Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today

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• War damage - the cost of rebuilding after conflict 17.07.2026 29นาที

  What happens when the bombs and the fighting stop? Who pays for all the damage? It’s estimated that rebuilding Gaza alone, will cost more than US$70 billion.  What strategy is needed to turn battlefields and ruins into peace and prosperity?
• Are France’s indo-pacific ambitions coming unstuck? 11.07.2026 29นาที

  The government of Emmanuel Macron is struggling to deal with ongoing tension and resentment in France’s external territory, New Caledonia. The latest diplomatic and legislative efforts to determine the archipelago’s future have failed, and recent local elections have only cemented the stalemate between pro-independence supporters and those New Caledonians who want to remain a part of France. We explore what that means for the people of New Caledonia; France’s historic presence in the Pacific; President Macron’s grand Indo-pacific strategy; and for the 2027 French presidential elections. Guests: Dr Denise Fisher – Visiting Fellow, Centre for European Studies, Australian National University and former Australian Consul General in Noumea Cade Winter – Researcher, Yale Review of International Studies, Yale University Dr Frederic Grare – Senior Research Fellow, National Security College, Australian National University  Nic Maclellan -Correspondent, Islands Pacific Magazine and Pacific Affairs Correspondent, Inside Story 
• Gas to grain - when fertiliser supply stops 03.07.2026 27นาที

  One third of the world's fertiliser is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. How did fertiliser supply become so concentrated in the Middle East and what happens when this supply is suddenly at risk?
• The true story of the American Revolution 26.06.2026 29นาที

  Americans are preparing for an orgy of red, white and blue as the 250th anniversary of their Declaration of Independence draws near. But what’s not likely to be widely mentioned is the fact that the conflict wasn’t just a revolution against British rule, it was actually America’s first civil war – a bloody and divisive internal conflict. And those rebels who rejected the Crown and called themselves "patriots" were by no means in the majority when war broke out. Historians say understanding more about the conflict could help Americans come to terms with the issues they face today. Guests: Dr Maya Jasanoff – Professor of History, Harvard University Dr Richard Bell – Professor of History, University of Maryland, College Park  Dr Rebecca Brannon – Professor of History, James Maddison University   
• Saudi Arabia and the U.S - a marriage of convenience under strain 19.06.2026 28นาที

  As the war in the Middle East teeters on a peace deal, the carefully managed relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States is starting to show cracks.
• Beyond NATO – is it finally time for a pan-European Army? 13.06.2026 29นาที

  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 College Stuart Dowell – political journalist and commentator based in Warsaw  Max Bergmann – director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program, Center for strategic and international Studies Stavros Atlamazoglou – Defence journalist and Greek Army veteran
• Trump might be sceptical of nuclear diplomacy, but it’s worked between enemies in the past 06.06.2026 29นาที

  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.   GUESTS Graham Allison - Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the Harvard Kennedy School Mariana 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 Ukraine David E Hoffman - author of The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms   GUESTS Graham Allison - Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the Harvard Kennedy School Mariana 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 Ukraine David E Hoffman - author of The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms
• America – land of the free, home of the gerrymander! 30.05.2026 29นาที

  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 28นาที

  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 29นาที

  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 29นาที

  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 29นาที

  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 29นาที

  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 29นาที

  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 31นาที

  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 29นาที

  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 29นาที

  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 29นาที

  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 29นาที

  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 28นาที

  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?