Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today — Podcast

America – land of the free, home of the gerrymander! 30.05.2026 29min

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 University Dr 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

Russia's Oil story - pipelines to Putin 23.05.2026 28min

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.

Who has the power and right to declare war in a democracy? 16.05.2026 29min

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 Queensland Dr Sarah Burns – Rochester Institute of Technology Dr Alison Broinowski - Australians for War Power Reform Dr Nicole Townsend - lecturer in War Studies – University of New South Wales, Canberra

Capital gains tax in Australia — the essential backstory 09.05.2026 29min

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 School Peter Martin - economist and presenter of The Economy Stupid Rick Krever - taxation law and policy specialist at UWA Craig Emerson - economist and former Federal Labor MP Joe Aston - author and business journalist Peter Tulip - Chief Economist at the Centre for Independant Studies Richard Holden - Scientia Professor of Economics at UNSW Business School

Is Scottish independence once again in play? 02.05.2026 29min

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 University Dr 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

Cuba and the US President - from FDR to Trump 24.04.2026 29min

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.

The history and future of women in combat 18.04.2026 29min

Australia’s incoming Chief of Army, Lt. General Susan Coyle, will be the first woman ever to hold the Army’s top post. Her appointment in the lead-up to Anzac Day reflects a change that’s been decades in the making. The true history of warfare is the story of men and women together on the battlefield. But in the early 20th century that reality changed, and at the same time, female fighters began to be written out of the history books. This is the story of how western women successfully fought their way back onto the front line. It’s also a story about how the current US administration is once again trying to wrest them from the field. Guests: Ashleigh Percival-Borley – Military historian, Durham University Dr Sarah Percy – Associate professor, School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland Dr Megan McKenzie – Professor, School for International Studies, Simon Fraser University Dr Kyleanne Hunter – CEO of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Links: Sarah Percy’s Forgotten Warriors Kyleanne Hunter’s Invisible Veterans Megan MacKenzie’s Beyond the Band of Brothers

Ending conflict — the art of negotiation 16.04.2026 31min

It’s a truism of peace talks that we’re not negotiating with our friends but rather with our enemies. And when our enemies have been designated as terrorists and murderers, it’s not an easy task. How have violent conflicts ended in the past and are there lessons we can learn from previous peace negotiations? Guests Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Advisor at the International Peace Institute. Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and head of peace operations in Burundi, the Central African Republic and Chad. Randall Lesaffer, Professor of Legal History at KU University in Leuven, Belgium and author of Peace Treaties and International Law in European History: From the Late Middle Ages to World War One. Philipp Kastner, Senior Lecturer in International law at the University of Western Australia and author of Legal Normativity in the Resolution of Internal Armed Conflict. Luxshi Vimalarajah, senior mediator advisor at the Berghof Foundation. Previously involved in peace negotiations in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Turkey, Yemen, North Macedonia and Colombia.

Australia’s energy security and resilience 11.04.2026 29min

The conflict in the Middle East has led to a sharp rise in energy prices – and highlighted the issue of Australia’s energy security. Why haven’t we all transitioned to renewables? The story of Australia’s energy transition and why it’s had so many false starts and missteps.

Flags, “flag-shaggers” and the co-opting of historic symbols 04.04.2026 29min

Wrapping yourself in the national flag has become a common practice for far-right activists right across the Western world, particularly anti-immigration demonstrators. In the UK the co-opting of the Union Jack and the flag of St George has become so common it’s now described in derogatory terms as “flag-shagging”. In this episode, we explore the historic power of national flags as symbols of division, not just national unity. Guests: Dr Anne Platoff – Flag expert and former librarian, University of California, Santa Barbara Laura Scofield – Design Director, The Atlantic Dr Dominic Bryan – Professor of social anthropology, Queens’s University Belfast

Pete Hegseth - war monger or true believer? 28.03.2026 29min

Pete Hegseth U.S. Secretary for War (previously Defense) is one of the most powerful people on the planet. He says that two things have defined his life – his military service and his religious faith.

Beijing’s justification for wanting to invade Taiwan 21.03.2026 29min

Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping are due to meet in Beijing in the near future, following a March postponement. China’s wish to subsume democratic Taiwan is certain to be one of the topics on the summit agenda. President Xi has reportedly instructed his military to be at capacity for an invasion by 2027, so 2026 could be Taiwan’s last year of freedom. Some analysts fear US military action in Iran and Venezuela may embolden Beijing. The Chinese Communist Party justifies its claim to Taiwan based on what it calls its “One China Principle”. But what exactly does “One China” mean? Guests: Jessica Drun – Washington-based China and Taiwan analyst Dr Andrew Phillips – Professor of International Relations, University of Queensland Dr Mei-fen Kuo – lecturer in Contemporary Chinese Culture and History, Macquarie University Dr Sow Keat Tok – Asia Institute, University of Melbourne Dr Mark Harrison – Senior Lecturer, Chinese Studies, University of Tasmania

Innovation — from the spinning jenny to AI 13.03.2026 28min

A wide-angle lens on the history of Innovation. An unprecedented surge in human ingenuity has created six great waves of innovation. What drove these breakthroughs? And where are we headed?

Singapore and the long shadow of Lee Kuan Yew 07.03.2026 29min

The government of Singapore this year sacked the leader of the Opposition — that's the way things happen in Singaporean politics. Though it looks like a model Westminster democracy, critics say it's actually a one-party state, dominated for more than 60 years by the People's Action Party. So, how is it that such a prosperous and modern nation has never managed to free itself from the long shadow of its authoritarian founder, Lee Kuan Yew. Guests: Dr Stephan Ortmann — Assistant Professor of Politics and Public Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University Dr Michael Barr — Associate Professor of International relations, Flinders University Dr Gillian Koh — Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore Joshua Kurlantzick — Senior Fellow for SE Asia and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations

China and the U.S - on a collision course in Latin America? 28.02.2026 29min

China is now the number one trading partner of South America. How realistic are U.S. plans to dominate the Western hemisphere?

High speed rail in Australia - is it a dream that can ever become a reality 25.02.2026

High speed rail spread around the globe from the 1960s when the first bullet trains took off in Japan. Rear Vision looks at why previous attempts to introduce high speed rail in Australia have failed. Japan opened the world's first high-speed rail line - between Tokyo and Osaka - in time for the 1964 Olympics. Japan’s ‘Bullet Train’ was the first to run on a dedicated line – a high speed service for passengers only. Over the last 30 years, millions of dollars have been spent in Australia on studies and proposals but is a fast train service on the east coast any closer?

Central bank independence − a tradition under threat 21.02.2026 29min

Since the 1970s central banks around the world have increasingly become “independent” of government. They’ve developed that way over time to ensure that monetary policy isn’t impacted by partisan political motives. But there are those who now seek to turn the clock back and to rein in that independence. The current US president is at the front of the pack. Guests: Cristina Bodea – Professor of political science, Michigan State University John Hawkins – Head of the Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra https://Dr Isaac Gross Isaac Gross - Senior lecturer in Economics, Monash University Links: David Marr's Late Night Live interview with biographer RICHARD VAGUE about the US banker Thomas Willing

Bangladesh 2026 - at a turning point 11.02.2026 29min

Bangladesh is having its first free and fair election in over 18 years. Rear Vision looks back at the tumultuous history of this young nation.

From bicycles to “build your dreams” — how China conquered the global car market 07.02.2026 29min

Only a few decades ago China was known as the land of the bicycle – today it’s an automotive goliath. The PRC is now the world’s biggest car manufacturer and exporter. It also has the largest domestic car market. We explore how it achieved such a dramatic turnaround in only a few short decades. And what role European and American car makers inadvertently played in creating a super rival. Guests: Ilaria Mazzocco – Chinese business and economic expert, Center for Strategic and International Studies Dr Tessa Thorniley – freelance business journalist Zeyi Yang – technology journalist and senior writer, WIRED Mike Colias – Us Autos Editor, Reuters

Controlling global oil — the backstory 31.01.2026 29min

Since the start of the 20th century, oil has been the lifeblood of global development. Today, the story behind oil — and the politics of supplying oil and denying oil.