Podcasts by Between the Lines
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North Korea. 21st century enlightenment. USSR: a short history from 2022-04-16T17:05
Veteran correspondent Jean Lee explains why 'it never pays to forget North Korea'. Steven Schwartz remembers those brave souls who challenged and changed mainstream thought. Shelia Fitzpatrick's co...
ListenFrancis Fukuyama's liberalism and its discontents. Kevin Rudd's China, the US and an avoidable war. from 2022-04-09T17:05
Francis Fukuyama defends liberalism and assesses the situation in Ukraine. Former P.M Kevin Rudd offers a way forward in the fraught China–U.S relationship.
ListenGlobal consensus on Ukraine? China’s foothold in the Solomons. Britain vs France and the colonisation of Australia from 2022-04-02T17:05
Ed Luce discusses Biden's 'gaffe' and the illusion of global consensus on Ukraine. Anne-Marie Brady explains why China's move in the South Pacific is concerning and provocative. Margret Cameron...
ListenAlexander Downer on Ukraine 2022. Max Hastings’ Cuba 1962. A global economic outlook. from 2022-03-26T17:05
Former Minister for Foreign Affairs - Alexander Downer discusses international relations. Max Hastings contrasts the 1962 Cuban missile crisis with the current situation in Ukraine. Economists Su-...
ListenThe West re-energised. Putin's war in Syria. Malcolm Fraser's foreign policy. from 2022-03-19T17:05
Is a rules based world order still possible? Putin’s 2015 war in Syria and the legacy of his strategically successful intervention. Malcolm Fraser- a dominant figure in Australian political histo...
ListenBacklash: Pacifist nations rearm from 2022-03-12T17:05
The invasion of Ukraine has triggered a marked change in attitudes towards security in Europe and Asia with both Germany and Japan increasing their spending on defence. Anne Henderson's biography ...
ListenIt’s all about Ukraine from 2022-03-05T17:05
Putin's domestic opposition. The view from South-East Asia. Prospects for net zero.
ListenJohn Bolton on Putin. Misogynist attacks on conservative women. Nixon’s 1972 China visit. from 2022-02-26T17:05
John Bolton: the Ukraine, Russian and China. 'Only Richard Nixon could go to China in 1972' – Evelyn Goh explains how and why. Parnell McGuiness on the left's double standards.
ListenAmerican power over extended. Albanese's political prospects. The bombing of Darwin. A tribute to P.J O'Rourke. from 2022-02-19T17:05
A challenge to the mindset that the U.S can be everywhere all the time. Does Albo have the right tools to do the job as PM ? Australia attacked 80 years ago. Satirist P.J O'Rourke remembered.
ListenMyanmar post-coup. Churchill reassessed. Cartoonist Bill Leak's Bio. from 2022-02-12T17:05
Myanmar: The state of the nation one year after the military coup. Winston Churchill's legacy critically reappraised. Cartoonist Bill Leak remembered.
ListenScott Morrison’s foreign policy. China in the Pacific. How the pandemic changed us. from 2022-02-05T17:05
Paul Kelly's new book Morrison's Mission, China's growing influence in the South Pacific and the pandemic's social and cultural legacy.
ListenThe Russia-Ukraine crisis, an unflattering portrait of Boris Johnson and the 2022 federal election from 2022-01-29T17:05
Tensions increase between the US and Russia over Ukraine, will 'Party-gate' bring down Boris Johnson? And reading the federal election tea leaves
ListenWhat next for US-China relations? from 2021-12-16T13:30
As the US-China rivalry intensifies, what does it mean for Australia?
ListenAnne-Marie Slaughter on The Biden doctrine, restoring faith in democracy and remembering Pearl Harbour from 2021-12-09T13:30
Biden's approach to foreign policy, the crisis of Australian democracy, and 80 years since Pearl Harbour
ListenThirty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and why the far-right is moving away from climate change denialism from 2021-12-02T13:30
America won the Cold War but why did they lose the post-Soviet peace? And the far-right's unlikely shift to end climate change skepticism
ListenWill US-led inflation affect Australian interest rates? And China's handling of the disappearance of Peng Shuai from 2021-11-25T13:30
Does America’s inflation rate mean faster rising interest rates in Australia? And what does the disappearance of Peng Shuai say about China?
ListenThe Trump- Russia collusion'hoax'and the US- China deal to combat climate change from 2021-11-18T13:30
Did Putin really play a role in Trump's 2016 election victory? And the US-China pact for action on climate change
ListenIndia and Australia strengthen ties in the face of a rising China from 2021-11-11T13:30
Is the India - Australia relationship even more important than the Quad?
ListenCOP26: how will the world agree to slash emissions? from 2021-11-04T13:30
Will Glasgow address the right issues to tackle climate change?
ListenAlan Tudge on the challenges of teaching Australian history, and mounting evidence of the Wuhan coronavirus lab leak from 2021-10-28T13:30
The balancing act of teaching both Indigenous and European- Australian history. And the Chinese government denial of the Wuhan lab 'theory'
ListenCOP26 - can we really stop relying on fossil fuels? And the legacy of Colin Powell from 2021-10-21T13:30
Can anything meaningful be achieved at COP26? And the passing of Colin Powell
ListenCOP26 - can we really stop relying on fossil fuels? And the legacy of Colin Powell from 2021-10-21T13:30
Can anything meaningful be achieved at COP26? And the passing of Colin Powell
What now for post-Merkel Germany? And a bipartisan approach to China relations from 2021-10-14T13:30
After the 'boring' result of the recent election, what is Germany's post-Angela Merkel future? And two opposing senators take on China.
ListenShould vaccine passports be mandated? And the Philippines'strained relationship with China from 2021-10-07T13:30
Are vaccine passports the answer to achieving a COVID-normal life? And how the Philippines are targeted by China
ListenHow do Westminster and Washington justify AUKUS? And Anthony Albanese's working-class rugby league roots from 2021-09-30T13:30
Will our new security alliance with the US and the UK just provoke China? And Anthony Albanese on his working-class constituents.... and rugby league
ListenIn defence of the AUKUS alliance, and meet the generation who will inherit the fallout from COVID from 2021-09-23T13:30
Does the AUKUS alliance constitute a loss of sovereignty? And how the next generation will cope with the COVID recovery
ListenOur first Indigenous MP and North Korea's'zero cases'of COVID from 2021-09-16T13:30
Paying tribute to Neville Bonner, our first Aboriginal MP and how has North Korea's tyrannical regime coped with COVID-19?
ListenWho does America blame for the mess in Afghanistan? And how COVID has exposed a splintering of our Federation from 2021-09-09T13:30
Bush, Obama, Trump or Biden: who should we blame for the crisis in Afghanistan? And COVID has exposed our increasingly fractured federation. But was it flawed at its 1901 inception?
ListenISIS-K challenges the Taliban; and Philip Ruddock on the 20 year anniversary of the Tampa crisis from 2021-09-02T13:30
How has ISIS affected the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan? And Philip Ruddock on the 20th anniversary of the Tampa crisis
ListenDefending the US withdrawal from Afghanistan from 2021-08-26T13:30
How does the Taliban victory in Afghanistan affect America's reputation?
ListenPaul Wolfowitz on the 20-year war as the Taliban reclaims Afghanistan from 2021-08-19T13:30
As the Taliban storms into Kabul, Paul Wolfowitz reflects on the 'never-ending war' and Biden's withdrawal of troops
ListenWhat will the global economy of the 2020s bring for developing countries? And the history of unsung'true believers'of the Labor Party from 2021-08-12T13:30
Could the 2020s be a good economic decade for developing nations? And the very interesting Labor people you’ve never heard about
ListenThe Southeast Asia COVID crisis worsens, and the'Wuhan lab'theory from 2021-08-05T13:30
Indonesia is now the epicentre of COVID. How did the outbreak spiral out of control? And the 'Wuhan lab' theory gains more attention
ListenDo COVID lockdowns help or hurt the community? from 2021-07-29T13:30
It’s been 18 months since the COVID outbreak in Australia, yet half the country is in lockdown. Is a zero cases strategy still justified?
ListenChina: friend or foe? from 2021-07-22T13:30
Is Canberra’s response to China in our national interest or is it driven by hysteria and xenophobia?
ListenThe'toxic time bomb'of Australia's climate and energy policy; and is nuclear energy part of the solution? from 2021-07-15T13:30
Is Australia’s climate stance an outlier in the court of global opinion or is the whole world still heavily addicted to fossil fuels?; and can nuclear energy help us reach net emission goals faster...
ListenThe Taliban’s march to Kabul; and how Australia can'manage its relationship'with China from 2021-07-08T13:30
The Taliban is set to increase its control over Afghanistan. How much responsibility for this impending disaster lies with the withdrawal of troops?
ListenOn the 50th anniversary of Gough Whitlam's delegation to China and Henry Kissinger's secret mission from 2021-07-01T13:30
50 years ago Gough Whitlam led an opposition Labor Party delegation to China. At the same time, President Nixon announced his own invitation to the Communist country.
ListenMore change of leadership in Tehran and Jerusalem; and Myanmar: a human rights disaster from 2021-06-24T13:30
Does the change in Israeli leadership open the way for a renewal of the "peace process" between Israelis and Palestinians?; and the global powerlessness to stop the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar
ListenJonathan Dimbleby on'Operation Barbarossa'and how Hitler lost the war from 2021-06-17T13:30
Was Stalin's Russia the real force behind Hitler's defeat?
ListenAmerica: revolution, constitution and how they helped save the iconic Australian koala from 2021-06-10T13:30
How did the English and American Revolutions produce the American Constitution?; and how the US helped save the iconic Australian koala.
ListenNiall Ferguson on the'politics of catastrophe' from 2021-06-03T13:30
What can past pandemics, earthquakes, famines or wars teach us about how to prepare for the next one?
ListenWhat does the next generation think about Australia’s China policy? from 2021-05-27T13:30
Foreign-policy experts dominate our China debate but it's the next generation who will bear the consequences. What do they think should happen next?
ListenSheila Fitzpatrick on the Cold War migrants of Russia from 2021-05-20T13:30
Who were the Russian migrants who made it to Australia during the Cold War?
ListenChina's pledge to battle climate change; and political realignment in the UK from 2021-05-13T13:30
Is China's pledge to cut its carbon footprint, genuine? Or a ploy to keep its trading partners happy?; and an unexpected win for Britain's Tory Party
ListenHas Modi failed India?; and expanding our digital relationships with south-east Asia from 2021-05-06T13:30
India is now the epicentre of the pandemic and on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. Has Modi let his people down in their hour of need?; and why Australia is supercharging its digital engage...
Listen100 days of Joe Biden; and the'unmitigated disaster'of the Bay of Pigs from 2021-04-29T13:30
President Joe Biden outlined his economic, climate and diplomatic plans in his first speech to joint sessions of Congress. Can he really promote democracy in a world growing more dangerous?; and wh...
ListenJosh Frydenberg on Andrew Peacock; and Chris Bowen on political'charlatans' from 2021-04-22T13:30
After the recent passing of Andrew Peacock, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg describes his legacy; and former treasurer, Chris Bowen, says the fakes, the fraudsters and the snake-oil merchants are winning...
ListenNicolle Flint MP on her career-ending mistreatment in politics; and how'cancel culture'threatens democracy from 2021-04-15T13:30
Nicolle Flint MP talks about the sexist abuse she’s faced throughout her career, not from within her own party, but from political opponents and activists outside of Canberra; and does 'cancel cult...
ListenPat McGorry on the'missing middle'of funding for mental health; and why things look good for post-COVID economic recovery from 2021-04-08T13:30
Should philanthropy have to fill the funding gap between state and federal government? Surely it is our leaders' responsibility to provide the mental health needs of all Australians; and while ther...
Listen300 years of prime ministership: the good, the bad and the ugly from 2021-04-01T13:30
British Robert Walpole served for 21 years as the very first prime minister. Robert Menzies held office in Australia for 18 years. What distinguishes a good prime minister from a bad one? Has the j...
ListenBangladesh- 50 years of independence; and how Trump accelerated the polarising of politics from 2021-03-25T13:30
Bangladesh was labelled a 'basket case' when independence was established. Now it is a booming nation. How did they do it? Also; Trump led America down the slippery slope of division, then left off...
ListenCould Syria be the new Lebanon?; Labor and the WA landslide; and is Putin reviving the'iron curtain'? from 2021-03-18T13:30
A decade after the civil war, is Syria the new Lebanon?; The Labor party won the WA election in a landslide, but will Premier Mark McGowan go the distance?; and Putin's revival of the 'iron curtain'.
ListenWhy Australians chose liberalism over socialism; and will'Megxit'prove to be worse than Brexit? from 2021-03-11T13:30
Global disasters can require deeper government intervention in the economy and society. Could some of the measures taken during the pandemic, remain in place after it passes? And what does it mean ...
ListenHow will Labor win back its'working class'voters?; and was the'Arab Spring'ever going to deliver democracy to the Middle East? from 2021-03-04T13:30
Centre-left parties are bleeding the blue-collar vote to the conservatives. Globally. How can the ALP broaden its appeal? Also, with the benefit of hindsight, was the 'Arab Spring' ever going to de...
ListenPrime Minister John Howard evaluates his time in office from 2021-02-25T13:30
It's 25 years since the coalition was elected to an eleven year term in power. As leader, John Howard represents one of the greatest political comebacks in modern history. How did he do it?
ListenChina steps up threats to reclaim Taiwan; and why we need to start respecting Russia from 2021-02-18T13:30
With China’s rise as a great power, it is paying more attention to reclaiming territory, like Taiwan, that it has long regarded as its own. How should the US and its allies, including Australia, ...
ListenEgypt and the Arab Winter; and can the military get away with another coup in Myanmar? from 2021-02-11T13:30
A decade ago, the Arab Spring promised to end dictatorship and bring self-government to people across the Middle East. Yet it mostly led to either renewed dictatorship, civil war, extremist terror,...
ListenCan Australia and China learn to get along? from 2021-02-04T13:30
The relationship between China and Australia continues to deteriorate and it goes beyond trade sanctions. By standing up to China, is Canberra just 'pulling the tail of the tiger'? Or are we right ...
ListenIndigenous support for Australia Day; and Trump is gone. Now what? from 2021-01-28T13:30
Re-naming Australia Day won't help, says a prominent leader of our Indigenous community, who defends our national holiday. Jacinta Nampijinpa-Price says that moves to call January 26, “invasion day...
ListenWorking towards'Utopia'in 2021; and with the rise of China, what next for the US? from 2020-12-17T13:30
If we use what we have learned from 2020, 'Utopia' can be ours; and with the rise of China, what is next for the USA?
Listen2020: the year in review from 2020-12-10T13:30
2020 has many contenders for events with enormous consequence: the COVID pandemic, racial tensions, cancel culture and China, to name a few. It's easy to identify the 'losers', but who are the 'win...
ListenHow to move forward with China; and should Beethoven be'cancelled?' from 2020-12-03T13:30
Calls are growing for Canberra to end our dependence on China, but can Australia afford to cut ties with our most important trading partner? Also, should Beethoven be subject to 'cancel culture'?
ListenThe legacy of September 11, 2001 from 2020-11-26T13:30
The 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US are arguably the most significant and consequential events of the past 20 years. But beyond the initial 'shock and awe' revenge on al Qaida, the war on terror h...
ListenIs Boris Johnson on political life support?; and the case against a Royal Commission into media diversity from 2020-11-19T13:30
Boris Johnson has cleared out leading Bexiteers, who’ve run his government since he became prime minister. Now what for Britain as it prepares for life after the EU? Also, is a Royal Commission int...
ListenDonald Trump is finished, but will'Trumpism'prevail?; and de-bunking the myth of royal interference with Gough Whitlam's dismissal from 2020-11-12T13:30
As Trump leaves office it seems that 'Trumpism' is here to stay. Should Trump's base trust a new leader? Also, on the 45th anniversary of the Dismissal, evidence shows that there was no conspiracy ...
ListenAmerica remains bitterly divided; and Macron's attempt to balance faith with freedom of speech from 2020-11-05T13:30
How will it be possible for Trump or Biden to govern the US when tension is at its worst since the Civil War?; and how Emmanuel Macron defend press freedoms in secular France in the face of the Isl...
ListenTrump's achievements in the Middle East; and why James Baker is'the man who ran Washington' from 2020-10-29T13:30
Donald Trump’s foreign policy is usually met with derision. But while critics mock his diplomacy just days away from the US presidential election, Trump has had a few victories to put in his closin...
ListenNZ election: why voters chose'health over wealth'; and the rise of socialism in the time of COVID from 2020-10-22T13:30
Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party has won a stunning victory in a landslide election but if NZ does not sort out its economic challenges quickly, could our trans-Tasman cousins become a failed state? A...
ListenHow COVID has worsened modern slavery; and is America breaking its own rules? from 2020-10-15T13:30
Modern slavery has worsened with the economic fallout of COVID. As the supply chain falters during the global lockdown, sacked workers have become even more vulnerable to exploitation. Also, is the...
ListenThe Trump'clown-verse'continues; and China's unrealistic green energy goals from 2020-10-08T13:30
Trump's response to COVID and the farcical presidential debate cause yet more concern for the US election. If America no longer stands as a global inspiration, where does that leave us? Also, Chi...
ListenHas Scott Morrison spent too much?; and can China rise peacefully? from 2020-10-01T13:30
As the Liberal Government prepares for the federal budget, is it going through an ideological revolution? For several decades, conservatives have supported smaller government and fiscal prudence bu...
ListenDoes Asia prefer Trump over Biden?; and why isolating Russia doesn't make sense from 2020-09-24T13:30
Is Donald Trump a better bet for Asia than Joe Biden? While the region’s political elites are far more worried about China than climate change, Trump is more focused on containing China than decarb...
ListenWhy our economy remains stronger than others; and yes, Trump can still win the US election from 2020-09-17T13:30
Australia’s economy is recovering more strongly from COVID than other comparable countries. Why? Thank China. And can Donald Trump once again defy the odds and win re-election? Yes he can, if it be...
ListenIs Home Affairs too big?; also Rana Mitter on China's new nationalism from 2020-09-10T13:30
Is the Department of Home Affairs too big? Peter Edwards and Jacinta Carroll on the legacy of the Hope Royal Commissions into intelligence which recommended a clear separation between intelligence ...
ListenShinzo Abe resignation and Catherine Belton on the Navalny poisoning, Belarus and Putin’s people from 2020-09-03T13:30
Shinzo Abe resignation Shinzo Abe is Japan’s most successful post-war political leader. This week he resigned for health reasons. So what is his legacy for Japan and the wider region? Plus, Puti...
ListenWhat does South East Asia want from the US and China?; and Robert Draper’s To Start a War from 2020-08-27T13:30
What do the neighbours think? South-east Asia is increasingly anxious about the rise of China. But what does the region think about an erratic and uncertain America? Also: To start a war Robert...
ListenThe French history behind Lebanon’s problems; challenging the prisoners of war narrative; remembering Brent Scowcroft from 2020-08-20T13:30
Joshua Landis: The French mandate and Lebanese history Lebanon’s was once a model for the Middle East. Today, it looks more like Syria or Iraq. Why? And should the French be held accountable? Als...
ListenBiden picks Kamala Harris; and should we revive manufacturing in Australia? from 2020-08-13T13:30
Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris for Vice President If Joe Biden wins the US election he will be the oldest person ever to make it to the White House. His age at swearing in would be 78 – older than...
ListenElaine Pearson on free speech at UNSW and Hiroshima 75th anniversary from 2020-08-06T13:30
Defending the right to offend China on campus Last week, Human Rights Watch Australia Director Elaine Pearson was interviewed by the media department at the University of New South Wales about the...
ListenAustralian independence at the Ausmin talks; Thatcherism and Reagonomics: lessons for economic recovery? from 2020-07-30T13:30
All way with DJT? This week Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Foreign Minister Marise Payne flew to Washington to attend the annual Ausmin talks. The backdrop to this year’s talks is a series of...
ListenLiberals pushing back against cancel culture in the US; the withering of the US-South Korea alliance from 2020-07-23T13:30
Liberals pushing back against cancel culture in the US Some people call it cancel culture because it is based on mainly online activism aimed at 'cancelling' or withdrawing support from a celebri...
ListenCovid missteps in the UK, Will Putin be president for life? And, genocide denialism in Srebrenica from 2020-07-16T13:30
UK update with Isabelle Oakeshott Boris Johnson was elected in a landslide to get Brexit finalised. But his mishandling of the Coronavirus crisis has his approval ratings in free fall. Meanwhile, ...
ListenMuscling up to China and 25 years since Srebrenica from 2020-07-09T13:30
China — the unnamed adversary in Australia’s defence review Last week the Morrison government launched its Defence Strategy and Force Structure Review, promising $270 billion over the next decade ...
ListenRemembering Owen Harries and Hamilton the musical from 2020-07-02T13:30
Vale Owen Harries Welsh-born Owen Harries was one of Australia’s most significant foreign-policy thinkers. A conservative and realist, he battled the doves during the Vietnam era and the hawks dur...
ListenUnderstanding the border dispute between India and China, and the Gillard-Rudd leadership coup ten years on from 2020-06-25T13:30
Border tensions between China and India The Himalayan border region between China and India has been in dispute since 1962. This month, a violent clash between troops resulted in twenty Indian and...
ListenGeoffrey Blainey on the vandalism of historic statues, and the geopolitics of Coronavirus conspiracies from 2020-06-18T13:30
Preserving the past Geoffrey Blainey — who coined the term ‘the tyranny of distance’- is one of Australia’s most prolific and well known historians. He discusses Australia’s record on race relati...
ListenThe Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and a trifecta of troubles in the US from 2020-06-11T13:30
An anti-China alliance? The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China brings together politicians from liberal democracies including Canada, Norway, Germany and the US. Labor Senator Kimberly Kitching...
ListenHow did America get to its current state? And a look behind the mask of Antifa in Australia from 2020-06-04T13:30:26
"How did we get here?"
ListenWhy the US should absolutely not lead a new Cold War against China. Plus, meet two Indigenous sceptics of symbolic reconciliation from 2020-05-28T13:30:36
A Cold War with China will make a bad situation worse
ListenAustralia's balancing act with China, and the woman who became chief of staff to the Prime Minister at 22 from 2020-05-21T13:30:35
Australia's balancing act: Constraining, not containing China
ListenKevin Rudd on anarchy in the post COVID-19 world order, and could stable democracy be a reality in Iraq? from 2020-05-14T13:30
Who is going to come out on top in the post-COVID world order: China or the US?
ListenIs the Swedish model a death sentence? And, does Australia need a post-Covid economic partnership with the US, Japan and India? from 2020-05-07T13:30
Sweden's virus experiment: death sentence, or a way forward?
ListenEconomics of coronavirus recovery, and Alexander Downer on China from 2020-04-30T13:30
How do we revive the economy once the pandemic passes? Coronavirus has Australia headed for a deep recession, so what can we do now to plan our way out of it? Is the answer more government interve...
ListenTurnbull's legacy, and 75 years after Hitler's death: who did he really see as the enemy? from 2020-04-23T13:30
Weighing up Turnbull’s legacy This week, former Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull published his memoir A Bigger Picture. In it he settles old scores with colleagues over his 2018 ousting, which he d...
ListenBoris Johnson's COVID leadership, and Margaret Thatcher's legacy from 2020-04-16T13:30
What impact will Boris’ bout of COVID-19 have on his leadership and the nation’s fight against the virus? His former boss, political columnist Charles Moore weighs in. Later in the program Moore d...
ListenDuterte's coronavirus response, plus Australian PMs and power from 2020-04-09T13:30
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has told the army to shoot to kill anyone who violates strict COVID-19 lockdowns. Has he gone too far, or is this just more of the strong-man machismo that mad...
ListenSingapore’s coronavirus advice to Australia, and Max Hastings on the Dambusters from 2020-04-02T13:30:33
Hear from the chair of Infection Control at the National University Hospital in Singapore, who says home isolation is impossible to enforce, and everyone who tests positive for coronavirus should b...
ListenViral economics and, is this the end of globalisation? from 2020-03-26T13:30
Is the government pulling the right levers to mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19. How long can the Australian economy survive shut downs before we tip into irreparable damage?
ListenCOVID-19, Trump and China, and the ALP’s election fiasco from 2020-03-19T13:30
How the US and China have handled the coronavirus contagion and the secret history of Labor's election debacle.
ListenKishore Mahbubani: COVID-19 won’t stop China’s rise from 2020-03-12T13:00
Kishore Mahbubani says COVID-19 won’t put dent on China’s ascendency, and the US should work out a more thoughtful, long-term strategy for managing China’s rise. Kishore Mahbubani, Distingu...
ListenMalaysia’s Game of Thrones, and three new cases of political interference in New Zealand from 2020-03-05T13:00
Has Malaysia’s Machiavelli made his last power play? Ninety four year old Doctor Mahathir Mohamad shocked the world when he resigned as Malaysia’s Prime Minister last month. It was seen by some as...
ListenWhat happens if Uncle Sam goes home? And, French politics with The Economist’s Sophie Pedder from 2020-02-27T13:30
Uncle Sam: homeward bound? From Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders, a growing chorus of voices in the US is calling for a strategy of global retrenchment. But what will long-time allies like Australia...
ListenA Pacific compact to counter China’s rise; And, does appeasement deserve its bad rap? from 2020-02-20T13:30
A Pacific compact to counter China’s rise.
ListenJokowi visit: can good neighbours become good friends? Andrew Stone on why we need radical economic reform from 2020-02-13T13:30
Indonesia and Australia: can good neighbours become good friends? Indonesia’s president gave a landmark address to Australia’s parliament this week, calling for an end to divisive identity politi...
ListenCaucus chaos, Bloomberg's cash splash and Trump's acquittal from 2020-02-06T13:30
Caucus chaos, Bloomberg’s cash splash and Trump’s acquittal: what does it mean for American foreign policy? A surreal week in US politics, with a huge debacle counting votes at the Iowa caucus to...
ListenDoes killing Soleimani really change anything in the Middle East? And, are China and Russia becoming BFFs? from 2020-01-30T13:30
Soleimani killing: Was Washington's targeted killing of Iranian major general Soleimani justified? What’s the strategy behind it, and what kind of blow back will the US face? Danielle Pletka: se...
ListenHas China lost Taiwan?; The man who mapped the world from 2020-01-23T13:30
Has China lost Taiwan? We discuss the stunning election win of Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan earlier this month. Has China lost Taiwan for good? Or does the election just make military action more likely?...
ListenReviewing the'unlosable election'and why we no longer need NATO from 2019-12-26T13:30
Looking back at the shock election result, Gerard Henderson says it's no wonder the media got it so wrong. Despite the forecast by the academics, the polls and the pundits, there is no substitute f...
Listen2019- the year in review from 2019-12-12T13:30
The good, the bad and the ugly of politics in 2019. Expert commentators join Tom to discuss the shock election result, China, America and the world. Will the lessons of this year roll into 2020? ...
ListenConvict Colony- the first few months of white Australia from 2019-12-05T13:30
We know we were colonised by the British and built by the criminals they sent here. But how much do we really understand about the very beginning of European settlement in Australia? David Hill, ...
ListenAre we paranoid of China? And why our approach to homelessness is all wrong from 2019-11-28T13:30
Whatever you think about the Communist regime, there is no market that will replace China for decades as far as Australia is concerned. So why are we so worried about China’s intentions? Also L...
ListenDoes Australia face a'cold peace'with China? And how the Liberals became the'surprise party'of 2019 from 2019-11-21T13:30
Does Australia face a 'cold peace' with China? The recent refusal of entry to two Australian politicians certainly fans that fear. James Paterson, Liberal Senator from Victoria Andrew Hastie, L...
ListenAustralia's very own Brexit and how to be a dictator from 2019-11-14T13:30
Why haven't we in Australia witnessed a populist explosion? Not One Nation nor Clive Palmer can compare with the nativism now seen across Europe and the US. There have been no Trump or Brexit mo...
ListenWhere to now for Labor? And will the UK get Brexit for Christmas? from 2019-11-07T13:30
Six months after losing the unlosable election, what now for the Australian Labor Party? Some believe that Bill Shorten took the right mix of policies to the May 18 election. Others say there shou...
ListenNow that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, what next for ISIS? And 75 years of the Liberal Party from 2019-10-31T13:30
Islamic State mastermind Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead. Now what? After five years of his Sunni jihadist movement's caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq, and widespread barbarism, video-recorde...
ListenJoe Biden advisor on why Australia should play a larger leadership role in the Indo-Pacific from 2019-10-24T13:30
Joe Biden's advisor, Nicholas Burns, blames China for the 'theft of American intellectual property.' He says they have 'ripped off part of the natural wealth of the US' and that President Trump u...
ListenHow Winston Churchill defeated Nazism despite his'black dog' from 2019-10-17T13:30
Winston Churchill inspired his fellow Britons to resist the rise of the Nazis and led them to victory in World War Two. All this in the face of a complex childhood, a love for alcohol and a self-...
ListenWhy this human rights activist was banned from visiting China, and when philanthropy tackles the jobs of government from 2019-10-10T13:30
What did this beauty queen do to be banned from entering China? It is the 70th anniversary of China's Communist Revolution but when it comes to human rights, how far has the regime come? Activist ...
ListenWhy Trump's impeachment is a bad idea and remembering Jacques Chirac's opposition to the invasion of Iraq from 2019-10-03T13:30
If Trump is impeached, can American politics regain the trust of the voting public? Either way, there is no guarantee that the Democrats will win the 2020 election. Pat Buchanan, author and former ...
ListenIran's'exploratory violence'and will PM Trudeau be de-throned? from 2019-09-26T13:30
The US wants Iran's 'exploratory violence' to be discussed at this week's UN General Assembly. Both American and Saudi officials blame Iran for an attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. And de...
ListenThe China dilemma: will it spoil Scott Morrison's meeting with Trump? And American-style philanthropy from 2019-09-19T13:30
The PM is invited to a rare state dinner at the Whitehouse. And although the relationship between Morrison and Trump is warm, could it be over before the main course arrives if they clash over Chin...
ListenBoris'battle for Brexit and Zimbabwe after the death of Mugabe from 2019-09-12T13:30
Boris Johnson has one job: to make Brexit happen. But three years after the vote to depart the EU, the British parliament sits stagnant. No divorce deal. No general election. And with the prime ...
ListenWhen will China stop persecuting ethnic Uighurs? from 2019-09-05T13:30
The Islamic world has a blind spot when it comes to China's treatment of the Muslim community. Beijing's brutality of the ethnic Uighurs in the north-west province of Xinjiang continues to anger c...
ListenWhy not nuclear energy? And the anniversary of East Timor independence from 2019-08-29T13:30
We are running out of energy so why not consider the nuclear option? Whether it is an act of war, the result of a natural disaster, a side-effect of testing or a total accident, nuclear energy and...
ListenThe resurgence of anti-Semitism; and are we witnessing the'end of Europe'? from 2019-08-22T13:30
80 years after the genocide of 6 million Jews, anti-Semitism is alive and well in Australia and around the globe. For many, the legacy of the Holocaust is not enough to curb discriminating, victimi...
ListenIt's time to tell the truth about indigenous affairs, and why the world should embrace Brexit from 2019-08-15T13:30
Does symbolism like constitutional recognition and changing Australia Day, distract us from addressing the disadvantage of being an indigenous Australian? Jacinta Price says it does. Her upcoming n...
ListenChina and the US- Should Australia choose trade or security? from 2019-08-08T13:30
Australia enjoys the best of both worlds- free trade with China and a strong alliance with the US. How much longer can it last? US Secretary of State says Australia can either 'sell your soul fo...
ListenHow Kim Jong Un is'playing'President Trump from 2019-08-01T13:30
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un continue to make strange bedfellows despite ongoing disagreement about nuclear weaponry. Can the relationship between the mogul US President and the enigmatic leader o...
ListenWho is Boris Johnson? from 2019-07-25T13:30
Who is Britain’s new prime minister Boris Johnson? Is he competent and serious enough to be PM? Or is he just a gaffe-prone joker, who flies by the seat of pants? And is he likely to deliver Brexit?
ListenAmerican foreign policy regrets and the mis-spent earnings of a millennial from 2019-07-18T13:30
Is nationalism an excuse for world domination? If you have an arsenal of weapons like the US does, you need a more nuanced catch-phrase than 'America first' if you don't want to start a war. Bren...
ListenThe world reacts as Iran increases its nuclear power; and the aftermath of the Versaille Peace Treaty from 2019-07-11T13:30
Iran is working towards weapons-grade uranium power. Sanctions are not working to prevent them. Nor is global condemnation. Will warnings from the US contain the country's resolve or will Donald Tr...
ListenIs socialism still relevant in 2019? from 2019-07-04T13:30
The disparity between rich and poor is rapidly growing. Could socialism be the answer to narrow the gap? The claim is that many do not understand the history of the political movement. But without...
ListenThe deification of Israel Folau and winning the'vegan vote' from 2019-06-27T13:30
Israel Folau is no longer in the news for his talent as a rugby player. He is now the lightning rod for debate about freedom of speech, religious expression, discrimination and homophobia. Is he re...
ListenHas Trump broken the'rules-based international order'? from 2019-06-20T13:30
Commentators say that by withdrawing the US from international agreements, Trump has left a void in world leadership. But is he really to blame for the unravelling of the liberal international orde...
ListenOne month after the unlosable election; and why we no longer need NATO from 2019-06-13T13:30
Gerard Henderson says despite the forecast by the academics, the polls and the pundits, there is no substitute for 'staying in touch' with the voting public. Also, 70 years after the establishment ...
Listen30 years after the Tiananmen Square massacre, how strong is Australia's relationship with China? from 2019-06-06T13:30
Despite the Chinese warships entering Sydney Harbour this week, Australia's relationship with China is still mostly influenced by the US.
ListenTheresa May leaves number 10; and insights into the'quiet Australian' from 2019-05-30T13:30
As the shock of the federal election begins to wear off we are hearing more and more about the so-called 'quiet Australians' and If Theresa May can't implement Brexit, who can? As the Conservatives...
ListenFederal election: how did we get it so wrong? from 2019-05-23T13:30
How did we miss the signs that Scott Morrison would win the election? Also, whatever your opinions, Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan appeal to the public.
ListenElection 2019: even some conservatives think we need a Labor government from 2019-05-16T13:30
Australia needs a Shorten government so we can experience 'buyer's regret'. So says conservative Janet Albrechtsen while on the other side of the Indian Ocean, despite the work of Nelson Mandela, m...
ListenPolitical narcissism and the soft diplomacy of beekeeping from 2019-05-09T13:30
Are our major political parties offering a choice or an echo? Also, Australian honeybees are hot property overseas but for how long? As the only country to avoid the deadly varroa mite, others turn...
ListenExporting democracy, Brexit and the anniversary of Thatcher from 2019-05-02T13:30
Forty years after the 'Iron Lady' was elected into office, Britain looks like it may be lurching to the left. While in the US, the country has long-believed that democracy is exportable, all it req...
ListenPrime Ministers Ben Chifley and Robert Menzies from 2019-04-25T13:30
ListenNetanyahu wins again and Australia's changing relationship with China from 2019-04-18T13:30
ListenPeter Varghese on how to improve Australia- Asia relations from 2019-04-11T13:30
We are a part of Asia, so why do we know so little about our nearest neighbours?
ListenPeter Costello and Lindsay Tanner on the budget and identity politics from 2019-04-04T13:30
ListenTrump's exoneration and the Thai elections from 2019-03-28T13:30
ListenThe Indian elections and students demonstrating against climate change policy from 2019-03-21T13:30
ListenMillennial socialism and the importance of Indonesia from 2019-03-14T13:30
ListenWhy are people so anti-Russia? from 2019-03-07T13:30
What is it about Russia that so upsets people?
ListenDespite the circus in Canberra we are still the Lucky Country from 2019-02-28T13:30
ListenThe splintering of the Coalition from 2019-02-21T13:30
Why are so many conservatives defecting from the Liberal Party?
ListenScare campaigns and and the problem with Venezuela from 2019-02-14T13:30
ListenTrump in Iraq and the private lives of politicians from 2019-02-07T13:30
ListenDonald's wall and Theresa's Brexit: will they ever happen? from 2019-01-24T13:30:52
ListenMoving Australia day, the Kellogg-Briand Pact from 2019-01-17T13:30
Two indigenous perspectives on calls to move Australia Day from January 26th, The Kellog-Briand treaty of 1928 and the efforts to legislate peace.
ListenKishore Mahbubani: Has the West lost it? from 2019-01-03T13:30
The West has dominated international affairs for the last two centuries, but is that era coming to an end?
ListenThe Rise of China, end of Pax Americana from 2018-12-27T13:30
Xi Jinping is China's strongest leader since Mao Tse-tung, what is his vision for the Middle Kingdom? Plus, Washington blames Donald Trump for dismantling US global leadership, but is he really the...
Listen2018 a year in review; the case for optimism from 2018-12-13T13:30
A review of the year that was 2018, plus the case for optimism.
ListenUS foreign policy shift, George H W Bush remembrance from 2018-12-06T13:30
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt discuss the shift in US foreign policy, from post-Cold War liberal hegemon to 'America First'. Plus, a remembrance of George H W Bush, 41st President of the United...
ListenMax Hastings reflects on the Vietnam War from 2018-11-29T13:30
The veteran journalist and historian discusses his new book Vietnam: An epic tragedy 1945-1975.
ListenPeter Oborne on Brexit, Stephen Harper on the rise of populism from 2018-11-22T13:30
With significant movement on the Brexit front in recent weeks, we check in with Peter Oborne from the Daily Mail for an update. Plus, former Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, on why the so-c...
ListenChina-Australia thaw, Zimbabwe anniversary from 2018-11-15T13:30
After more than a year without any ministerial visits between Australia and China, relations seem to be thawing. How should we take the relationship forward? Plus, Pastor Evan Mawarire helped to en...
ListenUS midterm elections, Armistice 100 from 2018-11-08T13:30
What do the midterm elections results mean for US politics? And Armistice at 100, is Remembrance Day still relevant 100 years on?
ListenJamal Khashoggi, William McMahon from 2018-11-01T13:30
Jamal Khashoggi's editor addresses his colleague's murder, Australia's 'worst PM' finally has his memoirs published.
ListenBrazil elections, revival of nationalism from 2018-10-25T13:30
A preview of the Brazilian presidential election run-off and leading candidate, Jair Bolsonaro; the revival of nationalism in the US and Europe.
ListenA certain idea of France: Charles de Gaulle from 2018-10-18T13:30
Who was Charles de Gaulle, the enigmatic general whom the French regard as their most important historical figure?
ListenIPCC report: Can the world afford to decarbonise? from 2018-10-11T13:30
The latest report from the UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) says the world must completely phase out coal-generated electricity by 2050 if we are to avert a climate catastrophe...
ListenWeimar Germany and India's billionaires from 2018-10-04T13:30
How does a progressive republic turn into a dictatorship like Nazi Germany? Plus, India's new super rich, the 'bollygarchs', how they made fortunes as the country became more unequal.
ListenPeter Costello reflects on the GFC, Vladimir Putin and the Soviet Empire from 2018-09-27T13:30
Former Federal Treasurer Peter Costello on the GFC and its legacy, and is Vladimir Putin trying to revive the Soviet Empire?
ListenNovichok poisonings - case closed? Repression of Muslims in China from 2018-09-20T13:30
Mary Dejevsky says there are holes in the UK case against Russia in the Novichok poisonings, Elaine Pearson on China's repression of its Muslim population.
ListenSweden elections, the causes of crisis in Venezuela from 2018-09-13T13:30
Sweden embraces populism and has socialism contributed to Venezuela's woes?
ListenAndrew Neil on the state of British politics from 2018-09-06T13:30
British politics are in a state of crisis, from Theresa May's tenuous grasp on the leadership to calls for a second Brexit referendum.
ListenFederal politics and Malaysia from 2018-08-30T13:30
Taking stock of Malcolm Turnbull's political legacy and Mahathir's first 100 days as Malaysian Prime Minister (again).
ListenChaos in Canberra from 2018-08-23T13:30
Open warfare has broken out in the federal Liberal party as the leadership of the party (and the Prime Ministership of Australia) hangs in the balance. A historical and international perspective on...
ListenCanberra's balancing act between Beijing and Washington from 2018-08-16T13:30
ListenHuawei and cyber security, Trump and the end of Pax Americana from 2018-08-09T13:30
ListenUS-Iran relations, South Sudan peace deal, Stan Grant on Liberalism from 2018-08-02T13:30
Listen26 July 2018 from 2018-07-26T13:30
ListenTrump-Putin summit, Tony Abbott on the Australia-US alliance from 2018-07-19T13:30
ListenAssad's victory in Syria, media disruption, chaos in Westminster from 2018-07-12T13:30
ListenXi Jinping and the rise of China, happiness in mid-life from 2018-07-05T13:30
ListenMexico elections, the need for economic reform, tribute to Charles Krauthammer from 2018-06-28T13:30
ListenPaul Dibb on Russia, Max Corden on international trade from 2018-06-21T13:30
ListenTrump-Kim meeting and Turkish elections from 2018-06-14T13:30
ListenKishore Mahbubani - Has the West lost it? Plus music from Ambre Hammond from 2018-06-07T13:30
ListenUS-Europe tensions, reflections on the India and Pakistan nuclear tests 1998 from 2018-05-31T13:30
ListenThe fall of Suharto, Islamist terrorist threat in Nigeria from 2018-05-24T13:30
ListenIraq elections, Surabaya bombings from 2018-05-17T13:30
ListenUS withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal, Malaysia elections from 2018-05-10T13:30
ListenFrench politics, Federal Budget preview from 2018-05-03T13:30
ListenNorth and South Korean leaders meet; Hungary's strongman president, Victor Orban from 2018-04-26T13:30
ListenUS foreign policy in Syria; 50 years on: Enoch Powell's Rivers of Blood speech from 2018-04-19T13:30
ListenBritish MP Jesse Norman on conservatism and capitalism; China's push to dominate AI from 2018-04-12T13:30
ListenJohn Howard reflects on the waterfront wars; travels with Girl, Piano, Truck. from 2018-04-05T13:30
ListenNations unite against Russia from 2018-03-29T13:30
ListenRussia spy case and NZ politics from 2018-03-22T13:30
ListenASEAN Summit and the US Embassy move to Jerusalem from 2018-03-15T13:30
ListenChina's influence and prosecuting genocidal rape from 2018-03-08T13:30
ListenConservative crisis and the power biographer, Arthur Schlesinger from 2018-03-01T13:30
ListenUK politics and fake news in Indonesia from 2018-02-22T13:30
ListenNorth Korea and tensions in Iran from 2018-02-15T13:30
ListenNew perspectives on the Vietnam War and this week's stock market rattles from 2018-02-08T13:30
ListenRussia's presidential elections and Turkey's assault on Syrian Kurds from 2018-02-01T13:30
ListenIndigenous views on changing Australia Day and the Kellog-Briand pact of 1928. from 2018-01-25T13:30
ListenInternational rules from 2018-01-06T17:05
Why pirates have returned to Africa and a rules based international order.
ListenThe year that was from 2017-12-14T19:30
A panel discussion about the events that shaped us this year - from Donald Trump's leadership of the free world, to China's extraordinary rise, and from Theresa May’s survival woes to Kim Jong-Un’s...
ListenProsperity and Populism from 2017-12-07T19:30
We live in good times - all things considered, the world has never been better. And a classical liberal critique of populism.
ListenAuthoritarian states? from 2017-11-30T19:05
China's extraordinary rise, and why Poland has succumbed to populism and nationalism.
ListenDirty Dossiers, Syria's war and golden cities from 2017-11-23T19:30
The Tory sex scandal, the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria, and how cities determined modern Australia's economic dynamism.
ListenDictators and autocrats from 2017-11-16T19:30
A hopeful moment in Zimbabwe, and Victor Orban's rule in Hungary.
ListenNetwork theory, Trump and Brexit from 2017-11-09T19:30
Historian Niall Ferguson on Trump's presidency, Brexit, and the new social networks.
Listen100 years after the Bolshevik Revolution from 2017-11-02T19:30
ListenThe Brexit crisis and more from 2017-10-26T19:30
Sir Max Hastings in conversation with Tom Switzer about Brexit, President Trump, Boris Johnson, the Vietnam War and social media.
ListenNew Zealand election and studying in Australia from 2017-10-19T19:30
A look at the shock election of NZ Labour's Jacinda Ardern, and international education for Australia.
ListenThe end of the American century? from 2017-10-12T19:30
Should Australia continue as part of a U.S led strategy to contain China?
ListenAustralia and the world from 2017-10-05T19:30
Tony Abbott previews his speech which he will deliver to The Global Warming Policy Foundation next week. And Australia's relationship with South East Asia during the Cold War.
ListenThe intellectual decline of American conservatism from 2017-09-28T19:30
Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Bret Stephens discusses the intellectual decline of American conservatism, how Twitter facilitates a form of self-righteous digital bullying, his first–and controv...
ListenElection watch from 2017-09-21T19:30
As voters in Germany and New Zealand go to the polls this week, we take a closer look at the two campaign.
ListenUncertain allies from 2017-09-14T19:30
Is Recep Erdogan making Turkey great again or does his regime represent the end of the modern Turkish state? And the difficulties of tackling the Hermit Kingdom.
ListenThe conflict zones from 2017-09-07T19:30
A look at the different camps within the Middle East, and a conversation about the violence that lead to India's partition.
ListenNorth Korea and Zimbabwe’s future from 2017-08-31T19:30
Can the international community solve the problem of a trigger happy North Korea? And an ageing but still determined President Mugabe
ListenMichael Fullilove and Thomas Wright on Donald Trump from 2017-08-24T19:30
The final in a 3 part series on the global implications of the Trump presidency.
ListenAndrew Shearer and Brendan O’Connor on Donald Trump from 2017-08-17T19:30
The Trump presidency and its implications for the world - part 2 of 3
ListenMary Kissel on Donald Trump from 2017-08-10T19:30
Mary Kissel from the Wall Street Journal talks Trump and poll figures, domestic issues and foreign affairs. Has he damaged America's credibility and prestige? Part 1 of a 3 part discussion on the ...
ListenAbe and Modi from 2017-08-03T19:30
Two larger than life charismatic figures, one is riding high and the other is in political trouble
ListenChina and Power in the South Pacific from 2017-07-27T19:30
Promoting human rights in China and what is Australia’s strategy in the South Pacific?
ListenDefeats and a new Cold War? from 2017-07-20T19:30
Is the battle for Mosul really over? And 25 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, is a Cold War heating up again?
ListenNixon's White House Wars from 2017-07-13T19:30
Former aide and speechwriter to President Nixon, Pat Buchanan, on American politics then and now.
ListenCivil war and Middle East conflicts from 2017-07-06T19:30
How will Manila defeat the jihadists in Mindanao and why is Qatar being penalised by its neighbours?
ListenMay and Macron from 2017-06-29T19:30
Two extraordinary election results - one left the British Conservative Party in a deep valley and a French political novice on the highest mountain.
ListenSuccessful stories and tolerance from 2017-06-22T19:30
How did ASEAN become such a success and is intolerance in Australia on the rise?
ListenThursday 15 June 2017 from 2017-06-15T19:30
An American foreign policy discussion with Jake Sullivan
ListenInside and Outside from 2017-06-08T19:30
Why do people, mostly young men, want to kill people in terrorist attacks and does it matter if the US is in or out of the Paris accord?
ListenVoting and caning from 2017-06-01T19:30
Why is Marxism an issue in the UK election and why is homophobia on the rise in Indonesia?
ListenTerrorism in Manchester and the Russia/US relationship from 2017-05-25T19:30
Is it time to rethink our terrorism strategies and what's really going on between Trump and Putin?
ListenOur place in the world from 2017-05-18T19:30:15
What has been Australia's role in the world since 1942? A new book explains how we got to here....
ListenPutin and pirates from 2017-05-11T19:30
A view of Europe from a Polish perspective and why pirates are again sailing the high seas.
The Disrupter from 2017-05-04T19:30
Can Immanuel Macron be called the disrupter in this French election? Jonathan Fenby thinks that he just might be
...
Lessons and meetings from 2017-04-27T19:30
What role does Norway play in European affairs and what might happen at the ASEAN meeting this week?
Pivots and voting from 2017-04-20T19:30
Why has Theresa May called an election in the UK nearly 3 years before it was due and what is US policy in Asia right now?
...
Missiles and voting from 2017-04-13T19:30
Why did President Trump authorize missile strikes in Syria and what is happening in the lead up to the referendum in Turkey?
...