date on which the protest was held in Kabul. ] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Schofield's story has it all. The former extremist was imprisoned and had to fend for himself. He started the State Prison Skinheads after he became radicalised by friends who introduced him to the ideologies of white supremacy as a why of explaining why he ended up in the clink. It was reading and questioning the ideologies he was led to believe were right that resulted in him leaving the movement. He discusses him time behind bars, the consequences of leaving a movement, and the wins former extremists sometimes get when they can get younger folks to reassess their view on life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Tanuki is a commentator, author and a bit of an activist. He created a fake nationalist group some years ago to poke fun at various far right groups in Australia. Vision of Tanuki's creation remains in television libraries and is at times used as overlay footage even today - a fact that grates with him in the aftermath of the Christchurch shootings. Like many others Tanuki sees the future in education to provide people with sound direction when they are young. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fred Cook was a senior office bearer in the National Socialist Movement and deeply involved in organisation activities such as rallies and meetings. He walked away from the extremist movements some years ago but only recently did he discover that he had Jewish origins. His story must be heard to be believed. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia followed the United States into Afghanistan and established consular and military operations that need local knowledge to be able to function properly..Western forces are leaving Afghanistan and people that had worked with Western government such as Australia fear for their lives given the advancing Taliban forces. Former facilities manager, Pat Ryan, worked with Afghan employees and is currently trying to get the Federal Government to get people who worked with Australia to safety and away from possible execution for working with the enemy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Kay Danes OAM has a wealth of experience in dealing with individuals and families that have been involved with the Department of Defense. Her own family has a history within Australia's defense forces. It is difficult for members of the defense forces that submit complaints to the hierarchy to get a hearing and when complaints are entertained it appears to go into a secretive black hole. There is an absence of transparency and openness about the process through which members of the forces are put if they speak up about problems. It is clear from this conversation that returned soldiers seeking some form of justice feel they are playing in a game where the deck is loaded against them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Work for Climate is an organisation that has the goal of helping companies work out what they can do to make their operations more environmentally friendly. It has online portals and a discussion group for corporate executives that are wanting to learn from others that have implemented measures to reduce the impact a company has on the climate. Lucy Piper, a director at Work for Climate, explains what the organisation is and how it seeks to increase awareness of ways companies can make their entities environmentally friendly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is your essential guide to what you need to know for Tax Time 2021. This podcast is the audio feed from a live streamed event that took place on 3 July 2021 featuring Lisa Greig and Tom Ravlic. Topics covered include definitions of expenses, income, self education expenses, professional development, claiming laundry, cents per kilometre deductions, and the thorny area of dealing with cryptocurrency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know those weird e-mails, texts, and web sites you are continually warned about? Bad actors continually try to con you into parting with identification details and your money. Jaqueline Jayne, the security awareness advocate with KnowBe4, outlines some of the things bad people who want easy money to on the internet and what you need to know to stay safe online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 News anchor Leo Puglisi has pencil shavings in his 6 News mug - a souvenir of the most recent bout of home learning thanks to the most recent coronavirus lock down. Leo and Tom Ravlic talk about how this lock down remote learning session went as well as QAnon and like conspiracy theories (and what Leo thinks about the National Party's leadership fuss). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

QAnon conspiracy theories have caused headaches across the globe. Disinformation related to human trafficking conspiracies impacted on Polaris, an organisation dedicated to stopping human traffickers plying their trade. Anjana Rajan from Polaris joins Tom Ravlic to explain the real world impact of conspiracy theories and how Polaris has had to adjust its processes to handle challenges posed by conspiracists peddling lies online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musician Daryl Davis has toured and worked with some of the greatest artists in soul, blues and rock and roll but he has had an interest over many decades in trying to bridge the racial divide that white spremacists are keen to perpetuate. Davis is a black musician and he actively seeks out members of the Ku Klux Klan to talk to them about their beliefs and to see if he can act as a catalyst for them to rethink their views. More than 200 members of the Klan have turned their back on their previous life. What motivated him to ask people 'how can you hate me when you don't know me'? His story is compelling Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Gemma Carey is an academic and author that has a health challenges that make life challenging. She recently had the COVID vaccination and during this podcast with Tom Ravlic she offers an insight into her experience as well as reminding us of the fact that healthy people without underlying illnesses should consider getting the vaccine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Academic and researcher Alexandra Pavliuc from the Oxford Internet Institute is one of a team that took a deep dive into a sea of data to look at how prominent female politicians were abused online during a two month period. The findings of the report, which is titled 'Malign Creativity', are important because they point to the impact of online toxicity on women and their willingness to entertain public life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A running debate in media circles in Australia and elsewhere is to what extent should journalists report extremist groups and how these stories are framed. Jeff Schoep spent 27 years in the National Social Movement and in this podcast he exposes the methods extremist groups use generate outrage, obtain publicity and some of the illusions groups may use to make themselves seem bigger than they really are. He offers several tips to reporters and editors on way to report extremist so that an audience is well served but extremist don't get additional notoriety. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Schoep has spent almost half his life involved in an extremist movement. The former head of the National Socialist Movement in the United States left that organisation in March 2019 and has been an outspoken advocate against the ideology he was a part of for 27 years. He tells Tom Ravlic his story and how he gradually became aware that the life he had lived for more than a quarter of a century was something he needed to leave behind. What advice does he have for Australian politicians involved in the parliamentary inquiry on extremism and radicalism? Grab yourself a drink and listen .... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 News chief anchor Leo Puglisi is all smiles after YouTube has reinstated a video they booted off the platform for being 'too graphic'. Leo updates Tom Ravlic on what has transpired since YouTube caused 6 News to be off air one weekend. Leo also talks about the vibe at the climate strike protests he covered recently. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Australian National Audit Office is gearing up to open a can of worms in its review of the administration of JobKeeper if tax practitioners are any guide. TAx expert and trainer, Lisa Greig, has had to deal with JobKeeper. She outlines her concerns about the program and some of the administrative issues tax agents had to cope with when the pandemic hit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The internet is full of text, images, audio and vision and sorting through it to find specific material related to conspiracies is, well, an impossible task without enlisting some digital assistance. Rand Corporation's Bill Marcellino joins Tom Ravlic in this podcast to explain what machine learning is and how computers are helping humans discover how much material there is on conspiracy theories and in what context posts are being written. This podcast also explores the notions of truth decay and why Rand Corporation has a major project that continues to explore why people fight over what should have been indisputable fact in a previous generation. Rand's studies into election interference also get a mention with an explanation of how some of the research into the way in which Russia and other countries choose to play the role of social media provocateurs in what is already an ideological tinderbox in the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social media has provided state actors with a tool to engage in conflict that that takes the form of digital rhetoric. China's diplomats - also known as 'wolf warriors'- have become a symbol of how a state actor can and will use social media to tackle adversaries and critics. Marcel Schliebs, a researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute, is the principal author of a study that looks at China's public diplomacy operations. The recently released report finds that China plays it tough on social media with statistics to support the conclusions. The numbers are eye watering .... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 News has a following on Twitter and its chief anchor, Leonardo Puglisi, and his team are seen as honest brokers putting up a straight news bulletin each weekend. YoutTube gave Leonardo and his crew a channel strike for posting a video that was allegedly graphic. The 6 News crew dispute that classification. Leonardo joins Tom Ravlic to explain what on earth happened and how he feels about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Researcher and journalist James Cutler has looked at the far right in Melbourne up close and he has written academic papers based on his studies of the area. James spent some time tracking the progress of various far right identities and in this podcast shares the some observations about his time researching the extremist groups. What does he think about media coverage? And what can people do better? Here is some food for thought for the politicians on the parliamentary committee looking at the area of extremism and radicalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every six months there is a Melbourne Cup field of analysis on the results of the banking section and accounting firm EY offers a perspective on the fortunes of the behemoths in the financial services space. EY partner Tim Dring explains why the banks results look better at the moment, what banks need to be worried about and why there is such a big focus on environmental, social and governance matters for those in financial services. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Australian government is currently involved in a process of consultation that is aimed at designing a voice for indigenous people with the ultimate goal of giving them a more effective way of being heard by lawmakers. There are those like Professor Megan Davis, a prominent indigenous legal expert, who believe the current process puts the cart before the horse. She tells Tom Ravlic it would be better if constitutional recognition came before legislating a voice. Why? Take a listen .... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Soufan Center recently published a report that told readers that China, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia sought to amplify QAnoin conspiracies in order to mess with the minds of Americans just a tad. How did they do this? Data analyst Leela McClintock from US-based research firm Limbik explains to Tom Ravlic what does into finding the digital fingerprints that lead analysts to conclude not every post propagating QAnon conspiracies originates from the keyboard of an American conspiracist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Australian taxpayer pays for the development of auditing standards but there is typically little interest in the process unless there is a controversy related to a company or firm. What the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board does is critical in ensuring the standards regulating audits and other assurance services are fit for purpose and designed to ensure auditors are focused on doing all that is necessary to come up with an audit opinion based on sufficient and appropriate evidence. Experts from the AUASB, Matt Zappula and Renee Herman, join Tom Ravlic to look at a critical area in regulation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 News host Leonardo Puglisi is now an old hand at getting a bulletin out each week. Leo talks about how 6 News - a project that he fits in around school commitments - came about, the team he has assembled and what stories concern him. Have a listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cam Smith has spent the better part of almost two decades looking at and highlighting the activities of extremist groups. His work and that of Andy Fleming on the 3CR program, Yeah Nah Pasaran, provides a regular lens through which to examine the extreme views held by groups in Australia and overseas. The body of material by Smith and Fleming forms a unique body of evidence about the movements that sit on the fringes of Australian society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phillip Wong is a long-time academic with a passion for teaching people the ropes in accounting. That passion has him on YouTube with a range of tutorial videos as well as his most recent foray into teaching the numbers game: a way of doing accounts for a small entity using Excel. Phillip talks about accounting education, complexities of business compliance and how people should look for solutions that are designed to cater for what it is they do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia is playing catch up with keeping tabs on far right groups and it continues to cause problems for the country's reputation with international think takes focusing on what is Australia's apparent reluctance to proscribe organisations as quickly as our intelligence partners. Labor's Senator Kristina Keneally provides an analysis of the problem through her eyes and talks about the role leaders in the community must play to reduce the impact of extremist ideologies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran is a country that for many is couched in mystique. It has had an interesting relationship with the United States and Kenneth Katzmann, an expert on the region, provides an overview of the tensions and challenges that exist between the United States. He is a contributor to the Soufan Centre's recent report on Iran in a personal capacity but works with the Congressional Research Service providing his deep knowledge to the members of Congress in the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warren Mundine has been at the cross roads of indigenous affairs and politics for a very long time. We last spoke with him almost 12 months ago just after the killing of George Floyd in the United States. This time the focus is laser like on getting the indigenous voice up and running as well as some of the controversies in Canberra involving poor behavior of politicians and staff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Channel 9 political editor Chris Uhlmann is known for being blunt in his assessment of the game of politics but some of that may just be attributed to his varied life experience before getting a gig at the age of 29 at the Canberra Times. He talks about news gathering, the importance of keeping on the chase, the role of reportage and commentary as well as explaining why he has grown to dislike aspects of social media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Duncan McNab has spent a significant amount of time taking a deep dive into the Ruby Princess saga for his newly released book. He takes a look at the calamity that took place and reflects upon some fundamentals of reporting and investigation that are forgotten all too often. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Greg Barton is the Chair in Islamic Politics at Deakin University, which has meant you have seen him on television and heard him on radio a fair amount over the past two decades. In recent months he has been talking to the media and many others about the growth right wing extremism. This podcast looks at the implications of the War on Terror and how things may play out in regions such as Afghanistan two decades on from the September 11 attacks. What does he think might help fix some of the problems we have? You'll have to listen to find out .... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Terrorist organsations need to resource their operations and history shows us that they use varying methods to get their hands on money to aid them in planning and executing acts of extreme political violence. Terrorism financing expert Jodi Viittori helps us decipher the world of shady financing used by the practitioners of political violence. Her 2011 book, Terrorist Financing and Resourcing, remains one of the landmark texts in the area of terrorism financing, This podcast covers the simplest and most complex methods that bad actors use to get money for their violent activities. Why did groups such as Al Qaeda have rigorous internal audit functions to keep track of where money was spent? You'll have to listen to find out .... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The January 6 capitol insurrection reminded people that there are a range of groups that have the potential to create havoc in the United States that are classed as domestic terror threats. Who are these people? How do they differ from the global jihadists that have occupied intelligence, national security and military resources over the past two decades? Colin Clarke is the Director of Policy and Research at The Soufan Group and he provides some useful insights into the phenomena that we are witnessing today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Consultant and author Ben Kehoe has spent many years talking to businesses about how to improve what they do but the coronavirus has made it more challenging. What wisdom does Ben have for businesses and individuals struggling through this time? Listen up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Killelea is a businessman and philanthorpist who believes the world can be a much better place if we better understood how to help people in need. Steve talks to Tom Ravlic about his business career, his charitable work in various parts of the world and the Institute of Economics and Peace. His book, Peace in the Age of Chaos, looks at his perspective on some of the things political leaders and others need to consider in order to help make the lives of people better across the globe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The accounting world has had a range of challenges this year and Amir Ghandar, the auditing and accounting expert for the Chartered Accountants - Australia and New Zealand, talks about what has been a tumultuous year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.