Jeff Sparrow (former Breakfaster), joins fill-in host Beth Atkinson-Quinton on Uncommon Sense to explore the term ‘social cohesion’ as used by leaders like PM Anthony Albanese in response to solidarity protests for Palestine.

Jeff argues that this term is not about fostering unity but about suppressing political dissent: citing Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, he emphasises that social change requires division and struggle, not enforced unity.

A response to widespread protesting has been addressed by a bipartisan crackdown on protests in Australia, where increasingly restrictive laws criminalise activism, making it difficult for movements to thrive. Jeff warns that the “consequences of such crackdowns is going to be dire for the future.”

Criticism of the government's agenda of ‘social cohesion’ as a means to avoid challenging the status quo serves as a cautionary tale, suggesting that this rhetoric paves the way for right-wing populism and bolsters support in this context for Israeli apartheid.

In a time of significant political and social instability, the push for cohesion seeks to suppress the divisions that are essential for real change.