This episode is the first of a series of at least three that are linked by the theme of international order. Last year US Secretary of State Blinken said “what we’re experiencing now is more than a test of the post-Cold War order. It’s the end of it”. The concept of the possible ending of an order raises lots of questions: what exactly was the old order, why is it ending (if indeed it is), and what might come next? Why do these questions matter for Australia in the world?
This series will try to tackle these questions from a few different angles.
The first topic is war and international order. The two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has passed, and it is approaching six months since Hamas attacked Israel. These are conflicts with potentially major impacts on international order. They are also important for the leadership role the US might play in that order going forward.
To discuss these conflicts through the lens of order Darren is joined by Andrew Phillips, an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland. Andrew’s research focuses on war, strategy, and international order, with a particular focus on Great Power rivalry and asymmetric violence as drivers of transformative change in world politics.
Andrew and Darren recorded this episode earlier in March. They start with an assessment of where each of these conflicts is currently at, how they might end, and through what mechanisms they are affecting the broader international order, and the leadership role of the United States. It is one of the longest episodes in the history of the podcast, but the simple fact is that these types of conversations require such length to be done well.
Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Corbin Duncan and theme music composed by Rory Stenning.
Relevant links
Andrew Phillips (bio): https://polsis.uq.edu.au/profile/1348/andrew-phillips
Darren Lim and G. John Ikenberry, “China and the Logic of Illiberal Hegemony”, Security Studies, 28 February 2023: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09636412.2023.2178963
George Lawson and Ayşe Zarakol, “Recognizing injustice: the ‘hypocrisy charge’ and the future of the liberal international order”, International Affairs, Volume 99, Issue 1, January 2023, Pages 201–217: https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/99/1/201/6967344
Dune (Part 2): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15239678/
Ezra Klein Show (podcast), “Marilynne Robinson on Biblical Beauty, Human Evil and the Idea of Israel”, 5 March 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-marilynne-robinson.html
Ep. 110: Ukraine, one year on
Ep. 109: Balloons; FM’s UK speech; France 2+2; DM on sovereignty
Ep. 108: PM in PNG; duelling ambassadors; reviewing 2022
Ep. 107: Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts
Ep. 106: FM’s DC speech; 2+2s ; a polycrisis?
Ep. 105: G20/Xi bilaterals; FM/DM speeches; midterms
Ep. 104: 20th Party Congress; export controls; Australia-Japan
Ep. 103: Nuclear escalation; UNGA meetings; Track 1.5s
Ep. 102: A formal statement on China? Australia’s head of state
Ep. 101: Taiwan
Ep. 100: Foreign Minister Penny Wong
Ep. 99: Much travel & many speeches; PRC meeting; PIF; Lowy poll
Ep. 98: A (very) busy first few weeks
Ep. 97: Incoming government brief, 2022 edition
Ep. 96: Campaign foreign policy lessons; AUKUS leaks?
Ep. 95: Solomon Islands and China enter a security pact
Ep. 94: Pre-election foreign policy speeches by Morrison and Albanese
Ep. 93: The invasion of Ukraine and updating priors
Ep. 92: Our own foreign policy election “debate”
Ep. 91: Ukraine
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