Blog 211. Readers should take a few minutes and study this 2021 Lowy Institute poll in detail. Lowy survey At the start of 2017, Australia and China were close partners. Polls would show that both parties anticipated a golden future for their economic partnership. As the current poll reveals, this relationship has now soured dramatically. There […]
Thoughts about the emerging cold war: Blog No. 210 This article was written at the end of February 2021 and published under the title ‘Facing an existential crisis: the culpable west’ in the May/June issue of the NZ International Review. The same issue also contained articles by NZ’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Disarmament […]
This article was first published in the Australian Journal ‘Pearls & Irritations’ (A weekly publication that publishes articles diverging from the Australian Government’s viewpoint.) WORLD AFFAIRS Blog 209 Will Australia spring the Thucydides trap? By Hugh Steadman May 21, 2021 The Thucydides Trap argument is that history demonstrates that war is practically inevitable between a rising […]
Blog 207 The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but that it was impossible to avoid joining in. Within thirty seconds any pretence was always unnecessary. A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in […]
Blog 208 More than a century of progress in international relations! The Western World, is now well set into its latest USA-led, Sinophobic campaign. It is designed to limit Chinese economic success and preserve the American economy from otherwise seemingly irresistible competition. New Zealand and Australia should not bet the farm on American success! In […]
Blog No 206. Blog 204, Parts I & II described the background to the ideological war between Eastern communalism and western ‘democracy. ’ Ideology I & Ideology II China under the CCP, seems confident in its direction and in the demonstrable success of its endeavour to make China a better place for its citizens. It […]
Blog 205 The suggestion below is from someone well placed by experience to form an educated opinion. “Trade sanctions of the type Australia is facing are a weapon used by both USA and China. So let’s have a debate on whether we need Five Eyes, or whether it’s time for us to trade on independently.” […]
Blog 204.Part II Part I of this blog looked at the ideological struggle that was emerging between the west, led by the American democracy and China, led by the Communist Party (CCP.) Both parties look at the struggle as an exhibition ground on which to demonstrate alternative political systems in the belief/hope that their particular […]
Blog 204: Part I: Dig beneath all the trade wars and the arguments to the effect that the USA should not permit China to achieve economic and technological superiority, or even parity, and you find the real reason behind the conflict. China is seen as challenging the West’s ideology of democratic neo-liberal capitalism. China, with […]
Blog No.203 It is a long time since NZ had such a popular and charismatic leader. Jacinda’s popularity is not only a national phenomenon. The respect she has generated overseas would give NZ a significant advantage were it to attempt any of the international diplomatic initiatives of which the global community is in such desperate […]
