Articles by: "Graeme Dobell"
Pondering Trump: alarm versus pragmatism

The Australian government’s approach to the US under President Donald Trump is deeply pragmatic: hold tight to what we’ve got, get what we can, and don’t anger Trump. Loudly love the alliance. And if you …

Letter from America: Trump’s voice

Donald Trump’s language is limited, much like his store of ideas. The US president is a demagogue who rouses without rhetoric. A bemusing bit of Trumpworld is the small range of his rant—intense rather than …

The power of soft power

While Heisenberg proclaims the uncertainty principle, a public service inquiry operates on the certainty principle. Not for government, Heisenberg’s quantum insight about the impossibility of simultaneously measuring position and momentum; nor the observer effect—that to …

The hard part of soft power

Australia was grasping for soft power long before the term ‘soft power’ was invented. Here’s an official example from 32 years ago: Countries still achieve their international objectives by threat, bribe or persuasion. Australia has …