In the second of a two-part series, Robin Brown and Nick Bogiatzis show how it is the politicians most loudly claiming to defend “Western values” who are among the most dedicated to undermining them. (more…)
Category: World
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Europe talks tough on China but lacks a plan
Europe is alarmed by Chinese overcapacity, deindustrialisation and US pressure, but remains divided over how to turn tough China rhetoric into policy. (more…)
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US strike leaves thousands without drinking water in southern Iran
US attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure have escalated the conflict, with Tehran accusing Washington of violating the Islamabad MOU and suspending its own commitments. (more…)
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A new multi-nodal world is taking shape
In remarks delivered to Chinese participants in the Cambridge Executive Leadership Program, Chas Freeman argues that 500 years of Euro-Atlantic dominance has come to an end.
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Concentrated power crushing freedom of expression in Cambodia
What an edition of a Siam Reap newspaper reveals about law and politics in Cambodia and constraints on freedom of speech. (more…)
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For Putin, anything short of victory is defeat
Russia is feeling the cost of the war, but Putin’s authority rests on victory, force and fear. Lasting peace would require a political reckoning. (more…)
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New ‘G Minus 2’ order, Trump red-line test, and sea’s real battles – Asian Media Report
Nations’ new ways of working together, Xi’s nuclear deterrent display, scandal probe’s link to scandal probe, South China Sea’s geopolitical reality, Korean company’s record market listing, and the region’s shadow baby trade.
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From Astral Weeks to the “Iron Cage”: Van Morrison and the disenchantment of the World
Van Morrison’s career traces a cultural movement from youthful openness and spiritual wonder towards bitterness, calculation and disenchantment. (more…)
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The world does not need more risk managers
Politics and institutions are increasingly governed by risk management, not leadership. But real leadership requires imagination, courage and the willingness to challenge false stories.
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When census takers come calling, truth gets complicated
Indonesia’s economic census is meant to produce a snapshot of the nation, but distrust of officials and fears about privacy may blur the picture.
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The Iran deal failed because it was built to break
The Islamabad Memorandum did not collapse simply because shipping attacks resumed. It failed because Washington and Tehran signed one text while understanding the bargain differently.
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Rubio’s attack on the ICC is a test for Australia
The Trump administration’s campaign against the International Criminal Court is a direct attack on accountability. Australia must not abandon its Rome Statute obligations. (more…)
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US foreign policy cannot look away from Sudan
Sudan’s genocide is receiving too little attention. The US must pressure the UAE to end its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and help deliver urgent humanitarian aid. (more…)
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Australia’s new architecture in the Pacific should include China
Vulnerable Pacific Island states should have the freedom to keep their options open rather than being locked into collective defence alliances that are erroneously based on containing China. (more…)
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When democracy needs restraint
The essence of a liberal democracy is to let people whose lifestyles we disapprove of remain equal before the law. Such restraint is needed in the debate across Africa about LGBT rights. (more…)
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The Iran lesson: why the US will lose a war with China
The US war on Iran exposed weaknesses in American power. Asia-Pacific allies should rethink defence settings built around US dominance and confrontation with China. (more…)
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Those who endure and a question of priorities
Encounters with two Vietnamese men shaped by war raise an uncomfortable question for Australia’s older, wealthier generation: what are our priorities now? (more…)
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China’s rise demands a more serious Australian debate
Australia is right to protest China’s missile testing, but moral indignation and selective outrage are no substitute for a serious strategy on China’s growing power.
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Pandora’s box of assassination
Ignoring the taboo on political assassinations could be perilous for Trump in face of the intense Iranian desire for revenge.
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The responsibilities of giving
Helping others begins with respect, recognising what they have already achieved and how to assist them to realise their capabilities. (more…)
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BRICS: the eulogy for western dominance?
The world’s economic centre of gravity is moving from the Atlantic toward Asia. This reflects the rise of China and India and the dynamism of the BRICS. (more…)
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Thirty years after Dolly, cloning is not what we expected
Thirty years after Dolly the sheep, cloning has not delivered armies of identical animals or resurrected mammoths – but it has transformed disease research, conservation and our understanding of cells.
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The World Cup is showing countries who they really are
The composition of teams in the World Cup suggests that modern national identity cannot be easily disentangled from colonialism, empire and migration. (more…)
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Iran conflict frozen between ceasefire and a long war
The US has the military strength; Iran the political resolve. This points to more precarious truces and tit-for-tat strikes in coming months. (more…)
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Scandals and drift are closing in on Thailand’s prime minister
Thailand’s government commands a comfortable parliamentary majority, but corruption scandals, weak policy direction and a lack of tangible results are rapidly eroding its legitimacy.
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Trump’s threats are no substitute for diplomacy
Trump has always had poor impulse control but we are moving into a new phase with F-bombs, real bombs and threats to entire civilisations becoming daily occurrences. (more…)
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The handshake that never holds
Pakistani and Afghan negotiators have to come to the table with a Plan B to break the endless cycle of bombings and retaliatory strikes. (more…)
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Thailand needs a long-term strategy for the next energy shock
The Iran war has exposed Thailand’s reliance on Middle Eastern energy and fertiliser imports and points to the need for a long-term economic strategy if it is to become a regional hub for green industries and advanced technologies. (more…)
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Who would want an ally like Israel?
Looking back from 2026 to 1967 reveals the extent to which Israel will go to serve its own interests, even when this means harming its ally. (more…)
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US strike on Iranian school came after ‘bypassed warnings’ about outdated target info
US commanders reportedly ignored warnings that target intelligence was years out of date before a strike killed more than 150 schoolchildren in Iran.
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