Section: The Conversation (USA)
Why the UK can’t just pick and choose from the EU menu after Brexit
The union is not an à la carte system. ShutterstockOne of the many as yet unanswered questions thrown up by the Brexit vote is what form the future relationship between the UK and the EU will take. Much attention up until this point has focused on existing models for relations. Will Brexit Britain seek to stay in the European Economic Area or...
Ceasefire or not, the air war in Syria is an untold catastrophe
A new “cessation of hostilities” is beginning in Syria, with the US and Russia preparing to co-ordinate air strikes against militant jihadist factions. If the temporary ceasefire holds for the intended ten days – and there are plenty of observers who don’t expect it to-peace-deal.aspx) – it provides a chance for the embattled government in...
Putin, IS and military preparedness: Six essential reads
Editor’s note: The following is a collection of archival stories related to military preparedness, combating IS and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This week, presidential candidates Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump took part in the “commander-in-chief forum” on NBC-TV. The candidates answered questions about national...
Friday essay: Svetlana Alexeviech didn’t make it to the Royal Commission
A doll lies in the ghost town of Pripyat, abandoned since the nearby Chernobyl power plant suffered a catastrophic meltdown in 1986. Henrik Ismarker/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SAThis is an edited version of a public lecture given at Melbourne University this week. Just the other day I was sitting in my office here on campus waiting to chair some event I...
Why Russians support Putin’s foreign policy
Tensions are again mounting between Russia and Ukraine. Dubiously claiming provocation, Russia has stationed 40,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of a full-scale invasion. This hawkish Russian foreign policy is not new. The conflict has striking parallels to Russia’s short 2008 war with another...
Australia must heed the lessons of ‘hybrid warfare’ to avoid falling behind on the battlefield
The future battlefield will look very different. Josh Smith/Reuters, CC BY-NCThe Australian Army’s top brass are assembled in Adelaide for the Land Forces 2016 conference. Cutting-edge military equipment, including autonomous vehicles associated with “hybrid warfare”, will be on display. But what is hybrid warfare? Is it just another trendy...
Adrift in a sea of violence: Obama’s legacy, and the prospect of a Trump or Clinton presidency
Very little of what Barack Obama promised to achieve in foreign affairs has come to pass. Reuters/Jim BourgAs the first African-American US president, Barack Obama assumed office in January 2009 amid public euphoria and high expectations of greater racial harmony and reduced gun violence at home and a more stable and peaceful international order....
Russia’s aggressive power is resurgent, online and off
Russia is flexing its cyberattack muscles. Glove with Russian-flag keyboard via shutterstock.comThe Bear is back. It’s happening on the ground in and around Ukraine, inside the virtual inboxes of the Democratic National Committee and at American news organizations. Russian cyberattacks are yielding eye-popping headlines warning not only of...
Turkey’s dangerous game of Russian roulette in Syria
Turkey has finally directly entered the Syrian conflict. With support of Turkish tanks, artillery and fighter jets, some 1,500 fighters of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) have moved in to take over the strategic city of Jarablus, meeting with little resistance from militants of the so-called Islamic State (IS). But the main target of the Turkish...
Long before Trump rolled in the deep, music and politics were entwined
Donald Trump in Scotland – musicians have asked that he refrain from using their songs at his political events. David Moir/ReutersTake three apparently trivial events: Ukraine wins the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, a rock star cancels a concert and a political rally features the song Rolling in the Deep by Adele None of these moments might strike...
