Pondering the big questions, with Sebastian Junger

One of the tragedies of modernity is how it has stripped away the time (or if we’re being honest, the inclination) to think about the big questions. Most of us no longer spend much time reflecting on the big questions. Which is why it was such a privilege for Will to speak to someone who does.Sebastian Junger is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker, and a celebrated war correspondent. His books, which include 'The Perfect Storm' (later adapted into a blockbuster Hollywood film), 'Freedom', 'Tribe', 'War', and 'In My Time of Dying', are bracing reminders to reflect on what it means to be human.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

The incumbent Labor government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has won a second term in office. Whilst the result was expected, the magnitude of the victory was not. Why did it go so wrong for the Coalition, and how did Labor pull it out of the bag, after trailing in the polls only two months ago?Will raised these questions with Michael Kroger, former Victorian Liberal Party President, and Stephen Conroy, former Communications Minister in the Rudd government. The interview was originally recorded for the UK edition of The Spectator. You can watch the interview here.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

Earlier this week, Will interviewed journalist Andrew Bolt for the UK edition of The Spectator on the upcoming Australian election. The conversation went beyond politics to a fascinating reflection on modern Australia. Listen here, or you can watch the interview on Spectator TV here.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

Despite the media's love of a 100 day report card, it's usually far too early to judge the effectiveness of a new leader. That's not the case in Trump world. He has moved at a dizzying pace, with mixed results. To assess the start of the second Trump presidency, Will is joined by the editor at large of Reason magazine, and co-host of The Fifth Column podcast, Matt Welch.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Read Reason here.Listen to The Fifth Column here.

Before he became Australia’s second-longest serving Prime Minister, then Opposition Leader John Howard famously stated that his ambition was for a country in which people should feel comfortable and relaxed about the past, present and future.Many would argue he achieved that ambition, but Australia feels like a less comfortable and relaxed place in 2025. In this very special episode, Will chats to John about the state of modern Australia, and the upcoming federal election.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

It says something about the surreal times in which we live that the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom found it necessary to confirm something that everyone with an ounce of sense already knew. Men cannot be women. Unfortunately, in Australia gender ideology is still enshrined law. Sall Grover is Australia’s leading advocate for sex-based rights, and she is trying to change that. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Support Sall here.

Earlier this week, Will joined comedian and GB News host Nick Dixon on his podcast, ‘The Current Thing.’ They chatted about the news of the week in the UK, including a poll from The Sun revealing the depths of despair in the country, Ben Habib’s new party, the Birmingham bin crisis, anti-white racism in the West Yorkshire police, Douglas Murray’s debate with Dave Smith on Joe Rogan’s podcast, and several detours this way and that.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Subscribe to Nick's YouTube channel here.

If there’s one theme that cuts across Western politics in 2025, it is the rise of right-wing populist parties and politicians, tapping into a well of resentment towards establishment politics. Trump, Farage, Le Pen, and Wilders, to name a few. Some would argue they were all late to the game, trailing an unlikely figure; a female fish and chip show owner from the Queensland town of Ipswich.After first entering the Federal Australian parliament in 1996, Pauline Hanson has been one of the most consequential and enduring political figures in modern Australian political history. And to pinch a quote from her one-time nemesis John Howard, in 2025, the times may just suit her.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Watch Pauline Hanson's 'Please Explain!' series here.

Freedom is under assault across the West. The US is reverting to 18th century economic protectionism, the UK are jailing people for tweets, and Australia gave up on the pretense of rugged individualism a long time ago.How do we fight for freedom in a world that is becoming less free? To help Will with that question, he is joined by Nick Gillespie. Nick is an Editor-at-large at Reason, the libertarian magazine of free minds and free markets, and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Visit Reason here.Follow Nick on X here.

The UK is in a dark place, but surely it couldn't reach the point of civil war? Don't be so sure. To discuss the possibility of a looming conflict, Will is joined by David Betz. David is Professor of War in the Modern World at King’s College London and a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.