Between The Lines - Abc Radio National

Who is going to come out on top in the post-COVID world order: China or the US?

Sweden's virus experiment: death sentence, or a way forward?

How do we revive the economy once the pandemic passes? Coronavirus has Australia headed for a deep recession, so what can we do now to plan our way out of it? Is the answer more government intervention and state planning? Or, is now the time to launch a new reform agenda that sharpens the incentives to work, save, invest and hire? And, Alexander Downer: “I don’t know what China’s problem is” Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an investigation into the origins of the virus. But China’s Ambassador in Canberra upped the stakes this week by threatening a trade and tourism boycott of Australia. Australia’s longest serving Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer says China’s Cold War style rhetoric will backfire on it, and it is in everyone’s interests to investigate the origins of the virus. But as we head into recession, can we afford to aggravate our largest trade partner?

Weighing up Turnbull’s legacy This week, former Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull published his memoir A Bigger Picture.  In it he settles old scores with colleagues over his 2018 ousting, which he describes as an “act of madness.” What is his legacy, and how will history judge our nation’s twenty ninth Prime Minister? Jacqueline Maley, columnist at The Sydney Morning Herald. Jennifer Oriel, columnist at The Australian   And, the death of a führer April 30th marks seventy-five years since Hitler’s suicide. Cambridge historian Brendan Simms challenges past scholarship on the führer, and argues that Hitler saw Anglo-American global capitalism, not Bolshevism – as Germany’s real enemy. He says this philosophical link reveals worrying connections between Hitler and the rise of populism today. Brendan Simms, Professor in the History of International Relations at Cambridge University, and author of Hitler: Only the World was Enough.  

What impact will Boris’ bout of COVID-19 have on his leadership and the nation’s fight against the virus?  His former boss, political columnist Charles Moore weighs in. Later in the program Moore discusses his best-selling three volume biography of Margaret Thatcher. Was the Iron Lady really an eco-warrior? Would she have supported Brexit?

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has told the army to shoot to kill anyone who violates strict COVID-19 lockdowns. Has he gone too far, or is this just more of the strong-man machismo that made him so popular? We talk to Sheila Coronel, Professor of Investigative Journalism at the Columbia Journalism School. Also, why don't Australian prime ministers leave quietly? Australia has had 30 prime ministers since its Federation in 1901. According to political historian Norman Abjorensen they all have one thing in common: a marked reluctance to relinquish power.

Hear from the chair of Infection Control at the National University Hospital in Singapore, who says home isolation is impossible to enforce, and everyone who tests positive for coronavirus should be isolated in hospitals or in designated hotels until they recover. Plus, veteran British historian Max Hastings discusses his new history of the World War Two Dambusters raid.

Is the government pulling the right levers to mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19. How long can the Australian economy survive shut downs before we tip into irreparable damage? 

How the US and China have handled the coronavirus contagion and the secret history of Labor's election debacle.

Kishore Mahbubani says COVID-19 won’t put dent on China’s ascendency, and the US should work out a more thoughtful, long-term strategy for managing China’s rise.   Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, author of Has China Won? The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy

Has Malaysia’s Machiavelli made his last power play? Ninety four year old Doctor Mahathir Mohamad shocked the world when he resigned as Malaysia’s Prime Minister last month. It was seen by some as a Game of Thrones-style power play to out-manoeuvre rivals. Has it all back fired? Bridget Welsh Senior research associate at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Honorary Research Associate at University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Asia Research Institute (UNARI). Also, China’s “magic weapons”:  three new cases of political interference in New Zealand There are currently three investigations underway into China-backed political interference in New Zealand politics. Anne Marie Brady, Professor of political science and international relations at the University of Canterbury, Global Fellow at the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States & Global Fellow of the Polar Institute. Author of Magic Weapons: China’s political influence activities under Xi Jinping

Uncle Sam: homeward bound? From Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders, a growing chorus of voices in the US is calling for a strategy of global retrenchment. But what will long-time allies like Australia do if Uncle Sam goes home? Thomas Wright, director of the Centre on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution and non-resident fellow at Lowy Institute in Sydney. Doug Bandow, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan, scholar-in-residence at the Centre for Independent Studies And, French politics with The Economist’s Sophie Pedder A sex scandal and Macron’s ‘Russia reset’. The Economist’s Sophie Pedder with the latest from the City of Light. Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief, The Economist. Author of “Revolution Française: Emmanuel Macron and the Quest to Reinvent a Nation” 

A Pacific compact to counter China’s rise.   

Indonesia and Australia: can good neighbours become good friends? Indonesia’s president gave a landmark address to Australia’s parliament this week, calling for an end to divisive identity politics and greater Australian action on climate change. What can Australia do to improve this very important relationship?     And, Andrew Stone: making Australia great again Former Chief Economist Andrew Stone has a radical plan to revitalise the Australia economy – tackling everything from energy to housing and immigration

Caucus chaos, Bloomberg’s cash splash and Trump’s acquittal: what does it mean for American foreign policy? A surreal week in US politics, with a huge debacle counting votes at the Iowa caucus to select a Democratic presidential candidate. But was the strongest candidate even on the ballot?  Also, Trump delivers an upbeat State of the Union on the eve of the vote of his impeachment acquittal. Amidst all this drama, what do the tea leaves say about the future shape of US foreign policy? And, UK MP Tom Tugendhat on post- Brexit diplomacy and Huawei: has the UK let the fox into the hen house? Last week, Boris Johnson decided to grant Huawei limited access to the UK’s 5G network. Australia and the US vociferously opposed the decision, arguing it threatens not only Britain’s national security, but also the integrity of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing agreement. Are their fears justified? Or is everyone getting just a little paranoid?  

Soleimani killing: Was Washington's targeted killing of Iranian major general Soleimani justified?  What’s the strategy behind it, and what kind of blow back will the US face? Danielle Pletka:  senior fellow in foreign and defence policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Amin Saikal:  Director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, ANU. Author: Iran Rising: The Survival and Future of the Islamic Republic  and, Islam beyond Borders: The Umma in World Politics And, Are Russia and China developing an authoritarian alliance? Defence analyst Paul Dibb is sounding the alarm. He says the US could face a war on two fronts – in Europe and in Asia - if Putin and Xi collude to challenge the US. Paul Dibb: Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Strategic & Defence Studies Centre, ANU, author: How the geopolitical partnership between China and Russia threatens the West, ASPI.

Has China lost Taiwan? We discuss the stunning election win of Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan earlier this month. Has China lost Taiwan for good? Or does the election just make military action more likely? Hugh White, Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies ANU. Nastasha Kassam, Research Fellow, Diplomacy and Public Opinion Program, Lowy Institute.   The man who mapped the world. It’s 250 years since Captain Cook first planted the British flag on Australian soil, but according to a new book most of us still don’t know the full story. Peter Fitzsimmons, author: James Cook: The story behind the man who mapped the world

The good, the bad and the ugly of politics in 2019. Expert commentators join Tom to discuss the shock election result, China, America and the world. Will the lessons of this year roll into 2020? Jennifer Hewett, columnist with the Australian Financial Review.  Judith Sloan, columnist with The Australian. Stephen Loosely, senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

We know we were colonised by the British and built by the criminals they sent here. But how much do we really understand about the very beginning of European settlement in Australia? David Hill, former managing director of the ABC and author of Convict Colony

Whatever you think about the Communist regime, there is no market that will replace China for decades as far as Australia is concerned. So why are we so worried about China’s intentions? Also Like most countries, Australia has a growing population of homeless citizens. Are we looking in all the wrong places for answers?