International Relations

Created
Thu, 24/08/2023 - 04:50
It is hard to gauge the importance of the Trumpist Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event that took place in Sydney this weekend. There were more high-profile figures speaking than previously, and several currently serving politicians alongside white supremacists and antisemites. CPAC’s budget did not allow the recreation of the Nazi “odal” rune stage shape Continue reading »
Created
Wed, 23/08/2023 - 04:50
‘Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad’ What a pity it is that we no longer believe in capricious gods because that would offer a good explanation for the otherwise quite perplexing habit of governments, with intelligent and informed people theoretically at their disposal, to embrace policies which are manifestly an example of Continue reading »
Created
Tue, 22/08/2023 - 04:51
Wellington’s shift in defence policy abandons long-held neutrality, follows US’ anti-China stance. New Zealand has been increasingly bent on asserting a place in the United States-led ranks opposing China in the Asia-Pacific region, following in the footprints of Australia. In recent decades, New Zealand has cultivated a sense of pride in its “independent foreign policy”. Continue reading »
Created
Tue, 22/08/2023 - 04:52
Japan is a member of the Quad – the grouping that claims it is working for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. But in its relations with North Korea, Tokyo is not working for anything free, open, prosperous and inclusive. Former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, created a bizarre abductee issue to derail chances Continue reading »
Created
Tue, 22/08/2023 - 04:57
There never was a chance of overturning the AUKUS folly at the Labor conference. As unpalatable as it might be, the only possibility of extracting Australia from America’s war planning now lies in the bizarre milieu of American politics. And it’s not forlorn. Labor’s leadership was determined to plug a political hole created by the Continue reading »
Created
Mon, 21/08/2023 - 04:55
There are some worrying signs in recent polling which raise the disturbing possibility that a third-party campaign by the Green Party may once again divert enough votes from the Democratic Party candidate, in this case almost certainly Joe Biden, to get Donald Trump over the line in some key states and thereby deliver another Trump Continue reading »
Created
Sat, 19/08/2023 - 04:50
US Secretary of State Tony Blinken tweeted in celebration of Pakistan’s preparations for “free and fair elections” on Wednesday, a week after it was revealed that the US pressured Pakistan to oust its popular democratically elected prime minister Imran Khan last year. “Congratulations to new Pakistan Interim Prime Minister @anwaar_kakar,” tweeted Blinken. “As Pakistan prepares Continue reading »
Created
Sat, 19/08/2023 - 04:58
By entering the AUKUS Partnership in 2021, Australia has undertaken to co-operate with the United States and the United Kingdom, two nuclear-weapon states, with objectives that include acquiring nuclear-powered submarines that would be armed with conventional weapons. This has the potential to weaken both the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), by setting a Continue reading »