World Affairs
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GEOFF MILLER. The Asia-Pacific: Busy Times, Big Choices
A number of recent, current and in prospect events emphasise the importance of clear thinking in regard to Australia’s policy stances in the Asia-Pacific. They include the Trump Administration’s warming to China (despite pre-election rhetoric) especially in regard to trade, where a major deal has been done very quickly, and cooperation in regard to North Continue reading »
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ALISON BROINOWSKI. The Merkel moment: wherever that works.
If NATO cannot rely on a Trump administration, should Australian leaders not see this as an opportunity to face the facts? Continue reading »
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Manchester and terrorism, Part 1 of 3.
The swamp fights back In this three-part article, Ramesh Thakur argues that the scale of the terrorist threat to Western societies must be kept in perspective, that Western actions in the Middle East may have fomented more terrorism than they have defeated, and that an attitude of denial regarding the potential for problems of large-scale Continue reading »
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JOHN TULLOH. My first foreign news assignment 50 years ago – the Six Day War.
This article was first published in Foreign Correspondents’ Association Australia and South Pacific website. Next week, John Tulloh will be writing on the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War. It was mid-afternoon Sydney time on a winter’s Monday 50 years ago that events were set in train which to this day remain a major Continue reading »
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The UN draft treaty to ban the bomb is an important milestone on the road to nuclear abolition
The recently published draft text of a convention to ban the bomb provides a good basis to complete negotiations of a treaty to prohibit the acquisition, development, production, manufacture, possession, transfer, testing, extra-territorial stationing and use of nuclear weapons as major steps on the road to abolition. Continue reading »
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RICHARD BUTLER. Trump Tour: Unbound Cynicism
President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia and then Israel served entirely cynical international and domestic political purposes. All contentious issues were ignored. The great power competition in the Middle East: US/Saudi and Russia/Iran has deepened. Continue reading »
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EMILY FISCHER et al. Playing God: The Immigration Minister’s Unrestrained Power .
The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection holds numerous discretionary powers that allow him or her to make substantial and lifelong decisions about the lives of vulnerable people. These powers lack transparency, accountability and are not amenable to review by the courts. Continue reading »
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JEAN-PIERRE LEHMANN. As China and US get closer, Japan is left in not so splendid isolation in Asia Pacific
Tokyo needs to make peace with its neighbours, especially those that were its former victim. Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. Miners, taxation and donations. (Repost 17/10/2013)
In my blog of June 3 “the Miners Lament”, I pointed out that the large foreign owned mining companies in Australia may yet regret that they rejected out of hand the Resources Super Profits Tax that the Rudd Government proposed. Politically of course the miners will never admit it but I suspect that at some Continue reading »
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CAVAN HOGUE. Trump and the Wahhabis
President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia does not sit well with a demand to fight the Wahhabi inspired terrorists but support for a dictatorship that suits American commercial and strategic interests is a long standing US practice. We may wonder whether getting involved in religious disputes is a good idea. Continue reading »
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JOHN TULLOH. The winds of change in Iran.
‘Iran’s nation chose the path of interaction with the world, away from violence and extremism’. President Hassan Rouhani on his election victory looks forward to a fresh new era for Iran. Continue reading »
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ALISON BROINOWSKI. Press freedom is a minefield
Julian Assange has cleared the Swedish legal minefield between him and freedom. The two which lie ahead are British and American. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL McKINLEY. Australia-as-Concierge: The Need for a Change of Occupation
Albert Camus, the renowned French philosopher, author and journalist, frequently recounted the story of the concierge in the Gestapo headquarters who went about her everyday business in the midst of torture explaining, “I never pay attention to what my tenants do.” Continue reading »
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The White Man’s Media — Part I
Ramesh Thakur highlights how a biased coverage of the war on terror and the Iraq War by the US media eroded US soft power. Continue reading »
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The White Man’s media – Part 2
In the second part, Ramesh Thakur extends his analysis of bias in the Western media to their coverage of Iran, Russia, Ukraine and India. Continue reading »
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TIM LINDSEY. Conviction Politics: The Jailing of Jakarta’s Governor Ahok
The conviction for blasphemy last Tuesday of the outgoing governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (known as ‘Ahok’) was not a surprise. It followed a common pattern for blasphemy cases in Indonesia. Continue reading »
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JOHN TULLOH. Jockeying for the big prize in Iran
‘Trump’s rhetoric towards Iran is so harsh that to have someone on the other side who is equally harsh might provoke an unintentional confrontation’. Continue reading »
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JULIAN CRIBB. The war drums are beating…
Australia risks being drawn into new US wars in Asia. Having been continually at war since 2001 at America’s behest, it is time the Australian people had their say about whether we should continue to engage in belligerent actions in Asia, which are also costing us our freedoms. Continue reading »
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JEAN – PIERRE LEHMANN. Conspicuous Western & Japanese Absence from Belt & Road Initiative Summit is a Big Mistake
The conspicuous absence of the heads of state from the major Western economic powers and Japan at the 14/15 May Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) in Beijing is a big mistake and a missed opportunity for enhancing dynamic and cooperative globalisation. Continue reading »
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ALLAN PATIENCE. What values are we talking about?
How much longer must we endure the so-called culture wars? How much longer do we have to put up with vacuous phrases like “Australian values” in our politics? Now, it seems, the Prime Minister has taken to using this disagreeable language. Continue reading »
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JAMES O’NEILL. The Ongoing Disaster of Australia’s Policy in Afghanistan
According to a recent news report Australia is “open” to a request from the United States for more troops to be sent to Afghanistan. According to the report, Australian troops “mostly work in a training and support role aimed at strengthening the Afghan force’s ability to protect their own country.” “It is important,” said Continue reading »
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The Honest History Book (UNSW Press 2017)
This is a book of singular importance. It provides the evidence and materials for the correction of the distortion of Australia’s history resulting from Anzackery and the continuing insistence that our national character was forged in and remains defined by our participation in foreign wars. Continue reading »
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LOUIS COOPER. Trump and Trudeau – Trouble at the border
The political, economic and social connections between Canada and the United States of America are being kicked and stomped on. Continue reading »
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Is the sun setting on the US imperium?
China is on the march to a dominant military footprint while American policy lacks strategic intent. Continue reading »
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NICK DEANE. Keep Australia out of US wars
In the event of war between the USA and any other nation in our region, Australia could not avoid involvement, because of its alliance with the USA. That is the reality we need to address. To avoid the possibility of war, an independent foreign policy for Australia is urgently required. Mr Trump’s presidency only adds Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Trump’s ‘smart cookies’
President Trump’s characterisation of Kim Jong-un as a “smart cookie” illustrates the learning process he is undergoing about how to operate in Asia and who might be contributing to it. Learning how to manage President Duterte may be another challenge. Continue reading »
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RICHARD BUTLER. Afghanistan: Early Warning.
The US is planning to increase its forces in Afghanistan. It is bound to ask us to do the same. In the light of his performance in New York, our Prime Minister seems certain to accede, and do so without prior public or parliamentary discussion. Continue reading »
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Appeasement and learning the right lessons of history
The lesson of Munich for major powers Britain and France was that you do not buy peace with fellow major powers tomorrow by giving in to their demands today. But for smaller powers, the lesson was that faced with the prospect of war with a major power, your allies and guarantors will rather sell you Continue reading »
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ELAINE PEARSON. Australia Should Suspend Military Sales to Saudi Arabia
The Australian government should immediately halt military sales to Saudi Arabia following numerous unlawful Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Australia should also release details about military weapons and material it has sold to other members of the Saudi-led coalition carrying out the Yemen campaign and whether any Australian-made arms Continue reading »
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MARK BEESON. ANZUS: Too obliging for our own good?
Malcolm Turnbull is dropping everything and travelling to America to meet a man that only recently subjected him to a very public humiliation. Although members of the Trump administration have tried to make amends for this initial snub to a supposedly valued ally, one might have thought the damage had been done. Continue reading »