Between the Lines

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has already foreshadowed “repercussions” for Indonesia unless it spares the lives of convicted drug smugglers, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.  How will this affect the broader bilateral relationship between Australia and Indonesia?  Also in this edition of Between the Lines, has Barack Obama delivered on his promised ‘pivot to Asia’?  Has America really shifted attention and resources away from the Middle East and towards the Asia-Pacific region?

The Syrian civil war has cost 200,000 lives and driven millions more from their homes, in the last four years.

At his White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, U.S. President Barack Obama declared it wrong to suggest Islamic State and other jihadists somehow represent Islam.

Paul Keating is remembered as a provocative and pugnacious politician, but he is also credited with escalating Australia’s engagement with Asia.

Despite surviving a crucial party room vote, leadership speculation continues to haunt Tony Abbott, as it did with his Labor predecessors. Why is Australia so quick to ditch its political leaders? Does this suggest a deeper problem with the state of our democracy?  Distinguished intellectual, Francis Fukuyama, argues the politics and institutions of the Western world are in decay. Also in this episode of Between the Lines, host Tom Switzer reflects on the lessons of the 70 year old Yalta agreement, one of the most controversial diplomatic conferences in modern history.

Russian bombers flew over the English Channel in the last week, in the latest sign of escalating tensions between the west and Russia over Ukraine. Now the US is threatening to provide defensive weapons to bolster Ukrainian forces.  How will this crisis unfold? Also in this episode of Between the Lines, host Tom Switzer asks former Thatcher adviser John O’Sullivan about whether the political cycle is turning against conservatives in the Anglosphere.

After hosting the G20 leaders and serving a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council, what is Australia’s standing in world affairs?  Does Australia punch above its weight?  Or is that a potentially dangerous presumption?   Also in this episode of Between the Lines, host Tom Switzer reflects on the prospects of reaching an effective agreement on tackling climate change at the next UN Climate Change conference.