If Iran resists, the global economy will pay
Western governments, including Australia and New Zealand, have backed US and Israeli strikes on Iran. But the decision risks economic catastrophe, regional escalation and the further erosion of international law.
Recent articles in Politics
3 March 2026
Trump and Netanyahu want regime change, but Iran’s regime was built for survival. A long war is now likely
The US–Israel strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader have pushed the Middle East into open war. But regime change in Tehran is far from assured and the conflict could trigger prolonged regional instability with global consequences.
3 March 2026
Albanese’s decision will follow him into the history books – and define us too
Anthony Albanese’s refusal to assist Australian women and children in Syrian detention camps may prove to be the defining act of his prime ministership – not for its prudence, but for what it reveals about leadership, moral courage and the limits of political calculation.
3 March 2026
Abbott’s finger pointing on overseas students is pure hypocrisy
Tony Abbott blames record numbers of temporary residents and international students on recent governments. But policy changes introduced and maintained under his own leadership played a central role in driving that growth.
3 March 2026
‘Insane this is legal’: Bettors make huge profits from suspiciously timed wagers on Iran war
Newly created accounts made around $1 million betting on the precise timing of US strikes on Iran, prompting calls for investigation into whether prediction markets are being used to profit from war.
3 March 2026
The Russia–Ukraine war: Australia’s unanswered questions. Part 2
As Australia backed Ukraine into a catastrophic land war with Russia, serious questions about corruption, arms diversion and governance were visible in plain sight. In part 2 of his two-part series, Michael McKinley examines what was known, what was ignored, and why it mattered.
3 March 2026
Wind farm Barnaby loves to hate sent to planning commission after 1,371 submissions
The 730MW Winterbourne wind project near Walcha has been referred to the NSW Independent Planning Commission after drawing more than 1,300 submissions – with a majority supporting its development.
2 March 2026
Louise Adler sets the record straight on Adelaide Writers' Week
The Adelaide Writers’ Week (AWW) debacle might have served as a “life lesson” to politicians and lobbyists about the risks involved in interfering with the independence of arts organisations. But as we have seen at Newcastle and the Sydney Writers Festival some are apparently slow learners.
2 March 2026
Trump’s dangerous war without consent
The United States is now at war with Iran without congressional approval, and the costs – strategic, human and constitutional – could be catastrophic.
2 March 2026
Jeffrey Sachs on the US and Israel war with Iran
The US is fighting to maintain hegemony, in a war that will have shocking global ramifications, says Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs in conversation with Glenn Diesen.
2 March 2026
From Minneapolis to Africa – how states fracture when legitimacy fails
From Nigeria to Ethiopia, African conflicts show how federations unravel when force loses accountability. Minnesota’s standoff with Washington reveals the same warning signs.
2 March 2026
Large-scale forest thinning has limited benefits but major financial and ecological costs
Mechanical thinning is increasingly promoted as a fire control solution. But new research finds its effectiveness is mixed and the ecological, climate and financial costs often outweigh the benefits.
2 March 2026
Australia, refugees and the colonial hangover in the Asian century
From offshore detention to uneven moral outrage abroad, Australia’s political instincts still reflect an older colonial logic – one that sits uneasily in an Asian century shaped by multipolar power and shifting global authority.
