Writer
Mark Beeson
Mark Beeson is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology Sydney and Griffith University. His latest book is <em>Environmental Anarchy? International Relations Theory and Practice in the Anthropocene</em>, (Bristol University Press: 2021) He has also written <em>Environmental Populism: The Politics of Survival; in the Anthropocene Palgrave 2019</em>
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Australia’s special responsibilities
Do some states have ‘special responsibilities’ or obligations to help solve collective action problems as a consequence of their position in the international system? Australia should. Continue reading »
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What’s the point of the Australian Labor Party?
The ALP seems intent on abandoning progressive policies and turning itself into a competent version of the Coalition. This is not good for them, our collective future, or democracy. Continue reading »
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Strategic culture and the AUKUS echo chamber
Despite some brilliant analyses of the AUKUS agreement from credible and informed commentators, it is hard for critics to get a hearing, much less influence policy. Continue reading »
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Environmental apocalypse? Don’t blame us
Like the environment itself, discussions of our collective future are becoming heated. They are also contradictory, polarised and – in my case, at least – increasingly pessimistic. Continue reading »
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China, UK leadership transitions illustrate how the world has changed
The leadership transitions in China and the UK shed an illuminating light on their very different political systems. Continue reading »
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The Defence Strategic Review: How not to think about security
In both Australia and China strategic debates are dominated by specialists with similar views, a situation epitomised by the forthcoming Defence Strategic Review. A fixation with traditional threats wastes resources, increases the risk of conflict, and makes addressing the immediate danger posed by climate change even more difficult. Continue reading »
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Notes from Nomadia
Thousands of ‘grey Nomads’ are travelling endlessly around Australia contributing in a small way to the destruction of the very environment they apparently admire. Good luck to them. Continue reading »
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Rational despair and with the US almost always at war…
It’s hard to know how to respond to a situation in which you have absolutely no confidence in the intelligence, the motivations or the historical understanding of those who lead us. Continue reading »
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Stupid or cynical? How our leaders contribute to climate crisis
Effective leadership on climate change is in short supply. Are our leaders too stupid or too cynical to respond to the world’s greatest problem? Continue reading »
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Could AUKUS open a Chinese window to international leadership?
While there may still be quite a bit of debate about the strategic merits of AUKUS, there’s one thing most people agree about: China is not very happy. Continue reading »
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Max Suich, China and the greatest example of our diplomatic self harm
How did it come to this? How did Australia’s foreign policymakers and their advisors manage to devise policies that have simultaneously enraged our most important trade partner, and made us even more dependent on an increasingly unpredictable notional guarantor of our national security? If our political and strategic elites had intentionally set out to undermine Continue reading »
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If Australia needs nukes, who doesn’t?
Sensible people are making the case for a nuclear-armed Australia. Given Australia’s other problems, the ruinous cost, and the dangers of proliferation, this is the last thing we should be considering. Continue reading »
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Greg Sheridan: Principles, privilege and punditry
The Australian newspaper’s foreign affairs editor Greg Sheridan epitomises the capacity columnists have to promote ideological agendas – even ones that are seemingly at odds with their professed values and beliefs. They are hardly conservative. Continue reading »
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2020: Apocalypse now (or next year)
2020 was an unambiguously bad year. Unfortunately it won’t be the last. Will political rhetoric eventually have to change to acknowledge this? Continue reading »
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China is not the urgent threat; climate change is
Spending priorities by the federal government are increasingly questionable, if not indefensible; they raise fundamental questions about the competence and intelligence of our policymaking elites. Continue reading »
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The perils of pedagogy
The government hates social scientists and our views often do little to improve the mental well-being of students. Should we shut up to protect our self-interest and keep our version of the truth from our students to protect them? Continue reading »
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Indefensible policies – Defence Strategic Update
The recently released Strategic Update may please traditional security analysts, but it won’t influence the behaviour of China or make individual Australians any safer. Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. The PRC is getting harder to like, but so is the US
China’s foreign and domestic policies are getting increasingly difficult to deal with, but so are America’s. A more even-handed approach to both might make life easier for Australian policymakers. Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. The blame shifter in chief
Donald Trump is notorious for trying to shift the blame for his mistakes onto others. It’s one of his most egregious failings as a leader. Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. What’s at stake in the Coronavirus crisis?
The Coronavirus is causing a political crisis as well as the more obvious medical variety. Some governments may not recover. Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. Morrison’s surprising character defects: faith and optimism
Being a leader, even of a lucky country like Australia, isn’t getting any easier. To be fair, these are difficult times for any leader, even the most competent ones. It’s worth asking how FDR, Churchill or even Bismarck would have coped with today’s problems. Even though some of the current crop of international leaders are Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. The US Lobby and Australian Defence Policy, Vince Scappatura, Monash Publishing (a review)
One of the most enduring features of Australia’s foreign and strategic policies is the close relationship between this country and the United States. A number of other countries such as Britain and Japan also claim to have a ‘special relationship’ with the US, but no country has worked more assiduously to turn that rhetoric into Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. Global governance in the 21st century
Global governance is hard to define, difficult to achieve, but more necessary than ever. Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. China’s Rise and the rules-based liberal order: Implications for Australia
The prosperity of millions of Australians has become dependent on the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This unambiguous material reality explains why Australian policymakers and commentators spend so much time fretting about how to manage the relationship. The sheer material importance of the Chinese economy to Australia means that policymakers in this country have no Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. Politics and climate change: Academia’s missing contribution
Academics who specialise political science are frequently not taking the implications of their discipline seriously when it comes to climate change. Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. Can Trump be socialised into good behaviour and policymaking?
Will Donald Trump have a lasting and possibly pernicious impact on American foreign policy, or will the so-called ‘adults’ in his administration educate him and change his ways? Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON: Agents of influence
A form of groupthink about relations with China and the United States has become pervasive in Canberra. Ironically, this situation is encouraged by the influence of the US, despite the current hysteria surrounding relations with the PRC. Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON: When worlds collide: The unlikely relationship between Australia and China
The debate about Australia’s relationship with China is characterized by a degree of mutual incomprehension born of difference. Both sides share some of the blame for the current bilateral tensions. Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. Western Australia and the resource curse
The failure of successive WA governments to tax the resource sector effectively has meant that much of revenue generated by the most recent resource boom was appropriated by the multinational corporations that dominate the sector – more than 80 per cent of them foreign owned, by the way. Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. The unconventional wisdom
When it comes to military matters, there is – forgive the pun – a remarkable uniformity of opinion. Sensible and serious observers agree that not only is the ANZUS alliance the indispensable bedrock of national security, but Australian policymakers would be irresponsible to do anything that might jeopardize its status. Continue reading »
