Podcasts by Rear Vision
Further podcasts by ABC Radio
Podcast on the topic Geschichte
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Chocolate—the world’s most seductive treat and its dark shadow from 2022-04-17T12:05
Chocolate is one of our most popular indulgences but there is a darker side to the industry – one connected with colonialism, the industrial revolution and modern-day slavery.
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President Emmanuel Macron—his brilliant career from 2022-04-10T12:05
Five years ago, Emmanuel Macron became France’s youngest-ever president at the age of thirty-nine. It was a stunning victory, the result of a bold strategy and a solid dose of good luck. Can he pul...
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The history of international criminal law from 2022-04-08T00:00:01
Human history is littered with atrocities and genocides committed during war and for centuries civilised nations have struggled to deal with this kind of violence.
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The far-right in France—where does it come from and why is it so popular? from 2022-04-03T12:05
The two far-right candidates, Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, are expected to do well in the forthcoming French presidential election. Why is the Right so strong in France and what is its connectio...
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Brisbane—city of floods from 2022-03-27T12:05
Brisbane is a city all too familiar with floods, despite decades of dredging, straightening and dam building. Although each flood is remembered for the community spirit and resilience shown by the ...
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Cyclone Tracy—one of Australia’s worst natural disasters and what the government did from 2022-03-20T12:05
Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin early on Christmas morning in 1974. Within hours, a coordinated national response was underway and within three years the city had been rebuilt - better than before. How di...
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Gabriel Borich and Chile’s rebirth from 2022-03-13T12:05
At thirty-six, Chile’s new president is only just old enough to hold the job. Does he have what it takes to help Chile finally escape the shadow of Pinochet’s military dictatorship?
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Russia and China—a special relationship or a new world order? from 2022-03-06T12:05
China and Russia have what they describe as a very special relationship, one that some analysts claim is establishing a new world order. What role did it play in Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine...
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Barbados farewells the Queen—any lessons for Australia? from 2022-02-27T12:05
In November, Barbados, a tiny Caribbean island, replaced the Queen as its head of state with a Barbadian president. How did Barbados succeed where Australia failed and what does it mean to be a rep...
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Conflict in Ukraine—Putin’s fear of NATO from 2022-02-20T12:05
For weeks, Russian troops have massed on the Ukrainian border. It’s still unclear if Europe will be plunged into war or if a diplomatic solution can be found. What role has NATO—the West’s military...
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Passports, borders and identity—the story of the essential travel item from 2022-02-13T12:05
As Fortress Australia crumbles, Rear Vision dusts off the history of the passport.
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The power of the purse—the battle between the states and the commonwealth from 2022-02-06T12:05
Since the onset of the Covid pandemic, state and territory leaders have emerged as key players in dealing with the crisis. They have also increasing taken the lead on issues like climate change, ga...
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Big Pharma and the Covid windfall from 2022-01-30T12:05
Most of the drug companies that developed Covid vaccines have made massive profits. But where does the money and scientific research for these medical breakthroughs come from and who shares in the ...
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False accounting—why calories don’t add up from 2021-12-12T12:05
What are calories and can you lose weight by eating fewer of them? The story of the calorie shadows the Western struggle with diet and obesity.
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Bangladesh—the creation of a nation from 2021-12-05T12:05
Fifty years ago, a genocidal crackdown, a war of liberation, an overwhelming flood of refugees and finally, military conflict between India and Pakistan, gave birth to a new nation.
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Medical conspiracy theories through the ages from 2021-11-28T12:05
Despite popular belief, medical conspiracy theories aren’t new. What can we learn from their ancient history and about the people who believe in them?
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A history of pharmacy—from apothecaries to Australia’s protected industry from 2021-11-21T12:05
Pharmacists stopped making their own medicines and began selling ready-made drugs almost a century ago. In Australia, it led to an unusual arrangement that has put chemists at odds with doctors and...
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Superpower rivalry or a new Cold War? from 2021-11-14T12:05
Commentators are talking about a new Cold War between the world’s two great powers but are there any similarities between the Cold War – between the Soviet Union and the United States – and the ten...
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Anti-corruption commissions—‘star chambers’ or the best way to ensure integrity in public life? from 2021-11-07T12:05
What role do these agencies play in ensuring that politicians and the rest of our public sector behave the right way?
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Samoa—a bumpy ride for the first female prime minister from 2021-10-31T12:05
Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, elected earlier this year, is taking a strong stand on climate change, challenging the Australian government to do more to cut carbon emissions.
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E-books—winners and losers from 2021-10-24T12:05
The e-book has turned the book industry upside down affecting bookshops, publishers, authors, libraries and readers.
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Taiwan—isolated but not alone from 2021-10-17T12:05
Taiwan is one of the world’s key economies, yet it belongs to no international organisations and isn’t a member of the UN. Why is Taiwan diplomatically isolated and how does it survive economically?
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Out of the office—from telecommuting to working from home from 2021-10-10T12:05
While working from home during the pandemic has been a novel and sometimes difficult experience for office workers, companies and their employees have been experimenting with teleworking for decades.
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Cybercrime from 2021-10-03T12:05
While cybercrime and cybersurveillance are commonplace today, how many of us understand their effect our everyday lives? What’s revealed in the history of cybercrime, from its rudimentary beginning...
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Germany after Merkel from 2021-09-26T12:05
Many Germans have only ever known one chancellor – Angela Merkel. Voters are about to choose a new leader for the first time in sixteen years and the election is being described as the most open an...
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Rural health care—from bush medicine to the pandemic from 2021-09-19T12:05
The spread of the delta variant of Covid from the cities to rural and regional Australia has exposed weaknesses in the health system. Rear Vision traces the story of rural health care from bush med...
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The September 11 attacks—rumours, conspiracy theories and the day that changed aviation forever from 2021-09-12T12:05
Almost three thousand people died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. All planes were grounded and rumours and conspiracy theories swept the internet as a shocked nation tried to ma...
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Carbon capture and storage—an expensive distraction or the answer to global warming? from 2021-09-05T12:05
The federal government believes the way to lower Australia’s carbon emissions is through technology and one of the technologies it is backing is carbon capture and storage or CCS. What is CCS, how ...
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Politics in the bush—the story of the Nats from 2021-08-29T12:05
Barnaby Joyce’s return to the leadership of the National Party is bound to stir things up in Australian politics. Where does he fit in the story of one of Australia’s oldest and most unusual politi...
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Afghanistan—the land of failed invasion from 2021-08-22T12:05
Afghanistan has been invaded by foreign armies five times in less than 200 years. Every occupation ultimately failed. What can we learn from this history?
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Who are the Taliban? from 2021-08-15T12:05
The Taliban emerged from the rubble of the Soviet-Afghan war and in turn were ousted by the US led War on Terror. Twenty years on, the Americans and their allies gone and the Taliban are once again...
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Violence and inequality—how the end of apartheid failed black South Africa from 2021-08-08T12:05
In the early 1990s, Nelson Mandela and his political party, the ANC, ended apartheid peacefully but the leaders of the new democracy did not address the economic inequality of the apartheid era. To...
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The Cold War Games from 2021-08-01T12:05
The Tokyo Olympics have gone ahead despite the global pandemic, but it’s the not the first-time world events have conspired against the games. 40 years ago, the Olympics ran head long into the Cold...
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Haiti—the background to an assassination from 2021-07-25T12:05
The Caribbean nation of Haiti, whose president was recently assassinated, is the world’s poorest and most unstable country. Yet this was not always...
Haiti — the background to an assassination from 2021-07-25T12:00
The Caribbean nation of Haiti, whose president was recently assassinated, is the world’s poorest and most unstable country. Yet this was not always the case. For over a century it was France’s rich...
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The Trump of the Tropics—Jair Bolsonaro from 2021-07-18T12:05
Bolsonaro's right-wing politics, boorish comments and mishandling of the Covid pandemic have invited comparisons with Donald Trump, but Brazil’s president came from a poor family and spent almost t...
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Hopes dashed—Ethiopia ripped by ethnic violence from 2021-07-11T12:05
In 2018, Ethiopia had a new, reformist prime minister and was opening up politically and socially while forging a peace deal to end its long conflict with Eritrea. Today, it’s at war with itself. W...
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Who are the Orangemen and why do they march? from 2021-07-04T12:05
Orangemen—with their distinctive bowler hats, white gloves, and orange collarettes—are a Protestant Irish organisation. For centuries they have celebrated the military victory of the Protestant Kin...
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Tax cuts for the rich—do we all benefit? from 2021-06-27T12:05
For fifty years, governments have cut taxes for corporations and the wealthiest people, arguing that this will stimulate the economy and lead to prosperity for us all. Known as trickle-down or supp...
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Forced landing—Ryan Air Flight 4978 from 2021-06-20T12:05
A scheduled Ryan Air flight from Athens to Vilnius was diverted as it flew over Belarus and told to land at Minsk because of a bomb threat. What can pilots do if there’s a bomb threat and how do we...
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How to carve up the riches of the sea—Australia, Indonesia, and the sea boundaries from 2021-06-13T12:05
In 2018 Australia signed a Treaty with Timor-Leste establishing sea boundaries based on a line equidistance from each other’s coasts. Yet Australia’s seabed boundaries with Indonesia, established i...
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Psychedelics—the curious journey from medical lab to party drug and back again from 2021-06-06T12:05
Around the world there is a rapidly growing body of scientific evidence suggesting that psychedelic drugs are safe and highly effective when used under medical supervision. Why did promising treatm...
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Pentecostalism—the fastest growing religion on earth from 2021-05-30T12:05
Pentecostalism is a Christian religious movement with over seven hundred denominations world-wide and Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, is a believer. What do Pentecostalists believe and ...
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The American military abroad and the Australia US alliance from 2021-05-23T12:05
The US operates a global network of overseas military facilities that dwarfs that of any other country. How does Australia fit into this picture and what are the risks and benefits?
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Palestinian politics under occupation from 2021-05-16T12:05
This week Palestinians should have been voting in their first election for 15 years, but the election was cancelled and now they are again involved in a battle with Israel. Why? The complexities o...
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Space junk—how did orbital debris become such a huge headache? from 2021-05-09T12:05
It’s unlikely that any of us will be hit by space junk here on earth but collisions in space are a real threat to the satellite systems we all take for granted. How did space become so polluted and...
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Edward and Harry—the men who left the royal family from 2021-05-02T12:05
Prince Harry’s decision to renounce his royal role was not the first time a member of the British monarchy decided to opt out. Almost a century ago, King Edward VIII gave up the crown to marry Wall...
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The Suez Canal—ambition, colonial greed, revolution and the ditch that reshaped global trade. from 2021-04-25T12:05
The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most vital trade routes. It’s the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe and about 12% of global trade passes through it each year. But the Canal is situated...
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The Irish border—why is it there and what's it actually like? from 2021-04-18T12:05
The Irish border—running along five hundred kilometres of rural land—is a paradox. Both visible and invisible, it’s vital to peace in Ireland.
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Myanmar’s military—why are they killing their own people? from 2021-04-11T12:05
One of the most secretive organisations on the planet, Myanmar’s military has ruled the country with an iron fist for over 50 years. Its brief experiment of sharing power with Aung San Suu Kyi and ...
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The political swamp—poisonous for women from 2021-04-04T12:05
The recent accounts of bullying, sexual harassment and worse from women who work in federal politics would come as no surprise to anyone who lived through Julia Gillard’s time as Australia’s one an...
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How the death of local news is destroying democracy. from 2021-03-28T12:05
For a couple of hundred years rural and urban communities relied on their local paper for the news that mattered to them. Now those papers are shutting down readers are turning to sites like Facebo...
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The struggle for work—why are the unemployed expected to live below the poverty line? from 2021-03-21T12:05
At the end of the month the COVID supplement to the dole ends, leaving thousands of Australians facing bleak choices: underemployment—or no job at all.
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Could the farmers blockade defeat India's powerful Prime Minister Modi? from 2021-03-14T12:05
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set out to deregulate the county's traditional agricultural markets. But he faced an unexpected backlash from many of his most devoted supporters - farmers and ...
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The world's first vaccine and the disease it eradicated from 2021-03-07T12:05
It was the only human infectious disease we've ever managed to wipe out. Smallpox, a disease of fluid-filled blisters, was frequently fatal. It was defeated by the world's first vaccine. Are there ...
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first 100 days from 2021-02-28T12:05
The first 100 days of any US presidency are critical, so what can President Biden learn from Franklin Delano Roosevelt? FDR led the United States through the depression and in his first 100 days he...
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China—the economic miracle from 2021-02-21T12:05
When Mao died in 1976, China was unable to feed its people, cut off from the rest of the world. How did it become today's economic giant?
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The week that changed the world—President Nixon's visit to China in 1972 and his meeting with Chairman Mao from 2021-02-14T12:05
Since the rise to power of Xi Jinping in 2013, governments across the globe are having to learn how deal with an assertive and powerful China determined to put its stamp on international affairs. O...
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Joe Biden's history of presidential nomination from 2021-01-31T04:00
Joe Biden has just become the 46 President of the United States. Twice before he ran for the Democrat presidential nomination twice and both times been defeated soundly. Born in 1942 he has spent...
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Cults and new religious movements from 2020-12-13T12:05
What light can those who study cults - most of which can be more properly described as new religious movements - shed on their operation and appeal?
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Centrelink and the Robodebt recovery system from 2020-12-06T12:00:05
Centrelink’s 'automated debt recovery system' - or Robodebt - sparked two Senate inquiries, an Ombudsman inquiry, numerous court cases and caused enormous stress to thousands of Australians. The Ro...
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Renewable energy in Australia — a phenomenal success story from 2020-11-29T12:05
Although Australia is not doing particularly well when it comes to addressing climate change, there is one bright spot — the incredible rise of renewable energy as part of our electricity supply.
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How renewable energy has become so cheap in the past 20 years from 2020-11-22T12:05
Today electricity produced by wind and solar is as cheap if not cheaper than any other form of energy. But 20 years ago, it was a very different story. How and why has the cost of renewables droppe...
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EU and Brexit—the view from the Continent from 2020-11-15T12:05
In a few weeks, six hundred million people will bid a political adieu to their troublesome neighbour. How has the EU handled Brexit and what lies ahead?
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The Nauru Agreement—tuna and the power of the collective from 2020-11-08T12:05
Since 1982, a group eight small island nations in the Western and Central Pacific have collectively taken control of their major natural resource, tuna, and created the OPEC of the tuna industry, t...
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Fill'er up—the history of the Australian servo from 2020-11-01T12:05
What’s to become of petrol stations when electric vehicles take over? How did today's servo evolve from the garages of the nineteen fifties and sixties - and what lies ahead?.
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Mass tourism—how everyone became a traveller from 2020-10-25T12:05
Once travel was only for the elite but as trains, cars and planes eventually opened the door for almost everyone to take a trip, mass tourism really took off.
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United States Supreme Court from 2020-10-18T12:05
The selection of a new justice to the United States Supreme Court is frequently controversial and almost always political. It’s a 'captain's pick' for the US president and one that can shape Americ...
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The Universal Postal Union from 2020-10-11T12:05
The Universal Postal Union created the global postal territory that has allowed letters and parcels to travel around the world for almost 150 years. Now challenged by email and private couriers a...
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Arab states normalise political relations with Israel from 2020-10-04T12:05
The deal brings to four the number of Arab nations who have normalised diplomatic relations with Israel. It was a triumph for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and for US President Donald ...
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The story of Tesla—a computer on wheels from 2020-09-27T12:05
Tesla is now the world’s most successful car company, although it might be more accurate to call it a tech company that makes cars, given how different it is from the rest of the auto industry.
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Voting technology and democracy in America from 2020-09-20T12:05
In the upcoming US presidential election voters will cast their ballots in myriad ways, from mail-in-voting to computerised voting machines. And if it’s a close election, there will be court challe...
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Logging Australia's native forests from 2020-09-13T12:05
Regional Forest Agreements were supposed to settle what could be logged and where, but recent court challenges and protests show the forestry wars are far from over.
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Australian universities in crisis from 2020-09-06T12:05
Australian universities are confronting a firestorm, the loss of foreign students, the layoff of academics, the underpayment of staff and radical changes to domestic university fees. Why is our u...
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The failure of aged care in Australia from 2020-08-30T12:05
The COVID pandemic has put the spotlight on aged care homes, already under scrutiny after evidence of neglect and abuse was laid bare in the Royal Commission. Who is responsible and how did it happen?
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Cruise ships in the sky—the story of public housing and high-rise towers from 2020-08-23T12:05
The hard lockdown of nine public housing towers in Melbourne last month raised many questions. When were they built? Why were they only built in Sydney and Melbourne? And why did we think tower blo...
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Cruise ships in the sky—the story of public housing and high-rise towers from 2020-08-23T12:05
The hard lockdown of nine public housing towers in Melbourne last month raised many questions. When were they built? Why were they only built in Sy...
Threat of extinction—how Australia’s environment law failed from 2020-08-16T12:05
Australia is home to plants and animals found nowhere else on the planet. How did a law designed to protect our rich environmental heritage fail so badly?
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How WWII changed Australia from 2020-08-09T12:05
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 75 years ago, led to the end of WWII in the Pacific. How did that war and the post-war reconstruction that followed change Australia? And are those changes s...
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Fish fight—why a Brexit deal hinges on who’s casting a net in Britain’s bountiful waters from 2020-08-02T12:05
Fishing became the lightning rod for Brexit but without a deal, the UK could catch plenty of fish but have nowhere to sell them. Step into the bewildering paradoxes of the British fishing industry.
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Fish fight—why a Brexit deal hinges on who’s casting a net in Britain’s bountiful waters from 2020-08-02T12:05
Fishing became the lightning rod for Brexit but without a deal, the UK could catch plenty of fish but have nowhere to sell them. Step into the bewi...
Voter suppression in the United States of America from 2020-07-26T12:05
For over 200 years the right to vote in the US has been a contested issue, especially for African Americans and other people of colour. Why is the vote so controversial in the world’s oldest democr...
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The religious right—politics and God in the USA from 2020-07-19T12:05
President Donald Trump appears a perhaps unconvincing Christian but the support of religious conservatives is crucial to his re-election in November.
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The humble bicycle from 2020-07-12T12:05
As the coronavirus sweeps across the globe, people everywhere are turning to cycling. In cities like London, Milan, Paris, and Toronto, authorities are turning roads into cycleways. Could the humbl...
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Vaccines - what can the past tell us about the future? from 2020-07-05T12:05
Vaccines are one of the greatest medical advances in modern history but it usually takes decades to develop one that is both safe and effective. Can we beat the clock with Covid-19?
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Over policed and under protected: Policing in America from 2020-06-28T12:05
The recent killing of two African American men at the hands of white police has raised questions about policing across the United States. Were these the actions of a few rogue officers or something...
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Yoga in the West from 2020-06-21T12:05
Yoga goes back thousands of years in India but as its popularity spread around the world, its practice diversified to incorporate everything from yoga with goats to naked yoga.
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Human guinea pigs: Covid19, clinical trials and big business from 2020-06-14T12:05
Would you volunteer to be a human guinea pig in a clinical trial for Covid19 vaccine? Would you be more likely to volunteer, if you were being paid? And if did take part, what safeguards if any wou...
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Biowarfare – can it tell us anything about the corona virus? from 2020-06-07T12:05
The US suggestion that the corona virus came from a Chinese lab - although unsupported by any evidence - prompts the story of our experiments with biological weapons.
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Self-reliance or dependence - a history of Australian manufacturing from 2020-05-31T12:05
There was a time in the 1960s when Australia manufactured almost everything – washing machines and fridges, footwear and clothes, cars and steel. It was a major part of our GDP and employed almost ...
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Joe Biden President of the United States? from 2020-05-31T04:00
Joe Biden is now President of the United States. He has been involved in U.S politic for almost 50 years and twice before ran for the presidency and both times was defeated soundly. So what can his...
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The evolution of cruising, from luxury trips to today's troubled waters from 2020-05-24T12:05
Cruise holidays were once only for the wealthy. In recent decades they've found a mass market, but how and at what cost?
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How epidemics and pandemics have changed history from 2020-05-17T12:05
Human history is usually understood through wars, economic changes, technological development or great leaders. What’s frequently overlooked is the role of infectious disease epidemics and pandemic...
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Animals, humans and disease from 2020-05-10T12:05
Around two thirds of the infectious illnesses we humans suffer are caused by pathogens we’ve picked up from wild or domestic animals. They’re called zoonotic diseases and these kinds of illnesses g...
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Will Joe Biden be the next President of the United States? from 2020-05-03T12:05
Joe Biden has emerged as the Democratic nominee for the United States Presidential race in November. But he’s run twice before and both times been defeated soundly. Why did he win this time and how...
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In a fix - how match fixing became sport’s biggest threat from 2020-04-26T12:05
Find out how match fixing works. It's ubiquitous and now recognised as the biggest threat to sport integrity.
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What happened to the NBN, Australia's'information superhighway'? from 2020-04-19T12:05
The NBN was supposed to provide all Australian homes with reliable, super-fast internet connections. As many of us adjust to living and working from home, connected with our jobs, friends and famil...
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SARS, Ebola and now Covid-19 - world health and the role of the W.H.O. from 2020-04-12T12:05
For over 60 years the World Health Organisation has been the pre-eminent international health organisation but questions have been asked about its response to several infectious diseases. This is t...
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SARS and MERS - what did the earlier epidemics teach us? from 2020-04-05T12:05
Singapore and South Korea – partly because of their experience with previous corona virus outbreaks – have managed this pandemic without locking people in their homes or shutting down their economi...
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1929 Revisited from 2020-03-29T12:05
After a month of almost unprecedented drama on global financial markets due to the spread of the Coronavirus, Rear Vision revisits the 1920s and the events that led to the stock market crash of 1929.
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The Black Death - the plague that never went away from 2020-03-22T12:05
In the fourteenth century, the plague killed about half the population of Europe and Asia, making it one of the most devastating pandemics in human history - and it's a disease that persists to thi...
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Benjamin Netanyahu - Hero or Villain? from 2020-03-15T12:05
On the 17th March Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel will appear in court, charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Despite the charges his party won the most seats ...
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How China's wet markets and wild animal trade created an epidemic from 2020-03-08T12:05
With coronavirus most likely having jumped from animals to humans at a wet market in China, here’s what you need to know about China’s wet markets and why wild meats are so popular with Chinese con...
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Secular India and the rise of Hindu Nationalism from 2020-03-01T12:05
Last week as President Donald Trump was visit to India - the national capital New Delhi erupting in communal violence. It’s a critical time in Indian politics – as the country debates notions of ci...
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Ireland - ready for change from 2020-02-23T12:05
Shifting political dynamics have given new life to the question of the reunification of the Republic in the south with Northern Ireland, the six counties that remain part of the United Kingdom.
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Greek Tragedy or Farce: The life and career of Rudy Giuliani from 2020-02-16T12:05
At the heart of the recent US impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump was Trump’s personal lawyer and former Mayor of New York - Rudy Giuliani. Officially Giuliani has no role in the T...
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Ghosn has flown - the rise and fall of an auto industry mogul from 2020-02-09T12:05
In December, one of the car industry’s most powerful figures fled from Japan where he was awaiting trial, apparently hidden in a musical equipment box. Who is Carlos Ghosn?
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The story of fire in the Australian landscape from 2020-02-02T12:05
Most Australians have been impacted by bush fires this summer. But fires are not new - we live in a country that has been shaped by fire and in a landscape populated by vegetation dependent on fire...
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E-cigarettes - is there value in vaping? from 2020-01-26T12:05
E-cigarettes first appeared as a healthier alternative to smoking, maybe even a way to quit, but they soon escaped the medical framework and have become a public health nightmare in the US. Yet som...
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How history can help shape the debate about an Indigenous voice to Parliament from 2020-01-12T12:05
In the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are calling for an Indigenous Voice to parliament. While they haven’t set out how that would work there are models we c...
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Nancy Pelosi the most powerful woman in US politics from 2019-12-15T12:05
Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House of Representative, and the most powerful woman in the United States. For the past two years she has been the thorn in the side of the President Donald Trump. N...
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How to get there—the rise of satellite navigation from 2019-12-08T12:05
GPS—where did this handy and incredibly accurate system come from and how did it become so thoroughly integrated into our lives?
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Is water recycling the answer to our current drought? from 2019-12-01T12:05
Parts of Australia are in the grip of one of the worst droughts in decades and water security is a key issue. While Sydney is about to go onto level 2 water restrictions, some towns like Cobar, Arm...
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A destructive mine and a civil war—Bougainville's path to an independence vote from 2019-11-24T12:00:05
The desire for independence is driving politics in places as far flung as Catalonia, Scotland and New Caledonia. Will the people of Bougainville (pop. 250,000), an island province of Papua New Guin...
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Protests in Lebanon: Is this the end of their religion-based political system? from 2019-11-17T12:05
For over a month Lebanon’s streets have been brought to a standstill by protesters. The demonstrators are demanding a complete dismantling of Lebanon’s religion-based political system. So how did i...
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The making and breaking of the Berlin Wall from 2019-11-10T12:05
On the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, hear the whole story—why was it built, how did affect the lives of Berliners on both sides and how did it come down?
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Who are the Kurds? from 2019-11-03T12:05
Since the first Gulf War in 1991 the Kurds have been a key player in the Middle East first in Iraq and later in Syria. But, who are the Kurds, where do they live and why don’t they have a home land?
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Franco’s body—the politics of the Spanish dictator’s remains from 2019-10-27T12:05
Francisco Franco, an ally of Hitler and Mussolini, remains a controversial figure in Spain. The exhumation of his remains is the latest twist in his story.
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A radical change in drug policy: Decriminalising drug use and possession from 2019-10-20T12:05
Senior police officers in NSW are making the case for decriminalising drug use and possession. But they're not alone — across Australia and internationally there's a growing realisation that the tr...
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Australia’s no-fault divorce—why it remains controversial from 2019-10-13T12:05
Divorce in Australia can be a straightforward matter if both sides agree but if not, it can be expensive as well as destructive. The Family Law Act has been the subject of dozens of reports and ove...
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Why do America and Iran hate each other? from 2019-10-06T12:05
Iran and America have despised each other for decades. The Americans see Iran as a nation of Islamic extremists and terrorists, while Iranians believe America is an imperial power determined to des...
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Mao's revolution - why did the Communists win? from 2019-09-29T12:05
How did the Communists pull off an unexpected victory in China?
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Why is Zimbabwe an economic basket case? from 2019-09-22T12:05
Zimbabwe is potentially one of the richest nations in Africa — it has productive agricultural land, a vast array of mineral resources and a well-educated population. Yet for the past almost 30 year...
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Land use, climate change and the role of soil from 2019-09-15T12:05
Farming and soil - how can we get the most out of agricultural land?
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South Korea and Japan: A relationship in turmoil from 2019-09-08T12:05
While the world’s focus has been on the trade war between China and America, you might have missed the economic stalemate brewing between Japan and South Korea. But unlike most trade disputes their...
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Trump, Greenland and the longer tale of American real estate from 2019-09-01T12:05
Following the failure of President Trump’s clumsy attempt to buy Greenland from Denmark, here's the longer story of US land acquisition.
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Kashmir in lockdown: The story behind Pakistan and India's ongoing battle for control over Kashmir from 2019-08-25T12:05
The Indian parliament has revoked Article 370 of the India Constitution — which had guaranteed some form of independence for Indian-controlled Kashmir. It sparked an uproar in both Indian and Pakis...
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Unrest in Hong Kong from 2019-08-18T12:05
Public demonstrations and vigils have long been part of political life in Hong Kong, but nothing matches the current protests.
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Counterculture - the environment movement from 2019-08-04T12:05
The movement to protect Australia’s rich environmental heritage shifted from polite, backroom persuasion to sometimes violent confrontation in bush and city.
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Australian farming: family farms or Agro-business from 2019-07-28T12:05
As a nation we have a great affection for our farmers and the family farm. But rural Australia is changing, and there’s an ongoing fear that some of our best agricultural land is falling into forei...
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How low can they go? A history of interest rates. from 2019-07-21T12:05
A history of interest rates from Ancient Babylon to today.
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Being Boris - Boris Johnson from 2019-07-14T12:05
Boris Johnson, the gaffe-prone showman of British politics, is about to get the job he’s always coveted.
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The King Crane Commission: America's first political intervention in the Middle East from 2019-07-07T12:05
There’ve been numerous American interventions in the Middle East. But does anyone remember the 1919 King Crane Commission, America's first political intervention in the Middle East?
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The Impact of the Versailles Treaty from 2019-06-30T12:05
The Treaty of Versailles was signed 100 years ago - it ended WWI and was supposed to end all wars. But as we all know it didn't end war and arguably laid the foundation for a century of ethnic co...
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The Paris Peace Conference 1919 from 2019-06-23T12:05
The Paris Peace Conference of 1919, held just months after the end of WWI, gathered together the leaders of the world. Their task: to redraw the world map and create a peace that would last forever...
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Monopoly power in America from 2019-06-16T12:05
In the United States there is concern about the power and market share of tech companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple. But distrust of large corporate monopolies is nothing new in Ameri...
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Monarchies of Southeast Asia from 2019-06-09T12:05
Royal families have survived colonialism, occupation and democratisation but will they last?
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Roe V Wade from 2019-06-02T12:05
States across America are passing heartbeat laws, which aim to outlaw abortions at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest. They are reigniting debate in the US around aborti...
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The anti-vaccination movement from 2019-05-26T12:05
Anti-vaxxers - despite the safety and success of vaccines, why do some parents choose not to vaccinate their children?
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Terrorism in Southeast Asia from 2019-05-19T12:05
The recent terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka shocked the world. Yet terrorism in our region has a very long and bloody history, one that begins with European colonialism.
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The art market from 2019-05-12T12:05
Who decides what a painting is worth? The history of the art market and how it works.
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New Zealand's electoral system — is it better than ours? from 2019-05-05T12:05
What's behind New Zealand's impressive political response to the Christchurch terrorist attack?
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Australia's upper houses from 2019-04-28T12:05
Members have included racists, religious zealots and gun lovers, but are they vital for Australia’s democracy?
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INTERPOL — the International Criminal Police Organization from 2019-04-21T12:05
INTERPOL facilitates worldwide police cooperation - where does it come from and how does it work?
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Legalising cannabis from 2019-04-14T12:05
What lessons can be learned from the US experience?
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Uyghurs the people of Xinjiang from 2019-04-07T12:05
Now the Chinese government is rounding up and interning large number of Uyghurs — the Muslim ethnic group from the western Chinese province of Xinjiang. While for decades there have been tensions,...
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Justin Trudeau from 2019-03-31T12:05
Justin Trudeau - Canada’s charismatic leader - struggles with a political scandal that has cost him some of his political gloss.
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Algeria and the ghost president from 2019-03-24T12:05
Two weeks ago, Algeria citizens took to the streets demanding that the aging, ill president - Abdelaziz Boteflika stand aside and not run for a 5th term as president. While he has now agreed to th...
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The Conservative Party and Brexit from 2019-03-17T12:05
Why has Britain's relationship with Europe been a poisonous obsession in the Conservative Party?
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Brexit, British Labour and Jeremy Corbyn from 2019-03-10T12:05
Why is membership of the EU such a divisive political issue for Jeremy Corbyn and many Labour Party voters?
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Is the war over in Syria? from 2019-03-03T12:05
As the last fighters of the Islamic State group are forced from land along the border with Iraq, Rear Vision looks both back at eight years of war and at what lies ahead.
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Understanding assassination from 2019-02-17T12:05
What do we know about assassins and their motivation? Do they change the course of history, as many assassins hope?
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Political and Economic Crisis in Venezuela from 2019-02-10T12:05
Venezuela is stuck in political turmoil – it has two legislative bodies claiming to right to pass laws, and two Presidents both arguing that they are the legitimate head of state. And to top it all...
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Menindee fish kill - politics and water from 2019-02-03T12:05
A decade into the most ambitious program to save the Murray-Darling river system from ecological disaster, hundreds of thousands of dead fish suggest that all is not going to plan.
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American foreign policy in Central America and the migrant crisis from 2019-01-27T12:05
The large number of migrants arriving on the Mexico/United States border come from El Salvador, Honduras or Guatemala. These three central American nations have in common high poverty rates, wealth...
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In the shadow of Terra Nullius - Part 3 A time of hope to The Uluru Statement from the Heart from 2019-01-13T12:05
The third and final part of Rear Vision’s series tracing the story of the relationship between indigenous and nonindigenous Australians. In this program we trace the story from the Tent Embassy in ...
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The Irish border is Brexit's big headache—why is it there and what's it actually like? from 2018-12-09T12:05
The Irish border—running along five hundred kilometres of rural land—is a paradox. Both visible and invisible, it’s vital to peace in Ireland.
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Citizenship—after Trump’s challenge to birthright citizenship, what does it take to belong? from 2018-12-02T12:05
What does it mean to be a citizen? And what’s the story behind the passport, the most tangible proof of citizenship?
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The radical left: part two from 2018-11-25T12:05
Continuing the story of the radical left, from the 1930s to a new breed of openly left-wing politicians.
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The radical left in the US: 1830s Utopian socialists to the 1930s Communists from 2018-11-18T12:05
Trace the emergence of the radical left in the US, from 1830s Utopian socialists to 1930s Communists.
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The Centenary of Armistice - Australia and World War I from 2018-11-11T12:05
What was Australia’s role in World War I and what happened at home during the war and after it ended?
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'One China': its history and continuing relevance from 2018-11-04T12:05
Is it a power for peace? Or is it leading toward armed conflict in the Indo-Pacific?
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Malaysia's political thriller from 2018-10-28T12:05
A story of corruption, bitter political rivalries and ultimately, astonishment.
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Reassessing the narrative of universal human rights from 2018-10-21T12:05
Can a reassessment of the history of human rights help us explain current threats to personal freedoms?
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Fire - how can we live in a fiery world? from 2018-10-14T12:05
Increasingly wildfires, bushfires and megafires are extending fire seasons around the world.
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Sami Parliaments: The Scandinavian Model from 2018-10-07T12:05
What would a First Nation Voice to parliament look like?
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Megacities from 2018-09-30T12:00:05
What features do megacities share and how do they differ?
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The Chagos Archipelago from 2018-09-23T12:05
Stolen islands, colonial bullies and a US military base.
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The legacy of the Global Financial Crisis from 2018-09-16T12:05
Ten years ago Lehman Brothers, one of America’s largest banks, collapsed, threatening the entire global financial system.
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Red Marauder - A history of drought in Australia from 2018-09-09T12:05
Europeans have been living in Australia for over 200 years, and it has taken us that long to realise that drought isn't an aberration, but rather a recurring part of life on this continent. So why ...
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Chinese immigration to Australia from 2018-09-02T12:05
It’s 200 years since the first documented Chinese settler arrived in the fledgling Australian colonies.
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Modern China and the legacy of the Opium Wars from 2018-08-26T12:05
The Opium Wars, between Britain and the Chinese Qing Empire resulted in the opening of china to western trade and the legalisation of opium use in China.
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Imran Khan – from cricket pitch to politics from 2018-08-19T12:05
Can a man whose political popularity rests on his sporting success transform his country?
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Peace: Ethiopia and Eritrea from 2018-08-12T12:05
A revolution is sweeping the Horn of Africa - not one involving guns and bombs, but rather compromise and peace. For over 20 years Ethiopia and its neighbour Eritrea have been in a state of war and...
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Working time: how the technologies of time keeping have shaped our working lives from 2018-08-05T12:05
Working time , how the technologies of time keeping have shaped our working lives from the punch clock of the 19th century to the super flexible, time tracking software of the gig economy.
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The Pacific Ocean: The unsleeping eye of the earth from 2018-07-29T12:05
The United States of America and many other Western powers, including us here in Australia, are starting to get concerned about the growing influence of the Chinese in the Pacific Region.
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Remembering Edward Said's Orientalism from 2018-07-22T12:05
The story of Edward Said’s book of literary and cultural criticism, Orientalism. And how it became one of the most controversial books of the 20th century .
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Tax and happiness from 2018-07-08T12:05
Why are the countries with the highest taxes the happiest?
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In the shadow of Terra Nullius, part 2: Assimilation to Activism from 2018-06-24T12:05
Rear Vision traces the story of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians — assimilation to activism.
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In the shadow of Terra Nullius: Part 1 invisibility to survival from 2018-06-17T12:05
Rear Vision traces the story of Australia's relationship with its Indigenous people — from the time of Federation in 1901 through to the Uluru Statement in 2017.
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The summit of the century: the relationship between North Korea and the United States from 2018-06-10T12:05
North Korea and the United States of America have been in conflict since 1945.
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The story of FIFA from 2018-06-03T12:05
FIFA - a tale of bribery, racketeering and money laundering and Australia’s role in the corruption behind the world’s most popular game.
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Latin America makes a right turn from 2018-05-27T12:05
For the past two decades most two-thirds of nations of Latin America, have consistently elected progressive or radical left governments. But is that about to change?
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Remembering Suharto from 2018-05-20T12:05
Suharto — Indonesia's strong man — toppled from power 20 years ago, after more than three decades in office.
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What led to the student protests of 1968? from 2018-05-13T12:05
In 1968 in almost every nation student unrest and protests became the norm and nowhere more so than in France. What were all these students protesting about?
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Russians in the UK from 2018-05-06T12:05
Russians in the UK – spies and billionaires, mysterious deaths and money laundering - and the long arm of Vladimir Putin.
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Australia’s live export debate from 2018-04-29T12:05
The patterns of debate about live exports – the economic argument versus the animal welfare questions – have run through Australia’s long history of shipping sheep and cattle overseas.
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Trade wars from 2018-04-22T12:05
Rear Vision looks at trade wars of the past and how President Trump’s trade war might play out.
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Australia: the world’s biggest gamblers from 2018-04-15T12:05
Australians spend around $24 billion dollars a year on gambling.
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The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 from 2018-04-08T12:05
The world's worst flu pandemic killed around 50 million people worldwide — including many healthy young adults, not just those with compromised immune systems.
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Northern Ireland - Part 2 - the Good Friday Agreement from 2018-04-01T12:05
Twenty years ago, the Good Friday Agreement brought an uneasy end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
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Northern Ireland - Part 1 - the Troubles from 2018-03-25T12:05
Kidnapping, bombing and murder - the battle over Northern Ireland.
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The American gun industry from 2018-03-18T12:05
No-one knows exactly how many guns there are in America; but we do know it's a billion-dollar business.
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Poland, World War II and Holocaust denial from 2018-03-11T12:05
A controversial new law makes it illegal to accuse Poland of complicity in the Holocaust.
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The FBI and the president from 2018-03-04T12:05
Donald Trump is at war with the FBI, but he's not the first. The relationship between the presidency and the FBI has long been turbulent.
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False nuclear alarms from 2018-02-25T12:05
In the wake of the panic caused in Hawaii last month over its false nuclear alert, we’re looking at past false alarms.
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South Africa's African National Congress and its new president, Cyril Ramaphosa from 2018-02-11T12:05
In December, Cyril Ramaphosa became the new president of the ANC and probably South Africa’s next president.
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Sydney: first encounters from 2018-01-28T12:05
What is known about the earliest encounters between the Aboriginal people and the British of the First Fleet?
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The president and the press from 2017-12-31T12:05
Reporting from the White House: how the media has covered the president and how the president has managed the press.
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Heard Island and Australia in the Antarctic from 2017-12-10T12:05
Australia in the Antarctic and the story of Heard Island, a tiny, volcanic dot on the map.
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Citizenship: An Idea from 2017-12-03T12:05
Citizenship is a western notion, and is in many respects like a membership in a fancy club - where decisions are made about who is to be included and who is not. But what does citizenship mean in t...
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Battle over the Timor Sea from 2017-11-26T12:05
How should Timor-Leste and Australia divide the gas and oil wealth under the Timor Sea?
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Catalan independence from 2017-11-19T12:05
The independence referendum last month highlighted the deep division within Catalonia and the political gulf between Catalonians and the Spanish government.
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The Russian Revolution and its legacy from 2017-11-05T12:05
The Bolshevik or Russian Revolution of October 1917 (by the Russian calendar), was one of most significant moments in modern history.
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The car industry from 2017-10-29T12:05
Rear Vision traces the story of car making from the Ford production line to today’s global industry.
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In the shadow of slavery: The post civil rights period from 2017-10-22T12:05
The 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibited race discrimination, yet 50 years it remains stubbornly entrenched in America.
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Church and state in Australia from 2017-10-15T12:05
Rear Vision considers the changing relationship between religion, government, politics and the law in Australia.
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In the shadow of slavery: The events that led to the Civil Rights movement from 2017-10-08T12:05
Slavery ended in 1865, yet life for many African Americans barely improved. What were the events that led to the Civil Rights movement?
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Nuclear weapons: a biography of the bomb from 2017-10-01T12:05
As tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program reach boiling point, Rear Vision brings you the story of the bomb.
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In the shadow of slavery: From reconstruction to 1900 from 2017-09-24T12:05
America's Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal. But that's not been the experience of many black Americans.
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Elections in Germany from 2017-09-17T12:05
In an age of uncertainty, unrest and political upsets, Rear Vision sets the scene for national elections in Germany.
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The Silk Road meets the One Belt One Road initiative from 2017-09-10T12:05
China under Xi Jinping, is seeking to bring together the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road through a vast network of railways, roads, pipelines, ports, and telecommunications infra...
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Australian Banks: How did we get here? from 2017-08-27T12:05
Political pressure is increasing on the major banks
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A brief history of a national obsession from 2017-08-20T12:05
The great Australian dream of home ownership
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Venezuela in Crisis from 2017-08-13T12:05
Venezuela has suffered from months of political gridlock and economic chaos.
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Elections in Kenya from 2017-08-06T12:05
Kenya has repeatedly seen ethnic tension and violence around election time. Will this week's poll go ahead peacefully?
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Al Jazeera from 2017-07-30T12:05
Al Jazeera only came into existence in 1996 and yet it is the most influential network in the Arab world. How?
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Brexit and the Commonwealth revisited from 2017-07-23T12:05
Could the Commonwealth become the basis for a trade bloc similar to the European Union?
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High-rise living from 2017-07-16T12:05
How did high-rise fit in with evolving ideas about the city and what lessons were learned along the way?
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Reluctant Allies: China and North Korea from 2017-07-09T12:05
How much influence does China have on the North Korean leadership and would the kind of economic pressure President Trump wants China to apply lead to a cessation of North Korea's weapon's program?
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The airport: cities of the future from 2017-07-02T12:05
Not all airports are the same – there are some airports that are a joy to fly into and others that are a nightmare.
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Brexit talks begin from 2017-06-18T12:05
Despite the political disarray in Britain following the recent elections, it looks like the Brexit negotiations will begin as scheduled this week.
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The history of plastic from 2017-06-11T12:05
The story of plastic is the story of the modern world. It's endlessly useful but an environmental headache.
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The history of navies from 2017-06-04T12:05
With the expansion of global trade, control of the world’s oceans and sea lanes has become increasingly important.
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The 1967 referendum from 2017-05-28T12:05
Voters hoped constitutional reform would allow the federal government to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians.
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Renewable energy and the national grid from 2017-05-21T12:05
Renewable energy is clean, cheap and it’s never going to run out but when the wind stops blowing and the sun goes down, there is no power.
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Great walls or great follies? from 2017-05-14T12:05
Over the last 27 years the number of walls and fortified borders has increased dramatically.
Under threat - climate, land and water science from 2017-05-07T12:05
Will science be allowed to inform the wise use of natural resources on which our society depends?
Chernobyl - the permanent solution from 2017-04-30T12:05
Rear Vision revisits the Chernobyl nuclear accident with two people who've been to the exclusion zone and a scientist involved in the huge internat...
After the mining - what's the clean-up plan? from 2017-04-23T12:05
Mining has underpinned modern economies and generated great wealth, but what happens after the mining?