Articles by: "Graeme Dobell"
Tit for tat and the costs of attacking journalism

Australia started the journalist war with China. Tit-for-tat logic made it inevitable that Australian journalists in China would pay the price. Hard questions should be asked about Canberra’s thinking on the costs and consequences of …

Happy fourth birthday, Pacific step-up

On Wednesday, Australia’s South Pacific ‘step-up’ reaches its fourth birthday as an ambitious work in progress. History and geography command commitment. Commitment generates cash. Cash is as vital as vision because neighbourhood needs press. Strategy …

The strange submarine saga: vital yet vexed

‘Our submarine capability underpins Australia’s credibility and influence as a modern military power. And let me make that statement again: Our submarine capability underpins Australia’s credibility and influence as a modern military power. This is …

Four South Pacific futures

Geostrategic competition, climate change and Covid-19 push at the South Pacific, heightening the internal challenges of state security and human security. The South Pacific has weak states and strong societies. As a journalistic recycler, I’ve …

Australia’s strategic update by the numbers

The 2020 defence strategic update is analysis framed by numbers (and dollars), a melding of meanings and means and mental maps. To follow the strategic accounting, see what the update counts. Find the strategy in …