MU Podcasts IFeb 20, 2026

1.02 - Inescapable - Radical Safety

MU+ Extended

A series of disturbing and deeply polarising stories shaping debate at home and abroad headline the show this week. We examine the fallout from the random stabbing in Sydney and the scrutiny of the NSW mental health system after an escaped patient was charged with murder, before turning to France where the death of a far-right activist has ignited fierce arguments about political violence and the hypocrisy of rival factions. We also cover the Taliban’s reported stance on domestic violence in Afghanistan, the jailing of Brandan Koschel over speech at an Australia Day protest and the broader battle over hate speech laws, plus the deeply contentious discussion around Canada’s assisted dying regime and why some critics warn of troubling historical parallels.

In the Plus+ extension, we dig into failures in policing, speech and social cohesion, the rise of basement broadcasters and intergenerational ideological clashes, claims of Chinese authorities intimidating citizens on Australian soil, explosive online culture wars from the UK to Melbourne, and a review of a controversial “peace map” that has stirred talking.