Why are people fleeing the country? Is the threat of genocide being exaggerated—or ignored?

South Africa is facing a crisis that goes beyond headlines about crime and corruption. In this video essay, Iona Italia reads “Fleeing South Africa” by the philosopher David Benatar—Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town. Benatar examines: • Rising political extremism and racialised violence • The debate over whether white farmers are being targeted • Why some South Africans now fear state collapse • The Trump administration’s controversial refugee policy • The role of Julius Malema and the “Kill the Boer” controversy • What the international media gets wrong about the situation Why are people fleeing the country? Is the threat of genocide being exaggerated—or ignored? 📚 Read the full essay here: https://quillette.com/2025/06/10/fleeing-south-africa-boer-trump/ 🔔 Subscribe to Quillette for more independent journalism and free inquiry. - [00:00] Allegations of white genocide gain international attention with Trump's involvement. - [00:14] Trump administration welcomes Afrikaner refugees amid criticism of genocide claims. - [00:41] Genocide definition and implications in South Africa, referring to white South Africans' situation. - [02:02] Examination of farm murders and racial targeting claims in South Africa. - [03:52] Definitions and distinctions between migrants and refugees, highlighting Afrikaner refugees. - [05:16] Questions on the Trump administration's refugee criteria centered on race. - [06:11] Criticism of South Africa's selective human rights focus and international legal actions. - [07:08] Julius Malema's controversial rhetoric, legal decisions, and implications for racial dynamics. - [08:44] Malema's stance on genocide and corresponding demographic shifts in South Africa. - [10:02] Race baiting and political slogans intensifying tensions in South African politics. - [10:55] Discussion on racial acts and affirmative action policies impacting investment in South Africa. - [12:06] Decline in infrastructure and public services in South Africa’s troubled governance. - [12:46] Criticism of ANC's racial politics and the societal pressures on white citizens. - [13:11] Comparison of treatment of whites post-apartheid to historical treatment of blacks. #SouthAfrica #FarmMurders #Quillette #AfricaPolitics #DavidBenatar #GenocideDebate #CrimeWave #Trump #JuliusMalema #Refugees ----- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

A critical look at how well-intentioned editorial “sensitivity” can narrow creative risk-taking and homogenise contemporary fiction.

Rusty Reno and the American postliberal revolt against the postwar consensus.

Why did Britain negotiate a treaty with Māori chiefs in New Zealand but claim Australia as terra nullius—“land belonging to no one”?

Why did this particular crime cut through the daily background noise of American violence?

Once celebrated as the world’s most liveable city, Melbourne is now confronting a surge in violent crime, youth gang activity, and public disorder. What happened — and why?

In an interview with Jonathan Kay, Canadaland publisher Jesse Brown reflects on how an anti-Israel faction within his own subscriber base tried to cancel him after he began speaking openly about antisemitism. He also pushes back on the idea that Jews must separate their identity from any connection to Israel—a distinction he argues is often imposed from the outside rather than arising within the community itself.⁠ ⁠ 🔗 Read more: https://quillette.com/2025/11/23/podcast-313-jesse-browns-rude-awakening/ ⁠

An impressive new biography of Jessica Mitford emphasises her sceptical and anti-authoritarian personality. But this was only half of the picture.

The world is not waiting for our utopian visions to make sense of it and order it. Liberal democracy works when it assumes as much.

In an interview with Jonathan Kay, Canadaland publisher Jesse Brown discusses how an anti-Israel faction within his own subscriber base tried to cancel him after he began speaking out about antisemitism.

The world is not waiting for our utopian visions to make sense of it and order it. Liberal democracy works when it assumes as much.

Melbourne’s latest tragedy has forced the city to confront hard questions about youth violence, policing, and the fault lines of a struggling multicultural landscape. As the community reels, debates over bail laws, gang activity, and public safety are intensifying once again. ⁠ ⁠ 🔗 Read more at the link in bio.⁠ ⁠ #MelbourneCrime #AustraliaNews #YouthCrimeCrisis #PublicSafetyMatters #PolicyDebate #CrimeWave #MelbourneIssues #LawAndOrderAU #SocialPolicy #MulticulturalismDebate #JusticeSystemReform #VictoriaPolice #CommunitySafety #Quillette #CriticalDiscussion #CurrentAffairsAU #UrbanSafety #AusPolitics #MediaAnalysis #IndependentMedia⁠

This week, Jonathan speaks with Jesse Brown, founder of Canadaland, about a political realignment neither of them expected. Once on opposite sides of Canada’s media wars, the two now find themselves confronting the same problem: the surge in antisemitism, hate speech, and political denial that followed the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. Jesse describes how a segment of Canadaland’s progressive audience – and even staff – turned on him when he spoke out about rising hate targeting Canadian Jews. What followed was a shock to him: accusations, cancellations, and an internal revolt from listeners who believed antisemitism was a distraction from “the real struggle.” In this conversation, Jesse and Jonathan explore: • the fracturing of progressive media • how audience capture warps newsroom behaviour • why antisemitism has become a political blind spot • the growing normalization of hate speech and street violence • Jesse’s new podcast project, “What Is Happening Here,” documenting attacks on Canadian Jews • their own strange history as former rivals It’s a candid, sometimes uncomfortable, and very timely discussion about the moral, cultural, and political forces reshaping Canada. 00:00 — Introducing Jesse Brown 00:14 — Canadaland’s origins and political identity 00:29 — Jesse’s media criticism and past clashes with Jonathan 00:57 — How their public feud shaped early Canadian media debates 01:09 — Jesse on money, independence, and building Canadaland 08:15 — Audience capture and how it distorts journalism 08:43 — The left–right shift inside modern media 09:53 — What Canadaland’s audience actually believes 15:28 — The Canadian trucker convoy and political realignment 19:58 — Understanding the new forms of antisemitism 20:26 — Personal accounts of harassment and rising hate 23:14 — Historical patterns of antisemitism revisited 23:55 — Comparing Nazi-era myths to modern narratives 24:49 — How language around “hate” has changed 28:48 — Inside Jewish community life in Canada 32:21 — Zionism, identity, and political pressure 36:05 — A controversial public statement about Israel 37:16 — Social-justice activism and the Israel narrative 38:24 — The Toronto event that revealed deeper problems 44:59 — Old myths returning in modern progressive circles 47:18 — Jonathan on media burnout and existential dread 48:27 — Encounters with progressive activists 49:06 — When social-justice dogma becomes newsroom policy 57:11 — How political enforcement works inside media organisations 57:26 — Internal conflicts within Canadaland 59:05 — The value of dissent and open disagreement 1:03:18 — Worries about Canada’s political direction 1:04:28 — Shifts in media loyalties and ideological tribes 1:04:41 — Closing thoughts and context of the recording ----- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

Lomborg’s experience shows what happens when a researcher challenges a powerful narrative with inconvenient numbers.

The media’s framing of the Kavanaugh assassination attempt keeps getting stranger. NBC’s coverage referred to Nicholas Roske almost exclusively as “Sophie,” describing the would-be assassin as a “woman”—burying the biological reality until deep in the article. It’s a sharp reminder of how language choices shape public understanding, especially in cases where ideology and criminal justice collide.⁠ ⁠ 🔗 Read or watch more: https://quillette.com/2025/10/16/we-need-to-talk-about-trans-identified-killers/ ⁠ #brettkavanaugh #transgenderdebate #genderpolitics #firstamendment #politicalviolence #supremecourt #uspolitics #crimeandjustice #independentmedia #freeminds #newsanalysis ⁠

In a new book, Ben Appel describes his journey from closeted Christian cult child, to recovering addict, to social-justice warrior, to self-confessed ‘gender heretic.’

The bones of our conspiracies haven’t changed, though their details are different.

The philosopher John Searle’s concept of Intentionality and his Chinese Room experiment reveal the differences between AI computation and human thought.

The core principles of liberalism—freedom and equality—are insufficient for the good life. We need to supplement them with a more robust, metaphysically thicker understanding of human nature and the good.

We need to cultivate an appreciation for the abundance that modernity has bestowed instead of taking it for granted.

Once celebrated as the world’s most liveable city, Melbourne is now confronting a surge in violent crime, youth gang activity, and public disorder. What happened — and why? In this video, Quillette examines the political, cultural, and policing decisions that shaped Melbourne’s crime wave. We break down the data, explore the rise in youth offending, and look at how ideology-driven justice reforms collided with reality on the streets. You’ll learn how Victoria’s policing strategy changed, why courts have become increasingly lenient, and why so many locals feel the city has taken a dramatic turn. Read this essay by Andrew Bushnell: https://quillette.com/2025/10/11/the-melbourne-crimewave-australia-victoria-youth-gangs/ [00:00] - Introduction to the crime incident with two boys attacked in Cobble Bank. [00:14] - Arrest of seven teenagers and the broader context of Melbourne's crime wave. [00:28] - Discussion on multiculturalism, youth offending, and gang violence. [00:43] - Report on a young man with a machete and Victoria's bail laws. [00:55] - Introduction of a machete ban and crime statistics. [01:09] - Analysis of Melbourne's crime wave and its connection to governmental policies. [01:24] - Issues with the criminal justice system and urban pressures. [01:37] - Population growth and its impact on Melbourne. [01:51] - Conclusion on the need for a deeper understanding to resolve the crime wave. [02:02] - Statistical increase in crime from June 2024 to June 2025. [02:18] - Comparison of current and past crime rates, highlighting nuances. [02:31] - Focus on increased crime in certain Melbourne suburbs. [02:44] - Crime politics and its effect on political parties. [02:58] - Discussion on youth offending and ethnic backgrounds. [03:26] - Media portrayal of youth offending and its statistics. [03:54] - Proposal for an African court for culturally specific programs. [04:08] - Changes in Australian-born status and ethnic background data. [04:23] - Examination of new crime patterns in Melbourne. [04:53] - Organized theft and its contributors. [05:22] - Regularity of carjackings and the demographic involved. [05:51] - Issues of a black market in tobacco and a recent arson attempt. [06:02] - Crime comparison between Victoria and other states. [07:01] - Victoria's bail laws and their impact. [08:09] - Broader impacts of reducing incarceration rates. [09:16] - Statistical changes in incarceration over the years. [10:14] - Discussion on leniency in sentencing and its outcomes. [11:02] - Criticism of cultural and governmental approaches in Victoria. [12:21] - Infrastructure spending and accusations of corruption. [13:03] - Overview of governmental policies and urban trends. [13:59] - Commentary on institutional roles in the crime wave. [14:27] - Recommendations for addressing the crime wave through policy changes. [15:49] - Argument for increasing prison populations for serious crimes. [16:17] - Conclusion about Melbourne's future and governance needs. [16:30] - Credits to the author, Andrew Bushnell, and publication details. ------ Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91

Chama Mechtaly discusses what pushed her to write about the West’s growing discomfort with confronting Qatar’s influence—and the silence she met when trying to raise the alarm. ⁠ ⁠ 🔗 Learn more: https://quillette.com/2025/11/14/exposing-the-qatar-lobby-chama-mechtaly-on-islamism-censorship-and-the-west-quillette-cetera-ep-57/ ⁠ #QatarCensorship #MiddleEastPolitics #GulfGeopolitics #HumanRightsAdvocacy #FreeSpeech #Qatar #Qatarlobby #October7 ⁠

Fragile ceasefires are holding for now, but the volatile region may be headed for another explosion next year.

Jonathan Kay speaks with scholar Paula Fredriksen, whose new book describes the theological diversity that existed among Christian communities before Nicene Christianity was adopted as Rome’s state religion in the fourth century.