Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today

US Presidents don’t give up power easily, only twice before has a sitting Democratic President decided not to stand for a second term. This week we explore the eerie parallels between President Lyndon Johnson who pulled out of the 1968 Presidential race and President Joe Biden who has just stepped aside from the 2024 race. 

While America was founded on lofty ideas – like democracy, equality and freedom – it’s was also shaped and continues to be shaped by political violence. The history of political violence in America from the time of slavery through to the assassination attempt on Donald trump.

The country's position as a democracy next to China and North Korea is critical.We examine South Korea's role on the global stage and how the society is changing.

Rear Vision puts contemporary events in their historical context.

History is filled with examples of industries minimising or ignoring the risks associated with their products. We examine the story of forever chemicals and compare it to what happened with lead petrol.

Until recently Far-right political parties, often with historical links to fascism and nazism, were relegated to the fringes of politics. But their success in this month’s European parliamentary elections, demonstrated that they are now appealing to a broader demographic. We look at the rise of the Far-Right in European politics and what it might mean for issues like immigration and the Green transition.

Australia starting taxing capital gains in 1986, stamping out a whole lot of tax evasion in the process.So why in 1999 did the Howard government introduce a discount on that tax? And how has that concession impacted investing in property?

Rear Vision puts contemporary events in their historical context.

Its colonial history, the fight for independence and why this archipelago in the heart of the pacific is so important to France.

At colleges and universities across America, students have been protesting the ongoing war in Gaza and their institutions connections with Israel. In the 1960’s and early 70’s students protested America’s involvement in the Vietnam war. Are we seeing history repeat itself or is this movement completely different.

The United States spends more on defence than the next ten countries combined.  The drive for military dominance started during the Cold War but what does it look like today?

International leaders are calling for a two-state solution – as the only long-term way to solve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in the occupied territories. But just how viable is the creation of a Palestinian state and does the political will exist on either side to negotiate a final agreement?

The two-state solution — notion that in the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River there should be two states: one Israeli and the other Palestinian has been around since the 1930. And it’s an idea that is being pushed by world leaders, including the Australian government. We take a look at the history of the two-state solution.

The story of how the military helped develop Israel’s national identity and how compulsory service can shape the lives and values of Israelis.

Mexico has one of the highest murder rates on earth, and most of these murders are committed by guns that come into Mexico illegally from America. Can or should American gun manufacturers be held responsible for the damage caused by these guns. That’s the question being asked by Mexico in two court cases underway in the US states of Massachusetts and Arizona.

Australia is a nation built on migration, but the system has a sometimes-cruel history.  How has our migration program evolved?And why the perception of being in control has been so central to its success. 

It's almost two years since the US supreme court overturned Roe V WadeIn this episode from our archives, we revisit the story of the landmark 1973 ruling.

As TikTok's power and popularity has grown, concerns around its Chinese ownership have gotten louder.

The gang violence that is gripping the Caribbean nation of Haiti, is the most recent disaster in a long line of political, economic, and natural disasters. Today Haiti is one of the poorest and most unstable country on the planet, but this was not always the case, it was once France’s riches colony and the world’s first black-lead republic. So why has Haiti become such a political and economic mess?

Immigrants are showing up at the southern border in record numbers. We examine the history of US policy toward immigration and border security with Mexico.

It’s a truism of peace talks that we’re not negotiating with our friends but rather our enemies. And when most of our enemies have been designated as terrorist and murderers it’s not an easy task. How have we’ve ended violent conflicts in the past and are there lessons we can learn from previous peace negotiations.

The story of how this tiny country got so good at conflict mediation and why their pragmatism is also a liability.

Since the birth Pakistan in 1947 the military has been interfering either directly or indirectly in politics and their election last month was no different. So how and why has the military come to play such a critical role in Pakistan politics and what has this meant for Pakistan’s democracy.

Figuring out the best way to respond to young people who commit crimes is a vexed issue.Especially when there is a perception that not enough is being done to keep the community safe.We examine the evolution of juvenile justice and the use of institutions to reform and punish children.

The Axis of Resistance,  is a coalition of state and non-state actors, led by Iran and committed to resisting the presence of the United States and Israel in the Middle East. Since Hamas’s attack on Israel and the subsequent invasion of Gaza, members of the Axis have targeted anything connected with Israel or the United States across the region. Yet Iran has remained reluctant to confront the US or Israel directly. Is this reluctance undermining Iran’s standing within the Axis of resistance?

Coles and Woolworths didn't start out in food retail but after making the switch in the 1950s they quickly started taking over the competition.

So what do we lose when an industry is dominated by just two players?

American Presidents are not elected by a popular vote but rather by a select group – known as the Electoral College. It’s a system that was devised in 1787 to bring together a number of very disparate states – all with their own agendas. But is it appropriate for Presidential elections in the 21st century and can it said to be a truly democratic?

The Houthis, a militia group from Yemen, began targeting cargo vessels in the Red Sea last year.It's one of the world's busiest shipping lanes so disruptions can have a big impact on global trade.The United States and UK have responded with air strikes on targets in Yemen.We examine the Houthis origins and rising influence. 

Since former intelligence official David Grusch made his explosive claims about the US government possessing ‘non-human’ crashed craft, the world has been gripped by another bout of UFO fever. In this Rear Vision, we track our modern obsession with this phenomenon, from the ‘flying saucers’ of the 1940’s to the ‘UAPs’ of today.

With the failure of the constitutional Voice to parliament referendum last year should we be looking to a Treaty as the way forward. Both New Zealand and Canada have treaties and a complex history of implementing them. What, if anything, can we learn from their story?

Donald Trump famously began his career as a builder and developer by capitalising on his father’s successful business.  But then Trump identified something even more valuable: his personal brand. 

We look at how Donald Trump built his fortune and ask, what's the value of his brand today?

Donald Trump has several of legal problems - the most recent being in the state of Georgia. Where he and 18 co-defendants have been charged under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act – otherwise known as RICO. Originally created to fight the growth of the Mafia - today RICO Acts are used in the prosecution of white-collar crime and political corruption. Understand RICO and the prosecution of a president.

Australian airlines including Qantas and Virgin have been accused of slot hoarding. 

It is a tactic used by major airlines to intentionally book and then cancel flights to prevent competition at airports.

How are landing and take off slots at busy airports managed and it there an alternative?

Australia is facing a housing crisis - there is a shortage of affordable housing, essential workers can no longer live in the areas they work, and families are finding themselves homeless. While our politicians are struggling to come up with ideas to solve this crisis, one city that has managed to develop a housing strategy that works for most of its citizens - Vienna.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used widely in hospitals as a powerful painkiller.Since the late 1960s, it's been one of the world's most important opioid analgesics.But in the United States illegal fentanyl use has exploded, last year it killed over 70,000 people.We examine the global supply chain and why fentanyl is unlike any other drug problem in history.

In 2007 the Danish public broadcaster, DR began producing serial crime dramas with a female detective in the lead. Set in a bleak social, and geographic landscapes, they addressed issues like immigration, child sexual abuse, and corruption. Known as Nordic Noir these dramas captured a global audience and have become the standard for quality TV. How did they do it?

Hamas' surprise attack on Israel last month, was immediately compared to the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

It was that conflict which forced Israel to start negotiating with Egypt and eventually to an historical peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.

We examine how that peace deal was achieved, what impact it had on the PLO and Palestinian struggle and why it matters in the current conflict between Hamas and Israel.

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 shock America and set in train a myriad of conspiracy theories. 60 years on - after numerous inquiries, endless of books, and a feature film – the truth about the Kennedy assassination and the subsequent murder of Lee Harvey Oswald is still being debated. Rear Vision looks at the assassination and at how the conspiracy theories have reshaped America.

Humans have been processing food for thousands of years.  But now a more complex type of production dominates our diets, ultra-processed foods.What makes a food ultra-processed and how do they affect our health?    

Since former intelligence official David Grusch made his explosive claims about the US government possessing ‘non-human’ crashed craft, the world has been gripped by another bout of UFO fever. In this Rear Vision, we track our modern obsession with this phenomenon, from the ‘flying saucers’ of the 1940’s to the ‘UAPs’ of today.

The Hamas attack on Israel is being called the country’s 9/11 and represent a devastating failure of Intelligence.  How did Israeli intelligence miss the planning for this attack and underestimate the capabilities of Hamas so profoundly? 

But this is not the first time the most suffocated intelligent agencies in the world have been taken by surprise.  We take a look at some of the world’s most stunning intelligence failures throughout history. 

Hamas’s coordinated attack on Israel on October 7 has placed the Gaza Strip at the centre of a full-scale military conflict between Hamas and Israel. How and why has this tiny sliver of land, squashed between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea became the epicentre of tension and conflict in the Middle East?

Donald Trump famously began his career as a builder and developer by capitalising on his father’s successful business.  But then Trump identified something even more valuable: his personal brand. 

We look at how Donald Trump built his fortune and ask, what's the value of his brand today?

Derna a port city in eastern Libya, lost over 11 thousand of its citizens on the 10/11 of September when a wall of water swept a large part of the city. The immediate cause of the disaster in Derna was the catastrophic failures of two dams. The longer-term cause - was the ongoing failure of the Libyan state. So why is Libya, one of the richest nations in North Africa a failed state? That’s the question for in this Rear Vision.

Qantas once one of the best and most respected airlines in the sky is now in damage control.One of the many accusations being directed at Qantas is that it's hoarding all the best take-off and landing slots at Sydney Airport.It’s brought attention to a critical system in global aviation called slot co-ordination.What are the rules and does it lead to flight cancellations and a lack of competition in aviation?

Donald Trump has several of legal problems - the most recent being in the state of Georgia. Where he and 18 co-defendants have been charged under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act – otherwise known as RICO. Originally created to fight the growth of the Mafia - today RICO Acts are used in the prosecution of white-collar crime and political corruption. Understand RICO and the prosecution of a president.

On the 14th of October we'll all be voting in a referendum on changing the constitution to recognised Indigenous Australia’s by the establishment of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

For over 30 years Norway, Sweden and Finland have all had such bodies known as Nordic Sami parliaments. Each of these bodies makes representations to the national government on matters impacting Sámi people.

So how do they work and can their experience make our decision  in a couple of weeks any clearer.

Australia is experiencing a spike in the number of people dying on our roads particularly in NSW and VIC.  Two states that were global leaders in road safety with mandatory seatbelts and random breath testing. How did Australia manage to introduce such bold safety measures and are our standards slipping? 

Rents in Australia have risen sharply during the past three years, and it’s become a political issue. The Greens are demanding the introduction of rent controls, but that idea has been rejected by most federal and state leaders. What do we mean when we talk about rent controls, how effective are they at controlling rising rents and what impact do they have on the rental market

Real estate has been the engine of the Chinese economy for decades, but the boom is over. And crisis is deliberate, brought on by Beijing's strategy to dismantle their model of debt fuelled development. Now the Chinese economy is in trouble and consumer confidence is plummeting.

So how did their lucrative property sector turn into a liability?

For over a decade Niger in West Africa was seen as the beacon of democracy. That all changed in July 2023 when the elected President was ousted in a military coup. It was the fifth military coup in the region in the past 2 years. A region that was once a French colony and is today the epicentre of Islamic extremism. What happening in West Africa and why should we care.

Amazon, Apple, Meta, Alphabet and Microsoft are some of the most impactful corporations to ever come out of the United States.

And their innovation has transformed our lives.

But after decades of unchecked growth are these companies now too powerful for regulators to ignore?

The United States has had antitrust laws for over a century so why has enforcement been dormant for so long?

Israel has two institutions underpinning its political system - its parliament, the Knesset, and its judiciary - but it doesn’t have a written constitutions setting out the powers of these two institutions. Now the right-wing coalition led by Benjaman Netanyahu is determined to assert the power of the Knesset over the courts and its leading to a constitutional crisis.

Hollywood has come to a standstill with actors and writers on strike, from the most famous to the bit player. 

It's a dispute not just about money but the use of artificial intelligence and the way TV and movies are made.   

But it's not the first-time workers in Hollywood have had to face down bosses. 

The story of Hollywood and its current existential crisis. 

Through most of the 20th centuries mercenaries didn’t exist but that was an anomaly - historically mercenaries have always played a major role in conflicts as they are increasing doing in the 21st century. So, who are the mercenaries, who employees them and what impact have they had on warfare.

Guests

Dr Sean McFate is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington DC think tank, and a professor of strategy at the National Defence University and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He is former private military contractor, US Army paratrooper, and has written extensively on the world of mercenaries. Author of Mercenaries and War: Understanding Private Armies Today.

Sarah Percy is an Associate Professor of International relations at the University of Queensland and the author of Mercenaries: The History of a Norm in International Relations. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Catrina Doxsee, Associate Director and Associate Fellow with the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC.

Lithium-ion batteries power everything from consumer goods, electric vehicles, large storage batteries and everything else we need to achieve net zero.

While China currently dominates the global supply chain for lithium batteries, it relies on Australia for the raw material.

But there are other players in the lithium market especially from South America, in a region known as the Lithium Triangle, which has one of the largest reserves on the planet.

Australia is facing a housing crisis - there is a shortage of affordable housing, essential workers can no longer live in the areas they work, and families are finding themselves homeless. While our politicians are struggling to come up with ideas to solve this crisis, one city that has managed to develop a housing strategy that works for most of its citizens - Vienna.

Guests

Julia Anna Schranz is a historian at the University of Vienna and is also a guide at the Red Vienna Exhibition at the Museum at Karl Marx Hoff.

Dr. Justin Kadi Assistant Professor in Planning and Housing, at the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge.

Kurt Hofstetter is an Urban development Planner in the city of Vienna and is currently working for a department that is dealing with the funding for subsidised housing.

Following controversies involving films like 'Top Gun', 'Mulan' and now 'Barbie', there's been growing pushback against China's perceived influence over Hollywood. But are these calls too little, too late?

Jet streams are narrow bands of strong winds in the upper atmosphere.  This is the story of how they were discovered and what can happen when they behave in unexpected ways.

The strikes and street protests across France in the first months of this year were part of an ultimately failed attempt to stop the French government raising the pension age from 62 to 64. Age pensions were established as a means of preventing poverty in old age and they were originally associated with a compulsory retirement age. The range and diversity of schemes for funding old age evolved during the twentieth century along with the nature of retirement itself.

The story of diet drugs is one full of miracle cures that don't live up to the hype or come with serious side effects.

There's a new class of drugs being touted as a revolution in weight loss.

But will the future of diet drugs just end up looking a lot like the past?

The Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet republic, is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moldova has wrestled with the attraction of closer ties with the West and its longer, deeper connection with Russia. There’s also Transnistria, a self-proclaimed independent region, a part of Moldova that lies along its border with Ukraine, which hosts Russian troops.

For the first time, a woman will fly to the moon when NASA sends four astronauts on the Artemis 2 lunar orbit mission next year. More than 650 people have journeyed in space since the early sixties and of these nearly ninety percent are men. But the gender divide is slowly changing, and NASA’s lunar mission is a pivotal moment for women, with plans to send humans to Mars in coming decades.

Dozens of political parties have come and gone since Federation, although the three major parties of the post-war period are still with us today. One of those parties—the Liberal Party—is  struggling for support and some see its future in doubt. How do political parties emerge and why do they sometimes disappear?

Former Soviet republic Belarus is a key Moscow ally in the war against Ukraine, facilitating the initial invasion and more recently agreeing to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons. Yet there is little support among Belarusians for the war against their neighbour.  Instead, dictator Alexander Lukashenko is engaged in a high stakes game of cat and mouse with Russia. Has Vladimir Putin silently achieved in Belarus what he seeks to do in Ukraine as part of his grand vision of a Russian Empire?

None of us need to be told that prices are going up or that interest rates are following. We are clearly now in a period of inflation which may or may not lead to a recession. But what exactly is inflation, why does it occur, how does it relate to interest rates and what if anything can we learn from past inflationary periods?

While the newly crowned King Charles has certainly been the focus of attention this weekend, his younger son, Harry, has also been in the media spotlight. Prince Harry’s decision to renounce his royal role was not the first time a member of the British monarchy decided to opt out. Almost a century ago, King Edward VIII gave up the crown to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. These two decisions, several generations apart, engulfed the monarchy in turmoil and sent the media into meltdown. What do these two stories tell us about the British monarchy?

They say there are only two certainties in life – death and taxes. While we can’t do much about the former, the latter has been the focus of much attention in the lead-up to the Federal Budget. The Henry Review of Australia’s tax system in 2008 made over one hundred recommendations. What were they and what happened to them?

In Australia we haven’t developed a modern recycling industry and we’re still relying on dumping waste into landfill. But other nations do recycle successfully – countries like Germany and South Korea, to name just two. How do they succeed where we have failed?

The storage of radioactive waste has proved incredibly difficult. None of the high-level waste produced in more than half a century of nuclear power (including submarines) has yet been successfully permanently stored. Last month, Australia signed off on a security pact with the US and the UK – known as AUKUS – which gives Australia nuclear-powered submarines and, for the first time, we will have to manage high-level nuclear waste on Australian soil.

For 40 years Medicare has been the foundation of Australia’s primary health care system. But with GPs hard to find, bulk billing rates declining and long waits at hospital emergency departments, just how well is Medicare serving us today? Does Medicare need fundamental reform and if so, what that reform might look like?

Since the referendum of 1967, federal governments have tried to establish representative Indigenous advisory bodies but none of these lasted. Each one was sidelined and eventually shut down by a subsequent government. Why have these bodies failed?

Until the 1967 referendum, First Nations people were not included in the census and so weren’t considered members of the Australian population. This referendum was the most successful in Australia’s history, with over 90 per cent voting in favour of changing the Constitution. It empowered federal governments for the first time to make laws that might improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

After World War II, Australia embarked on a massive immigration program. Between 1945 and 1965, two million immigrants came here, many from countries formerly excluded under the ‘White Australia’ policy. These 'new Australians' were expected to assimilate, become just like us, but by the late 1960s it was obvious many families were struggling. The introduction of multiculturalism in the 1970s transformed the lives of many migrants and, ultimately, Australia itself.

In the current debate over the Voice to parliament, both sides agree on the need for a Treaty. What they don’t agree on is when. Both New Zealand and Canada have treaties and a complex history of implementing them. What, if anything, can we learn from their story?

In early January, 2020, news began filtering through from China about a previously unknown illness, perhaps a new kind of pneumonia that appeared to have a high mortality rate. Our lives were about to be upturned, with lockdowns, border closures, masks and even toilet paper shortages transforming our day-to-day lives in unimaginable ways. Three years later, we know a lot more about Covid-19 and the virus that causes it, SARS-CoV-2.

In just twelve months, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reshaped the political landscape in Europe. Finland and Sweden have applied to join NATO, perceptions of Russia in Central Asia have shifted, and the focus of Russia’s foreign policy has changed. Rear Vision explores the political fallout from the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia’s attempt to take its neighbour, Ukraine, by force has not gone according to plan. Many—including Russia—expected Ukraine’s capitulation within days. But, led by its charismatic president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and supported by NATO, Ukraine fought back, although at a terrible cost to its people. Why did Russia’s invasion go so spectacularly wrong?

Pope Francis is facing increasing criticism from conservatives within the Catholic Church. While conflict and ideological battles in the Church are not unusual it’s rare that they are aired so publicly. What’s going on?

n 2022, the Optus data breach, along with the Medibank hack, saw the theft of the personal information of millions of Australians. In the last decade, there has been an explosion in cybercrime, especially ransomware attacks. What can we do to protect our personal details from criminals?

Fifty years ago, the US Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision effectively legalised abortion across the country. That decision was overturned last year by a very conservative Supreme Court. For over 100 years there has been a struggle between liberals and conservatives in America for control of the Supreme Court. The appointment by President Trump three conservative Justices to the Court has tipped the balance. How did this happen and what does it mean for the lives of ordinary Americans?

In November, 2021, Barbados, a tiny Caribbean island, replaced the Queen as its head of state with a Barbadian president. How did Barbados succeed where Australia failed and what does it mean to be a republic in the Commonwealth?

In Scandinavian prisons the focus is on rehabilitation not punishment.

As Australia’s borders opened after the Covid pandemic, there was an overwhelming surge in applications for passports as we travelled to see friends and family overseas or took up that abandoned holiday. Something like a passport goes back centuries but the modern version—a  little travel booklet with your photo in it—is a relatively recent phenomenon.

We take for granted the accuracy of predictions and warnings put out by our weather forecasters. Once, weather predictions were the butt of jokes but today the Bureau of Meteorology can accurately forecast the weather for the next seven to ten days. How did this happen?

Chocolate is one of our most popular indulgences but there is a darker side to the industry – one connected with colonialism, the industrial revolution and modern-day slavery.

For over one hundred years, the Ruhr region was the grimy, polluted heart of Germany’s coal and steel. Today it has no coal mines. Instead, it is a cultural hub more than fifty museums and is a centre for green energy innovation. How did they do it?

It was a bad year for crypto even before the spectacular collapse of FTX. Although eminent economists and investors warned that cryptocurrency was a speculative bubble—even a Ponzi scheme—the growth of digital currency exchanges fuelled investment in crypto. Are we seeing the beginning of its death spiral?

Centrelink’s 'automated debt recovery system' - or Robodebt - sparked two Senate inquiries, an Ombudsman inquiry, numerous court cases and now a Royal Commission. Despite being found to be unlawful by the Federal Court, questions remain.

How and why was this system introduced? And why was it allowed to run for so long?

Casino inquiries, cashless gambling cards, new laws on gambling advertising—the gambling industry in Australia is under the microscope as never before. Just how far has the tide turned and what needs to be done to address the problems associated with Australia’s gambling addiction?

The NDIS was meant to transform the lives of all Australians with a disability, but things haven’t quite gone to plan. Many people have found the NDIS difficult to access or inadequate and there has been a huge cost blowout. Hear the story of the NDIS – what we’ve got right, what we’re got wrong and how we might fix it.

The federal government has committed to work with states and territories, local government and investors to reshape housing in Australia. Perhaps most significant is the commitment to build fifty thousand social and affordable homes, bringing some relief to those on the lowest incomes currently forced into the private rental market.

The US midterm elections are happening this week and many people say that the outcome could determine the future of democracy in America. We look at one side of this electoral race—the Republican Party—and its historical links with the extreme right.

The choice is between the former leftist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—known as Lula—and the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro. Who are these men and what will this vote mean for the future of Latin America’s biggest country?

The death last month of a young Iranian woman while in the custody of the morality police has sparked widespread protests across Iran. Protests are not new in Iran. Since the 1990s, there have been many protests, but these are unusual in that they are being led by women and girls. This is the story of women and politics in Iran.

As the all-powerful Chinese Communist Party elite gather for a public display of their authority, Xi Jinping cements his grip on China. Xi’s family background put him on the fast track to success within the Party, although like many so-called ‘princelings’, he endured great hardship during Mao’s Cultural Revolution. How did Xi rise to the top and what has his ascendancy meant for the people of China?

The modern-day Commonwealth emerged out of the British Empire. Can it separate itself from this colonial past and its legacy of slavery and racism?

The sky’s the limit for New York City skyscrapers, from the Art Deco delights of the Chrysler Building to today’s controversial supertalls.

After decades of cutbacks, pay freezes and allegations of politicisation, is the Australian Public Service still able to give the government of the day informed and independent advice?

The World Heritage Convention has become a victim of its own success, with increasing political pressure sidelining expert advice and the deluge of sites put forward threatening the value of the ‘brand’. 

In Scandinavian prisons the focus is on rehabilitation not punishment.

LIV, a new professional golf competition backed by Saudi Arabia, has created bitter division among players, challenging the future shape of the game.

Taiwan today produces ninety per cent of the world’s most sophisticated microchips that power everything from our smart phone and laptops to military equipment, electric cars and rockets that go to Mars. But Taiwan is also in the eye of a political storm, caught between China on the one side and the United States on the other.  How did the tiny island of Taiwan come to dominate the production of microchips and what happens if something goes wrong?

Secret trials and overblown sentences are the hallmarks of state hostage-taking. What can governments do when their citizens are wrongfully detained overseas?

Decisions made by the Reserve Bank affect so much of our lives—from our mortgage repayments to the cost of supermarket items. For the first time in decades, how it operates is up for review.

The e-book has turned the book industry upside down affecting bookshops, publishers, authors, libraries and readers.

This program was first broadcast on 24 October, 2021

In the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are calling for an Indigenous Voice to parliament. While they haven’t set out how that would work there are models we can look back on.

Ever since the referendum of 1967 federal governments have attempted and failed to set up administrative organisations to give Indigenous Communities a say in their own affairs.

As we once again debate how we acknowledge Australia’s first people - what if anything can we learn from those past attempts?

Britons were promised an economy free from European regulation and the right to make their own laws once they left the EU. Instead, British businesses are setting up in Europe and holidaymakers are stuck in traffic as they try to get to France.

In the 1970s, scientists warned of a potential natural disaster – the destruction of the ozone layer by CFCs, chemicals commonly used in fridges and spray cans. The world came together to protect the ozone layer. Why hasn’t this happened with climate change?

Choosing to not drink is a pretty big thing in this country. Globally we’re well up there in terms of consumption levels and risky drinking - alcohol is entrenched in almost all aspects of society. But there’s growing interest in staying dry past July. Australia has a long history with alcohol but are we seeing a change in drinking habits?

PNG has hundreds of languages groups, almost a thousand tribes and is one of only four nations globally that doesn’t have any women in parliament. Over three weeks the country is holding its national election – the 10th since it gained its independence from Australia in 1975.

Australia has everything it needs to produce electricity - coal, gas, sun, and wind. Yet we've wound up with energy shortages and huge price hikes. How did we get here - why is our energy system in such a mess? And what can we do to fix it?

The selection of a new justice to the United States Supreme Court is frequently controversial and almost always political. It’s a 'captain's pick' for the US president and one that can shape American society long after the president’s gone.

None of us need to be told that prices are going up or that interest rates are following. We are clearly now in a period of inflation which may or may not lead to a recession. But what exactly is inflation, why does it occur, how does it relate to interest rates and what if anything can we learn from past inflationary periods?

Despite being the closest of neighbours, for the last decade there’s been a worsening Trans-Tasman spat as New Zealanders in Australia are refused basic services and often deported. The new Albanese government has signalled this may be about to change, but what caused the spat in the first place, and was race the underlying issue?

It’s hard-to-understand America’s relationship with guns. Gun deaths and school shooting are commonplace in American communities – yet US politicians seem incapable or powerless to implement any type of gun reform. So, what’s going on and what role has the NRA, played in this political debate?

We take for granted the accuracy of predictions and warnings put out by our weather forecasters. Once, weather predictions were the butt of jokes but today the Bureau of Meteorology can accurately forecast the weather for the next seven to ten days. How did this happen?

While the rest of the world is learning to live with COVID-19, China is still following its zero-COVID policy with citywide lockdowns, mass testing and quarantine. But there’s a social and economic cost and, potentially, also a political one. Why is the Chinese leadership sticking with the policy?

Street protests and violence have accompanied Sri Lanka’s worst economic downturn since independence in 1948. What is behind the blackouts and acute shortages of food and fuel?

The recent signing of the security pact between China and the Solomon Island has sent shock waves through the Federal election campaign. Questions are being asked about our relationship with the Solomon Islands and with other Pacific nations. What is behind Australia’s relationship with the Pacific nations?

If Ferdinand Marcos Junior wins this week’s presidential election as expected, it will cap off a most remarkable come-back for a family exiled in the 1980s after stripping the country of billions and driving the economy into the ground.

A draft ruling leaked to the press suggests the US Supreme Court is preparing to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark ruling guaranteeing abortion rights. This Rear Vision was first broadcast in June, 2019.

For over one hundred years, the Ruhr region was the grimy, polluted heart of Germany’s coal and steel. Today it has no coal mines. Instead, it is a cultural hub more than fifty museums and is a centre for green energy innovation. How did they do it?

In this year’s election campaign, well-funded independents are arguing for a better approach to managing climate change. What might this mean for the political party that’s been urging action on climate change for years – the Australian Greens?

Chocolate is one of our most popular indulgences but there is a darker side to the industry – one connected with colonialism, the industrial revolution and modern-day slavery.

Five years ago, Emmanuel Macron became France’s youngest-ever president at the age of thirty-nine. It was a stunning victory, the result of a bold strategy and a solid dose of good luck. Can he pull it off again?

Human history is littered with atrocities and genocides committed during war and for centuries civilised nations have struggled to deal with this kind of violence.

The two far-right candidates, Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, are expected to do well in the forthcoming French presidential election. Why is the Right so strong in France and what is its connection with the Nazi occupation in World War II?

Brisbane is a city all too familiar with floods, despite decades of dredging, straightening and dam building. Although each flood is remembered for the community spirit and resilience shown by the people who endured it, they reveal the risks inherent in a city built on a flood plain.

Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin early on Christmas morning in 1974. Within hours, a coordinated national response was underway and within three years the city had been rebuilt - better than before. How did they do it?

At thirty-six, Chile’s new president is only just old enough to hold the job. Does he have what it takes to help Chile finally escape the shadow of Pinochet’s military dictatorship?

China and Russia have what they describe as a very special relationship, one that some analysts claim is establishing a new world order. What role did it play in Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine and what does it mean for the rivalry between the United States and China?

In November, Barbados, a tiny Caribbean island, replaced the Queen as its head of state with a Barbadian president. How did Barbados succeed where Australia failed and what does it mean to be a republic in the Commonwealth?

For weeks, Russian troops have massed on the Ukrainian border. It’s still unclear if Europe will be plunged into war or if a diplomatic solution can be found. What role has NATO—the West’s military alliance—played in the crisis?

As Fortress Australia crumbles, Rear Vision dusts off the history of the passport.

Since the onset of the Covid pandemic, state and territory leaders have emerged as key players in dealing with the crisis. They have also increasing taken the lead on issues like climate change, gay marriage, and voluntary euthanasia. Are we seeing a fundamental shift in the power balance between the two levels of government?

Most of the drug companies that developed Covid vaccines have made massive profits. But where does the money and scientific research for these medical breakthroughs come from and who shares in the profit?

China is one of the key diplomatic and economic power on the planet today. Yet just 50 years ago it was one of the poorest and most isolated nations on earth. So how and when did that isolation end and did President Richard Nixon visit in 1972 play a role.

Around the world there is a rapidly growing body of scientific evidence suggesting that psychedelic drugs are safe and highly effective when used under medical supervision. Why did promising treatments first become illegal and how did drugs once seen as possibly leading to madness or death become once again treatments for mental illness?

For fifty years, governments have cut taxes for corporations and the wealthiest people, arguing that this will stimulate the economy and lead to prosperity for us all. Known as trickle-down or supply-side economics, does it make any sense, and has it worked?

Barnaby Joyce’s return to the leadership of the National Party is bound to stir things up in Australian politics. Where does he fit in the story of one of Australia’s oldest and most unusual political parties?

The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most vital trade routes. It’s the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe and about 12% of global trade passes through it each year. But the Canal is situated in one of the most volatile regions in the world and its history has been defined by that geography.

Prince Harry’s decision to renounce his royal role was not the first time a member of the British monarchy decided to opt out. Almost a century ago, King Edward VIII gave up the crown to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. These two decisions, several generations apart, engulfed the monarchy in turmoil and sent the media into meltdown. What do these two stories tell us about the British monarchy?

What are calories and can you lose weight by eating fewer of them? The story of the calorie shadows the Western struggle with diet and obesity.

Fifty years ago, a genocidal crackdown, a war of liberation, an overwhelming flood of refugees and finally, military conflict between India and Pakistan, gave birth to a new nation.

Despite popular belief, medical conspiracy theories aren’t new. What can we learn from their ancient history and about the people who believe in them?

Pharmacists stopped making their own medicines and began selling ready-made drugs almost a century ago. In Australia, it led to an unusual arrangement that has put chemists at odds with doctors and supermarkets.

Commentators are talking about a new Cold War between the world’s two great powers but are there any similarities between the Cold War – between the Soviet Union and the United States – and the tensions today between China and the US?

What role do these agencies play in ensuring that politicians and the rest of our public sector behave the right way?

Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, elected earlier this year, is taking a strong stand on climate change, challenging the Australian government to do more to cut carbon emissions.

The e-book has turned the book industry upside down affecting bookshops, publishers, authors, libraries and readers.

Taiwan is one of the world’s key economies, yet it belongs to no international organisations and isn’t a member of the UN. Why is Taiwan diplomatically isolated and how does it survive economically?

While working from home during the pandemic has been a novel and sometimes difficult experience for office workers, companies and their employees have been experimenting with teleworking for decades.

While cybercrime and cybersurveillance are commonplace today, how many of us understand their effect our everyday lives? What’s revealed in the history of cybercrime, from its rudimentary beginnings in the 1980s to today?

Many Germans have only ever known one chancellor – Angela Merkel. Voters are about to choose a new leader for the first time in sixteen years and the election is being described as the most open and uncertain Germany has ever had.

The spread of the delta variant of Covid from the cities to rural and regional Australia has exposed weaknesses in the health system. Rear Vision traces the story of rural health care from bush medicine through to the pandemic.

Almost three thousand people died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. All planes were grounded and rumours and conspiracy theories swept the internet as a shocked nation tried to make sense of what happened.

The federal government believes the way to lower Australia’s carbon emissions is through technology and one of the technologies it is backing is carbon capture and storage or CCS. What is CCS, how and why was it developed and, most importantly, does it work?

Barnaby Joyce’s return to the leadership of the National Party is bound to stir things up in Australian politics. Where does he fit in the story of one of Australia’s oldest and most unusual political parties?

Afghanistan has been invaded by foreign armies five times in less than 200 years. Every occupation ultimately failed. What can we learn from this history?

The Taliban emerged from the rubble of the Soviet-Afghan war and in turn were ousted by the US led War on Terror. Twenty years on, the Americans and their allies gone and the Taliban are once again in control of Afghanistan. Who are the Taliban and what will their return to power mean?

In the early 1990s, Nelson Mandela and his political party, the ANC, ended apartheid peacefully but the leaders of the new democracy did not address the economic inequality of the apartheid era. Today it is tearing the nation apart.

The Tokyo Olympics have gone ahead despite the global pandemic, but it’s the not the first-time world events have conspired against the games. 40 years ago, the Olympics ran head long into the Cold War, and sport became collateral damage in a standoff between the USSR and the United States. This is the story of how Australia and its athletes were caught up in the crisis, and a how the impact of that time is still being felt today.

The Caribbean nation of Haiti, whose president was recently assassinated, is the world’s poorest and most unstable country. Yet this was not always the case. For over a century it was France’s richest colony and later became the first black-led republic. Why has Haiti become such a mess?

Bolsonaro's right-wing politics, boorish comments and mishandling of the Covid pandemic have invited comparisons with Donald Trump, but Brazil’s president came from a poor family and spent almost thirty undistinguished years in parliament before he won the top job.

In 2018, Ethiopia had a new, reformist prime minister and was opening up politically and socially while forging a peace deal to end its long conflict with Eritrea. Today, it’s at war with itself. What went wrong?

Orangemen—with their distinctive bowler hats, white gloves, and orange collarettes—are a Protestant Irish organisation. For centuries they have celebrated the military victory of the Protestant King William over the Catholic monarch King James with an annual parade. What is this all about and how does the Orange Order fit into the politics and social life of Northern Ireland today?

For fifty years, governments have cut taxes for corporations and the wealthiest people, arguing that this will stimulate the economy and lead to prosperity for us all. Known as trickle-down or supply-side economics, does it make any sense, and has it worked?

A scheduled Ryan Air flight from Athens to Vilnius was diverted as it flew over Belarus and told to land at Minsk because of a bomb threat. What can pilots do if there’s a bomb threat and how do we ensure international air safety?

In 2018 Australia signed a Treaty with Timor-Leste establishing sea boundaries based on a line equidistance from each other’s coasts. Yet Australia’s seabed boundaries with Indonesia, established in the 1970s are much closer to Indonesian than Australia. How did that happen, and is it fair?

Around the world there is a rapidly growing body of scientific evidence suggesting that psychedelic drugs are safe and highly effective when used under medical supervision. Why did promising treatments first become illegal and how did drugs once seen as possibly leading to madness or death become once again treatments for mental illness?

Pentecostalism is a Christian religious movement with over seven hundred denominations world-wide and Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, is a believer. What do Pentecostalists believe and what might be the political implications?

The US operates a global network of overseas military facilities that dwarfs that of any other country. How does Australia fit into this picture and what are the risks and benefits?

This week Palestinians should have been voting in their first election for 15 years, but the election was cancelled and now they are again involved in a battle with Israel. Why?  The complexities of Palestinian politics are defined by the Oslo Accords and the Israeli occupation.

It’s unlikely that any of us will be hit by space junk here on earth but collisions in space are a real threat to the satellite systems we all take for granted. How did space become so polluted and what is being done to manage orbital debris?

Prince Harry’s decision to renounce his royal role was not the first time a member of the British monarchy decided to opt out. Almost a century ago, King Edward VIII gave up the crown to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. These two decisions, several generations apart, engulfed the monarchy in turmoil and sent the media into meltdown. What do these two stories tell us about the British monarchy?

The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most vital trade routes. It’s the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe and about 12% of global trade passes through it each year. But the Canal is situated in one of the most volatile regions in the world and its history has been defined by that geography.

The Irish border—running along five hundred kilometres of rural land—is a paradox. Both visible and invisible, it’s vital to peace in Ireland.

One of the most secretive organisations on the planet, Myanmar’s military has ruled the country with an iron fist for over 50 years. Its brief experiment of sharing power with Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy ended with a brutal coup in February.

What brings a military to the point of killing its own citizens? The answer lies in part in the intersection of colonialism and capitalism in Myanmar in the later part of the 20th century.

The recent accounts of bullying, sexual harassment and worse from women who work in federal politics would come as no surprise to anyone who lived through Julia Gillard’s time as Australia’s one and only woman prime minister. Why is it like this and are there countries where women participate more fully - and safely - in politics?

For a couple of hundred years rural and urban communities relied on their local paper for the news that mattered to them. Now those papers are shutting down readers are turning to sites like Facebook for information. But that has troubling consequences for democracy.

At the end of the month the COVID supplement to the dole ends, leaving thousands of Australians facing bleak choices: underemployment—or no job at all.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set out to deregulate the county's traditional agricultural markets. But he faced an unexpected backlash from many of his most devoted supporters - farmers and agricultural workers.

For months these farmers have besieged New Delhi resulting in a political standoff. Could these protests signal the end of one of India's most powerful Prime Ministers, Modi?

It was the only human infectious disease we've ever managed to wipe out. Smallpox, a disease of fluid-filled blisters, was frequently fatal. It was defeated by the world's first vaccine. Are there any lessons for COVID?

The first 100 days of any US presidency are critical, so what can President Biden learn from Franklin Delano Roosevelt? FDR led the United States through the depression and in his first 100 days he steered 16 major pieces of legislation through Congress and convinced the American public that they could both trust and rely on the government.

How did FDR achieve this legislative feat and could the Biden administration replicate it?

When Mao died in 1976, China was unable to feed its people, cut off from the rest of the world. How did it become today's economic giant?

Since the rise to power of Xi Jinping in 2013, governments across the globe are having to learn how deal with an assertive and powerful China determined to put its stamp on international affairs. Over the next two weeks we’ll trace the diplomatic and economic transformation of China, beginning in 1972 with the meeting between US President Nixon and Chairman Mao.

Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House of Representative and third in line to the President of the United States. For over ten years she has been the most powerful woman in US politics. And over the past four years the key political opposition to President Trump.

So, who is Nancy Pelosi and how has this almost 80-year-old woman been able to give Donald Trump a run for his money?

Joe Biden has just become the 46 President of the United States. Twice before he ran for the Democrat presidential nomination twice and both times been defeated soundly. 

Born in 1942 he has spent most of his working life in the US Senate, except for the eight years as Vice President in the Obama administration. What does his record in the Senator, and his previous attempts at the presidency tell us about what kind of a President he might make?

Yoga goes back thousands of years in India but as its popularity spread around the world, its practice diversified to incorporate everything from yoga with goats to naked yoga.

As the coronavirus sweeps across the globe, people everywhere are turning to cycling. In cities like London, Milan, Paris, and Toronto, authorities are turning roads into cycleways. Could the humble bicycle become the major form of transport in the post-Covid-19 world?

Cruise holidays were once only for the wealthy. In recent decades they've found a mass market, but how and at what cost?

This time last year fires raged from Queensland, down the NSW coast to Victoria, and across parts of Western Australia and South Australia. But fires are not new - we live in a country that has been shaped by fire and in a landscape populated by vegetation dependent on fire.

What if anything can we learn from this history that might help us face the increasing fire risks today?

The NBN was supposed to provide all Australian homes with reliable, super-fast internet connections. As many of us adjust to living and working from home, connected with our jobs, friends and family online, has it lived up to its promise?

Human history is usually understood through wars, economic changes, technological development or great leaders. What’s frequently overlooked is the role of infectious disease epidemics and pandemics. But as the COVID-19 virus has reminded us, disease can change us in ways we could never imagine.

What light can those who study cults - most of which can be more properly described as new religious movements - shed on their operation and appeal?

Centrelink’s 'automated debt recovery system' - or Robodebt - sparked two Senate inquiries, an Ombudsman inquiry, numerous court cases and caused enormous stress to thousands of Australians. The Robodebt system has now been found to be unlawful by the Federal Court, but several questions remain unanswered. How and why was this system introduced? And why was it allowed to run for so long?

Although Australia is not doing particularly well when it comes to addressing climate change, there is one bright spot — the incredible rise of renewable energy as part of our electricity supply.

Today electricity produced by wind and solar is as cheap if not cheaper than any other form of energy. But 20 years ago, it was a very different story. How and why has the cost of renewables dropped so dramatically?

In a few weeks, six hundred million people will bid a political adieu to their troublesome neighbour. How has the EU handled Brexit and what lies ahead?

Since 1982, a group eight small island nations in the Western and Central Pacific have collectively taken control of their major natural resource, tuna, and created the OPEC of the tuna industry, the PNA, or Parties to the Nauru Agreement.

They have forced the foreign fish fleets from nations like Japan, Korea, and the USA to pay for access to their waters and to abide by the rules and regulations they have set to maintain the health of their tuna stock. It's David and Goliath story in the Pacific.

What’s to become of petrol stations when electric vehicles take over? How did today's servo evolve from the garages of the nineteen fifties and sixties - and what lies ahead?.

Once travel was only for the elite but as trains, cars and planes eventually opened the door for almost everyone to take a trip, mass tourism really took off.

The selection of a new justice to the United States Supreme Court is frequently controversial and almost always political. It’s a 'captain's pick' for the US president and one that can shape American society long after the president’s gone.

The Universal Postal Union created the global postal territory that has allowed letters and parcels to travel around the world for almost 150 years.

Now challenged by email and private couriers as well as forthcoming changes to customs law, does the UPU have a future?

The deal brings to four the number of Arab nations who have normalised diplomatic relations with Israel. It was a triumph for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and for US President Donald Trump, both of whom have pushed for Middle East agreements that don’t include the Palestinians, but is it likely to lead to bring peace to the region?

Tesla is now the world’s most successful car company, although it might be more accurate to call it a tech company that makes cars, given how different it is from the rest of the auto industry.

In the upcoming US presidential election voters will cast their ballots in myriad ways, from mail-in-voting to computerised voting machines. And if it’s a close election, there will be court challenges.

Regional Forest Agreements were supposed to settle what could be logged and where, but recent court challenges and protests show the forestry wars are far from over.

Australian universities are confronting a firestorm, the loss of foreign students, the layoff of academics, the underpayment of staff and radical changes to domestic university fees.

Why is our university sector in so much trouble?

The COVID pandemic has put the spotlight on aged care homes, already under scrutiny after evidence of neglect and abuse was laid bare in the Royal Commission. Who is responsible and how did it happen?

The hard lockdown of nine public housing towers in Melbourne last month raised many questions. When were they built? Why were they only built in Sydney and Melbourne? And why did we think tower blocks would make suitable public housing?

Australia is home to plants and animals found nowhere else on the planet. How did a law designed to protect our rich environmental heritage fail so badly?

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 75 years ago, led to the end of WWII in the Pacific. How did that war and the post-war reconstruction that followed change Australia? And are those changes still significant today?

Fishing became the lightning rod for Brexit but without a deal, the UK could catch plenty of fish but have nowhere to sell them. Step into the bewildering paradoxes of the British fishing industry.

For over 200 years the right to vote in the US has been a contested issue, especially for African Americans and other people of colour. Why is the vote so controversial in the world’s oldest democracy?

President Donald Trump appears a perhaps unconvincing Christian but the support of religious conservatives is crucial to his re-election in November.

As the coronavirus sweeps across the globe, people everywhere are turning to cycling. In cities like London, Milan, Paris, and Toronto, authorities are turning roads into cycleways. Could the humble bicycle become the major form of transport in the post-Covid-19 world?

Vaccines are one of the greatest medical advances in modern history but it usually takes decades to develop one that is both safe and effective. Can we beat the clock with Covid-19?

The recent killing of two African American men at the hands of white police has raised questions about policing across the United States. Were these the actions of a few rogue officers or something more sinister? This is the story of slavery, race and policing in the United States America.

Yoga goes back thousands of years in India but as its popularity spread around the world, its practice diversified to incorporate everything from yoga with goats to naked yoga.

Would you volunteer to be a human guinea pig in a clinical trial for Covid19 vaccine? Would you be more likely to volunteer, if you were being paid? And if did take part, what safeguards if any would you want in place?

The history and ethics of Human Clinical trials.

The US suggestion that the corona virus came from a Chinese lab - although unsupported by any evidence - prompts the story of our experiments with biological weapons.

There was a time in the 1960s when Australia manufactured almost everything – washing machines and fridges, footwear and clothes, cars and steel. It was a major part of our GDP and employed almost a third of the workforce. Today it’s a very different story. What happened?