Articles by: "Mike Scrafton"
Russia, the East and the experts

Professionals and experts are often heard with dissonance today. Two contrasting recent studies concerning European views on Russia shine a partial light on why that’s so. They also may point to future issues of strategic …

Three cheers for the hegemon!

The Australian government’s linear, one dimensional strategic thinking is again on open and disturbing display. It simply appears to consist of ‘three cheers for the hegemon’! Prime Minister Turnbull recently welcomed the prospect of growing …

Russia’s Trump dividend in Europe

We’ll have to wait to see what Donald Trump’s election means for Europe. Immediate responses have predicted a boost for right wing populist political parties in Europe. The presence and popularity of Eurosceptic and nationalist …

Arctic dreams

The Arctic is a region where great power competition will play out in coming years. Russia has significant strategic and economic interests in the region, and for China the Arctic may prove to have important …

East Asia 2036

Earlier this year PwC reported it had identified ‘the equivalent of US$250 billion in projects… [which have] been built already, recently started construction or have been agreed on and signed’ related to China’s One Belt …

Who wins a war in East Asia?

Under what circumstances would Australia join in a war against China? RAND’s report War with China: Thinking Through the Unthinkable (WwC) illuminates the gravity of that decision. WwC explores ‘two variables: intensity (from mild to …