{
  "id": 5995721,
  "title": "That sound you hear is not the world ending – it’s liberalism being monstered | Waleed Aly",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/that-sound-you-hear-is-not-the-world-ending-its-liberalism-being",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-06T15:00:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian Australia",
    "slug": "the-guardian-australia",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/07/waleed-aly-time-of-monsters-future-liberalism-essay"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The world is not ending, but rather, the crisis lies within the loss of belief in progress. This sentiment is felt by many people, causing unrest and division in societies like ours. Our sources suggest that the monsters we perceive can take various forms, from tech giants and artificial intelligence, to social media, legacy media, and even gender fluidity taught in institutions. These perceived monsters are present in various groups, from far-right organized marches to clashes between advocates of the Middle East. Regardless of whether it is Hamas, Israel, or political parties with significant voting shares, the disquiet is evident. The real issue at hand is the deep-seated disquiet that runs underneath this narrative.",
  "summary": "It turns out most of us no longer believe in progress. And when that happens, it quickly becomes a crisis for societies like ours Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Depending on your politics, the monsters are everywhere. Perhaps you see them in the form of tech billionaires and the artificial intelligence they’re developing. Perhaps you see them in the bin fire of…",
  "key_points": [
    "The world isn't ending, but societal crisis exists",
    "Monsters perceived include tech, AI, social media",
    "Disquiet runs beneath narratives of Hamas, Israel"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "That sound you hear is not the world ending – it’s liberalism being monstered | Waleed Aly",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/that-sound-you-hear-is-not-the-world-ending-its-liberalism-being-5997132",
        "published": "2026-09-06T15:00:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}