Issue 1 - June 2013
The
Melbourne Globalist
THE SENKAKU ISLANDS OBAMANATION A SECOND TERM
06
GUERRILLA
FOODFARE
INSTABILITY: The New Norm
CONTENTS
06 15 19
GUERRILLA FOODFARE
06
The Good, the Bad & the Misconception of Ugly.
$ US DOMINATES
Why the US dollar will sustain its hegemony for some years to come.
THE SENKAKU ISLANDS
The enduring conflict between Japan and China.
28
ROUND 2
The challenges of a second term for Barack Obama.
30 35 41 45 48
OBAMANATION
Can the GOP draft itself back into contention for 2016?
30
THE ZAPATISTA MOVEMENT
Autonomous governance, parallel to the Mexican state.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Where instability characterises the everyday.
RADICALISATION
35
Analysis of radicalism originating in Russia’s Muslim community.
RUMINATIONS ON RUSSIA Restoring Russia’s great power status.
01
48
//FROM THE EDITOR
THETEAM
Welcome to the inaugural print and digital edition of The Melbourne Globalist, an intercollegiate foreign-affairs magazine.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nick Fabbri
Our newly launched website and publication are the culmination of four months of hard work by our editorial
DEPUTY EDITOR IN CHIEF J.T. Rodrigo EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Nick Langford
public discourse on international agenda items and with the Global21 network of international affairs magazines.
journalism and meaningful engagement with global issues.
writing, editorial and graphic design abilities outside of their studies as founding members of Our website will be regularly updated with the latest content from the Global21 network – including TMG’s contributing writers. Our fortnightly E-Newsletter will feature a roundup of our most recent pieces for your digital consumption, media diet.
FINANCE DIRECTOR Harrison Fenton DIGITAL DIRECTOR, CHIEF COPY-EDITOR & SECRETARY Jiannis Tsaousis MARKETING OFFICER & COPY EDITOR Charles Kemp DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & GRAPHIC DESIGN, COPY EDITOR Al Meredith EDITORS: SAMUEL BAKER AMY JACK SONARI FERNANDO DEAN LEVITAN CAMILLA ORR-THOMPSON MATTHEW CONNOLLY GRETA CARROLL
Australian tertiary institutions and the Australian public more broadly. I thank each of you for your continuing support and look months and years.
EMILY-ROSE GUARNUCCIO RAOUL RENARD
www.tmglobalist.org www.facebook.com/tmglobalist www.twitter.com/tmglobalist
Nick Fabbri Founder & Editor-in-Chief
We are always looking to improve our product and processes and would appreciate your constructive feedback at executive@tmglobalist.org
02
ARTS & CULTURE
03
Photograph Credit: A.Sakr, Flikr.
ARTS & CULTURE
//POLITICAL SATIRE RIDES THE KOREAN WAVE
M
edia
freedom
remains somewhat constrained due
ongoing attempts to censor online content. Under its increasingly strict interpretation of the necessity as a defence strategy against North Korea and any possibility of communist rising oppression tool being used to suppress criticism continuance of the political defamation is a criminal offence and charges are applied to anyone who expresses criticism of the
The risqué commentary on politics, which has gained a strong support from young
is the weapon of comedy
comedy
These sketches would not be considered defaming since they are not claimed to be factual. Mr. Choo’s potential arrest has garnered much criticism from the public, commenting that such
shows
to
make
comedy shows, such as “Gag Concert”, a long-running sketch show known for its witty In January 2013, the Korea reprimanded “Gag Concert” while instead using rude tones when addressing the current In another recent lampooning
American
analysis has always had its place in the world, and its role has become just as
comedy
show,
commentator and media critic, Korea after being ridiculed on
Korean journalist, Choo Chin-woo, for publishing media that slandered and spread false information regarding the brother of
freedom of expression.” a political drum that is full of manufactured cobwebs of headlines and messages.
in any anti-state groups
world, prosecutors are in
in “a backward country ruled by an authoritarian
he indicted was “illegal news [that] manipulated public opinion.” Netizens were quick to ridicule Byun’s blatant reaction whose response to common and frequent political satire has “damaged a political sense of humour.”
with “an aim of blocking her election.”
Korea, satire has been an essential tool that sheds light on corruption, nepotism, and the political elite. It pushes the limits of freedom to a new e-platform political world will need to face the growing number of more engaged and angry young Koreans sooner or later. Written by Hazel Mejia.
of broadcasting. Indeed, satire
04
//GUERRILLA FOODFARE The Good, the Culturally Bad, and the Misconception of Ugly.
T
businesses that attribute their success and global growth to the global economic recession of 2008. At a time when restaurant goers were dining and restauranteurs opening new restaurants, the concept of mobile “food trucks” became for budget- conscious customers as well as an entrepreneurial opportunity for small business owners. The food truck phenomenon, as distinct
of cooking styles and genres. It takes ‘gourmet’ restaurant concepts and ingredients and combines them with street food basics such as burgers, tacos and tortillas, for example turning the typical sidewalk
05
hot dogs into “haute dogs”. “Kogi BBQ”, founded by the concept of wrapping Korean barbeque in corn tortillas on the streets of L.A. The trend became widespread after word infused tacos and streetlong queues swept across
form citywide fan bases. Although the success of a food truck will ultimately depend on the quality of the food, as Lao from The Rickshaw Dumpling Truck makes clear “you can’t make a shish-kebab with an of food trucks has played a large role in fostering greater community interconnectedness. Not only do food truck and
neighborhood
life”,
in 2010. argues, Unlike brick-and mortar restaurants, mobile food trucks allow a food product to be more accessible to more people in different
they
also
including “community connectedness and access, and sustainability”.
media has been upheld has integration of food trucks into popular culture. Food truck entrepreneurs and sites like Twitter and Facebook to connect with customers and
changed
the
way
has encouraged them to put aside their presumptions that mobile meals from “roach coaches” are sub par and questionably hygienic. Despite aiming
ARTS & CULTURE
people to try them.
“However incredulously, Parisians have embraced the American food truck invasion.”
cheap, food trucks are decidedly The distinctions between high culture dining and popular fast food culture are blurred by the introduction of food trucks, which aim to dispense farmers’ market fresh food “in a McDonald’s the quality of American fast food experiences, food trucks culinary experience”, by exposing
Between “Grill5taco” in Korea, Beirut and ‘Beat-Box Kitchen” in Melbourne, perhaps the most based food truck were of ‘Cantine California’ or “Le Camion Qui Fume” on the sidewalks of exists in France that the daily American diet consists of grossly
used to be considered exotic are increasingly widespread,’ says Kazia Jankowski, associate dining, it has been said that the Group, an agency that tracks culinary trends. The mobility of food trucks is the reason for “surface more easily and spread through cities”, allowing more
quality and ultimate “cool” factor.
06
“M A N Y F E A R T H E I N FAT U AT I O N O F A M E R I C A N I Z A T I O N .” eaten a soft taco before Jordan Feilders of ‘Cantine California’ starting importing them directly from Mexico to his trucks
marketing of Comte cheeses, which accepts modernity to the extent that it upholds the integrity of the product to ensure that the taste, quality and credibility is not lost. With almost 2.5 billion people eating street
Many fear the infatuation of Americanization through the informality
speed and on a global scale, creating business quality food to cities in a depressed economy.
trucks as the transfer of American food and culture across the Atlantic, as it in the early 1970s. As Eric Himmelfarb highlights, trucks such as ‘Cantine California’ maintain a crucial element of French cuisine, by choosing to cook with high quality ingredients and presenting meals as if they were entrée’s at white embodies a synthesis between the traditional French way of eating and the “Americanizing” or industrializing pressures of the globalisation of food. of American food culture into the city, the synthesis has been distinctly French. “The elements of tradition and heritage, in their importance”. The threat of Americanization and homogenization to French food culture has been subdued in France by allowing a degree of modernity and industrialization to assist French heritage on a global scale. An example of this is the international
07
Written by Alex Berry.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 10. Modern perceptions of the conception of time. 13. Is the cure for HIV around the corner? 17. Medicine tailored to individuals.
09
SCIENCE & TECH
W
//THE POWER OF TIME those
of time by breakingup each day into 86400 seconds and reassembling it tick, by audible tick into minutes and hours. The
their ability to synchronise and coordinate human
mechanisation of production in the 18th century made the
Coordination is critical for organised communities, yet the political and economic power of time extends far beyond regulating our clocks and calendars.
through the acceleration of production that could be readily translated
in ancient times. Antiphon, a Greek speech writer, is
atoms assemble each second from 9,192,631,770
of the phrase as a maxim, when he wrote in 430 BC that “The most costly outlay is time.” Time’s
most reliable and accurate
the
and the time to reap. The
hastening tangibly when the latest model of a toaster is expected to take a few seconds less to toast a slice of bread than
is impossible without an
e
know
that
from being the fourth and least understood dimension of space, time has also been a political tool at least since the dawn of empire – how time is read, by whom and for what purposes are extremely crucial elements of political and economic power. By the 14th Century BC, the Chinese had accurately calculated the solar year to be 365 ¼ days and the lunar month to be 29 ½ days. But only the emperor and members of his appointed Bureau of Astronomy were allowed to compile the calendar in imperial China. Once compiled, the few treasured copies would personally distributed by the emperor to his chief
the
legitimacy
of
acknowledged thereafter in many cultures and has been expressed in countless be measurable and that was made possible by the mechanical clock. For much
the calendars on their knees and dispatched them to the
kept time with the passing of days, seasons and the wandering planets. The
world as now, calendars dictated the time to sow
clock in the 8th Century AD transformed our perception
is synchronised by an interconnected network of atomic clocks. Inside them,
mankind. Our ability to split seconds into billions of parts is not just a technological accomplishment but a political necessity for life as we know it. If such an accurate reading of time would be a breakdown in TV and radio broadcasts, and mobile telecommunications. Broadcasts from radio and telecommunications towers must be synchronised with
10
from adjacent towers cancelling each other out. which they operate, their synchronised with highly precise readings that can measure the time it takes few centimetres. To the extent that politics and economics are intertwined, changes in the implications throughout history. Washing machines, cars, refrigerators, mixers, blenders and a host of households in the post WW II world, created enough ‘spare’ time in middle class families to allow both men and women the political and sociotore the class-based social structure apart starting in the 1950s was enabled by the spare-time that automation had created in
11
Moore’s Law, computers are the most dominant
yet fully understood. But if time has an economic
the modern world. Most computers can only do one that they can do many things at the same time by switching between each task at speeds that allowing you to read this and talking to a friend on become time factories with parallel assembly lines that let us accomplish multiple tasks at the same time. Computers today squeeze in roughly ninety times more work into one second than they did ten years ago, not only creating more time but also enabling capabilities only a few years ago. Most notably, automation of stock markets has enabled of markets at nanosecond speed. Clearly it is
and women.
being made to process
With processor speeds doubling according to
though the implications of high speed trading is not
chances are that it can also a bank’s computer system were to be out of synch by a few millionths of a second, a skilful programmer could exploit it for money laundering. They would be able to make double withdrawals from the same account by fooling both transactions were the same because they were executed at the ‘same time.’ Therefore, computer systems in banks and stock markets around the world must be powerful enough and tightly synchronised fraud. critical systems that require accurate timekeeping than radio towers, stock markets and banks. The military depend on the most accurate timekeeping to coordinate military operations – to say nothing of how time dependant cyber operations are. The
SCIENCE & TECH
measurements of some of the most accurate clocks are used to operate the weapons systems including missile guiding systems and aircraft bombers. It is the accuracy with which they can read time that determines how
world in ways that we often extremely critical wisdom of the atomic clocks, most of the technological and economic made would be lost. The seconds, minutes and hours that tick away on a clock
aided by the time-stamped A faulty clock on a missile may guide its deadly cargo to an unintended target. The precision with which time is read by an unmanned drone or bomber aircraft can mean the difference between life and death to those who the success or failure of international agreements such as the Responsibility ultimately depend on whether military clocks are accurate enough to guide missiles accurately to their targets instead of
only to wear time on our status to those who wear the most sophisticated and no coincidence, because the steady technological progress of humanity has created a world that is more reliant on time than any other can read time more precisely, who amass the most power and wealth. Written by Harendra Alwis. Edited by Camilla OrrThompson.
to protect. Our ability to read time connects us with the
12
F
scientists and doctors were able to ‘functionally cure’ Human
patients. Remarkably, this breakthrough came in two separate studies in two different countries, almost
W H AT N O W F O R H I V ?
// FUNCTIONALLY CURED
unable to infect further cells in the body, so hosts’ own immune system The French study published days similarly load to the Mississippi baby following treatment. These patients were treated within 10 weeks of In both cases, treatment of patients become widespread.
The results
the treatment of HIV, but that these a Mississippi baby who was born with HIV, whilst the second (published just 14 infected adults.
may not exhibit symptoms for up to two years following infection, so commence much later than in these to the bloodstream of a new host,
treatment routine of a baby within 30 hours of
cell called T helper lymphocytes. Once them such that they produce more
baby was tested for HIV than-usual treatment was administered. Treatment continued to 18 months of age and following later
more T cells. As time progresses, HIV compromises the functionality of these infections, typically leading to Acquired
load, were low enough to be pronounced ‘functionally time an HIV infection was cured without the use of stem cells (the only other To be functionally cured
13
Head
of
the
Molecular
Virology
SCIENCE & TECH
is no ‘quick pathway’ to a cure. Instead
that are distantly related to HIV present in our cause no illness. A functional cure for HIV would
‘silenced’ by drug treatment as well as its
cure or functional cure regimen is likely to be
can exist as a silent copy of DNA that can’t is always going to be the best foil against the HIV epidemic.” the capacity to outcompete the ability of the
Written by Deniz Tat. Edited by Matt Connolly. according to the World Health Organisation
14
PERSONALISED MEDICINE THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA
A
ustralia
is
on
a new era of patient diagnosis and clinical practice, known as personalised medicine. Before, assessed symptoms, but research into human genome sequences is making it possible for doctors to obtain of disease susceptibility and treatment
medicine
is
already
many countries in Europe, whereas it is still in its early stages in Australia, with the centre – the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute – only although already cost
personalised medicine occurred in a two-stage process, beginning with the
genes across the DNA sequence, while tracking details of their functions and interactions. A secondary
to how
explore
the
different
genetic genomes
of contracting, and natural management of, diseases. Before the study of genomics, the common approach to management and care of disease was more generalised. Treatment targeted the disease mechanism itself not occur prior to the onset
15
of
lifestyle and drug regimes. Current treatments do not always maximise response and clinical outcomes into
susceptibility
to
certain
further funding and facilities are required to country’s practise medicine.
of diseases before symptoms
matching
treatments
sequences continues. The leading health industry
genetic tests now assist in the prediction and diagnoses
Health Industry group, indicates personalised
SCIENCE & TECH
RESEARCH
THE FUTURE
medicine as a multi-billion dollar market
International research on human genomics
expects it to grow. Although Australia is still nurturing the research and practice of personalised medicine, the market growth
potential to cater care and treatment to the a stranger to the practice of personalised
leading to an increasing interest amongst the public, opening the market for to-consumer genetic testing along with interpretations of results that can impact public health. Thus the need for medical
Australian research can begin to make a The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical
most accurate and reliable information is genome sequences. Centres such as The
GLOBAL MARKET Medical researchers around the world are embracing growing interest in personalised medicine, not only to become leaders in this upcoming market,
approach for care of cancer patients. Likewise, The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute is dedicated in being the leaders of research for personalised children’s health, and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, amongst other centres, are continuously working independently and
care for patients. Due to the complexity and practice of personalised medicine. The establishment of more specialised centres will research of its own in order to pinpoint the exact mechanism that can be targeted clinically. Research is a long and hard process, which requires a large amount of funding, equipment, expertise and other resources in order to gain substantial outcomes. Australia has recently gained
making an impact the research and practice of personalised medicine around the world. Written by Monica Lim. Edited by Nick Fabbri & Greta Carroll.
us the opportunity to participate in the fast growing market of personalised medicine. The continuation of this funding, which is in the sector.
16
GREENBACK CURRENCY
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
management still outweigh the unsustainability of foreign payments imbalances. These factors still
country’s trading integration with the world , its currency is accepted more and more for cross border transactions. exists around China’s exportled growth strategy, the low
has dominated international currency markets for more than half a century already, but despite rhetoric to the contrary, it is likely its hegemony will continue for another half
What all this means is that
currencies mean that realistically no challenger will
in transactions worldwide. These factors indicate to
has been seen as a natural
world’s preferred means of
that a currency is likely to
transactions and ensuring international liquidity.
the future. But weakness in
why it would be inappropriate today, but until 2008 the Euro was commonly cited as the next hegemonic currency. It
as ‘cumbersome’ regulations three
main
indicators
of
future political stability of the accustomed
to question why international markets are yet to seek other certainly offers no rosy picture political gridlock and failing domestic sectors do not instil the greenback still accounts for more than 65% of all international transactions,
17
reaction in this situation is to wonder why the currency of the world’s second largest economy isn’t more popular. After all, annual growth in the Chinese economy has barely fallen below 8% in the last decade – surely an indication of sustainability
to
the
high
the size of the EU’s economy, on aggregate, and these countries’ trading ties with the rest of Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. so much as an expression – instead as a pooling of it. it suggests one country’s foreign policy will play less
BUSINESS & ECO
LEADING RESERVE Y of a role in dictating exchange rates or bond issues, and the stability of the currency is therefore less susceptible to domestic political decision-making.
could do for the Middle East and the rest of Europe.
and 20% since 1995 . For
these indicators of capital
of the economy are two of the The other side of the Euro cumbersome aggregation of 17 separate nations’ own monetary policy. As such, the bureaucracy and common monetary policy can
EVEN WITH THE $US IN DECLINE, THERE ARE NO RIVALS THAT WILL VIABLY REPLACE IT IN ITS POSITION AS THE DOMINANT INTERNATIONAL RESERVE CURRENCY. The domestic
greenback will remain hegemonic in the coming years, asking which currency will dominate the international monetary system in another halfcentury’s time is not so straightforward a question. Written by Matthew Connolly. Edited by J.T. Rodrigo.
with the European Central Bank’s focus on stability imbalances across Europe are the major barriers for
the currency’s future. The
third
most
widely
contenders. that recent indicators of the
growth’ post-WW2 and Asian Financial Crisis in the mid ‘90s, the Japanese economy was the second largest, and one of the fastest growing, in the world. Its ability to quickly technologizing world. and especially post-GFC, the economy has become highly dropped lower than half a per cent since 2008 , and its
to mention the debate about a new ‘international currency’ come, perhaps it will be the suggests different currencies will dominate in different geopolitical and economic slowly liberalising Chinese economy could offer its Asian just as a stabilised Eurozone
18
THIRD WORLD MICROFINANCE \\
M
-
policies including ‘minimum
brella under which mi-
was crippling his nation, Dr
and micro-insurance are congregated. The brainchild of Bangladeshi econo-
-
who won the 2006 Nobel
connects the worlds poorest
Jobra, he found a group of women who made and sold bamboo stools. Although this the women lacked the initial capital required to start-up the business and had to enter into a usurious loan with local moneylenders who the stools be sold for just
insurance are largely result-
als. Ultimately, they were stuck in a debt-cycle, which
easy solution.
which allows low income earners to store their small amount of money at low a safer method of storing
-
-
group the money at zero interest and watched as they broke the cycle of debt and
lents. Micro-credit offers a more sustainable solution than charity. The most important difference between
weren’t consumed by debt repayments. nance institutions helps to
Micro-credit enables the worlds poorest to make the for the future’. This idea is
tion and illness. A progression from micro-credit is a
mitigate the risks associated
take for granted. Although I will focus mainly on micro-
in the process. The task of bridging the gap between the
subject to all kinds of risks
ing in the form of a bank bal-
it can be argued that charity doesn’t help to erratic on ‘hand outs’, micro-credit engenders a sense of accountability for the debt taken on and encourages a goal. In addition, a grow-
experience, which led to his crusade 40 years ago. As an economist who was all too
19
in cattle or other easy conyears is a concept called ‘peer-to-peer micro-credit’,
BUSINESS & ECO
to be connected with microentrepreneurs through loans. offers this through a website requiring credit, the amount they need and why they micro capital market, which allocates capital to the most
it is the source of much debate. While the transaction negligible, when this loan is a action costs can easily be 30-40%. When these costs costs of a loan, interest rates ingly but not irrationally, Members of the Consulta-
and doesn’t allow borrowing for other needs, such as medical emergencies. In these situations, high interest moneylenders may still tendency to ‘trap’ borrowers into a debt cycle and -
broader look at this, the indiapplying for micro-credit and will use the money are more
and with a reported 99.02% of loans being repaid, it must be working. the interest rates on microextension of the self-sustainability of micro-credit argument, interest rates on small loans must be high in order for there to be an adequate the loan. Within a loan, there
feel that “interest rate ceilings which chokes off the supply of credit”. Consequently, the issue of interest rates is comThe appropriateness of micro-credit can be questioned in some situations. In areas where populations are geographically dispersed, there’s a high incidence of illness or there is a reliance on noncash transactions, it might not be the best approach. This is because these factors
Therefore admittedly, it will be a complicated issue to negotiate. bullet’. It has many complicated drawbacks, which will hinder it sustainability and growth. If the goal of microinequality between the rich and the poor then the impoorest is a step in the right constraints of high interest rates and local moneylenders will be the biggest chalnomic growth and inequality
a sustainable, economically risk, exchange rate risk and portional to the amount lent and are important but not as
situations, traditional charity or grants might be a more useful initial step to prepare
(transaction/ administration
use of micro-credit. Another drawback of the micro-credit
why micro-credit attracts such a high interest rate and
only caters for those who want to start up a business
Edited by J.T. Rodrigo.
20
POLITICS & SOCIETY ASIA PACIFIC 19. An analysis of the longstanding feud between Japan and China. 24. Is Australia now a liaison between China and The Stars and Stripes?
THE SENKAKU
S
ince the end of the Cold War, the
This has most recently manifested
dominated politically, economically,
in the power balance, inspiring tensions the region in relation to territorial claims.
21
escalated to the point that a Chinese
POLITICS & SOCIETY
ISLANDS uninhabited islands in the East China with the intention of nationalising them, gained de facto control of the islands response
included
performing
global power since the 1970s more emerged. Tensions sharply escalated in
22
//TROUBLED WATERS are forced to consider – why is there and is the ultimate gain worth The answer to this is complex, and can be broken down into two core
alliance. This claim emerged shortly after the release of a May 1969 report from the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East stating that the Additionally, under maritime law, the ownership of the islands would extend
represents, and the sentiment they symbolise for both states’ sense of nationalism. nations. more than just economic and strategic
23
POLITICS & SOCIETY power battle. The Japanese claimed the islands from China after a series claims to be as a “totally illegal and
to defend any attack on Japanese land. ownership of the islands, they would be bound to protect the islands if China,
the humiliation that China and much of Asia experienced at the hands of Japan during World War II, has inspired a strong anti-Japanese sentiment to become engrained in the Chinese
China would not only engage military
employs this to strengthen a sense of Chinese nationalism, which then cyclically feeds the common disdain for Japan. This has led to the issue of territory to stretch beyond international relations and intertwine in the domestic politics of both nations. As such, territorial disputes between China and
The American approach was one of ‘strategic ambiguity’ – whereby they
economic gain, but rather symbolise a
where China conducted threatening
defend Taiwan against any threatening action made by China (as it would be
Taiwan, essentially challenging the With this in mind, it is unsurprising that under the pretence of defending peace February 2013, a total of 83 Chinese
years
has
seen
power
relations
China has become a more dominant seen their defense budget increase to guiding radar on a Japanese Maritime
them the world’s second highest military spender and causing wariness among surrounding nations regarding China’s intentions in the region.
be well-calculated in her actions, as contending that, due to China and Japan’s economic importance to one
24
PACIFIC RING OF FIRE
asserts that when two states are economically interdependent upon each other, the costs associated with increased import and export prices are a strong deterrent to war. China and Japan are key trading partners, and it has been suggested that the potential economic loss sustained from cutting by shifting fostering these trade relations such as Kenneth Waltz highlight that the resulting increased contact that will occur by widening trade relation simply increases the opportunity for tensions to occur.
animosity between China and Japan
25
states, and as such we presently enter the ‘Asian century’, the power relations in the region are rapidly where
territorial
assertions
are
As such, the window in which both states are willing to engage in open, becoming narrower, and it appears unlikely that either nation will be able to shed its suspicion of the other. Edited by J.T. Rodrigo.
POLITICS & SOCIETY
AUSTRALIA:
Written by Michael Reardon. Edited by Raoul Renard.
THE BRIDGE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE STATES?
F
ollowing Julia Gillard’s historic state
China in April, culminating in a Beijing conference which led to the direct upgrading of our bilateral relationship, Australia is poised to become much closer both diplomatically and economically to the world’s second great power. When taken into consideration alongside our already intimate and decades old relationship with chance of becoming a ‘trusted broker’ between China and the almighty America. This ambitious positioning has the potential to transform us from a prosperous and geographically blessed middle power of – a true “bridge between East and West.” are already our 1st and 3rd biggest trading solid trilateral relationship currently exist.
Keating and contained in the ‘Australia in complacency yet again.
FROM TRADING PARTNER TO ZHENGYOU
zhengyou – denoting a close, mutually friends can occasionally disagree on matters of business or detail without losing face and personal warmth. China between April 5-10, where she Jinping and his fresh administration, Australia appears tantalizingly close world’s second great power and our largest trading partner. As the muchtouted ‘Asian Century’ dawns across the the symbolism of Gillard’s success in upgrading our bilateral relationship with China (her single greatest foreign
26
AUSTRALIA IS POISED TO BECOME MUCH CLOSER TO THE WORLD’S SECOND GREAT POWER. As countries across the globe seek to strengthen ties with what could be the world’s largest economy by 2016, Gillard and her senior ministers Bob Carr, Craig Emerson annual summit whereby Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, Trade Minister, Treasurer and their Chinese counterparts will meet in person in Beijing to discuss all matters diplomatic, economic and security-related. It also lifts our relationship with Beijing to that of a ‘strategic partnership’, which alongside new policy agreements and talks of a potential two-nation free-tradeour bilateral relationship following Labor’s recent
27
foreign policy stumbles. become one of China’s “true friends”, Australia
MARRIED TO UNCLE SAM: WHY AUSTRALIA NEEDS TO GO ITS OWN WAY IN ASIA
to
federal
parliament
which reached Beijing with all the subtlety of an “oral and policy assault”, represents the awkward dilemma we face in balancing the competing aspirations of our key economic partner with that of our oldest friend and chief guarantor of our national security. As the most popular and wealthiest kid in school, within the corridors of power in both Washington and Beijing, meaning we don’t necessarily
// TO A BRIGHT FUTURE
POLITICS & SOCIETY “our history and our geography” as former Howard cautioned in 1996. Not surprisingly, another has taken a different tact, arguing forcefully for Australia to “strike out on bold, independent foreign policy, which anchors our
is a better path forward, one which offers Australia the best of both worlds. Whether we’re prepared to take this leadership role is the test of our national maturity.
THE THIRD WAY FORWARD: A BRIDGE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST speak of presents both a personal dream and an increasingly realistic foreign growing esteem amongst
forums. Of course, these are the sentiments
and our zhengyou status
established much of this “policy architecture” as
liberal democracy at the rim
frenetic years between 1991-1996. And while I agree with the thrust of his argument – that China is a legitimate rising power the combined economic output of Europe and North America by the early
and with a solid reputation
of our sphere, there is no reason why Australia cannot establish a permanent, trilateral strategic agreement between the
28
ASIAN DESTINY:
broker’ between the world’s two great powers. Our trade relationship with both growing from strength-to-strength - with 105,547 Chinese students studying in year ended 28 February 2013. Therefore, a golden opportunity presents itself to placing itself as the “bridge” between East and West. A friendly China and America is not only in our own interests, it is in the world’s best interests. Are we up to
29
POLITICS & SOCIETY
SO MANY PLANS, SO LITTLE TIME: THE CHALLENGES OF A SECOND TERM FOR BARACK OBAMA THE AMERICAS 28. Does Obama have what it takes to retain his post? 30. Obamanation.
I
Obama was contemplating as he joined the four
formally open George W. was disquieted about the during negotiations with Congressional Republicans control, or maybe he was comforted by the bipartisan forward
on
immigration
resurgence of security as an issue in the wake of the tragedies in Boston. Regardless, it is clear that with many plans for his questions remain as to what passage of his term, when agenda, what’s notable are the common factors that stand as impediments
what will be his legacy as considers progress on the negotiations unlikely “could face a similarly budget, long the millstone obstructionist Congress around Obama’s neck. Others such as former seems as though deepseated polarisation between this can be attributed to Republican counterparts in Congress will be the biggest negotiator with Republicans impediment to progress on in Congress. One further element to consider, as Mike Lillis of The Hill outlined, is reticence
30
from
Congressional
touch, where others in Congress take the lead on
long-cherised elements of their
immigration
such as proposed
Republicans such as John McCain and Marco Rubio worked with Democratic
Obama’s changes
that would reduce payments for future a different calculation that for all the promise of robust legislation, if Barack Obama can’t keep Democrats in line and start doing a better job of courting Republicans, then the blot on his legacy.
legislation,
reform to address the alarming situation of 11 million undocumented short term, immigration legislation presents political opportunities for Obama to demonstrate an ability to cooperate with Congressional Republicans
On the other hand, considering the issue of gun control
policy landmark to his legacy. But considering immigration and gun reform together, we see the inherent trade-off Obama
despite
to bolster his legacy does he focus on the policies he is passionate about or the
its
recent
for legislation that would expand background checks for gun purchases, the As
Jonathan
Allen
of
far failed to win enough pass the legislation. As Ezra Klein of The Washington legislation requires a softer
31
window in which action on these issues is possible closes as the 2014 midterm campaigns heat up later this year and public
attention turns to the 2016 a Republican-controlled House it seems the best legacy would be for Democrats to win big next suggests this is unlikely, “especially when polarizing issues such as gun control could dominate,” when it comes to the ballot box.
“HOW MUCH TIME DOES THE PRESIDENT HAVE TO IMPLEMENT HIS BROAD AGENDA ANYWAY?”
the mixed prospects for progress on the budget
successful implementation of Obamacare “could With upwards of 30 million Americans insurance under the legislation, it’s clearly in see it successfully rolled out, implemented and outlast his term and that Congresses.
throughout his career, what comes of his second term will be just as fascinating barriers to his reform will be crucial, but what will form his political legacy, and what will be absent from it when it comes time to open Obama’s from now, is anyone’s guess. Written by Christopher Weinberg. Edited by Matthew Connolly.
OBAMANATION
legislation and immigration reform all in the face of Congress’ intransigence, perhaps the key to Barack Obama’s political legacy lies in the biggest act of his
S
world’s most prominent
Barack Hussein Obama has been breaking the mould in and delighted colleagues in Obama’s
single
greatest
Mitt Romney in the 2012 agenda in the president’s policy persona, but more sharp relief the shifting demographics which politics and electoral power. - with the rise of a “new of women, minorities and
32
HEAD T
the young, who for the
CAN THE GOP NAVIGATE THE SHIFTING COMPLEXION OF THE AMERICAN POPULACE?
more than 50% of the
shifting complexion of the American populace and draft itself back into contention for 2016 and this question not only determines the future
01
OBAMA: AN UNLIKELY ZEITGEIST
From his humble beginnings in the cradle of a white mother from
33
Kansas and an African father from Kenya who raised their only son in the cosmopolitan surroundings of Hawaii’s Maui island, Barack Hussein Obama’s life story alone sets him apart who has occupied the White House. His parents separated in 1964 – ambitions – with his mother Indonesian scholar whom she followed to Jakarta in 1967, bringing her young son who began away from the land of his returned
to
Hawaii
in
POLITICS & SOCIETY
O HEAD 1971 and completed his melting pot, which profoundly shaped the outlook he would later bring into American politics with an almighty
chronic political instability in Congress and a country changing profoundly in its ethnic and political
America
in many ways a triumph of
when times get tough. This changing America also presents a formidable existential challenge to
dominated by Republican intransigence and the rise
who
accept
as the norm and expect
must adapt if they’re to administration’s often stumbled attempts to deal in 1997. The rest, as they say, is history and by February 2007, this announced his ultimately successful candidacy for
02
A PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENT FOR A PROGRESSIVE AMERICA?
Four years following his January 20 2009 inauguration, and
decades ahead.
of the maladies which
THE GOP: A PARTY OF “GRUMPY OLD WHITE GUYS” IN A COUNTRY OF INCREASING COLOUR.
since 2008, Americans remained loyal to their
Few simple numbers illustrate the Republican
mounting economic and foreign policy woes (many the result of his predecessor’s ill-judged
Dream,
awarding
remarkable
him
considering
03
secured
slowly but surely from the depths of the 200809 ‘Great Recession’,
changing demographics it
of
the
2050 will represent 53% of total nation population. secured
under the most trying economic circumstances in recent memory, Obama began his second and
80%
61%
of
the
majority bloc within the
the support of a rising consisting of women, minorities and the young – who will soon dominate
will only represent 47% of total national population. Another group of great
2012
growing 18-34 year old demographic, ‘the
result
suggests
34
“REPUBLICANS COULD DO NO WORSE THAN LISTEN THEIR MORE ENLIGHTENED MEMBERS...” Millennial’s’ who came of age during the Clinton and W. communication technologies and an increasingly liberal social outlook compared to their ‘Baby Boomer’ parents. Obama
offspring. With the challenge clear and the threat profound,
04
DEMOGRAPHICS ARE DESTINY
its leadership team accept the reality of the changing America they face is yet to be predominantly white, middle class and wealthy, there is no option but to reform their platform and recruit new members who look and sound different to the status quo if they are to remain
from a party seen to represent
by
of “grumpy old white guys,” whose uncompromising beliefs on the economy, international affairs and society alienate large swathes of the public,
challenge not as a zero-sum game, but as an opportunity to
a broader membership base
opening to spread their ideals
aspirations of a “majority minority” nation. Republicans could do no worse than listen to their more enlightened members, such as former
liberty and economic dynamism to a new audience who sought American citizenship for many of those reasons. As an immigrant nation to its core, a United
instability
and
turmoil,
they hold so dear. Whilst Obama successfully assembled a “new
(brother of former president decent political parties will be
to broaden the appeal of their party’s platform.
to offer an island of hope and opportunity in a sea of turmoil and change. Written by Michael James Reardon. Edited by Raoul Renard.
35
34
THE
ZAPATISTA MOVEMENT
37
POLITICS & SOCIETY the notion of a stable state system in the modern world.
of radical democracy, local the modern world. Zapatismo, the ideology of
discrimination against Mexico’s indigenous peoples, and the destabilising onset of neoliberal globalisation in these communities. As such, the Zapatista Army of has instituted a form of radical, direct democracy in the areas under its control, in accountable to the local population. The EZLN emerged in the public eye when they declared war on 1 January 1994 – the date on which the North American Free Trade Agreement
T
he
Zapatista
social
southern Mexico, has, since 1994, run
autonomous
Thousands of masked rebels, mainly marginalised indigenous people from Mexico’s southernmost state of Chiapas, took military region. The
system
military
occupation
of
frames the economic issues that these communities face The general trend towards neoliberal economic policies since the mid-twentieth century – including the 1994 implementation of support for rural Mexicans – has dramatically worsened conditions in these already The Zapatistas tie their opposition to the globalisation of neoliberal capitalism to their
action, and to prioritise social
THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT hegemony between the state and the EZLN has, in some cases, led to large
whereupon it was swiftly and Mexican state. Zapatista communities, in which subsequent repositioning of this guerrilla rebellion as a longstanding social education, administration and justice, without any state resources. The de facto secession of these communities challenges
our attention. Its successes the
international
in others the intrusion of competing institutions has its best to undermine the unity and momentum of the EZLN through persuasion
leftist coercion
through
military
38
structure of Programa Cañadas epitomises the government’s approach to the region: Of its budget of US$38 million, more than half went into building roads and power lines which had the principal purpose of supplying new army camps, defences the government enthusiastically built in the region in the wake of 1994. Just 3% went to education. The adversary relationship between the state and Zapatista governments over the past two decades makes it clear that the long term viability of the movement depends on establishing superior alternatives to government services in education, health, administration and justice. This is an ambitious task by any measure, and it remains to be seen whether the Zapatista model – of non-formalised autonomy over nondelineated territory – is sustainable.
ZAPATISTA GOVERNMENT Five Juntas de Buen Gobierno (JBGs), or Councils of Good Government oversee
39
Zapatista regions. The councils’ structure is decided locally by by the principle of mandar obeciendo, or ‘rule by obeying’. In practice, the Zapatista goal of responsive governance entails extremely limited tenure and immediate accountability mechanisms to incorporate direct democracy in government. Term lengths on JBG councils vary from between two weeks and three months: in the La Garrucha region, a pool of leaders is elected to serve on standby for a period of three years. During that time they rotate through a tenday shift on the junta. Despite
lofty
of such a system are immediately apparent. The Zapatistas lack a strong executive to be a representative to the Mexican government considering their precarious position within the Mexican state. Additionally, the loss of corporate knowledge from shorttenure rotation is at best
damaging
in
terms
mismanagement. While the Zapatista movement has to date avoided fatal structural problems, it will be interesting to see how their radical democracy will adapt to a larger scale as the Zapatista movement continues to grow.
EDUCATION, HEALTH, JUSTICE Although the Z a p a t i s t a s ’ autonomous education scheme has seen improvements in the accessibility of basic education, the initiative has struggled to make rapid improvement. The need for local teachers, who have an existing connection and investment in the community, means that the average Zapatista teacher is in their teens, with only basic education themselves, and with an average of just six months of NGO-assisted teacher training under their belt. As one Zapatista man admits, “we don’t have a lot of schooling to improve the way things are working.”
//A CLASH OF WILLS
POLITICS & SOCIETY
been their expanding role Zapatistas had issued no of education, Zapatista in the mainstream justice community schools face system in Chiapas. The appeal year and a half, precipitating about the stiff competition from the of the highly accountable speculation state schooling system. state bureaucracy plagued by endemic corruption, has led public reemergence of 21 people from non-Zapatista December 2012, when 40,000 communities to take their cases Zapatista men and women transfers, food donations, to the autonomous councils marched silently through rather than state courts. Chiapas streets, in the same for families whose students initially gained control in 1994, was a resounding indication in Chiapas. This has been been a major triumph of the that these communities to send their children to state Chiapas region had long been schools, and a huge blow to the worst performing across the board on health indicators Zapatista schools. – in the 1990s, the ratio of slow and painstaking, “little doctors to population was the by little we change.” The lowest in the country, the infant mortality was the highest in the access to primary school country at 20%, and the child education has been met, malnutrition rate was upward of with the establishment of 70%. Zapatista community schools in all municipalities. By 2001, By 2007, 200 community health while 11% of children in pro- clinics and 25 regional clinics with specialist doctors had been established under the primary school education, Zaptistas’ autonomous health all children in Zapatista system. 63% of Zapatista
A Zapatista-supporter, speaking anonymously from Chiapas, told news reporters hoping that people will create the conditions of autonomy supporters to bring the ideas For now, the international community will continue to watch in fascination as this experiment plays out. Key to their sustainability as
compared to only 35% in communities. with 37% entering secondary non-Zapatista education, compared to 20% In regions where maternal be bolstering economic selfmortality was once the highest in non-Zapatista areas. current position of NGOIn the areas of health and periods of up to eight years the administration of justice, without any maternal deaths. been more clear cut. A strong indication of the growing legitimacy of the
WATCH THIS SPACE Written by Alexa Thompson. Edited by Raoul Renard.
40
EUROPE 39. Beppe Grillo: No Laughing Matter. 41. Northern Island: Turbulent Times. 45. Radicalisation in Russia.
S
THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN EUROPE//
ome call Beppe Grillo a ‘clown’ and others accuse of being the most dangerous man in Italy. He
in his grip with a crucial number of
an ill -timed political jab landed him in hot piazzas with crowds eager to hear is satirical commentaries on the state of Italian politics.
Italian parliament. party’s leader currently holds the majority in the lower house, but he Corrupt politicians known as ‘La Casta’, reap Grillo has become one of the most be best described as an anti-establishment has controlled key seats and without formed. Grillo, 64, is a successful comedian,
41
Italian political system for personal gain.
POLITICS & SOCIETY be passed at all. Napolitiano has been asked to return refused to retain his seat, but his re-
Italy is the third largest economy in Eurozone, just behind France and Germany. Naturally the political instability discussed
of the Italian Republic guarantees the Italian constitution is upheld, ensures Italian debt has risen in recent years to election. Beppe Grillo has called the reelection a “coup d’état”, and many of his that he will step down after the re-election
Commission has predicted a increase of 13% by the end of 2013. This estimate of a
party without a leader.
Italian economy meeting optimistic targets set by the European union. Gridlock in the Italian parliament will likely hinder
Napolitano has conceded that Italy is in
necessary measures.
soon. Without Bersani the parliament may be forced into elections because he was the only candidate who could
There is also the additional fear that Italy may be ‘too big to fail’, that is if Italy cannot pay its debt, no country in the euro-zone can afford to bail them out as they did Cyprus. Which would result in the collapse of the euro-zone, which would generate shock
a new election and their plan to “destroy Although this outcome seems extreme, the rubble” may come to fruition. The cost of this plan may result in a disastrously high bill, which Italy cannot pay. Compounding the matter is the realisation
Europe. The current unpredictability of the Italian parliament do not reassure
the seriousness of the Euro-crisis. Beppe Grillo holds the key to the success or failure of Italian parliament. If he were to negotiate with other political parties the collapse of the Italian economy may be are extremely unlikely to occur as Grillo, refuses to take part in what he calls ‘Horsetrading’ of the back room deals between
its debts. Likely resistance from Beppe entire political platform is based on being the Italian economy makes him unlikely to support any necessary measures to
his support would take a hit if he were to come to an alliance.
threatened. Without his party’s support legislation and emergency measures are unlikely to be implemented quickly or to
42
SIDESHOW BEPPE The question remains, for how long can the Italian political and economic system Grillo holds a huge amount of power, which he and his party are unlikely to use to create alliances to promote stability. Therefore since the February instability has been the new norm for Italy and her people and there is no end in sight. Written by Claire Forrest. Edited by Amy Jack.
//NORTHERN IRELAND: LIVING WITH INSTABILITY
N
Edited by J.T. Rodrigo.
orthern Ireland has been the site
Minister Tony Blair, sectarian paramilitary the peace process. In order to understand
Irish chieftains and clans. Due to Ulster’s English followers of the Church of England. From the outset, religion and politics formed a sinister relationship that made
at the complex history of Northern Ireland. The seeds of modern day tensions in Northern Ireland hark back to the 17th
to the union of Great Britain and Ireland and the terms ‘loyalist’ and ‘unionist’ became sentiment.
with thousands of settlers massacred Irish. In his book Making Ireland British, retribution followed the Rebellion, with many locals massacred by settlers and British
43
POLITICS & SOCIETY
One of the most important dates in is July 1691. It was in this year that defeated Catholic James II in the religion. The week of the battle is known as Orangemen’s Week and is celebrated annually by unionist
clashes and rebellions, peaking during the 1916 Easter Rising and the following sustained push for Irish independence. During this period, no formal distinction existed between the
remain within the Union. The prospect of independence for the northern counties was met London that the north was to remain under British control. In 1949, twenty-six Irish counties of Ireland, withdrawing from the British Commonwealth and northern counties remained part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with the Catholic population still a considerable minority. Despite a period of the aftermath of World War II, the Irish history, the ‘Troubles’, was on
44
the horizon.
explains that the Troubles, and the whole Northern identify with one source. It’s where religion, nationality and culture intercept,’ said Little. the result of deeply engrained historical mistrust and fear, factors that bred contagiously in a segregated society.
rule or autonomy from the United Kingdom, the situation came to a political massacre, these paramilitary impasse. ‘There were no groups recruited hundreds of clear opportunities for members and gained further support. From 1969 to 1972, ‘Free Derry’ was a breeding a long war.’ ground of militant nationalist sentiment, autonomous from that while Derry’s religious is remembered by a huge mural, which still exists today, the city, Belfast is like Free Derry’. a ‘patchwork quilt of communities.’ Workingclass areas of Belfast are
In the 1960s and 1970s, peaceful attempts to gain disastrous, with unionist paramilitary groups ultimately were unsuccessful. One of bringing down the British the largest peace marches in Irish history came to be nationalist paramilitary groups
“From 1969-1972 , ‘Free Derry’ was a breeding ground for militant nationalist sentiment, unarmed protestors and killed towards independence autonomous from thirteen people. The Bogside, and reactionary unionist British Control.” a Catholic area of the city paramilitary groups staunchly of Derry, was already under opposed to any form of home
45
POLITICS & SOCIETY marked by their high concentration of Catholics (in suburbs like Ardoyne and the
bombings and assassinations that occurred during the Troubles led to the accidental murder of members of the communities they
other. These areas of low unemployment, the heartlands of sectarian paramilitary
The signing of the Good Friday Agreement peace process. The Agreement established a
band of ultra-loyalist thugs renowned for mutilating the corpses of enemies. Other like the Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Ulster Volunteer Force, the Red Hand Commandoes and the Ulster Defence Association enjoyed huge support in the working-class communities of North-West Belfast. On a similar note, the numerous IRA splinter groups dominated workingclass Catholic suburbs in West Belfast, recruiting members from poor, close-knit
decommission its arms. Gerry Adams, former IRA member and leader of its political wing,
greater independence. The power-sharing agreement in the Northern Irish Assembly
McGuinness
symbolically
shook
Queen
years ago. main Catholic nationalist paramilitary group during the Troubles, with the Continuity IRA formed by dissident members in 1986. support in rural parts of County Armagh, bordering the Republic of Ireland, and County Tyrone. areas of Derry and Belfast, paramilitary groups were often seen as protectors, defending local residents when the
Heenan and Byrne are right in identifying the ‘continued segregation between the two Riots are still a regular occurrence on the and security barriers still in place. Dissident paramilitary groups like the Continuity IRA, the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters and the Orange Orangemen parade through Northern Irish cities and towns protected by armed police
local sectarian gangs and citizen’s defence It will be some time before Northern Ireland notoriously propagated cultural myths and practised militaristic rituals, many of which were memorialised in famous urban murals. Martyrdom of fallen heroes had catastrophic implications for the reconciliation process, with the more militant terrorist groups responding to
then, instability will continue to be the norm
46
//RADICALISATION IN
T
MUSLIM RUSSIA
Edited by Amy Jack.
he small North Caucasus republic of Chechnya has been making headlines again. The suspects of the Boston
case of home-grown terrorism, separate from the region has denied any connection. While Tamerlan Tsarnaev 2006 radicalisation and Islamic fundamentalism has plagued Chechnya, and the wider Russian North Caucasus for at least the last two decades.
AN ISLAMIC REVIVAL
longer suppressed by the state, Russian Orthodoxy was quickly reinstalled as the de-facto religion of the Russian Federation. minority, who now make up between 1015% of the population. The North Caucasus region consists of are
politically
and
economically
part
Karachay–Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Chechnya, predominately Muslim republics are becoming more isolated in terms of culture and identity. Alexei Malashenko, Russia’s foremost expert on Islam, has labelled this
47
region Russia’s ‘internal abroad.’ continues between the state and Islamist insurgents. As well as regular terrorist attacks across Russia, assaults on police and security forces within the region are frequent.
the Islamic community grow. Leading Russian analyst Maria Lipman summarised the situation facing Russia accurately when she claimed that ‘it is as though Afghanistan, within the borders of the Lower 48.’ As the new Russian Federation opened itself up to the rest of the world in the 1990s, new Islamic ideologies found their way into the once isolated North Caucasus. Muslims in the type of Islamic mysticism characterised by secret brotherhoods and rituals, and the many of the younger generation became
POLITICS & SOCIETY repression is spearheaded by the Regional The majority of Muslims in the North the spread of radical Islamist ideologies
fearful of losing resources and authority. In the North Caucasus, the political heads of the
social protest for the younger generation, who feel alienated from the Russian
has been placed in the hands of a small political
trust in the corrupt federal and regional
disenfranchised Muslims with an ideology for protest where there is a lack of opportunity for political participation. Alarmingly, the unemployment rate for the
THE ROOTS OF INSTABILITY AND DISCONTENT The two Chechen wars for independence against the Russian state in the 1990s had a destabilising effect on the whole North Caucasus region. While originally calling for Chechen independence, the Chechen resistance became
rates of unemployment. This corrupt system, which permeates all aspects of life in the North Caucasus, has caused a deep sense of injustice and indignation, rather than just continuing the Violence has now spread to other Muslims regions of the Russian Federation, which
to neighbouring regions. In 2007 the split between the exiled nationalists
nationalistic and increasingly anti-Muslim. While
insurgency groups in the North Caucasus united in jihad against Russia.
the predominately Muslim republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan or in the Volga region, it is certainly growing. Many fear the ‘Caucasisation’ of Tatarstan. Last year a top Tatar cleric was murdered while the republic’s Mufti (leading
“THE MAJORITY OF MUSLIMS IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS REMAIN MODERATE” Russia’s counter-terrorism operations in handed tactics by the local security forces include routine kidnappings and arrests against those suspected of joining, or supporting, the insurgents. A witch hunt has ensued where anyone who grows a
and a major shock to the system. Following the Boston Bombings the international spotlight is back on Russia and the North articulate policy to stem the tide of radical Islam. Furthermore, Russia has failed in its attempts to properly integrate the North Caucasus with the rest of the country. The state paints a simplistic picture in which the radicals are portrayed as ‘bandits’ and ‘international terrorists,’ and Unless the political and socio-economic woes faced by the region is addressed by Moscow, rebellion against the system will continue to be
is labelled an extremist. Much of this
48
49
POLITICS & SOCIETY
Q&A
RUMINATIONS ON RUSSIA As former diplomat with the Department of Foreign International security and Affairs and Trade, Denton
Putin’s quest for great power international status.
S
ince the end of the Cold War, Moscow’s foreign policy agenda has been considered
commitment to restore its to what extent is Russia’s international position fuelled by a psychological antagonism towards the
trade negotiations, following postings in Moscow, the United Nations and the Middle East. Currently, Chairman of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Australia and as a Board Director for Teach for Australia. Malet is a Lecturer in International Relations at
stability of the Baltic region and the wider international surrounding Russia’s foreign policy agenda to ascertain posture is informed by psychological factors, or whether it is a means to detract attention from his domestic and strategic concerns.
of “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe[s] of the century”. This statement – alongside his 2007 lamentation that Russia was operating in an increasingly “unipolar world” – are regarded as that Moscow is engaged in a strategic attempt to cauterise the wounds of its historic demise. In 2011, former Diplomat and United Burt asserted that Russia’s foreign policies were a direct response to the humiliation and loss occasioned by the end of the Cold War. While Malet agrees that the was “humiliating for a lot of Russians”, he suggests that strategic domestic concerns.
on topics of international security, and his book, Foreign Fighters, is forthcoming from Oxford Both
offer
insightful
international and domestic concerns.
We talk to former diplomat and CEO of Corrs Chambers Westgarth John Denton, and International Relations scholar David Malet to
TO WHAT EXTENT IS PUTIN’S PRINCIPLE FOREIGN POLICY GOAL TO RESTORE RUSSIA’S GREAT POWER STATUS?
policy agenda.
described the disintegration
a lot of attempts made to reassert dominance if not outright control” explains Malet. Indeed, Malet cites the 2007 and 2008 cyber attacks on Estonia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and Russia’s gas interruptions to the Ukraine in 2005 as is “willing to use strong arm tactics”. IS RUSSIA’S INTERNATIONAL POSTURE FUELLED BY A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANTAGONISM TOWARDS THE WEST? International
Relations
50
rhetoric towards the United an underlying antagonism between Russia and the West. Indeed, during Russia’s 2007 address at the 43rd Munich Conference
theme of Russia’s foreign policy”. Denton points to the inherent challenges authoritarian regime, lacking the pretence of an ideology”. He emphasises the growing apathy towards Russian
“In the 1990s, under Yeltsin, 89 governors were directly elected, now they are appointed by Putin.”
tool to “quiet political dissent at home, and consolidate central authority”. WHAT THREAT DO RUSSIA’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS POSE TO THE SECURITY AND STABILITY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY? Russia possesses approximately 50 per cent of all the nuclear weapons in the world. It is only slightly
for “plunging the world into an abyss of permanent
among young people. “It is impossible to describe the political ideology of Russia
“almost uncontained hyper use of force” and suggested
power” explains Denton “many young people don’t the disappointment felt with the recent elections”. Indeed,
that “the world cannot be run from one capital. Those who refuse to understand this will only create new problems”.
a “utilitarian” purpose. “Any foreign threat” Malet
in the number of strategic warheads. In 2011, the Kremlin authorised Russia foreign defence budget, projecting an increase in spending from 1.5 trillion rubles in 2011 to 2.75 trillion rubles in 2014.
won nearly 64% of the
to a popularly promulgated
mass political protests and allegations of fraud.
to augment its military might, and assert an increasingly international negotiations.
communicate hyperbolic
Russia’s resistance
Denton and Malet question the grounds for their stance. According to Malet, lot to do with domestic strategic interests”. Denton domestic political concerns
51
with respect to Russia’s
elected,
now
explains.
In
they the
authoritarianism,
are
context Malet
Denton emphasise Russia’s preference for responsibility and restraint towards the use of nuclear weapons. According to Dention, nuclear weapons are “not an instrument of Russian statecraft or how they promote their foreign policy interests”. Malet agrees. He
Q&A from Russia’s nuclear weapons is the possibility that they might fall into the wrong hands, not what the Russian military may do with them”. Indeed, nonstate actors, outside Moscow’s central
POLITICS & SOCIETY
security of the international community.
focus on gas exports has crippled Russia’s capacity to adapt to challenges in the global energy market. Gazprom, Russia’s statecontrolled natural gas monopoly, has witnessed a 60% loss in shares since their peak in 2008.
a number of rogue states and terrorist groups, the transfer of which could be
in the game of energy geopolitics, Gazprom accounts for 10 per
worry is that it too is a target for terrorist
and has the capacity to seriously constrain Russia’s geopolitical standing. “Russia is not a broad based economy” says Denton
to exercise caution and restraint towards the protetction of nuclear weapons. TO WHAT EXTENT HAS RUSSIA’S ACCESS TO OIL AND GAS RESERVES FACILITATED PUTIN’S RISE? HOW DO THEY INFLUENCE PUTIN’S CAPACITY TO EXERT INFLUENCE IN THE BALTIC REGION?
“Russian society is not focused “Russia cannot credibly threaten
Russia contains the world’s largest natural only recently begun to generate largest exporter of oil. Around 67 per cent of Russia’s gas exports are sold to Europe and the Baltic, while 33 per cent is Russia supplies around 90 per cent of oil and almost 100 per cent of natural
Mediterranean , if “Russia tightens the bolts too hard” Baltic nations will simply “do business outside Russia” explains Malet. Russia seeks to reassert itself on an international stage, it seems that focus. Domestic political concerns
to oil and natural gas. Oil sanctions, gas isolation and the dissuasion of Western
capacity to posture internationally,
Russia’s capacity to exert geopolitical
international community.
Malet, oil and gas constitute a “strategic resource for control”.
Written by Caitlin Clifford. Edited by Nick Fabbri & Greta Carroll.
2013
that
Moscow’s
single-minded
52
//AS SYRIA
T
has persisted for more than two years now. During this time, the crisis has taken tens of thoustroyed entire neighbourhoods and sent thousands of people to escape to safety in neighbouring countries. While the mense national and international repercussions socially, economically and geographically, it has also, more quietly, eaten away at the country’s healthcare system. Declaration of Huone has the right to a equate for the health and well being of himself and of his familythis includes the right to medical care and of sickness and discording to the Australian Red Cross,
53
healthcare personnel in
of resistance, and the tragic outcome of this
either due to the fact that targets of attacks or be-
of people around the world who are similarly
is simply too dangerous
health care due to con-
quently, many women, men and children, are what would normally be deaths which stem from the lack access to the necessary medical care.
and killed while on ambulance duty, despite the fact that they were wearing clearly marked, cent uniforms. These tunately begun to acbeen transformed into a war zone, and that denying people medical care has become a weapon in itself. Health facilities
Due to these ongoing attacks on healthcare personnel, there is ofof ambulances, causing an alarmingly high number of wounded to lose admitted to a hospital. According to the BBC, do make it to a clinic, resources are scarce and, in the heart of the conualties. It is typical for a single hospital to admit more than 100 trauma patients on a daily basis despite the limited number of medics, dentists, tle to no experience in trauma surgery, and constantly battle to work against a soundtrack
BLEEDS of bombs and bullets. Doctors Without Bor-
a year, and in order handful of makeshift hospitals are storing blood in emergency fridges that are run by small generators, and can therefore only store blood for 24 hours. In addition, hospitals no materials required to analyse and determine blood type. As a result, people who need urgent blood transfusions the
necessary
tests
out, ultimately leading to fatal consequences. A lack of sterilisation tools has made it increasingly common for doctors to perform sutures with re-used materials, while the lack of anaesthesia means ies are carried out while the patient is fully con-
The organisation of the pharmaceutical inlapsed. According to the World Health Organisation, factories that used to produce more than 90 percent of the country’s drug requirements are now down to one third of their former produc-
POLITICS & SOCIETY
one of the most serious and least recognised humanitarian issues facing the world today. has been transformed into an operation of resistance, a crime, and medical structures targets. The diplomatic a
political
resolution
attempted to make up for the disparity in local production through the import of medicines
longer excuse the failure of humanitarian response.
process has not only been limited and disorderly, it has created
Written by Jeanine Hourani. Edited by Nick Fabbri & Greta Carroll.
between supply and demand, forcing the medicine to be sold at a staggering price that longer afford.
healthcare system is only one of many failures of international aid in the war zone. Violence, both real and threatened, against health care personnel, facilities and patients is