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- 5 days ago29 min
Beyond NATO – is it finally time for a pan-European Army?
Despite constant criticism from the Americans, European NATO members are actively rebuilding and strengthening their militaries. Some are even beginning to think beyond the Alliance and the United States, to an independent united European fighting force. NATO members will meet in early July for their 36th summit.Guests:Dr Hugo Bromley – Historian of manufacturing, geopolitics, and international trade, Centre for geopolitics, University of Cambridge Dr Simon J. Smith – Associate Professor of Security and International Relations at the Royal Danish Defence CollegeStuart Dowell – political journalist and commentator based in Warsaw Max Bergmann – director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program, Center for strategic and international StudiesStavros Atlamazoglou – Defence journalist and Greek Army veteran
- 1 weeks ago29 min
How the US and Russia worked together in the 1990s
President Trump has made it clear he doesn’t think diplomacy on its own will stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.So what does history tell us about what actually works? We’re looking back at one of the greatest nuclear risk reduction efforts ever — when the US and Russia joined forces to contain the weapons fallout from the Soviet collapse and convince countries like Ukraine to give up the nuclear arsenal they inherited.An effort that was led by diplomacy, pragmatism and scientific expertise during a brief period of goodwill between the two countries.GUESTSGraham Allison - Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the Harvard Kennedy SchoolMariana Budjeryin - Senior Researcher at the Centre for Nuclear Security at MIT and author of Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of UkraineDavid E Hoffman - author of The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War ArmsGUESTSGraham Allison - Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the Harvard Kennedy SchoolMariana Budjeryin - Senior Researcher at the Centre for Nuclear Security at MIT and author of Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of UkraineDavid E Hoffman - author of The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms
- 2 weeks ago29 min
America – land of the free, home of the gerrymander!
Gerrymandering is endemic in the United States and could determine the outcome of this year's mid-term elections. It has been a feature of the American political system since the beginning of the republic, according to Princeton University's Samuel Wang. So, how did the self-styled “world’s greatest democracy” end up with a system that former California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, says is being rigged by both major parties?Guests:Dr John Hart – School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National UniversityDr Samuel Wang – Professor of Neuroscience and Head of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, Princeton University Dr Ben Reid – data analyst and researcher, Australian and European history, Parliament of Victoria Dr Melissa Rogers – Professor, Politics & Policy and Co-Director, Inequality and Policy Research Center, Claremont Graduate University
- 3 weeks ago28 min
Russia's Oil story - pipelines to Putin
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to affect economies around the world. But Russia has not only escaped the financial fallout, but has prospered.
- May 15, 202629 min
Who has the power and right to declare war in a democracy?
It may surprise you to know that the Australian parliament has no real say over whether the country goes to war. In the United States its effectively the same, with analysts saying the US Congress has now basically ceded its war powers to the president. A process, by the way, that began long before the arrival of Donald Trump. In this episode we look at how that happened and why calls for war powers reform have had so little success.Guests:Dr Russell Berman – Professor in the Humanities, Stanford University Dr Sarah Percy – Associate Professor of International Relations, University of QueenslandDr Sarah Burns – Rochester Institute of Technology Dr Alison Broinowski - Australians for War Power ReformDr Nicole Townsend - lecturer in War Studies – University of New South Wales, Canberra
- May 8, 202629 min
Capital gains tax in Australia — the essential backstory
The Federal Government is hoping tax reform will help address the widening generational wealth gap and rebalance the tax system in favour of younger people.One policy being targeted for an overhaul in this year's budget is the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount.Australia started taxing capital gains in the mid-1980s to tackle tax avoidance and evasion which was a huge problem at the time.So why in 1999 did the Howard government introduce a discount on that tax? And why does the concession encourage investment in established housing stock? Guests:Chris Evans - Emeritus Professor UNSW Business SchoolPeter Martin - economist and presenter of The Economy StupidRick Krever - taxation law and policy specialist at UWACraig Emerson - economist and former Federal Labor MP Joe Aston - author and business journalistPeter Tulip - Chief Economist at the Centre for Independant StudiesRichard Holden - Scientia Professor of Economics at UNSW Business School
- May 1, 202629 min
Is Scottish independence once again in play?
In 1707 the Scottish national parliament was disbanded, not to be reconvened until 1999. How and why Scotland regained its own Assembly is the story of rising Scottish nationalism and Westminster’s attempts to dampen such feelings and keep Scotland in the Union. On May 7th, Scots go to the polls, and the outcome could impact significantly on both the nationalist cause in Scotland and on the ongoing viability of Keir Starmer’s Labour government at Westminster.Guests:Dr Clement Macintyre – Professor Emeritus, School of Society and Culture, Adelaide UniversityDr Nicola McEwen – Professor of Public Policy and Governance, University of Glasgow Alyn Smith – Former UK MP and MEP, candidate for the 2026 Scottish parliamentary elections, Scottish National Party Tom Chidwick – Manager, Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
- Apr 23, 202629 min
Cuba and the US President - from FDR to Trump
IN 1959 Fidel Castro transformed Cuba into a socialist state. And ever since then, American presidents have been trying to undo it.Now it’s Donald Trump’s turn – and he’s determined to succeed.
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