Originally published 4 March 2021. One of the joys of fatherhood is being reacquainted with the fairy tales and fables of youth. Such stories endure because behind their superficial narratives lies an important moral theme …
One of the joys of fatherhood is being reacquainted with the fairy tales and fables of youth. Such stories endure because behind their superficial narratives lies an important moral theme that can apply widely. As …
While there is a diversity of views on Victoria’s Belt and Road Initiative agreement with Beijing, there seems to be universal agreement on a solution: the federal government should simply assert its constitutional prerogative and …
While Australia looked to America in 1941–42 to defeat a military threat, the post-war vision of Prime Minister John Curtin and his successor Ben Chifley was to restore the British Commonwealth to bind and strengthen …
In part 1 of this series, I argued that though on the surface ANZUS seems in good health, there are at least four diverging strategic interests: American primacy in Asia, the institutional status quo, Taiwan, …
All alliances are political compacts. The health of these agreements relies on each party being clear about its responsibilities and committed to the terms. The political compact of the ANZUS treaty is simple: Australia provides …
Australia’s discussion of China is less of a debate than two important schools of thought talking past each other. The values school is predominant, especially in government and the media. It stresses the challenge China …
Once again Peter Jennings has started an important debate: to white paper or not to white paper? I am persuaded by Andrew Davies’ cautious counter. The heart of this discussion is what problem another defence …
Discussions of burden-sharing among allies typically focus on the amount of money spent. Yet there is also an intellectual burden that needs to be distributed. In April 2017, two relatively new leaders of global superpowers, …
Open any report, article or blog piece on the contemporary strategic environment and you’re likely to find two contradictory statements. Uncertainty has never been higher, and yet we’re told the need for long-term planning has …
If American strategic policy is re-entering a period of democratic change and uncertainty, then how should steadfast allies such as Australia respond? This post represents some initial thoughts, to which I hope others will contribute …
When I write or speak publicly against bipartisanship in Australian defence policy, the most common response is, ‘Why would we want our politics to be more like America’s?’ Which would be a fair point, except …