Articles by: "Tom Switzer"
George H.W. Bush: the quintessential realist

The death of George H.W. Bush has inspired high praise from across the international political spectrum. This is largely because America’s 41st president (1989–1993) was almost above politics as we know it today. ‘[B]y temperament …

Blue wave fails to wipe out Republicans

Not so long ago, the media consensus was that the Democrats would ride a ‘wave’ akin to the Republican routs in 1994 and 2010. Back then, the party under Bill Clinton and Barack Obama had …

Australia’s foreign policy: burying the myth

The Turnbull government’s foreign-policy white paper is due any day, and it’s a fair bet it will not recommend what is fashionably called an ‘independent foreign policy’. That is bound to upset many intellectuals, former …

Leadership in Asia: don’t count the US out

America, the pundits keep telling us, is failing to exercise leadership in Asia. Crippled by a crisis of confidence and distracted by an erratic and bizarre president, Washington seems adrift and anxious. Add to that …

North Korea: what now?

North Korea’s sixth—and most powerful—nuclear test is part of a pattern of escalating belligerence. As a result, the UN Security Council will issue yet another resolution condemning Kim Jong-un’s blatant violations of previous council resolutions. …

A post-America world?

After last year’s shock US election result, many critics of Donald Trump had hoped he would grow into the presidency and heed its reasonable conventions. Not so. After more than six months, his administration has been …

Pax Americana in the time of Trump

Since he launched his presidential bid more than 18 months ago, Donald Trump has confounded prediction and eluded persuasive analysis. On Saturday morning (4am AEST), at the age of 70, he takes the office so …

The Donald and the Shy Trump voter

Donald Trump’s victory marks the biggest political upset in living memory. A man without solid party support nor any major newspaper editorial or celebrity endorsements has defeated  Hillary Rodham Clinton, the queen of the political establishment …

Could Donald Trump really win?

Hillary Clinton is in trouble. Since the FBI’s decision to reopen its investigation into the former Secretary of State’s handling of classified information on a private email server, Donald Trump has pulled even with the …