Advertise on podcast: Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today

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. 

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

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.

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. 

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 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. 

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

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?

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

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?

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

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 

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.