10 episodes

Evening Report webcasts regular programs on culture, news, tech, politics, geopolitics and security intelligence and is hosted by ER's editor Selwyn Manning.

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    • News

Evening Report webcasts regular programs on culture, news, tech, politics, geopolitics and security intelligence and is hosted by ER's editor Selwyn Manning.

    Buchanan and Manning Assess 2023 Global Trends and Conflicts

    Buchanan and Manning Assess 2023 Global Trends and Conflicts

    The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast was produced at midday Thurs December 21, 2023 (NZST) and Wednesday December 20, 8pm (USEDST).

    In this the twelfth episode of A View from Afar for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning note and discuss some of the big world events that have occurred and are occurring in 2023.
    And in particular, Paul and Selwyn discuss the rise of the Global South; evaluate the the wars that continue to rage in Ukraine and Gaza; and tensions in the South China Sea.
    Plus they note, with particular reference the trends that will become prominent in 2024, including the decline of Western democracies and a rightward turn in many places (including in Argentina and New Zealand in their respective 2023 elections).
    INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:
    Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.
    To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
    Remember to subscribe to the channel.
    For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below:

    Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
    Facebook.com/selwyn.manning
    Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning

    RECOGNITION: The MIL Network’s podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category.
    You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators.
    *** 

    • 1 hr 16 min
    How the Hamas-Israel War is a Catalyst of Global Order Change - Buchanan and Manning

    How the Hamas-Israel War is a Catalyst of Global Order Change - Buchanan and Manning

    A View from Afar, by Dr Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning.

    In this the eleventh episode of A View from Afar for 2023, political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning examine how the post-World War II liberal internationalist system is being challenged by a fluid constellation of global and regional powers to influence the shape of an emerging new world order.
    And Paul and Selwyn also assess how this massive shift in geopolitic demarcations is forming, relatively quickly, into a world of bipolarity where on one side we have a multipolar constellation of states, and on the other the traditional western liberal democracies.
    The catalyst behind this rapidly forming bipolarity is conflict.
    And, most recently, it is clear, that the Israel-Hamas war – and the atrocities committed initially by Hamas and more lately by Israel forces – is driving the world toward a transitional moment.
    It appears, that what is emerging from the current multipolar system – and think here the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court among many other global bodies – is a situation that is not merely new-and-old Great Powers competing as nation-states.
    But rather, what we see are groupings of fluid constellations of powers competing as blocs to influence the shape of what is to come.
    In this episode Paul and Selwyn discuss and describe what is now evident, and sketch out what will likely emerge.
    Of course, as mentioned, the Israel-Hamas war lays bare any claims of morality and exposes the hypocrisies of all sides in conflicts.
    In particular the Hamas-Israel war exposes the west – led by the United States of America, the United Kingdom and various European states – to an argument that the west is morally moribund as it continues its colonial/post colonial attitudes of support of Israel as the latter commits an apparent disproportionate-defence offensive against Palestine’s peoples.
    The argument appears to carry weight, especially as this western axis sustains its support for Israel’s war machine even while, on international humanitarian law grounds, the atrocities being committed against Palestine’s civilian population are morally indefensible and potentially legally enforceable as war crimes.
    For example; retribution for the atrocities and despicable crimes committed by Hamas against defenceless Israeli citizens does not remove culpability for the State of Israel as it delivers on an apparent intention to annihilate Hamas and all people – children, the elderly, all innocents – who may surround Israel’s targets.
    IHL shows how duty of care is not excused even if civilians are used as “human shields”, and at this juncture, it is not clear, whether that cited flawed-justification is founded on truth.
    This is the position of what was once an authoritarian axis.
    But what has formed is a multipolar-constellation that supports the Palestinian cause on postcolonial, Global South, and solidarity grounds.
    The Questions:
    So if all of this carnage is the catalyst for a new world order, what comes next?
    Will we see the emergence of a parallel global institutional structure that develops as a counter-balance to the west’s post-WWII world order?
    Has the west’s leading power lost its moral authority through its support for a war machine that has caused the deaths of over 10,000 people of innocent disposition, while itself refuses to be a signatory member state to the International Criminal Court and its principles of global justice?
    And as such, has the west ceded persuasive moral authority to the rising constellation of once authoritarian-states that dominate the opposing bloc?
    And does the west, as a consequence, find itself powerless to counter the migration of moderate independent states that are repelled by the immorality of the west’s arguments, laid bare by the Hamas-Israel war?
    INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:
    Paul and Selwyn encourage their li

    • 1 hr 13 min
    When All the World's Failings End in Gaza

    When All the World's Failings End in Gaza

     

    In this the tenth episode of A View from Afar for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and journalist/analyst Selwyn Manning examine the current Israel-Palestine Atrocities.
    As we prepared for this podcast, representatives of Arab states have presented a united front at the United Nations, criticising the UN Security Council of doing nothing to protect civilians from Israeli bombing and missile attacks on Gazan civilians and locations.
    Since then, the UN Security Council has considered two resolutions, the latter calling for a pause in hostilities to allow a humanitarian effort to enter Gaza to assist civilians.
    The United States vetoed that Security Council resolution.
    Al Jazera has detailed that Israel forces have targeted and bombed civilian facilities include Hospitals, schools, residential areas resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, civilians, – around one-third of the deaths are children.
    It remains contested by all sides in this conflict as to who, or what, is responsible for the deadly attack on Gaza Hospital, resulting in the deaths of over 471 people.
    Additional to this, Israel has sealed the borders of Gaza while it prevents food, water and medical supplies from reaching civilians – in breach of international law requirements and laws of conflict.
    Israel ordered Gazan civilians, who wish to get to safety, to get out of North Gaza and move toward the south, to the border with Egypt. But as people fled south toward what appeared to be safety, Israel bombed the southern Gaza region killing more civilians and sealing off that corridor for others who sought refuge.
    As a consequence of the bombing, Egypt responded by sealing the Gaza-Egypt border.
    Humanitarian aid now sits on trucks, waiting, on the Egypt side of the border, while United Nations officials implore Israel and Egypt to allow medical supplies, food and water to get through to those who are injured and dying.
    The Israel Defence Force strikes followed a surprise-attack on Israeli citizens by soldiers operating under the Hamas banner.
    Civilians were slaughtered and others taken hostage, only to be used as bargaining chips and leverage against their enemies.
    Even Palestinian advocacy groups like the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa suggested that breaches of international humanitarian Law, crimes against civilians, have been committed by those Hamas-aligned fighters. But they are clear, as others are too, that crimes against humanity, war crimes, have been committed by Israel, without consequence, as we all give witness to its response which is disproportionate, brutal, and disregarding of the thousands of Palestinian lives that have already been taken.
    That’s the current situation. It is likely to get much worse.
    In this episode, our questions will include:
    What are the world’s leaders doing to stop the carnage?
    Are the world’s nations being drawn into what will be an ever-expanding war?
    Are we witnessing the beginning of a war where on one side authoritarian-led states like Russia, Iran, the wider Arab states, and possibly China stand unified against the United States, Britain, Germany, and other so-called liberal democratic allies representing the old world order?
    Is what we are witnessing, what happens when a global rules-based order, multilateralism and institutions like the United Nations no longer have influence to prevent war, or restore peace and stability, or assert principles of international justice and enforce the rights of victims to see recourse to the law?
    Why has this slaughter become an opportunity for the US and Russia to square-off against each other at the UN Security Council – a body that was once designed to advocate and achieve peace, but has now become a geopolitically divided entity of stalemate and mediocrity?
    Eventually, will humanitarianism prevail? Will the world recognise that all people, the elderly, women, children, people of all ethnicities and religions, that they all bleed and die

    • 1 hr 6 min
    Why Has North Africa Become a Fault-line-Challenge to a Western-Led Global Order?

    Why Has North Africa Become a Fault-line-Challenge to a Western-Led Global Order?

    In this the ninth episode of A View from Afar for 2023, political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning examine why there is a trend toward military dictatorships in North Africa.
    And, in particular, Paul and Selwyn analyse the reasons why countries like Sudan, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea have all become part of a challenge to a weakened western-led global order.
    In this podcast, Paul and Selwyn examine why events in North Africa are connected to authoritarian multipolarity, a realignment of global power that favours the Russian Federation’s Putin regime.
    And, within this context, Paul and Selwyn address the complexities of Russian Federation involvement in the African continent – involvement that includes the notorious Wagner mercenary group; Russian state controlled energy giants like Gazprom that act as envoys of the Kremlin; and how Western powers appear unable to address geopolitical and terrorist-caused instability in the region.
    The Questions include:

    How and why have Africa’s dictators found a powerful ally in the Kremlin?
    Who benefits from the Russian-North African alliance and what does this association look like?
    Where does all of this leave terrorist groups, such as ISIS, in the region?
    Why has Africa become a divide between liberal democratic and authoritarian power blocs in the emerging multipolar global constellation?

    INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:
    Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.
    To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
    Remember to subscribe to the channel.
    For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below:

    Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
    Facebook.com/selwyn.manning
    Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning

    RECOGNITION: The MIL Network’s podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category.
    You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators.
    ***

    • 1 hr 11 min
    Are we safer now from nuclear war than we were after 1945? – Buchanan and Manning

    Are we safer now from nuclear war than we were after 1945? – Buchanan and Manning

    In this the eighth episode of A View from Afar for 2023, political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine the risks of a 21st century nuclear war.
    The movie Oppenheimer has renewed interest in the dawn of the nuclear era. Almost 80 years later, are we safer from nuclear war than we were in the years immediately after 1945?
    The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved its Doomsday Clock hand to 90 seconds before midnight, the highest threat level since the Cuban Missile Crisis.What does that say about contemporary international security affairs?
    No new nuclear arms limitation agreements have been signed in over a decade, several have lapsed and most nuclear armed countries are not signatories to them anyway.
    Countries like China are rapidly expanding their arsenals and others like North Korea and Iran are seeking to join the nuclear armed club.
    Has nuclear arms control failed?
    What is the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty?
    Although conventions against the use of chemical and biological weapons are widely recognised, violations of the prohibitions have occurred regularly, most recently in Syria. Weapons like white phosphorus and cluster munitions continue to be used by many states.

    The Questions include:

    Has non-nuclear arms control failed as well?


    Russia’s Putin Regime has threatened to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine and NATO. Is the nuclear genie about to come out of the bottle, even in a tactical use?


    Are we seeing the return of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)?


    Are we on the brink of Oppenheimer’s nightmare: nuclear Armageddon?


    And importantly, what are the solutions to this most serious and dangerous threat?

    INTERACTION:
    Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.
    To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
    Remember to subscribe to the channel.
    For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below:

    Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
    Facebook.com/selwyn.manning
    Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning

    RECOGNITION: The MIL Network’s podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category.
    You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators.
    ***

    • 1 hr 15 min
    How and Why Democracy is Backsliding Around the World - Buchanan and Manning

    How and Why Democracy is Backsliding Around the World - Buchanan and Manning

    In this the seventh episode of A View from Afar podcast for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine the strengths and weaknesses of democracy around the world.
    In particular Paul and Selwyn consider how and why democracy in many countries around the world is on the slide.
    They examine the causes of democratic backsliding and also test why the erosion of high democratic ideas have, in many cases, popular support.
    First, Paul offers a context, and defines democratic backsliding. He identifies the countries that are decisively eroding their own democracies of principles that were once embraced by both power elites and citizenry.
    The Questions include:

    Why are we seeing more democratic backsliding in recent times?
    Is it just a political phenomenon or does it extend beyond the political sphere?
    Where has democratic backsliding been most evident?
    What do Chile, Guatemala, Israel and Thailand have in common when it comes to backsliding?
    What is occurring in the United States?
    If a democracy “backslides,” what does it slide into?

    INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:
    Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.
    To interact during the live recordings of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
    Remember to subscribe to the channel.
    For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below:

    Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
    Facebook.com/selwyn.manning
    Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning

    RECOGNITION: The MIL Network’s podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category.
    You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators.
    ***

    • 1 hr 14 min

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