Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today

ABC Australia

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History
Updated weekly

Move beyond the headlines to see how the past defines our world. Whether it's a local or international story, Rear Vision's expert analysis gives you the background you need to understand today's news.

3 days ago

The true story of the American Revolution

Americans are preparing for an orgy of red, white and blue as the 250th anniversary of their Declaration of Independence draws near. But what’s not likely to be widely mentioned is the fact that the conflict wasn’t just a revolution against British rule, it was actually America’s first civil war – a bloody and divisive internal conflict. And those rebels who rejected the Crown and called themselves "patriots" were by no means in the majority when war broke out. Historians say understanding more about the conflict could help Americans come to terms with the issues they face today. Guests: Dr Maya Jasanoff – Professor of History, Harvard University Dr Richard Bell – Professor of History, University of Maryland, College Park Dr Rebecca Brannon – Professor of History, James Maddison University

30 min
19 Jun

Saudi Arabia and the U.S - a marriage of convenience under strain

As the war in the Middle East teeters on a peace deal, the carefully managed relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States is starting to show cracks.

29 min
12 Jun

Beyond NATO – is it finally time for a pan-European Army?

Despite constant criticism from the Americans, European NATO members are actively rebuilding and strengthening their militaries. Some are even beginning to think beyond the Alliance and the United States, to an independent united European fighting force. NATO members will meet in early July for their 36th summit. Guests: Dr Hugo Bromley – Historian of manufacturing, geopolitics, and international trade, Centre for geopolitics, University of Cambridge Dr Simon J. Smith – Associate Professor of Security and International Relations at the Royal Danish Defence College Stuart Dowell – political journalist and commentator based in Warsaw Max Bergmann – director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program, Center for strategic and international Studies Stavros Atlamazoglou – Defence journalist and Greek Army veteran

30 min
5 Jun

Trump might be sceptical of nuclear diplomacy, but it’s worked between enemies in the past

President Trump has made it clear he doesn’t think diplomacy on its own will stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.So what does history tell us about what actually works? We’re looking back at one of the greatest nuclear risk reduction efforts ever — when the US and Russia joined forces to contain the weapons fallout from the Soviet collapse and convince countries like Ukraine to give up the nuclear arsenal they inherited. An effort that was led by diplomacy, pragmatism and scientific expertise during a brief period of goodwill between the two countries. GUESTSGraham Allison - Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the Harvard Kennedy SchoolMariana Budjeryin - Senior Researcher at the Centre for Nuclear Security at MIT and author of Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of UkraineDavid E Hoffman - author of The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms GUESTSGraham Allison - Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the Harvard Kennedy SchoolMariana Budjeryin - Senior Researcher at the Centre for Nuclear Security at MIT and author of Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of UkraineDavid E Hoffman - author of The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms

30 min
29 May

America – land of the free, home of the gerrymander!

Gerrymandering is endemic in the United States and could determine the outcome of this year's mid-term elections. It has been a feature of the American political system since the beginning of the republic, according to Princeton University's Samuel Wang. So, how did the self-styled “world’s greatest democracy” end up with a system that former California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, says is being rigged by both major parties? Guests: Dr John Hart – School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University Dr Samuel Wang – Professor of Neuroscience and Head of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, Princeton University Dr Ben Reid – data analyst and researcher, Australian and European history, Parliament of Victoria Dr Melissa Rogers – Professor, Politics & Policy and Co-Director, Inequality and Policy Research Center, Claremont Graduate University

30 min
22 May

Russia's Oil story - pipelines to Putin

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to affect economies around the world. But Russia has not only escaped the financial fallout, but has prospered.

28 min
15 May

Who has the power and right to declare war in a democracy?

It may surprise you to know that the Australian parliament has no real say over whether the country goes to war. In the United States its effectively the same, with analysts saying the US Congress has now basically ceded its war powers to the president. A process, by the way, that began long before the arrival of Donald Trump. In this episode we look at how that happened and why calls for war powers reform have had so little success. Guests: Dr Russell Berman – Professor in the Humanities, Stanford University Dr Sarah Percy – Associate Professor of International Relations, University of Queensland Dr Sarah Burns – Rochester Institute of Technology Dr Alison Broinowski - Australians for War Power Reform Dr Nicole Townsend - lecturer in War Studies – University of New South Wales, Canberra

30 min
8 May

Capital gains tax in Australia — the essential backstory

The Federal Government is hoping tax reform will help address the widening generational wealth gap and rebalance the tax system in favour of younger people.One policy being targeted for an overhaul in this year's budget is the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount. Australia started taxing capital gains in the mid-1980s to tackle tax avoidance and evasion which was a huge problem at the time.So why in 1999 did the Howard government introduce a discount on that tax? And why does the concession encourage investment in established housing stock? Guests:Chris Evans - Emeritus Professor UNSW Business SchoolPeter Martin - economist and presenter of The Economy StupidRick Krever - taxation law and policy specialist at UWACraig Emerson - economist and former Federal Labor MP Joe Aston - author and business journalistPeter Tulip - Chief Economist at the Centre for Independant StudiesRichard Holden - Scientia Professor of Economics at UNSW Business School

30 min

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Annabelle Quince

Host
Antony Funnell

Host
Ros Bluett

Host

Move beyond the headlines to see how the past defines our world. Whether it's a local or international story, Rear Vision's expert analysis gives you the background you need to understand today's news.