Jokowi and the General

After the debacle over Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) commander General Gatot Nurmantyo’s short-lived unilateral suspension of military co-operation with Australia, can President Joko Widodo afford to let his military chief serve through until his mandatory …

How Eastern Europe blew up the West

Like the rise of Soviet communism and both World Wars, the Western liberal order’s apparent collapse in 2016 could turn out to be yet another historic upheaval that began in Eastern Europe. Hungarian Prime Minister …

In Memoriam: Russell Trood

Professor Russell Trood, who died this week aged 68, was an absolute gentleman in every way. Invariably gracious, he really cared about those he interacted with. His warm personal style, gentleness and concern for others …

Donald Trump and the Kindleberger trap

As US President-elect Donald Trump prepares his administration’s policy toward China, he should be wary of two major traps that history has set for him. The ‘Thucydides Trap,’ cited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, refers …

Asia 2017: strategic transformation accelerates

In a recent podcast for Foreign Policy, editor David Rothkopf interviewed Thomas Friedman about his latest book—essentially an argument for why, in 2017, we should feel optimistic about the future. Friedman’s core argument is that …

The age of Trump

On 20 January 2017, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. I would hate to say ‘I told you so,’ but his election should not have come as a …

The inevitability of the one-state solution

The Obama administration’s decision last month not to veto the Security Council resolution condemning the building of Jewish settlements in occupied Palestine was akin to closing the barn door after the horse had bolted. The …

The 8th Madeleine Award to the twittering hairdo

Lights up and trumpets sound! Here’s our annual silly-season Madeleine awards, for the use of symbol, stunt, prop, gesture or jest in international affairs. The prize is named after the former US Secretary of State, Madeleine …

Editors’ picks for 2016: ‘An introverted Anglosphere?’

Originally published 7 July 2016. Recent tumultuous political events—including Australia’s election—seem likely to produce a troubling set of strategic consequences. Some of those consequences will be reflected in the strategic policies of key individual Western …